Southern Single Speed Championship

Last weekend, I mosied over to the Payne Creek Trail System on Lake Hartwell along the Georgia/South Carolina border.  A "new to me" trail system, it was 9 miles of well maintained fast, flowy hardpack trail.  I did not do the omnium but rather chose to pre ride on Saturday before the monsoon hit.  This would be my fourth ride/first race aboard the Cysco.

Whoop!  Whoop!

About an hour before the race Saturday morning, I found a partial sidewall tear on my rear tire.  Oh, crap!  I muddled over the possibilities:  ride it, ride my Niner, throw a tube in it.  Five minutes later, I decided to just go for it.  If I flatted, well, then I could practice my flat fixing skilz.

A testament to Specialized tires and Stan's Sealant -- it held!

After a good long warm up, I rolled up to the second row.  I just happened to glance down at my front wheel and what did I see?  A flattened "road kill" frog that was stuck on my tread!  I thought about the significance of that for a moment.  The Faster Mustache crew were in force, one dude yelled "Go!", I clipped in on the first pedal stroke (small victory), and the field set a blistering pace up the pavement.  The big gear mashers pulled away and I was in the second group to enter the single track.

I was amazed.  Hero dirt!  Even with the deluge the night before, the trails were perfect.  There was plenty of traction in the corners and I fell into a nice rhythm carving  the turns.  Ursula and Lisa were right on my tail through the Heartbreak Ridge section, but I was able to pull away during the beginning of the main trail.  Last year there was a beer short cut on the second lap:  drink 16 ounces and you did not have to ride the 1/2 mile lollipop.  Not knowing if the short cut was going to be there this year, I kept the pace up to try and buy as much time as possible.  Last year, Lisa chose the beer ... and probably would again, since Chris would be able to make the drive home.  I timed the lollipop:  3:30.  Pretty big penalty!  Go go gadget legs!

Finishing up the first lap, I swapped bottles.  The legs were still happy, so I continued at my pace.  I must have been fatiguing a little, as I banged my rear tire on a couple of roots/stobs and heard that loud popping noise when the tread is temporarily "stuck" on the obstable.  That got my adrenalin to kick in, for sure.  I settled a bit after that.  I came upon the  lollipop loop ... and no beer short cut.  Whew!

I finished the two lap race in 1:34, good enough for first.  Ursula came in second a few minutes later and then Lisa in third.  I do believe she was still carrying some TNGA fatigue as she stated she like the descents better than the climbs.  Monster!

Overall, the Faster Mustache crew put on a good event.  They rallied through the rains to ensure the short track/cross race occurred and worked with Jud and crew on the trails to create a furiously fast trail for the xc event.  My only complaint would be the prizing and that would have to be on Maxxis.  A 26" tire/tube for first.  Really?  Second place was the place to earn, for they got an Endless Cog!  Having said that, the trophies for the omnium were pretty cool and unique.  I do believe Zach created those works of art:  sort of a cross between a chia pet and a lamp.  (Sorry for no pics!)

As far as my steed, she is most amazing!  I love the feel of titanium.  And the custom cockpit has me becoming one with the bike.  I leave it at that, for now.  She is due a post all her own ... soon.

Pisgah Monster Cross Race Report

This start/finish line scare me ... in an exciting kind of way.

This was stop #4 in the King/Queen of Pisgah series.  A 71 mile gravel grinder; this was the "easy" one on the docket.  "Easy" being relative.  When I arrived in "The Forest,"  I questioned if I was in Pisgah because it was sunny and warm.  After a brief spin to remind the legs of what tomorrow was going to bring, Zeke and I went to our "home away from home" Sunset Motel, and I prepared our typical pre race meal of chicken, potatoes, and brussel sprouts, microwave style.

Race morning was crisp and cool.  As riders milled around awaiting the 8 am start, I nervously looked around for my competition.  With no racers' list, I had no idea who was going to show up.  Trish "soft-core" Stevenson faced that she was toeing the line and Kim Schifino, currently sitting 1 point behind me, would be here as well.  I saw plenty of women, but none that I recognized.

