A Kitten With a Contract

A couple months ago, I decided it was time for another cat.  Carly had been wanting one since Angel had died last year.  With spring upon us, I figured now was as good time as any and there would be a bigger selection.  I had not been fervently searching, but just waited for one to "fall in my lap."  For me, those are the ones that turn out wonderful.  It is hard to really know what you are getting into when picking a kitten and I did not want to get stuck with a "demon from hell."

So last week, Carly spent the night with Stefanie while I was racing Syllamo.  I asked her if she would check her barn loft for any kittens as I knew that "old broken leg" was residing there and it was kitten season.  Amazingly, when they did check, they found four 5 week old kittens that did not hiss, spit, and run away, but came right up to them unafraid.  Now that was a sign!  There were 2 tabbies, 1 torti, and 1 orange.  Another sign as our favorite cat color is orange.

We picked Sunshine on Tuesday night.  Using my amazing motherly powers, I was able to get Carly to change his name to Sully -- he he!  He is currently residing in Carly's bathtub while we transition him to the litter box and solid food.

It has been since 1988 since I have had a kitten.  A kitten is a lot of work and responsibility, especially if you want them to turn out right.  So I made Carly sign a contract.

No, not cruel and unusual, but responsible.  Although, as I was writing this up, I was thinking, "And I thought my parents were hard on me!"  I think I just one-upped them.  This has already gotten Carly off on the right foot.  She has been an excellent mother, going to bed just a wee bit later and getting up a wee bit earlier to take care of Sully.  She is doing all of the above and then some.  She has even been wiping his bottom after he eats to stimulate him to pee and poop.  It has made me very proud to see her in action. (Don't tell Carly, but I have already gotten attached to the little bugger, so he won't be going anywhere.)

I have also decided to apply this whole virtual pet Webkinz thing to the real world.  Sully will be Carly's financial responsibility as well.  I purchased the first bag of food, litter pan, litter, and toy.  But from now on, she will buy what he needs.  She will be able to earn money by doing chores around the house, i.e., vacuum, dust, unload dishwasher, weed the flower beds, etc.  Charlie wanted lawn mowing and washing/waxing his truck, but I do think she is a bit young for that.  Sorry, Charlie!

I guess I will see how this experiment unfolds.  Should be exciting!

Syllamo's Revenge Race Report

The night before the race did not go quite as planned.  Zeke and I invited Lindsey over to our motel room for dinner.  We had the most wonderful time getting to know her.  Then Todd called and told us to turn on the TV.  When I did, there were three tornadoes heading our way.  And then the tornado sirens started.  Wow!  Never heard that before.  Needless to say, the three of us spent an hour in the bathtub with a mattress over our heads.  Poor Zeke, in the shower with two women, at the same time, but with clothes on!

A few more wicked storms blew through during the night, but on race day, it, was pleasant outside.  Thankfully, the front that was supposed to stall on us bringing more rain Saturday moved on over to Nashville and then stalled.

The start is crucial.  A mile double track climb at 10% gradient and then the single track begins which is very tight and difficult to pass.  I did a 30 minute warm up so that I would be ready for a fast start.  Last year I entered the single track in poor position.  This year I wanted to be up with the leaders.

When I lined up, I thought I was on the first row.  But racers kept stacking up in front of me and pretty soon, the start was 30 yards up the road.  There are no call ups for this grassroots race:  every man for himself. Ready, set, go!  350 racers headed towards 50 miles of single track bliss.  I treated the start as a 10 minute TT.  I slowly weaved amongst the crowd and made it into the single track in the top 20.  Zeke also had a good start and won his own little race, which was to beat me to the single track.  However, he was wise enough to pull to the side and let me enter first.

The Yellow Loop (Jack's Branch Tr.) was in amazingly good shape, considering the 2" of rainfall the night before.  I opted to put the mudfender on and was glad as this kept my line of sight crystal clear.  Toward the end of this loop, I ran into a group of guys who I will collectively refer to as "The Bumbles."  I am sure they are at every race, but just more prominent here on the technical rocky trails of the Ozarks.  The Bumbles raced to get around me, some of which nearly hit my front tire as they cut back in front of me.  Then they proceeded to go no faster, essentially clogging my field of view.  Now a couple Bumbles did manage to slowly ride off the front.

