With A Heavy Heart ...

Thank you, Pam and Bruce, for 21 memorable years.

This is the one post I thought I would never have to write.  And then the unthinkable happened a couple months ago when Bruce called to tell me that The Outdoor Store was closing its doors.  My heart sunk as if someone died.  Did I not just blog about another great LBS shutting down a few months ago? Once Bruce explained the situation, I had to agree with him.  But what was I going to do?  As if the store only existed for me.  It took me a while to sort things out in my head. My vacation with Carly was the perfect therapy.

It's definitely not about me but totally about what is best for the Blevins family.  Although I am sorry for me and the community, I am happy for the new path they are going to take.  Everything happens for a reason and though I may not realize it now, by God, I will on down the road.

For the past few weeks, I have been reliving the unbelievably life changing memories that have come about through Pam and Bruce's friendship and The Outdoor Store's sponsorship over the past 19 years. Like, in 2000, the first time I used clipless pedals.  They said to come ride some gravel roads and double track to get used to them before I went on single track.  Sounded reasonable, I thought. However, they took me on the now defunct Tellico ORV trail system.  Holy cows!  That is NOT where you take a clipless newbie!

Or when I joined the "racing team" in 1999.  To be a part of a family that loved to get sweaty and dirty and push the limits was a dream come true.  One of my first races was the Bud Light Ocoee Challenge held at Chilhowee Mountain.  I began my career in the Sport category. Somehow I managed to finish the 16 mile course in 4th in 1 hour 54 minutes.

Note the tennis shoes and toe clips.  How I ever survived, I do not know.

I was totally spent.  Charlie had come to spectate.  On the way home, I was so exhausted that I fell asleep. This is the race that Ellen Carroll blew past me like I was standing still and then rode a rock garden like a beast.  I had to walk it!  Seeing her do what she did is what inspired me to get my shit together so that I could be like her one day!  My hunger was insatiable.

In 2000, I upgraded my racing machine to the 2000 Specialized FSRxc, the unofficial beginning of the S-Works line.  I didn't care that it weighed 28 pounds; I felt even faster on this machine!

So pro, with the squiggly SID.

In 2002, the team started to get some home town recognition.

I am in the background, 7 months pregnant.

I remember the year I about killed my husband making him ride the Tour For Tots ride that the store put on to raise money for Christmas gifts for those kids less fortunate.  Carly was about 5 years old and on the Trail-A-Bike.  I was enjoying the hills, even when my little stoker was not stoking. On the other hand, Charlie was being a good husband and father and suffering like a dog.

And the time when I almost had a sub 3 hour 100K Ride For Life hosted in part by the store.  Joshua used to pedal back then and was a beast!  I remember saying to myself with about 10 miles to go, "Just hang on, you got this, don't pop now!"

I will cherish these forever.

I still have my first two team jerseys.  They "swallow" me now.  Had The Outdoor Store not existed, I wonder ... would I have still found mountain biking?  Or would I have taken up another sport?  Or would I have just vegetated on the couch eating Twinkies and drinking Diet Cokes?  I am so thankful for them opening up my eyes to this riding bikes thing.  I have seen so much because of them.  I have pushed my limits and then reset them innumerable times.  I have made good friends.  I have discovered new foods. I have gotten stronger.  All these things ... because of the impact The Outdoor Store made on me.

Before Swiftwicks were Swiftwicks, they were WickWear.

I have 3 pairs of these socks left.  They are 15 years old! A true testament to the quality of Swiftwick. The Outdoor Store was one of the first accounts the company had.

One of the original bottles.

I felt so loyal to this LBS that I purchased as much as I could through them.  One time I even cancelled a S-Works bike frame order with another bike shop because I felt guilty. Apparently after 15 years of being a Specialized dealer, The Outdoor Store wasn't good enough (not doing enough volume) to continue being an S-Works dealer. That was in 2010.  As a result of that guilt, Bruce became a Niner dealer, and I started riding them.

