The first 100 miler of the year treated us with fantastic weather and pristine trail conditions. I have to be honest, after my performances at Barry Roubaix and Paris Ancaster, I was beginning to have doubts about my aggressive training plan this year. However, between Barry Roubaix and the weekdays leading up to Cohutta, I had managed to whittle 10lbs off my chubby winterized frame. It’s the leanest I’ve been in a long time. In my training, I could feel the difference on the climbs. It felt as if I was riding up the hills, rather than wrestling up the hills, so I knew the weight loss certainly wouldn’t hinder me at Cohutta with all the climbing involved.
We start up this 3 mile long paved road climb. The legs were feeling pretty good, the brisk morning mountain air was nipping at my ears and hands, but it warmed up quickly. A group of 8 emerged at the front as Chris Peariso pushed the pace on the 2nd half of the singletrack. We had, me, Chris Peariso, Jeff Schalk, Thomas Turner, Robert Marion, Andy Johnston, Chris Beck, and Christian Tanguy.
As we head out onto the fire roads, Patrick Mossler bridged up and joined our group, a mystery rider I wasn’t familiar with. There always seems to be one or two of them at each NUE. My legs were feeling good, so I tried a few moves off the front. Perhaps they’d let a large sized man off the front before the climbs… but no luck. Jeff would pull me back each time while the others sat on. We blew through aid station 2 and dropped a few off the group as we hit the steeper climbs. The course sort of undulates between aid 2 and 3. As we approached aid 3, Christain took a couple hard digs off the front which were covered by Schalk and I. We rolled into aid 3 and I got a quick hand-up and continued to push on. It was the only feed I took the entire race. I had maybe 30s on the others. On a short steep climb just after aid 3, Christian broke away from Beck and Schalk and got to within maybe 10s of my wheel, with 30s over Chris Beck and Jeff Schalk. I was pressing the pace on the long descent and holding off Christian, then the dreaded hiss started. Dam! I immediately went to work on fixing the flat as Christian went by, then soon after Jeff and Chris slipped by. But before anyone else caught up, I had the tire fixed and was off in pursuit.
I got to within 3min of Jeff and Chris before I hit the final 3 climbs in the last 20 miles, then the chase was pretty much over. I buried my head and pushed on a steady pace all the way to the end to finish up in 4th. Other than the tire, which was a bummer, it was a clean race and I was pleased with the performance. The form is good, and I still have another 5lbs I think I can shave off my carcass before Mohican and Lumberjack. Congrats goes out to fellow Michigan rider Christian Tanguy for a strong ride. It’s kind of ironic that he and I only live 10 miles from each other. The Superfly was a great tool for the job. The new frame is a big improvement over the first generations. The Ergon grips kept my hands happy the whole 7hrs, and the Notubes Crest 29er wheels stayed TRUE to their reputation as FAST wheels. Thanks for reading!
Monday, May 2, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
Paris to Ancaster 2011
I wasn't quite sure what to expect for this race. It's like a whole different scene over in Canada that I'm totally not familiar with. I knew Mike Garrigan and Semaus McGrath, but other than that, I was pretty clueless with whom was on the start line, but apparently I still had enough credibility for a front row call up which was nice. Thanks! The wind was whipping like crazy! I heard reports of gusts up to 50mph, which was a tailwind for us most of the day. The start went pretty well. I kept my nose out of the wind, and was able to stay right near the front. I still need more practice with this technique though. Comming from mountain biking, it's all about getting to the front and staying there. However in road racing, the tactics are way different and I have to admit, it's something I've struggled with over the years, especially when it's really windy. We hit the rocky two track off the rail trail, and I was right in the mix. It was hard, but my legs were doing it. With the tailwind, the group was absolutely flying along... much faster than my 39x11 would let me go. I'd bridge on the trail sections, but whenever we hit the road, I was struggling with proper positioning in the cross winds. I got caught out in the wind a couple times and would continue to get spit out the back of groups. Finally I got the hang of it and hung onto a little group in about 25th position or so. We rode together most of the race until we hit the mud slides. Finally! A place where I could use the MTB to my advantage. I ripped down the two mud slides and dropped my group. On the way to the finish I was able to snatch up a few more spots finishing 19th overall. I was pretty pleased. I got what I wanted out of the race which was a really hard race effort. I just came off another big week of hrs, so I'm happy I had enough zip in my legs to finish the race strong. If I really wanted to hang up front however, I would have been on a CX bike. My training has been quite different since I started doing 100 mile MTB races too. 5 years ago, I would've been doing short, more intense rides with lots of intervals. However I find I need quite a large base of miles to stick a 100 miler all the way to the end. The long hrs take away from my speed somewhat, but I think it's a wise trade off. I mean most of these 100 milers are going 7-8hrs with over 10,000ft of climbing. The extra miles help trim me down to size and improve my climbing efficiency immensly. It's a tricky blend being able to do well in a 100 miler, then turn around and stick it in a short fast gravel grinder. Perhaps I'll save my speed training for later in the season when the focus turns towards the tripple crown. Lets hope I can make that plan work. Next up is Cohutta in good old Ducktown TN in less than 2 weeks time. I'm looking forward to it. Thanks to the Naishy mate for driving last weekend and thanks to RBS for the sweet new kit. Oh! and thanks to Don Cumming for the ride back to Paris! Don even played frogger on the 403 to retrieve Naishy's wheel after it blew off the roof rack! Not even a scratch on the Notubes wheel... so you can run and tell that! Homeboy.
