USARA Nationals

 

Team Dragon's Back

Several months ago, I was approached by John Eichler and and Jeff Glassbrenner, who were looking for a female to round out their team for USARA Nationals, being held in Bentonville, Arkansas.  He had touched base with Susie Farmer, who had given him my name.  We set up a Zoom meet and greet in May, which went well, and then I rode with them in Little Rock, when I was on my way to the Maah Daah Hey 100.  These guys were super cool and super chill and definitely not "man-babies" as Lisa had mentioned looking out for 😂.

Blaze, my trusty adventure race steed

On September 12 at 6 am, we loaded buses for an hour ride to an undisclosed location.  At 7:15 am we were given our course instructions and maps.  That left 1 1/2 hours to plot our route.    The first leg was a trek with 15 CP's.  During the pre-race briefing the night before, the race director told us that we needed to be finishing the trek to TA1 and starting the paddle no later than 2 pm in order to make the cut off at CP 17 and therefore be able to continue the paddle to TA2.

The race started at 9 am. With 77 teams of 3 starting, it was a conga line to the first 3 check points.  The teams then thinned out and we were able to motor on at our own pace.  John's nav skills were spot on and we had nabbed 7 of the 15 in 2 1/2 hours. We continued on to get 4 more as the day was beginning to get hotter than damnit.  Both John and Jeff had started out with 3 liters of water and I had 2 liters.  Having been so dry leading up to the race, there was nowhere along this first trek to filter; all the creeks were dry as a bone. We all ended up without water for the last 1 1/2 hours.  And we still had 5 miles along a gravel road to TA1.  

John began to struggle in the heat and Jeff had a mechanical with his artificial leg.  The tread came unglued to the carbon plate and would repeatedly slide off.  Between our slowed pace due to the heat and Jeff's leg issue, our forward progress was significantly hampered.  We weren't the only team to seriously underestimate the time it would take to get to TA1.  What should have taken us 60 minutes to get to the TA ended up taking 90 minutes.  

We arrived at TA 1 at 2:22 pm.  No water was provided by the race, but we had 1 gallon in our paddle bag and I had a full 50 ounce bladder in my PFD.  Jeff was able to find some medical tape at the TA and temporarily fix his leg issue. We ended up getting on the water at 2:35.

Transitioning to the paddle

The second leg was an 8 mile paddle on the Illinois River with 1 CP midway.  It was a meandering river with a lot of strainers so we had to be on point.  It was also shallow in a few spots, where we had to get out and drag the canoe a short ways.  Although it was flowing roughly 3mph and we were paddling as fast as we could, it still took us 2 hours to get to the take out and CP17.  The final 100 yard stretch had some man made class 2/3 rapids. We made it down the first, but took in quite a bit of water and ended up sinking after clearing the second set of rapids.  Fortunately there were a couple of spotters in the river who grabbed our "yard-saled" items, including Jeff's hydration bladder.

We missed the 4 pm cut-off by 28 minutes ... meh.  We were then short-coursed, causing us to miss the second paddle leg and a trekking leg.  22 teams ended up getting short-coursed, including a few of the big names (Rootstock Racing, ThisAbility, TanZ Navigation).  

From TA3, we were on bikes to TA4 at Siloam Springs.  We transitioned to foot for a Photo O course. There were 6 CP's.  And once at each CP, we wrote down the number of the photo that was taken at the precise spot indicated on the map.  There were 12 photos to choose from, 6 of them being decoys. During this leg, Jeff noticed that his shorts and prosthetic liner were sopping wet.  It ended up being that his hydration bladder got a hole in it during the canoe fiasco at take out.  Fortunately he had an extra liner and a couple of smaller hydration flasks. 

We nabbed all 6 correctly and quickly transitioned back to our bikes. This next leg had us biking on pavement and gravel, collecting 5 CP's along the way (all of which were right alongside the road, no need to hop off the bikes and do any bushwhacking). Leaving the nicer side of town, heading into the less nice side, we got to witness a police versus toothless woman in a night gown and flip flops, similar to an episode of "Cops."  Now, that was funny!

We made it to the TA5 on the University of Health and Performance campus at 9 pm.  This was the "chuck wagon TA"  where a hot breakfast was being served (pancakes, bacon, and sausage), while individual team members would tackle a portion of the 0-relay course.

There were 3 parts:  one had you getting 1 CP (of the 6 possible), one had you getting 3 CP's (of the 6 possible), and one had you getting all 6 CP's.  But each part was only worth 1 point.  John went first on the 3 CP course.  Meanwhile, Jeff worked on his prosthetic leg, having secured 3 feet of duct tape.  I ate some sausage, drank a Coke, popped a 200mg caffeine tab and then tended to my gear, getting my hydration ready for the next leg.  I was gonna nab the 1 CP once Jeff got back, so I studied the map. The map had a satellite image, making it extremely difficult to pick out any trails due to all the tree cover.  

Once John got back, he told me about a trail that went down to the river and then from there I could walk the river bed to the CP.  That made it so much easier, as you could not see that trail on the map.  I quickly acquired that one and headed back to the TA.  Since Jeff had never navigated before, we opted out of  the 6 CP course.

We left the TA around 11:00 pm on the 20+ mile biking leg.  There was only 1 CP on this leg.  At one point about midway through this leg, we came to an intersection where there was another team.  They went left onto the gravel and having briefly talked to them thought they were taking a different route than us to TA 6.  So we continued on the paved road, but after about a mile, John realized we were off course heading south instead of northeast.  We quickly backtracked and got back on the gravel road where the other team had headed.

CP 34 was a little tricky as there were several hard lefts and rights on the course, with the CP being at one of these corners.  In this area we came upon a few teams having difficulties, but John managed to get us right to it, without any wandering and wondering.  His nav skills were close to impeccable. I was very impressed as he was suffering the most, yet still had enough brain power to make good choices.

Arriving at TA 6, we were greeted by the enthusiastic crew of volunteers.  We were in the middle of nowhere but could hear I-49 traffic to the east.  We were told that this was the seed tick trek ... wonderful.  There were no trails here so all CP's would require extensive bush whacking. I had pre-treated my clothing earlier that day, but was pretty sure it was all washed off when our canoe sunk. They had DEET spray/wipes so I sprayed my shoes and that was it.  I did not want to melt my clothing with that Deep Woods Off shit.

The witching hour

Shit's beginning to get real!

