Group Benefits

There are some very obvious benefits to having a group of people to train with each year.

First, there is the friendships that inevitably develop. How can you not consider yourself friends with someone who has swam, biked and ran with you,  encouraging you through your weakest times and cheering you on at your strongest times.  Plus, there are the race planning parties, the end of season rides and all the shindigs in between.

Second, there is the wealth of knowledge that everyone brings to the group.  The person who offers swim clinics and gives you personal tips on bilateral breathing.  The person who offers weekly run clinics, expounding on the benefits of hill repeats and speed workouts.  The person who has transitions down to a science and is willing to share his secrets.  Only by getting out and working out with people who live this lifestyle, can you avail yourself to this wealth of knowledge.

And sometimes, there are activities and opportunities that come your way only because you are part of the group.  Think professional clinics by world champion triathletes.  Or bike clinics by professional bike mechanics.  If I were training on my own, these opportunities would not come my way.  Earlier this month, our group had one such opportunity.  A photographer approached one of our members and asked if he could photograph our group.  He explained that he has a website that he is looking to update and wanted to do a special section on motion and had some ideas for shots using bicycles.  She put out the call to the group.  Four of us were excited to take part.

We had no idea what to expect.  He wanted it to be at sunset with open fields and rolling hills in the background.  We chose Dresser Hill.  He had us ride by him in a line with particular spacing in between each of us.  We probably rode the same section back and forth about 10 times before he was satisfied.  The traffic on the road was pretty heavy, so we went around the corner to a side street that met his same criteria.  He wanted us to come down a hill, around the bend in a tight formation and ride by him as he was laying in the road.  He wanted us to ride super close together as we passed really close to him.  It was sketchy.  We had to do that about 20 times and each time he would say "I have a vision" and then would give us more detailed instructions.  It was a little weird, but really fun to have someone photographing you so close as you rode your bike.

As a thank you, he gave us two of the shots.  I think they came out pretty cool.  What do you think?

Buzzards Bay Race Report

I did it!  I made my goal!  It wasn't pretty, but I did it.
 

The Swim:

There is just nothing like the feeling of looking out at those buoys and knowing that you have to swim that entire distance.  Man, it looks far.  And there was a serious headwind.  There was no surf to speak of, but there was a lot of chop. All I could think was that if you had to stop for any reason, you were just going to get blown back to the start line.  They told us the water temperature was 67 degrees.  I was very happy to have a full body wetsuit!

So this was an in-water start.  Because of the sandbars, you had to wade all the way out in waist deep water and wait for the start signal.  On your mark, get set, go. There were probably 100-125 people in my wave.  We all start swimming and inevitably, you get kicked and elbowed and you do your own share of kicking and elbowing just to get yourself some room to swim.  It wasn't bad.  But every time I came up for a breath, I'd get a mouthful of salt water.  And I was quickly realizing that despite swimming hard, I was making very little progress.  That damn wind.  So I dove down and swam underwater as far as I could.  I realized that this tactic was very hard in a full wetsuit, but very fruitful.  I easily passed a bunch of people doing the freestyle.  So I did it again.  Passed more people.  I did a combination of swimming underwater and the freestyle all the way to the next buoy.  And then I realized I could stand up because of another sandbar.  So then I abandoned the underwater swimming and starting mixing in some water running with freestyle swimming.  Made it to the next buoy.  And then I swam as hard as I could (freestyle) to the last buoy.  At that point, I stood up in knee deep water and ran all the way to shore.


Swim goal:  13 minutes
Actual swim time:  13:59

If you look closely, you can see 2 (out of 4) orange buoys that we had to swim along before heading in to shore.

T1:
For those who don't follow triathlons, you may be surprised to know that they time your transition from one event to the next.  It counts towards your final time.  People practice them like they are their own events.  Some people are superfast.  Not me.  I'm dizzy from the swim.  I need to get all my stuff together to start bike riding.  Grabbed a bite of a Luna bar, put on my socks, bike shoes, gloves, helmet and bike.