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Barry Roubaix 2011
Wow how this race has grown in just 3 short years! Over 1000 people entered!!! Rick Plight must be doing something right, and I believe he is. I won this race 2 years ago and I thought the terrain suited me well, so after skipping last year, I thought I'd give it another run.
We woke up to morning temps in the teens. After training all winter in MI, I thought great! Everyone will be stunned by the cold temps and I'll feel right at home. My new RBS kit came equip'd with all the cold weather trim. No prob... Well needless to say, the cold temps didn't bother anyone. We rolled out nuetral with ol' Ward Wilson at the helm with the trusty KTM. Yes, he managed to get it started one more time for us. Once we hit the dirt, the pace quickly escalated, but it was manageable. We hung a right onto the pavement and I knew Sager Lake was coming up. I rolled up the right side of the road and took the holeshot into Sager Lake.
I immediately went into red, and after that, Graham and Anderson danced around me leaving me gasping for air. I thought, OK, we'll deal with the early attacks here, then it will all come back together... sure sure. But the pace didn't seem to let up. We hit the hills just after Sager Lake and I couldn't recover. The roads were dialed. They were almost like pavement. I probably could have rode a road bike. I had to let the front group go. Meanwhile, my seat rails managed to self destruct. My bike was spewing out pieces of titanium tubing all over the road on Sager Lake. Bahh!
I struggled for a bit and decided to wait for the next group. The nose of my saddle was about 1" too low and my back and knee's were starting to cramp. Double Bahh! I would hang with what I think was the 3rd group for a while. My legs felt terrible, every hill hurt, and I just didn't seem to have it. I decided to pull the plug going into the 2nd lap rather than risking another 35 miles without a seat. I think it was a good call.
I think this year was the year for the CX bike. Seemed like these guys were zipping back and forth with no problems. I found myself pedaling on the downhills to keep up with the guys on CX bikes coasting. My training has been going pretty good. Been getting in lots of miles, and I did a lot of cross training. Perhaps I'm just missing a little bit of intensity in my legs? Were the CX bikes that much faster? Was my seat issue a big deal? Was I tired from all the miles I've been putting in? Am I just getting too old? Am I missing something in my diet? Was I dehyrated? Did I tie my left shoe first? Did I forget my rabbits foot? It'll drive a cyclist crazy, but these are all questions I'll have to sort out in the coming weeks. The good thing is that it's still early and these early season races give you a chance to see what you missed in the off-season. I think I've got better races in me for sure.
Congrats to my fellow compratiots who finished on the podium. Next up is Paris Ancaster. Hopefully I'll have things a little more dialed in by then. Thanks for reading, and if you missed the Barry Roubaix, make sure its on your calendar next year!
We woke up to morning temps in the teens. After training all winter in MI, I thought great! Everyone will be stunned by the cold temps and I'll feel right at home. My new RBS kit came equip'd with all the cold weather trim. No prob... Well needless to say, the cold temps didn't bother anyone. We rolled out nuetral with ol' Ward Wilson at the helm with the trusty KTM. Yes, he managed to get it started one more time for us. Once we hit the dirt, the pace quickly escalated, but it was manageable. We hung a right onto the pavement and I knew Sager Lake was coming up. I rolled up the right side of the road and took the holeshot into Sager Lake.
