Pisgah Stage Race: Stage 4, Fox Factory's Carl Schenck Route

Distance:  32 miles
Elevation:  4200 feet
Temperature:  50-73 degrees F
Time:  3:51:35

Although I had no problems downing my Christopher Bean Coffee, I had to force myself to eat.  Fatigue and the stress of the first 3 stages was catching up with me.  The drive up to the Cradle of Forestry allowed ample time for digestion.  I got there early to do my 30 minutes warm up, which my legs begged for.  Thank goodness I opted for the 30 minute massage yesterday which had a "Phoenix rising" effect. 

I took my place in the middle 1/3 of the field.  Today's start was 6 miles on gravel, plenty of time to sort things out.  I found Patrick McMahon and hung on to his wheel for the gravelly bits.  The climb on FunnelTop double track was a doozy.  The gravel warm up was perfect and I felt pretty good on this section, despite the steep pitches which is one of my "limiters."

Once again, I found myself riding with John from Jersey.  What a positive motivator!  I truly enjoyed my time with him on the trail.  We, along with his friend Jerry, rallied it down Horse Cove.  The upper part was chunky and loose and the lower was fast and flowy.  A hard left onto Squirrel and I got to enjoy one of my faves again ... this time in the opposite direction.

My PSR racing buddy

Somewhere along Squirrel we pulled away from Jerry, but picked up Rod.  Rod was an amazing descender.  He also was the one behind the cash prizing for the Enduro category.  Even though I was carrying more fatigue, I felt faster on Squirrel today.  It  was probably the direction as well as having practiced my Pisgah dance the last 3 days.

Quicker than I imagined, I was making the hairpin turn onto Laurel Creek.  This was a bugger of a descent, what with the drops, slick water bars, and tight switchbacks.  I was pleasantly surprised to find myself passing several racers, off their bikes on the trickier portions.  Two of the creek crossings I did HAB through, passing several more who didn't want to get their feet wet.  My feet welcomed the ice cold water.  Happy feet are fast feet, so I obliged them.  The second half of the trail was stick-free, as opposed to when I had pre-ridden, where there were at least 100 derailleur killers.  Then a nice knee high creek crossing which brought me to the FS 5015 double track climb.

I settled into a rhythm of seated pedaling and refueling with intermittent periods of standing and stretching the back.  It was during this climb that I asked John how he was going to pay his wife back for him getting to play all week.  His response, which I absolutely loved, was that she enjoyed just hanging out with nature, reading, hiking, relaxing, and having "me" time.  You are a very lucky man, John!

There was a lot of chunky gravel on this climb. I was glad to see the aid station tent, knowing that that the best part was soon to come.  We stopped at the aid station and I grabbed a Cliff mocha gel.  Not so much for the calories, but for the boost of caffeine.

Slightly sweetened and with a hefty dose of electrolytes

I never thought I would be the one to say this, but with Infinit Nutrition, I can now fuel on just fluid alone.  This coming from a seasoned racer of 17+ years who needed additonal calories in the form of gels and chews.  As of now, I would say that for races of up to 5 hours duration, I will no longer need to reach in my jersey pocket for additional calories.  I love that I can dial in the taste, sweet enough to make me want to drink, but not too sweet that my stomach sours.  My formula contained electrolytes to my specifications.  I also opted for no protein and no caffeine in this blend (but will probably have a caffeinated version the next time I  order).

Unfortunately I lost John on the climb up Laurel (he needed a nature break).  So once again I was in my own little bubble.  Laurel Mountain is a beautiful beast of a climb.  I gauge it by the short slabs of HAB rocks followed by 4 climbs, of which today a good portion of each were HAB.  Sprinkled between the HAB sections were good bits of fast flowy tight single track.  Rounding a corner of one of the easier sections, I came upon a racer with a steady flow of blood from his fore arm.  A fellow racer was attending to him.  I slowed and offered my assistance, to which they responded they had it under control. I motored on, wondering how he could have sustained that type of injury on the tamest portion of this trail.  Later I came to find out that he had impaled himself on a rather large stick. Never underestimate even the "easy" sections of single track.

Having seen this, I reminded myself that I needed to settle in on the Pilot Rock descent, which was still a couple miles away.  I soon found myself in the company of Hardwick, one hard core racer who I truly admire.  At 65 years of age, he still has the strength and skills to blow the doors off racers half his age. I found myself digging deep to stay with him towards the end of Laurel.  He dropped into Pilot just ahead of me.  As I rode through the Enduro start, I took several deep breaths to prepare for the penultimate Pisgah descent.  Starting at 4800 feet and finishing at 3300 feet, this 2.25 mile stretch of trail is nothing but a large mountain of rock, weathered by water, shoes, tires, and probably a fair share of broken bikes, bones, and helmets. 

