Domestic Domestique

This year I didn't really have any goals for Mohican. I just wanted to ride with Bridget and made sure she had fun. But now she is bailing on the 100 miler due to minor injuries.

I took my Strava data from last year. I might write these numbers on my bike so I have a lil bee in my bonnet during the race.

Here are my approximate splits from 2012:
To Aid Station 1 (20mi): 1:57/10.26mph split/10.26 avg, took about 3 min: A lot of trail
To Aid Station 2 (34mi): 1:32/9.13mph/9.5 avg, took 4 min messing with Infinit, more trail than I remembered
To Aid Station 3 (46mi): 1:04/11.25mph/9.82 avg, took 4 min
To Aid Station 4 (72mi): 1:52/13.33 mph/10.96 avg, last fill up, about 3 minutes
To Aid Station 5 (88mi-ish): 1:29/10.79 mph/10.67 avg
To Finish (93mi-ish): :32/9.33/10.79 avg

Overall I was 43rd/166 with a time of 8:37:09 about an average speed of 11mph.

I guess try to go faster right?

Race #124: The One-Two Punch!

Photo by Julie Lewis-Sroka

Wow! I had a stellar race at Mohican this year!

My rolling time was about 8:25, and my overall time was 8:37:09. Compare that with last years result of 9:20 of rolling time and an overall time of 10:35:51. That means I was almost an hour faster riding and I cut 2 hours off my overall time! Holy shit!

First, I would like to thank Mitch and Nate at BioWheels for fixing some last minute mechanicals. I also want to thank Sophie, Rick and Lydia at Norwood Chiropractic--they helped all my muscles recover after the Flying Pig marathon.

Bjet and I didn't get up to Loudenville until 8ish in Friday. We were waiting in an order of Infinit to arrive, plus I was trying to finish some design projects. All that sitting made my legs feel like bloated sausages. We only got in a short spin before getting ready for the race.

We got up about 5:15am. I downed some Infinit Mud, a coffee protein shake. I did forget to take my Hammer Anti-Fatigue caps, full of potassium and magnesium to prevent cramping.

The race started and I did not feel awesome... I felt a wee bit sick and my legs were still heavy. The race starts out on the main street of Loudenville and you go straight up a hill. I was do far back, and I saw all my teammates hitting it hard, they looked great. For some reason I could not climb as well as usual, all day. It got to be demoralizing early on.

Once into the single track I kept it chill for about 15 minutes. Then we hit some double track sections. People where still riding single file, but the CXer in me woke up and I conservatively gained spots. Back to some more single track. The pace line was semi-slow, but too much intensity too early can ruin your day. One guys didn't get the memo, he kept trying to pass and then would crash like a total loser. After about 3 or 4 crashes and some yelling amongst the riders the guy finally settled down.

So I've been trying to cut back on chain slap my shifting into the big ring. Then to keep it easy I would gift into the granny gear. I was using all 27 gears! Well, I think I forgot what gear I was in. We hit some downhill double track. I went to shift into my big ring and hammer it but my chain made a bunch of noise. So I pulled over. I think I was Already I the big ring, and I was cross-chaining. The chain was forced off and it wrapped a figure 8 around my crank. Damn! So I muscled it backwards and got it going again. That's when I saw my teammate Mark Rucker.

Mark Rucker is a beast, with powder legs for quads and calves that devour cyclists -- he sits on the front and holds 28 mph, typically on some bike that's 5 lbs heavier than yours! We both mentioned taking the start easy. It's mostly trail to the first aid station, and it can really take the piss out of ya!

Mark and I mentioned riding together. I took a quick break at Aid Station 1 to refill bottles--Mark kept riding, rocking a sweet CamelBack. So I had some incentive to crush the next section, I needed to make up my 3-4 minute deficit on Mark! I finally caught him, but once again grabbed some water for insurance from Aid Station 2. Once again I had to chase down Mark!

Some advice. The first 47 miles of Mohican are tough, tons of trail and climbing. But don't quit at Aid Station 3, it only gets easier. So I roll into Aid Station 3 fast and furious and Mark is waiting for me. I fill up quickly and we set out together.