As we turned onto the Blue Loop (Scrappy Mountain Tr.), the single track became much more technical with lots of mud, rock gardens, and large slabs of flat rocks just slightly off-camber, which when wet were super slick.  At this point I smartly backed off the Bumble train.  One by one, over the course of this trail, they flailed about on the rocks, doing spectacular endos, face plants, and smack downs.  Quite entertaining!  I maneuvered around the carnage.

I stopped at the first aid station only long enough to have my number plate marked.  Then I was off to enjoy the Green Loop (White River Bluff Tr.) and the Orange Loop (Bald Scrappy Tr.).  These are the most technical of the race. The Green is like the last ridge line section of the Snake but only half the length.  A lot more rideable this year and a joy to do battle with a couple more guys on this one.  The beginning of the Orange has a 1 mile steep descent then slowly climbs back up with a few short, steep pitches separated by false flats.  But all of it is like riding in a rocky creek bed with a few large rooty areas to negotiate.  I was lucky enough to ride behind Zdenek, a gentleman from the Czech Republic who now resides in Missouri.  "Z" had great lines and I could not have descended any faster than that.  I distinctly remember last year that there was water flowing down this descent.

The climb back up to the Blue was easy as I was still quite "sparkly."  I was able to stand and mash when needed and sit and speedily spin as well.  Once on the Blue, I encountered the first creek crossing, about 20 yards long, knee deep, and refreshing.  I missed the left hand turn onto the single track that paralleled the creek, but was able to bushwack back down to it after pedaling 50 yards on a gravel road and knowing that this was not right.  Some guys weren't so lucky and had to back track much further.

I rolled into Aid Station 2 (25 miles in) at the 3 hour mark.  Todd was there and I swapped out Camelbaks and gel flasks.  Thanks, Todd!  From there it was back onto the blue and another creek crossing, which was ride-able.  Then the heinous climb of death, about 1 1/2 miles of ascending back up the bluff.  Lots of wet, slick rocks, switchbacks, and finally the Stairway to Heaven.  This is a series of flat rocks in stair step fashion that takeyou up through a rocky crevasse and back on top of the mountain.  I was thankful for the running Coach has been having me doing, because it made the hike-a-bikes so much easier.

On this last section of the Blue, I finally caught up to the last Bumble.  I could see him about 50 yards ahead on some of the rideable sections of this climb ... well, at least for me.  It appeared that he was fighting his bike more than riding it.  After going down hard a few times, I finally caught up to him.  And this is what he said,  "I'm not so good on the technical sections, but I will probably catch you on the flats."  As I passed him, I replied, "Just let me know when you want around."  And I never saw him again.  Well, I did briefly, as the trail came out onto a logging road which was about 0.3 miles long and climbed slightly before jumping back onto more single track.  He was about 40 yards back on this "flat" section.  I put the final nail in his coffin when I dropped it into a slightly bigger gear and disappeared from his field of view.  I mean, really, would he have said what he said if I had been a guy?


At this point, there were 18 miles left and most was pretty buff.  Feeling frisky, I kicked it up a notch and settled into a rhythm of hammering the flats, railing the curves, and using my friend momentum to crest the small hills.  I flew through the last aid station.  14 more miles!  Unlike last year on the Red Loop (Bad Branch Tr.) where I was riding on a bed of sticks and having to yank them out of my spokes and derailleur every few miles, this year it was in perfect shape.  The Red had very little elevation change so I continued to hammer.  However, at miles 37-42, I think I paid for my earlier efforts.  I seemed to stall and a couple guys came around me.  Even the small hills hurt.  I sucked down the remaining gel in my flask, drank some fluids and waited.  30 minutes later, I started to come around and was able to pick it back up for the remaining 4 miles.

Finishing up the Red, I was directed onto the Yellow and the volunteers shouted, "Two to go!"  How I loved to hear those words.  I dug deep and hammered up the final climb, popped out onto the double track where just a little over 5 hours ago I was time-trialling up.  Screaming down this road at 35 mph was much more fun!  I rolled under the finish banner in 5:16, first woman, and good enough for 8th overall.

A wonderful day to race, with blue skies, finishing temperature of 75 degrees, a Specialized Era that kicked trail, and a body that was at its best.

Unfortunately Zeke had a day of troubles:  two flats and two knockdowns.  I guess he did not escape the Bumbles.  As he was not having fun anymore, he pulled the plug at Aid Station 2.

