Gravel Grovel 2016 - Hindenburg 2.0

This is basically how my Gravel Grovel went.

So, what was lining up as having the most potential to my best Gravel Grovel to date ended up a little less than optimal. It sounded like it should have been awesome, then it caught fire and crashed to the ground. That maybe a little excessive in the description, but that is completely how I feel. Lets go back a few weeks. I was riding as strong as I ever had and the first two scouting rides I was riding strong. I still was trying to figure out how to be faster on race day, but I was putting in some of my quickest Strava segments to date. I was not really going for segments, but it does make me feel better when my times end up being better than previous trips. Little did I know that in a few weeks I would have been happy to just be able to ride like that.

Somewhere after the second scouting ride my legs became weak at climbing. We did a full loop ride and I didn't do that bad, but did not climb very fast at all. Even with climbing slow, not eating enough, taking it easy in some sections and wearing down badly toward the end, I still did the ride in just over 5 hours and that included the trip to and from the Story Inn. If I could just get my climbing legs to come back a little, I would be set up for a 4.5 hour ride if the weather cooperates. The did cooperate! It always could have been better, but even with the rain that came in the week before it was one of the driest conditions that I have done and ready to be fast. There were only a few deeper water sections and combs was not what I would call muddy.

The cabin was booked full and friends were in the next cabin over. Everyone trickled in Friday night at different times. It was fun hanging out and catching up. This part is what makes racing so much more than just riding a bike. Friday night had a lot of potential to go bad, but didn't. I really was not hungry most of the night and never ate what I took for dinner. I did have a couple little things, but not a lot. I was not sure why, but I was just not very hungry. I actually got to bed fairly early compared some some years.

I woke up at 3 am with some terrible stomach cramps and cold sweats. Awesome!! I continued this on and off for the rest of the night. I did not want to get up when everyone started moving. Eventually I did start moving around. There was plenty of time before the race started and I hoped I would start to feel better. Either way my legs felt like I just ran a 5k and I was beat up from all the cramping. I made several trips to the bathroom hoping to remidy some of the issues, but no luck. I made an awesome breakfast, but could only get a few bites down, lots of dissapoints to be had. I was doing everything I could to get ready for a good race, but was not succeeding.

Eventually I made my way over to the start line. I didn't really warm up like I would have wanted too, but the way the morning was going I figured it really didn't matter. Soon enough we were given some instructions and off we went. I was surrounded by some good company and doing what I could. The first section was going better than I figured and hung out with several people that I wanted to be around. I was trying to just go the best I could with out digging too deep until I got going. The first big climb, the paved road in the middle of nowhere hurt, but I felt like I had climbed it slower in the past.

The next section had some good parts and bad parts. At times my stomach was cramping badly and I could not ride very hard. Other times I felt like I was not too far off the pace. I did still see some of the people I wanted to ride with not too far away, but some were gone already. I felt like I did well on Combs road and climbed the hill. At the top was several people there to offer me a beer hand up. Originally I was not planning on taking this one as it was pretty early. I was not feeling too good and the climb did a number on me. I just rolled over the top and kept going.

The down hill on Combs almost got me once or twice, but I managed to keep it up right. The Blue Creek road section was not that great for me. I was wearing down and still not feeling very good. I climbed the road climb, but I am positive it was not at record pace. Once I got out of that section and hit the gravel road I was really starting to hurt. I remember taking my time and almost stopping to eat something. I wanted to get it in me before I hit Nebo, but I don't think it was early enough to really matter.

Most of Nebo is a blur. I normally remember a lot about my race, but just can't picture most of this section. I know I had the only place I needed to walk in this section. It was one of the steep/technical climbs and the guy in front of me didn't make it and I had no place to go. I also remember the up and over log was not the same on the back side. I thought I going down, but really glad I didn't. The rest of this section was uneventful or at least nothing big enough for me to remember. I was still not climbing well, but I was riding fast enough to keep people from catching me.

From here on out I was in another world. I was just turning pedals over and trying to keep moving. I was trying to eat and drink as often as I could, but my stomach was still cramping on and off and I was having trouble keeping down everything I ate. I figured I was finally going to actually have my first puke on the bike. I have had several that have been very close, but I am not one for puking so I always manage to keep it down. Today was not so easy.