Seeing smiling Shanna, I knew I was indeed in Pisgah!

The course was going clockwise this year, opposite of last year.  When the gun went off, there was no need to go anerobic, as we had a police escort all the way up Hwy 276.  It was a nice start to what was eventually going to be hammerfest.  Once we turned off onto the Fish Hatchery road, the race really began.  My legs were quite happy climbing up to Gloucester Gap, but so were everyone else's.  Immediately 3 women passed me at warp speed.  I had to let them go, knowing that I could not sustain that kind of pace.  I eventually caught up to two of them just as we crested the climb.

The descent off Gloucester was tricky technical as it was riddled with stutter bumps.  Bottles were being "yard saled" right and left.  Fortunately, mine stayed put.  I passed one woman as we crested the climb and another on the descent, but then got passed back by one.  I knew then that this was not going to be an easy race.

Towards the end of this descent, I spotted Mr. I-9 himself, Jacob.  After reading about his bad luck at ORAMM (not carrying enough tubes/CO2/hand pump), I figured he had ample supply this race, and passed right by him.  After the race, I talked to him about his bad luck.  And no, he did not learn his lesson.  It took about 70 racers passing him before he was able to fix the flat.  Whoops!  Being an I-9 sponsored rider now, I hope that did not hurt my relationship.  It shouldn't; Dicky "dicked" him at ORAMM and is still on good terms.

The three of us along with a handful of guys eventually regrouped on the 10 mile climb up Hwy 215.  Within the first two miles of this climb, the pack broke apart as the road kicked up.  One woman pulled away from me. This was Trish but I had no idea at the time that it was her.  I could tell by her posture and cadence that she was uber strong.  I tried to pick up my pace to match hers but just did not have enough umphh.  I had to let her go, hoping that my happy legs would come back.

I was riding a friend's Cannondale Super X with a 46/36 front and 11/28 cassette.  I am by nature a spinner and the 36/28 was making my legs feel like concrete blocks.  About 1/2 way up the climb I was sitting in 3rd place as I was able to drop the fourth place woman.  I had no idea where 1st was and could only hope that she would crack at some point.

I was able to pull a good group of guys up to the Blue Ridge Parkway.  This race is not only about fitness, but about tactics as well.  More of a road race than MTB race, you need to be able to find a group that you can hang with, sit in the draft, take pulls, and thereby conserve energy.  The wind is your enemy and if you get caught on the BRP all by your lonesome (happened to me last year), you will eventually wilt.  Unless you are Jens Voight or Sam Koerber.

I did not stop at the first aid station as I was lucky enough to be in a good group on this 24 mile stretch.  By no means was it easy-peasy, but it did allow me to recover from the climb.  I still had to get on the gas ... on the descents!  In some of the steepest parts, the guys were coasting and pulling away from me, even though I was spinning my hardest gear at 120 rpm+!

 

Descending the BRP.  Photo credit Brad O Allen

I popped off their wheels a couple times on the steeper descents and had to reel them back in on the climbs.  On one of the last climbs, my right hamstring decided my effort was a bit too much and began to cramp.  I let off the gas, grannied down, and it went away pretty quickly.  Assessing my nutrition, I realized I was not drinking enough.  So over the next 15 minutes I killed a bottle.  

Just before the last aid station at the intersection of the BRP and FS 5000, there is a 6-7 mile descent with just a couple of short ups.  It was here that I started shivering.  As much as I like carving the turns, I was ready to done with this section and eagerly looking forward to the Yellow Gap climb.  However, I still had to descend FS 5000.  

I was able to catch up with the 1st place woman, Jane (who was now 2nd as Trish had passed her on the BRP).  I had to stop at the final aid station for a bottle swap; she did not.  I was still cold, but now that I had spotted a "carrot,"  I forgot about my goosebumps.  FS 5000 is mostly down, with a few false flats.  It was so bumpy that my eyeballs were bouncing around in my skull, making it difficult for me to see the roadbed.  After a couple squirrely moments, I had to slow down in order to focus.