, 

We attempted CP 38 first, but the undergrowth was insane.  We managed to get into a clearing , but when we continued onward, we hit a second patch that was even worse.  To me it looked like a wall of concertina wire, with a million ticks just waiting to ambush us.  It wasn't hard to make the decision to turn around and try nabbing CP 37.  That one was way more doable and without the tick infested undergrowth.

We decided to call it after 1 CP and move on to the next leg. We were also out of water once again and the TA as well was bone dry.  One volunteer had gone to procure some, but we knew that once we got to Little Sugar trail system, there would be water there. It was an 8 mile pedal to the CP40 and the beginning of Tunnel Vision single track. We only made one slight nav error on the pavement as we were following Glasgow Road and missed the left hand turn on to Glasgow Lane.  

At the trailhead (CP 40), we stopped and filled with water.  Then we decided to go after 3 of the dog bones.  A dog bone is where you have to get a pair of CP's before moving on to the next one.  So we were going after 6 in total.  The Tunnel Vision trail is not technical, but demanding with its short punchy climbs and descents, and loose over hardpack tread.  It is like riding gravel single track.  John was so ready to be done; I don't think he ever fully recovered from dehydration on that initial trek.  I took over navigating, with an occasional redirection.  I was just having too much fun zipping along.  With the sun coming up, I got a second wind.  Actually, anytime I go from riding pavement/gravel to single track, my spirits rise, and the legs shine.

Once we got the 6 CP's, it was a easy pedal on the Razorback Greenway from Bella Vista to the Ledger Building in down town Bentonville. The nav was a little tricky once we got close to I-49 (I had not ridden the greenway since all the improvements were made).  Fortunately John knew which way to go and we nabbed the final CP 42 and then booked it to the finish.  Of course, the last 2 miles had a pitchy 200 foot climb, including the 6 story climb up the Ledger.  This building had a bike lane built on the outside of it ... super cool!

The Ledger climb

We finshed at 11:36 am with 34 CP's, out of a possible 56.  We ended up mid-pack in the short course. I thoroughly enjoyed this adventure.  It was super fun to race with these outstanding fellas. 6 months ago, I was questioning my decision to sign on with them, but so happy I took the chance.

Love these guys!

Marji Gesick 50 (really 64)

 

After reading everyone else's Marji experience, from the pointy end with 3 women buckling (Syd Schulz, Kait Boyle, and KriSSty Mcbride) to those who fought many battles both on the course and in their minds to #finish in the dark deluge of pouring rain, to the Lanterne Rouge Kristen Wade who fought for every pedal stroke and foot step to cross the finish line in 25:00:14 and receive the green dot, I feel my race report is going to be boring.  Why you ask?  I had no struggles, no mind games, no screaming body parts.  Once in a blue moon, everything aligns perfectly and my legs have that sparkle.  And on this day, September 20, 2025, I had one of my best races ever.

Of course, it helps that the weather was perfect:  slightly overcast and 55-65 degrees.  The trail conditions were perfect:  hero dirt and no mud (if you finished before 8 pm).  And the companionship of riding with Lisa was magical. 

I had been nervous about how my body would do, since just the past weekend I had spent 27 hours racing at the Adventure Race National Championships in Bentonville. In the week leading up to Marji, I had done nothing more than a few walks with the dogs just to keep the legs loose and hopefully recover in time to have a decent race.

Lisa's daughter, Jayden, was also racing the 50.  We all lined up close to the start, about 50 racers back or so.  The first 2 miles was on a mix of greenway and paved road.  Nothing makes me more nervous than rolling along with hundreds of others at break neck speed, praying they hold their lines. Only minutes into the race, just feet away from me, someone f*cked up, sending a half dozen or so racers and their bikes crashing onto the tarmac ... complete carnage! I suppose that dude did not listen to Charlee Marie pre-race speech in which she said that you are NOT going to win the race in the first 2 miles.

Once we hit the Marquette Mountain gravel road climb, I could breathe easier (well, mentally anyway) as the pack broke up over the next mile.  Jayden put the hammer down and pulled away from Lisa and I.  My legs were happy turning the pedals and passing people.  Turning onto the single track, I was in a rather large group of racers, but all were riding well and at my speed ... yea for a fast moving conga line.  Which ... suddenly came to a slow down on Above Grade, a 1 mile techy uphill trail.  Fortunately most had skills to maneuver through the rocks and roots.  And when I came upon a slower racer, I was able to put my mad HAB skilz to work and get around them quickly and cleanly.

I was able to catch back up to Lisa on Pipe Dreams and from here followed her wheel. We made quick work of the next 5 miles of trail before popping out on the double track section around Lake Enchantment. We ended up grabbing our first token, a dum dum, somewhere along this stretch. I was amazed at how hard packed this stretch was, only a few deep sandy spots.  

Once on the Iron Ore Trail, we hooked up with a nice fella riding an Ibis Exie, who towed us along almost the entire stretch.  Thank you; sorry I forgot your name. We were halfway expecting to see Jayden at some point, but she was long gone. 

Chris and Lisa's Mom were at Jackson Park and helped us make a quick pit stop.  We both opted to drop our empty bottles and put on hydration packs for JP1 --> JP2, a stretch of 24 miles. Jayden was up ahead ... somewhere. 

I let Lisa lead out; she is a bit more familiar with the multitude of turns, so it was nice just to focus on her lines and not the arrows.  A couple of fellas were behind us.  One thing I just gotta ask. Why do dudes feel compelled to ride up your butt?  I mean, I know I have a cute one, but shouldn't you be focusing on the trail?  Put a little space between us; there is no drafting advantage in RAMBA land.  I even got my tire buzzed once ... jeez!  Fortunately it did not last long as Lisa and I slowly pulled away over those techy miles.

The first hard effort was on the Fenceline Trail climb.  Holy smokes!  The legs were on fire ... in a good way. And then we had to stop for the checkpoint 1/2 way up; ended up being a decoy.  Damn you, Todd! Short little HAB until I could hop back on my steed and finish the climb.  I was most impressed by the trail work done on StoneHinged.  That fall line tricky ass descent was now sculpted with flowy switchbacks.  Lisa remarked, "Now we will never catch Jayden."  Apparently she had some troubles earlier in the season with this section.

The miles kept ticking on by effortlessly.  I suppose when you don't have the earlier miles of the hundred in your legs, they tend to be happier.  Last Bluff got a little spicy steep and knowing it was more efficient to HAB, we did on several sections.