Before I started up Baldy I saw my riding buddy Brian coming down the other side. He waved and went on. I was really wishing I was over there and not getting ready to climb this hill. I just kept moving and hoping the top was just around the next corner. Eventually it was, but there were a lot more corners than I wanted. I pulled up to the rest stop to top off my water bottle. This was my planned stop for water. I tried to eat a little more while I was there. I did see several people roll up that I know. They wanted me to jump on their train, but I knew I would not be able to hang on. I took off before they did because I knew they would catch me. Shortly after hitting the bottom and making the left they went by and I never saw them again.

That next big hill is just horrible. I don't know if it is because it is so close after climbing Baldy or if it really would not matter when you do it, I am sure it will always hurt no matter what. Pedals kept turning and miles kept rolling on. I would see some people then I wouldn't. I was a little shocked that I was holding off a lot of the people I did see. They would come up on me and the next thing I know I was pulling away or they would stop to re-group. This made me feel a little better, but I still knew I was not moving as fast I would like.

More trail and gravel climbs. One after another followed by some screaming descents that I was no way near strong enough mentally to be going as fast as I was, but I just kept going. I had a few sections that I felt a little better and others that really sucked. When I left trail 20 I just blew past the last rest stop. I was very ready to get back home. After the big climb after the last rest stop is normally a good section to put in some better speeds. This year was not the case. I found myself going pretty slow at times and had to ask myself why? I really didn't know. I was just kind of day dreaming and would almost stop pedaling. As soon as I woke up, I would get back in to turning pedals over.

Eventually I did making it down the long down hill section and could see where the bridge was to the right. I could not have been happier to be this close. I crossed the bridge as smooth as I could. I kept looking back hoping I didn't see anyone gaining on me. I knew that I had nothing to hold them off and really didn't want to get passed this late in the race. When I hit the last creek crossing I was caught a little off guard on how deep the creek was. I guess I should have checked that out in the morning. I had to dismount and work my way around the left side a little to find a good place to get back on. I rode the rest of the way across and up the hill to the finish line.

Even though I was very happy to be finally finished, this was a little different than a lot of big races. Normally the emotions rush in and I am on a race high or sometimes at the verge of breaking down in tears. This was completely uneventful. I rolled across the finish line, not even sure if someone took note. I rolled back toward the cabin completely shelled and in another world. I tried to gather myself well enough to changed and head over to eat. I was late enough that by the time I got over there just about everyone else that I figured I would eat with were already done and some gone. The awards were over and the place was pretty empty. I ate my plate of food and headed back toward the cabin.
There were people hanging out there and I started to feel a little better by then. I at least knew what I was doing. Had a couple beers and hung out for the rest of the night. We had a fire and lot of laughs. It would have only been better if the occasional cramping would have stopped and I could have had a few more beers. Maybe even ate a little more because I know I didn't have near enough for the day's activity.

All things considering I really should not be too upset with myself. I finished in a time of 5:20 and I ended up 136th overall out of over 200 riders and 47th in the MTB class. The impressive thing I did, even with all of my issues, I only stopped for 6 minutes during the whole race. Those numbers are really not that bad as to all the other years that I have done this. The biggest disappointment is that I am coming off of a great finish time last year in some really tough conditions. I have worked really hard this year to be in even better condition and it ended up not really making a difference. I was basically an hour longer than my goal time. So, when you look at that number, it does not sound very good.

When the legs fell apart the weeks leading up to the race I figured the 4:30 time would be hard to get, but I figured 5 hours should not be an issue. The ride I did Friday to loosen up the legs felt good and I had a little hope that the legs were going to show up and treat me well. That really didn't happen. I know I said earlier that barring any major issues I should be able to do 5 hours and I guess I did have a major issue. I had several people tell me they would not have even raced. I guess I still had hope that I would come around. In hindsight if I would have stopped for that beer on the top of Combs I probably would have been happier. I am sure I would have just decided to call it quits and ride with the heckle crew, but I am not one that likes to DNF. I had too many of them in the past when I shouldn't have and now I go above and beyond to not quit. The one thing that I do know for sure is that when times are hard I seem to be able to ride in complete misery for way longer than I should be able to. I guess I have that going for me if that really makes a difference at the end of the day.