Thanks to Steve and crew for putting on an awesome event with the coolest trophy ever, weighing in at 36 pounds!

Shock and Awe

The title sums up Lynda and Dave's trip to my neck of the woods.  This past weekend at the Cohutta, I played the role of supporter.  I think I picked a pretty good year to sit this one out (making a motion of wiping sweat from my brow).  My coach, Lynda Wallenfels, and her man, Dave Harris, were racing.  I was excited to be working for them.

They flew in Wednesday night and made Zeke's house their base.  Thanks, Zeke!  I came over on Thursday and along with Kim and Mark, rode the first 20 miles of single track with them.  Not having seen Lynda since TransRockies '08, I was stoked to be their "guide."

Lynda was excited to see so much green.  She especially loved the dogwoods, in full bloom.  Today was all about stopping to "smell the roses."  Thunderock got their attention.  They were all giggles as they smoked that descent.  I don't believe I have ever seen someone pre-ride a trail so friggin' fast!

On Friday, we met up again and along with Zeke, rode the last 10 miles of single track, hitting Thunderock for a second time.  That evening, after installing mudfenders on the desert rats' rigs, we enjoyed a pre-race meal at Goodfella's:  the Odea's, Sandefurs, JJ and Co., Danielle, Lynda, Dave, Monte, and I.

It was good to be on the other side and not have the pre-race jitters, although I think a couple butterflies were swarming around in my stomach for Lynda.

I spent the night at Zeke's.  Just when I thought I had hundies dialed in, I watched Lynda's prep and learned even more.  She has got it down to a science.  As I settled in for the night, the rains settled in on the Cohuttas.

Fortunately, the start was warm and dry.  Unfortunately, Lynda took the mudfender I had given her off; it was rattling against her down tube.  Dave left his on and had a happy face for the duration of the race.  As I looked across the first few rows of competitors, the race faces were ON!  The "she-testerone," as Zeke calls it, was so thick it was intoxicating.  I managed to get a smile from Lynda, but only for a second.

After the race started, Zeke and I drove up to Boyd Gap to watch them come through.  I saw Amanda come through first and almost missed Lynda, tucked in right behind her.  After 10 miles, they were only a minute off the lead group of guys.

From there, we drove over to Watson Gap where we set up our pit on Zeke's tailgate.  On Lynda's race day plan, she expected to arrive there at 3h 2min.  By golly, at 10 am she rolled up with fire in her eyes.  She was looking great.  Dave warned me not to ask her any questions at the pit stops as she tended to talk in tongue.  Our exchange was silent and we got her out of there in less than 30 seconds.  Amanda and AnnaJean pulled in right behind Lynda, but took a bit longer to get rolling again as they were self-supported at this aid station.

We also supported Eddie; I handed him off a bottle, in a most professionally quick and efficient way.  He was looking strong as well.  We got worried when we did not see Todd.  About 30 minutes after Lynda, he came limping in, obviously frustrated.  His race was done.  Apparently, in order to avoid running over a rider on Brush Creek who bit it on a bridge, he hyper-extended his knee.  He was pretty bummed as this was an "A" race.

From there, we went up to Aid Station 6 to prepare for the next series of hand offs.  When we got there, we had just missed Danielle, who went in to the single track in first place in the Big Frog 65 and who would go on to win.  Not too far behind was Namrita who was looking incredibly strong.  Ursula, who I think actually cracked a smile, entered the single track in third place.

With time to kill awaiting the arrival of our racers, I taught the Civil Air Patrol cadets a class on how to prepare aid station food.

At about noon, the heavens let loose with thunder, lightning, and sideways rain.  Once again, I was happy to be where I was versus descending FS17 dodging lightning bolts.

Just before 2 pm, Zeke and I took up our post a few feet away from the West Fork Trail.  We expected Lynda at any time.  When we saw Amanda come through looking strong, my heart sunk a little.  I began counting the minutes.  When 1 turned to 5 to 10 minutes, I began to worry.  We could hear the racers before we would see them and each time I expected it to be her.  Dave kinda caught us off guard.  His mojo finally caught up to him and he was feeling rather frisky.

I cannot remember where he passed her, but said she wasn't looking too sparkly.  That must have been hard for him.  We gave him his wings (can of Red Bull), swapped out bottles, and sent him on his way.