Hunting down Jayden

Once we were back on pavement passing by the finish in downtown Ishpeming, Lisa let me take over lead.  As we began the climb up Deer Shit, I saw a familiar face just up ahead.  Jayden's climbing style reminds me a lot of Lisa's.  And I could pick up on that before I could actually see her racing kit and blonde hair.

By the time we got to the drop on Deer Shit, I was right behind Jayden.  I had never ridden this drop in before.  Thank You Jayden for towing me in and giving me the confidence to clean it.  Way easier to ride it than butt slide down it with your bike.

At the camp ground, Chris was waiting just in case we needed anything.  Jayden stopped, but I was golden.  I was kinda sad to pass her by, as I was having fun watching her ride the tech incredibly well.  And only 16!  It took me years to develop the skills I have today ... her, only 3 and awesome fitness to boot!

Rusty Bike had a few more bikes lining the trail this year, the Cheese Grater was so much fun in the dry, and when I hit the Hamptons, I knew I was just minutes away from JP2.  Transition time was less than 30 seconds, long enough to drop the pack, grab 2 bottles, and swap gel flasks.  

I was on my own now, as Lisa was riding with Jayden, having made a little longer pit stop at JP2.  I purposely took in all the sights and sounds.  It was truly a fall day, what with mild temps, the trees beginning to turn, and a light covering of leaves on the trail.  I kept telling myself just how blessed I was to be able to do this, feeling fantastic not being on the struggle bus, which is usually what is happening by now (on the hundred).

Flannel Shirt, which is usually where the wheels begin to fall off, was pleasurable, even with all 1000 roots.  The Grinder was grand and Grand View even grander!  AM FM still sucked, tho'! RAMBA cleaned up the entrance to Carol Jackson ... super sweet. I stopped and grabbed the token on Carol Jackson and continued to feel the flow, something that is difficult to find on The Marji.

The climb up Coy Hill went by in no time and I soon found myself zipping through Angeline and 38 Special.  Old 56 is still mean, even on sparkly legs. I made it up the loose steep climb on Cry Baby.  Thank you to the women who cheered me on up that!  There were quite a few Mini Marjers out there and I made sure to motivate each and every one of them.  It was especially cool to see all the parent-kid duos pushing through perhaps the hardest part of the whole course.

Popping out on the pavement, it was a short ride up Jasper Knob, made even better by the throngs of spectators and their air horns.  I grabbed my final token and sped back down.  I got stopped by the crossing guards on Division Street as they let cross traffic pass through.  I joked with them how mean that was and hit the finish at 3:52 pm.  First woman with a time of 7:52.  I was even more stoked that I knocked 20 minutes off my 2021 time.

Jayden and Lisa rolled in a few minutes later, claiming the final podium spots.  It was so awesome seeing them finish together. I know Lisa's was so proud of what Jayden had just accomplished.  But I also know that Jayden wants redemption!  And with the proper training and mental focus, I have no doubt she will get a dollar one day.

A rare sighting of Jayden smiling at the finish

A Southern Sweep

Having a stellar day and PR'ing a 3 mile longer course was icing on this old woman's cake.  Yeah, yeah, yeah, you can say age is but a number.  But having experienced my 40's and now more than halfway through my 50's, I don't have that upper end fast and powerful fitness that I did 15 years ago.  And I am 90% ok with that. So when I do have a great performance now, it is definitely a "WTF just happened?!?" moment.

I am here to tell ya ladies, you are never to old to start doing hard things ... menopause be damned! Finishing the Marji should send you all over the moon.  It IS the hardest single day race in America, no matter what the distance.  I was overwhelmed with feelings of joy and camaraderie seeing so many women in the hunt for their green dot.  When I shouted out to them words of encouragement, they shouted right back ... every one of them.  Some may have been in a world of hurt, but they prioritized positivity in their support of one another.

It was also cool to see some of Group 11 of 2024 Marji Camp.  Jen and Haley crushed their previous Mini times.  I saw Matt at the start.  Joshua and Adam screamed at me on course and then showed up at the finish to say hi.  They were supporting their wives who were running the Mini.

I cannot say enough about the community of support out there.  You all are phenomenal!  Although I had my own crew, I am pretty sure I could have finished just as fast by taking neutral support from the hundreds of mini aid stations set up all along the course. One day, maybe after my 1000 mile buckle, I will come up and be a part of the suffer crew.

Now to start training the fingers for October 17 at 9:06pm.

Maah Daah Hey 100 (really 110)

Nick is the epitomy of #dohardthings

Normally I give gratitude at the end of my race reports.  But in case you all get sleepy by then, you will know that this trail would not exist without all the blood, sweat, and tears Nick Ybarra and his wife, Lindsey, have shed over the past 15 years.  You see, the Ybarra's singlehandedly saved the Maah Daah Hey Trail from extinction.  In 2010, after the forest service stopped maintaining the trail, Nick and Lindsey decided the best way to keep the trail alive was to host a race - and put in the hard work necessary to get the trail into pristine condition.  Imagine taking a DR Brushmower and going up one side of the trail and down the other, for a total of 200 miles!  I am so so thankful for them, as well as the crew of volunteers they have amassed over the years to allow me to be able to ride/race in one of the most beautiful places in this country.

Every year, 200 miles of mowing

The Maah Daah Hey Trail is 144 miles of contiguous single track.  The race starts at the CCC campground near Watford City, ND and finishes in Medora 110 miles later.  A portion of the race takes place on the Buffalo Gap Trail because no bikes are allowed on the section of the MDH through Teddy Roosevelt National Park. The remaining miles of the MDH continues south on past Medora and ends at the Burning Coal Vein campground.

The first time I raced it was in 2015, the hot year, where temps nearly hit 100 degrees.  I managed to survive with a win, where the attrition rate was 50%.  I then came back in 2020 and raced the MDH 150, which is an ITT format.  

I always knew I would return one day, as the Badlands are so captivating. And so when Dave, one of my BRB's showed an interest, I hoodwinked him into signing up. The body changes a lot in 10 years; I knew that it was going to be one tough MF'r.  I did a crap ton of heat training in order to best prepare my body for this extreme effort.  There are 5 trees over those 110 miles.  The trail itself is not overly technical, but it is relentless.  It continually rolls and those short climbs stack up over the miles to hit 12,000 feet.  There are also cattle gates (I lost count after 45) that are heavy AF, that you have to lift up in order to pass through.