I want to thank everyone who helped me get to the point that I thought I was going to have a great race. All the guys who put in miles and miles on the bike even when I was holding them up. To Brian and his staff at DINO for keeping this race going. All the volunteers that helped out. I may not have used much of the sag stops, but it was really good that you were there for those that needed it. I need to especially thank Brian, Eric, Jeff and Jason. With out them I would have been no better off than any other year. I just really hate to have wasted it on having bad stomach issues. At least the time hanging out together and riding together are not lost. Those are the reasons I have the urge to get on the bike to begin with. With out all of you I would talk myself out of doing so many rides. I can only hope that I will show up even stronger next year. Maybe I will do it SS again....
Click here to see my Strava info

2016 Mohican 100k

Sorry a little late to the party here. It has been busy and then didn't have a good time to sit down at put this together. Part of this has been sitting in draft mode for quite a while. The Mohican was the second race in my dumb decision I made to my race schedule. I was feeling a little better about this than the Cohutta, but still not where I wanted to be. The three weeks leading up to the race I was only able to get out for one ride a week. I did do a few other things that were off the bike, but probably not the best plan of tapering. But, I should be well rested. As usual I was running a little late on getting everything ready to go and the bike cleaned and tuned up.

 

Friday morning I was up way earlier than I wanted to be after not getting to bed very early because I was doing a bunch of last minute things. I had thought about leaving Thursday night and camping part of the way, but I just didn't have the motivation to do that and staying home allowed me to spend more time with my family before heading out. The day didn't start out very good at all. The ATM machine that I stopped at was not working. Then the gas station was out of bags of ice. The second ATM machine I stopped at was no longer a bank, so that didn't work either. I guess I hadn't noticed that they closed. I figured I should just get moving down the road and it would all work out. Then as I was leaving town I ran in to this dense fog that made my travels even more interesting. Off to a good start!!

Eventually things started rolling better and I met up with some of the People's Brewing team in Columbus and the train rolled in to town the rest of the way. Our home for the weekend was awesome!! I was very happy with the cabin arrangements, although we joked about who was going to get hurt first on the spiral staircase. Our location was just across the street from the finish line, so not far from anything.

After getting unloaded and settled in, we met up with a couple other riders and went for a little warm up/pre-ride. It was good to spend some time on the bike and also try to loosen up the legs after the drive. I started off a little sketchy, but eventually started riding a little smoother. The problem I was having is not feeling very strong. The legs were hurting and I was getting winded way too easy. If the little warm up spin was going to wear me out then I was in for a very long day. I managed to finish the ride and make it back to the cabin with out getting hurt. Made some last minute adjustments to the bike, changed and went out for dinner. The rest of the evening was full of smiles and laughter to help me relax about what is in store for the next day.

Here we are before the start of the madness. There are a lot of racers at the start line. This year we went off all at the same time. The last time I did this race the 100 milers started a few minutes before the 100k. I made sure to not line up too close to the start line, but not all the way back. The start heads down the road for a little ways. I tried to not go too crazy, but still keep some speed moving. We rolled past the turn that I thought we were going to make and kept going. I was getting passed by a lot of riders and at one point I could see way up the road to where the leaders were. It looked like I must have been in last place, but when I turned around I was happy to see at least a few people behind me. No idea how many as I could not see everyone. Eventually we made it in to some trail sections. The traffic was still pretty bad and there were even a couple spots that everyone had to stop because we were all bunched up. I was not too stressed out and just rode my pace when I was allowed.

After a little while I started to ride a little better. Not as good as I would have liked, but much better than the day before. Most of the race is all blurred together. I know I made a lot better effort to eat and drink than I did the last time. The first rest stop came up pretty fast and I didn't stick around long. There were several people standing around at this one. There were different sections that looked familiar and some that felt like we rode the other way last time. I know one of the rest stops that came early I would have sworn was the last stop the previous time I raced. I felt like I was not riding too bad, but I was hurting more than I wished I was with way too long to go yet.

The section before rest stop 3 was where I blew up last time. I didn't blow up, but this section felt like it took forever. When I came around the corner where I could see where the previous rest stop was, I figured I was getting close or at least fairly close. This section had a lot of wet spots, rocks, roots and trees. It was very technical riding, but I was riding a lot more stuff than most of the people around me. This helped me keep motivated and actually passed several people. I was really feeling it when I finally rolled in to the rest stop. I filled my pockets with stuff from my drop bag and ate as much as I could. The watermelon was really good! I knew my tank was running low and I still had a long way to go. I wanted to eat as much as I could with out making myself sick at the same time.