But with the days of on-line shopping, all small businesses are feeling it. I suppose that this is the evolution of shopping, but darn it, sometimes I wish we could go back to the days of Sears and Roebuck.  So when I stepped back into the store after we got back from our vacation, I got choked up.  Reality hit me hard when I saw 3 bikes left on the floor and racks devoid of product.

For me, I will move on and make a new LBS friend.  It will just mean traveling a bit further. I hope to find a new team that will treat me with as much kindness and respect as Pam and Bruce have.  For them, I wish all the happiness in their new endeavors.

Bruce was/is an amazing mechanic. I never once lost or DNF'd a race due to a mechanical.  He kept my machines in immaculate operating condition.  If he didn't know an answer to a problem, he would call until he found someone that did.  That will be my biggest headache; finding a new mechanic that I can entrust my "wheeled" kids to.  This is more serious than finding a new doctor, people!

And if you ever have a hankering for tinkering on some bad ass bikes, Bruce, my basement door is always open ...

Thanks for the memories!

Dirty 30 XXC Race Report

The Cysco machine was ready, but was I?

Having felt some fitness gains during the Skyway Epic, I decided I needed to get back on my single speed and test my legs.  With Marathon Nationals only 3 weeks away, I needed at least one race on my Cysco SS before the Big One.

There were five of us fine ladies that rolled up to the start of the Mountain Goat Adventures cross country plus race at Blankets in Canton, Georgia.  This course has great flow and is a single speeder's paradise. Being a noon time start, it was going to be hot.  I chose to wear my CamelBak as there are not too many good spots to drink from a bottle while mashing one gear.

The start was as fast as I could spin a 32 x 20 around the parking lot. I, along with Naomi, hopped in behind the expert men.  Naomi took the lead and I followed along spinning the cranks as fast as I could on Mosquito Flats.  I was happy when the climb up VMT started, as I thought I was going to "throw a rod" carrying a cadence of 120+.  Soon I closed the gap down on Naomi and then fought to hang onto her wheel. My legs had not completely opened up yet.  I was hoping she wasn't going to kick it into next gear, as I would not be able to follow.

VMT was over before I knew it and we were on the flat section heading towards Dwelling.  My legs were coming around.  I could now enjoy the furious pace being put down by Naomi.  So smooth and consistent, it was fun following her!  We began working our way around a few racers, but were also having to let by a few from the wave that started behind us.  Everyone played nice.

Beginning the climb up to the South Loop, a tree grabbed Naomi's bar and threw her down promptly. I stopped and made sure she was o.k. She laughed it off, hopped back on her bike, and we were off once again, frolicking through the woods as two little kids would with a care free attitude.  I think this trail is the most technical. It has a few rock gardens that you have to pick your way through. But where I had an "Oh, sh!t!" moment was on the baby head littered chicane style descent.  Those rocks wanted my front wheel. It was a wrestling match all ... the ... way ... down!

On the second twitchy descent, Naomi went down, a victim of those little bastards.  She was fine, but this time, I came around her.  I picked up the pace slightly, expecting to hear her come bearing down on me anytime.  That never happened and when I hit Mosquito Flats, I ramped up the cadence, trying to put some time between her and I ... or, at the very least, not let her make up any on me during this flat as a pancake section of trail.

On the second lap, I focused on being smooth, resting on the descents, maintaining momentum, and giving it all I had on the climbs.  On a couple of the super steep sections where there was a technical aspect, I just did not have the torque to get up it.  So I had to channel my inner cyclocross racer.  I was beginning to feel the heat as well, but knowing Naomi was lurking somewhere behind me, I had to stay on the gas.  After she blew by me on the Noontootla climb during Southern Cross (like I was standing still), I knew I would not be safe until I crossed the finish line.

The South Loop seemed to have grown in length on this second lap. But once I was on the final climb, I was smelling the barn.  Soon enough I popped out onto the last half mile of flat and spun like a cartoon character all the way to the finish.

Shorts failure! 😒

Crossing the line in 2:40:02.  My lap times were pretty consistent, too. 1:19:46 and 1:20:16, repectively.  Happy with that, as I had felt much slower on the second lap.  Looking back at last year's time, I was only 40 seconds slower today.  So I do believe that I am climbing out of whatever funk I had going on earlier this year.  Which is a good thing, since my "A" race is just around the corner!

