My 2011 racing schedule is finalized and got Coach's seal of approval. My big event will be the TNGA, the Trans North Georgia. This is a multi-day, self-supported/partially supported race across Georgia through the Chattahoochee National Forest. 350 miles and over 56,000 feet of climbing. 2010 was the inaugural event which took place over Labor Day weekend. 18 started and 12 survived.
I started my prep work for this event last week by riding sections 6, 7, and 8. Zeke was a big help as he is very familiar with this area. On Thursday, we shuttled my vehicle to Buddy Cove Gap and then started our adventure at Shallowford Bridge. Starting out in 24 degree weather was definitely not my cup of tea, but with layers and hand/toe warmers, I managed to stay warm as long as I was pedaling up.
It had been a couple years since I had last ridden the Aska trails. Stanley Gap is definitely more difficult going in this direction = lot of short hike a bikes. I expect that come race day, these trails will be ridden in the dark, so I hope to be able to come back at a later date and do a night ride.
Once off Stanley Gap, there is a lot of pavement/gravel road pedaling. I passed a lot of churches, but no outside spigots were available. I thought that was kind of unusual as in my neck of the woods, I have several churches I stop at to refill bottles on my road rides.
Close to the turn onto Bushy Head Road, I saw an automotive mechanic shop that had a hose bib. Hoping that will still be there in 10 months. Further on down the road, I saw the barn where Eddie had a couple hours of fitful sleep.
I was back in familiar territory when I hit Watson Gap. From there I rode part of the Cohutta 100 course, down to Jacks River Fields, then entered the South Fork Trail. Zeke had painted a bad picture of this trail as well as the most eastern section of the Pinhoti; think wet, sloppy, and horsed-up. Aside from just two muddy sections which we were able to skirt around, it was actually a very pleasant ride. When we came to the 15 foot long, foot deep creek crossing, we pondered for a few minutes. Seeing as how the air temp was only 37 degrees, we did not want any wet body parts. Zeke found a good line, neither of us bobbled, and we were dry upon exiting the other side. Whew!
The climb up the Pinhoti to FS 64 was slow and soft, but kept me warm. We ended our day with 6 hours on the bike and roughly 46 miles ridden.
On Friday, we shuttled my truck to Dalton and started our ride from Mulberry Gap. Up P3 to a brief pedal on Hwy 52, then on P4. This was my first time on this section. Let me tell you, it was a hoot. The funnest part was descending Tatum Lead. As I was flying down this section, all I could think was how fast I would really be going at this point in this race with a belly full of Ginni's finest cooking! Which then led to the thought of how hard the P3 climb was going to be on a belly full of Ginni's finest cooking.
Back on to the Pinhoti, this section of trail was really steep and loose. The leaves made it difficult to see what lay ahead so I took it nice and easy. Once it flattened out along Rock Creek, it was a beautiful ride to FS3. FS3 was a stark contrast to the previous trail, what with strewn beer cans and fast food trash.
A few more miles of gravel and then the remainder of the course was pavement into Dalton. Pretty uneventful once we found our way onto the correct road across 411. The cue sheet was a little confusing so I went up 411 instead of just crossing over it. Oh, well, that is why I am reconning.
Feeling a little frisky on the paved roads and trying not to get bored, I saw some road kill up ahead, a guinea fowl to be exact. Upon trying to bunny hop it, my rear wheel grazed the bird and I swore I heard the thing make a noise, a weak squawk! Being a fresh kill, I must have hit the thoracic area, forcing air out of the bird. Hilarious!
Airport Road was FOREVER so I can only imagine what it will feel like during the race. We ended our day at the Walnut Square Mall with 4 hours and 40 miles in the saddle.
So now I am familiar with Sections 6-9. Only 6 more sections and roughly 220 miles left to go!
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Friday, November 12, 2010
The Swank Race Report
Now that's the way to end a fantastic, fun-filled season! I was worried after my Berryman fiasco that I would repeat, either with a bike or body mechanical. I left everything out on the trail and could not have raced it better.