Lynda was not too far behind.  At this point she was in fourth, some 20 minutes behind Amanda.  As soon as I saw her face, I knew she was done.  She had that 100 yard stare.  She said she couldn't go on and when I asked why, she mumbled something about a lightning bolt, crashing, and feeling all tingly.

WHOA!  Oh ... my ... God.  Here is my coach, riding in my back yard and almost becomes a fatality.  That gave me the heebie-jeebies.

We got her loaded into the truck and drove her back down to the Start/Finish.  Once she got cleaned up, warmed up, and fueled up, she gave us the lowdown on her experience with lightning.

At one of the highest points along the course, just after Potato Patch and before the FS17 descent, she was racing along when suddenly her vision went white.  The next thing she knew, she was laying on the ground beside her bike.  Another rider some 30 yards ahead was also down.  All the hairs on her body were standing up straight and her whole body was tingling.  She managed to get back on the bike, but had no coordination.  It was a struggle to just turn the pedals over.  And she had to ride another 25 miles before she got to us.  The other rider managed to get back on his bike as well.

Although it took her until about 8 pm Saturday night to feel normal again, i was just so thankful that she was alive.  I am not sure how many more crazy near death experiences this wild woman has had, but I am pretty sure she is a few lives short of 9 now.

It has got to be hard to call it quits, especially after completing 89 miles.  The only DNF I have had was at an XC race years ago when I double-flatted.  What I learned from coach this day was that a DNF is nothing when compared to what you have awaiting you beyond the finish line ... your family.

Coach did the right thing and if I am ever in a situation similar to hers, I will let my ego go and do the right thing.

BTW, she felt good enough the next day to hammer me on Bear Creek, P1, P2, and P3.  30 fast miles later, I was "pooped."  Now, that's some crack!

What Have I Gotten Myself Into?

They say you forget the pain of childbirth.  They are wrong!  I have not forgotten those, but apparently I have forgotten the pains of a 24 hour race, until this past Friday.  My training plan initially called for back to back 5 hour days on the mountain bike.  Thursday was a wash out so Coach decided I ought to put 8 hours in on a lap course to prep for The Burn.  She was WAY MORE EXCITED than I! 

I set up a little make-shift pit area next in the parking lot and started around 11 am.  The trails were in perfect shape and the temps  were in the 50's-60's.  I had just gotten the Specialized Zee Cage, a side-loading bottle cage, and was anxious to how it worked and if I could do bottles instead of my usual hydration packs.

After a brief warm up, I rode the next 5 1/2 hours at the border of L2/L3.  I rode the trails CCW, with each lap about 13-16 miles in length, as I changed up the route just a bit by adding some additional trails.  My legs felt great all day, and my body soon remembered what it is like to ride laps.  Pretty cool to not have to think about shifting before a particular section; your body knows what is coming up before you see it.  To know where to conserve and when to get after it became second nature as well.

I believe it was on my 4th lap when I passed a young guy in a Suck Creek cycle jersey.  I caught him by surprise, so it was no wonder that he was soon on my wheel.  After a few minutes of him riding just behind me, I asked if he needed around.  In between breaths, he said no, I was riding a great pace.  I did not have the heart to tell him this was my 4th lap.  Besides, I did not want to be charged with assisted suicide.  On the climb back up to the parking lot, I dropped him.

It was on the 4th lap, that I was slowly reminded of how much a 24 hour is going to hurt.  First, it was my lower back.  A pain in the left side that came and went.  Then, on the same lap, a pinching pain between my shoulder blades.  On the final lap, the ball of my left foot really began to hurt.  This pain radiated to my big toe.  My legs were still turning over the pedals with ease, but all these little piss-ant pains were beginning to add up and make this more mental than physical.

Lynda gave me some great advice on pacing and fueling.  Those worked out great!  The Zee cage worked awesome.  Easy to get the bottle in/out of and the bottle never catapulted out of the cage.  I managed to take in enough liquid per lap so I think this will work at The Burn, if the weather is right.

What I need to focus on is those little nuisance pains that can make you or break you.  Hence, I will seeing the chiropractor, getting a second pair of mountain bike shoes and perhaps another pair of insoles, and checking my bike fit to try to figure out the shoulder blade pain.