The Outdoor Store - My Local Bike Shop

Established 1996

My favorite store celebrated 20 years of service in 2016.  It is hard to imagine I have been a patron for 18 years.  It is also hard to believe that a store of this nature (selling bikes, outdoor clothing, and camping gear) has survived in Athens, a town of 14,000.  The Outdoor Store is a testament to Pam and Bruce Blevins' commitment to providing quality products as well as outstanding service to its customers and the community.

With the astronomical increase in web sales over the past 5 years, it is hard for small local businesses to survive and compete in a world dominated by internet giants. I've been reflecting on my own shopping practices the past few weeks, especially when trying to get last minute Christmas gifts.

What really got me stirred up was the closing of Bear Creek Bicycles in Dalton, Georgia, after almost 10 years of providing the same quality of product and service that my "bike shop" does.  I had never stepped foot into Bear Creek until December 21.  But ... I knew from email contact, friends and social media and through events they sponsored that they were a top notch LBS.  Following Shane Adams on Instagram also allowed me to see what a devoted husband and father he is ... and is in part responsible for my plans to travel across the United States with my daughter this coming summer.

Stellar service, fine bikes, good times ... no longer.

So for Shane to do everything right and still have to shut his doors got me thinking about how we as consumers search for the best deal. Sometimes the "best" deal is not the cheapest.  I try my best to purchase most of my cycling products from The Outdoor Store.  It may not always be the cheapest, but they will go to bat for you should there be an issue with the product.

I have had many items warrantied over the years.  Most of the time it is simple enough to get a new product.  However, there have been a few times where Bruce has had to be my advocate, on his own time, and carry on a lengthy conversation with the maker of the product.  And then, he has had to take additional time to uninstall the warrantied product, ship it, and then re install the replacement product back on my bike.  All of this costs him time which equals money.  For instance, this past summer, Bruce had my SID RCT fork on and off my Niner RKT so many times I lost count.  It was not working right and he must have spent at least 6 hours of his time working with SRAM to try to fix it. He ultimately got it warrantied.  It cost me nothing, but at a rate of $50/hour labor, it cost Bruce $300.

How many of us have gone to a store to try on a product, only to purchase it online because we can save a few $$?  Shame on us!  I can somewhat understand shopping for a frame or complete bike online because you can sometimes save a lot!  Now the bike industry has gotten to a point where there are opportunities for the consumer to purchase a complete bike for less than what the local bike shop can buy it for.  Crazy!  That is just one of the reasons that Bear Creek had to close its doors.  I also found out that some of the big name bicycle companies are making it harder for the small bike shops to make small purchases without a penalty.

How many of us use Amazon to get that little thing like Stan's sealant, an inner tube, or on the bike nutrition product?  I have a handful of times. And what did we save ... a dollar or two, the cost of the sales tax?  We need to keep it local as much as we can.  For without our LBS, then we are left to travelling afar to seek products and services or left to online retailers.  I trust my LBS, but can I trust a company with whom I don't have face-to-face contact, who doesn't know me by name, but only by an order #?

I definitely don't want to see The Outdoor Store close its doors ... ever!  Fortunately for them, they are not just a bike store, and can rely on selling shoes, clothes, and outdoor gear.  I usually don't make New Year's resolutions but for 2017 I resolve to make as many purchases at my LBS.  Over the course of the year, it might cost me $50, but it will be well worth the additional expense. I want The Outdoor Store to keep opening its doors for another 20 years.

Here is to a new year and supporting out "Mom and Pop" stores!

Niner

I've been on Niner bikes since 2011.  My first Niner was an Air 9 Carbon that I built up as a SS. I no longer have her, but she is still on the racing scene, under the guide of SuperStrong Mary Sickler. The first of this year I got the RKT RDO and I've just welcomed the Air 9 RDO to my family.