I chose Stumpy to race, for the stability and extra travel. I raced her at The Pisgah Stage Race and was in awe how she responded to the technical terrain ... I can only imagine how a 2011 model would perform!
Upon arriving at the venue, it was 21 degrees. I must have muddled around for an hour or so, trying to figure out what I was going to wear. I started out with several layers, but as the sun rose and warmed the landscape, I shed most of it.
The start was Lemans style; I took my time and spared my ankles. I hit the first bit of single track probably in the top 30-40. It was a pretty mellow pace climbing Thrift Cove. I was wanting to go, go , go, but I also did not want to spend precious energy passing people or throw a stick into my derailleur. I do believe this 20 minutes spent warming up Thrift Cove was in my best interest.
As it opened up onto some double track, I was able to let the reins loose and fly. Indeed I did fly by a lot of people. My legs were sparkly and it felt as if there were no chain on the bike. I had not ridden the first section of Daniel Ridge since '08 so I did slow a bit to negotiate the tight, twisty turns and multiple bridges. But once out onto FS 475, I gunned it. One fellow I passed said I was in first place, to which I replied, "No, I am not. There are quite a few guys in front of me." He then proceeded to tell me I was probably in the top 20. I took that as a top 30-35; not bad this early in the race. I usually am pretty consistent throughout the entirety of the race, while a lot of guys seem to blow their stack about the midway point. I had multiple carrot opportunities in front of me.
Butter Gap was a hoot. Having ridden it the day before, I was able to rail it, despite the leaves. There was one sketchy area where a natural spring follows the trail; it was slick and muddy, but I managed to keep the rubber side down.
Long Branch is a 2.5 mile climb back up to FS 475. Although super steep in areas, it flows well. I was able to ride it all, despite having a couple guys in front bobble. The next bit of fire road was climbing up to Farlow; all I know is that it is much easier to race up this steep section when you are fresh as compared to seeing it on Day 3 of the PSR. There were a few downhillers at the top getting ready to ride Farlow. As I passed one of them, I earned a new nickname, "the goddess of internal combustion." Quite a compliment, thank you very much Mr. Downhiller.
I do believer all the leaves on Farlow made it easier to ride. It made the trail appear smoother; I leaned back onto my rear tire and let Stumpy do the work. I did dismount in several areas, fearing death or dismemberment. Hey, this gal has gotta work come Monday! One guy on a Gary Fisher SS 29'r blew by me like I was sitting still. He was awesome! But I did ride more of it than during PSR. I also ran the hike-a-bike sections faster. I was able to hold my own within a group of guys during the hiking. Let's remember, I am having to push/carry a greater percentage of my weight than the men.
On the final descent down the last bit of Farlow and Daniel Ridge, I did let a few guys by me. They were rockin' it. I also had vivid memories of that dreaded sidewall gash at Berryman and did not want a repeat on this rocky descent. I stopped at aid station 3 and grabbed a bottle to get me through the last 10 miles or so.
I treated this last 10 miles like an XC race. Knowing that the last few miles were descending Thrift Cove Trail to the finish, I rode the last 7 miles like a scalded dog! After big-ringing FS 475 and Davidson River Trail, I TT'd up FS 475B and FS 225. This 4 miles of climbing I had done earlier this year while on a recon mission so I knew just how far I had to go. I put the hammer down and passed ALL the guys who had passed me on Farlow.
I did let Mr. SS Phenom by on Thrift Cove. This last bit of single track was over before I knew it. I could smell the hamburgers grilling on the final 0.5 mile descent. Oh, that was mouth watering! I rolled under the Finish line in 4:15:03 ... 1st lady and 18th O/A (out of 150). Whew! A perfect season ender!