When I finally was ready to roll out of the stop, I was very thankful that I was making the left turn for the 100k and not the right turn for the 100 mile. Maybe some day I will turn right, but not for now. Just down the road from this stop, the 100 milers rejoin. I was crazy to see how fast some of those guys were still climbing at that point in the race. Tomas was cruising up the road. That gave me a little bit of info on how I need to be riding, before I can even think about finishing well. The last time I did this race I remember this section being completely horrible. This time it was still hard, but at least I was riding.

From here to the end was a big blur. I just kept pedaling as hard as I could with out cramping up or something. I kept trying to drink and eat frequently, but I really have no idea. Time seemed to stand still for this section. I was pretty tired and wore out, but kept moving. In 2011 when I hit this last section I was feeling pretty bad and had been for a while. I was riding the SS and had to walk just about every hill because both legs were cramping up any time I used them. This time it was a lot better. I still ended up walking a few hills, but at least my legs were not cramping. Eventually I came down the road to the last rest stop. I made a quick stop to try and find some energy to push threw the last section with. As I hit the trail I was really starting to hurt. It felt like I was going to have a full leg cramp at any moment, but I kept pushing on just trying to keep moving. There were some other people around me that I was trying to hold off and even a couple that I passed.

After I hit what seemed like the upper part of the trail I was starting to roll a lot better. It was more flowy and less climbs. There was a deer just off the trail having a snack. I almost stopped to hang out with him a minute, but then remembered that there was a couple guys behind me that might be in my class and I didn't want them to catch me. I had no idea how much more I had to go. I came flying down the hill in to the first camp ground section and almost missed a left turn. Shortly after that, I was in the section of trail that was freshly cut the last time I was there. It was in a lot better shape and I knew at this point I was really close. Cruised through the next camp ground section and made the right on to the road.

The night before we were discussing what time we wanted to make. With this race being more trail and more technical than the Big Frog, I was hoping to break the 8 hour mark. Even in the last wooded section I was not sure if I was going to make it. On this road section I looked up and saw some of the other guys hanging out in our driveway, I was ecstatic that I was going to make my goal and probably even more so that I was finished. I was very ready to get off the bike at that point.

After crossing the finish line and getting my finishers glass, I headed up the hill to the cabin. I grabbed a beer and took a quick shower. Then I drug my chair down to the end of the drive to watch the remaining finishers come down the road while re-hydrating. Overall I am pretty happy with this race. Of course I wish I would have done better, but I have a lot of work to put in before I should expect any better. In 2011 I did the 100k on my SS and finished in a time of 9:22. This year I finished in 7:33 and only 11 minutes off of my Big Frog time. This makes me think that I could do better than a 7:22 for the Big Frog with a little more work. Actually, I am positive I could decrease both times with the right amount of work. Doing that work is the hard part.

 

Once again this was a great weekend overall. It was a long drive and a brutal race, but the company makes it all worth it. No matter how bad the drive was or how bad I raced, nothing compares to having good times with some good friends. These weekends don't seem to last near long enough. It is not often enough I can hang out and have such a good time that I am almost brought to tears from laughing so much. I can hardly wait till the next time.

2016 Big Frog 65

One evening over the winter I made the commitment to race the Big Frog 65 and the Mohican 100k. Either of those would have been a big deal in it's self, but to make both of those decisions in a matter of 20 minutes was pretty crazy. But I have been known to agree to some pretty crazy things when it comes to riding. I was coming off of a pretty good fall with a strong ride at the Great Pumpkin and my strongest ride in the Gravel Grovel. I didn't feel like I did too bad over the winter and did more riding than in previous years. I also made the trip to Florida, Pisgah and raced the Death March. I was feeling like I was preparing myself pretty good, but as the even drew closer I didn't seem to have the snap in my legs that had been there earlier. I tried to be smart and do the right things, but in the end my legs still did not feel as good as I was hoping. Maybe not as bad as I think they are, but definitely not what I had hoped them to be.

Early in the trip I knew it would be an interesting one no matter how I rode. Not 1.5 hours from home and a half hour after picking up Kruger, we found ourselves waiting for a bathroom at a gas station. It seemed to be taking a lot longer than it should. I was starting to wonder just how bad it would smell in there when they finally would come out. Then he finally came out, but the door closed behind him. Hummm... it seems that he was not alone. Yea, time to use the women's room. I guess everyone needs to make some money some how, but I didn't need to be anywhere near that.