T1 time:  3:47

The Bike:
I've said it before and I'll say it again:  this was a beautiful bike course.  We were told at the race meeting that Triathlon Magazine named this course one of the most scenic courses.  I saw my parents, Rob and Harry as I left the transition area.  It was the boost I needed to get going.  I went up the hill and out of the park.  Once out, I drank some Gatorade to try and get some calories and shake off the dizziness from the swim.  Nobody wants to ride a bike while dizzy.  About a mile in, I started to feel good and went to switch into my big ring to start hammering out this course and discovered I was already in the big ring.  I had no bike computer and had no idea how fast or how far I was but sooner than I thought, I passed the 5 mile mark and saw that I was at 18 minutes.  I was right on track to beat my 1 hour goal.  I passed by Cummings Lane, which was where I spent most of my childhood, and was pleasantly surprised to see some of my neighbors out there to cheer on me and my sister.  They even executed the wave in a show of support.  It was super sweet!

Bike Goal:  1 Hour
Actual bike time:  57:01 for an average 15.47 MPH

Biking with a smile!

T2:
This transition is a little easier.  Take off the helmet, gloves and bike shoes.  Slide on the sneakers.  Go.

T2 time:  2:43

The Run:
As I was starting to run out, I saw my sister running towards the finish line.  That was awesome.  I ran as much of the hill out as I could, but I admit that I had to walk some of it.  There were these awesome cheerleaders at the top of the hill who made you feel like you could do anything.  I ran so that they would cheer for me too. I found a group of people who had a pace that I could keep with for the first mile.  I walked through the water station while hydrating.  I ran to the two mile mark and then walked while I got out some gum.  And then I started to fall apart.  My timing chip was starting to rub against my ankle and I could tell that it was bleeding.  I contemplated loosening it but didn't really want to mess with it for fear of losing my times.  And then my right hip started to ache.  I was starting to do the old "run to the next telephone pole" trick when I saw those awesome cheerleaders again.  They started screaming for me and I started running for them.  And then took the turn into the park.  Almost there!  Rob was on the sidelines taking pictures.  Harry and my sister started running me towards the finish chute.  My parents were at the finish.  I picked it up and finished with whatever I had left.

Goal time:  34 minutes
Actual run time:  33:02 for a 10:39 pace

Both my feet are off the ground!  I must be running fast!!

Overall goal:  1:55
Official finish time: 1:50.29

So that's it, my one and only race of the season (thanks to Hurricane Irene).  Sorry about the lack of pictures.  Our camera died the day before the race and we only had cell phones to document my race!  These were taken on my parents iPhones, but soon enough, I'll figure out how to post the pictures Rob took on his phone.  But for now, we are back to bike riding!

Pedal, pedal, pedal!
~Cori

Buzzards Bay Triathlon Goals

Many of you know that I am racing in the Buzzards Bay Triathlon this weekend.  What you may not know is that it is a sort of homecoming for me.  The bike course goes right by two of the streets that we grew up on!  My sister is also racing it.  My parents will be joining Rob and Harry to be our official cheering crew.  It will be great to race with such support!

Our bikes resting on Hix Bridge overlooking the Westport River.

Truth be told, I've been looking forward to this race for a long time.  I grew up swimming in the ocean, and as intimidating as it may seem, I love it.  I miss it.  I want to race in it.  And the bike course is awesome.  It's relatively flat with beautiful rolling farmland on country roads with ocean views.  It is promising to be a gorgeous day and this course is the perfect way to spend the day!  And the 5K in the park?  It won't be my hardest run ever.  With all my cheerleaders out there, I'm sure to enjoy myself.

So what kind of goals do I have?  

My "A" goal is to soak it all in and have a great time.  I do this because it is fun.  Training with friends and racing with family...what could be better?  I hope to leave my nerves at home and just enjoy the experience.  I have always thought that the hardest part of doing a triathlon is getting yourself to the start line.  Once you're there, you just have to swim, bike, run.  And then celebrate the accomplishment.

Time Goals:

Swim:  this is a 1/3 of a mile ocean swim.  It is wetsuit legal and starts in the water (as opposed to running from the beach).  The wetsuit, the ocean swim and the type of start are all new to me.  I don't really know what to expect time-wise.  At Iron Girl in 2010, I swam the 1/3 mile course in 12:22.  I did the 1/4 mile swim at the Douglas TDD Triathlon a month later in 9:49.  I've also been swimming long distances in preparation for the Cranberry Olympic Triathlon, in which I was supposed to swim .9 miles.  That race was canceled due to Hurricane Irene, so I didn't end up racing the distance.  But I do think that all that training will benefit me in this race.  So my goal for this race is 13 minutes.  I think I'm in better shape then I was at Iron Girl last year.  I think it's do-able.

