Hilly Billy Roubaix 2014

 

Happy Summer Solstice! Perfect time for a bike race, the best way to kick off the summer months. This year I had to make a choice between the Lumberjack 100 or the Hilly Billy Roubaix. As of lately, my passion has been switching over to the Ultra Cross events so I made the choice to go with my gut and make a run at the Hilly Billy Roubaix in Morgantown West Virginia. At 70-ish miles, and mostly roads, the Ultra CX races are much more manageable, which makes coming to work Monday morning a little easier. Last year, my Hilly Billy was soured with flat tires, so I really wanted to come back to this event and get a clean run at it. Instead of 95 degree temps like last year, we were treated with rain and mud. Not sure which one is worse, but I tend to ride better in the mud, so that was ok by me.

Towing the line were several fast dudes from all over the Eastern side of the United States. I was going to have to be vigil. We got off to a pretty quick start and by the first climb, it was already starting to whittle down. Before long we were routed into the famous mud hole section. This years mud holes were especially large. The guys on mountain bikes had an advantage here, but I managed to stay pretty close to the front only allowing a few seconds to open up. Once back onto the roads, a small group of about 15 or so formed. I’d say the CX bike was a good 2mph faster on the roads and with an 11-36 cassette on the rear, I had plenty of range to get up the steeper pitches.

 

On the ensuing climb, it was Stephen Cummings pushing the pace, and I knew right away he was someone I needed to watch out for. I held his wheel as he pushed the pace and several riders trailed off. By the top, it was down to just 3 of us. It was me, Stephen Cummings, and his team mate Jared Babik. We rolled along on the roads and worked together to try and distance ourselves. By the time we made it to the top of the next climb, it was down to just Stephen and I. He was descending on the mountain bike a little better than I was, so I wasn’t sure how I was going to get away from him.

We made our way out to aid #2. Stephen and I were trading pulls but as we neared aid #2, I flicked Stephen through but gave me a sigh and said he was starting to fade. Thanks to the volunteers, we blew through aid 2, however I managed to get through the station a little quicker and I opened up a gap on the ensuing hill. I thought about waiting because 35 miles to the finish is a long way to go alone, but I wasn’t sure I’d get another chance. Like they say, if you want to win a bike race, you have to be willing to lose, so I went for it. He held close on the following descent, but by this time I was gaining much more confidence in my tires and feeling better about bombing the descents. The 38’s on the wide velocity rims pump up to a nice volume, and the steel 616 frame made descending feel butter smooth.

From this point on, it was a 35 mile time trial to the finish line. I went to work on opening up a good gap on the roads. By the time I rolled through aid 3, I could start to feel the fatigue creeping in. The climbs were becoming painful. I’ve felt this plenty of times before, and more often than not, someone catches me and I lose the race. But this race was different. I kept telling myself over and over, “quit whining and win the god dam race!” I was getting myself pumped up each time I repeated it. Each climb was getting harder, but I was keeping the cadence high and turning the gears over. I dug deep and found a place I had never been before. It hurt really bad but I was still moving fast. Normally when it hurts, I slow down. By the time I got to the last hill before the turn into the finishing venue, I looked back and didn’t see anyone. I knew I had done it. I threw it in the smallest gear and pushed through the marshy grass and up the final paved hill. I was so tired by the finish, I could only lift one arm to solute the win.

The finish line couldn’t come soon enough, but once I got there, it was truly a sweet victory. I collapsed in the chair under the finishing tent and waited for the others to arrive. It was a great moment sitting there with the other top finishers as we discussed how the race went down… the mud holes, stuff we had to run, the cramps, and the crashes. It was a great day for all of us and even though it’s hard, we all had a lot of fun out there.

I thought a lot about the race on the drive home back to Michigan and I thought about how many long drives home I’ve had over the years, but this drive was different. There were no sulking thoughts about some flat tire, or maybe a crash… No thoughts about that race that could have been. No thoughts about what I could have done better in my training. No, there’s was nothing but satisfaction. It’s a feeling we all chase in bike racing, and a feeling that only comes around very seldomly. So here’s to a great summer season for all of us and may there be many more satisfying moments to be had. Cheers! Thanks for reading and we’ll see you at the next one!

2014 Barry Robaix

It doesn’t seem like very long ago, back in 2009, we ran the Barry Roubaix for the first time and I won on a mountain bike. Fast forward 5 yrs and the race has completely changed. It grew from a mere 300 racers back then to now almost 4000! The race has gotten much faster too. You almost have to ride a cross bike if you want a chance at riding in the front group. The race has really become something special for bike enthusiasts in Michigan. It’s the first race of the year for most of us, which always brings with it the question of weather and course conditions. The course was actually in pretty good shape. A few muddy spots, but other than that, it was dialed.

The roll out pretty much went as expected. I tried to tuck into the middle near the front of the pack and held my position. My plan was to stay right up near the front and be ready for any attacks or sketchy sections of the course where a crash or split might occur. Once we hit the dirt roads, I tried an early move off the front but the group chased and shut it down. About 5 miles into the race, we began picking up riders from the earlier waves. It was kind of a real cluster at times, but we dealt with it. I believe the initial split of about 12 riders came after a long section of churned up peanut butter mud. I heard there was a crash, but I didn't get the details of how the split happened. The 12-ish of us drove the pace on the pavement and worked on separating ourselves from the rest of the field. By the time we reached the turn off for the 62 mile course, we were away.

From here on out, it was a matter of whittling the field down to a more manageable size to sprint against in the finish. I felt strong, really strong, however, every attack I tried was quickly countered by the group. I had a target on my back. Seemed as if the group would let others ride off the front, but not me. As soon as I made a push , they were on it. So I decided I was just going to ride in the top 3 spots, and patrol anyone who tried to roll of the front. It was going to come down to a sprint. As the race went on, we whittled it down to 9, then 6, then with one more move on the pavement run into the finish, there were 5.

Shawn Adams led us into town with Adam York glued to his wheel with me sitting 3^rd wheel. We made the last couple of turns and I hesitated when Adam made a push on the downhill right hander. It was wet, and it took me for a loop. But just like that they had a couple bike lengths on me. We made the last left hander and the push for the line. It was enough for 4^th out of the 5 man group. A little frustrating because my legs felt so good on the day, but that’s bike racing. Kudo’s to Steve Broglio for pulling out the win. Sprints are still new to me, and it’s something I’m not used to. But over time, I think I will eventually be able to develop the skill. It’s not just about power I learned. It has a lot to do with how brave you are in those last few turns towards the finish. And let’s be honest, nobody wants to hit the pavement going 25mph, so maybe 4^th isn’t so bad. I’ll take it and go home happy.  

 

After the race we hung out with the guys from 616 fab and Velocity Wheels. Both sponsors have given wonderful support and they also happen to make really cool products right here in Michigan. It was great having them there and for them to be so stoked about my finish. I couldn’t be happier. So here’s to the kick off of the 2014 racing season in Michigan. Hope to see you out there making the best of it!