I immediately went into red, and after that, Graham and Anderson danced around me leaving me gasping for air. I thought, OK, we'll deal with the early attacks here, then it will all come back together... sure sure. But the pace didn't seem to let up. We hit the hills just after Sager Lake and I couldn't recover. The roads were dialed. They were almost like pavement. I probably could have rode a road bike. I had to let the front group go. Meanwhile, my seat rails managed to self destruct. My bike was spewing out pieces of titanium tubing all over the road on Sager Lake. Bahh!
I struggled for a bit and decided to wait for the next group. The nose of my saddle was about 1" too low and my back and knee's were starting to cramp. Double Bahh! I would hang with what I think was the 3rd group for a while. My legs felt terrible, every hill hurt, and I just didn't seem to have it. I decided to pull the plug going into the 2nd lap rather than risking another 35 miles without a seat. I think it was a good call.
I think this year was the year for the CX bike. Seemed like these guys were zipping back and forth with no problems. I found myself pedaling on the downhills to keep up with the guys on CX bikes coasting. My training has been going pretty good. Been getting in lots of miles, and I did a lot of cross training. Perhaps I'm just missing a little bit of intensity in my legs? Were the CX bikes that much faster? Was my seat issue a big deal? Was I tired from all the miles I've been putting in? Am I just getting too old? Am I missing something in my diet? Was I dehyrated? Did I tie my left shoe first? Did I forget my rabbits foot? It'll drive a cyclist crazy, but these are all questions I'll have to sort out in the coming weeks. The good thing is that it's still early and these early season races give you a chance to see what you missed in the off-season. I think I've got better races in me for sure.
Congrats to my fellow compratiots who finished on the podium. Next up is Paris Ancaster. Hopefully I'll have things a little more dialed in by then. Thanks for reading, and if you missed the Barry Roubaix, make sure its on your calendar next year!
Friday, March 4, 2011
A little glimpse...
into the joys of training in Michigan winters. As some of you know, I work 9hr days and have every other Friday off work. This was my short week, so I had my eye on the weather and it kept getting worse all week! I knew pulling off a hundo in the conditions they were calling for was going to take every trick in the book.
I thought I had it nailed. I swapped my tires and laid out all my clothes on Thurs night... I even filled up my Wingnut and stashed it in the fridge. I went to bed feeling ready for whatever mother nature had in store. Sure enough when I woke up, I found a 1/4" layer of ice covering everything... the only thing I wasn't prepared for. Bahh! I thought it was over for a minute. Then I remembered about the old Kenda Klondike CX tires I had hanging in the garage. The perfect tire for the job. I think Mitch was preparing to go into work late, but when she heard me tearing the tire rack down out in the garage, she quickly made her escape. Even Buddy and Tigger ran and hid behind the couch. I think everyone was still traumatized from the last tire swap. The animals had Stans juice in their fur for weeks after an unexpected blowout!
A couple bloody knuckles and about 6 oz of dish soap later, I had the Klondikes seated up and I was out the door by 9am. It didn't occur to me till I got a few miles down the road that these tires didn't roll very fast. It felt like I was riding on velcro but it was nice on the ice. Studs along with the 11 lbs of Gatorade strapped to my back and single speed bike had my legs burning instantly. I quickly realized pulling off a hundo was going to be tough.
I had a tailwind pushing me out to sea. I decided to roll one of my trusty old century loops up to Columbiaville. It's a nice loop with minimal traffic, and it's all pavement. The country scenery of old farms and small towns keeps my mind fresh and interested. I rolled into Columbiaville at mile 50. The rain was on and off, and by now all of the ice was melted and roads were just wet. Good thing I had the studs... ugh. I flipped and head South into the headwind. My legs were starting to get stagnant and the little aches and pains were creeping in, especially my back. There's a few bailout points along the route to cut the hundo short, however I wasn't going to let the demons win today. I was pulling this off even if it would kill me.
I pulled into the "hell of Elba" and cringed at the headwind. This is a 10 mile section of the route with endless rollers that escalate back to Hadley. I knew if I could get thru Elba, I'd pull it off. Sure enough, I silenced the inner demons and pressed on to finish out the full century loop in just under 6-1/2hrs. Not too shabby for a single speed bike and studded tires. I stepped into the house completely exhausted greeted my old pal Buddy. I slammed my recovery drink, hopped into a hot shower... and began preparing to do it all over the next day.
Keep up the motivation! Spring will be here soon!