No hecklers today, just encouragers.  Photo cred:  Dave and Dave

I had a hard time keeping Hardwick in sight.  There must be at least 15 switchbacks on this descent.  I have cleaned all of them in the past ... just wish I could do that on one run!  I was rolling through the first ones with ease, but once I choked, then I kept on choking!  Arrgh!  I was approaching the infamous rock garden, thinking the hecklers from hell would be there in force.  But there were only a few people and they were just ... too ... nice!  Well, except for the dog I heard about later at dinner. He was probably worn out and had lost his voice by the time I rolled through.

I popped out onto the gravel and still had a steep climb up to the finish of the Enduro.  Ouch!  That was just mean!  Only 5 miles left.  I put my head down and went into TT mode.  Thankful for the tailwind, I pinned it to the end.  Rolling through the finish line in great spirits, I was thankful I had escaped unscathed and with a relatively happy intact spine.

Strange cravings brought on by a solid 4 days of racing.

After a quick bite of recovery, I moseyed over to the massage tent and enjoyed another 30 minutes of bliss.  Then a quick trip to Sycamore Bikes where they had a bike wash station set up to clean off my steed. She wasn't that dirty, but going through the motions of washing her down allowed me to inspect and avoid potential disaster should there be an issue I need to address.  After a thorough check of the sidewalls, I pulled her off the stand, loaded her up, and went back to base camp to eat some more.

Dinner that night was delicious.  I didn't know which was worse:  the face that this was the second to last meal I would enjoy or that there was just one stage of crazy fun left.

Pork loin, two kinds of salad, and grits

Salted caramel gelato!

Here is a recap of the day's efforts.




One stage left.  In a comfortable lead, would I be able to just party pace tomorrow?

Pisgah Stage Race: Stage 3, Sycamore Cycles White Squirrel Route

Distance:  30 miles
Elevation:  5400 feet
Temperature: 41-73 degrees F
Time: 3:45:11

Might I add that Zeke 

Hump day!  Walking up the stairs at my hosts' house this morning, the legs felt way better than I expected.  The massage after yesterday's stage was well worth the money.  After coffee, eggs, and a sweet potato, I headed to the start a bit earlier than usual.  I needed an adequate warm up, as right out of the gate, some intense double track climbing along Black and Sycamore Cove would begin the day's stage.

When the gun went off, I expected mayhem as people jockeyed for position.  Everyone must have gotten the "restless leg syndrome" out of them in the first two stages, as the pace was tame. The legs were happy and I was excited to see "new to me" trail.  I had never ridden Sycamore Cove and since it was dry, I can say that it was fun.  Lots of roots along this side cut trail, with some ups/downs before you were able to send it a 1/2 mile back down to Highway 276.

Then back up Black again, this time on Thrift Cove Trail.  My new friend John from Jersey, decided that he liked my consistency (I had caught up to him and dropped him the first two stages) and rode with me most of the day.  We had some great conversation and he was super polite, making sure that he was not bothering me with his talking and riding my wheel.

The HAB up Middle Black went by quickly.  More than any other race I have done in Pisgah, the HAB this week was super enjoyable.  It was a combination of talking with my fellow racers and allowing my back some recovery time.  Descending off the backside of Black, I got a bit of a gap on John, but he caught back up to me on the descent down Maxwell.  More gravel climbing up Clawhammer and then a super fun descent down Buckhorn Gap.  There were a couple tricky creek crossings and I was glad I had pre ridden this trail the month prior.

As I popped out on FS 477, John stopped at the aid station.  I kept going, thinking that John was gonna catch right back up to me.  This was the first time since the beginning of the race that I felt some sparkle.  I took it and ran with it!  I got into a rhythm of both standing and seated climbing.  I caught up to Gordon and Emily first.  Told Emily that I smelled a beast and that beast was her.  Just trying to send some positive vibes after her spill on TurkeyPen road yesterday.

Then I rode up to Meghan and David.  Meghan and I had talked quite a bit after yesterday's stage.  It seems that the ideal prep work leading up to this stage race had not occurred as we envisioned.  But that we were just gonna train through and have fun.  As I slowly rode away from her on the climb, I told her that her race (Avery Creek enduro) lay just ahead.

I met Kim from Vermont on the climb up Club Gap.  Having never ridden here before, she had crushed the first two enduros.  I told her that if I did not get out of her way on the Avery descent to just use me for traction.

