Oak Mountain 10 Hour Adventure Race

Lisa and I once again teamed up for OMAR.  Two years ago, this was my first adventure race, where I barely managed to hang on to her maniacal pace.  Now, having a few more under my belt, I felt more confident about keeping up as well as being able to help out with nav, should Lisa need it.  

60 teams of 1-4 people had signed up.  There were a total of 36 checkpoints up for grabs.  There were 2 treks, 2 bikes, 1 canoe paddle, and 1 paddle board section.  Having arrived at 6 am, Lisa had 2 hours to plot CP's and determine our course.  There were two TA's (Transition Areas). TA 1 was at the Start/Finish.  We decided to start with the first trek, since it was a nippy 42 degrees. 

When the gun went off, Lisa took off like a bat out of hell.  Oh, Lord, my legs were not quite ready for her speed.  We took the CW approach of collecting the 6 CP's on this first trek, starting with CP2. A 1/2 mile in and I was thinking, "There is no way in hell I can keep this pace up for 10 hours."  The first 3 controls were easy peasy.  We bushwhacked to where CP4 shoulda been, but there was nothing.  We traveled further up along the creek, then back tracked further down the creek, to no avail.  Lisa finally made the call that the control was NOT put in the correct spot, so we headed to CP 5.  Along the way, we found a post with a punch, but no tape.  I punched it, thinking that this was probably #4.  We then nabbed CP5, and ran the road back to the Start/Finish and did an out/back to get #6.  We over ran CP6, only seeing it when we turned around and headed back; didn't cost us but a minute or two.

Heading back to TA1 after the first trek

Quickly changing shoes and acquiring more food at TA1, we then headed out for the first bike leg.  Heading up Peavine Road, Lisa's greyhound speed leveled off to more of a wolfpack running down a caribou; a much more sustainable pace.  We picked off the first 3 CP's with ease.  CP10 was only difficult to find because our navigator jumped from Map 1 Bike to Map 3 Bike.  So we started looking for it too early, but being the Queen that she is, Lisa quickly figured it out and we found 10 quickly thereafter.

From CP10, we bike whacked up a steep ass re-entrant to hit a hiking trail that eventually took us to CP11.  That was a killer short cut and my glutes and calves let me know it!

25% grade up that re-entrant

After grabbing CP11, we motored down to TA2.  We decided to do the second trek before the paddle board segment.  We quickly changed into trekking pants, as we did not want to have to run around for a couple hours in clammy shammies.  

Lisa planned a near perfect route to nab CP's 14-22. She was like a blood hound on this section while I was a lemming. There was a sh!t ton of off trail bushwhacking, but her skillful nav landed us darn near every CP, or at least within 30-40 meters, where then my eagle eyes would take over and locate the orange control flag. A majority of the controls were on the tippy top of ridges and knobs.  So much so that Lisa began singing "Take this Knob and Shove It." It took us 2 1/2 hours to collect all the trekking CP's.

Heading out on the second trek

Just one of a 1/2 dozen rock scrambles 

Once back to the TA, Lisa was feeling some impending cramps, so I let her drink what was left of the LMNT in my bottle.  She then went out on the paddle board to collect the 2 CP's at the opposite ends of the lake.  While she was doing that, I changed back into my bike shorts, drank a Coke and ate 2 bags of potato chips. I had eaten all my food, save for 1 gel, on the trek.  So, for the bike back to the Start/Finish, all I had nutrition wise was Skratch (160 kcal) and 1 caffeinated Gu (80 kcal).  Lisa asked me to find a packet of LMNT in her feed bag and refill her bottles.  Unfortunately, there was no LMNT to be found (insert foreshadowing here).

Back on the bikes we headed down Belcher Byway Trail, one of the new trails at Oak Mountain.  It was way FUNNER the direction we were headed (all downhill) than the directions quite a few teams were taking. The CP's along this trail and Lunker Lake were pretty straight forward, although CP24 had us wandering and wondering a little bit (we overshot it) before we found it ... across the creek.

Once we started on BLT, that is when the wheels began to fall off Lisa's bus.  The lack of LMNT was wreaking havoc on her legs and feet, as she continually had to slow down to stave off cramps. Fortunately the remaining bike legs was on mostly flat flowy trail.