Coach dialed me in perfect for the last two races. I am most grateful that I was able to perform well at both; that definitely gives me the confidence I will need going on into the winter preparing for 2011. Hmmm ... now I get to start planning my 2011 season. Exciting times ... exciting times indeed!
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| 2008 S-Works SJ FSR with Ergon bling! |
I chose Stumpy to race, for the stability and extra travel. I raced her at The Pisgah Stage Race and was in awe how she responded to the technical terrain ... I can only imagine how a 2011 model would perform!
Upon arriving at the venue, it was 21 degrees. I must have muddled around for an hour or so, trying to figure out what I was going to wear. I started out with several layers, but as the sun rose and warmed the landscape, I shed most of it.
The start was Lemans style; I took my time and spared my ankles. I hit the first bit of single track probably in the top 30-40. It was a pretty mellow pace climbing Thrift Cove. I was wanting to go, go , go, but I also did not want to spend precious energy passing people or throw a stick into my derailleur. I do believe this 20 minutes spent warming up Thrift Cove was in my best interest.
As it opened up onto some double track, I was able to let the reins loose and fly. Indeed I did fly by a lot of people. My legs were sparkly and it felt as if there were no chain on the bike. I had not ridden the first section of Daniel Ridge since '08 so I did slow a bit to negotiate the tight, twisty turns and multiple bridges. But once out onto FS 475, I gunned it. One fellow I passed said I was in first place, to which I replied, "No, I am not. There are quite a few guys in front of me." He then proceeded to tell me I was probably in the top 20. I took that as a top 30-35; not bad this early in the race. I usually am pretty consistent throughout the entirety of the race, while a lot of guys seem to blow their stack about the midway point. I had multiple carrot opportunities in front of me.
 | ||
| The top of Butter Gap Trail |
Butter Gap was a hoot. Having ridden it the day before, I was able to rail it, despite the leaves. There was one sketchy area where a natural spring follows the trail; it was slick and muddy, but I managed to keep the rubber side down.
 | |
| You ride down this rocky section; may not look it but traction is superb. |
Long Branch is a 2.5 mile climb back up to FS 475. Although super steep in areas, it flows well. I was able to ride it all, despite having a couple guys in front bobble. The next bit of fire road was climbing up to Farlow; all I know is that it is much easier to race up this steep section when you are fresh as compared to seeing it on Day 3 of the PSR. There were a few downhillers at the top getting ready to ride Farlow. As I passed one of them, I earned a new nickname, "the goddess of internal combustion." Quite a compliment, thank you very much Mr. Downhiller.
I do believer all the leaves on Farlow made it easier to ride. It made the trail appear smoother; I leaned back onto my rear tire and let Stumpy do the work. I did dismount in several areas, fearing death or dismemberment. Hey, this gal has gotta work come Monday! One guy on a Gary Fisher SS 29'r blew by me like I was sitting still. He was awesome! But I did ride more of it than during PSR. I also ran the hike-a-bike sections faster. I was able to hold my own within a group of guys during the hiking. Let's remember, I am having to push/carry a greater percentage of my weight than the men.
On the final descent down the last bit of Farlow and Daniel Ridge, I did let a few guys by me. They were rockin' it. I also had vivid memories of that dreaded sidewall gash at Berryman and did not want a repeat on this rocky descent. I stopped at aid station 3 and grabbed a bottle to get me through the last 10 miles or so.
I treated this last 10 miles like an XC race. Knowing that the last few miles were descending Thrift Cove Trail to the finish, I rode the last 7 miles like a scalded dog! After big-ringing FS 475 and Davidson River Trail, I TT'd up FS 475B and FS 225. This 4 miles of climbing I had done earlier this year while on a recon mission so I knew just how far I had to go. I put the hammer down and passed ALL the guys who had passed me on Farlow.
I did let Mr. SS Phenom by on Thrift Cove. This last bit of single track was over before I knew it. I could smell the hamburgers grilling on the final 0.5 mile descent. Oh, that was mouth watering! I rolled under the Finish line in 4:15:03 ... 1st lady and 18th O/A (out of 150). Whew! A perfect season ender!