Avery Creek is a huge chunky descent at more than 2 miles long.  Huge drops, ruts, and bouldery sections made it feel like I bull riding (for 10+ minutes).  I wish I had the confidence to just let my bike's suspension eat up the gnar, but the "I gotta work on Monday" mentality had me using way too much brake.

My goal was to not get caught by Meghan, David, and Kim.  They must have had a picnic at the top because I was within a 1/4 mile of the finish when I heard the buzz of their I 9's. I had plenty of time to yield to their mad skills.  Despite getting caught, I still had fun. I can say that my descending skills have improved since the last time I rode Avery, but my fore arms and calves let me know that I still have more to learn.

Hitting the aid station the second time, I stopped and swapped bottles.  Then a quick blast down FS 477 and up Maxwell to Clawhammer.  On the way, I saw James and Beth for the second time that day.  They are my favorite fans!

Hi-fivin' Wheelhead!

I found myself riding with Kim again.  We HAB'd it to the top of Black.  She wanted me to proceed, as she was just gonna chill down Black.  I knew better and let her on by.  I saw her for about 20 seconds before she vanished around a corner.  I was hoping I would have a clear shot with no dabs today.  I came upon a poor racer dude, who probably had to yield to Kim rushing up on his wheel and now me.  I tried to chat it up a bit as I made the pass; he was silent. Finally, a clean run (during a race) on Black.

I rolled through the finish line, first master's.  Putting more time into second, I now had a comfortable lead.  But Pisgah takes no prisoners and tomorrow was the Queen Stage.  I headed over to the massage tent to begin my recovery race. Today I opted for 30 minutes of bliss, where I melted into the table. 

After 3 days of racing, I definitely felt the hunger demons.  No worries as the farm to table food was a cornucopia of pulled chicken, black-eyed peas, corn pudding, and a salad.  No GF version of the corn pudding so I piled on the chicken and peas.  I did try a slice of tempeh, which was the vegan alternative to the meat every night.  Needless to say, glad I am a omnivore.

No sooner than my head hit the pillow was I fast asleep, dreaming of plummeting down a mountain of rock.

Pisgah Stage Race: Stage 2, Sunset Motel's Promised Land Route

Distance:  30 miles
Elevation:  4000 feet
Temperature:  36-63 degrees F
Time:  3:16:07

The sun does indeed shine in The Pis-gaaaaa!

Today's stage started out with a 6 mile "controlled" road start along Highways 276 and 280.  While I absolutely love my mountain biking family, when you mix coffee, asphalt, and 180 non road biking souls, you get chaos!  I was more worried getting taken out here than getting "squirreled" later in the course.  Although I managed to stay in the front 1/3, the accordion effect was still there.  I almost wished the police car would have pulled off and let the "real" race begin sooner than at the foot of TurkeyPen Gap gravel road.  I focused on staying far to the right so I would only have to deal with insanity on my left. 

Turning onto the gravel climb up to TurkeyPen Gap, I rolled by carnage that included Emily and another racer.  I said a brief prayer that she was ok and that Gordon would show mercy upon the other.  That 30 minute warm up was exactly what my legs needed.  The descent down South Mills was fast and fun.  The bike was dialed and soaking up the hits.  Hitting Mullinax, my last memories were of a slickety slidy muddy uphill, but today it was hero dirt.  The legs were happy, I was in my own little bubble, and my heart was full. 

Eager to hit Squirrel, one of my favorite trails, I managed to stand and hammer up the last bit of Mullinax before dropping in to the trail I give the utmost respect to.  Squirrel is half-track, with roots looming in the most inopportune places and bouldery sections to negotiate.  Being side cut, the price for failure is high, and I have the scars to prove it.

Fortunately it was dry and with the trail work that has been done in the past two years, it was easy ... with easy being relative.  As much as I wanted to attempt to clean the gnarlier sections, I had to make the smart decision and HAB more than I normally do.  Cleaning a good portion of the flattish or uphill sections requires a lot of bike handling and upper body/back work.  While my back was good on the descents, any time I tried to use force to work through an uphill rocky or rooty section, I would have pain eminate from my L5 area.  What kept me from pushing through the pain was that I envisioned my disc as a Cadbury egg.  I imagined the ooey gooey center exploding through the chocolate candy shell.  And that is what allowed me to hop off the bike, dance through the dicey sections, and remount with no pain at all.

On the right, what my disc looked like 3 weeks ago ... did not want a repeat event.