2014 Season Update

Hey everybody. I know it’s been a while since the last update and it’s time to get back into blogging again. Since the last post, I finished out 2013 with a strong finish in the season finale at Gravel Grovel down in India and I managed to win the men’s open American Ultra Cross Series! It was a big season goal of mine and it came down to a super close finish in the points between me and Brian Toone from Alabama. Brian is a super tough competitor and I’m anxious to get more chances to race with him in 2014. You can follow him over at toonecycling.wordpress.com

Since then I’ve gotten back into the swing of training and despite the weather, I’m still managing to get the hours in. With all the snow we’ve been getting, I decided to switch up the routine a little and get back into the gym. I’ve been hitting the squats pretty hard with my buddies here at work. There’s nothing like heavy sets of squats to cripple your legs for days. I needed crutches to get around the first couple weeks. It was pretty bad.

Things are coming together on the sponsorship front. 616 Fabrications went through some structural changes along with new ownership which sort of took the team for a loop.

The dream team assembled in 2013 will sadly no longer be together. After the dust settled, it left me as the only returning team member from 2013. But I’m proud to say I’ll be fully backed again by Michigan based 616 Fabrications for 2014.

 

I posted this pic of us racing at The Peak to Peak MTB race held at Crystal Mountain Resort this past year (reminder that registration opens this weekend. It’s a great race and I highly recommend it if you haven’t tried it yet.) It was one of my favorite days on the bike ever as me, Jordan Wakely, and Cole House executed a 3 man team time trial breakaway all the way to the finish and took all 3 podium spots. I’ll never forget it and I’ll keep this memory with me as long as I ride a bike (which is hopefully forever). It was awesome. Two great team mates and friends who I’ll always stay in touch with. It was a very special team assembled for 2013 and we had a season that will be very hard to top.

Also coming back is Velocity wheels. I loved my A23 Pro Disc wheels so much last year, I asked for the same exact wheels this year. They mate up perfectly to a 35-40mm wide CX tire used for Ultra Cross, and they work great tubeless too. They’re hand built wheels by the Wheel Department right here in good ol’ Michigan… which is also where I was born and raised, so naturally I have a little Michigan pride theme going on with my bike.

I’ll also be using Infinit nutrition products for all my racing and training fueling. The stuff is great. Buy it, use it… end of story. You’ll also see Whiskey Parts handlebars and forks on my bike and there’s talk of Challenge Tires getting on board too.

 
So that’s enough of the updates for now. My first race of the season is Southern Cross down in Georgia on February 22 which is also the first race of the American Ultra Cross Series. The fire is stoked to start racing again and can’t wait to get down there. Hopefully some warm weather rolls thru! Other than that, keep the rubber side up and we’ll see you out there on the trails soon. Thanks for checking in.

Battle at the Burg

Fall is my favorite time of the year. The mild temps and the dry air set up perfect conditions for bike racing, and this weekend was no exception. I decided to check out the 2^nd running of the Battle of the Burg mountain bike race at Cannonsburg Ski Area as my sponsor 616 Fabrications is located only a stones throw away from the venue.

The Cannonsburg course is a mix of tight twisty singletrack with a lung searing climb to the top of the ski hill each lap, which means we get to drag race straight up the 25% grade 4 times at the end of each lap. Ouch! The course was pretty dialed, but technical enough to where if you tried to push it too hard, you would pay the price. Matt Schmuker did an excellant job with the promotion, and everything went really smooth. It's a cool event worth throwing on your calendar next year.

The pace set off fast as we made our prologue loop around the parking lot area, and it was Dan Yankus who led us through most of the first lap. He was ripping through the corners and using every inch of the course. I sat 2^nd wheel. Heading into the 1^st ascent of the ski hill, it was Scott Hoffner putting in a good push which saw my heart rate sky rocket.

Derek Graham took over for the 2^nd lap. He may have been pushing through the corners even faster than Dan was, as little gaps would open up that I would have to close back down. I was beginning to worry Derek might just ride away, but I held it together. Again, it was Scott to push the pace on the ski hill, but this time I felt more in control. A group of 4 formed for the 3^rd lap. It was Scot Hoffner, Derek Graham, Alex Vanias, and me. Derek led us out.

Towards the end of the 3^rd lap, I decided I was going to make a move on the ski hill and try to get away from the others for the 4^th and final lap. As we approached the hill, I locked out the fork, made the left hander, and stood on it as hard as I could. The bike instantly jumped forward and my legs seemed solid. A few more hard pedal strokes, and the legs were still there! I downshifted, dug in harder, and threw the kitchen sink at it… the bike just kept accelerating. I looked back and I saw the gap opening, this was working! I downshifted again and could see the top of the climb coming closer and closer, and my gap was getting bigger and bigger, so I just decided to stand on it the whole way to top, and the legs held strong.

I kept on the pace heading into the 4^th lap, but I could see Alex wasn’t far back. I knew if I could keep the gap going into the singletrack, I would be able to hold him off to the finish. I pushed through the singletrack, and suffered one more final ascent up the ski hill. Ripping down the back side, I knew I had it. That felt really good. Alex Vanias crossed the line in 2^nd, Derek Graham 3^rd, and Scott Hoffner in 4^th. We were all really close.

 
I remember racing at Cannonsburg maybe 10yrs ago. It was Derek Prechtle who lit up the ski hill climb, and I remember thinking how cool it was that I was able to line up and race with him. It’s kind of ironic that I got a message from Scott Hoffner after the race detailing similar sentiments. Winning a bike race is always such a cool experience that never gets old, even after 12yrs of racing. I just feel so fortunate to live in a state where I get a chance to race with such cool competitors like Scott, Alex, Derek, and all the others who toe the line in Michigan. So here’s to the fall season of bike racing! Next up are 2 ultra cross races, Three Peaks in North Carolina, and Iron Cross in Pennsylvania, where I hope I can keep the streak alive. Thanks for checking in, and we’ll see you out there this fall.

2013 Ore to Shore

Marquette Michigan is one of my favorite places to visit during the summer time. Throw in a kick ass mountain bike race called the Ore to Shore and it makes the decision to visit even more enticing. We decided to take Boonen, our hyper active Golden Retriever, along for the road trip. I think he was even more excited about the trip up North than we were.

I’ve done this race quite a few times, and have even managed to win it on a few occasions, so I knew exactly what to expect. The familiar names dotted the start line and I knew it was going to be a hard race. I got off the start really well, and I could tell the legs felt good. I maintained my position right near the front all the way up to Lucey Hill where Cole House threw out an attack. I decided to lay up and let Brian Matter cover the charge, which he did, and it sent my heart rate skyrocketing.

I managed to recover well, and the whole race came back together. A huge pack swelled all the way up to the first section of power lines. I went to the front, but Brian got around me and went hard through the rolling hills. I was OK with that, and I managed to stay within myself. So far, so good. The next round of punches wouldn’t come until we hit the next section of powerlines. This time, things got a little tougher, and I could feel myself struggling with the pace, but I was hanging right in there with the attacks.