I managed to get in 80 miles in 6 laps. I think Burn will be faster under similar weather conditions.  And smoother, so perhaps the little nagging pains will hold off a bit longer.

The fundraiser will definitely be a motivating factor.  I am not sure I would be doing this race, if not for it.  The Burn is gonna hurt!  It should be fun, however, in a sick sort of way!


BTW, I have reached 40% of my goal for the fundraiser.  Thanks to all those who have pledged.  To those who have not, please consider.  I am not asking for much and it is for a good cause.  Check out my fundraiser here.

Ouachita Challenge Race Report

I have been doing this race for 4 years, starting in 2006 (missed 2007).  Zeke and I have driven past this sign multiple times yet this was the first time we noticed the Possums Unlimited.  Really?  You have got to be kidding!

We arrived Thursday which gave me a chance to pre-ride Brushy and Blowout Mountain and make small animal sacrifices to the rain gods.  Zeke opted to do the Tour since we had to drive back Sunday in order for me to go to work on Monday.  It also allowed him to hand off nutrition at the midway sag of the race.  There was stiff competition this year, so I knew every minute would count.

Sunday morning I awoke to a clear radar and 50 degree temps.  Hot coffee, eggs, and pop tarts went down one hatch and Saturday's meal quickly came out the other!  I arrived at Oden school still deciding what to wear.  Last year I was frozen at the end of the race and I did not want a repeat.  While Zeke was putting my number plate on Indy, I got my gear and nutrition together.  In the end, I went with a base layer, jersey, arm warmers, and shorts.  Rapidade and Hammer Gel were the octane for the day.

The neutral start to the gravel allowed me a gradual warm up which I was thankful for.  At 41, my legs don't like to go full throttle in less than 10 seconds.  Once I hit the gravel road which slowly climbed up to Brushy, I managed to stay with the leaders without redlining it.  With about 2-3 miles to go to the single track, I along with a few others got shelled out the back.  I kept expecting Sonya or Andrea to go flying by me as I did not feel I was pushing it all that hard. 

I entered the single track in a good position.  Here I slowed up just a bit until I found my single track legs.  Then I slowly began to work my way around a few guys.  Everybody was very nice today.  Those who were slower allowed the faster ones around without any bickering, me included.

Coming off Brushy, my legs were feeling great.  I did not have my PowerTap wheel, but by PE and HR, it seemed that I was keeping the power in upper L3.  I was so happy that the organizers decided to let us head up Blowout.  One of my favorite sections and riding it this way is much easier compared to last year.  The best comment of the day was when I was climbing the steep babyhead rock section just after the dirt road crossing.  As I passed this guy who recognized me as a woman, he cried out, "Holy sh!t!  You go girl!"  Finally some respect instead of him trying to ramp it up and stay in front of me.

Blowout has a lot of rock gardens.  I was wise enough to know when to get off and run 'em.  I saw several guys attempt to ride the harder ones.  Boy!  They went down hard.  Luckily only injured pride.  I rode the first 3 and ran the last 3.  The descent was rippin' fast, my bike ('09 Specialized Era)handled beautifully, the tires (Specialized Captain's) hooked up well, and I popped out onto the gravel road before I knew it. 

A mile of gravel road led me to Chalybeate (Clee-bit).  As I went through the water crossing, I looked for my little toad friends I saw the day before.  (Funny story, thanks to Zeke.)  Yesterday, Zeke told me he saw a toad with a gumball, West Virginian for hackberry seed pod, in its mouth.  When I stopped for a closer look, I saw the toad but the gumball was not a gumball, but a female toad underneath the toad.  I do believe they were "twitterpated."

...Back to racing.  The initial climb was a good steep little grunt to the top.  I settled down and rode it smart, passing a couple guys as they bobbled on some rooty sections.  Once to the top, I slowed my pace down just a wee bit as I felt I was still going a bit too hard.  I was feeling great, but did not want to pay for it later on the Womble.  Most people have the notion that the Womble is all fast and flowy, the easy part of the race, but I knew better. 

About halfway through Chalybeate, I caught up to Todd and another guy.  I hung on to them like glue as I did not want to be alone on the 8 mile road/gravel section leading to The Womble.  Todd was still recovering from a respiratory infection.  Unfortunate for him, but fortunate for me.  His sickly pace was my tempo pace.  Once we were onto the road, several more guys caught up to us, paced with us for a short piece, and then one guy shot off the front with all of us desperate to hang on.  I soon realized this would blow me up, so I popped off, followed by a few others.  We watched them disappear off the front, but would soon catch back up to them and pass them on the Womble.