It has taken awhile to get "Echo" dialed in; that's my RKT.  Yes, I name my bikes (and still sleep with stuffed animals). Why Echo?  Because when I was in the Army, my MOS (military occupation specialty) was a heavy equipment operator.  Dozers, pans, graders, and front end loaders took skill and finesse to operate.  And so the same goes for her.  But once you have mastered the skill, it is an absolute blast to be in the saddle and raging single track.

Fox SC 32 in stealth mode

I initially had a RockShox RCT 100mm installed on her, but it just didn't feel or act right.  I was able to warranty it (although I was not told what the problem was).  At first I waited to get my hands on the new RockShox SID WC, but the delivery date kept getting pushed back.  So I decided to try the Fox StepCast 32 Boost.  I am so glad I did.  It felt right ... right out of the box and after removing all the tokens.  I totally agree with Dickey on this fork.

A great stopper

SRAM's Guide brakes are on the opposite end of the spectrum as compared to the Avid's. Plenty of power and I just love how they feel; not squishy like the older Maguras I had on my Jet 9 RDO.

I-9'a are just ridiculous in so many ways

I chose a set of Pillar Carbon Industry 9 wheels.  This is the first carbon wheelset I had.  I really don't notice much difference in them as compared to their Ultralight aluminun hoops, but then again I am but a mere half pint.  What I do notice is that they go where you point them, the engagement is what I need for rock crawling, and the spokes/hubs are sexy!

Completing her build is a Niner bar and stem, Ergon grips, SRAM 1 x 11, RaceFace Next SL with Cinch direct mount, Xpedo M Force 8 Ti pedals, and a Specialized S-Works Phenom saddle. I also installed a Reverb dropper, which cost a bit of weight, but so worth it for confidence in descending the gnar.  Even with the weight penalty, she comes in at 22.8 pounds.

Have yet to take her on the maiden voyage

I am ready to take this one for a ride.  However, what with all the wildfires, my lungs would be all sad with any HR above 100 right now. So, she sits in the basement awaiting the rain.

Loving the color palette

I've outfitted her with the StepCast and the new Ultralite 235's. Industry 9's new AnoLab page where you can build your custom wheel set is super sick! Pretty much tried to build her similar to Echo, so that I can rob parts if I need to in an emergency situation.  The Guide brakes are probably overkill, but when I was running XTR's on my older Air 9, they just did not have the stopping power I needed.  I like the 4 piston power.  At some point, I would like to try the SRAM Level brakes.

Going BIG

Bruce built her up with an Eagle drivetrain and the RaceFace Next SL G4 with a Wolftooth direct mount 32T.  According to their website, it provides an ideal 49 mm chainline, as compared to RaceFace's 51 mm.

Trying out Wolftooth for the first time

My intention for her is gravel grinds and shorter endurance events where I don't need the FS and drooper capabilities that Echo provides. Right now, she weighs in at 19.25 pounds.

I must give Mike Stanley of Niner, Bruce Blevins of The Outdoor Store, Industry 9, and Xpedo a HUGE thank you for providing me with a less than retail opportunity to shred on this machine.

Blessed

Marathon Nationals

During the Blankets 6 hour race last month, somebody who was holding onto my rear wheel, asked how I was always "so (insert expletive of choice) fast?"  At that moment, all I could say was that I was blessed.  I have been able to reflect back upon this moment and can now provide a little better explanation.

Blessed, in my case, is a culmination of lots of things:

1.  Hard work.  Rain or shine, hot or cold, I am out on the bike, focused on the session for the day.  No whining allowed.

2.  Proper nutrition.  Being celiac + intolerant to grains, legumes, and dairy kinda makes this one easy, at least on paper.  Nonetheless, meal planning is a constant, arduous task.  For road trips, I either have to find a place to cook my meals or bring along my travel kitchen (microwave, cooler, blender, steamer).  I can't press the easy button, i.e. restaurant.

3.  Rest.  This is perhaps the hardest to do.  I am like a shark ... if I stop moving, I fear I will die.  Judge Judy does give me 30-60 minutes of forced rest each weekday night, tho'.  I also try to get 8-9 hours of sleep each night.