In no time, we were back onto the power line trails where Brian Matter decided to go for it. He had a gap leading into misery hill… with a driving Cole House on the front determined to chase him down. We approached Misery Hill, and Cole punched it across to Brian. That was the last time we would see them. I thought it was a good idea to get back on my bike and ride the 2^nd half of Misery Hill… Big Mistake. I was totally gassed and seeing stars as I got to the top.

As I fumbled through the rest of the rocky power line trails at V02max, I watched the 2^nd pack of riders pull away into the distance. I kind of thought my race was over, but I pushed on and tried to recover the best I could. I thought maybe there was a chance to catch back on during the paved section.

Sure enough, Derek Graham came rolling up to aid… then shortly after that, a raging Tom Burke flew by. I grabbed Tom’s wheel. I figured there was no one better to ride the pavement with then the state road time trial champion. A few flicks of the elbow later, and we latched right back onto the 2^nd group. All of a sudden, 3^rd place was a possibility.  

Things would sort of string out, then slow down periodically with none of the moves sticking. I rode near the front and just tried to cover, rather than attack. I figured I would save it up for one big move near the end. As we rolled up to the big sandy downhill 4 miles from the end, I saw my chance. I railed the downhill with everything I had, then tore into the Kerby woodchip hill. Just as I got to the top, Tristan Schouten, and Nathan Guerra counter attacked. It was perfect. I latched on as Tristan pulled us right along. We had a gap! This was going to work.

Tristan pulled hard all the way thru the final singletrack and right up to the woodchip trail. He abruptly sat up. I looked back and saw TJ Woodruff and Tom Burke charging at us. I knew I had to keep the pace up, or else the 3 up sprint for 3^rd was going to turn into a 5 up sprint, and I aint no sprinter. I rolled thru and took over. But as we approached the finishing straight, my legs were so loaded up, I didn’t have anything left for a sprint and Tristan took the final podium spot. I would end up 5^th. In hind sight, I wished I would have attacked hard when Tristan sat up, rather than just rolled thru, but it could’ve been much worse.  

I went from thinking I was out of the top 10, to sprinting for 3^rd. I guess it just goes to show that races are never over till you cross the finish line. After the race, we all stood around and reminisced a little. I reminded Brian, Tristan, and Cole of the times I had won, and how I couldn’t believe I rode that whole race solo one yr. It also reminded me that we’ve been at this sport for quite a while. It’s nice to see some new younger faces up near the front like my 616 team mate Jorden Wakely, and RBS team’s Ron Catlin. To cap it all off, we all partied late into the night after the race, and I got to know some of my new team mates. It was a great day.

 
Congrats to my team mate Cole House on the win, and everyone else who finished. Cole and Brian had some amazing fitness this year. So here’s to the UP, the Ore to Shore, fantastic friends, and everything else that makes racing in this state of Michigan so badass. Thanks for checking in.

2013 Lumberjack 100

 

This past weekend at the Lumberjack 100 was a very special weekend. I always look forward to representing my home state on the national mountain bike stage and it’s awesome we have so many great races right here in Michigan. This year we made the trip up with the in-laws Dan and Sandy O’Dea and stayed in the uber comfortable motor home. You should see this thing, it looks like something team Sky would roll up in. This would be my 8^th try at this race and each of them seemed just as painful as the last.

Things were going smooth all day Thursday, but on Friday during the pre-ride, I discovered I’d broken my XX1 crank and it didn’t look like it had many options. It’s not your typical drivetrain. You can’t just throw on any old crank. It requires the replacement of the whole drivetrain, wheels, etc. Good thing Bob from 616 Fabrications came to the rescue. He let me borrow his race bike. It was a little on the small side, but it would get the job done. Stressful, but crisis averted and hopefully the smaller size frame wouldn’t bother me.

I went through my typical pre-game ritual… up at 4am which Dan and Sandy thoroughly enjoyed I’m sure, but we made the 5:15am cutoff time for departure to the course and snagged a sweet parking spot.

This race always gets off to a quick start and this year was no exception. I made sure to stay right near the front because the bottleneck into the singletrack can get a little sketchy. A group of 5 quickly formed off the front during the first lap. It was Barry Wicks, Drew Edsall, Christian Tanguy, Kevin Carter, and me. The trail was pretty dry, and there were a ton of sticks popping up everywhere as we made our way through the Udell Hills trail system.  

After we broke away the pace calmed down. Wicks was on a single a speed. So he would murder it up all the power climbs, but never really pushed the pace on the flats. Anytime one of us would try to push it on the flats, he managed to wind up that gear of his and hold on. As Scott Quiring used to call it, “the sticky booger tactic.” I have to give him credit though. I think he torqued that giant gear up just about every single climb. I was ok with that because I like to ride with a similar style.

After a lap of that, we dropped Kevin Carter and it was down to the 4 of us. Christian seemed happy sitting back, while Drew and I made sure not to give Wicks an inch. Later during the 2^nd lap, Christian took a pretty hard pull all the way up to the fire tower. It was the first hard move of the race, but you could have thrown a blanket over the 4 of us. Nobody was going anywhere.

Heading into the 3^rd lap, I started thinking about what I was going to do to try and get away. I decided I was going to try on the series of hills before the fire tower. I got a little gap by the top, but I didn’t have the confidence to make it stick. Too many times have I faltered on the last lap of this race, so I laid up and let it come back together. Wicks took over on the ensuing rollers and the cracks began to show. Drew fell off the pace, but Christian was still close.

I decided I had to do something on the last climb, or else I thought this might come down to a sprint. I took the lead off the final dirt rd and pushed the pace as hard as I could. The legs still felt solid. We made the sharp right hander up the final steep climb which was pretty loose at this point in the race and I punched it as hard as I could. I looked back and Wicks and Tanguy were still right with me. Dammit! This was going to be a sprint finish and I ain’t no sprinter!

We made our way towards the finish with me leading it out, Wicks in 2^nd, and Tanguy sitting 3^rd wheel. My plan was to keep the tempo high and just go for it out of the last turn into the finishing straight. Tanguy at 3^rd wheel would be too far back, and Wicks on the single speed wouldn’t have the gear to get around me. It was the perfect plan. We hit the turn and I stood up and went for it. I came around the bend and I could see the finish line, I dug deep and drove the bike forward… now I’d love to tell you I crossed the finish line first in front of my all my family and close friends on the national stage right here in my home state, but those fairy tail endings rarely happen in bike racing. No my friends, somehow Wicks wound that gear of his up and got me on the line by ½ a wheel. I cursed him and banged my handlebar as we rolled on. I was so bummed. Oh so close.