The race is held in August as this is the driest month of the year.  It needs to be dry due to the nature of the soil, which turns to peanut butter mud when it rains.  Also, there is the crossing of the Little Missouri River.  At 50 yards wide, it usually averages 1-3 feet deep in August, whereas in other months it can be over your head. Leading up to the race, it had last rained 4 days prior.  However, in the 2-3 weeks preceding the race, it had rained quite a bit.  As a result, there were quite a few mudholes on course, as well as numerous creek crossings.  And the Little Missouri River crossing was 2 1/2 - 3 feet deep. The course travels through free-range grazing lands and the trail can be quite tricky to navigate as the cattle not only use the Maah Daah Hey to travel, but create their own little single track trails too.  

The race was 4 miles longer this year.  In year's past, a landowner had given permission to use some single track on his property to circumvent the 2 mile section of the MDH that crossed into the northern unit of the National Park.  This year it was denied.  As a result, we would be rerouted onto 8 miles of gravel and then hook back onto the trail at the Bennett Campground.

The race started at 6 am.  That meant a 3:30 am wake up at our hotel in Watford where Christopher Bean Coffee was consumed in large quantities.  I also managed to eat a couple hard boiled eggs along with my home made banana bread.  It was going to be a long day in the saddle and calories were vital to keep the engine fueled.  Dave and I were one of the first to arrive at the CCC campground.  The temperature was a cool 66 degrees.  We had decided to race together, as long as we were both feeling good.  I was super stoked to have Dave toeing the line with me.  We have had several BDR's together and each have been memorable.

When the gun went off, we managed to stay up in the front 1/3 of the pack.  After a 1/4 mile of campground road, we hit the trail.  The first 3 miles was an undulating climb up to the plateau.  Legs were pretty spry and the group I was in was motoring well and managing the tricky switchbacks.  Once on top, it turned to two-track for awhile.  I played it smart and stayed behind  some others, getting some free speed and staying out of the 15-20 mph winds that would plague us all day, coming from the southeast as we were heading south.

At the 6 mile mark, we hit the gravel.  I had to sit up and let that group go as that was unsustainable for us.  But we were able to work with another group and flew through the smooth grav grav, eventually hitting a descent where I saw 40mph!  This descent brought us to Bennett Campground. Hitting the Bennett Trail, we encountered our first creek crossing.  Perhaps if it were back home, it would be rideable with a rocky bottom but in North Dakota, with clay-rich soil, the water is muddy and the bottom is not solid.  Foot movement through the creek is tricky as you sink in 4-6 inches of mud that wants to rip your shoes right off your feet.

We reconnected with the MDH Trail after 3 miles of the Bennett Trail.  Dave and I were with 2 other fellas at this point.  We gladly worked together, especially when it came to lifting the cattle gates.  One would hold while the others rode through.  We hit the first aid station at mile 27 in 2:32.  We both had ample nutrition and hydration and rode right on through.  The temps still felt cool at this point and I was glad that we still had a lot of cloud cover.

At some point, we lost our cattle gate buddies and start swapping with the gate lifting duties.  These gates have a spring mechanism that makes it a little easier to lift in the initial movement, but then gets hard towards the top of the movement.  And you have to have spatial awareness of where your bike is because it would be game over it that gate slammed down on your rear wheel as you were walking through.  There were a few gates sitting right in the middle of a damn cattle wallering hole.  Opening the gate while trying to hold your bike above the manure and urine contaminated water was quite the challenge.  At least if I got dysentery, it would not be during the race but on the drive home 😂💩😂.

So much eye candy!

We were now getting into the meat of the Badlands.  Less prairie and more buttes, canyons, and washes.  There were so many sections where you could just rip through the trail, but in the sections where cattle were allowed, it seemed to be a little more "hoofed" up than in years' past.  I suspect it had something to do with the unusual amount of rain in July.  And you can't tell the cattle to stay off the trail when wet!

Devil's Pass at mile marker 101

Closer up, revealing the 150 drop off on both sides.

Just one of many reasons I love this trail is your ability to see the scenery while racing.  You really can't do that back home, due to the nature of our trails:  tight, twisty, and riddled with rocks and roots.  On the Maah Daah Hey, I think I counted 13 roots and 3 rocks. Devil's Pass is a jaw dropping feature in person.

I was in a flow state at this point. Legs felt sparkly and I was in a great mental space.  So good in fact that I got us off course following a cattle trail, but quickly recognized my mistake and was able to bushwhack over to the trail ... thank you Garmin!  Nick had done an exceptional job marking the course, even spray painting the correct way when the trail was criss-crossed with cattle trails.  I was just having too much fun!

Once we crossed Magpie Road, I knew we were getting close to the Missouri River.  Huzzah!  I was getting excited about the 2 mile descent, the crossing, and then the climb up to the 2nd aid station at mile 53.  As the trail flattened out, it started to get a little muddy.  I wisely chose to pick up my bike and walk certain sections.  Others, who tried riding through it, stopped forward progress quickly as the mud packed up on the wheels.

The Missouri River

I was glad Dave went first, as I was able to see just how deep it got.  Almost to my chamois, I carefully waded across what looked like a river of chocolate milk.  Looking down, I could see it swirling around me, getting deeper and deeper.  Fortunately I did not have to get up on my tip toes.  The hardest part was the muddy slog on the banks, which felt like quicksand at times.

Once we crossed it was a steep climb up to the road where the aid station was.  We probably HAB'd about half of it.  We finished this 27 mile section in 3:10. I was so happy to see all the volunteers, treating me like a Queen.  They helped me refill bottles and hydration pack, while I tended to myself:  hitting the porta potty, reapplying Chamois Butt'r, changing socks, and cleaning the mud out of my pedals.  I don't remember the mud being so bad 10 years ago.  

Aid #2

I was so proud of Dave; his transition time was phenomenally fassst! We headed out to tackle the most difficult section of the course:  this is where it will make ya or break ya!  And it was beginning to heat up. The climbing in this 30 mile section (to aid 3 at Wannegon) was brutal; longer and steeper, they began to wear on us.  I was also spending more time up on the lip of the trail, in the mowed grass, as opposed to in the trail trenches.  The actual trail seemed to be rougher and in many places blown out.  

There were check points along the way, usually where the trail crossed a gravel road.  At these CP's, there were often times volunteers or families who were supporting their racers.  They would have water, iced down Cokes, and sometimes snacks.  Early on in the race, we blew by most of them, but about halfway through this section, Dave began stopping at them, either to grab a Coke or have someone pour water down his back. Uh-oh, I knew this wasn't a good sign. I desperately hoped that this was just one of those down moments and that he would recover in time.  But as the miles kept ticking on by and our pace continued to fall off, I began to see that 1000 yard stare in his eyes.