I thought I had it nailed. I swapped my tires and laid out all my clothes on Thurs night... I even filled up my Wingnut and stashed it in the fridge. I went to bed feeling ready for whatever mother nature had in store. Sure enough when I woke up, I found a 1/4" layer of ice covering everything... the only thing I wasn't prepared for. Bahh! I thought it was over for a minute. Then I remembered about the old Kenda Klondike CX tires I had hanging in the garage. The perfect tire for the job. I think Mitch was preparing to go into work late, but when she heard me tearing the tire rack down out in the garage, she quickly made her escape. Even Buddy and Tigger ran and hid behind the couch. I think everyone was still traumatized from the last tire swap. The animals had Stans juice in their fur for weeks after an unexpected blowout!
A couple bloody knuckles and about 6 oz of dish soap later, I had the Klondikes seated up and I was out the door by 9am. It didn't occur to me till I got a few miles down the road that these tires didn't roll very fast. It felt like I was riding on velcro but it was nice on the ice. Studs along with the 11 lbs of Gatorade strapped to my back and single speed bike had my legs burning instantly. I quickly realized pulling off a hundo was going to be tough.
I had a tailwind pushing me out to sea. I decided to roll one of my trusty old century loops up to Columbiaville. It's a nice loop with minimal traffic, and it's all pavement. The country scenery of old farms and small towns keeps my mind fresh and interested. I rolled into Columbiaville at mile 50. The rain was on and off, and by now all of the ice was melted and roads were just wet. Good thing I had the studs... ugh. I flipped and head South into the headwind. My legs were starting to get stagnant and the little aches and pains were creeping in, especially my back. There's a few bailout points along the route to cut the hundo short, however I wasn't going to let the demons win today. I was pulling this off even if it would kill me.
I pulled into the "hell of Elba" and cringed at the headwind. This is a 10 mile section of the route with endless rollers that escalate back to Hadley. I knew if I could get thru Elba, I'd pull it off. Sure enough, I silenced the inner demons and pressed on to finish out the full century loop in just under 6-1/2hrs. Not too shabby for a single speed bike and studded tires. I stepped into the house completely exhausted greeted my old pal Buddy. I slammed my recovery drink, hopped into a hot shower... and began preparing to do it all over the next day.
Keep up the motivation! Spring will be here soon!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Winter Update - 2011
Well, hope everyone had a happy new year and is ready to start working hard towards the 2011 race season! Every year I think back to the long winter rides we do and I always wonder how the hell we pull it off. 10 degree's, snow, ice, wind, it sounds awful. But there's something about it that makes training outside through the winter so peaceful, maybe even enjoyable. I always love the little battles with mother nature. Seems I've always got a little trick up my sleeve to offset what she's got planned for the weekend to thwart my training... even if it requires a little duck tape and a late night.
If you haven't heard yet, I'm changing up the sponsors just a little bit this yr. Instead of the Trek 29er Crew, the primary sponsor will be Rochester Bike Shop. They're located in downtown Rochester MI. Check them out! However I'll still be flying the Trek 29er colors, most likely on their super sweet superfly hardtail. Notubes is also back on board taking care of my wheels/sealant/tire needs. Thanks guys, the support goes a long way in this day and age!
And who couldn't forget ol' Coach Art. He's still working with me for 2011 as well. Now that football season is almost over, I'm sure he's glad he won't be recieving anymore belligerent phone calls... well maybe one more if Green Bay ends up winning. Bahh! The training has been going along steady and I'm keeping up with my routine. I should be ready to rip come spring time.
Well thats it for now. For those of you braving the elements, try to keep the rubber side down and most importantly KEEP THE HARD WORK UP! It'll pay off in the spring, I promise.
If you haven't heard yet, I'm changing up the sponsors just a little bit this yr. Instead of the Trek 29er Crew, the primary sponsor will be Rochester Bike Shop. They're located in downtown Rochester MI. Check them out! However I'll still be flying the Trek 29er colors, most likely on their super sweet superfly hardtail. Notubes is also back on board taking care of my wheels/sealant/tire needs. Thanks guys, the support goes a long way in this day and age!
And who couldn't forget ol' Coach Art. He's still working with me for 2011 as well. Now that football season is almost over, I'm sure he's glad he won't be recieving anymore belligerent phone calls... well maybe one more if Green Bay ends up winning. Bahh! The training has been going along steady and I'm keeping up with my routine. I should be ready to rip come spring time.