On Squirrel I passed John Lewer, from New Jersey, that I met on Day 0's opening ceremonies.  He hung with me for awhile, but towards the end of Squirrel I got a gap on him.  What is unique about this stage race is that although the stages are tough, you are not so blown at the end of the stage that all you want to do is go back to your room/house/motel and crash.  There is enough time to recover as well as enjoy the camaraderie of your fellow racers at dinner later in the evening.

Stephen "the squirrel tamer" Janes blew by me in a fit of sheer awesomeness.  He was ragin' on his single speed.  I tried to stay with him, but was not in his league.  Talk about a man on fire!

The climb up South Mills and Buckhorn was smooth like a highway and not too steep.  I was still feeling great at this time and chatted with several on the climb, including David Noletti, who was vying for a spot on the SS podium. 

The gravel descent down Clawhammer was sketchy!  Dry and loose and I could not seem to find my drifting skills.  Somehow I managed to catch up to Stephen Janes on the gravel.  We rode together down to the aid station, where he stopped and I motored on up Maxwell Cove.

After a 20 minute grind, I hit the Black HAB up to the enduro of the day ... middle/lower Black.  The last time I had cleaned this section was on a ride many moons ago.  Today was the day I would have justice.  Unfortunately, I got caught behind a racer whose reptile brain took over at the sharp short uphill with a quick turn to the right before hitting the wet rocky/rooty descent.  I clung desperately to a track stand but just could not hold it long enough to make a clean go at it.  😡😡😡

I had to dab down, but then quickly got by him and made short work of the steep rooty switchback to the right.  The rest of the descent was so ... much ... fun!  Only wish I had the cahoneys to go faster.  By the time I hit the bottom, my calves and forearms were dying. 

I won the stage and put a little more time into second place.  My bike was amazing.  Someone (who shall remain nameless) out in podcast land was poo-poo'ing putting a Fox 32 120mm on a Top Fuel.  While it probably wouldn't make sense for a 140+ racer to run this, for this buck ten, it has been a game changer!

Salmon, rice, carrots, and a salad

Pisgah Stage Race: Stage 1, Clif's Looking Glass Route

Distance:  25 miles
Elevation:  3400 feet
Temperature: 37-54 degrees F
Time:  2:34:56

Thanks to Scott's Bikes for Blaze, my trusty Pisgah steed!

I raced the first two editions of PSR and it took me 8 years to recover.  Why, you ask?  It might have had something to do with 45 mile days, 9000 feet elevation gain per day, freezing temps, multiple waist deep creek crossings, snow on Laurel/Pilot, Farlow Gap iced over, uphill both ways, etc.  2009 was insanely hard!  2010 was warmer, but still had a short prologue followed by long days.  Back then I was racing against the big guns:  Sue Haywood, Cheryl Sorenson, Amanda Carey, and Brenda Simril.

This time, I was racing in the Masters 40+.  I figured, at 49 years, I earned my way into this category.  I almost didn't get to race, as 2 1/2 weeks prior, I herniated my L5 disc.  But with some chiropractic work, and Dr. Stuart McGill's book, I was well enough to give it a determined go at it. 

Highly highly recommend for any of you low back sufferers

The first stage had us racing back down the gravel into Cove Creek campground.  Towards the end there is a fairly deep but rideable creek crossing.  So one can hit the crossing rubbing elbows with other racers, or play the waiting game and walk across a narrow bridge.  With everyone in stoopid crazy mode to get to Daniel Ridge which was the enduro section, I opted to take the time penalty and walk the bridge.  I did not come all this way to be taken out in the first 2 minutes of the race.

Hitting FS 475 and climbing up to the turn off to Daniel Ridge, guys and gals came by me so fast, I almost went into a tail spin.  My legs were HEAVY, but had only myself to blame for less than an ideal warm up.  The gravel single track climb on Daniel hurt like the dickens. I was happy to see the HAB (hike-a-bike) train when Pisgah greeted us with the first technical climb of the day.  Conditions were a bit slick as the rain the day before made the roots glisten and the rocks shine.

I took my time along Daniel Ridge, including the enduro section, as I waited on legs and body to re familiarize themselves with the Pisgah gnar.  As I popped back out onto FS 475, heading up to Butter Gap, I felt like I was at the back of the pack.  I was o.k. with that because I survived the first single track without any back pain.