It was a great choice to ride together. Mark and I were nearly equally matched (Mark had suffered from bronchitis all Spring and wasn't destroying me). He would still kick my ass on the hills. I would lose time, but would TT to regain the 10 - 30 seconds I would lose. It was great to ride with someone you could trust, you could talk and keep your morale boosted while the miles flew past. On all the downhills and flats we would trade pulls to keep the pace high. We destroyed the bike path section

Here are my approximate splits:
To Aid Station 1 (20mi): 1:57/10.26mph split/10.26 avg, took about 3 min: A lot of trail
To Aid Station 2 (34mi): 1:32/9.13mph/9.5 avg, took 4 min messing with Infinit, more trail than I remembered
To Aid Station 3 (46mi): 1:04/11.25mph/9.82 avg, took 4 min, Rucker waited, we tackled the climb together!
To Aid Station 4 (72mi): 1:52/13.33 mph/10.96 avg, last fill up, about 3 minutes
To Aid Station 5 (88mi-ish): 1:29/10.79 mph/10.67 avg, Caught Collier, we blew through it into the woods.
To Finish (93mi-ish): :32/9.33/10.79 avg, yes, we bested all expectations!

The times were really fast this year because I think they shortened the course a tad. But even if there was the extra 2 miles I had to race the year before, and we covered it at an average of 11 mph, we still would have achieved my goal of 9 hours. I'm very happy with that!

WWBD: What would the Badger do if they closed a bridge during a race?

Gearing up for Goal Number 2: Mohican

Photo by Jen Farmer

I'm feeling pretty good this year. The last two years I went into Mohican a little over trained. So this year I really backed off and spent the last two weeks doing shorter, more intense rides. Well, not this week, I've kept it fairly chill.


So I got 3 goals this year: 1. Marathon, 2 Having a Mohican 200 miler I am proud of, 3 Race with the Big Boys in Cross.


Within the Mohican race I would love to pull off a 9-hour ride. However the conditions may be muddy now. So I just have to hope to try and beat last year's time of 10:35. And, most importantly, have fun and enjoy the ride!


Nutrition:
Using mainly Infinit. I'm going to mix up a secret weapon "syrup" bottle that I keep in my jersey pocket.


What I'm packin:
2 Bottles of Infinit (Infinit is like Gatorade but with more calories, it has electrolytes PLUS my personal custom blend of carbs and protein and caffeine, very cool stuff!)
1 Syrup bottle of Infinit with 8 more servings
1 flask containing Gel (I prefer the chocolate GUs, a tasty treat while I am suffering)
Small container of Anti-Fatigue caps


All this stuff is small and in containers I can keep within reach in my pockets.

What my current formulation of Infinit looks like. High carbs, from protein and amino acids (with the hope of diminishing muscle deterioration during event, but science proves protein probably has no effect). Check out www.infinitnutrition.us

Pre-race breakfast of Infinit Mud — a protein shake with coffee in it. Post-race recovery drink will be ready in the fridge (expecting to be a zombie after).


Put it in your f@nny!:
I like to call my saddle bag my fanny pack... I got that loaded up with some emergency gear:
1 multi-tool with chain tool
1 extra tube
1 patch kit
2 tire levers
1 SRAM quick link
2 CO2 cartridges
Some emergency duct tape to repair side wall tears
First Aid (Remember last year!)

What my pre-measured dose bottle of Infinit "syrup" looks like.

Pit Stops!
What I should do within 3-4 minutes:
1. Have bottles filled with water
2. Light stretching
3. Squirt dose of Infinit into bottles
4. Take Anti-Fatigue cap
5. Check chain lube
6. Drink extra plain water (noticed last year feeling a tad thirsty, but it was hot)


Do it on the Bike!
I'm going to try to stretch, fuel and urinate while I am riding! This way save some time.

Clothing

– I'm going to wear a regular race kit with the 3 pockets in back. keeping my bottle and gel flask in the pockets.

– I bought new gloves, need new gel pads

– Seriously thinking about wearing Balaga running socks, they have a padded footbed for extra comfort. Not "cool," but maybe necessary.

– Switched to Superfeet footbeds this year. I place these in my race shoes and they make my pedal stroke more efficient by supporting my arches and pronation issues.


Tires
We're doing Maxxis Ignitors on front and CrossMarks on back. We use this as an all-rounder set up and race it dry and wet.

Aid Station Times for Target Time of 9 Hours:

Last year I finished in a total time of 10:35:51, with a moving time of 9:20ish and average moving speed of 10.24 mph. So this year I wanted to target 9hour-ish — meaning with pit stops that I need to average 11.5 mph. For any ride I feel like this is a laughable average speed, but with all the trails and hills of Mohican this is like running a 3:15 Marathon.