Around mile 70, the wheels finally came off of Dave's bus.  We had a brief conversation in which it was ultimately decided that I just needed to go.  As much as I hated departing, I knew that continuing on with him might allow 2nd and 3rd woman to catch me (I had no idea where they were).  And so I did. 

Garmin was reading 97 degrees, but probably more like 87.

Dave was able to make it to the checkpoint at mile 79, where he rested and tried to take in some fluids and nutrition.  But with the temperatures in the high 80's, he became nauseous and ended up vomiting everything back up, exorcist style, he said.  Fortunately he was able to get a lift to the 3rd aid station and then call Debbie to come and pick him up.

Picking the pace back up, I began ticking off the miles to the 3rd aid station.  Despite the heat, I was still feeling good.  I never once complained about the constant headwind, as at least it was still semi-cool at 3 pm. There were 2 more big climbs to get up on the final butte before the descent down to the Wannegan campground.  That aid station was a site for sore eyes.  

As I rolled in, a volunteer grabbed my bike and cleaned/lubed my chain.  I love Silca Super Secret wax based lube, but even it could not hold up to the dry and dusty conditions.  The last few miles, it was making an awful noise, but only in the granny gear.  Another volunteer told me to sit down while she assisted me in refilling my hydration pack and a bottle ... yep, I had completely drained my 70 ounce bladder as well as 1 1/2 bottles over that last 30 miles. That section had taken just under 4 hours.

Prior to leaving, they stuffed an ice filled sock down my jersey ... felt ... so ... good! I now had to climb back up to the trail ... oof!  The next few miles were pushing against that darn headwind, but I did not complain.  Just before the MDH Trail entered the southern unit of the NP, I was diverted onto the Buffalo Gap Trail, heading west.  And with that came the tailwind of every cyclists' dreams!  I felt like I was on a e-bike and this trail was smoother than the Maah Daah Hey; perhaps not as many cattle down here. I was cruising; the climbs were more gradual and the descents flowed even better.  Eventually the trail turned south and then east, back in to the wind. 

Those damn cattle gates were getting heavier and heavier.  It was somewhere along this stretch that I stopped counting after I hit 45. 

There were 5 creek crossings in this final section. I was warned that the last one was tits deep, but if I hung a left, there was a beaver damn I could cross.  That beaver damn was sketchy, but way better than a manure coated mud bath. 

Around mile 95, I started falling apart.  I was now feeling the effects of riding in the heat all day, and lifting those damn cattle gates. The winds were no longer cool, and I was having a hard time taking nutrition and liquids in.  I told myself, "Just get to the interstate underpass and I will take a 5 minute break in the cool tunnel."

Finally!  Only 10 to go!

Welp, that tunnel provided absolutely no respite from the heat.  So I pushed on.  The next 5 miles I slowed to a crawl.  I was shelled!  I even ended up walking a few short sections when I felt my vision begin to narrow.  Legs, just get me to the intersection of Buffalo Gap and Maah Daah Hey.  That left-hand turn onto the MDH Trail was heaven! Despite it being mostly downhill to the finish, it still was a struggle, especially that last mile on the greenway ... frickin' false flat!

Almost there!

Crossing that finish line filled me elation, gratitude, exhaustion, and a near death experience 😅.  I had just won the baddest race in the raddest place! That last 25 miles took 3:18. Nick was absolutely right in his pre-race briefing almost 13 hours ago.  That not until you experience hard things do you actually feel alive.  I was never so alive in this moment, crossing that finish line.  One minute later, I was lying on the ground, heart racing, panting, and feeling completely spent.  It took about 20 minutes to recover to the point where I could limp back to the campground where Dave's RV was.

Grateful!

To show just how hard this race was, it took me 5 minutes to walk 25 yards to the campground showers.  It was all I could do just to undress.  I sat in the shower stall, not giving a damn about what my body might be coming in contact with on that floor.  I was in there so long Dave started worrying about me.  I never cramped once during the race, but I cramped multiple times while trying to reach certain body parts.

Looking back a week later, I am proud of what I accomplished.  This 56 year old body set many PR's from 10 years ago.  Despite finishing 50 minutes slower than 2015, I rode the last 25 miles a minute faster than I did in 2015. It is a testament that if you take care of yourself and your health, you can continue to crush your limits.

In case you want to consider doing this race, check out Gordon Wadsworth and Thomas Turner's movie on their MDH100 journey:  Maah Daah Hey Together.

Marathon Nationals

This year's race took place in Roanoke, Virginia at Carvin's Cove.  Having ridden here before, I knew it was going to be a legit mountain biker's course. The beginning of this year I was all in to having a structured training plan.  But that never took off, as I was having too much fun just riding along, trail running with Honcho and Chase, and going to Result Fitness (my local gym) 4-5 days per week.  However, I did much better with structured heat training: hitting the sauna, working outside during the hottest parts of the day, and doing some of my rides in the heat.

Then all the controversy surrounding trans gender men competing against women in USA Cycling amateur events just soured my motivation.  But, since I had already made plans and had many doll hairs tied up in this event, at the last minute, I regained most of my motivation.  Regardless of who showed up in my class, I was going to race my heart out and my legs off.  With the Maah Daah Hey 100 just 3 weeks later, Marathon Nationals would be a good dress rehearsal.

With the race happening on Monday, I arrived on a Friday, and checked out a good portion of the course over the next 3 days.  There was a chance of afternoon showers every day, but they never happened.  The course was dry, loose, and fast! The course was 40 miles with just over 5000 feet of climbing.  Most of it was rocky and rooty tight single track, interspersed with some short sections of gravel and buff flowy trail. The legs felt strong and my Training Peaks numbers were trending very well.

My game plan was to start off with 1 bottle of LMNT and 50 ounces of Skratch High Carb in my hydration pack, iced down.  I also had 200 calories of SIS beta gel in a flask.  My wave start was at 9:10 am. This included my age group, 55-59, as well as the 50-54 women. I had a moment of panic when just 15 minutes before my start, as I pulled my pack out of the cooler, my hydration pack was frozen at the tube/bladder junction.  I finally managed to thaw it out and get it functioning.  

There were originally 6 of us in the 55-59 age group, but 3 did not start.  So that left me, Libbey Sheldon, and Coreen Havron.  The starting temperature was a sweltering 80 degrees.  When the gun went off, we took off on a paved climb.  I wanted to keep Libbey in sight as long as I could so I followed her wheel. At the top of the climb, the group had already broken up, and by the time we hit Tinker Creek Greenway, it was just 4 of us: Beata, Libbey, me, and one other in the 50-54 age group.  