Climbing up to Butter, I was greeted by the Hoffmeisters, James and Beth.  I have gotten to know these amazing people in the last year or so.  They were screaming at me, "You are our favorite racer!"  Awwww ... I blushed.  But as I went by and another racer approached them, they said the very same thing.  Hmmmm ...  come to find out, every racer was their fave!  They had me laughing all the way down Butter.  After the initial chunk and drops at the top, I found my groove and cleaned it all.  I had to make my way around several hike a downers and soon found myself behind Gordon and Emily. 

This was the first time I had ridden with these guys and let me tell you.  Emily had the bad-assery moves going on!  That lady has come a long way in a short time.  Her skills were poppin'!  I was most impressed and thoroughly enjoyed hanging out with them on Butter, LongBranch, and then descending FS475 to Davidson River.

I popped off their wheel as the climb up FS475B to Cove Creek began.  Emily had a G-bike on the climbs.  Occasionally Gordon would put his hand on Emily's low back and whoosh!  Up the road they would go, at a pace I don't even think I could match on a good day.  It was amazing to see the power output that Gordon produced.  Very cool!

Towards the latter half of the climb on FS475B, my legs finally came around.  I was able to get in a rhythm of standing and hammering, followed by periods of rest on the false flats.  Soon I was groovin' on the FS225 double track descent to Cove Creek.

The Cove Creek Trail had some major work done on it since the last time I had ridden it back in 2014.  Most of the spindly log bridges had been replaced by rideable wooden plank ones.  Now you could really send it!  I was having too much fun and almost face planted on one steep rooty drop.  How I managed to save it I do not know.  Thank God for a healthy set of reflexes!

I did miss the smell of hamburgers on the final drop in to the campground (from the Swank days).  But there were recovery drinks and plenty of food (chips, scones, bananas, and oranges) to eat at the finish. 

I rolled over to the results table where one could not only see your results on a screen, but also print them off, too.

After a not so strong start, I was just hoping to make any podium appearance.  I was pleasantly surprised that I had finished first in my class and had a respectable overall performance, too. 

After a brief stretch, I went and had a 15 minute massage. OMG!  If you are going to sign up for the race, you need to sign up for the post stage massages as well.  They are a leg and body saver!  It is well worth the extra $$.  I melted into the table!

With short stages, there is plenty of time left in the day to recover.  I went back to the house, showered, stretched some more, sat in my Elevated Legs, and then headed over to the Brevard Music Center for the evening meal and video/photo recap of the day.

Bacon-wrapped GF meatloaf, buttered Lima beans, roasted Yukon Gold potatos, and a salad.

The food was provided by Black Eyed Susan's Caterers and it rivals Mulberry Gap at quality and taste.  They even provided gluten free and vegan alternatives.  And as much as you wanted to eat!  Oskar Blues Brewing provided 1 beer per person per day.  Not being a drinker, I saved mine for Charlie (future kitchen passes!).

That leader's jersey felt good!

Having 15 minutes on second place, I was focused on playing it smart and safe on Stage 2. 

Pisgah Stage Race: Stage 5

Distance:  43 miles
Elevation:  9500 feet
Temperature:  62-84 degrees
Conditions:  dry
Time:  4:57:45

Anybody know which trail this one is?

I awoke this morning with mixed feelings.  I was tired so a part of me was glad that today was the last day.  On the other hand, the little bicycle demon inside of me was sad that this would be my last Pisgah adrenalin fix ... for a while. Today I was ready to empty the tank; there was more than just fumes, as opposed to last year.

The first 7 miles, which was pavement, was brutal, because I pretty much suck at it.  Or perhaps I am at a disadvantage with the little wheels.  I managed to hang on to the second group until the last mile and then popped.  On the Turkey Pen fireroad climb, I regrouped and weaved my way through several racers. 

Vineyard Gap was rippin' fast.  I would compare this trail to a roller coaster ride.  I thought I heard the "tick-tick-ticking" as I was approaching the top of the climb.  Then, the trail just dropped away from the bike and I.  And whoosh! down I went. 

I had gotten ahead of David on the final climb, so when the trail turned downward, I shot down it faster than I had intended because I did not want him to catch me and spoil his ride.  I got a bit to pogo'ey on one section and was just about jettisoned from the bike.  Somehow I managed to save it and reached the river unscathed.  The 7 river crossings somehow seemed quite tame as compared to last year when temps were in the 40's and the water was chamois deep.

After taking a beating from FS 5015, I descended down FS 1206 to Laurel Mountain.  Ah, what a beautiful trail and an awesome ride.  No freezing winds, no sleet to contend with, just a glorious blue bird day.  On the hike-a-bike section, I met several Army officers coming down the trail.  I asked them ever so politely if they could just form a line and shuttle my bike to the top.  No takers.