CP28

The CP just off Garret's Gulch was overhanging a creek.  Not willing to reach precariously down and grab it, I opted for getting my feet wet and getting in the creek to punch it. Despite Lisa's struggle, her brain was still firing on all cylinders, allowing us to nab the remaining biking CP's with surgical precision.  That damn Jekyll trail went ... on ... forever!  

We finally rolled back to the Start/Finish, where we quickly transitioned to the paddle.  5 CP's to acquire on Double Oak Lake.  I fought with the spiderweb of PFD's to grab one for myself.  It took a frustrating moment to put the straps back through the PFD correctly. Meanwhile, Lisa was ready to go, telling me in the nicest way possible, with all of her muscles wanting to seize up, to get my a$$ in the canoe! 😆😆😆

Lisa let me take over the navigation after we punched CP32. The remaining CP's were not on our map.  We had to view a hanging map at CP32 to see the location of CP33, and so on and so forth for the remaining 4 CP's.  It was all on me to memorize each location.  Even though the nav was easy and straight forward, I, still being new to this game, was so nervous I would let Lisa down.  I wavered a bit on CP34, to which Lisa helped me get to the correct re-entrant.  But after that, I invoked my inner bloodhound and found 35 and 36 fairly easily.  I was glad for all the gym work I have put in over the past year, as I figured out how to use more of my core and less of my arms to paddle more efficiently.  I just wish the canoe had foot pegs.

We ran to the finish line with a time of 9:25, 35 minutes to spare.  We ended up winning the overall (out of 60 teams and solos), and were 1 of  2 teams to clear the course.

Our win was was over 95% Lisa and 5% me.  Watching her navigate and putting us right on top of the CP's most of the time was just magical! I can only hope to be 3/4 as good as her in the future.  I am definitely looking at some solo adventures, in which I can hopefully hone my skills.  We have the Cerebrus 3 Day Expedition Stage Race coming up in May and there are some heavy hitters showing up for this one.  I am nervously excited about this one.

Pedaling for the Paws v3.0

 

It is time for me to scratch that itch again.  I have done 2 fundraisers for McMinn County Humane Society, which runs the animal shelter (2020 and 2023).  Since then, they have moved from a "skid row" building to a wonderful new space that used to be home to the Daily Post Athenian.  I recently took a tour there and it was just jaw-dropping to see their new facility.  All the kennels are now in a temperature controlled environment and there is so ... much ... space!

In the old building, the cat room was cramped and dark. Now the cat room is HUGE and has plenty of windows where they can soak up the sun's rays.  

But, as with any animal shelter, there are always much needed improvements. Construction on an outdoor exercise area is currently underway.  

In order to complete the project, donations are needed for the artificial turf.  My goal is to raise $5000 to help pay for the doggos to get some outdoor playtime.  As you all know, getting your zoomies out is crucial for mental health, as well as for physical fitness.  So I am asking you all to help support my effort to crush 29,032 feet of gain by giving a few doll hairs to my animal shelter.  

On June 20, 2025 (the summer solstice), I will be attempting a Gravel Everest.  I have selected a segment on the North River Road just outside of Tellico Plains, in the Cherokee National Forest.  This gravel road connects Tellico River Road to the Cherohala Skyway.  I will have to do 19 repeats in order to complete an Everest.

Knowing that you all have my back in this challenge by helping out my cause, will give me that extra bit of grit, gristle, and gumption to get'r done!  All I need is for you guys to abstain from one little vice (Starbucks, Dunkin Doughnuts, IPA, Dairy Barn, etc.) for one little day and I can easily hit my $5000. mark. 

I appreciate all of you in helping those that have no voice and helping me to  #dohardthings.  

HOW TO DONATE:

1.  Go to my FB page and click on the link.

2.  Mail a check to the McMinn Regional Humane Society at 320 S Jackson St, Athens, Tn 37303.

3.  Drop off cash at my place of work, The Animal Clinic

Snake Creek Gap TT

 

📷:  Icon Media

Nine days into the flu and I thought it would be a good idea to race my bike.  I am going to feign ignorance on this one, as it has been 40+ years since I have had the flu.  And I thought I was feeling better on Friday.  With perhaps the best February weather in the history of The Snake, there was no way I was going to have FOMO.