Ready to swim in Douglas.

Bike:  it's 15 miles.  At Iron Girl, I averaged 17.8 MPH on a flat course.  At the Douglas TDD, I averaged 14.02 MPH on a very hilly course.  I averaged about the same on the bike portion of the Danskin Triathlon in 2009.  So I'm hoping to beat it back in 1 hour.  That would give me a 15 MPH average on a course that has a couple of rollers but no major hills.  **Fingers crossed for no flat tires.  I still don't know how to change a flat and that would blow everything for me.

Official photo from Iron Girl

Run:  the dreaded run.  A 5K that goes uphill on the access road out of the park and then downhill back into the park to the finish line.  I've been hovering right around a 10 minute mile on all my training runs this season.  I haven't done many races, but I tend to run better in a triathlon then I do in a stand alone running race.  I think it's because my heart rate and breathing are all in control by the time I start the run during a triathlon vs. just starting off in a running race.  So what's my history here:  Iron Girl was done in 31.34.  Douglas TDD was done in 36.29.  I anticipate being somewhere in the middle of those times.  I'll shoot for a 34:00.

So factoring in some time for transitions, I'm hoping to beat 1:55.  With a smile.

Wish me luck!

Landmine Classic Race Review

Did my first go round at the Landmine Classic this past Sunday in Hingham, MA.  It was an experience and a half!

Just before the race I brought my Hi-Fi over to Ben Stone at Bicycle Concepts in Putnam.  The rear brake was rubbing just a little recently and letting off a super high-pitched squeal.  Ben took care of it on the spot despite a hectic pre-Cross season ramping up and having hacked off the top of his index finger with a machete while clearing trail after being stung over 20 times by a hive of angry, aggressive bees only days before.  Thanks Ben!

I had done a cursory cleaning before bringing the bike to Ben, so was giving it a good once over before packing it onto my Element on Saturday.  I was spending the night with my friends, the Hansens, in their home in Hanson in order to cut down on Sunday morning pre-race driving.  But before blasting of to the Hansens in Hanson, I was paying a visit to the Bike Barn in Whitman to pick up a free t-shirt for having pre-registered.

Well, as I was cleaning my bike with my front wheel off, I squeezed the brake lever and, as always happens with the Avid Juicy 3 that came stock on the bike, the pistons that push in the brake pads locked up.  Ben was already off to a wedding for the afternoon, so I knew bringing it to Bicycle Concepts was out.  I decided I'd have Bike Barn  look at it if they could.

Having left the better two-thirds of the Patons back in Thompson, I made it up to Bike Barn for about 4 pm, about an hour before they were closing up.  Bike Barn is the sponsor shop for the Landmine Classic and was busy with all sorts of pre-race hoopla.  It was a big shop with five or six bike stands lining the service area in the back.  They were willing to work on my bike and Billy Bergen gave it a go first.  Nothing doing.  The job was escalated to Mark Gerard who spent a lot of time trying to get the pistons working again.  It looked like he had it, but long story short, it didn't take.  I wound up having to buy a new brake.  They didn't have anything hydraulic, so they put on an Avid BB7 mechanical brake.  Switching from hydraulic to mechanical required swapping out the brake lever as well.  Anyhow, brake lever fixed, free t-shirt procured (although it didn't feel free any more) and the owner, Kevin, even hooked me up with a Guinness while I waited.

Off to the Hansens in Hanson.  They offered me a meal fit for a king and a bed fit for a princess.

Turned in early after some catching up with old friends and probably three too many beers, but up and at 'em bright and early the next morning.  Handy dandy GPS had me at the park for 8:15, an hour and fifteen minutes before my race went off.  I was doing the 50 mile Cat 2/3 race, my longest race/ride of the season.  On my way in I dropped off coolers at the two feed zones with pre-made water bottles with Hammer Fizz (thanks again Karen Potter) in them just to make sure I didn't run dry.

After driving for what seemed forever through the park, I found the start/finish area all set up and plenty of people already there getting psyched up for the race.  I grabbed my number (and free Bike Barn water bottle!) and got my stuff ready for the race.