We drove down on Thursday and got there a little later than planned. We made a stop in Cleveland to eat before getting to camp. This town was happening. There were people everywhere and a few bands playing. This would have been a great place to hang for the night. We already had plans to camp with someone else that was waiting on us, so we didn't hang out there long and headed toward camp. We missed a turn that we needed to take and went a little out of the way but not too far. Soon enough we were at camp and had everything set up for the night. Camp was on of the coolest sites that I have been at. There was a nice stream right there with running water. It not only looked nice, but the sound was nice too. We had a great evening winding down around the fire before calling it a night.



Friday we needed to go check in and get our packets. We were not in too much of a hurry since they didn't start till around lunch. After getting out packets we headed out for a little ride to see the single track section. The race was going to start with a 3 mile climb. It was not too bad, but still a long hill. I do not get much of that around here and really need to make a better effort to do more long climbs like that. The single track was a blast! It was nice and flowy and a lot of run. We did't go too hard, but I was worried I was going harder than I thought since it was so fun. It was about a 13 mile ride before it looped back toward thee car. We were going to go farther, but decided it was better to just head back. It was a good warm up to shake the legs out.

We had another fun evening around camp and tried to get things ready for the race. We were headed north after the race to stay in a hotel so we would have to have camp packet up before we headed to the race. The 100 milers headed out at 7 and we were about 30 minutes from the start. It was nice having almost everything ready in the morning. It made getting ready and packing up as easy as it could be and we made it to the start area with plenty of time. I started to get ready thinking that I started at 7:30, but after the first race started I could tell we were not starting then. I figured it would be more like 8. So I had a little time to kill and wonder around trying to not get nervous.

What seemed like a long time going by and then all of a sudden I found myself at the start line getting ready to start. I lined up around some other Jasper people and stayed with them up the climb. After we dropped in to the trail, I found myself behind some people that were going slower than I wanted to go. I made a few passes before hopping on a train that was going a good enough pace to stick with. There were times it was too slow, but not too bad. I knew it was easy to go too hard with it being so fun. Somewhere along the way I guess the other Jasper riders didn't make all the same passes I did and were no longer right behind me. I figured they were not too far back and would probably catch me on the gravel, but I never saw them again.

After the trail section there was a rest stop. I made a quick stop to top off my bottle and grab something to eat. I tried to not stay there very long because I had a long day to go yet. The first section of gravel was not too bad, but I could tell we had some climbs to do. There was one section where we were flying down a hill for a little while and came around the corner to see the road drop out of sight. I did't think it could have gotten any more down hill before that, but it sure did. I was flying down that section. A short time later as it transitioned in to some rollers it hit my. Crap!!! This is part of the out and back. That means we will have to go UP that hill. Super!!

I rode past the second rest stop and continued toward the third one. At some point along this section my stomach started to hurt and cramp. I was not feeling very good, but kept moving and tried to ride it out. I tried to keep drinking and eating often so I would not tank it by the end. I stopped at the third rest stop and looked for my drop bag. I could not find it, but never asked for help looking either. I just figured I messed up and put it in the wrong place and it would be at the first and last rest stop. Oh well, I grabbed some more water and food and headed out on the next section all alone.

This section really hurt. My stomach was still cramping and it didn't seem to flow very well for me. I was running out of gas and there was no one around to keep me company. Toward the end of this section I finally grabbed on to a few other guys and tried to draft as much as I could. I was worried since I still had a long way to go for how bad I was feeling. Also at this point I had a couple spots in my legs that started to feel like cramps were coming on. I continued to eat/drink as much as I could at take all precautions to keep from cramping. It work working for the most part, but pains would still come an go.

I was happy to roll in to the third (fourth) rest stop for the second time. I topped off the bottles again and grabbed some food. I also looked for a Coke, but they were out. I had to settle for a Dr. Pepper. I figured it was better than nothing and I actually like that better than a Coke. It took me a little bit to get it down, but I wanted to make sure and drink it all. While I was resting and drinking, I was kind of looking at the drop bags. I was sure I put mine in the correct box and not sure what happened. Then I saw a bag that looked a lot like the stuff that I put in mine. It had 377 on the out side. I figured I just messed up and put a 377 on the bag instead of the 577 that it should have been. So, I grabbed some more Honey Stinger stuff. I filled my pockets and figured it was time to go. As I grabbed my bike I happened to look at my number plate and saw that it was actually 377. I guess I didn't label it wrong, but my brain was too messed up to remember what my number actually was. Doh! I sure wish I could have grabbed some stuff out of there before that last section. Oh well, too late to do anything about it now.