I’ll end with this… "Sometimes you're flush and sometimes you're bust, and when you're up, it's never as good as it seems, and when you're down, you never think you'll be up again, but life goes on." After the past few weeks, I’m realizing that I am on the “up” side, even though it doesn’t seem as good as it should be. I’ve raced through long slumps just about ready to give up on getting that speed back that I had in my mid 20’s. Hell, I remember lying in a hospital bed wondering if I would ever be able to race again. 2 years ago, I would have been over the moon just to be within 5 minutes of Tanguy or Wicks after a 100 miler. But we always want more and we need to remind ourselves when we’re “up”. I might actually be riding the wave of the greatest fitness of my life right now. So am I bummed? Hell no I’m not. I feel re-born. I’m excited knowing it’s all still there… it always was there, I just had to dig it out. So here’s to reinventing ourselves and digging out the true potential that’s still in all of us.

Congrats to Barry Wicks on an unbelievable ride on the single speed, and to everyone who finished. Big thanks to Dan and Sandy O’Dea for the awesome hospitality and thanks to 616 Fabrications for saving the day. See you all at the next one and thanks for checking in.

2013 Mohican 100

8 years ago I entered a little race up in Northern Michigan called the Lumberjack 100. It was part of this new series called the NUE, or National Ultra Endurance. I didn’t know much about it, but 100 miles on a mountain bike seemed intriguing to me. I remember racing against Chris Eatough that year, and about 40 miles in, I dehydrated, bonked, and overheated all at the same time trying to keep up with him. I had no idea what I was doing. A lot has changed since then, but I do remember vowing to come back and win one of these NUE races at some point. I have a whole cabinet full of finishers glasses to show how many times I tried.

That brings us to this past weekend down in Ohio for the Mohican 100. I have to say the Mohican 100 is one of my favorites.  It’s cash payout has grown into one of the best in the series, and the Mohican Adventures cabins is a great venue. Plus Ryan O’Dell gives out free beer all night long after the race. What more do you need?

The beginning of the race started out pretty fast with the 100k racers pressing the pace right off the gun. I did manage to sprint for the hill climb prime at the start and pick up $200 thanks to the Loudonville Chamber of Commerce and Kim’s Bikes. From there the pace didn’t let up as we wound through the campground. There’s quite a few short steep climbs before we get to the actual Mohican singletrack. It strings the field out nicely, but it’s a lot of effort to put out, especially when you know you have 98 miles to go.

We weaved our way through the singletrack and a group of 3 formed, Rob Spreng, Kevin Carter, and me. I almost crashed and was able to save it, so I was happy just to follow. But as soon as we rolled under the covered bridge, I decided to give them a test on the ensuing singletrack climb. To my surprise, I opened a little gap, and by the top, I was out of site. I thought, “well here we go… this is it! GO GO GO!” I hit the run up at the end of the singletrack and I really dug deep to outright sprint up that thing. I knew that would stretch the gap out enough to be fully out of site on the dirt rd sections. Out of site, out of mind, as they always say.

From that point on, I went into time trial mode out on the roads. I kept telling myself “GO GO GO, don’t look back!” Getting through the trails at Mohican Wilderness was a little sketchy, but I managed fine. I was a little concerned about the 38t front chainring on the XX1 kit, but I was able to force it up all the steeper climbs.

I was happy to get back out onto the roads and onto the rail trail and still be out of site. The rail trail has this aweful false grade to it, and the soil was kind of mushy. It was like riding on flat tires. The heat and humidity was starting to pick up and I could feel my body starting to strain. “uh oh” I thought, “Here we go.” I pressed on through aid 4 and picked up some ice and a couple fresh bottles of infinit. I knew there were about 3 or 4 steep climbs from aid 4 to 5 and I was not looking forward to them. Just as I was rolling into the last road climb, I looked back and saw Gerry Pflug gaining on me. Sure enough, he caught and passed me by the top. I didn’t have much left in the tank to chase, but I tried. Gerry was on a single speed and I knew I was still first in the mens open as long as I could keep the wheels from falling off. Seems like Gerry and I have had this little game going on for years where I get way ahead in the beginning and somehow he catches and passes me right at the end. Must take him a while to get warmed up. I rolled into the final singletrack pretty much spent. Another hop skip and a jump with no one yet in my rear view and I found myself crossing the finish line for my first ever NUE mens open win! Rob Spreng and Chris Peariso rounded out the mens open podium. Even though Gerry got the overall, I was still really happy to climb on the top step and spray the champagne.

It’s been a long battle. Every time I thought I had one in the bag, something would happen. A flat tire, a broken chain, a bonk, I can even say I was out there breaking my neck trying to get a win.  But if there’s one thing I’ve learned about racing, it’s that it requires a great deal of patience. People, sponsors, and even my own psyche, are quick to write it off if the results aren’t coming. I was beginning to think I didn’t have what it took. I started to think I was getting too old. I started to think I was slow. Well screw all that. Believe in yourself. Determination, persistence, and a will to work hard will eventually pay off… even if it takes 8yrs of trying. That’s why I love this sport so dam much. If it was easy, the up times just wouldn’t feel as good.

Congrats to everyone who finished, and congrats to Gerry doing it on the singlespeed for the overall. That’s not an easy task! And thanks to all my sponsors who were there to share the experience. My 616 bike ran flawless, and the infinit nutrition had me dialed. We still have quite a bit of season to go, and I hope to keep the fitness going. Thanks for reading.  

Paris to Ancaster 2013

My eye was on the weather forecast for Brantford Ontario all week as I watched the rain showers pass over us here in Michigan. Yep, the 20^th running of the Paris to Ancaster was going to be a muddy one and I was glad I had the 616 Fabrications CX bike built up and ready to rock. Paris to Ancaster is a gravel grinder-ish road race-ish kind of course nestled in the farmland just West of Hamilton Ontario. It’s 60km’s of paved/dirt/muddy trails guaranteed to coat you and your bike head to toe in mud in just under 2hrs time. This year was no different.

 

The field was stacked. Notables were returning P2A champ and Canadian National CX champ Mike Garrigan, current US CX National Champ Jonathon Page, and rising CX superstar Justin Lindine. My strategy was get near the front off the start, then stay on these 3 guys for the remainder of the race.

I managed a really good start and was first into the narrow rail trail. I stayed right on the front until Mike Garrigan came around and squared himself up for an attack on the right hand turn up the loose tractor trail. It’s the most critical section of the race. Garrigan punched it, Page got by me and a few others. I immediately punched right back and closed the gap to Garrigan. Wow, the legs were good today! I looked back and he and I had a gap as we swung the right hander back onto the pavement! Should I pull through and keep it going? I took the safe route and sat on Garrigan. The pack bridged and swelled.

Normally we head right back into more trails, but this year was different. We kept rolling down the dirt road. I had no idea how long it was until the next trail sector. About a mile down the road I realize I’d been shuffled to the back. I looked up and saw Garrigan, Lindine, and Page all right on the front making a right hander into the next trail sector. Dam! I got caught sleeping. I tried like hell to shuffle through the pack, but it was too narrow and the trail was deep peanut butter mud. The 3 were gone along with a few others. As we made our way back out onto the road, I found myself chasing hard to catch back up to group 2 which was about 7-8 guys. I put in a huge effort to bridge just before we hit the next trail sector. It was too much. I was gasping, but not blown. I let a little gap form and thought maybe there was a chance to get back on if they sat up on the roads ensuing the trail sector.