Coach dialed me in perfect for the last two races. I am most grateful that I was able to perform well at both; that definitely gives me the confidence I will need going on into the winter preparing for 2011. Hmmm ... now I get to start planning my 2011 season. Exciting times ... exciting times indeed!
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Berryman Epic Race Report
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| Schwag bag was also the drop bag. |
I managed to line up within the first few rows (250 racers in all) and patiently waited for someone to yell, "Go!" Instead, I was momentarily stunned by a blast from a cannon, which I swear to God was right next to me, although I never saw it. I will remember that next year.
The start was FAST and hectic. I rubbed wheels with more than one racer. How I managed to stay upright I don't know; perhaps it is my "cat-like" skills. There were 3 gradual miles climbing on loose gravel before the single track so I settled into a slightly higher effort than I wanted, but knew that I could recover from. Catharine passed me pretty quickly, but I managed to stay within sight of her and slowly reeled her back in. As we entered the single track, I was a few racers behind her.
Settling into "stealth" mode I took it easy and watched my competition for any signs of weakness. I really knew nothing about her, other than she raced road and cross. The first section of single track was wide, smooth, and rolling ... big ring territory!
After about 10 minutes, I realized that although I was not as powerful as her, I had the upper hand in the technical stuff. I made a pass when she bobbled on a sketchy climb, dug deep to open a gap, and settled into a 5 hour race pace after about 15 minutes.
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| All smiles on the pre--ride. |
The race takes place on the Ozark and Berryman Trails. These alternate between ridge tops and creek bottoms. The topography is gently rolling; the longest climb was probably 0.2 miles and at a relatively easy grade. This, combined with dry conditions, made for a superfast course. I spent a lot of time in the big ring. What made it technical in areas was the loose rocky soil, horse damage, and erosion on some of the climbs/descents.
On one of the side cut sections in the first 11 miles, my front tire washed out and down I went. After a quick assessment of bike (o.k.) and body (few scrapes/bruises), I remounted and raced on. After a few more miles of finding my rhythm in the loose terrain, I became one with the trail.
I rode most of the horsed-up switchbacks down to Brazil Creek and the first checkpoint. 11 miles in :58:47; on pace with the pain cave no where in sight. I grabbed my first zip-tie and motored on.
The next 10 miles flew by on this sh!ts and giggles trail! I love the Berryman; no hour long granny gear climbs followed by foreverish descents. Just a constant up and down and carving through the "S-curves." Momentum and brake feathering are your friends. I rolled into the Berryman campground at the second checkpoint in 1:57. Mia told me that I was 17 minutes off the leaders and roughly in the top 25. I grabbed my second zip-tie, went over to where my drop bag was and grabbed another bottle and once again was off.
This next section of trail was perhaps the most difficult. I encountered a 30 yard sand trap (which I ran through), a couple steep loose climbs, and a lot of "horsed-up" sections of trail. It was here that I slowly began reeling in guy after guy after guy. Some jumped onto my wheel after I made the pass, to which I then asked if they wanted back on by. They responded that they were just trying to hang on and within a few minutes, I heard them no more.
After popping out onto a jeep trail, grabbing my 3rd zip-tie, I then hauled a$$ back on 5 miles of fire road. I felt great on the roads and was able to enter the pain cave with a smile on my face. I made the 1.3 mile paved climb back up to the Berryman campground with ease and grabbed my final zip-tie. I glanced down at my watch and it read 3:27:14! Oh yeah, a sub-5 hour was on the horizon. I had 16 miles to go, with 6.5 of that being a slightly rolling to mostly descending fire road back to the finish. I refilled my Camelbak and was off on the final 10 miles of single track.