Finally I was on the short bit of pavement that led down to North Mills River campground.  And then the Yellow Gap climb began.  Yes!!  After flushing the lactic out of my legs in the beginning mile, I was able to ramp it up and make short work of this 3 mile climb.  I spied Jane and reeled her in.  I felt like I was flying up this climb.  And sooner than realized, I was at the top; now to make short work of FS 1206, an 11 mile stretch of rolling gravel.

Halfway through, I spotted a figure in a ProGold jersey.  Could it be 1st place?  I kicked it up a notch and slowly rode up to this elusive racer.  As I pulled alongside and made eye contact, I suddenly realized that who I had been chasing for 57 miles was THE Trish Stevenson ... of  TransRockies, GDR, NUE fame.  She is one of a handful of talented ladies who I have looked up to for years and sought guidance when I first got into endurance racing.  

Photo Credit Brad O Allen

I spoke to her briefly as I passed and then raced like a "scalded dog," hoping she would not hang onto my wheel, as she has a big engine.  I was afraid to look back, but after a few minutes took a glance and saw her in the distance.  I did not let up, but hunkered down and treated the last 12 miles like a TT.

On the final gravel climb up FS 477, I was fortunate to hook up with Ian, who was smelling the barn.  He pulled, I pushed, and together we made short work of this 2 mile climb.  We were able to enjoy the last descent and "whoo-hoo'd" most of the way.

I rolled under the finish line in a time of 4:36.  Although this was the "easiest" of Eric Weaver's events, it was the hardest win of the season for me.  The last time I "chased" this long was the 2007 Cohutta 100 where I chased Danielle for 99 miles and ended up coming in second by a wheel.

Once again, I must commend all the volunteer efforts as this race was well organized.  NASCAR style aid stations are what I like and that is what I received!

4 down, 1 to go.  It will be my first Double Dare.  I wonder what the evil mastermind has in store for us fools.  All I know is that the mental game will be as hard as the physical one.  Bring it, Mr. Weaver!  For I have the baddest adventure racer/mountain biker east of the Mississippi as my partner.  And she loves to suffer! 

Black Bear Rampage Race Report

Semi sparkly today

After a few years' absence, the stars aligned and I was able to race in my "backyard."  Due to the tremendous trail work effort by Henry Trent and Scott's Bike Shop, racers were treated to a blazing fast course on Sunday.

Leading up to this one, I was dealing with a disrupted GI tract.  Four weeks ago, I decided to try some home made banana bread I had made for the family.  It had rice flour in it.  I had been rice free for 8 months, so I decided to try a second time to reintroduce it.  BIG MISTAKE.  Two days later, I was suffering from its ill effects on my ever so delicate small bowel.  After two weeks, the inflammatory effects resolved, but then something else "disemboweled" me.  I felt "glutened," but not to the degree that I usually feel.  The only thing I could think of was I cross contaminated myself when making my family some sandwiches or that I may have a GI bug of some sort.

Come race day, I was beginning to feel a bit better.  Perhaps it was the excitement of racing, but I was ready to rumble!  With their being no other Pro Women, it was just me and my shadow.  So I jumped in with the "big boys" and raced with the Pro/Expert Men.

The start was fast and furious! I wasn't 30 seconds into it when some guy locked his handlebars with mine.  Really!?!  We had a whole lane of pavement and it was not that crowded.  That was a scary 3 seconds.  (He later came up to me and apologized.)

I settled into a leg warming spin up the 2 mile climb and got a fairly decent jump into the Brush Creek single track.  I soon caught up to two single speeders, making me wish I was on my Cysco.  But alas, she was just built 2 days ago and I figured I did not need to make her first ride this race.  Patience, grasshopper!