We swung back out onto the roads and I chased like mad. We made another right hander into a nasty cross wind. It felt like a brick wall. I got to within 20ft of the group, but the cross wind was too much and I dangled off the back and watched the group creep away. I put my head down and recovered the best I could. From then on it was a 25 mile solo time trial to the finish. The worst thing was I could see the group up the road the whole time! I just couldn’t get there.

 

It’s amazing how a little mistake in a road race can get you thrown out the hatch. This race is especially tactical with the trail sectors and cross winds thrown into the mix. In my earlier days, I was typically strong enough to recover from errors, and I won quite a few of these races, but when you’re racing national champions and others who are just as strong as you are, the margin of error is very slim. You’ve got to be right on top of the moves and tactics, or else you’ll find yourself making small little errors that cost you BIG efforts… and we only have so many BIG efforts in the tank.

Good thing was I never got caught. I ripped down the mud slides and suffered up the 20% grade to the finish line and was able to roll in solo for 10^th overall… an improvement on last yrs 15^th, so I was pretty happy with that. I still need to improve on my tactics. The 616 Fab CX bike was awesome! The disc brakes were a god send on the mud shoots and I didn’t have to think about the bike the entire race which is a good thing. I also ran the velocity A23 disc wheelset. I had them wrapped with Challenge Open Grifo tires at just under 40psi. The ride quality of the wider rim is fantastic. Never bottom’d the rim out once. I also did two 24oz bottles of infinit nutrition. That was plenty to get by on for the entire race. I even had enough in the tank to ride 20 miles back to the start to get the van.

Well that’s all for now. Big congrats to Justin Lindine on the win in his first try. This guy is on a real tear this spring. Thanks for reading, and remember to brush up your race tactics and course knowledge. It can really make the difference between a podium finish or a just finished.

2013 Barry Roubaix

Well… the first BIG Michigan race of the year is officially in the books with Barry Roubaix. 616 Fabrications as well as Velocity wheels were sponsors of the race, so I really wanted to pull out a good result. My preparation for the spring started back in December, so needless to say I was pretty excited for this race. The temps were FRIGID, and course conditions were “sketchy” at best, but that didn’t stop almost 3000 people from attempting to slip and slide their way through the 62 miles of icey potted out dirt roads in Hastings Michigan.

After a very cold warm up, and a little course recon, I headed to the start with my travel buddy Don Cumming. Before we knew it, we were off. A quick right hander onto the dirt roads, and we hit the first KOM about 3 miles into the race. My plan was to start at the front and sag climb to see who was strongest, but no one came around me. Jordan Wakely and I pretty much went over the top in tandem with the entire 62 mile group in tow. The roads were down right treacherous! Ice and pot holes were jumping out at us everywhere, and carnage ensued as I could hear the crunching and sliding of bikes and bodies behind me. I knew I had to get back near the front ASAP, so I worked my way up and pretty much stayed near the front for the rest of the race.

Attacks were coming right and left. Justin Lindine flew off the front on the paved road section out near Yankee Springs and I almost thought that was the last we would see of him, until about 5 miles later when all of sudden he came raging back through the group! He must have taken a wrong turn. Dam, he was strong. Mike Anderson got on his wheel, and I got on Mike’s wheel as Lindine drilled it through the rollers. Lindine let up just for a second, and BAM! Anderson launched. I hesitated just for a moment looking for the group to counter his move, but it was a second too late. Anderson and Lindine, the two power houses of the race, had the 3 second gap they were looking for.

I didn’t panic though. I figured I would grab my feed at the aid station, then drill it to bridge. They were right there. But soon after the aid station, the entire group took a left, instead of a right, and we went off course. It was only maybe a ¼ mile but…  just like that, Lindine and Anderson were gone, and all the people that tailed off the back of our group got a free ride back on. Son of a bitch! From that point on, our group pretty much stayed together. I would say there were at least 30-40 people at one point. I must have attacked over a dozen times in an attempt to get off the front, but all it did was string it out and everyone would stay together. All the big hills were gone and there really wasn’t any other course features tough enough to break it apart again.

The group whittled down a little by the end, whether it be from people crashing into 36 milers, or just tired legs. We lined up for the sprint, and I knew I would probably end up somewhere near the back, which I did, at 13^th place. A little disappointing, but I still had fun, and I didn’t crash or hurt myself, which is always a bonus, especially with the course conditions. The 616 bike ran flawlessly as well. I thought I had really good legs, and I felt super strong… Strong enough to ride with Anderson and Lindine??? Well, I’d like to think so, but we may never know. I definitely need to brush up on my road tactics.  

 

A couple improvements could be made on the course. Maybe larger arrows on the course markings. When you’re flying downhill at 25mph on a sheet of ice, it was a little hard to decipher a small arrow at times. Also, I think the course might flow better if we rode it in the backwards direction. That way the defining features of the course are at the end, rather than at the beginning. It might make it more suspenseful.

 
Good thing is the legs are strong, and I have many more opportunities this spring to go for it. Congrats to Justin Lindine on the win. He deserved it. Next up is Paris Ancaster. A cool 40 mile point to point race in Ontario where I’ll get the chance to go up against Mike Garrigan and Jonathon Page. Wish me luck. These guys are just as strong! Thanks for checking in and hopefully we’ll see you out there on the roads this spring!

2013 Southern Cross

The first race of the year had me making the 12hr drive South to the mountains of Nothern Georgia to partake in the epic Southern Cross. 50 miles of paved/dirt fire roads with about 6000ft of elevation gain would certainly be enough to sort out the strongest riders. I was super excited to try out my new 616 stainless steel race rig, and it didn't disappoint. At 18.0 lbs, it's light and fast enough to hang right in there with the guys on CX bikes.

I got off to a good start. The off season stair running paid off as I was the first one to the top of the big nasty run up. From there, I hopped onto Thomas Turner's wheel as we head up into the mountains. Just coming off his masters world CX title, he was on a mission to ride all of us off his wheel, which he eventually did. We head up the famous "winding stair" climb and it was all I had just to stay with Thomas and Brian Toone. About 1/2 way up, I popped off the back, then near the top, I was joined by rockstar Garth Prosser and Spencer Whittier. We worked together pretty well up until the 2nd big climb on the course. I decided I was going to make the move and go for it. I hammered up the steady climb and distanced myself. From there, after a few more suprise uphill kickers, it was pretty much a time trial to finish 3rd.

I was really happy with 3rd. I had a solid race, and felt strong the whole way. We finished in just over 3hrs, and I was actually able to pull back a little bit of the time I lost on winding stair, which is a good sign. A 3hr race is just about perfect, and I'm finding that I enjoy just hammering the mountain roads over the trails. Pack racing is also much more fun than slogging out solo hrs on the trails. It's definately a lot less of a beat down on the body too. The 100 milers kind of drag on for me, and it was nice to finish a race and not feel like I almost died getting to the finish line. I think I'm really digging these gravel cross style events. Congrats on the win for Strava King Brian Toone! He's a really cool dude and it's a pleasure to stand on the podium with him. Watch out for this guy.