I ran into Karen Potter, Brandon O'Neal and Steve Segenchuk while I was waiting for the start.  At 9:10 I saw a sweaty Brandon saying he'd gotten warmed up.  I expressed my concern with me warming up.  Basically 50 miles is a REALLY long way for me (and most other non-super-humans).  I just wasn't sure I had a warm up in me plus the race.  Brandon convinced me otherwise saying it was important to have broken a sweat before the race starts.  So I did a quick 1.3 miles on the road and got back just in time to start queuing up for the start.  They didn't do age groups in the marathon (50 mile) class.  Instead they had all the pros/experts go off and then had the Cat 2/3 men go off.  After us was the Single Speed open (much to Brandon's chagrin, as he's faster than everyone in that Cat 2/3 line up).  I assume the Cat 2/3 women went off right after them.

Brandon's advice seemed sound.   The whistle went off and we took off around the edge of the parking lot/field.  I was in second place getting into the woods!!!  At about a mile in the guy in first lost his chain.  I was in F-I-R-S-T!  With one mile down and only 49 to go.  Just the little matter of hanging onto the lead for the other 98% of the race.  At mile 4.5 I overtook the Cat 1/Pro female bringing up the rear of that category.  I also hear someone coming behind.  The question is whether it's a SS or Cat 2/3.  After a few minutes he catches me and I realize it is a Cat 2/3.  I hang onto him tight for a few miles.  Then as we pop out of the woods, he's nowhere to be seen.  I'm following the arrow on the road pointing left.  I think he's missed the turn and went straight across the road and back into the woods.  Alone in first again.  Around mile seven I've got riders coming up behind.  One guy passes me, then another.  Both running gears.  The second one to pass is the one who made the wrong turn.  I hang on to them past the first feed zone.  Still early and plenty of liquid.  No need to stop.

The guy in front takes a turn too wide and me and the other guy in front of me get by him.  Then the guy in front of me misses a turn (catching himself instantly) and I'm back in first.  

I hang on to the lead through the second feed zone and am still in first at mile 10.  That's where I blow a F-L-A-T!!!  Ugh.  I watch about 15 - 20 people blow past me while I take roughly 10 minutes to change my flat tire.  I need to work on doing that faster or go tubeless.  Honestly though, it might not have been the worst thing for me.  I was pushing myself too hard for those first ten miles and there was a good chance I was going to blow up if I kept trying to go at that rate.

Brandon was in the first group that passed me as I flatted.  That means he had made up the two minute (?) gap between our starts and gotten by all the slower Cat 2/3 by the time we hit mile 10.   Red headed single speed cycling monster.

I eventually have it back together and am now chasing people.  Slowly regaining places and trying to see whether they're geared or SS.  It's slow going and I grow disheartened.  Plus I took a wrong turn (stupidly) and have to back track a quarter mile on a disused paved road.  I think the guy who followed me was not happy with my poor decision making abilities.  But I plod on and slowly I pass folks.  Toward the end of the first 25 mile lap the trail veers left around a tree and drops off hard on the right side.  I hug the tree, going hard into the turn.  And crash right into the smaller tree hidden behind the large tree I'm hugging.  Head versus tree.  Tree wins.  Stopped dead, dazed with my visor knocked off.  I take off my helmet and get my visor back on and start up again, having to re-pass the last two guys I had just passed.

I get to the start/finish and my quads are just cramping up nicely with one lap left.  I stop by my cooler and replace my water bottle.  My Camelbak still feels okay, so I don't fill it.  I grab a banana, peel it open and start pedaling, swallowing as quickly as I can to have it gone before I get out of the field.  Still picking people off, but not sure at all where I stand.  My legs REALLY start cramping now.  Inside thighs above the knees.  I try drinking as much of the Hammer electrolyte drink as I can and down some Power Bar Energy Blasts as well (mmm... delicious Energy Blasts that taste like gummy candy).

I crashed once more coming over a rooty downhill, but no one there.  By the time I roll into what I know to be the last leg of the race, I think I've passed around a dozen people, but some of them were probably racing the shorter races.  The last four miles and my legs don't hurt at all any more.  I can smell the end.  It kind of smells like hamburgers.  It is hamburgers!!

I cross the finish in five hours and five minutes.  In the end I come to find out that coming through the first lap I was in 14th out of about 27 or so.  I finished in 11th, having only regained three spots since lap one.  I'm still awaiting the final results to be posted, but I'm pretty sure if I hadn't lost those ten minutes changing the tire I would have been closer to 5th or 6th.  But, as I said in my last race report, who knows if those guys in front of me had mechanicals also.