First 20mi: 1:50:00 (avg 10.9 mph)
Aid Station 1 (20mi): 0:04:00
2nd 14 miles: 3:05:00 (avg 11.03 mph — target 12ish for the leg)Aid Station 2 (34mi): 0:03:00
3rd 12 miles: 4:08:00 (avg 11.13 mph — target 11.5ish for the leg)Aid Station 3 (46mi): 0:04:00 
4th 26 miles: 6:15:00 (avg 11.5 mph — target 12.3ish for the leg)Aid Station 4 (72mi): 0:03:00
5th 8 miles: 6:55:00 (avg 11.5 mph — target 12ish for the leg)Aid Station 3 again (80mi): maybe skip or 0:02:00
6th 12 miles: 7:55:00 (avg 11.6 mph — target 12ish for the leg)Aid Station 5 (92mi): hopefully skip 
Finish 8 miles: 9:00:00 (avg 11.5 mph — target 7.5ish for the leg)


But if it's muddy, I'm just going to have to slog through it!

The Dark Horse!

“Another dark horse to watch, Bridget Donovan (BioWheels/Reece-Campbell Racing), took fifth in the womens’ 100km last year and is moving up to the 100-mile distance.”

— Cycling News

Mohican Post Game Analysis

This year I felt 1000 times better than last year's race in the mud. But there were a few things I felt could have made me a smidge better:

1. Running Hills: Calves got a bit sore even though I've been running. So I would walk flat-footed up the hills to stretch the calf muscles. Next year perhaps do more hill sprints or extended hikes up steep grades.

2. Practice pits: Took a bit long (sometimes socializing) at the aid stations. Next year I could practice my routine: 1. filling bottles (then topping off with a squirt of the Infinit concentrate), 2. pop some Enduralites, 3. lube chain, 4. quick stretch.

3. THE SECRET WEAPON BOTTLE! I borrowed an idea from my teammate Brian. He creates a bottle of thick Infinit "gel". I did it this year but here's how I could execute this idea better: after measuring the quantity of servings I need in the bottle, use a marker and some math to make tick marks on the side of the CLEAR bottle so I can see how much I am squirting out.

4. Even more core work. I felt strong this year, but I think I could have used even more all-around strength.

5. Recover more! Too much rising going into the event tapped me out.


How I fared physically:
Core & Back: My back did not get sore until about the 8th hour, the Pilates and weight I did helped. Although I feel I could have done more, I felt a smidge hunched over and would prefer to keep less weight off the hands.

Neck: Sore, was it from the wreck? Looking up?

Arms: Triceps got a little tired late in the race, need to beef up the guns!

Feet: New shoes really helped, worked on my pedal stroke (I could have worked a bit more on it) to keep me from mashing.

Hands: I should have bought some gloves, although my hands felt way better than last year. A sore started to develop on top of my palms. Using Ritchie grips, I've tried Ergons and either my hands go numb or they don't—it doesn't matter what kind of grip. Weird huh?



Nutrition:
1 bottle of Infinit (custom mix) per hour, 1 gel every 2 hours (GU Chocolate Mint and Blueberry Pomegranate Roctanes), Hammer Anti-Fatigue caps and extra water at Aid Stations. The Secret Weapon Bottle had 5 servings of Infinit in it, I could put even more in next year.


Aid Station 1: Refilled my 2 bottles with the gel bottle, Gu shot, Anti-Fatigue caps, stretched and lubed...

Aid Station 2: Spent way too much time trying to find a bandage, but I got a lot of water and made sure I topped off my nutrition.

Aid Station 3: Refilled all three bottles, the gel bottle had just enough to serve as a third bottle for the 28 miles between the Aid Stations. Really socialized waaaay too long.

• We got some extra Gatoraid at the top of a climb in the woods

Aid Station 4: 3 baggies of Infinit and a couple more gels were waiting for me. Mixed up the last of my bottles. I was sure this would last me the rest of my race and it did!

Aid Station 5: Filled 1 bottle with water for insurance, but it wasn't needed...

Aid Station 6: Skipped it!

Race #76: Stubbornness is a Virtue

Photos by Jen Farmer

An epic tale of my first 100 mile mountain bike race in the scenic Mohican 100, where I endured the longest ride of my life (so far).

PRERIDE
Thursday night I went to Norwood Chiropractic, where Dr. Yost worked out a huge knot in my right quad! Overall my legs were fried from my muddy race win the weekend before. This is the second time they have rescued my from the disable list and got me back to the start line.

On Friday, Bridget, Joe and I reconned the first 8 miles. It's critical to know what's coming at you, and how to react as you weave your way through the early traffic of a mountain bike race. I went for a second warmup ride later with Mark, I wanted to keep the blood running through my legs, repairing the damage.