Well thats it for now. For those of you braving the elements, try to keep the rubber side down and most importantly KEEP THE HARD WORK UP! It'll pay off in the spring, I promise.
Monday, November 8, 2010
That's a Wrap!
Thursday Nov 4th 2010
Pre-rode the entire course. Legs feel good. Course is super dialed. Bike is dialed.
Friday Nov 5th 2010
Rode from Williamsburg to the finish. 2 inches of snow overnight has me thinking the course is going to get sketchy.
Saturday Nov 6th 2010
8AM – Slept well. The cabin in Grayling is relaxing. Wolfed down 3 huge whole wheat pancakes. Dan O’Dea makes the best pancakes.
11AM-One more pancake down the hatch. Drinking water like a fish. The nerves are building. We sit in the cabin waiting in anticipation. Got a phone call from some of the early finishers. Course sounds like it’s holding up.
12:30PM- We leave in route to the start. I’m totally focused. Everything has been planned and rehearsed. I feel relaxed yet excited. I hop on the bike for a 30min warm-up. Course seems fine. 2:30PM- I line up at the start and get called up to the front. It’s a huge moment for me to stand there on the front line with the superstars of Mountain Biking in the United States. The only guy we’re missing is Lance Armstrong. Lots of hard work and sacrifice to get here. I feel proud.
2:31PM- The countdown starts. My heart is pumping, my legs are primed. 5-4-3-2-1 I rip off the start line. I know taking the hole shot isn’t the best idea, but I do it anyways. I couldn’t stop my body. I may never have the opportunity again. It seems fitting someone from Michigan leads it out.
2:35PM-It’s a full out scrum as we hit the dirt. Bikes and bodies everywhere. It’s fast, really fast, but my legs are doing it. I stand on the pedals and I move up thru the carnage.
2:50PM-We hit Tornado Alley. I’m the first one in and I lead the train thru the twisty singletrack. My course recon is paying off.
3PM- We hit the next section of singletrack. I’m still on the front. I let up and let Tristan go by. The course has turned into total peanut butter. We’re sliding everywhere. He pushes the pace hard and I focus intensely to stay with him. A couple more guys get around me including Todd Wells, Jeremiah Bishop, and Sam Schultz, but I emerge with the group as we head back onto the two track.
3:15PM- I’m totally stoked at this point. Everything is going to plan. I make the front group and I can take a break and sit on as we navigate down Sand Lake Road.
3:16PM-I go from totally stoked to a fit of rage as I drop my chain. I’m in full on panic mode as I try to un-wedge the chain from the crank. I finally get it out, but the chain is skipping from all the mud packed into the cassette. I try my best, but I’m totally deflated as I limp along doing my best to try and take spots back.
3:30PM- I arrive at the Williamsburg Road crossing. The drivetrain is so packed up, I can’t find a gear that works. People pass me in groups of 5. I stand on the trail with Mitch and my in-laws ready to throw in the towel. Mitch already knew it was over when she saw the front group fly by without me, but I don’t think she had the heart to tell everyone else. Dan begins pushing the bike. I can tell my family is bummed and I can barely look at them in the eye. I decide I need to try and finish anyways. I grab cup after cup of water at the aid station and rinse the drivetrain clean. I think I pulled an entire pine cone out of the cassette. The bike works now and I’m off. All the 100 milers have honed my trail side engineering skills.
4PM- I’m moving thru the field. I don’t know why I’m even trying at this point, but it’s fun and I continue to crank away on the pedals.
4:10PM- I roll up on some riding buddies. First it’s Dan K, Chris Peariso, then Scott Stewart, my old time home boy from Oxford. We’re having fun. I take it up a notch and attack him. Elbows start flying, bars are banging. We come into the final shoot. The crowd is screaming like we’re racing for the win. I open up my sprint and we decide to give them a show. Scott tries to come around the inside. I feel his handlebar touch my leg and I know we’re in trouble. Bam! We go down. I get up instantly and run for the finish line. Scott’s sprinting. It’s close. I cross the line and realize I’ve been struck in the groin with my seat in the crash. I’m in extreme pain as I go to the ground with my family watching in agony. What the hell am I doing? Why do I do this to myself? The hours, the sacrifice, it all seems like such a waste at this moment. This kinda shit happens all too often. But I love the sport. I love everything about it. The dream never dies, not even in a dodgy sprint for 28th and you find yourself rolling on the ground covered in mud and your own bike kicks you in the nutz. That’s how much I love this sport.