Thanks to the hospitality of the Livingston's, I had a sweet place to set up base camp for a week of training. The sun, warmer temps, and the smooth Georgia roads made getting in a big week almost easy! A couple highlights were the "silk sheets" group ride, an epic mountain fire road ride with Eddie O'Dea, and the classic 6 gap road ride. 6 gap is a famous ride that starts right near Dahlonega. It goes over 6 huge climbs and does some of the same roads that were used in the Tour of Georgia. The area is beautiful and the roads are dialed. It's a ride you have to do if you're ever in the area. Unfortunately the weather wasn't so good that day... temps in the 30's and rain. I started at the Hiker Hostil, right where the 5hr energy road team was holding their training camp. One of the riders came out just as I was suiting up. He looked at me like I was crazy. I guess it's not everyday you see a guy on a mountain bike with bagel wrappers over his shoes and a shower cap on his helmet ready to do a 100 mile road ride through the mountains in the rain by himself. But hey, I'm from Michigan, this stuff doesn't phase us. So get out there and get those miles in. The season is almost upon us! Thanks for checking in.

2013 Update, 616 Fab, Training Etc.

So 2013 is well underway and things are shaping up to be another fun season of mountain bike madness. The big news is for me is the new bike sponsor, 616 Fabrications. They’re a custom frame fabricator right here in the good ol’ state of Michigan.

As a matter of fact they whipped me up a sweet stainless steel 29er rig outfitted with the latest and greatest XX1 components, topped off with bits from Thomson and Magura. I’m really digging the way stainless steel rides. With the super high tensile strength of stainless steel, the tube wall thickness can be reduced to an absolute minimum which makes for slightly lighter tube sets over conventional steel. And who could discount the ride quality. The smaller diameter tubes yield excellent compliance, and the springy-ness of steel ensures any flex you put into the frame is given back. Stainless also doesn’t require paint or a coating. So it keeps the frame looking sharp for years and also eeks off a few more grams. Combine that with custom tailored geometry and you get one sweet Michigan made machine that will last for years. Granted there’s lighter frames made from other materials, but I prefer to ride something that represents more of who I am, where I’m from, and what I believe in. It’s a bike that has its own little character… one of kind… a bike built for a Simonster.

 

I also gave myself an early birthday present… a set of DT Swiss Carbon tubular wheels. At 1250 grams for the wheelset, these things are stiff and light. Combining the tubulars with the stainless steel frame gives a ride that is unbelievable. Most races I won’t even need suspension. The bike feels much smoother and controllable. It’s something you have to experience. The CX’ers out there know what I’m talking about.

On the racing front, I’m switching it up a bit. I plan on doing Mohican and Lumberjack (100 mile MTB races), but I don’t think my body could possibly hold up to another full season of NUE races. So with that being said, I’ll be focusing more on races like Barry Roubaix, Ore to Shore, and Iceman.

Along with that new focus, goes a new training strategy. In years past I would grind out 6-7 hr training marathons to stay competitive in the NUE series, but this years base/build hasn’t had me on a ride longer than 4hrs. I’ve been doing a ton of “sweetspot” training, and it seems to be yielding good results. I definitely feel a lot fresher. I also had some extra vacation time I carried over from last year, so I set up three 10 day training blocks where I’ll crank out the daily hrs uninterrupted with work. One was in December, one in January, and I’ll have one down South in Georgia for February (huge thanks to Mike Livingston!). Each of these blocks has a rest week before and after, and during the 10 days, I’ll look to rack up about 35hrs. Not having to go to work and focusing solely on training is like a dream. I can sleep 10hrs a night, train 4hrs and then catch a nap in the afternoon. No wonder the pro’s are so dam fast! I really hope it helps, and I would be over the moon if I got a little bit of that speed back I used to have.     

 

So here’s to what hopefully turns out to be another great season. First race of the kicks off this weekend at Southern Cross in Dahlonega Georgia where I’ll get a chance to ride with Paco Mancebo. I should have my work cut out for me trying to stay with this guy. I’ll keep you all posted on what happens. Thanks for reading!

BAM! Here comes 2013

Iceman + Season Wrap Up

Well that’s a wrap on another full season of mountain bike madness. Iceman went off without a hitch. It’s funny that I placed 17^th… exactly the same placing as last year. I thought my prep this year was a whole lot better not having to deal with a broken neck, but I believe the 2012 Iceman was the most competitive yet. The start went off fast as usual. I stayed right on the front and tried as hard as I could not to get bumped backwards. You have to be super aggressive on the start before it bottlenecks into the woods. Sure enough, the left side surged and I was instantly buried 50 deep. I can never seem to nail these chaotic mass starts, but at least I survived.

Once into the woods, I went to work getting around people and working my way up through the chaos of flinging sand and swervey lines. Before we hit Tornado alley, I was in the top 7. The pace seemed to surge just after and that’s where I blew up and tailed off the back. It was the opportunity I wanted and I was so close to sticking in there with the front group. Just a little more power and I would have made it. I know I can do better.

I settled into the 2^nd group and tried to stay near the front as much as possible. I tried to get off the front a couple times, but the pack was right on me. Not much happened till we made the surge for the shoot. Tristan Schouten and Colin Cares got around me, along with a few others. It was all I had in the shoot to finish 17^th. Not too bad. No crashes, no mechanicals, and no wrong turns. Not all that satisfying, but given the competition, it was what I had on the day.

It was a hard year overall. Lots of big road trips and a total of eight 100 mile MTB races which netted me 10^th in the NUE series. I was the first to finish 4 races and I actually lead the series for a couple months. I’m surprised I had the motivation to make a push for Iceman. Training for a season of 100 milers, then trying to flip the switch and go fast is a huge challenge. It takes some time for the body to get used to going all out. It was a successful season though. I won a road bike race, a mountain bike race, and a cross style gravel grinder. Good all around performance I thought. A lot of those races contained National caliber athletes and I was able to ride with the leaders and compete for podium spots at almost all of them.  

Can I do better? Hell yes I can! As much as I love the 100 milers, I’m not exactly built for 100 mile long races with 12,000ft of climbing. So in light of that, I will be focusing less on the NUE series, and more on the gravel grinders and triple crown races. I might even try a few more road races since that style sort of fits right in. I think my true calling is more of a steady power rider, and it’s time to start focusing on a specific style that suits me and catering my race schedule to fit. I’ll still do Mohican and Lumberjack, but other than that, I think I’m done with the NUE’s. I work full time along with this circus of racing, and it’s too hard to try and focus on 2 or 3 styles of racing and expect to compete with the full time pro’s… especially when you’re not cut out for one of those styles ala NUE. Some of the courses are getting a little too on the hazardous side for my comfort level as well… call it what you want. I also thought that the 100 milers sort of wore on me as the season progressed. Each race I just felt slower, so I think cutting way back on them will definitely help develop more of that speed and power I need to hang with those front groups of pro’s at the big triple crown races.   