Pilot Rock was gnarly and ready to eat your tires and bones if you chose the wrong line.  I acquiesced on several of the switchback; really do need to work on swinging my ass end around on those tight ones.  One of my mini goals I wanted to accomplish was to ride the boulder section towards the bottome ... mission accomplised, other than the huge downed tree I had to crawl over.

The remainder of FS 1206 seemed like an eternity but my legs were happy.  One more time up Club Gap and then on to Avery Creek, another one of my favorites.  Everything was rideable for me, save for the downed trees that hovered off the ground.  Once back out on FS 477, I had to stop and wait as a caravan of horses passed by.  I was just happy that none of them spooked as their passengers were children.

I grabbed a PB&J at the last aid station, had my picture taken while stuffing my mouth with said PB&J, and pedaled up FS 5058 and FS 5022 for the final time.  Once again I set a blistering pace down Black Mountain, scrubbing off another minute.  My fastest time on that final section of it, including the climb, was 16 minutes.

I rolled through the Start/Finish, happy that the stage was over, but sorry that it was the end of such a wonderful week of riding.  Todd and Company really listened to the racers' feedback from last year and put on a great race this year.  The post-race festivities were awesome:  a never-ending supply of Poppies-catered food, a fun and well-attended kid's race, a pie-eating contest, and cash for all divisions.  Indeed, I think everyone went home with some money.

Watch out!  Those ladies next to me can hammer!

I know Todd had to have taken a big hit this year, what with the low attendance, but kudos to him for not canceling.  I must say that has been my favorite race of 2010.  I am not sure how to attract a bigger field for next year, but we MUST.  Todd has plans for 2011; I just hope they can come to fruition.

As for me, I increased my knowledge of Pisgah ... to a point that I am going to tackle this man's events next year!

Pisgah Stage Race: Stage 3

Distance:  45 miles
Elevation:  9000ft
Temperature:  60-80 degrees F
Conditions:  dry
Time:  4:58:20


I awoke in good spirits and with happy legs.  I had plenty of time to think about how to go out on this stage.  Barring some sort of bike and/or body catastrophe from Amanda and Sue, I realized that I was not going to win this thing and that was o.k.  I want to win based on my performance and not because my competition ran into misfortune.  As long as I finished, I would earn back my entry fee.  So, with that in mind, today and subsequent stages were all about racing my shadow.

The start involved a shuttle to Kuykendall campground.  While waiting on the others to arrive I warmed up.  Thom P. interviewed me and below is my 90 seconds of fame ... ah, the life of a semi- pseudo mountain bike pro.

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The start involved more running along with 1 somersault between the orange cones.  I think I bruised my kidney with my tire pump that was in my jersey pocket.  I have not done a somersault since 3rd grade!  I am going to have to practice up for the Swank.  I was headed up to Farlow Gap, but to get there would involve  a 12 mile climb, 11 of that being on gravel.  The forest service was nice enough to have just graded and graveled 6 miles of it so instead of asphalt-fast, it was loose and soft.

Farlow was fun; I made it most of the way down the rock chute, but decided I liked my teeth more than my ability to negotiate the 26" holes that dared to swallow my front wheel.  Anyways, it was just about as fast skirting down some of that stuff.  It was pretty much ride a bit, walk a bit for the first half.  A couple sections were even difficult to walk down ... they were potential ankle-breakers.  Once I got past the short uphill hike-a-bike, the remainder was fast and fun, well, all but the steps and last creek crossing.

A short ride on Daniel's Ridge followed by a long haul on FS225, which I have named "Mystery Ridge."  So overgrown, I could not see more than 5-10 yards in front of me, so I kept it light on the front end and brakes.  Luckily there were no downed trees or large rocks to catapult me off into the briars.

Cove Creek was a flowy fast descent.  Hoo-whee! I was smiling so much I think I got a couple bugs in my teeth.  After that was the short but steep connector to Daniel Ridge ... ouch!  The Daniel Ridge descent was fun, but a bit tricky as it was overgrown.  There were a couple of deep washed out areas that were hidden by the weeds.  Rolling down to aid station 2, I refueled and headed over and made short work of the Davidson River Trail.


The climb up 475B was longer than expected.  Just when it leveled out and I thought I was at the top ... it pitched up again.  It tricked me this way several times.  I also expected a longer leg-resting descent, but was surprisingly disappointed that it was only about 3/4 mile long.  More climbing on Hwy 276 and some more gravel leading to Club Gap. 

