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

Cerberus 3 Day Expedition Stage Race - Day 3

Mack Creek

After a fitful night of sleep, I awoke with a mild bike hangover.  Nothing that a 20 ounce mug of Christopher Bean coffee couldn't fix.  I had brought my electric kettle and so was able to heat up water for both Lisa's and my french press.  The smell of coffee permeated the dank air of our cabin and made our bunkmates jealous, as they awaited the opening of the dining hall at 6 am and their Sysco-branded coffee.

While Lisa partook of scrambled egg whites in a carton and well done bacon, I finished off my farm fresh hard boiled eggs and home made chocolate chip banana bread.  Although breakfasts and dinners were included with our sign up fee, it was a little lackluster.  

The forecast for today had been rain showers, but fortunately they rolled through last night.  And some heavy ones at that.  Although the terrain would be wet and potentially sloppy, the skies were blue and the forecast was low to mid-70's once again. This morning was just a bit chillier and with almost 24 hours of racing under my belt, I was chilled at the start.  So I opted to wear my rain jacket.

Stage 3 started out with another 2 CP trek prologue at camp.  Lisa and I were first out of the gate, but did not realize there were 2 bridges crossing the creek.  We took the one that cost us just enough time for about 3-4 teams to jump ahead of us on the steep climb up to C-1.  We managed to scramble up the cliff face and get around a couple of them, punch the CP and then butt slide our way down to C-2.  This one was in the middle of a creek.  I don't know why I spent so much time/energy drying my gear, as each day and at each TA, we would immediately get soaking wet.  I am surprised that through it all, our feet remained happy and healthy.

The dining hall that served as a TA and the Start/Finish 

We were the 4th team to arrive at the TA (dining hall) .  I stuffed my jacket into my pack and changed into my cycling shoes.  Then we were off down the gravel road.  I shifted down ... and nothing happened.  Again, nothing.  AXS battery was dead.  I could have  kicked myself as the night before the thought about recharging it, but did not.  I called out to Lisa to stop.  I quickly took my battery from my dropper and replaced the one on my derailleur.  

All was good again, except a number of teams passed us.  But on the climb up Greenwood, we quickly passed many a team and were once again up with the top mixed teams. Lisa informed me of her mechanical, which was a broken Boa on her shoe. Since I was the CP gopher and we only had 2 on this bike leg, we decided we would duct tape her shoe once we finished the O course.

We were the 2nd team to  arrive at the Ottari O course.  11 CP's, in order.  And once you missed one, you were done and could not proceed collecting any more. 

Lightning Lisa continued her CP quest and we were nailing each one. However O4 had pink flagging under the incorrect building.  So while we were searching all the nooks and crannies of that building for the punch, two mixed teams caught up to us.  But they did see the punch on the building next to the one that we were searching.

From there we all kinda teamed up for O5-O10. Here I was, a newbie to the sport, and running alongside THE Mari Chandler.  She even offered me a swig of her Mountain Dew, which I gladly accepted.

Once at the lake, we split ways.  We went CCW around the lake while the other 2 teams went CW. I elected to do the 30 yard swim to the platform to get the final point.

Killing 2 birds with one stone ... nabbing the CP and ?? (hint: made a warm spot)

Once back at the TA, I went to fill bottles while Lisa worked on her shoe.  Mari's and Britt's team had already taken off.  We took the higher North Ridge route.  There were 3 high points and CP 8-3 was at the 3rd high point. We eventually caught up to Mari's team and saw where Britt's team dropped their bikes at the 2nd high point ... whoopsie!  After nabbing 8-3, the road/trail conditions slowly got worse with a infinite number of downed trees, some we could hop and others we could not.  The trails in the boy scout camp reminded me of Pisgah: steep and technical.  I was definitely getting my cyclocross practice in.  Finally we started to descend, but unfortunately I had a nonfunctioning dropper, having taken that battery to keep my derailleur functioning.  The descent was very similar to Cantrell Creek in Pisgah, only steeper. Lisa was having a good time shredding this section, while I was being conservative.  I did not want our day to end here with a crash or bike mechanical.  

So many derailleur demons during this 7 mile, 2 hour section, my patience was getting tested.  I may have thrown out a cussing rant or two. On the final descent, I heard someone behind me.  Turning around it was Jesse and Andrea.  WTF?  I thought they were ahead of us.  Jesse said that they had mis plotted the corrected O7 at the O course, so it took awhile for them to find it. We collected 8-4 together.  Man those two are like deer running through the woods. From there we hit the gravel road and made our way over to Lowman's Ferry Road to start our paddle, nabbing the final bike CP on the way

There was a gas station at the paddle TA.  As we were approaching, I hesitantly asked, begged, to be allowed to go in the store and fill our bottles, as opposed to filtering from the river.  Being the Transition Nazi she is, barked back, "As long as it doesn't take forever."  Oh, she's a hard one 😥. I managed to hit the solitary bathroom just before a couple of teams also stepped in  to fill bottles.  So I filled quickly, pee'd quickly, and then bought us an ice cold Coke.  Nazi Lisa became Mother Teresa Lisa once she saw that Coke.