Zeke was waiting at the Highway 88 aid station.  I swapped hydration packs and gel flasks.  I then asked Zeke for my blueberry newtons.  He forgot to lay them out.  While he went back to the truck and searched for them I was wanting to go, go, go!  I was fearful Sonya and Andrea were hot on my wheels and precious time was being lost.  At least that's what it felt like.  In actuality, it was probably only a few seconds.  Sorry, Zeke, but my game face was on!  I promise I will be good at The Burn!

There were a few kickers on the Womble.  The climb up to bluffs overlooking the Lake, the climb up Reed Mountain, and the last climb up Mauldin Mountain.  Granny was my friend for these.  The funnest part was the narrow benchcut section towards the beginning of the Womble.  You could go fast but you had to be careful.  If that front wheel washed out, you would take quite a tumble down.

At some point along another short gravel road section, Zeke told me that I was only 4 minutes up on Sonya.  At this point there were still about 20 miles left.  My mindset quickly turned from "Happy, happy, joy, joy" to "Oh, sh!t!"  I turned on the gas at this point or so at least I thought.  After about 10 minutes of trying to rev it up, I realized I was going no faster than prior to Zeke giving me a time check.  So I went back to my "Happy, happy, joy, joy" feeling.  After climbing Mauldin, I was really able to rail the ridgeline section and had fun doing it. 

Once I hit the last section of road back to the finish, the fatigue set in.  The headwind did not help matters either.  I was able to draft off Todd for a bit before I popped off him.  I put my head down and just pretended I was doing a 20 m inute TT.  Once I turned left and headed back up to the school, I looked back and saw no one.  It was here that I eased up and crossed the finish line in 5:39.

I had a perfect race today.  I was strong, Indy performed well, I fueled well, I never got cold, and I was never isolated on the road sections.  I ran the Ergon GX3's (had been running GR2's) and even with a little less padding, they felt great all day.

The OC has only been my second race this season since coming out of hibernation.  I am very happy with how my training has been going and hope to be able to continue to improve.

Off The Beaten Path

I have been racing for 10 years now. And yes, it has been great!  I have pushed myself to my limits, been on top of the podium, and have travelled to places I probably would not have, had it not been for the bike.  It has been pretty much about me.

For 2010, I wanted to try something different.  I wanted to do a race, a big race, and use it as a platform to raise money for a cause.  There are oodles of charitable causes.  I based my choice on three things.  I wanted it to be local, I wanted it to be educational, and I wanted to hit a sector of the population that cycling needs desperately.

My race was easy enough:  24 Hour Nationals at Big Bear.  My kind of trail system in my neck of the woods and a pit crew who was available that weekend.  But after Granny Gear cancelled my great idea, I had to scramble for a new venue and new pit crew. 

I am excited to be going back to The Burn 24 Hour.  This is where I did my first 24 hour solo and got spanked by Danielle.  My Mom, stepdad, and Zeke are going to be my crew.  Mom and Doug will do an awesome job, as they suffered through the worse weather conditions at TransRockies last year.  And Zeke is like having three crew members.

I am going to be raising money for my daughter's school as well as the other K-3rd school in my town.  The money I raise (goal of $6000) will be put towards their physical education programs and playground equipment.  I will be giving a series of educational presentations to the children.  Topics included will be cycling, of course, but also health, nutrition, and physical fitness.  Last year when I talked to Carly's after school program, the kids were so interested in seeing my bikes and cycling gear!

Sadly, my county has the distinction of being one of the top 10 most obese in Tennessee.  And Tennesse is in the top 3 fattest states!  Woe is me!  My goal is to enable these kids, even if it is only just a few, to get off the couch and get outside and play.  Did you know that 1 in 3 children are at risk for diabetes?  And diseases that we typically see in adults, i.e. high blood pressure, heart disease, liver disease, and depression, are on the rise in children.

I am also going to have a contest for the kids.  I got the idea from Pua at last year's 24 Hour Natz.  The top 3 boys/girls in each school who are closest to guessing the number of laps and my overall mileage at the 24 hour mark will win prizes.  I am working with The Outdoor Store and Specialized to secure bikes for first place.