Dog tired, but feeling accomplished.  I grab a burger from the local scout troop (only to hear them go one sale 1/2 price literally while I'm eating my full price burger).  Brandon won the SS race.  Potter won the women's Pro/Cat 1.  Steve grabbed 11th in the Cat 1/Pro men (quite an accomplishment since he's used to just racing against the Cat 1 guys).  I heard Pete Dunn was there, too, but I think he did the 25 mile, so showed up after me and was probably gone before I finished.

All in all, great race.  Great organization.  Great vibe.  470+ racers across all categories. And you should definitely ride Wompatuck.  Trails are fantastic and well worth the trip.

 
Next "bike" race is the Pinnacle Challenge on 10/2.  5.0 mile road run, 5.4 mile mountain bike ride, 13.75 mile road ride and a 3.65 mile trail run.

Thanks for reading!

Post-Irene Clean Up

So first off let me say that we were relatively lucky with damage inflicted by Irene on 8/28/11.  I look around at folks in Western MA and in VT and see how bad it could have been and am just really thankful.  Yes, we were without electricity for five and a half days.  Yes, that sucks.  But I still have a house and my basement is dry and the limbs that came down in the yard didn't hit anything.

Three days post-Irene, our Wednesday night ride group went out to Douglas State Forest to ride, do reconnaissance on the damage and clear what we were able with tools we could carry while riding.  We met at the Wallis Street dirt lot for our usual 5:15 start.  It was a good turn out.  Me, Jess Bly, Dave Violette, Bryan Quach, new Chris, Ron Erickson, Jon Modig, Brandon O'Neal and Rob Laprel.  Yes, you heard right, Rob Laprel.  It was absolutely great to see him out again.

As we headed down the Ridge Trail out of the lot we were riding through a minefield of small twigs across the trail.  They were too numerous and too small to bother with.  We agreed we'd be stopping for anything significant.  As we closed on Route 16, we started coming across the first real blow downs.  There were several huge oaks in a row that blocked the way.  We cleared the first one, rode around the second (too big) and cut the limbs off the third to make it possible to ride up and over it.

Jess brought a really cool tool that is kind of like a chain saw blade that is one long piece between two handles.  It worked great.  Certainly better than the folding pruning saw I was packing.

We never crossed to the south side of Route 16. We stayed on the north side and went through the rock garden into pine needles, clearing a couple of trees and building some log pyramids over another.  In retrospect, that pyramid was a little large.  I think someone (Jess?) took a digger going over it on the way back to the cars later.  Here's some footage of Jess making it through the rock garden.  And proof that Laprel was actually at the ride!

It was pretty clear pretty quickly that there was no way we were going to  get any significant riding in.  Douglas looked like it had been hit hard.  But as they say, the darkest hour is the one right before daybreak.  Just as we were starting down the Midstate toward the two little wooden bridges, things started to clear up. There were a couple of good trees down and then nothing.  Just clear sailing.

We made it past the waterfall and out to the rope swing where our youngest rider, Jon, took a quick swim, shrieking like a banshee as he let go of the rope.

We finished up by climbing Double Hills (I made the first hill for the first time in a long while!!!) and winding our way back to the Wallis Street lot without hitting anymore blow downs.  All in all, a good ride.  Not so much in how far (6.9 miles) or how fast we rode (not very), but in accomplishing some quality trail clearing and still managing to get a ride in at the same time.

Since that Douglas ride we have also met at Uxbridge and cleared the West Hill side of the park.  Jess has worked really hard along with some other folks to get the rest of Uxbridge cleaned up.  Looks like its all cleared now and much of it in better shape than before Irene.  I've also spent a couple of lunches walking Douglas with a chainsaw and clearing the blow downs I've encountered.  The NEMBA group has been working in Douglas as well.  Still a lot of work to do in there, but pecking away at it.

If anyone is looking to see where they can clear through Douglas, as far as I know, check the Wednesday Night Riders page on FB.  I'm trying to keep my activity up to date there.

Recycling: Our August Stats

What a month.  We spend the majority of it in Vermont and managed a pretty good increase in mileage.  Harry went to his first sleep away camp, but still got in a few decent rides.  I started out the month strong but then tapered off for a race  that did not happen due to the hurricane.  But here are our numbers.