I took off my pack and reached to get my rain jacket.  I wanted to wear this as I had gotten shivering cold on yesterday's paddle.  But the zippered compartment was wide open and my jacket was gone.  F*ck me!  I think I was more concerned about losing a $200 jacket than getting cold.  I quickly pushed those negative thoughts from my mind and got our gear ready to paddle.  This paddle was on Claytor Lake and their were 5 CP's. 

We were the second ones, of the leading teams, to start the paddle.  Jesse and Andrea were no where in sight.  I was the gopher for these CP's, all of which required exiting the canoe and going for a short trek.  Having witnessed just how skillfully tricky Mark Lattanzi was in placing these CP's (think nooks and crannies, not hanging where they are clearly visible), I made sure to walk with purpose and have my head on a swivel.

CP 9-4

Going after the 9-4, I felt like I needed a tetanus shot.  I had to make my way through muddy muck and find which rust bucket had the hidden flag. CP 9-3 was the trickiest, as there were multiple downed trees in the re-entrant.  When I came to the first tree, I did not see it, so I started making my way up the re-entrant to the second tree.  But something told me to turn around and look back.  Sure enough, the baby flag was hidden amongst a bunch of brush that had gathered up against the fallen tree.

Once we nabbed the first 3, we turned around and were met with a brutal headwind.  It was so strong it was interfering with my paddle stroke.  And I started shivering. For 4 miles we fought our way back to the TA, nabbing the remaining 2. Once I saw the bridge, signifying where the TA was, I was able to stroke it up a notch.  

I was a shivering mess once we reached land.  And my legs did not want to work.  But I was smelling the barn.  All we had left was a 5 mile pedal back to camp, no more CP's. Once we hit the climb on Julia Simpkins Road, I found more watts.  By the time we had crested the hill, I was warm again.  Even though we had first place in the bag, "racers will race."  We emptied the tanks those last miles, passing several teams, who had not cleared the course, on our way back to Camp Powhatan.

We arrived at the finish with 2 hours to spare.  With another 26 CP's collected today (26 must be our lucky #), we secured first in the women's division (78 CP's total), and 6th overall.  Today's totals were 42 miles (10 paddle, 7 trek, and 25 bike) and 6300 feet of gain.  And my $$$ rain jacket was awaiting me at the lost and found ... another victory!

No teams cleared the course.  Britt's team won the overall with 85 CP's; Andrea and Jesse came in second with 84, and Mari's team came in fourth with 81. The podium prizes were a hodge podge of goodies, including a rain kilt and a 1/5 of moonshine.

For its first year, this was a well run and organized event.  It was also frigging hard, which is great!  The trekking rogaine was the hardest discipline due to its vastness, the technical terrain, and the tricky off trail points.  The single track was very technical in the camp.  I just wish that some trail maintenance could have been done prior; the boy scouts take care of that once their summer camps kick off.

Although the food was mediocre, except for the final meal, a taco bar and ice cream, which was amazing and the bus hiccup on Day 1, I give this race 5 stars!  I don't come for the food and the additional 3 mile trek was icing on the AR cake.  

I want to thank Mike and Mark for a FUn 3 days of putting our bodies and Lisa's mind to the ultimate test of durability and resilience.  

Race HQ with grandmaster Mike Lattanzi at the helm

I want to thank Lisa for once again pushing us to victory.  I just wanted to point it out that initially on the drive up, we were just gonna focus on our division.  She specifically said, "So many big hitters coming that we needn't pay the other divisions any mind."  Well, that quickly went out the window on Day 1 when we were up there with the best.  And so, despite her initial ho-hum nature towards the other divisions,  she was "balls to the wall" ... the ... entire ... time.  Just one of the many attributes I love about her; I can now say that after a week of recovery.  During the race, if you had asked me, it might be a different story 😄. 

As the mighty Cerberus retreats to his place at the gates of Hades his anger grows. These souls came too close to securing a clear course back to earth. He is reminded of his solemn duty: no mercy to those who wish to escape from this realm. 

And so he plots. Studies. Trains.

Committed to redouble his efforts to protect the Underworld.

The Cerberus will return.

                                   Put this one on your calender for next year:  May 1-3, 2026

Cerberus 3 Day Expedition Stage Race - Day 2

After a solid 5 1/2 hours of sleep, Lisa and I were ready for redemption. Morning temps were perfect at 50 degrees, with highs in the low to mid 70's. 