4.  Family network.  Having a husband that allows me the opportunity to spend large chunks of time away from him and understands my need for the bike is wonderful.  Having a daughter who enjoys staying with Dadda or the grandparents while I am racing is nice, too.  I also have awesome parents that enjoy Carly's company.  Occasionally I will "drag" Carly to some of my events, but it usually involves a bribe of some sort.

5.  Coach.  Lynda is boss!   She has been coaching me for 5 years and at times I think she knows me better than I.  She loves her job and it shows.  And as an added bonus, she is pretty darn good at the nutrition thing, too.

6.  Zeke.  He has been my training partner for 8 years.  He got me into this mess and now I guess he figures he owes it to me to keep me safe on the trail.  He puts up with my doggedness and faithfully follows me along on my adventures.

7.  The Outdoor Store.  They have been my LBS for 14 years.  Bruce is an amazing mechanic and has never let me down in prepping my race bikes.  I buy 90% of my bike stuff from him ... the 10% I don't is because he tells me to get it elsewhere.  I do shop online quite a bit, but when it comes down to bikes, parts, and accessories, TOS gets my business!

8.  Sponsors.  Without these companies, racing would be exponentially harder.  At times, I don't feel like I am worthy as I probably gain more from them than vice versa.  But then, people tell me how I have influenced them in regards to certain products and I take that as a small victory.

Having said that, I am proud to announce some new sponsors for 2014.  Cysco Cycles, based right out of Ooltewah, Tennessee has created a work of art for my single speed campaign.  Industry 9 has crafted a set of stellar wheels.  And Cane Creek has sent me their exquisite 110 head set.  Endless Bikes has been on board for 3 years and will make it 4 for 2014.  All made in the good 'ol USA.

9.  Luck.  Be it chance or something more (higher), sometimes it takes a little bit of this to make all the pieces of the puzzle fit.  I seemed to have had my fill of the bad, but this year I think the tables have turned and I am in the black.  For instance, at Nationals my bike worked perfectly ... on race day.  And then 3 weeks later, at Blankets, I dropped a chain twice, cranks came loose, and I burped a tire.

So there may be an ingredient or two I have left out, but by and large, the above is what makes me FAST. Now, if I can just keep it up for another year ...

XC National Championship Eve

Tomorrow is the big day.  This is what I have been preparing for all year.  The butterflies are swirling; Zeke said they are dragonflies, ready to do battle.  I keep telling myself that I have done everything I can do to get ready.  I am not worried about me:  the legs are sparkly, the mind is focused, this is my kind of course.  My concerns lie with the bike.  Will the other brake break?  Why is my shoe making that squeaky noise when I pedal?  Will my tires hold up?  Will my chain break? And the list goes on.

I must let go of the negatives and focus on the positives.  It is going to be hot and humid.  The course is uber technical.  Consistency is the key.  I have great support.  I love rocks!  I have lots of new red blood cell friends to fuel my muscles.  It is my race to lose.  This is the list I must replay in my mind tonight as I drift off to sleep.

Today I went for an easy spin to just remind the legs of what is needed of them tomorrow.  "Spin to win" and "float like a butterfly" will be my mantras.  I found a little park to do some laps, practice my start, and work on some CX maneuvers for the trainwrecks that will most likely ensue on this true mountain biker's course.

Nice 1 mile loop to spin out the legs
.

My left shoe was being all noisy so I loc-tited the bolts and then went for a little spin in the hotel to test it out.

Yes, I will always be a kid at heart.  And luckily no one burst out their room door!  I go off tomorrow at 10:30.  3 laps with some tough competition.  I WILL have fun, ride my own race, be safe, and the rest will fall into place.