Our Mileage:  262.33

1. Rob rode 170.89 miles in the woods and 24.5 miles on the road.
2. Cori rode 47.20 miles on the road.
3. Harry rode 19.74 miles in the woods.

We are pretty happy with that mileage!!

Random Stats:

# of races done:  1 (Rob and Harry each raced the Vermont 30)
# of states ridden in:  3 (CT, MA and VT)
# of bike commutes:  zero (Rob elected to run home once this month instead.  Weirdo)
# of tires changed:  3 (Cori had one flat.  Rob loaned out his road bike and it had 2 flats!)
# of races postponed due to hurricanes:  1 (Treasure Valley Rally - Rob will keep you posted with the new date!!)


Coming in September:

Cori is racing the Buzzards Bay Triathlon which has a gorgeous 14.7 mile ride.
Rob is racing the Landmine Classic and is considering if he should do the single lap (25 miles) or go for the marathon (50 miles).  Stay tuned for his decision and race report. 
Harry is hoping to get back with his friends to do some more trail riding.

So check back often.  We are going to be making a big effort to post more regularly.  Hurricane Irene has other ideas.  But soon we will have electricity and life will go back to normal.  No power needed to ride your bike.  Pedal, pedal!

Take care,
~Cori

Race Review - Vermont 30 MTB Endurance Challenge (AKA Vermont 666)

I returned to the Vermont 30 race this year for the second time, having survived last year's go at it and even enjoying most of it.  This is a six hour race on the super awesome Green Mountain Trails in which you do as many laps as you can, but as long as you cross the start/finish line before the six hour mark, the following lap counts irrespective of when you finish that lap (the last one to cross the line did so in 7:39).

The race was on Saturday with a 9:00 am start time, but we went up Friday night and picked up Harry from Camp Downer, where he'd spent the week.  We had booked a room at the Mendon Mountain Motel and Orchard just outside Rutland and about 25 minutes from the race venue, which started at Amee Farm in Pittsfield, VT.

Amee Farm.

Green Mountain Trails are SUPER!

On the way from Camp Downer to the motel we hit a lot of on again, off again rain.  We took a route that went right by the race start and swung into the Pittsfield General Store to see if I could register there, but we were a couple of hours early.  The storekeeper recommended we try to stop by the farm and see if we might have better luck there.  At the farm I ran into a guy loading a very muddy mountain bike onto the roof of his car.  He was not racing the next day.  He had just swung by to ride the course.  He said he had hit some rain while out on the trail, but the trails would have been muddy even if it hadn't rained.  Oh boy. I was unable to find Jason to register and didn't sweat it too much as there was a registration period again the next morning.

We headed back to the motel and I went out and got some supplies and some Chinese food for dinner.  We had a low key night, watching Men in Black with Harry on the laptop and were asleep by 9 pm.  The next morning I awoke refreshed and ready to go.  We went to the country store at the motel and picked up our complimentary coffee (Green Mountain Keurig cups) and hands-down the best apple turnover I've ever had.  If you're ever in the area and even if you aren't staying there, you should definitely stop in for one of these babies!

It looks so innocuous, just sitting there minding it's own business.

We got up to Pittsfield for 8 am and swung by the General Store for one more cup of joe before we got to the farm.  We ran into Karen potter, Steve Segenchuk and Brian Spring at the store.  They were there with Chris Gagnon, from Mountain Bike Mind, whom I'd met briefly at this race the year before.  These four certainly made me feel like I was wussing out only racing a single six hour endurance race this weekend.  They were doing the Vermont 30 and then the following day doing the Hampshire 100 (100K).  I'd like to think maybe I'm the sane one in this equation.

I got my coffee and we drove the half mile up the road to Amee's Farm.  After parking the Element, Cori, Harry and I schlepped all the stuff across the road to the start/finish area.  Cori and Harry would be there for six plus hours, although Harry was going to do the kids race at noon.

Harry and I pre-race (as evidenced by the lack of MUD).

Waiting for the Le Mans start.

Just need those begrudging runners to get around the corner.