Teammate Kris "Karwash," the 100 miler veteran, gave me a great pep talk where he told me to keep my chin up and never give up. He said I would want to quit 5 times, but not to listen to that voice because coming over the finish line is so rewarding. He also said to stay within yourself and only start really racing at the end — something I was glad to hear because I was worried all week my legs wouldn't make it to the end.

AND THEY’RE OFF!
We had to wake up at 5:30 for the 7am start! I ate some rolled oats and flax, drank a sip of coffee and downed a gel — threw the leg over the saddle and headed to the startline. My legs were still feeling a bit stiff but it takes a while to warm up the engine some days. It was a 10 minute ride to the start and I added a few sprints at the end to get ready for the start.

I modeled some sexy poses at the startline and tried to relax, this may be the toughest day of my life (on a bike). The gun went off, but I kept it conservative waiting for my legs to come around. The beginning of these races is always a mess with tons of traffic as hundreds of riders find themselves gridlocked on what most would call a single-track hiking trail.

I stayed relaxed and eventually found myself with some good riders with similar abilities and matching speed. My legs were warmed up and the trail was so fun. Actually, my legs felt really great! The massage from Dr. Yost worked miracles!

If you like to mountain bike and haven't been there, the Mohican State Forest offers some lovely riding with beautiful scenery and some fun roller coaster trails that allow you to go really fast on a bike (thus not allowing you to enjoy the scenery). My average speed with all the hills was 10.7 mph. I couldn't wait to hit the road sections and really beat my target time of 10 hours. I was on the back of the group of riders and feeling really great when it happened...

DISASTER 1
My chain snapped! I was going around a corner with a steep uphill when suddenly my feet were spinning without resistance. At first I thought it just dropped. But upon further inspection I realized that was the key component of my drive train dragging behind my bike!

That was when I remembered I did not have and extra chain pin or a Sram Quick Link... That was a bit stupid of me! Was my day over? I had two options: 1. act like a total baby and throw my bike down a hill and have a complete meltdown or 2. put on my big boy panties and behave like an adult and calmly solve the problem. I must admit that many times I have chosen option 1, but for some reason I was really calm. Kris's pep talk was working!

Somehow I fixed it (I am a horrible mechanic). I kept channeling a calm energy and patiently went about removing a couple links and re-smashing a pin back into place. I watched as the end of my race passed, then the leaders of the 100 kilometer race began to pass. I think I lost 10 minutes or so.


AID STATION 1
I rolled out of the aid station about 15 minutes off my targeted time. That was when I saw teammate Karwash crushing it. Dude was weaving through people like a pro so I jumped on his wheel for a moment. He got past a few people and I got stuck behind a guy who took 10 years to get over a log (it's called cyclocross buddy, look it up). I refilled my bottle with Infinit, lubed my chain to prevent more chain suck/breakage and did a security stretch of my legs.

I sped up again hoping to catch my teammate and get back on track with my target time. I was flying down a downhill when suddenly I became aware that my hand was no longer on my handbars and...

DISASTER 2
I had a high speed Endo (end-over or when you go flying headfirst over the handlebars). It was so fast. When my hand came loose (I have no clue if I relaxed it for a second or some liquid — possibly pee — on my grip made it slippery).

My head hit the ground, my neck twisted and my knee felt like it was on fire. I started screaming curses and bloody murder! I thought I broke my neck, then I realized I could move it. I was seeing millions on little green, blue, yellow and purple dots. "I must have a concussion." Then I looked at my knee. My chain ring, that thing that looks like a saw blade, ripped a hole on the inside of my right knee. The would was already sticking out a few inches and white. "How long have I been on the ground? Did I black out?" Looking at it I started screaming bloody murder even more. "Did I just tear my ACL? Do I need knee surgery?" Someone could hear the crash and the screams and yelled if I was okay. I yelled yes... I don't know why.


My day must be over. It was only 1 mile back to Aid Station 1, I could just turn around and DNF. My teammate Joe passed me and asked if I was okay. I said yes again. I then gently lifted myself back on my bike and pointed it towards Aid Station 2. I could pedal this off right? Kris's pep talk now became my mantra.

I caught up with Joe and we rolled together for awhile. It was nice to have his wheel on the downhills, otherwise I would have been prone to feel scared and lay on the brakes.

AID STATION 2
I rolled in and a couple volunteers at the Buckhaven Hunting Lodge were really helpful as we washed out and applied a bandage to my knee. I was joking about duct tape, but we actually used camo duct tape to keep the bandage on! All my teammates came past and checked in on me. I took forever to get back on the bike, but I didn't want to rush out of there too quickly and cause another disaster.

