Riding Down Memory Lane

This weekend has been spent at Mom's in Columbia, SC. Having training rides to do has necessitated early awakenings and out the door before daybreak. Today, on the advice of Emily, I headed out to pedal the pavement on Fort Jackson.

Wow! What a ride and not from the training aspect, but from the perspective of one who spent 12 weeks here back in the summer of 1988. As soon as I entered the gates I ran across a unit of poor trainees in full combat gear enduring a road march. Boy, I remember those days and was so happy to be on my bike pedaling by and not pounding the pavement with them.

Further on down the road, I had to stop as another unit in PT (physical training) clothing were crossing the street, heading back towards their barracks after another 5 am workout of running, push ups, sit ups, pull ups, more push ups, side-straddle hops, and more push ups.

Don't get me wrong; I am glad that I enlisted and was able to serve my country. I am also very proud of those troops that I came across today. I just cannot imagine going through all that suffering again. Suffering on a bike is "easy peasy" compared to 12 weeks of boot camp and here is why:

1. Doing push ups until your arms are noodles. I am pretty sure I counted to 250 one time.
2. 10 mile forced road march in boots that were made by "the lowest bidder." No Swiftwicks at that time, either. Oh, did I forget to mention that my pack weighed 25 pounds.
3. KP (kitchen police) duty. I had to peel 50 pounds of potatoes.
4. 3 day FTX (field training exercise) where all we had to eat were MRE's (Meals, Ready to Eat or Meals Refused by Ethiopians). Let's just say that the plumbing did not work for 5 days after that.
5. Waxing the barracks floor at 2am ... by hand ... with Turtle Wax Auto Polish.
6. Trying to convince my drill sergeant on the Hand To Hand Combat field that I was going into anaphylactic shock from fire ant bites and that my death would be on his hands if he did not get me to the friggin' hospital ASAP! Obviously I was able to convince him.
7. Not having to do the ropes course, including rapelling, because the ground temperature reached 115 degrees that day.
8. Learning first hand the effects of CS gas at NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) training. Eyes watering like a busted waterline, snot streaming down your face, and lots of dry heaving.
9. Having to do push ups in my dress greens just moments before graduation.

Today was a wonderful day on the road wearing a cycling kit and NOT combat fatigues. Emily was indeed correct. The roads were free of traffic and I was at peace reliving my younger years.

Ouachita Challenge 80 Mile Race Report

This year weather condtions started out being the best ever. After a brief and light rain shower I hopped out of the truck into 62 degree weather in just a short sleeve jersey and shorts. I did not mind the shivering as I knew after 5 minutes of racing I would be comfortable. It is the same feeling of turning on the shower knowing that the first 5 seconds of water is SO COLD.

I really did not know who I was up against, so I figured I would just race my race, with some helpful advice from Coach and see what happened. I went out with the front group not wanting to get stuck behind the slow train in the first bit of singletrack (last year that happened and it was frustrating). I pleasantly surprised myself as my legs felt good immediately and I did not have to push too hard to stay with the front leaders.

This year we jumped onto some double track after the first 5 mile section of asphalt/gravel road. This also helped to thin the crowd out as it was fairly steep in sections with lots of little angry baby-heads that took out about 20 racers due to flats. For a minute I was thinking that perhaps some "Bubba" had thrown out a box of roofing nails.

After a quick descent off this I dove into the first bit of singletrack on the Womble. This was a fun but technical descent. You had to stay focused the whole time. I was behind two guys going a bit slow for my liking, but I was patient. Sure enough one bobbled off the trail and the other did a spectacular endo; I gave him a 10 and finished the descent at my own speed. After popping out onto another short gravel section, I was lucky enough to find a strong fellow to draft behind.

After the short lake section I conserved my energy following a couple racers on the next short gravel section. It was here that Sonya jumped onto the train as well. She seemed to be having a good time as she was all grins and had several "Whoo hoos" for the volunteers.