I got all registered, picked up my number and my awesome new t-shirt.  Ready to go with 15 minutes to spare.  Last year the race was a Le Mans style start in which all the riders left there bikes at the start/finish and then walked down the farm road down a steep hill and then ran up to the bikes and started in.  Running that hill first thing was really tough, especially in bike shoes with a full Camelbak on my back.  This year was also a Le Mans start, but they didn't make us run the hill.  We ran around a sizable garden and then up to the bikes.  It was only 49 seconds of running (for me).  We hopped on the bikes and hit the trail.

The race doesn't have any waves.  We all start together.  Beginners, sport, expert, elite, single speed.  I was racing sport.  I had taken fourth place last year in this category behind three kids who were 15, 13 and 15.  Kids who were evidently sired by mountain goats.  Kids who climbed like nobody's business.  The good news is that it didn't look like they were around this year.  Maybe they couldn't get a ride.  Whatever.  That's what they get for beating up on innocent forty-something-year-olds.

The lap is a super-switchbacky 4.7 mile climb to the top of the mountain followed by maybe a mile of rolling singletrack around the top of the mountain before making maybe the most awesome, enduring descent ever for four plus miles back to the farm.


So on the first ascent it took about 10 minutes to entirely negate all the painstaking bike cleaning I had undertaken two nights before.  Mud.  Everywhere.  Under my riding glasses in my eye,  In my mouth.  In my drive train.  In my brakes.  Everywhere.  Mud.  All varieties.  Wet, runny mud. Thick, gloppy mud.  Everything in between.

I was hurting lap one already.  The course was a lot wetter than last year and it was taking a toll on me.  I reached the top in 44 minutes.  Guess I wasn't winning the King of the Hill again this year.  $100 prize to the first male and first female to the top on the first lap.  Not sure who got the male, but Potter won the female prize.  Great aid station with two dedicated volunteers at the top.  Water, Gatorade, chips, bananas, gummy bears and M&Ms.  I passed by the aid station the first lap. 


It was then that I realized the course had changed from last year.  We usually hit a tight, twisty trail called Labyrinth and then begin the descent.  Instead we hit a trail called Zebedee that did a lot more rolling than last year's course.  And quite a bit longer.  The course then starts going through a series of crazy bermed switchbacks that seem to go on forever.  Some of the switchbacks are right on top of each other while others are maybe 1/4 - 1/2 mile apart.  All of them are CRAZY FUN.  I was hot on the tail of two other riders all the way down, but they were cooking along, so no need to try to get by.  This downhill is ALMOST enough fun to make you forget the climb you have in front of you again.  The trails lets out of the woods and hits a bridge over the river that supports two ways race traffic.  I'm always impressed with the camaraderie amongst mountain bikers.  Everyone wishing each other the best and offering words of encouragement.  After the bridge the people finishing follow a trail along the river and through a field before climbing a dirt road back to the start/finish.  That dirt road is a lot harder than you'd think.  Your pedaling muscles have been on the back burner used as you bomb down the hill.  Now after twenty or thirty minutes you have to make them work and work hard for several minutes.  I got up to the top and picked up an Hammer Endurolyte Fizz drink that Karen Potter had given me that morning and Cori had prepared for me.  Did I mention how nice it is to have a support person at a race?  Awesome!  I made the first lap in one hour, eighteen minutes.  My cyclometer was reading 10.4 miles, but a couple tenths of that was pre-race warm up.  Anyhow, the endurolyte drink was really good and much needed.

One down!

By now my bike must have weighed at least five pounds more with all the mud all over it.  I headed in for lap two.  Definitely harder.  I was walking more areas than I had the first lap.  Traffic had definitely thinned out, but I still managed to pass a couple of guys and was also passed by a couple of racers.  I made it to the top in 52:10, eight minutes slower than lap one.  Not so good, but I was still pedaling.

The downhill was just as good and I got back to the start/finish in 1:28:50, about ten minutes off the first lap.  I was pretty happy and ready for lap three.  But not before having a Powerade and hunk of blueberry zucchini bread, lovingly prepared by my number one fan, Cori "Annie Wilkes" Paton.  I definitely was not that far from feeling as if I'd been hobbled.

I went out for three and my bike was just screaming at me. Literally.  The rotor in the brakes was just barely rubbing, creating a ringwraith-like piercing shriek.  It was so bad that I felt badly for anyone who came into the vicinity.  Fortunately we were spread out enough enough by now that the only person really being driven to the brink of insanity was me.  It was also a little better inasmuch as only acting up when I was not moving quickly.  Any time I'd get a little speed, I'd be rid of the squeal.

