NUE Stop #5 Wilderness 101

Sometimes just getting to the finish line of a race is a challenge. I swear the Wilderness 101 had it out for me this year. Michelle and I headed down to State Colleg PA early Friday morning with high hopes of bettering my 6th place finish at Breck 100 for the NUE points series. W101 is one of the rockier more technical courses in the series. Add 2” of rain the day before, and you’ve got slippery rocks and nasty mud. The race started out at the typical 7AM. A neutral rollout till we get to the first climb, then the pace immediately went up. We blasted up the first climb, and low and behold, there was an entire peloton behind us of maybe 20 riders, including all of the favorites. It stayed like this for a while until we passed aid station 1. My legs were feeling great, so I decided to try a little attack up the rocky ascent. Soon before the top, we had it whittled down to the top contenders. We rounded the summit, and began the fast rocky descent. This is where the first mechanical happened. Flat tire. All my efforts were for nothing as I watched rider after rider fly by. I fixed the tire and I was off in pursuit of the leaders. I had worked myself all the way back up to 9th at aid 2 and as I was nearing aid station 4 I had 7th. Things were going good and I was getting myself back into the race. Then at the top of the singletrack climb, I broke my chain. It took me forever to fix it. I finally got it fixed, only to rip my derailleur hanger off on the following descent. At that point I figured my race was over. I was starting to lose motivation, but I quickly got to work on the single speed conversion. I had to stop a few times, and bum a spare link from Ron Sanborn, but eventually I got the chain line just right. Rolling into aid 4, I really thought long and hard about quitting as Michelle was there with the van ready to go. But a lingering motivation to finish kept me moving forward. I finished the last 25 miles on a converted single speed and even managed to pick off a few more spots. Overall I was happy I toughed it out and decided to finish the race. Goal #1 at every one of these 100 milers is to just finish, and I’m happy to at least have accomplished that goal. Next up is Ore to Shore… the first round of the Midwest Triple Crown. I’m PUMPED!

NUE Stop #4 Breck 100

Well... after a tough race at Boyne, I felt I was prepared to take on Breckenridge... at least I thought I was. This was my first trip ever to Colorado and the Breck 100 was the perfect way to experience a full sampling of what mountain biking in Colorado is all about. It was worth every penny Michelle and I spent to get out there, including the $175 fee (one way) to bring the bike on the airplane... ouch! Here we are on top of Loveland Pass.

There's no words to describe how beautiful Colorado is, you just have to experience it. The weather was perfect and the trails were dialed.

I was blown away by the scenary, as well as by how tough the mountain biking is. The Breck 100 is easily the hardest hundred on the circuit, and with no acclimation to the altitude, it was almost a suicide mission! I wasn't really sure what to expect with the altitude and all.

The start was a neutral roll out, but as soon as we hit the base of the mountain, Schalk and Tostado ramped it up and left a wake of gasping racers... including me. I quickly hunkered into a rythem and pushed my way up Wheeler Pass. As we near the top, the trail gets a little sketchy. One slip of your balance and you could go rolling head over heels 1000's of feet down the mountain! Comming down Wheeler is some of the knarliest mountain bike trail I've ever ridden. My brakes were squeeling! After we descended, we hit this slightly downhill paved bike path. I wound out my 38-11 and caught back up to 3rd place. I'd sit with a group until the end of the 1st loop.

2nd loop was a real lung buster. I distanced myself from the group and I was alone in 3rd all the way to the top of the first climb. Then... I flatted. Thought the Stans would seal it, but not luck. I stopped and threw in a tube, while I watched all my hard work on the climb dwindle as a few riders passed me. Soon after on the descent, I took a wrong turn losing 10 minutes. Loop 2 was the hardest with two tough steep climbs.

Going into the feed zone for the 3rd loop had me surprised. 4th and 5th were also in the feed zone. Michelle and I quickly traded camelbacks and I was out before the other two sitting in 4th. It wasn't long before the fatigue really began to set in and I couldn't hold the pace up the climb to Boreas Pass Rd. It was extremely steep in sections and I was starting to fall apart. The rest of the 3rd loop I spent alone except for the section of dirt rd before the final ascent up Boreas Pass were I rode with 5th for a short time, but eventually ended up finishing at 9hrs 49 min in 6th place. Apparently I won the 19-29 age group, but didn't realize this until we got home Sunday. Oh well.

Overall, it was a long tough day in the saddle. 10hrs and over 13,000ft of climbing, all over 9500ft of elevation maxing out at 12500ft. Not to mention the singletrack was pretty buff. I'm glad I did it though and it will help toughen me up for the rest of the NUE series races. Next on the schedule is Wilderness101 in Coburn Pennsylvania. I suffered pretty badly there last year. Hopefully this year I'll a little better prepared.