Once I entered the 3rd section of the Womble, I finally had my own little bubble and could just cruise along at my own speed. Not seeing my competition, I then let up a bit and found a comfortable pace. Coach had told me earlier this week to conserve energy and not do anything stupid that might set me back for the Cohutta later this month. So I did.

After passing the first aid station, I entered a super fun section of the Womble. Fairly smooth and flat I was able to big ring it most of the way. I had one fellow in front of me which was good because he was keeping a good pace and it allowed me to judge the numerous creek crossings. On one particular one, there was a bridge ... in the middle only! I had to bunny hop on the bridge and then bunny hop off.

Slowly the trail began to climb and pretty soon the trail went from 24 inches wide to about 8 inches and it was slightly off camber. I had to turn the focus-meter up on this section as one wrong mis-step would send you tumbling down off the trail for a LOOONG way! Soon I was negotiating a spine with a 100 foot cliff on one side and a gentler grade on the other.

A short section of gravel and asphalt connected us to more Womble on the other side of Lake Ouachita. At this point you could slowly see the Womble turning from Dr. Jeckyll to Mr. Hide. The rocks started getting larger and becoming more abundant. I stayed conservative as I wasn't in the mood to change a flat or break my derailleur.

I stopped at the second aid station. What wonderful volunteers. One held my bike, one helped me stuff a banana into my mouth. The third volunteer attempted to refill my Camelbak. He was having some technical difficulty ... apparently the bladder had gotten twisted and while he was trying to fill it one handed from a 5 gallon container, I saw all my vital Rapidade powder spilling out. Nooooooo ..... I immediately jumped to help and get it straightened out. I probably lost about 1/3 of the powder, but those guys were being so helpful they probably saved me several minutes.

I completed the first 40 miles in just over 3 hours 30 minutes and had consumed 5 gels, 1 banana, and 50 ounces of Rapidade. I knew the most difficult was yet to come. The singletrack section leading up to the 0.4 mile hike-a-bike up Big Round Top Mtn was getting more technical. After the hike-a-bike which I rather liked, the trail levelled off and it became more of a series of rollers and dodging large, derailleur-eating rocks.

It was here that I began to feel a bit tired and my chain started talking to me. I slowed a bit and allowed my legs to recover on the descents. After about 30 minutes, I was feeling good so kicked it up a notch and enjoyed the whoop-de-do descent. That is, until I hit the mud bogs (at least 20 of them) at the bottom. No more squeaky chain!

After a short stretch of gravel road, it was up Chalybeate. This offered a bit of a reprieve for me and I eased up a bit knowing that the two most difficult mountains lie ahead. Chalybeate also offers one of the funnest downhills. I let it loose on the descent and had a great time. When I rolled into the third aid station (mile 60), I was once again greeted by awesome volunteers. I ate 1/2 banana and added about 20 ounces of water into my Camelbak, bringing it up to about 35 ounces.

Next up was Blowout. Having pre-ridden this on Friday, I at least knew there were 3 climbs to this beast and multiple rockslides to traverse. I rode some and walked many. At this point my technical prowess was diminishing quickly as the fatigue set in. It is here where you can get yourself into trouble by being stubborn and trying to make your body do things it is just too tired to. Besides, it is quicker for me to run this stuff anyway (thank you Lisa).

I did not stop at the final aid station. I knew Brushy was the last wall between me and the finish and I was ready to climb over it. I hooked up with a guy on a pink Fisher Hi-Fi 29'r. He was setting a good pace which helped me to maintain focus. Man o man, Brushy seemed to go on forever. I was wanting desperately to see that final 10 yard jumble of rocks that told you the big gravel descent lay just ahead. Well, after rolling along a side cut for what seemed like forever, there it was.

My last stop was for the final zip-tie. The volunteers there said only 8 miles to go. 8 MILES TO GO! No, it is only supposed to be 5. Or at least that was what my mind remembered. Needless to say that was the longest 8 miles, even with 4 of it being down hill and with a tailwind. At this point, my tank was empty. The only thing I could think was, "Just keep turning the pedals over." Mr. Pink Hi-Fi left me like fleas jumping off a dying dog. No way was I going to keep up with a big guy on wagon wheels, no matter how hard I pedaled.