Well, I was back at it and feeling pretty good. I was riding with some really cool people (one was a father-to-be from Cleveland who rode for ChamoisButter, another 100 miler veteran) and making up some time on the roads. I was still riding pretty conservative, using the granny gear on all the uphills. I just crested a hill and was on a flat when...

DISASTER 3
Chain break number 2! I was an idiot and was trying to go fast — forgetting that I was still in the granny and I was cross-chaining! Oops!

At this point some of the zen I was feeling disappeared. I was a little pissed, I didn't want to go back home and face people telling them I did not complete what I had set out to do. I knew how to fix it so I did it again. The only question, how many more times was it going to break? How many hours would it take me to complete the race? Did I have enough food?


I was kind of thinking how lucky the Pros in the Tour de France are, with a car full of brand new bikes that follow them and they instantly get service when their bike breaks. That kind of reminded me of Eugène Christophe and how he lost the 1913 Tour de France spending hours repairing bis bike, acting as a blacksmith repairing his own steel fork because it was illegal in those days to ask for assistance. How lucky the current guys are! And wow, we are kind of like these men of yesteryear.

AID STATION 3
I caught Joe again going into the Aid Station. He was flying before but now he looked like steam was coming out of his radiator. My heart was breaking for him, he looked incredible going into this race and I was really hoping he was going to set a personal record for himself. He ended up not finishing because he had pushed himself too hard for too long.

I took waaaaay too long at this aid station. But seeing my friends, other racers as well as their wives who were helping at the aid station, was really therapeutic. It was nice to share a laugh for a second. I saw Bridget as she came in, and I told her about my terrible day and for her not to worry — that this may take awhile!

AID STATION 4
It was 26 miles between Aid Stations 3 and 4. Anything could go wrong and I could run out of food, water and energy. But I was lucky. The miles flew by. And so did the bandage on my knee. It came off and the would was left exposed to mud and dirt, blood covering my top tube. A volunteer at the Aid Station provided me with iodine and a clean bandage. I was so happy to have it cleaned out.

SMOOTH SAILING
The rest of the day was so easy. My nutrition was perfectly planned and my hydration was spot on with the help of all the volunteers. My legs felt great due to training, diligent nutrition leading up to the event and Dr. Yost's miracle massage. I was thankful for the 100 mile time trials I did, and the stubborn 6:30 hilly ride I forced myself to complete in the pouring rain. I was training my capacity to endure pain.


I settled in and enjoyed the scenery. It was so hilly and scenic. I passed farms, oil wells, horses playing with donkeys (funny), Amish kids playing while watching the race. At one point a raced an Amish buggy and won. I went through the campground at Mohican Wilderness and this kid asked me if I was winning. I said no. I should have said yes because he was really hoping I was the winner!



FINISH
My head still felt a bit sore from the impact, and my knee almost stopped bleeding. I felt great, still really fresh, until I hit the final single track. My back finally started to get sore, my arm muscles fatigued too. I think I stopped drinking my fuel to hurry to the end and I came across the line a little out of steam.

I was really far behind my target time at Aid Station 3. But I really rallied in the final 54 miles and I ended up finishing in 10 hours and 35 minutes. Only 35 minutes past my target time. I wonder how I would have done without the disasters? I could have also pushed myself too hard and blown up. Having the disasters allowed me to relax.

It was so great to see all my friends again! I grabbed some grub and water. I even ate a second meal, then I had a Great Lakes beer with my friends before crashing in bed. Kris was right, it was all worth it. I am so glad I finished.

I want to say thank you to all the volunteers: the police officers that ensure our safe crossing of busy roads, the volunteers that save us at aid stations — and Ryan the race promoter, he might be a bit of a sadist but he reveals our full potential with an incredible course!

My first Mohican 100 miler: Finish line photo

Photo by Joe Bellante

Done! 2 broken chains and a major crash — my knee has a chain ring incision in it! But not too bad, I rode a 10:35.

Super Saturday Preview

In some ways Saturday's 100 mile Mohican Mountain Bike race is like my Super Bowl (maybe it's this race, then I get a second Super Bowl with the final double-points CX race). A month ago I was having mini panic attacks just thinking about it. Memories of last year's muddy epic where I physically and mentally fell apart still haunt me. This will be my third NUE event. But I still feel like pretty new and not like I have everything figured out.

So something snapped a month ago and I realized I just have to chill. Go out and have a fun time and just pedal the bike. I was feeling better. I got my nutrition worked out with Infinit — I was totally dialed in!