Starting temp was 52 degrees.  It was so nice to wear only a kit and NOT be shivering.  My goal was to finish and ride the course as easy as possible, trying not to trigger a coughing fit at higher heart rates.  I started mid-pack.  I was gracious and let a lot of people past me.  I felt ok keeping my heart rate in the 130/140's. It was nice to have no pressure, and I took the time to chat with a few fellow racers along the first half of the course.  Tony Orru, a fellow RR'r, rode with me for awhile, until he had an issue with his bike.  Another fella, whose name I forget, mentioned that he reads my blog 😊.  And then there was Thom, who always is so positive and talkative.  I did apologize for not being as vocal as he, as I was just trying to breathe.

I rolled through the 1/2 way point in 1:53:15.  Not too bad, but the trail was in tip top shape.  And I had many small victories, by cleaning all of the techy bits on the first half.  The Mill Creek climb was a beast, but my mantra "slow is smooth, smooth is fast," kept me focused. As I got further along on the second half, I could tell that I was slowly dying, despite keeping on top of my nutrition.  Now it became a test of my stubbornness and grit. 

I grabbed a banana at the aid station, stuffed it in my pie hole, and motored on the last section of single track.  Trying to pedal, chew, and breathe while being sick, was quite the undertaking.  I finally choked the last bit of banana and was able to get the oxygen I needed.  

The new re-route along Vomit Hill was super spicy.  It was off-camber, loose and rocky, and with switchbacks that required a nose wheelie to maneuver around.  I played it safe and just got off my bike to make a couple of those.  I hope that with time, it will become better, as I think it is more sketch than the original route.

I ended up walking the final few climbs after the fire ring, as I was shelled! I ended up finishing in 4:33:10.  Not bad, as I was expecting a 5 to 5 1/2 hour day.  And I ended up with the fastest time in the 40+ category.  

Totally spent!

So what did I learn from this experience?  That the flu is no friggin' joke!  Perhaps I should have stayed home, but if you know me, I don't shy away from #doinghardthings.  BTW, I am currently on Day 17 of the flu and still have fatigue and a mild cough.  No doubt I extended the time it has had a grip on me by doing the Goggins Challenge and The Snake.  Oh, well ... it didn't kill me, so perhaps my immune system got a big boost out of it.  Here's to staying sick-free the remainder of 2025!

Kudos to Jayden Randall, who currently has the fastest women's time.  She flew by me in the first few miles, leaving me reeling in her wake!

Blaze, the Snake Eater, in his 8th year!

Goggins 4 x 4 x 48 Challenge

 

For the past few years, I have attempted to find ways to destroy myself on my birthday.  In 2023 it was a Murph followed by 54 burpees. In 2024, I did all the Result Fitness classes in a day.  This year I had a hard time finding something, other than this.  I really tried to find another challenge, even reaching out to some fellow crack heads, to no avail.  You see, I am NOT a runner; I do run on occasion for cross-training and bone health, but only 2-3 miles once or twice a week. While my heart loves to run, my musculoskeletal system goes on the fritz when I try to push the envelope.

And as if 48 miles was not enough, I decided to tack on an additional 8, as this year I was turning 56. And so it began at 1 am on Thursday January 30. 

Interval 1:  4.42 miles   39:13

I ran this one through the neighborhood with my pacer, Honcho.  I absolutely loved the quietness at night.  No sounds other than the patter of my feet and the ticking of doggie toenails on the asphalt. After finishing, I showered and tried to get some sleep, but it did not happen.

Interval 2:  5.1 miles  44:54

I ran this one at my gym, Result Fitness, which is a short 3 minute drive from my house. I listened to the Eminem station on Pandora and knocked this one out effortlessly.  I decided to focus each interval on someone who has inspired me over the years.  This one was my Grandma Williams, who in her youth living in Pittsburgh, would regularly swim across the Ohio River, playing Frogger with the barges.  After finishing, I hopped in the cold plunge. Then I went home and started baking my birthday cake, a carrot cake.

Interval 3: 5.22 miles  51:09

I ran on the Eureka Trail, which is about a 15 minute drive from my house. We had it mostly to ourselves, so I let Honcho off leash.  While my cardiovascular system was fine, my musculoskeletal system began to whine a little.  Little niggles around my hip adductors and posterior knees. This one was inspired by Grace Ragland, a good friend who also loved to endure the miles on her mountaing bike.  She died way too young from lymphoma soon after finishing the Tour Divide. Upon arriving back home, I made the cream cheese frosting. 