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| The single track from the Berryman campground where I pre-rode the day before. |
The first couple miles was technical with ledgey drops and lots of roots. I had ridden this the day before so I was able to fly through it today.
 | |||||
| Nowhere where I live can you ride a one trail for 36.5 miles. Gotta come back and go explorin'. |
Several guys had passed me, but not Catharine. Whew! It took a couple miles to get my mojo back and get back up to speed. But I did and soon began passing those that had passed me. Then at mile 46 my rear tire exploded!! Not again! The Gods must have been angry. I stopped and saw this:
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| From the tread almost to the bead! The "white" is an empty hammer gel packet. |
I had managed to lose my patch during the last tire change. Fortunately a racer named Rock stopped and gave me one of his patches. It barely covered the gaping hole. This time I pumped 250 times as both the patch and tube began to bulge out. Crap! I got back on and rode like an exhausted beginner, fearing another flat and not having any more tubes. At about mile 48, I found an empty Hammer gel packet. Thank God for litterbugs! I deflated my tube, popped the bead, and inserted the Hammer get packet. For the third time I pumped 250 strokes! Unfortunately for my upper body and mental soundness, I did not seat the patch perfectly and it poked through the hole. I let the air out again, repositioned, and pumped 250 more times! Can you believe not one swear word was uttered?
At some point during this fiasco, Catharine had passed me in stealth mode. I kind of figured this was going to happen as now I was 45 minutes into screwing around with my rear tire. Rock came by me once again and this time gave me his only tube; I had refused before as I did not want him without. He did not give me the opportunity to refuse this time, saying as he rode by and dropping the tube at my feet, "I am tired of you passing me." What a man!
Fearful that my tire would not hold up under a lot of pressure or speed, I limped on into the finish, taking nearly 30 minutes to cover the last road section. The last thing I wanted to happen at this point was me taking a digger at 30 mph on the descent if my tire completely disintegrated or having to run the last 5 miles to the finish. The last time I had a DNF was in 2003 at a SERC XC race where I double-flatted and I was NOT going to here.
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| Still smiling and taking $100 home for 2nd. |
This race was awesome. Kudos to Scott and Ryan for a fun well-marked course, great venue, food, band, and raffle. I am already planning on the 2011 edition!
A big thanks to Steve Mathews at Paceline Products for the support in getting to Missouri. Perhaps if I had used the Chamois Butt'r on my tire as well as my behind, the outcome would have been different.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
The Little Guy (or Gal)
I am very happy that my record of 286 days with out a saddle sore will have the chance to grow since Chamois Butt'r is going to continue to sponsor me in 2011. It might actually be more than 286, but I only officially started keeping a tally on January 1, 2010.
I am only a team of one, but whenever I have called Paceline Products to request product or to give an update on my season, Steve Mathews has ALWAYS taken precious time out of his busy day to chat with me for a bit. That is way too cool! It tells you a lot about a business when the president will talk to the little guy rather than passing him/her down the line or sending them to a general voice mail. I feel very honored to play a role, no matter how small, in his business.
So if you see me out riding or racing and want to try a product that I believe in 100%, let me know and I can hook you up with some samples. Even if I wasn't sponsored, I would still be using Chamois Butt'r Eurostyle ... it does my butt good!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Rocky Raccoon's Revenge 8 Hour Race Report
I was told by Coach to put the governor on for this one. So instead of being a sporty 6 cylinder, I was an efficient little 4 cylinder. The course was 10.5 miles, with 3 sections of pavement, the longest being just under a mile. I was happy to be on gears for this one, making sure that "Indy" was ready for the BTE.
The start was a super dusty bottleneck for about 1/2 lap. Once I got through the masses, which included some carnage on the techy rocky sections, I was able to settle and just ride. The first two laps were still a bit faster than I was told to ride, but I wanted to open a comfortable gap.
The next 5 laps were more consistent and "coach-approved." I focused on maintaining a steady cadence and without too many power surges. I was told not to race the guys, which was hard for me to do, especially when I could see "carrots" ahead. But I just kept telling myself, "Just two more weeks and you can suffer your little heart out."