Marathon National Race Report

As I lay in bed the night before the race, I began to second guess what I had done in the week leading up to this one.  20 hours of riding is not how one should prep for a National Championship.  My legs were heavy, my head was aching, and my stomach churned with butterflies.  This was not what I had come to Idaho for.  Back in the spring when I began to plan this trip, the only thing on the agenda was to "just ride."  It was not until mid-May that my friend asked, "Do you know what is taking place the week you are going to be in Ketchum?"  I had no clue that the Marathon Natz was gonna be there.  "Oh, hell!" was my reply.  Now I had to race!  I did this before back in 2009:  24 hours of riding in the Colorado mountains topped off with the Marathon Natz in Breckenridge.  I placed a respectable 4th in my age category then.  Back then it was gears; this time it was only gonna be one.

There were 6 ladies in the single speed division.  Andrea and I were the only lowlanders.  Three were unknowns, but all were strong (after some quick Google searches).  I opted to use a Camelbak for the first lap even though I hated the extra weight on my back when I was standing and grinding.  The air was dry and I needed to be sure I drank adequately.

The gun went off and before we set off on the 2 mile bike path stretch over to the Coldsprings climb, we had to do this silly little parade loop around the base of the ski slope.  After a brief section of flat single track, the course immediately went straight up the mountain on a snow cat track.  I was dead last as my legs barked immediately from the get go.  I so wanted to get off and walk up that bit, but everyone else was grinding up.  And so I did as well.  Eventually we all had to get off and walk a steep section up to the River Run single track.  From there it was a series of switchbacks back down to the lodge and then we were off on to the bike path.

Spin spin spin ... coast coast coast ... and repeat.  I was able to reel in 1 lady and pass her.  Now I was in 5th.  And then the 9 mile climb began!  The first 4 miles was gravel road and double track.  The high cadence low torque bike path section allowed my legs to wake up without blowing up.  Whe I hit the climb, the legs were there!  I marked 4th place and slowly began to reel her in.  There are two short kickers in the first 4 miles.  I caught up to 4th on the first one.  It seemed that she was running a bigger gear than I as she struggled up the climb and eventually dismounted.  Wanting to save my legs, I wisely got off and pushed as well.  I passed her before the second kicker.  Now I was in 4th.

Cold Springs gravel climb

I saw Andrea next.  She was not too far ahead and I caught up to her as we entered the single track.  She too, was pushing a bigger gear.  I was content to follow as my heart rate was about 7 beats higher than where I wanted it to be.  I needed to settle.  We soon got caught up in traffic.  Andrea called out very politely, "single speeders needing on by" so many times that she should have had a recording.  I knew that talking expended energy so I was happy that she was in front (I ain't no FOOL).  With about 2 miles left on the Cold Springs Trail, I saw a bit of weakness and decided it was time to go.  Now I was in 3rd.

I passed quite a number of racers on this climb.  For the most part, everyone was polite and would yield some trail so that I could motor on through.  The group that I had the most difficulty with were the 50+ men. There were a couple that just did not want to be passed, especially by a woman.  Did they not know they were racing for 2nd to last place?  I finally managed to skirt around them, but it took every ounce of energy and focus to not rub handle bars or fall off the mountain.   I suppose getting passed by a woman on a single speed can be kind of an ego killer.

Difficult to pass on the Cold Springs Trail

Finally after a little over an hour of continual climbing I was at the top.  Now came the beginning of the 13 mile descent (with a couple of hiccups in).  When I had pre ridden a few days before, the descent was, for the most part, smooth and flowy.  There were a few rocky areas where you had to be light on the bike for fear of slashing a side wall, but otherwise very fast!  Today was a different story ... it was a wash board!  Apparently people were a little heavy handed on the brakes and the trail turned into a wash board.  The racers on this side of the mountain were very polite and I was able to get around without losing much time.

The two hiccups I mentioned were 5-7 minute climbs, one on single track and one on double track.  I saw Zeke at the 2nd aid station on the 2nd hiccup climb.  He told me that Rebecca was 10+ minutes ahead and 2nd place was about 5 minutes ahead.  At this point I did not think much about that other than riding my own race.

Hershey Highway was a ballsy doubletrack loose gravely descent down to the River Run single track.  It was all about leaning the bike far enough to carve the turns but not too far and eating it in the loose rock.  Max speed for me on this section was a screaming 35 mph.