But Murphy's Law happened. I pulled a muscle in my right quad at last week's race. And my bike has been chain-sucking like crazy. And I might be running low on Infinit because I forgot to reorder. It will probably all be fine — life is never perfect. That's why we race, because a life without obstacles is not worth living.

If you are reading this there is a good possibility that you are my homie and I will see you up there. I hope everything going great and I can't wait to see you at the finish!

Goal Times:

Grade A+++
9:00, 11.11 mph avg (This would be if Mohican was as "easy" as Cohutta)

Grade A
9:30, 10.53 mph avg

Grade A - (This is my target time)
10:00, 10 mph avg

Grade B
10:30; 9.5 avg
11:00, 9mph avg (just a tad faster than last week's muddy Butler MTB race)
11:40, 8.57 mph avg (same as last year's pace)
12:00 There's a very real possibility that I could be out there that long!

Grade D
DNF: Hopefully the quad heals and my bike stays in one piece!

Aid Station Times for Target Time of 10 Hours:

Aid Station 1 (20mi): 2:00:00
Aid Station 2 (34mi): 3:24:00
Aid Station 3 (46mi): 4:36:00 (better load up here with an extra bottle)
Aid Station 4 (72mi): 7:12:00
Aid Station 3 again (80mi): 8:00:00
Aid Station 5 (92mi): 9:10:00 (hopefully a top off of water if needed)

I'm planning to stretch my legs, maybe lube the chain and mix up 2 bottles Infinit at each aid station (hopefully this won't take too long). Since it will probably be hot I might have an extra water/heed bottle in my back pocket). I'm hoping to have some security Gels, about 1 per hour if needed (12-ish).

The good news is, according to a GPS file the race is only 95 miles with 8,500 feet of climbing. I thought it was 100 miles with 10,000 feet of climbing. That makes it waaaaaay easier!

Race #38: Band of Brothers

All the reasons why I came to BioWheels were completely cemented at this race. All my teammates are great people who will help you at the drop of the hat, push you to do your best through competition (I have been training my ass off to do the kit justice). At the last minute the bad luck I skirted in Cohutta caught up with me as my dry conditions tires were sliced by the Lord Himself (or is this good luck?). Nate hooked me up with better tires, brought up in the middle of the night by Mitch. They both stayed up with me trying to get them to seal.

It’s a little intimidating to know that you are slated to do battle against 223 other 100k open racers. Like Cohutta I had pushed myself to go out hard, thinking that if I could stay ahead the gaps behind me may buffer me from losing time and positions. My smarter teammates knew they should pace themselves and use the end of the race to pick off spots.

Unfortunately I began to cramp on the hike-a-bikes early. It was frustrating to feel early on that I wasn’t really racing but trying to survive. Maybe it was the humidity, the lack of easy places to drink or the two beers and the hot tub the day before — I wasn't feeling my best. I did have some moments of glory. I was with Amanda McKay when I rode a creek and climbed out of that bad boy like a real mountain biker. I was shredding some trail at about 14 mph (great for me) before and after checkpoint 1. I passed some people here that ended up finishing an hour behind me.

But the cramps came back and I slowed. I was with Charley Miller when his legs forced him to DNF after this crazy horse trail descent over 2x4s. I was climbing the next hill when I fell over and got a cramp so severe I laid on the ground for a moment! I nearly DNFed right there. But I saw Karwisch and he cheered me up and I soldiered on.

I have no idea what happened at the end of the race. I followed Karwisch to checkpoint 2 and caught Mitch there. I was a few minutes behind Mitch at checkpoint 3. They turned on the rocket packs while I threw out the anchor!

Talking about great teammates. Joe's shoe destructed so he had to DNF, and Nate's bike is too pretty to gunk up — so they came to aid station 3 to give us royal treatment!

I need to learn to shred some trail — I lost so much time in the final part of the race through the rock gardens. I crashed a handfull of times and I feel like a defeated boxer. I came in 36 out of 116 finishers (another 107 racers DNF'd or DNS'd). 7:14:50-sumthin. Lost a lot of time with little dabs and slips. But hey! I have progressed so much as a mountain biker. Those perfect races are few and far between.

Lessons learned:
– Perhaps use time off the bike to refuel. Should have been chugging on the early hike-a-bikes.
– Hey dummy, there is Heed at the Aid stations. At Cohutta I fiddled with Nuun tablets on climbs!
– Maybe not pre-open Clif bars before a muddy race. Gross.
– Don't over-train! I wanted to repeat my success at Cohutta.
– Learn more about the drive train so I maintain it during the race.
– Remember to stretch and pee on & off the bike if possible.
– Remember the First Aid kit! I am black, blue and bloody.