Interval 4:  6.02 miles  59:26

Back to the Eureka Trail with Honcho, I made a bigger push, as I wanted to frontload those additional 8 miles, while the running was still "easy." Those niggles were becoming louder!  This one was inspired by Agape, a Cavapoo puppy who beat the odds and survived parvo and coccidia.  It took her 7 days, and it was touch and go for 6 of them.  She fought hard and had the grit, gristle, and gumption to win her life.

Interval 5: 4.76 miles  43:13

Carly joined me for this one, although she walked as I ran.  Still, it felt good to have her by my side.  My niggles were still there, trying to get me to see the foolishness of this ordeal. Shut up, monkey brain!  This one was inspired by my daughter, who is such a beautiful person, both inside and out.  She is a hard worker and anything she starts, she finishes.  She is always there to help me defuse, as I tend to let the little things get under my skin.  It is as if she is always in a meditative state.  After the run, we hopped in the sauna. 

Interval 6: 5.50 miles  52:07

It was 9 pm.  I did not want to run on the Eureka Trail at night for fear of shady characters, and my body could only take so much asphalt pounding, so back to the gym.  31 miles in and the pain was intensifying.  So I turned inward and thought of what Tiffany Ballew-Horn is going to endure this coming June through August as she attempts to become a Leadman.  This will entail 5 trail running and MTB events covering 283 miles, all at 10,000+ feet.  She was my inspiration to get this one finished. Fortunately, I was able to get in a 2 hour sleep prior to the next one.

Interval 7:  4.39 miles  45:55

Asphalt is hard AF!  Took another route from my house. My knees were begging for mercy.  It was not my joints, but rather the soft tissues surrounding the medial aspect of the posterior portion that were on fire everytime I connected with the ground.  It took 2 miles before I found the mute button and turned off the pain.  This one was inspired by Steve Owens, who crushes the vert in North Carolina. He is the king of positivity, even after losing his home to Hurricane Helene.  He kept his faith and has begun anew and back to running the Pisgah mountains.  Happy to say I got in another 2 hour nap after this one.

Interval 8:  5.25 miles  48:17

Shut Up Garmin!

Found the mute button right at the start and no pain.  Amazing what 2 hours of sleep can do, as I felt fresh. Company was once again had with Eminem blaring out the speakers.  This one was inspired by good friend Scott Morman, who hampered by injuries for quite some time previous to 2024, has been able to overcome.  And he is now becoming quite the vert monster.  He recently won the Flintstrike 40 in Georgia (12,000 vert and is preparing to tackle the Georgia Death Race in March.

Interval 9:  4.1 miles  36:22

Back at the gym, I fed off the 9 am class' energy and crushed this one.  The body was finally accepting of the punishment and I had some pep in my step.  This one was inspired by Nancy Estellow Waddell.  She is a bad lass in her 70's and still pushing her limits on the mountain bike and has taken up running again.

Interval 10:  4.00 miles  35:55

I had to hop back on the treadmill as it was raining pretty heavy outside. I was tired and did not want to get chilled by pressing it on the Eureka Trail.  As vibrant as I felt the past 2 efforts, this one absolutely hurt.  I have begun the journey into my pain cave and trying to embrace the suck.  I even forgot to name an inspiration.

Interval 11:  4.00 miles  39:44

Despite having my pacer with me, I was in the pain cave right out the gate.  The wheels have now officially fallen off the bus.  What kept me in the right mindset was 2024 Marji Camp Group 11.  These guys/gals fought their own personal demons and finished one of the hardest one day races in America. My struggle now was nowhere near what they had to overcome.  I loved desire and tenacity! 

Interval 12:  4.20 miles  37:56

Don't think I will ever see that number again.

I must have been smelling the barn, or my birthday cake, as this one seemed WAY easier than the last 2.  A couple extra tenths of a mile, which netted me 57 total:  56 being my age plus 1 more to celebrate the beginning of my 57th trip around the sun.  This one goes to my dearest friend Lisa Randall.  She has taken me under her wing and showed me the magic of pushing yourself to the extreme.  She is a monster at all things ultra!  I am so so happy that we have formed a strong bond, yet still try to kill each other on the trail.  Love you Lisa!

Nutrition:

Lots of protein!