With a win secure as I completed my 7th lap, I was able to finish an hour early. I felt a bit guilty, like I had not completed my homework assignment, but I was also tired of breathing dust and smoke (there was a forest fire on the other side of the river).
Thanks to Brad Cobb (Village Volkswagon) and Greenlife Grocery, I walked away with $500 and a nice clock from reCYCLE Jewelry. And true to my word, I made a donation to the Raccoon Mountain trail fund.
I have always enjoyed Gone Riding's races. They are kind of where I cut my teeth on MTB racing. I look forward to racing the SERC series again in 2011.
The start was a super dusty bottleneck for about 1/2 lap. Once I got through the masses, which included some carnage on the techy rocky sections, I was able to settle and just ride. The first two laps were still a bit faster than I was told to ride, but I wanted to open a comfortable gap.
The next 5 laps were more consistent and "coach-approved." I focused on maintaining a steady cadence and without too many power surges. I was told not to race the guys, which was hard for me to do, especially when I could see "carrots" ahead. But I just kept telling myself, "Just two more weeks and you can suffer your little heart out."
With a win secure as I completed my 7th lap, I was able to finish an hour early. I felt a bit guilty, like I had not completed my homework assignment, but I was also tired of breathing dust and smoke (there was a forest fire on the other side of the river).
Thanks to Brad Cobb (Village Volkswagon) and Greenlife Grocery, I walked away with $500 and a nice clock from reCYCLE Jewelry. And true to my word, I made a donation to the Raccoon Mountain trail fund.
I have always enjoyed Gone Riding's races. They are kind of where I cut my teeth on MTB racing. I look forward to racing the SERC series again in 2011.
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Giving Back
This Saturday is the Rocky Raccoon 8 Hour race for which I signed up. This is not a high priority race, but one that is fine tuning me for the Berryman Epic. After I signed up, I started receiving quite a few e-mails from SORBA-Chattanooga about trail work days this same weekend.
Guilt set in. While I will be having fun, with a bit of suffering thrown in for good measure, a group of volunteers will be putting in hard hours laying the final stretches of trail at Enterprise South Nature Park. I think the last time I did "official" trail work was several years ago at my local park. None since then ... Yeah, I have excuses: work, family, training, but if everyone made excuses, there would be no trails.
I am now thinking I already know what my 2011 New Year's resolution will be. But until then, I will continue to make donations to various groups. I am committing now, that if I am blessed with a good race and am able to podium, I will donate a good portion of my winnings to the Raccoon Mountain trail building fund.
I know I am not the only racer in this boat, so if you are racing the Rocky Raccoon's Revenge 8 Hour, I challenge you to make the same commitment.
Guilt set in. While I will be having fun, with a bit of suffering thrown in for good measure, a group of volunteers will be putting in hard hours laying the final stretches of trail at Enterprise South Nature Park. I think the last time I did "official" trail work was several years ago at my local park. None since then ... Yeah, I have excuses: work, family, training, but if everyone made excuses, there would be no trails.
I am now thinking I already know what my 2011 New Year's resolution will be. But until then, I will continue to make donations to various groups. I am committing now, that if I am blessed with a good race and am able to podium, I will donate a good portion of my winnings to the Raccoon Mountain trail building fund.
I know I am not the only racer in this boat, so if you are racing the Rocky Raccoon's Revenge 8 Hour, I challenge you to make the same commitment.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Pisgah Stage Race: Stage 5
Distance: 43 miles
Elevation: 9500 feet
Temperature: 62-84 degrees
Conditions: dry
Time: 4:57:45
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.
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!
Elevation: 9500 feet
Temperature: 62-84 degrees
Conditions: dry
Time: 4:57:45
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| Anybody know which trail this one is? |
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.
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| Watch out! Those ladies next to me can hammer! |
As for me, I increased my knowledge of Pisgah ... to a point that I am going to tackle this man's events next year!
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