Side effects:
– Major chain ring wound in the back of my left leg. It got packed with mud.
– Shaved a lot of skin off one of my knuckles, also got packed with mud, yuck.
– I'm worried I swallowed some nasty mud. I have had minor IBS since the race, maybe I'll go to the doc!
– My back is killing, better go to Sophie at Norwood Chiropractic ASAP!

Bridget got third at Mohican! She is a real mudder!

Tons of muddy trail today. Actually quite fun and challenging. I had a rough ride, I came in at 7:14:50. I have to thank my team - they hooked me up with new tires and tons of help. I am super lucky.

Sunny Mohican pre-ride with the teammates! Unfortunately this is the last time I smiled. Slashed my tire. Then more rain and lightning! Today is going to be tough.

Long Hours

In the Office Chair
I've been reminded that I am a pro-designer not a pro-cyclist lately. One week I barely trained due to 15-17 hour work days. Good thing I kept bike commuting, otherwise I wouldn't have been training. Plus the roads are pretty clear at 1 am and 5 am.

But I was so sleep deprived I forgot how cross-brakes don't stop for sh*t and I crashed on a downhill in Indian Hill. It was right in front of a family reunion in a park! Hilarious. Perhaps out of pride, I always pop back up and wave at people and try not to lick my wounds in front of others.

Rekindling a Little Romance
Bridget and I have been training a lot more together lately! She used to be the only person I would ride with. But we have been so busy the past two years and on different schedules we rarely train with each other. I know she was unhappy with her form going into Cohutta (but still got 10th!) so we have been training a lot more together and I have been putting the hurt on her!

We had two really nice Velo Dates. One was a sleep-deprived Friday night (where I crashed) where we rode up to a pizza place called The Works in Loveland. How do you get pizza grease out of spandex? The second was a little sunset picnic on the Purple People Bridge followed by a hill climb competition up to Devou! Lovely.

In the Saddle
Some of my weekend rides have been shortened due to rain or poor planning and my weeknights rides have been a little shorter due to work. But here and there I have had some fun epic rides on the weekend.

One was a semi-hilly century with my teammates Joe, Rachel, Geri, Gerz and Mott. It is incredible how quickly 6 hours flies by when you have great company! We rode up to Loveland and then down in Kentucky on Amsterdam and Route 8. They finally killed me on the final hill! A total wall!

Another ride that got botched was Bjet's and my first attempt at riding in Shawnee State Park. There has been so much rain lately that I didn't want to tear up trails. We got out there too late to ride the long hours I wanted, and the locals we first met were hostile and the roads weren't marked along 52! Some people out there don't respect the beauty of the place they live in — litter constantly along the roads. We did some "American Flyer"-esque dog sprints! Then we came upon this chicken farm with all their chickens all over the road. Add to that a pack or 6 loose dogs flying at us! We had to gun it as chickens were flying everywhere and dogs were on our heels! I was surprised some farmer in a straw hat, no shirt and denim overalls didn't come running out with a shotgun!

Last weekend was my last chance of putting some hardcore training into my legs. Friday night got rained out. We tried to ride but I didn't feel like forcing myself to ride in the drizzle and thunder. Saturday I turned the screws on myself and rode every hardcore hill I could think of between Indian Hill, Loveland, and Batavia. I put in about 6 hours and 96 miles. Then Sunday I did it all over again. Bridget never rode a century! So we did a very similar route minus a couple climbs and added on a few more miles. I was hurting, but it was great to have a powertap with heart rate monitor to observe how I far I can push myself once the "elastic has snapped." Plus watching Nibali and Basso in the Giro that morning stoked my fire! How do they do that?!

I will be riding over 1000 miles this month! I think my work is down. Time to rest up and get ready for the big event.

Mohican 100K

I have been up to race up at Mohican no less than 5 times. Each time I race there I forget how those climbs can sneak up on you & rip your legs to shreds. It is never an easy ride. It does however give you satisfaction knowing you tamed it - a bit.

I decided the Sunday before the race that I was out. I hadn't had enough time to prepare, I was lacking some endurance race essentials, like a camelbak, repair stuff, energy food. I hadn't put in a ride longer than a few hours. It didn't make sense for me to go there to race 60+ miles in one day. Then, I got an email from a friend. He had a place we could stay. It was only 2 miles from the start. Dang, how could I say no! So, I put in my last minute request to get off work the friday before the race off so I could get my s*** together.