New Weapon

I'm very fortunate to get to test one of the first Superfly 100's off the production line. So far so good. This bike rocks! 22 lbs as it's setup right now... for a full suspension 29er! I'll give it a good shake down at the Boyne Marathon this weekend, then it's off to Breckenridge for the 4th stop of the NUE Series.

NUE Stop #3 - The Lumberjack100

Four 25 mile laps of Northern Michigan singletrack is no small challenge. Me, and 299 others would find that out this past Saturday. My wife Michelle, my mother and father in-law, and I made the voyage up to the Manistee National forest in style as we piled into the luxurious motorhome. The weather was fair, and the rain we had the night before the race actually helped the trail conditions. Missing this year was the epic "swamp", but I was OK with that.

After the long roll up Udell Hills rd, we found the start line, and after a long roll down Udell Hills Rd, I found myself tucked in 3rd wheel right behind Jeff Schalk going up the first climb. My legs felt great and everything was going smooth on the 1st lap. Chris Eatough made a move at the end of the 1st lap and the group of 4 of us was brought out. Jeff Schalk, Chris Eatough, Christian Tanguy, and I would ride together for the entire 2nd lap. It was very humid, and temps were rising, but I was still riding strong. Then at the end of the outter 17 mile loop, I could feel that something just wasn't right. We hit the hill at the start of the 3rd lap, and just like that, the power shut off. My engine was overheating. I just wasn't wasn't prepared for that kind of heat and humidity!

So there I was, 50 miles into the race, all by myself to hang onto 4th position. The entire 3rd lap was a struggle. I went through the four stages of acceptance. Stage 1 is where you try to tell yourself you can bridge back up and recover after the climb. Once you realize you can't recover, stage 2 of anger and frustration settle in. After you calm down, you enter stage 3. Here you'll battle with just pulling the plug. Stage 3 is the worst part of a 100 mile race. You have to fight mental defeat, while at the same time, the fatigue hits you as you realize you're only just over half way thru. I struggled to the aid station to see my father in law Dan with an ice cold towel and my wife Michelle with fresh nutrtion. They didn't even flinch and like clockwork I found myself back out for lap #4 with new motivation. I had reached stage 4... accepting the fact that I still had a chance to take a solid 4th place and keep my good points standing in the NUE series and that I was going to fight for it to the end.

Everything was going good and I was trying to stay smooth and positive. Then the inevitable happened. Derek Graham came rolling up on my wheel. I slowed down, let him pass, then got straight back onto his wheel. I just thought I would stay with him as long as I could. Low and behold I took a few sips of Coke, and I was able to battle with him over the climbs near the end of lap 4. I managed to distance myself and roll in for 4th at 7hrs 17min. Even though I didn't get the spot on the podium I wanted, the race was a success. I silenced the inner demons on lap 3 and rallied to finish strong... not to mention I didn't crash, have any mechanicals, nor make any mistakes. My Superfly ran F L A W L E S S L Y!

I "think" that puts me in 3rd place for the NUE series after three stops. Things are going well for 2009 so far. Not sure what's in store for July yet. I'll have to get with old Art and see what he has planned. Big thanks goes out to my in-laws for the great support!

NUE Stop #2 Mohican 100

Stop #2 on the NUE calendar brought us to downtown Loudonville Ohio. Close to 400 people came out to tackle the hilly back country course which has everything from white knuckle singletrack, to epic hike-a-bikes, and even an Amish buggy trail. The weather was absolutely perfect with sunny skies and mild temps... although the competion wasn't so mild. Former Olympians, former world champions, and current and former national champions. It was a stacked field with high caliber mountain bikers.

The start rolled off rather quickly due to the $200 prime at the town outskirts. Jeff Schalk went for it, and I was close on his heels to make sure his sprint didn't turn into a full on solo breakaway. Hey, it's Jeff Schalk, if he gets away, you're likely never to see him again. We quickly re-grouped and I was sure to be right near the front before we hit the first section of singletrack right behind Jeremiah Bishop. He lead for the first 25 mile section of singletrack, and I made sure to stay glued to his rear wheel as well. The pace was fast and Jeremiah was cleaning the downhills like he was on rails constantly forcing me to bridge on the climbs. I hung tough and stuck with the leaders.

When we hit the long run-up near the end of the singletrack, I decided to go for an attack of my own! It lasted till the top of the next "horse pucky" climb/run where we all re-grouped before heading out onto the roads. Once we hit the roads, the road tactics were in full swing. I took my turns on the front and the big wheels and tires enabled me to pull the group along at warp speed whenever we went downhill.