Before each lap, I would drink 20 ounces of Skratch Hydration Sport.  Afterwards, I would drink 20 ounces of water to which I added 1/2 packet of LMNT.  Right after I finished an interval I would eat real food:  omelette, PB&J sammie, egg/veggie scramble, roast beef sammie, hard boiled eggs, smoothie, and pizza.  I got in 110 grams of protein over each 24 hour period, which is 1 gram/pound of body weight. I would also constantly sip on water, as dehydration was my enemy. It only became difficult during the last 8 hours to eat and drink, but I just forced it down.  My stomach stayed happy every interval, except for the final one, where I got to taste my pizza again ... 🤮

Self Care:

After each interval, I would stretch for 5 minutes and lay on my Teeter Inversion table for a few minutes. Then I would take a hot shower.  While I was eating, I would use my Elevated Legs compression sleeves for 30 minutes. I also had one cold plunge session and one sauna session.

Sleep:

Sleep deprivation is my super power.  However, I was able to get in 3 1/2 hours prior to starting the challenge at 1 am.  And the following night, I was able to get 2 good sleeps of 2 hours each, which kind of surprised me. 

Aftermath:

The morning after I was able to get a 7 hour sleep, although restless.  What I didn't mention before is that when I woke up to begin the challenge, I had a scratchy throat.  Uh oh!  You see, the Monday before my husband was diagnosed with Flu A.  Despite isolating himself and constantly disinfecting all touch surfaces in the house, I feared that I may have caught it.  So I prayed.  During the challenge, my symptoms did not get any worse. But upon awakening, I felt like absolute poop: coughing, congestion, and mild fever.  Was it all related to the challenge or did I have the flu?  Not sure and don't care.  As I am writing this on a Sunday, after a solid 9 hour sleep, I feel much better.  I still have a cough and mild congestion, but 90% better than yesterday.  Just glad that my immune system survived its own little challenge.

All the niggles I had during the run have subsided to a 2/10.  My knees and hips are happy again. I only have a little soreness in my quads.  I am quite surprised to be feeling this good.  Yes, I am fatigued, but not overly so.  I believe that my body did as well as it did because of all the strength training I have done this past year.  I spent as much time doing strength and mobility work as I did on my bike.  And it paid off.  

Now to continue to rest and recover because The Snake Creek TT is next weekend. This will be my 21st year competing in this race.

Stay Hard!

Georgia Navigator Cup

 

Last weekend I competed in the Georgia Navigator Cup, a 3 day orienteering meet.  This year it was also the OUSA Master's National Championships. While I did this last year, I was a complete newbie and stuck with the Orange courses.  I moved up to the advanced short course for this meet. This would be my fourth orienteering event, since I began this journey in 2024, and the second time I would be running a Brown course. While I was not eligible to compete for the championship (requires an OUSA membership), I would still be running against some very fast ladies in my age category.  The Brown courses' maps were 1:7500, whereas the Green and Red were 1:10,000.  My old eyes were most thankful for the larger scale.

DAY 1

Friday's course was at Red Top Mountain State Park. There were 11 controls (checkpoints).  It took me a minute, more like 4, to get my brain in gear.  Heading south for the first one, plus the fact that I could not find the trail from where I was going to attack (some of the trails on the map are no longer in use and are very faint, especially when covered in leaves), I shoulda just taken a bearing.  The next control wasn't any easier, as the terrain for this course was relatively flat, so hard to navigate off trail since there were no prominent landmarks, i.e. hill tops, re-entrants. I ended up running 50 yards past it, back tracked for what seemed like an eternity, and eventually found it.  Sheesh!  Once again, shoulda took a bearing.

3 and 4 were obtained much quicker as they were located near old mining pits.  5 was a SOB, as I got temporarily "lost" and couldn't figure out which trail I was on.  And the control flag was in a 5 foot deep pit, so unless you were right on top of it, you couldn't see it.  It was here that I ran into a little kid running a course; she seemed to know what she was doing, which deflated my ego and inspired me at the same time 😆.

7, 8, and 9 went quickly.  10, as you can see from my Strava file, was a sh!tshow.  I dunno, my navigational neural pathways was frickin' glitchy.

At least 11 was a hill top, easy enough to spot, even on flat terrain.  From there a short run up to the finish.  My time was 1:39:42.  The winning time in F55+ was 47:54.  The lesson I learned:  take more bearings and try to be as accurate as possible.  Ended up 4th on the day.