Brush Creek, Boyd Gap, and Old Copper Road went by quickly and soon I was climbing up Bear Paw.  This is when the race got a little frustrating for me.  I was feeling pretty good now and had my climbing legs on and wanted to go, go, go!  But it seemed the guys I was with thought that this was some sort of Enduro race.  You know, lolligagging on the climbs and killing it on the descents.  I wanted to kill it on the climbs as well so I bided my time and passed when I could.

Soon I was on the climb on FS 45 and made short work of several guys.  And then I was mostly alone to rail West Fork, the Quartz Loop, Bypass, and Riverview.  After dealing with my GI issues for the past 4 weeks, I was pleasantly surprised that I had the engine that I did today.  I flew down Riverview, grabbed one last bottle from Jay at the last aid station, and then did the TT of my life back up Old Copper Road, Boyd Gap, and Brush Creek.  I had energy to burn and a time I wanted to beat, 3:15.  The climb up Boyd Gap was tougher than I had expected, but once I crested the top, it was mostly downhill from there.  With nobody to impede my speed on Brush Creek, I flew to the finish.

I rolled across in 3:18.  With the sun's help I was able to beat my shadow and I placed 21 out of about 300 racers.  The best thing about finishing was the ice cold fresh watermelon, pineapple, grapes, and cantaloupe that was right across the finish line.  REAL FOOD!  Oh my God, fruit never tasted so good!

Despite Mr. Gluten's best efforts to take me out, I ended up dragging his GMO ass all over the Cherokee National Forest.  Next time he wants to screw with me he better bring back up!

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 ...

Chamois Butt'r Her Review

After 25+ hours saddle time in Idaho which included the Marathon XC Nationals in Sun Valley followed by 10+ hours in Pennsylvania prepping for and racing the XC Nationals in Bear Creek,  I have a real appreciation for the "Her" line of Chamois Butt'r.

Chamois cream of champions!

I first mentioned this product here.  Now that I have had many hours of ride time I am ready to step on my soap box.

Idaho was hot, dry, and dusty.  Pennsylvania was hot and humid.  Ride times in Idaho were 3-5 hours; I slathered on a generous two finger helping and did not need to re-apply.  Ride times in Pennsylvania were 1-3 hours.

My saddle contact points remained happy throughout ... no chafing, no sores.  Some say that this product is too thin and gets "sweated" away quickly.  Although the product may seem to have disappeared after an hour's saddle time, it continues to work albeit on a "microscopic" level.  The tea tree oil, aloe vera, and lavender oil all inhibit bacterial and fungal growth.  So even after my ride when I spent extra time in my chamois enjoying a soak in the cold mountain waters or consuming my recovery drink and chatting about the ride or the race course with my friends, Chamois Butt'r Her was keeping me protected.

Sure, there are "thicker" products on the market.  But they contain waxes, parafins, and heavy doses of lanolin, which are all difficult to wash out of your chamois.  I know from personal experience just how quickly it can destroy a chamois.

There are products out there that are comparable to Chamois Butt'r Her with regards to the ingredients, but they also come at a much higher cost.

My only complaint is that it is not offered in a tub.  Trying to get the last ounce or so from the tube is about as hard as herding cats.  But if you want an all natural product produced here in the good 'ol US of A, you really need to try this product.  It comes in an 8 ounce tube for $15 and in convenient 0.75 ml reapplication packets.

Thank you Paceline Products and Chamois Butt'r Her for being part of a magical formula that helped me to attain a 2nd place at Marathon Nationals and a 1st place at XC Nationals, both SS style!

Blankets Creek 6 Hour Race Report

Promoted by adventure racer extraordinare, Lisa Randall.

This 6 hour is unique in that it starts at 3 pm.  All laps must be finished by 9 pm or it doesn't count.  Chris, Lisa's husband, does the timing (he created the program) and what is really cool is that the results are "real time" and anyone can access them through the wireless feed at the venue or at an external website.