The River Run Single track was a series of 15-20 switchbacks back down to the lodge.  Sharp rock reared their ugly heads, especially in the corners.  This is where Rebecca flatted last year during XC Natz and lost the race.  This thought I kept in the back of my head as I negotiated this descent.  The switch backs were tight and loose.  Basically you stuck your front wheel in the rut, squeezed your rear brake, and slid your rear wheel around.  After 10 times I was ready to be down to the bottom.

Just before you hit the bottom, there are two options to take.  The "A" line is a 30 yard rocky face at 30-40% grade.  If you screw this up, you will get hurt.  If you clean it, you will be 30 seconds faster.  The "B" line is one more switchback descent.

"A" line --note Zeke at the top

During the pre ride, my head was not in it and I did not do the "A" line.  Today, my focus was razor sharp, I turned my brain off, and let my body take control.  Cleaned the "A" line and gave myself a mental boost for the second lap.

When I entered the feed zone, my cooler was not where I left it.  Volunteers came from every direction!  One held my bike, the others found my blue and white cooler in a sea of blue and white coolers.  One lady even popped the top on my Red Bull.  She excitedly cried out,  " I've been wanting to do something all day!"  Those people amazingly got me out of there in record time.  I ditched my CamelBak and went with a water bottle as I knew at the first aid station at the top of the climb there would be a water bottle feed.

Cold Springs Trail

The climb up Cold Springs the second time was brutal.  There was less traffic and those who were in front of me seemed happy to stop and let me by.  I had to will the legs to turn the pedals over on the steeper sections.  Fortunately, I think the patience pill I took before the race saved enough energy in my legs on the first lap to allow me to grind up the mountain the second time.  (When I looked at the results I was only 2 minutes slower the second time up.)

Warm Springs descent

After the first hiccup climb, I began to descend down to the Warm Springs Traverse Trail.  I heard the dreaded "pssssssss."  Oh, no!  I cannot be getting a flat!  I kept descending hoping the Stan's would work.  After about 45 seconds the hissing stopped.  I stopped to see how my rear tire felt.  Funny,  it was still firm.  If I did not puncture, what was that noise?  I continued to descend.  Two minutes later, I heard this buzzing noise and then, "Bam!"  I got stung near my left shoulder.  There was a dang bee in my jersey.  That was what had been making that noise.  I got stung 2 more times before I could stop, unzip, and get that bastard out.  There were people coming up on me, so I did not have time to zip my jersey back up.

When I began the second hiccup climb, I passed a racer who told me that second place was just up the road.  Holy crap!  I thanked him for the info and embraced the pain cave!  I motored like there was no tomorrow, clawing my way up that climb, looking around every corner to try to catch a glimpse.  Right before I reached the top, I saw her!

With about 4-5 miles to go, all of it descending, did I have the skills to catch her?  I did not know, but I was going to find out in the next 15 minutes.  I screamed down Hershey highway.  Every time I caught a glimpse of her, she was growing.  I was closing!   When she reached the River Run single track, I was about 30 seconds behind her.  2 1/2 miles to go!  With each switchback turn, I was reeling her in.  But how would I pass her on this tight single track without taking us both out?  It looked like it was going to come down to the rock wall.  Would she take the "A" line?  If she did, game over.  But as she approached, she turned right onto the "B" line!

I turned left, flew down the rock wall like it was child's play and rolled through the finish, 30 seconds ahead of her.  I just took second in the Marathon Nationals Single Speed division!  I was so stoked!

I felt a little embarassed coming through the finish with an unzipped jersey, but stopping to zip it up would have cost me 2nd place.

I came into this race expecting no more than a good time and a safe finish.  What a way to finish off an epic week of riding in the Sawtooth mountains of Idaho!

YES!

I want to thank The Outdoor Store for a perfectly working machine, Endless Bikes for that wonderfully big 22 cog, Pro Gold for a happy drive train, and Chamois Butt'r for a happy toosh.  And a big shout out to my Coach, Lynda Wallenfels, for prepping the engine!