DAY 2

Saturday's course was at Sweetwater Creek State Park.  This was also the first day of the OUSA's Master's Championship. The terrain was hillier and easier to navigate for me.  Today I was going to take more bearings and be more consistent with pace counting. There were 14 controls.

Which way do I go, George?  Which way do I go?

1 and 2 were easy peasy.  3 required a bit more effort staying on the bearing as it was 600 meters away.  One thing to note is that I was using a base plate compass versus a thumb compass, which while it can be very accurate, takes a bit longer to use. I do have a thumb compass but was intimidated by it because of size and the lack of markings on it.  But most orienteers use one, as it can be a lot faster and you can hold it and the map with one hand; a base plate compass requires 2 hands.  4,5, and 6 were straight forward, with many re-entrant crossings which made it easy for me to know where I was on the map.  

7 was 600 meters away.  I took another bearing and with the help of several trail and creek crossings I went right to it ... until I looked at the electronic punch number and saw that I actually navigated to control 8, which was about 50 meters north west of control 7.  If you punch out of order, you will be DQ'd.  So I did a quick out and back to control 7, punched it, and then headed back to control 8 and got it.

The remaining controls were quickly found, and I finished with a time of 1:18:30.  I was extremely pleased with my navigation today; my brain showed up to play.  I ended up third in the F55+.  First place finished with a time of 1:01:58.  

I also felt pretty good because I was running just behind the 2nd place woman in the F60+, who only finished 6 minutes ahead of me.  When I first came upon her around control 3, I tried making small talk with her, but got ghosted!  I guess she figured I was her competition.  Not wanting to just be her shadow, I slowed down and let her get out of sight.  But I would end up catching back up around each control.  Later I found out that she has been doing this for 35+ years.  Now that was a little ego boost for me.

Day 3

Sunday's course was also at Sweetwater Creek, just in a different part of the park.  There were 15 controls.  Although not as hilly, still enough variety in the terrain to help me navigate better.

Brain dead on the first control, I ran around in circles, but then eventually found it. Too much greyhound, not enough beagle.  2 through 6 were quick; I was actually able to run through the woods at a decent pace and got to watch a West Point cadet take a huge digger.  He was in the process of jumping onto a downed tree when a vine caught his leading foot, causing him to belly flop onto the tree and tumble over.  He popped up immediately, so I knew only his pride was hurt.

Control 7 should not have been difficult, but when running, you got to pay attention even more so to keeping a straight bearing, which I did not. I ended up over shooting to the north.  When I realized my error, I headed to a trail where I could reassess.  How I managed to run RIGHT TO control 7 (on my way to the trail) I do not know. I suppose I had a little heavenly help?

Control 7, thank God!

On my way to control 8, I stopped and helped a teenager out, showing him where he was on the map.  His map was 1:10,000, so that was FUn. I did not have any issues with the remaining controls.  I found most by shooting a bearing and focusing on running a straight line and not losing myself on the map.  The last 4 I was neck in neck with a fella.  He had an orienteering club kit on, so I prided myself in being able to beat him to the finish.

Fortunately found this one, coming from below.

I finished with a time of 1:14:48.  The first place F55+ completed the course in 52:09 and won the overall championship.  I was happy that each day I got a little faster and made less errors, although still a lot of room for improvement.  I did end up third in my class.  The winner's name was Zakrevski, Russian origin, so probably had a compass placed in her hands as soon as she could walk.  Orienteering is HUGE in Europe, not so much here.

Lisa managed to get second in F45+ and with that took home a silver medal.  She was less than 3 minutes off of first and is still kicking herself because of a few mistakes she made.  I am so glad she kept pestering me to try this sport ... it only took 2 years for me to cave into my fear of failure.  Yep, I was afraid to try, but now am hooked.  And this is a sport I can take to my grave.  I saw many people in their 70's, even one lady who sliced her scalp open on the first day, went to the ER, got 10 staples, and then returned to compete. With all the brain power necessary for this sport, I am hoping it staves off dementia.

And I am gonna learn to use that damn intimidating thumb compass!

Darkhorse Invitational

 

Chris Joice, the man behind the adventure

The Darkhorse Invitational is a mixed surface checkpoint race ... err, ride ... in the Cherokee National Forest.  Based out of The Fireside Outpost (thanks Kim!), it is a 10 hour choose your own adventure ride where you are given checkpoints to find within 200 square miles of the Tellico and Ocoee portion of the CNF.  