The singletrack came and went, as well as the short punchy climbs, but the group was not breaking up! Finally as we all rolled into the final 5 miles of singletrack, things broke up. Schalk was the first one into the singletrack after a bar banging attack with Bishop. I sat 3rd as I watched Bishop carefully pick his moment to strike. He went around Jeff on the right side and that was the last we saw of him. With the pace quickening as Jeff chased, Tinker and Brandon lost contact which left just me, Jeff, and Christian. I slightly bobbled on the rocks, and Jeff was gone. Soon after, Christian got around me, as I bobbled again. The fatigue was setting in, but I pressed on thru the singletrack and finished 4th overall.

It was a break through race for me making it to the end strong with the leaders, and contending for the win. Last year it seemed like a struggle just to finish and I'm very pleased with how things turned out. Next up is LUMBERJACK100!!! It should be a good one!

100 Miler #1... Cohutta

I was a little worried when I read the forecast for Ducktown TN this past weekend for the Cohutta 100. Sunny and a high of 85! Sounds like really nice weather, but the problem is I've been riding in 40 degree temps for the past 6 weeks. This race was to be the big focus for the spring. Bike setup below. She sits at 21 lbs even. It's a fast bike!

The race drew over 300 racers willing to take on the brutal 100 mile MTB course with roughly 12,000ft of climbing. Needless to say it was going to be a tough day in the saddle.

The start sends you up a 3 mile long paved climb which strings things out nicely. I was the first one into the trail head, but by the time we got to the singletrack, I was sitting 6th wheel tucked in right behind Jeremiah Bishop. The pace was fast through the first 18 miles of singletrack. The front group slowly started to whittle itself down.

Once we got onto the mountain roads, the pace seemed to let up... right until we got to aid station 2 at mile 36. This is where Jeff Schalk rolled thru and put the hammer down. Jeremiah Bishop went after him, then Sam Koerber. Chris Beck, Chris Peariso, and I were content to set tempo and work together. I took a few hard digs on the long climb up to mile 55 where Chris Peariso ended up losing contact due to some mechanical trouble. Chris Beck and I ended up catching and passing Sam, and we were working together all the way up to aid 4 where Chris Eatough eventually bridged up. The three of us worked together for about 15 miles until Chris Beck attacked on the last fire rd climb. It was too much for me and I had to let him go. Soon after Chris Eatough passed and dropped me. I was spent, but I was content with rolling in for 5th spot.

Overall, I'm really satisfied with my performance. I accomplished a big goal of mine, which was to finish an NUE race in under 7 hrs (6:45!) The bike worked awesome in which I had zero mechanicals. I think I've finally got my nutrition dialed in too. Next on the calendar is Mohican 100. A little closer to home this time... I'll keep ya posted!

1. Jeff Schalk

2. Jeremiah Bishop

3. Chris Beck

4. Chris Eatough

5. Mike Simonson

6. Josh Tostado

7. Sam Koerber

Paris to Ancaster Report

So the Brewchamp, my wife Michelle, and I all piled into the NEW Brewchamp pontoon machaine (AKA Dodge minivan) this past Saturday morning and headed over to Canadia for the first early season test of strength. The Paris Ancaster spring classic has grown every year since my first run down the course in 2006. Over 1800 people lined up with pro's like Canadian National CX champ Michael Garrigan and top USA CX star Jeremy Powers. We stayed in downtown Hamilton and had a nice relaxing Saturday evening to prepare us for the fight to ensue in the morning.

Right from the gun, Powers took the wholeshot and I went straight onto his wheel. From there we hit a long section of uneventful rail trail. As soon as I could see the arrows pointing us off the rail trail, I came to the front and was the first one onto the loose dirt rd climb. I attacked hard! My effort pulled out Michael Garrigan and Jeremy Powers. Soon after, Powers came to the front and I was seeing stars trying to hang onto his wheel. The three of us were off the front for a little while, but I just couldn't seem to recover. I was gased... BIG TIME! So I decided to return to the much larger chase group in an attempt to recover. We eventually caught Powers and Garrigan. From there on out the group would swell and string out over and over again as the attacks would go into the BRUTAL headwinds and crosswinds, which I probably sucked too much of yo-yo'ing on and off the back. The pace surges proved to be too much for me to handle and I eventually fell off the back of the group. I chased hard though and didn't give up.

To my surprise I was able to gather up a few straglers and form a good group. We continued to pick off straglers one by one until we made it to the deadly mud slides. I was first going to each of them and both times I was able to get a gap... which didn't really stick. I came into the final punch to the line with one guy left from the group. I took a good hard dig and made the push to line for 6th.

Not too bad considering the competition this year. It was a fun weekend. Tim Farrar did an excellent job as always. I would highly recomend this race to everyone. Powers is no doubt incredibly strong as he won the day, and it was good for me to get out there and stretch myself against such strong riders to prepare myself for this weekends first NUE show down... COHUTTA!

Full results are posted HERE