I ran around like crazy on friday getting everything together. I picked up a few last minute supplies and got my bike tuned up by the awesome guys at the Trek Store. They hooked me up big time by getting my bike all ready to go (of course I bought it by at the the last minute) for the race. Thanks Jacob, Justin.
Finally, it all came together and I headed out to pick up my husband James at work. We loaded up his commuter bike and we hit the road.

We made pretty good time and ended up getting to Camp Nuhop, to register just before 7. I got myself signed up and as I turned around I saw Floyd Landis there chatting it up with Ryan, the race director. My husband James & I were star struck. We should have both gotten a photo with him but we were in fear we would say something stupid.

We headed out of Camp Nuhop and to our hotel. When we pulled up we saw Bob, (area 106 Trek rep.) Travis & Michelle (of the Trek store Pittsburgh). We chatted with them a while. Chris Eatough came out to chat as well. Again, we were star struck. We were invited to head over to the Pizza Hut with the gang but I opted to get my things sorted for the next day and hit the hay.

I hit the hay early thinking I'd be able to sleep really great that night but when I laid down I couldn't sleep. I was worried about the next day; the 7am start, the 60+ miles I'd be doing. I couldn't help but think - what am I getting myself into?! Then about 3-4am the thunder and lightning rolled in. Again, what am I getting myself into?!

At 6 am I was tired but the pre-race nerves jolted me awake. I got my stuff together and James and I headed to downtown Loudonville for the start. The crowd of cyclists quickly gathered and before I knew it I was stuck out in the back. It was hard to get around and to pass in the bottlenecked area so I was stuck behind a group of riders with no way to gain ground. This is where I made a critical mistake. I never was able to make up for the lost time there. The next 15-20 miles I was hurting. My legs were stiff & slow. I knew I was in for a long day. I figured I'd ride it out to the first aid station and then see how I felt.

I knew that Chris would be there (owner of the Trek Store C-Bus, Cincy) and I was happy to see a familiar face to cheer me on. I stopped for a minute or two to get some Clif Blocks down and refill my Camelbak. I felt better when I got back on my bike and I knew that as tough but that I was going to be able to finish. The next 15ish miles were hard. Lots of bike hiking and narly trail. Truly some backwoods stuff. I got a few leg cramps in that hike-a-bike section and I thought I'd be a DNFer but for some reason; or some miracle, they never returned. The subsequent miles were much easier but with all of the mud I was getting major chain suck. I was wishing I'd have lubed it up at the midway point. My journey through the Mohican Wilderness was irritating because I was on/off, on/off my bike.

I hit the one of the last aid stations; got my chain lubed, got some quick refuels and was off. Sure, there were some monster climbs that never seemed to end but with each climb I could see the end in sight. I did loose a lot of time on the road sections. It was like ride, look for the signs, ride, stop, where am I going?! I dunno...I felt like there could have been about 50 more course markings. I finally rolled into the last aid station where I learned I only had about 7 miles left to go. I was no longer "racing" at this point. I had no idea who was ahead or who was behind. I really took my time finishing it off. I rolled into Camp Nuhop with 8:00 of riding time. It was good enough for a top 5 finish (out of 15) but not good enough to finish in the money. Dang! Well, it was fun, it was hard, and it was shear mayhem at times but I can't wait to do it all over again.

Great photos of the race by Bob Meyers here.
More on the race here.

Farther and Higher

While Bridget competed in the Mohican 100 I decided to do a little tourism by bike. I ate breakfast after the start of the race on the Main Street of Loudinville, Ohio. There was a cute little deli where I had a rather large breakfast that I planned to work off that day. A local guy told me about a cool bike store in Wooster so I decided to set out on an adventure.



I visited the store in Wooster and they made some really cool bikes all on site at Groovy Cycle Works. I really liked a single speed they had with leather handlebar wraps and seat. Wooster is a pretty cute and slightly yuppy country city. It had a very beautiful late 1800s downtown.

I grabbed a scone and some coffee and headed off to Shreve for my first venture into Amish cuisine. I forgot to mention the beautiful rolling country side which I would enjoy while slowly climbing hill after hill. Seriously. Like 300 feet of climbing, then some more, then some more... So I sat down to a lovely lunch of some trail bologna at "Des Dutch EssenHaus". It was really delicious and very filling, so I set out to finish my ride and catch Bridget at the end of her race.



So even more hills! Some even bigger than before. I guess I missed a turn and ended up riding down to Nashville. But all roads lead to Rome and fortunately I made it back to Loudinville. I tacked on even more miles riding back and forth trying to find the race shuttle and unfortunately got a little sunburnt in the process!

I can't believe I rode 56 miles and probably climbed 3000 feet or more!





Check out my ride