It was here that I realized just how cold it had gotten. At the finish the temp was 47 degrees. There had been some strong gusts on Brushy that made me suddenly have to take a different line, but at least I was warm. The last few miles I could barely keep my heart rate up and my wet feet were very cold. It was so good to see the finish line! But then my friend Jason had to tell me they ran out of pizza. He should have said they had ran out of chicken soup or well-done burgers, but NOT PIZZA!

If I had not won, I may have broke down and cried for that was the one thing that was in my mind, towards the end ... some good hot food. Oh, well, a recovery bar and oatmeal had to suffice.

My ONE BIG MISTAKE that I did not realize until after I had unpacked my stuff at home was that I had been seriously calorie-deficient the last 40 miles. No wonder I had felt so crummy at times. I had only consumed 2 gu's, 1/2 banana and about 200 calories of Rapidade. Holy cow, what a rookie mistake! Somebody is going to be talking to me about this and you know who you are.

Zeke had a good strong day, too. In the results he will show up as a DNF. But that is because he signed up for the 80 and decided to sacrifice for me. So he did the 60 instead. You see, I had to be at work on Monday and he did not want me to be waiting around on him to finish up. What a team player!

Blowout Mtn

Yesterday Zeke, Jason, his Dad, and I rode one of the most technical sections of the OC, Blowout Mountain. I do believe this part of the Ouachita Trail is what is shown in the Shimano ad where the rock is reaching out with its fist to rip your derailleur off. You definitely have to be focused as this singletrack is tight with large rocks looming everywhere and multiple rockslides to negotiate. There are 3 climbs, with the first being steep and twisty. I am pretty sure that I will be off the bike on this one, especially since I will have already had 55-60 miles in my legs.

The trail claimed one victim, Jason's Dad. He had his derailleur hanger ripped off on the second climb. So I got a refresher course in singlespeed conversion. I was very glad that Jason was with us, as I was having front derailleur issues due to cable stretch. I got a trailside course in front derailleur adjustments. I know, after 8 years of racing, I should already know how to do this, but this was the first time I had this mechanical issue. Kudos to Bruce and The Outdoor Store for keeping my bikes in tip-top shape.

The trail is in great shape. There are some wet sections, but no where near the mud that was experienced last year. The course is going to be fast! Times will be slower than last year, however, as their is more singletrack and less fireroads this year. Last year, the 80 miler did not include Blowout. And we get to ride the singletrack that was under 3 feet of water last year. It will be a long, but fabulous day! Indy and my legs are chomping at the bit!

Back for Thirds

I am back in Arkansas to race the Ouachita Challenge. I did this race in '06 and '08 and it is addictive. The race takes place on two trail systems, the Womble and the Ouachita. They are like night and day. The Womble is superfast, smooth, and flowy while the Ouachita is the evil twin. It has super techy sections with cat head rocks that like to eat your tires. The 80 miler even has some good hike a bike sections.

I am putting an extra 20 miles on my plate this year as I am racing the 80 whereas the past two times I raced the 60. Coach said it would be a good warm-up to the Cohutta. Last year I rode the additional 20 miles the day after the 60 mile race. It was so much fun (translation: it will kick your a$$!), the trails are pristine, and the views were spectacular.

This is Arkansas' secret little gem. Who woulda thought? This race has the greatest percentage of singletrack. The 60 is 70% and the 80 is 85%. It is no wonder that the 60 mile race and tour sell out in hours. However, the 80 option hasn't. So if you want a singletrack challenge, love to suffer and come away with an awesome experience, come to Arkansas in April and race/ride!

Ed Hawkins and his crew put on a fantastic event! They have the best relationship with the other user groups (hikers and horseback riders) and they give back tremendously to the trail systems.

Mulberry Gap Ladies Only Weekend

Yeah, yeah ... I am a bit late posting this one, but better late than never. This is one gathering you ladies out there do not need to miss.

