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The March edition was moved to April after high winds and storms were forecasted for March 15. I was tickled pink that the race was rescheduled. For once in a long time, I felt ready to dig deep and go hard. Race temps were going to be 72-83 degrees, perfect for me. My muscles just don't function as well when the temps dip below 50, and the sauna sessions I had been doing at my gym had me prepared for the heat.
Happy to have his company once again, John spent the night and then we drove down together to Dalton. Probably the one and only time I will wear a sleeveless jersey at The Snake, I was able to get in a proper warm up. I lined up close to the front, as I wanted as clear a course ahead of me to hopefully work some magic and finally get a sub-4 hour time that has eluded me for 6 years.
As Kevin Crowe pulled up behind me, he said, "Ah, good, someone to pace me." Taking that as a compliment, but knowing how strong he is, I figured he would pass me on the flat 2 mile lead out to the first double track climb of the day. Sho' nuff, he did come around me and I could only hope that I might see him later on in the race.
I knew that I needed to settle for the first half, keeping something in reserve, as well as keeping the engine from overheating. I kept a comfortably hard pace up that first climb. When I entered the first single track, I was pleasantly surprised that trail fairies had blown the leaves off and removed the loose rock, making the trail highway fast!
As I made my along the first half, I could feel the sun's intensity between the cloud breaks. Fortunately there was a nice cool breeze, so I never felt hot. I cruzed along, cleaning all the techy bits, save for that one little creek crossing that had two lines, both of which could potentially end disastrously for me, so I chose to dismount and jump over the higher line. This did not sacrifice any time, but kept me from having to waste energy by hitting that grunty climb hard enough to clear the ditch on the bike.
Having raced The Snake a gazillion times, saving energy where I could would allow me to hit that last and most difficult single track section fast and efficiently. So after gassing myself a bit during the harder parts of the first section, I would recover on the "flatter" sections by soft pedaling a minute or two before ramping it back up to tempo.
I cruised into the aid station at 1:43, slurped a gel, and grabbed my bottle of LMNT. I was out of there in less than 30 seconds. I went at a steady endurance pace up that first climb. Once I topped out, I picked it up and began focusing on "Slow is smooth, smooth is fast," mantra. Being able to see the trail allowed me to pick the smoothest most efficient line and not bumble around wasting energy.
I caught sight of Kevin during one of the climbs just before the descent down to Swamp Creek. Finally a carrot I could latch onto. I caught up to him, he said something like, "You suck," which just fired me up more. I did let him by on the descent, but then caught back up to him on the gravel climb. As I passed him the final time, I told him that he shoulda followed his own advice back at the start line.
I entered the final single track at 2:41, giving me 1 hour 18 minutes to finish the last 10'ish miles. It ... was ... gonna ... be ... close! I just kept envisioning a sub-4, which kept me focused, steady, and positive. I felt great, I felt zen, I felt the flow! I cleaned everything up to The Wall. And The Wall was in the best shape ever. If ever was the time to attempt a clean ride up this beast, now was it. But, old and wise Carey was playing the long game. Having never cleaned it during a race ( I have cleaned it twice in my life when JRA), I knew I would waste valuable time and energy trying to stroke my ego. But I did a HAB FKT!
Once at the top, I remounted and tried to push just a wee bit harder. Once I got to the Dug Gap fire pit, I realized I was going to have to TT it to the finish as I had 22 minutes left. So I gave it my all! A few spots I ran it, knowing that was the faster way. In races past, by this point, I felt like a pinball. Not today, as I was in the groove! I came upon two racers just as I was about to hit the "gunsight pass" section at the end. They dismounted to walk; I yelled out, "I am going for it!" They moved aside and cheered me on. In the past, it was a 50/50 chance of making it. Today, I had to clean it, and I DID! From there, just another minute of suffering and I could enjoy the final descent.
In those final minutes, I super tucked when I could and pedaled when I needed to. Sprinting to the finish, I passed through the arch in 3:58:03. Hot damn! Last time I had this fast of a time was 2019 with a 3:53. I attribute this to perfect weather, perfect conditions (what with a clear trail), stepping up my strength training this winter, and sauna sessions at the gym, and the wisdom I have gained over the 21 years of racing this beast.
John had a PR and earned a buckle to be proud of. This was the first time he has raced The Snake and he said on the ride home, quite possibly the last. I give him a month to forget the pain. And, he had raced the Waucheesi 90 last weekend in absolute horrid conditions (rainy and brrrr cold).
Once again, thanks to NWGA SORBA for an amazing day playing bikes. From the cool schwag to the volunteers at the aid station to the smorgasboard of post ride food and beverage, you guys have one of the best events in the SouthEast.