I want to challenge all my family, friends, and cycling acquaintances to make a small pledge per lap.  In 2006 I completed 25 laps.  Under the right conditions, I hope to better that this year.  After making some calculations, I need $200-$240 per lap to accomplish my goal. 

I would rather have pledges per lap as opposed to a flat donation.  I figure that this will inspire me a bit more to churn out lap after lap knowing that each one completed brings "X" amount of dollars.  I am not asking for much.  All that I need from you is to forego one lunch at a fast food joint or a couple of bottled beers at your favorite brewery.  That would equate to roughly $.25/lap.

So start turning over your couch cushions and looking under your automobile seats.  Just shoot me an e-mail or leave a comment if you would like to give.  At this point I am not going to be using Paypal or any other sort of on-line method of contributing.  I want 100% of contributions to go to the kids so I am doing it the old-fashioned way.  I will be accepting pledges/donations through Memorial Day weekend and will collect the monies during the month of June.

Thanks for your support,

Carey

Snake Creek Gap TT Race Report

 

  

I could have titled this post, "Why do I need 27 gears?"  Racing it SS was suggested by Coach, as I was ending as I was finishing up a pretty good block of training and she said I would be disappointed racing it geared. 

Zeke and I self-shuttled, putting the "kids," Lisa and Paula, in the backseat.  It was a great way for me to start.  The parking lot was empty and I was able to just get on my bike and start racing.  I love the every 15 second TT format.

Having selected a 32 x 22 gearing, the first flat section to the big creek crossing was a lot of spin, spin, spin, coast, coast, spin, spin, spin.  But that turned out to be a good thing because it gave me a good warm up prior to the doubletrack climb.

I passed Shanna on this section and she was even "spinnier" than I.  All smiles, that girl!  I must mention that I run her cogs and they are sweet!

I was quickly reminded of how much climbing there is in the first section.  Not as technical, but looong climbs.  I spent much of the time out of the saddle and looked forward to the short downhill sections for recovery.  Solo, the name I have given to my Specialized Stumpjumper SS, handled quite well.  I did have to get used to the rear wheel getting kicked around a bit by the rocks on the descent, but other than that, she fared well on such rocky terrain.

Coming into the halfway point, I glanced down at my speedo and saw a time of 1:33.  Could that be?  No way, I thought briefly!  That was the same split I had last year when I raced gears.  Crazy!  The volunteers at the SAG were on their game.  They handed off my hydration pack to me and I rolled on.

Now the climb up Mill Creek Mtn was tough.  My quads were on fire!  But I was NOT GETTING OFF.  Amazing what the body CAN do when it doesn't want to do the other.  So I settled, sitting briefly when I had the chance.  Once on top, I was able to get on the gas more.  I came upon a Motor Mile SS'r and he was riding well, so I paced off of him.  He got a stick caught in his wheel on the descent so I lost my buddy there, but was able to pick up another Motor Mile SS'r on the fireroad climb up to the last 7 mile technical ridge section.

A lot of racers dread this last section, but I embrace it.  I always seem to be able to save a little for the end.  Or perhaps it is that here I can smell the barn.  I love the rocks!  I pushed it pretty hard here because I knew I had a chance to win and set a PR!  I must say that I did run (read walk fast) more sections on my SS, but there is no shame in that.

At about 4 miles from the finish, I felt  twinges in my medial hamstrings when I was grinding up some steep climbs.  Oh, crap!  Not wanting to cramp, I slowed it down just a bit.  Leaving the singletrack, I tucked into an aero position.  Darn headwind slowed me down, but I managed to cross the finish line with a time of 3:27:51.  That is only 1:16 slower than 2009's time.  I could not believe it.  Those who had been racing SS for awhile had told me that SS are really no slower than geared, but I did not believe it.

Kudos to Lisa, my TransRockies partner, for 2nd place and setting a PR.  Mamas rock and rolled the Snake this year!

Once again, NWGA Sorba did an outstanding job with marshalling, swag, food, and prizes.  Special thanks to Ginni and Diane of Mulberry Gap to providing a HUGE mound of delicious oatmeal cookies!

No Swiftwick bounty for me this year.  I wonder how I would have done had I raced it geared this year.  Oh well, there is always next year.  

I love my SS.  It brings back childhood memories of me and my many one-geared bikes!