I had just finished a pretty heavy training load the week leading up to it, topping it off with the Cohutta Death March. For those of you unknowing souls out there, the Death March is a 75 mile gravel grinder with 9000 feet of climbing, 70 miles of it being in the Cohutta 100.

There were 12 of us that stayed at Mulberry Gap. From Namrita whose poor bike was a conglomeration of components, some of which worked (hint, hint: she NEEDS her Rotwild steed!) to Emily who likes to eat pizza and drink beer while showering ... with her kit ON, all the women were very cool and unique! Different levels of skill were represented, but no one was pushed to the edge, unless they so desired. There were options of varying mileage and everyone enjoyed the exquisite trails that the Chattahoochee National Forest had to offer.

A group of BUMP girls came up from the flatlands of Alabama, but they rode the mountainous terrain extremely well. I suspect they needed to feel they earned the post ride beers ... and wine ... and some sort of pomegranate martini drink. And earned them they did! I enjoyed their giggly and vivacious nature. And boy could they ride! Stacey is a Super D extraordinaire!

Mandy from Bike29.com came down from Vermont to escape the cold and try out her rigid singlespeed. She definitely got her work out in as she climbed up Potato Patch to the Upper Bear Creek parking lot ... twice. Gail tamed Pinhoti 2 this time and came away with an awesome ride and bones intact. Debbie, who was at the first women's only weekend last fall, has gotten even faster!

Most of these women have kids, which was pretty cool. We got to chit chat about balancing our family lives with our passion. It is so good to see older women in this REAL sport as opposed to other recreational ventures.

And where else, besided Mom's, can you have "hot, fresh out of the oven chocolate chip cookies" after 3 hours of riding. Dianne and Ginni are like my surrogate mothers ... they know how to nurture. Once again, the food was spectacular: baked potato bar with chicken and steak, pancakes with strawberries and bananas, chicken salad, pita crisps with "to die for" hummus, roast beef, corn casserole, awesome green salads, and the list goes on.

I will say, I had the best two nights sleep in a long time. 10 hours each night of restful bliss and no dreams about work. And the mealtime conversations were great; everything from broken bone stories to tire selection to your children's education.

I managed to get in 7 hours and 60 miles of riding. I am looking forward to the next one!

Pumpkin Pie Time

For those who abstained from last year's holiday goodies (that would be me), now is the time to enjoy Mom's homemade treats. You see, while everyone else was partaking of pumpkin pie, I was wrapping my slices up in saran wrap and popping it into the freezer. Although there might have been a tear or two shed then, now there are tears of joy upon opening these delectable treats trailside.

This past week was a 3 day block of L3 tempo work-outs. One on asphalt and two on dirt. Zeke's wishes of long gravel grinders had come true. On Wednesday, with sweet temps, we pedaled the roads through McMinn and Monroe counties. We managed to get in a little over 4000 feet of climbing in 75 miles.

On Thursday, we headed over to Polk County and rode the Kimsey Mtn Loop: 5 hours, 51 miles and 6000 feet of climbing. It was a joy to refuel on pumpkin pie about 1/2 way through the ride. Although it was cloudy and cool and rain threatened the whole time, we were blessed to not have to pull out the rain gear.

On Friday, we rode part of the Cohutta 100 fireroad loop: 6 hours, 61 miles, and 7000 feet of climbing. Today was pumpkin cheesecake! At these slightly less than race efforts, it is nice to be able to enjoy solid food. For me, race days are all about gels, the only thing I am able to easily digest at high intensity. Once again, we managed to escape a deluge of rain ... only in the last hour did it rain lightly.

Next week is a repeat block of 3 days. I can hardly wait! More pumpkin pie and chocolate cake awaits!

Snake Creek TT Finale

Springtime was finally here for the last race of the Snake. With no rain for a few days and temps in the high 60's/low 70's I knew course conditions were going to be excellent. It was do or die time.