Now Tinker Creek Greenway is NOT what you think.  It is tight single track and was the first significant climb at 400 feet.  I felt great and kept Libbey within sight.  My heart rate started getting higher than what I wanted towards the top, so I backed off slightly.  I definitely did not want to redline this early in the race.  So I reluctantly let Libbey slowly slip out of sight.

On the descent, I started catching people in earlier waves.  Fortunately everyone played nice and let me around when I asked.  Once I hit the marina parking lot, I motored over to the 3 mile section of rolling gravel called Happy Valley Road.  Momentum was your friend here, but you had to be on your drifting game to hit the loose sharp corners just right.

From there were 3 sections of single track.  Rock-N-Roll was smooth and fast!  That descent was so stinking fun!  Next up was Arrowhead, which had me working the bike through rock gardens and rooty sections, picking off more age groupers as I went.  Songbird had a long gradual 500 foot climb followed by another nice descent. I was careful to manage my heart rate through here, keeping it in the upper 150's, which for me is in my upper tempo range.

I rolled through the feed zone at the 13 mile mark.  There were SO many people; it was like running the gauntlet, but through rows of happy people screaming "go, go, go."  I saw Lisa and Chris, but did not take anything here, as it was not necessary.  My hydration pack was still providing me with ice cold Skratch, keeping my engine cool.  Lisa did mention to give Jayden some words of encouragement, as she was just up ahead, and had crashed on the Tinker descent.

The 200 foot, 0.5 mile climb up to 4 Gorges was exposed.  This was the first time I felt the heat of the sun.  It was hotter than dammit!  But I felt fine, thinking of cold plunges and penguins in the Antarctic. Now I was beginning to catch the juniors.  I gave them words of encouragement, as I knew the heat was hammering all of us. I caught up to Jayden on 4 Gorges.  I stayed with her for about 10 minutes, trying to get her motivated again.  I hope I was more help than not.  

Those tight to the right dips and climbs were easier than during the pre ride.  I can turn hard lefts all day, but when it comes to those hard sketchy right-handers, I become bike-dyslexic. Thankfully my race brain definitely works better than my JRA brain and I was able to motor through them better.  But there was a traffic jam at the trickiest one with the rock slab.  So, I just ran it, but then had to wait as 2 racers in front of me had a hard time clipping back in.

The climb up Buck was stupid hard.  There was a fine line between going just hard enough to clean the tricky rooty ups but not so hard that you triggered a full on cramp.  I kept it just below muscle twinge mode. I even managed to catch Beata on this climb, which at first, I could not believe it was her.  Beata is a beast and I have always been in her rear view mirror.  Today, however, she was struggling in the heat, and her cramping threshold was way below mine.  We chatted while we slowly made our way up to the Brushy Mountain fire road.  

Once on top, I motored on, chasing those carrots.  Having started in one of the last waves might have actually worked to my advantage, as passing all those carrots kept me "on the rivet."  And I needed that, not knowing where Libbey was, so I envisioned her being just around the corner ... the entire time.

The Gauntlet was a 2 mile, 1000 foot descent, and by far, the funnest part of the course.  I just let my bike eat it up, and hung on for dear life.  It was very similar to Heartbreak Ridge in Pisgah; chunky, rooty, and with many 1-2 foot drops.  Fortunately, I only had to get around 1 racer, so it made for one clean and fast run.

Lakeside Trail was 3 1/2 miles of discomfort.  It was a lumpy, twisty, grunty, and the legs were barking after that long descent.  But everyone else was suffering more and I had a full on carrot salad to eat here. I got bogged down behind a group on Hemlock Tunnel Trail.  It is difficult to pass here, being so tight and overgrown, that I decided it wasn't worth the matches, of which I only had a few left.  I made it a point to recover, drink, and eat on this 1 mile section.  

The climb up to Upper Comet on Kerncliff was a slog.  There was a 45-49 woman that I knew I needed to get around before the drop in to Comet, but I just could not bridge that gap.  As I started the descent, I caught up to her pretty quick.  She was super cool and slowed down in a turn wide enough for me to pass.  But when I took the inside line, my front wheel washed out and I went down HARD ... on my left hand.  Dayum!  That hurt like a MF'r!  At first I thought I might have broken it, but after popping up and assessing, all the bones were where they were supposed to be.  It took me a minute to get my composure and get my computer reattached to the mount.  But it hurt like hell on the remainder of the descent so that I had to hang my 4th and 5th digits off the bar and only grip with my thumb and 2nd and 3rd digits.

It was a short pedal to the feed zone, where I swapped out hydration packs.  Only 10 miles to go!  Having only half a left hand with which to work with made those remaining miles painfully spicy.  Fortunately the terrain was a little more forgiving, what with the smoother single track trails of Enchanted Forest, Little Bell, and Schoolhouse. On the 3 mile section of Happy Valley Gravel, I was able to go a bit harder and found myself in a small group of juniors.  We played cat and mouse over those 3 miles, which helped to keep me focused on the legs and less on my hand.

Heading back on Tinker was a grunt.  By now, the temperature was 90 degrees, probably with a heat index approaching 100.  My legs were cooked and I was ready to be done.  I granny'd it to the top, flew down the backside, hit the double track like a scalded dog, and then crawled up the final pavement climb to the finish.

I ended up 2nd to Libbey, but only 2 1/2 minutes down.  And I will take that as a victory.  If you know Libbey, she has a closet full of championship jerseys.  She is an amazingly strong woman, at any distance, and under any condition.  And to be honest, she was probably still recovering from Covid that she had 2 weeks ago.  Regardless, I am super proud of my performance and ended up placing high in the overall as well.  

Now I just gotta get this hand back to normal, which I am a little concerned about.  Maah Daah Hey is just around the corner, and I am super motivated to perform well there.  I raced it 10 years ago and would love to have a PR.  I am currently 3 days out from injury and now can manage some push ups and pull ups.

I am super proud of Jayden, who rallied after her crash and ended up sprinting for 5th place, in a stacked field of 17 juniors.

Pedaling for the Paws - Gravel Everest

ENDURANCE:  The struggle to continue against the mounting desire to stop.

This was my third time combining an ultra endurance challenge with a fundraiser for my local animal shelter.  I am lucky that I have several BDR (Big Dumb Ride) buds that I can rotate through 😂😂😂. I didn’t even have to ask this time, as Dave Jolin volunteered.  I guess he forgot the “shock and awe” of the DMR YoYo 2 years ago.