In addition, my drive train was toast.  Mud was literally so thick on it that there was no glint of metal any longer.  Miraculously, the bike was still hitting most of the gears, but it definitely didn't sound happy.


Lap three was definitely my weakest.  I felt sapped.  One and two had given me the old one-two and I was on the ropes.  I came into the race with hopes of making five laps because that is what I'd made last last year.  That, however, was before I'd learned on the sloppy conditions and longer lap this year (it was about a mile longer each lap).  I made it to the bottom and, thinking five was well nigh impossible, stopped at the bottom and had a quick banana and a little less than 1/2 a PB&J (my mouth's still dry thinking about that sandwich).

While refueling I was talking to Cori about my drivetrain woes, I was happy to hear that other racers were washing their bikes with a nearby hose between laps.  I headed over and was a few seconds too late and had to wait for one other person to wash their bike.  A few minutes later I was hosing the mud off my bike and was on my way.  BIG MISTAKE.  The missing step was lubing my now super dry chain.

I thought there might have been a bike under there!

I made it to the top of the lap way better than I had made the third lap.  Maybe better than the second.  I think this is all because I sensed the end.  The drive train was definitely balking.  There were certain gear combinations that were sounding like the drive train was going to explode.  Stayed out of those.  I got to the top and there were a few people at the aid station.  I wasn't sure, but thought one was in my racing class.  I knew there was another guy climbing up behind me that I was pretty sure was also in my group.  I had seen him earlier in the lap during the switchbacks, but felt like I'd put some distance on over him.  I decided to pedal through without stopping at the aid station.

It was right about then that I was lapped by the first person I recognized to be riding the Expert/Elite class. Chris Gagnon, who I'd mentioned earlier as the Mountain Bike Mind guy. As it turned out, Chris was actually in third, meaning two of the people who passed me at some point were not in my class and had not passed me, but lapped me.  Bittersweet.  While I just gained two spots, I was also now being lapped. Chris went on his screaming way and I sat back and caught my groove.

The drive train was sounding progressively worse, however, and it was during the rolling mile on top of the mountain that the chain snapped.  I was now in the position of having to decide whether to fix the chain (I had a chain tool on me) or roll out the last five miles without it.  Two things were going through my head.  It would probably take three to five minutes to fix it, but there were no guarantees it wouldn't blow up again.  The other thing I was thinking was that it was only five miles and there was a lot of downhill.

I decided to finish the last five miles without a chain.  I pulled it out, threw it in my Camelbak and started the final half lap.  There was still a lot more up/flat that I just hadn't realized when I had a chain and was able to pedal through it.  I ultimately fell into a pattern of coasting the downhills, sitting on the bike and using my right leg to push through the flats and running/walking the uphills.  The guy who had been climbing the hill behind me caught me about half way down.  He recognized my plight, gave due empathy and went on his way.

Chains are for wusses and guys who come in second.

 No one else caught me on the way down.  Once I hit the bottom and just had the river trail and the field I was feeling better, but kept looking over my shoulder.  Harry was playing with another kid (named Fury, I believe) along the river and then came up and finished with me.  Those last hills were tough and I gave a good sprint across the finish line, but I was done.  Four times up and down the mountain.  Forty miles.  6:10:26.

All friggin' done.

And the icing on the cake.  I still managed to grab 3rd of 18 in Sport (no age groups).  The guy who passed me on the way down took second, so maybe I could have had that if not for my mechanical issues.  Who knows?  Maybe that guy had mechanicals too.

After the race the organizers have a great pig roast.  They start cooking the pig on an open spit over an open fire as the race starts.  It is absolutely delectable.  Served up with green salad, macaroni salad, and cookies.  And supplemented by a couple of my own delicious #9s.

Harry named the pig Dave.  Dave was delicious.

All in all a great day's racing.

Oh, and

• Potter did five laps and took first of all females and fifth overall.
• Segenchuk did five laps as well and took 5th in male expert/elite and 7th overall.
• Brian Spring did three laps and took 14th in sport.
• Chris Gagnon did five laps (although he was in under six hours and could have gone out for a 6th) and took third in male expert/elite and third overall.

Great race.  Hope to do it again next year.