Turning onto Club Gap, the volunteers at the aid station asked if I needed anything to which I replied, "Do you have any sherpas?"  Some chuckling ensued as I began the steep 1 mile climb up to Black Mountain.  Both the body and conditions were much better than last year and I was able to clean the climb, albeit at what seemed like a snail's pace.

This new to me section of Black Mountain was fun once I got passed the hiking/pushing portion.  Then I hit FS 5058 to FS 5022.  That last push up 5022 hurt.  Those false flats were misleading.  The 3 mile climb was about a mile longer than I expected.  No expletives, but I think there was one, "Ah, come on, where is the top!"

I was a minute faster down the last portion of Black Mountain.  Rolling through the finish line all smiles once again.  Even seeing Amanda in civies already did not sway my attitude.  I met my little mini-goals for the day, I was having a blast riding in the Forest, and I realized that I was in the best shape of my life.  What more could I ask for?

Climbing Black Mountain was a mix of riding/hiking.

Pisgah Stage Race: Stage 2

I did a longer than usual warm up for this one as I did not want to have the "crummy leg" experience again.  Stumpy, my '08 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR, would be my steed for the remainder of the race as she would provide a bit more suspension and a more relaxed, but still very effective and fast, ride.

The start was neutral until we hit FS 477.  Then it was all about hanging on to the lead group, which may have lasted 30 seconds.  That would be the last time I saw Amanda.  I wisely chose to follow Sue up the 6 mile gravel climb.  Just too cool being on the wheel of such an awesome, yet humble, world-class athlete.  This is one of the few sports that allows the average joe to compete alongside the best.

I hit Buckhorn Gap first and was able to get a gap on Sue during the ensuing descent.  Thom P. let me pass him and then stuck to my wheel until the bottom.  Check out the footage:

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Sue soon caught back up to me as I was climbing the first steep bit of Squirrel Gap.  I was able to follow her for a while, but then I guess her diesel engine warmed up and she slowly pulled away from me.  I knew I did not need to go any faster for fear of burning too many matches.  I wish my HR monitor would have been working, but it decided to go on strike the day before, so I had to base my effort on PE.  I would have preferred numbers!

Squirrel was enjoyable and more rideable than last year, although there were a lot more downed trees to negotiate.  Laurel Creek was FAST and dry!  I guess I was having too much fun and getting a little wild because one of the waterbars grabbed my front wheel and threw me down the mountain.  Thankfully, I landed in a soft mossy area devoid of rocks.  Whew!  That could have been a lot worse.  As I pulled Stumpy off of me and started to climb back up, I glanced down and saw the trail only feet away.  Heck, might as well make the most of it.  Turns out there was a switchback just beyond where I exited the trail.

The 5 mile climb back up to Yellow Gap on FS 5015 was o.k. despite the "marbly" gravel.  It was a definite give/take situation with the dry spell Pisgah has been having.  It makes the trails less technical, but made the gravel grinders very loose.  I had more, "Oh, sh!t!" situations on the roads vs. the single track.

I swapped my Camelbak and gel flask, shot a Red Bull, and headed off to the undulations of FS1206.  Todd was at the turn off to FS 475 and gave words of encouragement.  It is always good to see the race promoter out on course and in every one of his races, I have seen him, sometimes more than once.

South Mills River to Buckhorn is a fooler.  It starts off with a slight descent, but then slowly climbs back up for several miles.  You think it is an easy climb because it looks flat but it just goes on and on.  And a lot of it looks the same so you think, "Just around this corner is the end. Well, maybe the next corner .... the next? Finally the end comes and suddenly you wish it did not because of the hike-a-bike of death that follows.

Knowing what I was getting into this year on the Black Mountain hike-a-bike, it seemed to go by quicker and with less frustration.  Heck, no frustration ... I was smiling the whole time.  The view at the top was spectacular; it reminded me why I love mountain biking and racing. 

At the top of the Black Mountain hike a bike.

 

It is unfortunate that so many will never experience the suffering of pushing your body to its limit.  The reward is the ability to live your life to its fullest ... and to have multiple OMG moments! To many choose to sit on the couch, in a vehicle, on a stadium seat, in a darkened theater ... numb.

Stepping off the soap box, for now.  Where was I?  The hike up was worth the ride down.  The erosion upped the entertainment factor.  And then onto the last section of Black Mountain that I would see 3 more times after today.  My goal ... to get progressively faster on this stretch. 

I rolled through the finish in 4:18:07.  Faster than last year by almost 30 minutes.  Although conditions were better than last year, I feel that my fitness played a larger part in that time gap.  Amanda and Sue crushed it, putting more time on me.  Now I was a flat tire AND broken chain behind them ... but still smiling nonetheless.

