Gravelachia Race Report

 

It had been a long time since I have done a BDR (Big Dumb Ride) and with Gravel Worlds just 4 weeks away, I felt the need to enter that deep dark space in my mind.  You have got to train the mind as well as the body for these huge efforts. Even though Gravelachia is on the opposite end of the spectrum from Gravel Worlds (as far as courses go), I know that Worlds is going to be more of a mental game than a physical one, for me.

T-shirt, backside

This race is put on by Brad and Bess Mathison.  It starts in Norton, a small town in southwestern Virginia, coal country, and works its way around the High Knob Recreation Area in Jefferson National Forest.  There are 5 major climbs:  one cat 1, three cat 2, and one cat 3.  In 88 miles, you will gain 13,500 feet. They also offer a 35 and 65 mile distances as well.  The Mathison's worked hard for our small crowd of 30.  They do it not for $$, but to showcase their home town.  $45 got me a brutally tough but beautiful course, 3 aid stations, a killer t-shirt, and a finisher's pint glass filled with the local brewery's finest.

Perfect weather greeted us for our 8 am start.  I actually had goosebumps with a temperature of 66.  I chose to ride my Niner Air 9 RDO with front suspension, 50mm Maxxis Ramblers, and Eagle Drivetrain with a 32T chainring.  I had done my homework and these climbs are steep AF!  Some had sustained grades of 13%+.  I also knew that the descents could get quite steep and chundery as well.  Even though 30% was paved, I felt that my mountain bike would not even be at a disadvantage because there just wasn't that much flat road.

We rolled out with a police escort until the first climb up High Knob (4 miles, 1800').  This one was paved except for the last mile.  I kept it comfortably hard at a tempo pace.

I was then rewarded with a 9 mile gravel descent with just a few short climbs.  It had some fast smooth sections, but it did get gnarly in a few spots: wash outs and thick gravel.  I was all smiles as my steed rolled through the caution areas (as indicated by squiggly lines of orange paint preceding said gnar, a nice touch on the safety aspect).

The second climb was Maple Gap (4.5 miles, 1700'). It started on Cracker Neck Road 😆😆😆, sending you through a gauntlet of pit bulls, fortunately for me (not so much for them), they were tied up with logging chains.  As I made my way through I could hear them hitting the end of the chain and prayed that they would hold.

With all systems warmed up and online, this climb was perhaps the "easiest" of the day. It turned to gravel near the top and the following descent was the hardest of the day.  If you know of any gravel shortages in the Southeast, it is because it is ALL on this descent.  It appeared that there had been a BOGO sale on dump truck loads of gravel.  It was pretty insane, surfing down deep, large aggregate gravel at grades of 8-12%.  I almost came out unscathed, but towards the end, a large briar nailed my left arm.  The thorns grabbed so hard it almost wrenched my arm off the bar.  I had tried to avoid it, but with the speed I was traveling, I was at the mercy of the gravel.  I spent the next 10 minutes licking the blood as it rolled off my forearm.

The next 10 miles was some rolling pavement that trended downhill.  I was able to spin and recover and refuel on the fly.  Well, all until I had a water bottle mechanical.  The black rubber top broke and pulled completely out of the lid, Skratch spewing everywhere. After a few choice words, I managed to switch bottle tops and fortunately didn't lose too much liquid.  The first aid station was at mile 34, and the fella manning it gave me a lid off of one of his bottles.

Pit stop, brought to you by Chamois Butt'r

The third climb (6.6 miles, 2500') was up the backside of High Knob.  It started out gentle enough, for the first mile, but then went straight up for 4 miles.  I guess switchbacks are not a thing in these parts.

 

Finally, I was beginning to see the sky.  Almost there, but then a false summit.  Climb some more, see the top, but then another false summit.  This went on for what seemed like eternity.  The climb of no less than 6 false summits!

False summit #1

False Summit #2

False Summit #3

Exasperation face!

Finally my Garmin showed "Climb done!"  Good Lord, that was a toughie.  First mental test done.

The following descent I don't remember much of, other than it was fairly smooth, gentle, and rolling. I was able to latch on with 3 guys and plug along until we hit the second aid station at mile 49.  Bess and the kids were manning this one.  I filled up my bottles, ate a banana, and secretly wished I could partake in a freshly cooked chocolate chip pancake.  

This next section of the course was a 12 mile loop bringing me back up to this aid station, which doubled as the third one as well.  I got out of there pretty quickly and ahead of the guys I had been rolling with.  I never saw them again, as the descent quickly turned to double track that had bits of tech, including wash outs and embedded rock.  It reminded me of the Big Frog gravel loop. Six miles of downhill was followed by a brief ride through the valley on freshly graded gravel (think loose and soft).  

Bark Camp Climb

Then the Bark Camp gravel climb began (3.6 miles, 1500 feet).  I saw and felt solid stretches of 20+% grade, where I was grinding in a 32 x 50.  The sun was out and it was definitely heating up.  A constant drip of sweat was running off my nose and I meandered up the road, seeking all the shady spots. As if it wasn't already physically and mentally taxing enough, I started to get "hot foot" in both feet as well.  Each push of the pedal felt like a hot iron being poked into the balls of my feet. But I had no choice to embrace it and deal with it, knowing that once I got back up to the aid station, I would have a brief respite.

Back at the aid station, I filled my bottle one last time and ate another banana.  Although food was aplenty here, most was not gluten free and besides that, I was getting "tired" of eating.  You know that feeling, well into the latter stages of the race, when your stomach says "enough."  Fortunately it was no more than just a lack of appetite: no gut bombs, no nausea.

From here it went gently downwards and then rolled a bit on some of the smoothest gravel I had seen.  This Little Stoney Creek section was absolutely gorgeous.  Clusters of giant ferns were found in abundance in forests you could look into for several hundred yards.  I was popping the last few Cliff Shot Blocks, preparing myself for the final climb.  Although most of it was paved and had step ups, it was still a bug a bear at 9 miles and 2600'.  The hot foot had subsided, only to be replaced by some mild IT band pain at the right hip, probably a result of hours of mashing on the steeps.  But I would take this well over that hot foot any day.

Halfway up, I started to feel a surge of energy.  Not knowing why, but hells yeah!  I'll take it!  And so I began alternating seated with standing, and feeling good. Perhaps smelling the barn?  Or that final 6 mile descent? The miles and feet ticked off quickly and there I was, at the High Knob Forest sign.

Hell, yeah!

All down hill from here!  I love it when race directors are able to reward us in this way.  I hit 46mph here, but just for a short bit, as this descent was the first climb of the day and very tight and twisty.  I rode within my means, as going down would have been a skin sacrifice to the asphalt gods.  The final mile was rolling back into town, to which I was greeted with a headwind, but the only one of the day and short-lived.

I had a finishing time of 8:39.  I had metered the day's efforts well and felt strong until the end.  I went into the dark places in my mind and dealt with those times in a positive way.  I saw hard climbs and beautiful mountainous areas.  My heart was full ... and my legs were dead.

This is what I am talking about.  The Appalachian Mountains, the small town feels, the "enhanced" gravel.  All this is my cup of tea!  I suppose that coming into gravel from a mountain biker's standpoint, I like this type of race.  For me, this is more of mountain bike racing on gravel, as opposed to road racing on dirt.  Which I am about to do and which is going to really really hurt, but also be really really good ... as in finding new limits and capabilities in my mental tool box.

Thanks Brad and Bess, for pouring your heart and soul into this one.  And to John, for talking me into this one ... even though he only wanted to do the 65.  AJ payback is hell, isn't it John ... 🤣🤣🤣