The Strava segment I chose to ride over and over and over again, for a total of 21 repeats, was the “Final Push to the Skyway,” gaining 1446 feet over 3.5 miles. This segment was on North River Road, just outside of Tellico Plains, Tennessee.

The morning of, I awoke to my inner alarm clock at 3:30 am, grabbed a mug of Christopher Bean Caramel Macchiato and dumped enough honey into it to cause a diabetic to go into a coma, and headed out the door.  But quickly went back in to make race weight.

We both brought back up bikes, back up recording devices, back up batteries, and enough food to feed Washington’s army. I chose to ride my Niner Air 9 RDO, the oldest in my stable; but also the lightest at 20 pounds. She had easier gearing than my Trek CheckPoint and front suspension. And 2.2 Race Kings for that rolling resistance!

Looking at this challenge in its entirety can be daunting.  I took the “eating an elephant one bite at a time” approach.  While Dave chose to focus on one repeat at a time, I broke it done into four efforts of 5 laps each.  Anyone can do 1 more, so I told myself I had to do 20; the 21st one would be a “victory lap.”

We began at 6:18 am with a starting temperature of 60 degrees.  We had parked up at the top of the climb, at Santeelah Gap. The air was crisp, so I did the first lap with my windbreaker and heavier gloves. These first 5 repeats I wanted to feel like I was going to easy. Our plan was to stay together the entire time, unless one of us imploded. 

The first 5 went by rather quickly as my legs were sparkly.  Listening to the forest come alive as the sun rose and hearing the cascading waters of North River made my heart swell with love for all things outdoors. Each ascent was 39-40 minutes and each descent was 9-10 minutes.  We stopped at the top each time to refuel food and water. By grabbing food at the top, we gave our stomachs a little time to start processing while we coasted back down to the beginning of the segment.

Repeats 6-10 were off to a great start by seeing Ali and Spencer Whittier, Brad Cobb, and a couple others who were riding the Tellico Highlands route. That gave me a little giddy up and I hit 38 minutes on a couple of them. Finishing the 7th ascent, I was at 50 miles and 10,000 feet.  I tried NOT to think that I was only a 1/3 of the way there, but that thought did creep into my mind on number 8, where I felt a lull in my energy.  So I popped a 200mg caffeine pill at the top.

I also had music I could listen to, but was trying to hold off and reward myself on lap 11 with some jammin’ tunes.  The caffeine kicked in on # 9 and 10, and I floated up the mountain! By now I was familiar with “the lay of the land.”. Knowing every inch and pitch, I used that to my advantage to find the smoothest lines and where to stand and hammer, working different muscles, stretching the back, and giving the taint a moment of reprieve.

After number 10, Dave took some extra time to heat up some chicken and rice on his propane stove.  Every repeat, I got off the bike not only to refuel, but to stretch out the lower back and hamstrings.  This layover, I was able to get in some more stretching of all my body parts. I did not mind the extra stopped time, as this was not a race and allowed for a little more self care.

Have a Coke and a cross-eyed smile!

Repeats 11-15 were getting incrementally harder.  Vehicular traffic had stirred up the gravel, changing our lines a little bit.  Although the temps may have approached 80 degrees, we were under tree cover 95% of the time, and there always was a cool breeze.  Our times were now in the 41-42 minute range. I listened to music for repeats 11-14, and even though I was slowing a little, I was able to keep my RPE (rate of perceived exertion) the same.  The second caffeine pill went down the hatch after the 13th repeat.

After the 14th time, we hit 100 miles and 20,000 feet.  I never truly felt that second caffeine pill kick in, On the 15th ascent, I could feel my stomach start to head south.  It was as if somebody stuck a basketball needle through my belly button and began pumping me up with air.  Man, if I could just fart!  I had a difficult time choking down a Honey Stinger waffle and that is my go to snack when my gut begins to misbehave.

Up until then, I had been refueling well:  300 calories and 20 ounces of fluid per ascent.  Foods were a bit of sweet and a bit of savory.  I was alternating Skratch Hydration and LMNT each repeat. But now, I had to switch to water and even that was hard to get down.  First time ever I felt nauseous doing one of these long events.  This angered me and fueled my desire to keep crushing.  The madder I get, the more deterimined I became.

Pedaling up the 16th time, I saw a rider coming my way.  It was Kevin Tumlin!  He came to give us a little morale boost, after working all day.  It was so good to see him.  He rode a few repeats with us.  And tried to offer words of encouragement and wisdom.  After telling him about my GI troubles, he advised to just suck on a shot block, which I did and was enough to trick my brain and legs into thinking they were getting the “juice” they needed.  So pretty much, for the last 5 laps, I was taking in 66 calories (2 blocks) and 4 ounces of water per ascent.

I put my lights on for the final 5 laps, as the sun was beginning to set. The fatigue monster was nipping at my heels.  So I reached around and gave him a big hug!  Nothing was stopping me now.  Lack of calories, no problem, as I could draw from my fat stores.  Lack of legs, no issue, I told them to shut the f*ck up! At least in the dark the road looked flat.  Dave was in a similar boat, so being there for each other, even if in silence, was enough to keep us pushing on the pedals.  

The final few descents even began to wear on us.  Dave’s stomach was more miserable on the chattery descents, so we slowed down.  This was probably also the smart thing to do, as our reaction times were slower as we got more and more tired.  I was also getting chilled from fatigue, so I put my windbreaker and heavy gloves back on for the descents and then would unzip my windbreaker and take my gloves off for the climbs.

Finally, on the 19th ascent, I began to expel the gas.  Farting never felt so good.  I was also able to eat about 200 calories worth of potato chips, once I finished that one. One to go and one victory lap.  On the 20th ascent I tried “mathing” to see if perhaps we could finish on a partial lap.  My brain was not cooperating and I did not want to take the chance of missing an Everest by a few feet.  So when I told Dave that indeed we needed to do a full final lap, I think he had a little toddler fit.  I almost laughed out loud, but knew the pain he was in, so kept it muffled.

On the final (victory) lap, I swear I heard a knocking in the woods;  a series of 3 loud wood knocks which repeated one time.  Sasquatch?  Or my own mind playing tricks on me at 3 am? 

The final ascent!