I teamed up with John Switow, Randy Kerr, and Lisa Randall.  It started at 8 am and the temperature was a brutal 17 degrees.  I was huddled around the small fire, attempting to stay warm for as long as possible.  I had 3 layers + a puffy jacket up top, along with chemical warmers on all the appendages, winter gloves, and shoe covers. The hum of the Hiwassee scenic train in the background had me yearning to go inside.  Last year, participants got to take a ride in the train with their bikes up to the powerhouse where the race/ride started.  So I was hoping for the same this year.

At 8 am, Chris said that we had to ride to the Childer's Creek TH to get our passport.  F*ck!  No warm train ride.  The windchill riding down Spring Creek Road was insane!  Although my core stayed warm, my fingers burned like they were on fire.  My brain froze and my legs felt like concrete blocks. We took Hambright Road over to Childer's Creek Road and grabbed our passport at the trailhead. John pulled out the map and we marked the CP's.

Our first CP

Childers Creek --> Perry's Branch --> Hwy 315 --> FS44 was our route to our first mandatory.  I was never so happy to begin the 4 mile climb up FS44, as my feet and fingers were blocks of ice.  It was nice to get to the CP with functional fingers and toes I could wiggle.

Even though I was not in the "in it to win it" mode, I was all about the keeping the stopped time to a minimum.  While Lisa was with me, getting John and Randy on board was like herding cats. After rounding them up, I was able to click off our selfie, which was mandatory at each CP.

Starr Mountain

From there we went down FS44 --> Bullet Creek Road --> Hwy315 --> Ivy Trail --> Towee Falls Rd --> Epperson Rd --> Hotwater Road --> Coker Creek Visitor's Center.

Our second CP

We took a brief pit stop at the visitor's center, did a little more route planning in the warmth of the building and then continued on Joe Brown Highway up to Unicoi Gap.

Unicoi Gap

As we were standing around, I happened to look down and what did I see right next to my front wheel? I swear, every time I ride in the forest, it is either those or a used diaper I find.

🤮

We backtracked down Joe Brown Hwy --> Cooper Hollow Rd --> Ironsburg Rd --> Duckett Ridge Rd --> Duckett Ridge Extension.  Duckett Ridge Extension was a 1.6 mile, 600 foot descent down to the CP.

Our third CP

While we took a few minutes to eat, pee, wardrobe change, Lisa and I pondered the idea of crossing the Hiwassee over to McFarland in order to go after the Smith Mountain CP. But fortunately we decided this would be not only foolhardy, but against the "no bushwhacking" rule.  So we gathered ourselves and began the pedal back up Duckett Ridge Ext.  Randy shot off like a rocket and waited for us at the top by doing push ups and bike overhead presses.  If you ride with Randy, you know that he likes to cross-train whenever he gets the chance.

Duckett Ridge 

From Duckett Ridge Ext, we went Duckett Ridge --> Fingerboard --> Towee Pike --> Childer's Creek.  Once we got to the turn off to either head out to the powerhouse to get the Smith Mountain CP or continue on Childer's Creek to head back to Fireside, we had a decision to make.  Knowing that it was 2:30pm and attempting a second bonus CP would probably take longer than the 2 hour time bonus we would get, we opted to head back to base.

We arrived back at Fireside at 3:19 pm, the first team back.  In total we had ridden 66 miles with 7500 feet of elevation gain. It was nice to be back with it still being #1 daylight and #2 warm.  I opted to take a shower while the others changed into street clothes.  

Afterwards we enjoyed a meal from Pepo's.  Their burritos took two hands to hold and must have weighed at least 2 pounds!  I enjoyed a burrito bowl (sans tortilla) and it was amazing!  Chris did right with the post-ride meal.  Someone had made mac-n-cheese which Lisa said was killer.  And plenty of beverages, both alcoholic and NA, were provided.  

Hands down, a well orchestrated and super fun event, despite the 17 degree start.  #careyapproved  However, with it being an invitational, those who have done it in the past get first dibs, and then any remaining spots are filled by recommendations from those who have done it.  So hit me up next year if you are interested.

And if you want a great place to stay, from which you can ride right out your door and hit some great National Forest gravel, make a reservation at the Fireside Outpost.  Cabins and camping spots available.