Well that’s about it for right now. Huge thanks goes out too all the sponsors, Notubes, Infinit Nutrition, CPA Crossings, and of course RBS, who bent over backwards to help get me everything I needed. Thanks guys, you rock! And who couldn’t forget my awesome wife Michelle who endures all this craziness day in and day out and also helps me tremendously. Thanks for checking in, and hopefully I’ll see you out there prepping for next season on the frozen dirt rds of Michigan.

For Sale:2012 XL Trek Superfly W/SRAM XX

$2500 or best offer. Email me at mikesimonson@hotmail.com

Peak to Peak Mud Fest

After a great weekend last week, I was really hoping to oepn it up and give the legs a real test this weekend. The weather however, had other plans. We pulled into the venue Saturday morning just in time for the rain to start coming down. And did it ever! It just never stopped! The legs felt good during the short wet warm-up and I decided to try and go for it at the start. After a short delay over duck tape, the race was underway. I managed to work my way to the front heading into the trail. Not exactly where I wanted to be, but better than being burried in the pack. Shortly after, Cole House and several others flew around me, as I found myself struggling to keep the bike upright through the corners. 

 It wasn't long after where I found myself off the back of the front group. They were just railing the corners way faster than I wanted to. It was hard to see too, and the mud was flinging everywhere. It was like a slip and slide, and I just couldn't seem to stay off the brakes and let the bike roll. Once we got to the more open sections of the course, I felt a lot better and started working way around some people up the ski hill.

The race was completely blown apart. People were dropping out, and I had no idea what place I was in. I kept hammering the best I could, but was still really struggling in the corners. Finally, right near the end of the 2nd lap, I managed to catch Scott Hoffner, and my team mate Ron Catlin going up the ski hill. Just at that time I heard word that they were cutting the race short. It was a little bitter sweet as I was actually looking forward to making more ground on the 3rd lap. Oh well, it was the right call to end the race. The brake pads were almost gone and the course was getting hazardous. 

I put the power down up the ski hill and slipped and slid back down to take 5th just ahead of Scott Hoffner. I was happy that. I did the best I could, given the circumstances. I felt like I couldn't really get a good gage on my fitness because my handling held me back, instead of my legs. To lose 4-5 minutes on the same guys I'll be racing in 3 weeks is a little discouraging, but it is what it is. I just have to hope the Iceman course isn't the same conditions. Congrats to the guys up front. They rocked it out on that mess and deserved the podium. 

I have to give huge props to Dan "superman" O'Dea for driving up our spare set of keys to the minivan. Apparently people like to snatch gloves up that aren't theirs and hopefully they'll realize how much of jerk move that was when they find our car keys in them. But karma has a way of sorting that out, that's all I'm going to say. 

Hope to see all of you next weekend at Mad Anthony... and lets pray the weather is good this time.  

Miscellaneous Fall Races + Ronde + Grampian Challenge

Sorry for slacking, it’s time I update this thing. I’ve done quite a bit of racing since I last posted, some I’m proud of, some not so much. I managed to finish out the NUE series placing in the top 10 for the points. A lot of fast guys came out of the woodwork and posted their 4^th races. The series has really grown and become very competitive. I've done quite a few of these races, all were very difficult, maybe too difficult, and some maybe just down right hazardous... which has me re-thinking my race schedule for next yr and maybe taking on a season that suites my styles a little better. Details to come on that later...

The last race of the year at Fool’s Gold wasn’t really anything to write home about. We drove 12hrs, it rained, I got lost a couple times, we drove 12hrs home. I did like the course however. A little heavy on the climbing, but the singletrack flowed awesome and it was a good mix of dirt rd/trail.

After Fool’s Gold, I got sick. I’m not surprised. Two tough NUE’s along with a couple big road trips less than a week apart is enough to take down even the healthiest individuals. So just coming off the cold, I decided to give the Ronde Von Stony a shot. Despite the rainy cold weather, I had an awesome time racing out near all the roads I train on. I didn’t quite have the punch at the end and finished 4^th. My team mate Ronnie was riding super strong on the day and took the win. It was great hanging out with all my riding buddies after a long season away from the scene.

After Ronde, I decided to try my luck at some Cyclocross racing. I was hoping for a top 10 and a good workout, but to my surprise, I rode with the leaders, Adam York and Sven Bauman, all the way to the sprint finish taking 3rd. The course was super choppy which made the mountain bike a good choice.

This set me up well for the past weekend at the Grampian Challenge. I didn’t quite know what to expect, because the CX race the past weekend could have very well been a fluke due to the choppy course. The Grampian Challenge is set on all my favorite local training roads. It starts at Addison Oaks, right where my wife and I got married. It then heads out to Markwood and Drahner Rds. I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve ridden on these roads. Everytime I leave my house on a ride, I don’t feel warmed up till I get to the top of Drahner Rd. It’s where I’ve spent countless hrs in sub freezing temperatures, it’s where I developed myself into a national caliber rider, it's where I go to contemplate on many of my lifes toughest decisions, and most importantly, it’s where I got to know some of my closest friends. I’ve really started to fall in love with these types of races like Grampian and Ronde. If you haven’t had a chance to check them out, be ready to roll next year because I think these races are really going to take off.

The action got started quickly and I could tell the legs were good. We snaked through the Addison Oaks 2 track and head out to Bald Mountain. I decided this was where I wanted to make my first attack. I went hard through the trail section and pulled out my team mate Ronnie, and Mark Parmelee. We were hauling out on the dirt rds as each of us took pulls in the cross winds trying to work each other over. As we made our way into Grampian Mt, I attacked as hard as I could up the hill, and only Ronnie held my wheel. I pulled us all the way to the finish inside Addison Oaks and very narrowly took the win ahead of my team mate Ronnie. It was an RBS 1-2! It meant a lot to me to win this race on my home turf and race on all the roads so near and dear to me. It also proved to me that my fitness has really started to come around. Sometimes all it takes is a little more rest, and some time off from the road trips to bring the fitness right back around. It’s in perfect timing for this weekends Peak to Peak. I’m looking forward to it.

With that being said, I hope to see you out there in the coming weeks as we all prepare for the season finale at Iceman. Thanks for reading.

The Shenandoah Saga - Final Chapter

I’m not going to lie. I was a bit nervous about heading back to this race again, and it looked like it was a sure bet that we were in for some muddy conditions too. If you weren’t already aware, I had a nasty crash at this race that netted me a 4 day vacation to the University of Virginia ICU last year, so surely that was going to be on my mind the entire race. My wife Michelle made the trip down with me again. Not sure who was more nervous, her or me.

With the wet conditions, I decided not to take any chances and I mounted up my trusty 2.4” Racing Ralph tires. Maybe a little overkill, but a little more control is always welcome. When I hit the pavement rollout at the start, I could feel the drag of the tires immediately and I thought, “this could be a long day.” I made it over the first climb in relatively decent position. I did the best I could on the descent and formed a little group out on the dirt rds with Zach Morey, and Evan Plews. We made our way out to the 2^nd climb. Normally I struggle on this one, but I was keeping Evan in site, and cleaning most everything all the way to the top thanks to the grip of the monster tires.