Around 3:30 am, I crested the top of the climb for the final time.  Dave and I gave each other a big bear hug!  Having someone there to suffer alongside definitely made this challenge an even more memorable one.  I could have shed tears of happiness if I wasn’t so dang depleted and dehydrated.  This was definitely not a “misery loves company” experience, but rather a wonderful day to be alive, strong, resilient, and durable.  Thank you, Dave, for being my co-pilot!

I ended up raising right at $2000 for my local animal shelter … with all your support.  Thank you to everyone who contributed.

Strava corrected elevation: 30,840

War Daddy

This race is one of my favorite mixed surface events.  It is touted as the hardest MTB race in Kentucky for good reason.  Normally it is 68 miles with 9000 feet of climbing.  Even though there is roughly 20 miles of pavement and 15 miles of smooth'ish gravel, the remaining miles are filled with enhanced gravel, moto trail, and single track. It is rare to see a gravel bike at this event.

This year, due to torrential rains in the week leading up to the race, a good portion of the trails were unrideable.  So John made the decision to shorten the race to 58 miles, leaving out the mud boggin' moto trails and the last 6 miles through the old strip mine. I still made the decision to race my SuperCaliber with 2.1 Bontrager Saint-Anne tires.

I stayed at the Wendover B&B, which I have always done in the past.  It is the historic home to the Frontier Nursing Service, dating back to 1925.  It was only Nick and I who stayed here; surprising, because of its peaceful location and inexpensive rates.

This year the women's field was the biggest ever.  With some heavy hitters and unknowns, I had no expectations.  I was just gonna leave it all out there and let the chips fall where they may. The temp at the start was 60 degrees and by the end was 75.

9 am was the shotgun start by Trevor, who knifed open a can of cheap beer and chugged it.  Throwing the empty can down on the ground signified that the race had begun.  There was a police escorted 5 mile lead out down the highway and through the town of Hyden, at a pleasant warm up pace. I positioned myself towards the front, but as soon as the car pulled off, people attacked like it was a short track race.

I let all the greyhounds by, knowing that I would reel some of them in on the Owl's Nest climb.  This was the first gut punch of the day.  I settled in and over the next mile, reeled a couple women back in.  Once over the top, it turned to gravel.  I flew down the backside picking off a few more racers and then motored the rollers.

On the flat gravel section next to the Middle Fork of the Kentucky River, a fellow racer pulled up to me.  He looked familiar and told me that he used to ride the Outdoor Store Tuesday group ride back in the day. I had to ask for his name, to which he replied David Haines.  He now lives in Kentucky and has gotten back into riding.  That was so cool!  We took turns pulling, which was a blessing on this section.

Once we hit the second gut punch, War Baby, David lost my wheel and I was with a couple of single speeders.  It was here, only 20 miles in that my legs felt like 💩. Not really a surprise, as I haven't been doing any structured training this year. Too much time running with my doggos does not equate to being bike fast.  No regrets, however, as my life is evolving away from everything bikes and more towards a blend of adventure racing, hiking, running, strength training, and hanging with my "kids."

I had already drank one bottle, so I grabbed my second one.  As we all do, we grab the valve with our teeth, pull it open and then take a swig.  Well, the valve on mine broke off in my mouth.  That made it very interesting over the next miles trying to get water out of that broken bottle.  Fortunately that was the only mechanical of the day.

Once on top, it was an action packed descent, dodging mud holes and wash outs.  The Elkhorn section is always spicy, and even more so today, with the rivers of mud and water.

The third gut punch was War Dwarf.  This was the longest climb on the day at just over 2 miles, but felt like twice as long.  It felt like most of my watts were going into the ground as opposed to moving forward. It was definitely a slog. Once along the ridge, I began to feel a little better and then let'r rip on the Hell For Certain paved descent.  I came in too hot at the "T" in the road and overshot the turn.  

Twist N Sourwood was the next climb.  I felt somewhat better, reliving the 2019 edition where I met Jordan Sands for the first time on this section.  We were crushing it then and so I focused on this memory to see me through. At the top, around mile 34, I stopped at the aid station to swap bottles and slurp a gel.

I love the ridge riding of Grannie's Branch.  The gravel up on top is in perfect shape and you can rip on the rollers; hell, it feels like you are on an e-bike! I got some of my mojo back here, passing a few on the descent down to Big Creek.

I popped out on pavement for a 6 mile cruise. It was here that I befriended Yianni, a SS'r from Cincinnati.  Poor guy was spinning a 120+ cadence.  I got in front and pulled him along to give his knees and hips a break. I think he ended up 2nd in the single speed class.

Once we hit double track, the War Daddy climb was looming just ahead. But first I had to work my way along Mother Nature's cobbles (baby heads) of FR1600.  I believe the devil sprayed Miracle Grow on this section because these rocks had grown! Once I hit the War Daddy proper, my focus was on turning the pedals and not coming off the bike.  I have always been able to ride this and today was NOT the day for a hike a bike.

When you think you are at the top of War Daddy, the climbing is not finished.  There are a few more kickers along the ridge trying to break you.  But by now, I was smelling the barn, with 8 miles to go.  And there were a few carrots in my line of sight.  As bad as I felt, I just put my head down and time trialed it to the end.  When the legs started barking, I would stand and hammer some pedal strokes before settling back in the saddle.  This seemed to work and I slowly picked off a few more racers.  

At mile 55, it felt good to turn left instead of a right, signifying the beginning of the climb to the moto trail. I was kinda glad I did not have to slog through it and the strip mine section, as I was at my limit.  It was nice to finish off the final 3 miles on a paved descent.

I rolled across the line in 4:26, rounding out the podium in third place.  Mary bested me by 3 minutes and Sam slaughtered me by 29 minutes (silly strong youngster!). Although not my fastest time, I was pleased with the result.  I rode as hard as I could, had fun, and did not eat dirt ... all victories in my book.

There was plenty of post race food, a bike wash, and a shower.  I showered at the bike wash, after cleaning up Taz.  Hung out awhile for the podium and then headed back to Wendover for a proper clean up.  Later that evening there was an after party at the podium.  It was good to hang out with everyone and eat a home cooked meal.  Best after party of many a race I have been to over the years.

Those guys can play a mean guitar!

Put this one on your schedule for 2026.  And hopefully we will get to race the full monte.  And bring your mountain bike or you will have a 50% bad time.  You will NOT be disappointed.  And book a room at the Wendover.

Thanks to John Maggard and family for showcasing the hollers of Hyden, Kentucky where I was all smiles (well, maybe a few grimaces) all day.  And if you are an ultra runner, they are having the War Bird 100 in March.  Check it out!  

trailsick.com