Cooled the legs off in the river talking to Sue.  Told her I would be "the lurker".  She had better keep her "A" game on (no, make that her B- game) or I would be just around the corner, ready to pounce!

Pisgah Stage Race: Stage 1

The view from the finish line.

 
The first stage was short.  Called the Blue Moon Hill Climb, it was 12 miles and 2000 vertical feet on a mix of pavement, gravel, double track, and single track.  The finish was in a high end mountain development.  To get to the start, I got to "warm up" with a 7 mile, sketchy a$$ descent down a gravel road that has not seen rain in a month.  Like riding on marbles.  Some poor soul blew the tire off his bike within the first mile; how he managed to stay upright, I do not know.

At least my bike had her race face on.

True to Todd Branham's races, the start was Leman's style.  I was the first to mount my bike and hit the short section of relatively flat to slightly downhill pavement.  Within minutes Amanda blew by me, almost causing me to go into a tailspin.  I recovered and was able to latch on to her wheel.  Soon enough Sue was up with us as well.

As soon as we turned onto gravel, the road pitched up and I popped off.  What's up, legs?  We are not going that fast.  But my legs suddenly turned into cinder blocks.  I was able to keep my competition in sight, but I knew that today was going to be just about surviving.  Coach told me that today was not going to be pretty, but that we would use it as my "leg opener."

When I started on the trail, I was bouncing all over the rocks.  I don't know if it was my suspension or me not being "at one" with the trail, but I felt like I was on a pogo stick.  People started passing me right and left and I lost sight of Sue when I had to get off and push up a few sections ... which I should not have had to do. I was expecting the trail in the Dupont State Forest to be smoother, but this trail was like riding up a dry creek bed.  Still, it WAS rideable.

I popped back out onto some more gravel grinding and seemed to find my flow a bit better.  The gravel climb back up to Blue Moon was steep and loose.  Turning back into the development, I was treated to more single track, albeit hiking trail.  Lots of steps and bridges and the last 1/2 mile up to the finish was just heinously steep.  How I managed to ride it all with crappy legs was a miracle, but I did.

I crossed the finish line in 1:11:39.  I was in third!  But of course, there were only 3 of us.  Oh, well, I was only a flat tire behind Amanda and Sue so I still had hope that I could reel them in!

Zeke raced his new SS!

I managed to give away quite a lot of Chamois Butt'r product.  One racer made the embarrassing mistake of stopping by to pick up some product in the middle of me changing back into civies!  He later introduced himself as P. Tom (as in Peeping Tom).  After he regained his composure, which wasn't until Stage 5, we had a good laugh.

Turkey and avacado on sourdough with pasta, chips and homemade cookie.

Post race food was from Poppies,  a local grocery in Brevard, that also serves delicious sandwiches, wraps, and pizzas.  The post-stage vibe was very good as racers hung around to partake in the vista, food, and beverage.  Kudos to Todd and Co. for stepping it up.  I was looking forward to Stage 2.

T Minus 1 Day

Yep ... in a little over 24 hours, I will be entering a place of beautiful suffering ... The Pisgah Stage Race.  I am looking forward to it, for when I exit, I will be a much stronger person.  The Forest is rich in waterfalls, wild, rugged trail, and vibrant views.  But to get to it and through it, one will have to take a journey of immeasurable proportions.

Last year the Pisgah Stage Race was not so kind to me.  I started off great, but fell to pieces during the last two stages.  It was not the course, but my body that failed.  Unbeknown to me at the time, I was carrying around one defective little gall bladder. 

Well, this year, I have no excuse.  I have trained for this week, so we will see what I have got.  Although the field is smaller this year (which is a shame since this is gonna be such a stellar event this year), my competition is against two very tough and talented ladies.  As I see it, right now I am solidly in third, with no way to go but up.

The weather is perfect and the course is ever so sweet, with the likes of Squirrel Gap, Laurel Mountain, Pilot Rock, and Black Mountain, to name a few.  Todd Branham has done a great job of recruiting volunteers, acquiring sponsors and I am looking forward to the food that will be provided by Poppies!

Indy ('09 Specialized Era) will get the call up for the Stage 1 Hill Climb, but it will be Stumpy ('08 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR) that will tackle the big stages. 

I will have Chamois Butt'r samples with me at the race, so come and get some.

No matter what the end results are, I will enter and exit the pain cave with a smile on my face ... well, perhaps a grimace. 

See you on the other side!