I took my time on the descent and carefully picked my way down the mountain. A few guys passed me, and I was losing quite a bit of time. When I got to the bottom, I heard someone yell that Evan and Rob Spreng were about 1min up. I threw it into the trucker gear (42-11) and went to work. By the time I reached aid 2, I had bridged back up to Rob and Evan. It was a pretty big effort. Heading up the 3^rd climb, Evan just had a little bit too much power and I popped off the back. I muscled my way through the rain to the top. I looked back, and no one was in site. The descent was a little tricky and before I reached the bottom, Rob Spreng had caught me, and just like that, he bridged what was probably more than a 2 minute gap.

We ripped through aid 3, and head out to the 4^th climb. I could see Christian up the road, but decided chasing him down was probably not worth the effort as the next climb was steep and techy and I was going to need to be recovered. We made our way up, and I was able to distance myself from Rob, but got passed by another rider. I tip toed down the descent, and like magic, Rob was right back on me at the bottom.  Heading out to the sole crusher, Rob let me go on the dirt rds. I got super close to bridging to the rider who passed me earlier on the climb, but once the road turned up, he was long gone. The fatigue was starting to creep in, and pushing those 2.4” tires up the soggy dirt roads was really starting to bog me down. Just as I reached the top, Bryan Astell caught and passed me. I hung for a few minutes, but the wheels were starting to fall off.

I got to the top and gathered myself for a moment. I dropped into the descent and prepared to clean the downhill that almost took my life exactly one year ago. This was the moment of the race for me. It was like challenging someone again who had stabbed me and left me for dead in an alley. But I faced the attacker and gingerly made my way down eagerly awaiting to pass the spot where I crashed last year… butt cheeks fully clenched. The descent was super rocky and sketchy and I was all over the brakes, using every square inch of those 2.4” tires to slow myself down. I even had a few close calls, but that’s probably because of the nerves and how tense I was. My triceps were burning and my hands were cramping from the death grip I had on the brake levers. I passed the crash site and felt a huge moment of relief. I made my down to the bottom and ironically enough, Kevin Carter passed me, just like last yr. My wife Michelle was there, and I could see that she was overly relieved.

We blew through aid 6, but I could tell the wheels were still falling off. One little push uphill from Kevin Carter, and I went into complete bonk mode. It didn’t matter how much coke I slugged down, pushing the big tires and the nerves had cooked me. I made my way up the last climb and several more riders passed me on the way to the finish. I got to the line and I was so happy it was over.

Doing this race again made me realize that at some of these courses, in order to do well, you have to be able to take some risks on the downhills to be competitive. Some of the guys passing me had full on slick tires and I don’t know how they were doing it. I used to approach a descent and just not think about anything other than staying off the brakes as much as possible. Now, so many things go through my head on a descent. I look at things a lot differently and I get easily spooked. I see a big tree, a steep gully, or a wet root and think of them as things that could send me careening head first into an early grave. Perhaps it’s just because I know what the consequences are. I'm not sure I'll ever get over it. 2 minutes of extra time on a descent can easily turn into 4 days in the ICU. But I suppose there’s always going to be risks associated with racing a mountain bike. It’s all about what you feel comfortable with. I’m not sure I’ll ever come back to this course (or ones like it) again. I kind of feel like I’m gambling with a little too much.

With that being said, I have one more NUE left for the season down in Georgia. I’ll be glad when it’s over. I could use the rest. That will be 8 NUE’s for me this year, and they’ve really taken a toll. The fitness seems OK, and I’m still getting in my training rides. This week will be all about recovery though as these two races are only 6 days apart. Wish me luck and let’s pray we don’t have any rain for the weekend down in Georgia.

2012 Hampshire 100

This past weekends adventure took us out East for the first 100 mile running of the Hampshire 100. It hadn’t been since the National Championships was held at Mt Snow, VT that I’d made it back into the area. The course was a little more challenging than I had thought. After reading the race route preview, it seemed like the course would be a lot of jeep roads and rail trails, boy was I wrong about that.

The first 20 miles of the race is relatively tame and a large group stayed together for the most part. It wasn’t until the steep jeep climb that things began to break up. I held it together though and cleaned it to the top. My memory of the climb and slightly after seems pretty foggy, perhaps that’s because I was breathing through my eye balls trying to keep up. Soon after, we hit the powerline climb. I managed to ride most of it, but there were a few sections I had to run. I was glad it was over. I was riding with Zach Morey and Kevin Carter when I crested the top. The pace seemed manageable. Zach was riding the trails a lot better than I was, but I could power out the flatter less techy sections, so we were working well together.

I managed to get away, and for a long time, I was by myself, battling it out with the demons on what seemed like an endless session of techy, rocky singletrack and rutted out ATV trails. It seemed like the trail would send you through a few hundred yards of slow twisty rocky singeltrack, then throw you up a super steep granny gear pitch. Just repeat that over and over. The trails were slow and wet, and it didn’t look they got much use. At one point I remember walking through waste deep water with my bike on my back thinking this was insane! I remember passing Jeremiah with a flat. He fixed it and passed me right back. He was gone in a flash, and I couldn’t even stay with him for a minute. It was then that I realized how terribly slow I was riding this techy terrain.

Later on near the end of the 1^st  lap, Zach caught back up along with a few others including a very young guy named Dylon. They passed me while I was in full on inner demon battle mode, and I had zero moral to chase, so I let them go. I almost wanted to quit at the lap point, but I knew there was a long stretch of rail trails that I had a chance bridge on, so I kept moving forward. I grabbed my bottles from Janet (thanks Janet), lubed my chain, and I was on my way. I was feeling 20 times better on the roads and trails and went from inner demon battle mode to full on trucker mode. I chase down Dylon, and later on during the cut-off route, I caught Zach. With John Schottler bridging up, we had a group of 3. I was feeling good, so at one the last aid stations, I powered through and went on alone in an attempt to grab the 7^th spot. The trails seemed to flow much better the 2^nd time through, and I felt like I was riding them a lot better, but not better than Schottler. He caught me near the end, and I narrowly pulled off 8^th overall. Congrats to Christian for the win, and everyone else who finished. It was a tough course.

I was happy with 8^th. No crashes, no mechanicals, and no wrong turns. It was a pretty clean race. I lost a lot of time fumbling around in the singletrack, but there’s not much I can do about that. The legs felt strong, and I had power all the way to the finish, so that gives me hope for the next race at… dun dun dun… Shanandoah. Wish me luck. Big thanks to my team mate Greg Witt for traveling with me. We had good times, and it made me realize how much fun I have just sharing the travels to these races with friends. And who couldn’t forget the folks at RBS. They’ve really been a god send this year helping me out with mechanic work and taking care of all the bike needs. Thanks for reading and we’ll see you at Shenandoah for the next one!