4:30PM- The pain in my groin subsides. I don’t need to go to the hospital, I’m fine. I clean up and work my way over to the Kuhnhen beer tent.
4:50PM- My good buddy Don pours me an 8% IPA. A couple of these bad boys and I’m challenging Rob Selle to a squat off and other random human feats of strength.
5:00PM- I’m dropping love bombs on everyone and speaking to my buddy Adam in a British accent.
8:00PM- We show up at the bar. It’s within walking distance to our hotel. Is this good or bad? Dang we’re here early.
9:00PM- Deep conversation with Randy Laprarie about being cold and hungry. I tell Danny Klein I love him.
10:00PM- We’re organizing a ride for tomorrow morning. This isn’t gonna happen in a million years.
1:00PM- I run into Brent Bookwalter in the bathroom. I squat him 10 times. We take our shirts off and flex in the mirror. That’s the last thing I recall.
It’s been a great season. I feel so fortunate to even be able to compete in this sport at this level. Thanks goes to all my sponsors, Notubes, Trek, and SRAM, and to all the people that helped and inspired. Congrats to Brian Matter for stealing the show. He is hands down the man to watch at these races. I’ll take a short break now, and begin my preparation for spring 2011. Thanks for reading, and keep the rubber side down over the winter!
Pre-rode the entire course. Legs feel good. Course is super dialed. Bike is dialed.
Friday Nov 5th 2010
Rode from Williamsburg to the finish. 2 inches of snow overnight has me thinking the course is going to get sketchy.
Saturday Nov 6th 2010
8AM – Slept well. The cabin in Grayling is relaxing. Wolfed down 3 huge whole wheat pancakes. Dan O’Dea makes the best pancakes.
11AM-One more pancake down the hatch. Drinking water like a fish. The nerves are building. We sit in the cabin waiting in anticipation. Got a phone call from some of the early finishers. Course sounds like it’s holding up.
12:30PM- We leave in route to the start. I’m totally focused. Everything has been planned and rehearsed. I feel relaxed yet excited. I hop on the bike for a 30min warm-up. Course seems fine. 2:30PM- I line up at the start and get called up to the front. It’s a huge moment for me to stand there on the front line with the superstars of Mountain Biking in the United States. The only guy we’re missing is Lance Armstrong. Lots of hard work and sacrifice to get here. I feel proud.
2:31PM- The countdown starts. My heart is pumping, my legs are primed. 5-4-3-2-1 I rip off the start line. I know taking the hole shot isn’t the best idea, but I do it anyways. I couldn’t stop my body. I may never have the opportunity again. It seems fitting someone from Michigan leads it out.
2:35PM-It’s a full out scrum as we hit the dirt. Bikes and bodies everywhere. It’s fast, really fast, but my legs are doing it. I stand on the pedals and I move up thru the carnage.
2:50PM-We hit Tornado Alley. I’m the first one in and I lead the train thru the twisty singletrack. My course recon is paying off.
3PM- We hit the next section of singletrack. I’m still on the front. I let up and let Tristan go by. The course has turned into total peanut butter. We’re sliding everywhere. He pushes the pace hard and I focus intensely to stay with him. A couple more guys get around me including Todd Wells, Jeremiah Bishop, and Sam Schultz, but I emerge with the group as we head back onto the two track.
3:15PM- I’m totally stoked at this point. Everything is going to plan. I make the front group and I can take a break and sit on as we navigate down Sand Lake Road.
3:16PM-I go from totally stoked to a fit of rage as I drop my chain. I’m in full on panic mode as I try to un-wedge the chain from the crank. I finally get it out, but the chain is skipping from all the mud packed into the cassette. I try my best, but I’m totally deflated as I limp along doing my best to try and take spots back.
3:30PM- I arrive at the Williamsburg Road crossing. The drivetrain is so packed up, I can’t find a gear that works. People pass me in groups of 5. I stand on the trail with Mitch and my in-laws ready to throw in the towel. Mitch already knew it was over when she saw the front group fly by without me, but I don’t think she had the heart to tell everyone else. Dan begins pushing the bike. I can tell my family is bummed and I can barely look at them in the eye. I decide I need to try and finish anyways. I grab cup after cup of water at the aid station and rinse the drivetrain clean. I think I pulled an entire pine cone out of the cassette. The bike works now and I’m off. All the 100 milers have honed my trail side engineering skills.