After 5 months of training under Coach's guidance this would be my first real test. And with Willow Koerber coming, the stakes were even higher. I wanted to come within a respectable time of hers.

Although I was nervous, I managed to get a good night's rest. I also managed to get on the second row at the start. This time I was NOT going to have to pass 25 racers. I held back on the start, allowing time for my legs to "wake up." Still, it was hard not to go all out.

When I passed Zeke on the first doubletrack climb, he was motoring along very well, too. I told him to watch his back as Stanly was behind me. Well ... that may have been a tad bit of a lie (actually Stanly had started many waves back), but I wanted to push Zeke a bit as he was racing for first.

I entered the first section of singletrack with just one racer behind me and was able to go at my own speed and feel the flow of the trail. I popped out onto the gravel road and by this time had settled in to a good pace.

Soon after the first road crossing (around mile 13) as I thought I was moving quickly and smoothly up a gradual climb, I heard Willow behind me, asking to pass. Crap! I did not expect her to catch me this quick! Oh, well ... I gladly let her on by. Then I picked it up a bit and stayed with her. Amazing, she was so smooth and steady ... on a hardtail. She was really cool to watch. I managed to stay with her for a mile or so, until the trail pitched up even steeper. Knowing that I would explode trying to stay close, I settled back into my own rhythm and watched her grow smaller and smaller. (Are there any other sports where you can compete against one of the world's best?)

During the last climb before the sickenly sweet descent into the aid station which marked the halfway point, I began to hurt a bit. I began questioning my fitness, but after glancing at my watch, I realized that I was close to 10 minutes faster than January's effort. No wonder! Now, could I just hold this over the last 17 miles and perhaps gain even more?

As I rolled in to swap Camelbaks, Bruce told me that I was just 3 minutes behind Willow. That was encouraging. The next few miles rolled by uneventfully. I followed Garth's line down the Middle Mountain descent. Once I began going through the multiple creek crossings, I slowed a bit. All the rocks here seemed to be very sharp and "angry looking." Stumpy was handling well and I did not want any mechanicals now.

When I began the final doubletrack climb, I felt a painful twinge in my hamstring. What the heck am I doing having a cramp? I don't cramp, darn it! (The last and only time I have ever cramped during a race was Ouachita '08) I immediately dropped into granny and soft-pedaled. Thankfully, the painful tightening relented. I took it easy up this climb.

Once I entered the 6 mile rock garden, I slowly picked it up a bit, testing my hamstring. All seemed o.k. and this being my funnest section, I carved through the singletrack as smoothly as possible. Today I was able to clean sections I usually am too tired to on race day. And other sections I was smart enough to dismount and run through, knowing I would be quicker and less likely to cause another cramp.

Just before the gunsight pass, I saw a figure I did not expect too. At first I thought I was hallucinating. Loretta?!! What is she doing there? And then, a full-on cramp! Ouch, ouch, ouch! I yelled at Loretta, "You gave me your cramps!" (Later on, I found out that she had snapped her seat post around mile 12.) I had to run up through the rocky pass. Fortunately, I was able to remount and pedal the last 100 meters of singletrack.

Once I hit the final pavement descent, I tucked in to as aero a position I could get ... on a 5 inch travel bike. The final 50 meters I was able to stand and sprint and avoiding another cramp.

Final time: 3:26. I came in second! I was stoked ... I had improved my time by 20 minutes. And I came in within a respectable time of Willow's 3:13. Goals accomplished!

Other notables:

1. Zeke came in second. My TR partner is shaping up quite nicely. His class received the loudest applause.
2. Kim came in second in her class. Congrats! And she does not even consider herself a racer.
3. Kylie finished a sub 4 hour ... on a singlespeed! If that had been me, they would have been carting off my lifeless body at the halfway point.
4. Stumpy was an amazing steed for this one. Like a hardtail on the climbs and tamed the infamous Rock Garden.
5. EQUAL PAYOUTS!
6. Karen is still frickin' fast, even without training!

If Coach dials me in to my other races like she has for the Snake, it is going to be a fantastic year!