I was coming off a peak, but still feeling really good, and it was a no-brainer to race SS in the Expert Women's field.  This course is super duper SS friendly and there had been some work done since I last raced here in 2011 ... like big swoopy berms!  I decided on a 32 x 20, same gear I had run before.  It was a little spinny on the Dwelling Loop, but perfect for climbing the VMT 8 times!

This was a low key race for me and after my insides had been turned inside out at XC Natz, I was happy to have no butterflies or other critters fluttering about in my stomach.  My only concern was not being trampled to death at the Lemans start, which was about 100 yards long.  I was able to position my bike close so as to not run so far.

I had a decent start.

The temperature was a humid 86 degrees at the start, but was not too bad in the woods.  Coach told me to just "go have fun" at this one.  My plan at the start was to go hard to avoid as much cluster as I could.  When Lisa said, "Go!" I felt like a wildebeest during a croc infested river crossing.  Elbows wide and short steppin' I managed to avoid going down.  However, someone behind me was not so lucky.  All I felt was a hand hit my lower back and slide down (seemed like slow motion) my butt, legs, and then hit my shoe.  I never looked back!

And in keeping with tradition, I will briefly summarize each lap.

Lap 1:  Why is there always a few who must make those stupid passes so soon into a 6 hour race?  (I will use you for traction should you go down!)  Settle, Carey, settle. Your time will come.  And it did.  I was rocking and rolling on Dwelling when suddenly I spun the cranks and nothing happened.  Dropped chain!  You got to be kidding me!  Spent two minutes figuring out how to get it back on:  big ring, little ring, back spin, and it's on.

Lap 2:  Hello, my good friend Momentum!

Lap 3:  People I did not even know were congratulating me on my National Championship win and running off the trail to let me on by.  Wow, I was amazed!  And then my (expletive!!!) chain fell off again!  Put it back on in record time, but now, my mind went from focusing on the trail to a bunch of "What if's?"

Lap 4:  Started doing the math and realized that I would be able to do 8 laps. "Oh, goody,"  I said as I felt the first signs of fatigue set in.

Lap 5:  Please let me make it through this lap before my cranks fall off!

Lap 6:  Red Bull does give you wings!

Lap 7:  Heckling some fellow racers as came up on them, all in good fun.  "Suffering is good for your soul!"  "You can rest when you are dead."

Lap 8:  Pumped up a burped tire and stuffed my light into my pocket.  Goal was to try to keep up a faster pace than the setting sun ... I lost.  I did not want to stop and mount my light so I leap frogged from racer to racer, using their lights to see the trail.

I ended up with the win and some cool prizes, including this sweet podium shirt.

I met some FB friends, face to face, as well as some other cool SS'ers.  Courtney Smith, one of my FB peeps in the flesh, was also riding a single speed but with a rigid fork.  I was most impressed by her skilz.  It is good to see other women riding one gear.

Even though I had several mechanicals, I was able to work through them and keep the hammer down.  I was just so thankful THIS did not happen at Nationals.  I think I have met my mechanical quota for the year.

Add caption

XC National Championships Race Report

I dreamed about this day all year long:  imagining, focusing, and preparing for it.  But now it was here, and I could not wait for it to be over.  I was so nervous, I think my waking HR was 100.  I wasn't worried about me:  my body was ready, my legs were sparkly, and after pre-riding for 3 days, I knew every root and rock. What I was worried about was my bike holding up to the finish.  This course was tearing up tires like piranhas to a wounded animal.  I kept telling myself that most flats are due to rider error:  not knowing the trail of the rear tire, coming into a corner too hard and slamming on the brakes, or not keeping themselves light on the bike.  "Float like a butterfly" was my mantra for the day.

I arrived at the venue with enough time to worry some more.  I got my bike and gear ready.  I was going with bottles although there were just 3 spots on the course where I could comfortably drink.  Hydration packs and single speeding just does not work for me.  I needed to be light, not like a sherpa.  To ease the unease, I started my warm up.  I found some trail not being used in the race and reintroduced my body to the technicality of this trail system.