First off was the trek prologue at camp.  We crushed it and were first back to our bikes.  We headed out with the leading mixed teams just behind us. The pedal up Big Mack's was the biggest climb of the day ... on bikes. Surprisingly, after that 1 mile prologue sprint, my legs were opened up and it felt like we were flying up that climb.  It also helped that we had some some heavy hitters (Britt Mason and her team, the dynamic duo of Jesse Spangler and Andrea Larson, and  THE Mari Chandler, and her mixed team) hot on our heels.  The 5 CP's on the bike were relatively easy, especially with several teams on the look out for them.

We rode to the Allisonia boat ramp, where we had to disassemble our bikes and put them in the canoe for the 10 mile paddle on the New River down to the TA at Lowman Ferry Road. Having practiced this at Lisa's house last month, we were like an F1 pit crew and were the first team in the river.  Our lead did not last long as the mixed teams were just stronger and more skillful paddlers.  But we had not seen CheckPoint Zero and they were the team we needed to beat.  

There were 3 CP's on the paddle.  The first one I nabbed, but the remaining 2 were kinda tricky as they were on super steep technical terrain and very close to private property.  We made the decision to let Lisa out at CP 5-2 and then I would paddle around the point and pick her up at the re-entrant where she would come down through after nabbing CP 5-2 and CP 5-3.  She took the map, but gave me a Day 1 map with the same area.  However, I did not realize that the map I had did NOT have the paddle points on them.  Frack!  I knew the general area of the last paddle CP, but there were 2 re-entrants.  I picked the first one.  After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, I started yelling her name.  Two other teams passed on by.  I asked if they had seen her up river (in case I paddled too far); they had not.  But then they made it to the correct re-entrant, where Lisa was waiting for me.  I finally heard her cry out my name.  It was as if I heard an angel calling my name.  I paddled over to the second re-entrant and there she be, a sight for sore eyes.  I was like a dog being reunited with its owner!

Reassembling the bikes.

Once we arrived at the TA we made quick work of getting our bikes off the canoe and back together.  We then headed out for the pedal back to Camp Powhatan. There was a mandatory crossing point at the top of Duncan Hill Lane.  We would be on private property for about 1 mile. There was also a CP here as well.  As we were traversing this area, we could hear a lot of screaming and cussing at the racers as they passed through.  I don't know if the property owner was just messing with us or truly pissed off, but we didn't want to hang around to find out.  But the map of the CP was at 1:35,000 and the trail was just a black smudge on the map.  We over ran the CP, going downhill, but corrected quickly, and found it.  It was much easier to see pedaling up a 15% grade as opposed to bombing down it.

After snagging the final bike CP back in the Boy Scout reservation, we pedaled on into the TA at the dining hall.  We dropped our bikes and headed out for the trekking rogaine. We had 5 hours to collect as many CP's as we could. But first we headed over to the string course and the climbing wall.  We did the string course first as the climbing wall was occupied.  This was a 1/2 mile obstacle course where you were zip-tied to a string and had to negotiate through trees, under fences, down steep embankments, through creeks, and over logs.  Being small was an advantage as some of the things we had to weave through and under were quite tight.

The climbing wall was pretty straight-forward.  We could belay each other or let the volunteer do it.  We opted to let the volunteer belay us as it was a better management of time. Then we headed off to get CP-R19.  Attacking from the south (as opposed from the North yesterday), Lisa had redemption #1 finding R20.  We continued North and R2 was quickly gotten, redemption #2.  Lisa was on fire!  

We headed up Shelby's Dream Trail, with its infinite number of switchbacks.  My glutes and quads were on fire and I had a hard time keeping up with Lisa.  She was a bloodhound and was hot on the scent of R12, R5, R8.  After R8, we began a bushwhack over to R3.  We overshot it; Lisa was having a hard time making heads or tails of North and South.  I believe her brain was low on glucose; she needed a ketone shot! We found it, working our way back up the spur.

Heading down Burke's Run, we nabbed R2 and R1. and then headed back to the dining hall to finish the day.  We finished with 23 minutes left on the clock.  Once again, we nabbed 26 CP's.  This put us first on the day.  We were now ahead of CheckPoint Zero with 52 points; they had 47.  We also managed to snag the QOM/KOM of the day (CP 4-1 to CP 4-2).

Day 2, although still hard, felt easier.  The shock and awe of yesterday was gone and my body had settled into that adventure racer rhythm.  I was very impressed with Lisa, as her body was firing on all cylinders.  I was doing all I could just to keep up.  It probably didn't help that I had raced a 2 day gravel race the weekend before and then played bikes in the week leading up to this event.  Hello, my name is Carey, and I am an addict 😂😂😂.

Today's numbers were once again 50 miles (10 paddle, 12 trek, 28 bike) and 5700 feet of gain (1/2 bike, 1/2 trek).

Dinner was chili.  I opted out and once again had chicken salad sandwiches and homemade cookies.  Although we were able to get to bed a bit earlier, the sleep just would not come and when it did, it was a toss and turny kinda night.  It felt like I was still on course.  But, it was still another 6 hours of rest.

All we had to do tomorrow was stay focused and finish.