4PM- I’m moving thru the field. I don’t know why I’m even trying at this point, but it’s fun and I continue to crank away on the pedals.
4:10PM- I roll up on some riding buddies. First it’s Dan K, Chris Peariso, then Scott Stewart, my old time home boy from Oxford. We’re having fun. I take it up a notch and attack him. Elbows start flying, bars are banging. We come into the final shoot. The crowd is screaming like we’re racing for the win. I open up my sprint and we decide to give them a show. Scott tries to come around the inside. I feel his handlebar touch my leg and I know we’re in trouble. Bam! We go down. I get up instantly and run for the finish line. Scott’s sprinting. It’s close. I cross the line and realize I’ve been struck in the groin with my seat in the crash. I’m in extreme pain as I go to the ground with my family watching in agony. What the hell am I doing? Why do I do this to myself? The hours, the sacrifice, it all seems like such a waste at this moment. This kinda shit happens all too often. But I love the sport. I love everything about it. The dream never dies, not even in a dodgy sprint for 28th and you find yourself rolling on the ground covered in mud and your own bike kicks you in the nutz. That’s how much I love this sport.
4:30PM- The pain in my groin subsides. I don’t need to go to the hospital, I’m fine. I clean up and work my way over to the Kuhnhen beer tent.
4:50PM- My good buddy Don pours me an 8% IPA. A couple of these bad boys and I’m challenging Rob Selle to a squat off and other random human feats of strength.
5:00PM- I’m dropping love bombs on everyone and speaking to my buddy Adam in a British accent.
8:00PM- We show up at the bar. It’s within walking distance to our hotel. Is this good or bad? Dang we’re here early.
9:00PM- Deep conversation with Randy Laprarie about being cold and hungry. I tell Danny Klein I love him.
10:00PM- We’re organizing a ride for tomorrow morning. This isn’t gonna happen in a million years.
1:00PM- I run into Brent Bookwalter in the bathroom. I squat him 10 times. We take our shirts off and flex in the mirror. That’s the last thing I recall.
It’s been a great season. I feel so fortunate to even be able to compete in this sport at this level. Thanks goes to all my sponsors, Notubes, Trek, and SRAM, and to all the people that helped and inspired. Congrats to Brian Matter for stealing the show. He is hands down the man to watch at these races. I’ll take a short break now, and begin my preparation for spring 2011. Thanks for reading, and keep the rubber side down over the winter!
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
It's Almost Time!
Iceman is just around the corner, then the 2010 season will officially be wrapped. Managed to keep the legs turning over through October by getting out to two great events in Northern Michigan for a couple race tune ups, the Crybaby Classic, and the Peak to Peak. If you didn't get a chance to partake in these two events this year, you really missed out.
Two races under my belt and a few more tune-ups should see me in good shape to take on the season finale. There's no doubt Manderson and Graham will both be going strong, as well as the other dozen top gun pro's coming from all around the country including both the past US Olympic MTB athletes. The start line will be loaded with talent. Wish me luck!
The Cybaby is a super fast course with enough climbing to well... make you cry. These guys did a great job with this event this year, as well as putting together a killer course. Mike Anderson throttled it super hard on the Crybaby climb, and that's all it took. That saw me seeing stars and almost rolling backwards while trying to recover from the all out V02max effort. I'd eventually work my way back to 3rd by the end, but it was after a hard effort on the last lap to get ahead of Chad Wells and Cameron Walters. Great event. We had an awesome time.
Two weekends later, we were back up North to take on the Peak to Peak. I'd won it the past two years, so needless to say I had a target on my back. The first lap went well... until we reached the equalizer climb at the end of the lap. This climb just to seems to grind on and on. You turn one corner thinking you're almost to the top, only to turn another corner staring at another pitch. I attacked at the bottom, which proved to be a mistake as it left me struggling on the upper slopes. It was the mighty Manderson again who managed to pop me before the top with a strong Derek Graham in tow. I battled with Chad Wells the rest of the race and managed to get away after Chad bobbled a tricky little corner to finish on the short box. Another wonderful event put on by Endoman Promotions which seems to get better and better each year. The weather was awesome, the course was dialed, and competition was hot!
Two races under my belt and a few more tune-ups should see me in good shape to take on the season finale. There's no doubt Manderson and Graham will both be going strong, as well as the other dozen top gun pro's coming from all around the country including both the past US Olympic MTB athletes. The start line will be loaded with talent. Wish me luck!
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