The lap was 6.7 miles long, with 900 feet of climbing.  Initially, we were to do 3 laps.  But after the Cat 1 Men race earlier that morning in which it was taking well over 2 hours for them to finish, and with alot of heat casualties, the officials changed our race to 2 laps.  I don't think anyone complained.  At 10:30 am, it was already 85 degrees and extremely humid.

As we were staging, I was trying to figure out my competitor's gearing.  Most seemed to be running anything from a 32/20 to a 32/22.  I chose a 32/22 for several reasons:  uber technical course, tight passing lanes, and short, grunty climbs.  The start was on gravel:  a short, flat section, followed by a steep, loose climb up to the the single track.

"GO!"  First pedal stroke and I was clipped in!  First goal accomplished.  I hit the gravely climb with one racer who was ahead by a wheel length.  I noticed from her pedal stroke that she probably had a taller gear than me.  At the top of the climb there is a short flat before the "holeshot."  At this point I was behind her.  She slowed ever so slightly just before the single track.  And here I accomplished my second goal.  I hit the single track first.  I wound it up and climbed like a mountain goat being chased by a leopard.  I knew that I needed to break the "rubberband" between me and 2nd place.  This race was short enough that I could push it for the first 10-15 minutes and then settle.  And so I did.  I had no idea how strong my competition was, but each one of them I imagined to be a Rebecca Rusch.

I raced like a "scalded dog!"  My heart rate was the highest it had ever been this year.  Hello 180's!  But to me, it felt good.  I wasn't hurting like I had been earlier in the season.  I was racing with no chain!  Unfortunately, we were the last wave to start:  all the age groups were ahead of us in 2 minute increments.  Within the first mile I began to catch them.  I passed about 23 women the first lap and about 16 the second lap.  I chose my passing lanes wisely so as not to burn too many matches.  It was a little frustrating as I had to wait longer than I wanted to with a few passes, but I kept telling myself that it would allow me to motor hard to the finish.

More rocks than dirt on this course!

Even though it had rained the day before, the first 2/3 of the course was in great shape.  No slick spots, even the section with the "spiderweb" of roots was fine.   I was railing along, passing racers when they would bobble or when the trail opened up enough for me to squeak on through.  I was feeling the flow of the trail and carving the turns with ease.

Spiderweb of roots.

As I approached the infamous rocky switchback descent, I heard a dull roar that soon escalated into a cacophony of sound.  Riding down the first steep rocky, rooty descent, the noise was like that of a SEC football game.  Unbelievable!  I was so focused on the trail that I could not see the people, but I felt their presence.  There had to be over 100 spectators yelling, screaming, shaking cowbells, blaring air horns.  It was deafening!  It was awesome!  This is what a National Championship race ought to be like!  I smelled hotdogs!  I caught the whiff of beer.  Out of the corner of my eye I saw a devil.

Other than 1 planned run up, I had cleaned this section during the pre rides (with only the sound of my tires and brakes).  I had found it a bit hard to focus at first.  There was a wall of people on either side of the trail.  After the run up, I could not clip back in and so rode the hardest part with two rock drops on top of my pedals.  That was quite interesting.  Lady Luck was with me, I had no forced errors, and once the trail leveled out, was able to clip back in.  The first switchback was easy peasy.  As I approached the second switchback, I came up the leader of the 44-49 class.  She was walking the tight left-hander.  I shouted out to her, she ran quickly through the switchback, and I was able to roll right through.

I quickly caught up to her as there was more tricky descending.   After that, I figured I could get on by.  She was racing hard, too, and did not want to give up her position, even though I was not in her class.  This part of the course was pretty slippery from the rain the day before.  At times, I kind of felt like a pinball.  The woman in front of me was all over the trail.  Her "bobbling" made me bobble;  the game was getting old fast.  I needed to go!

By this time my heart rate had settled down and I began a one way conversation.  "Nice lines!"  "Are you in first?"  "You are rocking it!"  Finally the trail opened up and she let me on by.  Climbing up the loose gravel to the Start/Finish banner she tried to hold my wheel.  By this time, I was in no mood to play anymore and kicked it up a notch.  First lap complete in 47:35.

As I climbed up the beginning single track, I tried to look back down at the finish line to see if I recognized anyone in my field.  I did not, but I still felt pressure to go, go, go!  And I did.  And it HURT!  The climbs seemed twice as hard and if I redlined it, I would get the chills.  My body's way of telling me to slow it down or I was heading for heat exhaustion.  So I settled ... as much as I could.

The ladies I passed this lap were much more pleasant.  I think they were feeling the effects of the heat and the brutality of the course as well.  The first 3 miles of the course had about 80% of the climbing.  After I had topped out, I began the initial descent, which were several segments of trail connected by gravely double track.  On one particular sharp right hand downward turn onto the single track, I was tag teamed by a tree and a rock.  They SLAMMED me down pretty hard.  With cat like reflexes, I was back up in the blink of an eye.  My bike was o.k. but my right forearm was bruised and bloodied.  No bones sticking out, all joints still worked, fingers able to grab the bar, so I continued on like a rabbit being chased by greyhounds.

I was anxious to get to the technical, bouldery descent with its infamous switchbacks.  When I arrived, I was hoping to be alone, so I could just work my magic on the rocks and drops.  But alas, that was not meant to be.  I had caught up to a younger racer who was not at all happy playing on the rocks.  She went down pretty hard.  I had to dismount and maneuver around her.  Thankfully she was o.k. Had she not been, there were at least a hundred people that would have tended to her.

Finishing up the rocky descent!

After remounting, I was able to clip in and joyfully ride the remainder.  How I loved these Pennsylvannia rocks.  You not only had to be fit, but technically proficient.  A real mountain biker's course!

The last couple miles I had a clear trail ahead of me.  I had no idea how far second was behind me, so I just hammered as hard as I could without blowing a gasket.  With just a 1/4 mile of so of single track left, I came upon Tiffany Ballew's wheel.  She was riding strong.  I encouraged her to keep pushing until the end.  And she did.

We kicked it up a notch together and rode across the finish line together, each of us earning a Stars n Stripes jersey!  What an incredible feeling!

A dream come true!

 Second lap completed in 48:24.  Even though I imagined second place to be breathing down my neck the whole race, she ended up 7 1/2 minutes behind.  When I told my Mom, she said, "You had time to have a picnic."  Those were her words, not mine.  But it was good to feel so strong on a day that you have been training for so long.  It was truly a no chain kind of day.  I am thankful for all those who have helped me to get to this point:  family, coach, sponsors, and friends.

Jay Sandefur was there for me when my brake broke during the first pre ride.  He "MacGyver'd" it with duct tape and zip ties.  He also had the perfect bottle hand off and ice water down the back maneuver during the race.  Ursula Sandefur raced as well and earned a silver!  It was great to hang out with the Sandefurs for the week.  I learned alot about bikes and components as Jay builds frames.  His brand is Wild Card.

I have challenged Coach Lynda with all my trials and tribulations the past two years.  I have made her really earn her coaching fees.  At times she knew my body better than I.  She helped me stay focused on the task at hand and not dwell in the past.  Thanks, Coach!

A huge shout out to Bruce Dickman who was able to hook me up with Chris George, the Stan's No Tubes Pro Women's team mechanic, who swapped out lever assemblies the day before the race.

Call me superstitious, but I left the duct tape on.

And thank you, Zeke, for being the best training partner I could have.  I would say when and where and he would be there.  No matter how long or hard a day in the saddle or how many times we might wander and wonder, he was always there for the next adventure.  He can't complain ... he was the one who got me into this racing craziness to begin with.

Hmmm ... what is next?