Something to note at this point. I am sure I was not eating or drinking near enough. Part of it was because my stomach was hurting and some of it was just me. The thing that made me wonder just how bad of job I was doing was the fact that I had to pee at this stop. I would think if I was not doing a good job of hydrating, I should not have to pee. Maybe I was not as bad off as I thought. But, I was still getting the feeling that my legs were going to cramp. After that rest stop I tried to just keep moving the best that I could. What I didn't want to happen, did happen all too soon. I started to cramp. There were times that it was not too bad and other times that I had to get off and walk because I thought I was going to fall over since I could not turn the pedals. It typically didn't take too much walking before I could get back on and ride, but this happened on and off way too much for this gravel section.

I rolled past the next rest stop again not feeling like stopping. I took my salt tablets and tried to keep drinking fluid. I was really wishing that I had packed some mustard. I have no idea why that was not part of the plan. I guess I figured that the salt tablets have never let me down, but I have not done enough testing for this many hours and miles. There were a few people that I kept getting passed by and then a little later I would pass them. I was also getting passed by some of the faster 100 milers. It was a little disheartening to see how strong those riders were going and they had another 35 miles in than me. I have a long way to go to get to that point.

The gravel and hills continued to drag on. One of the most relentless hills that I have ever climbed just had to show up in this section. Remember that down hill I mentioned earlier? Yea, going up it really sucked. It would have been bad if I was fresh, but in the state I was in it was just horrible.  I guess it is a good thing that I am not too bad at suffering because I sure was at this point. Eventually I rolled up to the first/last rest stop. I grabbed a hand full of pretzels and took off. I didn't really see anything else that looked good. I have had some luck with the salt on pretzels in the past. Off in to the woods I went and shoved a handful in to my mouth. Yea, they were not the pretzels that I was thinking they were. They got real mushy and I almost gagged. It was really hard to breathe and try to get them down. Eventually it worked out with out having to spit them out or puke.

The last section of trail was over all pretty good. Some of this is what I had rode before, just in the other direction. I was starting to feel better at times and was moving pretty good. I did have a few climbs that the legs locked up on and I had to get off and stretch, but the flowy stuff was way more fun then the last few hours. There were a couple people that I had been trading positions with on the gravel. I would pass them on the flowy sections and down hills, but anytime it pointed up they would be right there again. I really had no idea if they were in my class or not, but at this point I was racing them if they knew it or not. LOL



I dug deep to try and get in front of as many riders as I could and keep them there. Toward the end of the trail section I seemed to drop them all and didn't see them behind me anymore. I rolled out of the trail and on to the bridge toward the road. I felt so relieved to hit this point and did what I could to keep a good pace going. Then this section took way longer than I was thinking it would. After what seemed like forever, I finally pulled off the side of the road and in to the parking lot that we started at in the morning. Now I am surely done.... well the parking lot was a LOT longer than I remembered. My legs were not really cramping at this point, but they were just shot for all the miles, climbs and cramping. I just put my head down and kept moving forward. I saw the final bridge to cross to the finish line. I started to feel pretty good about being so close to the finish. Then out of no where Kruger came flying by me. Apparently my bright socks gave me away and he saw me from way back there and kicked it in to catch me. If I would have looked back I would have had to put in a hard effort to try and hold him off. I think it is a good thing I didn't look back. I hurt enough and there was really no point it hurting myself anymore.

I rolled across the finish line in a time of 7:22. Not a bad time, but no where near the top. I never expected to be at the top, but it hurts to see just how much time I have to take off to make the top 10. I would have to cut my time in half!! Not just take an hour or so off, but actually cut it in half. I am not sure I can get to that point. I will just have to keep working at it and see just how strong I can get and maybe I can get part of the way there. After crossing the line and finally letting it set in that I was done, it is unreal the amount of emotions that my body goes through. Goose bumps and all kinds of stuff. I felt like I was going to just start bawling my eyes out for no reason. It is crazy how much tests and trials your mind and body go through for longer endurance events. It is one crazy emotional roller coaster that you never know what is going to happen next. But, I just love it. I may not be as competitive in the race as I would like, but that does not mean it is not a competition for the entire ride. Competing with my mind, body and bike with no guarantee that I will win.

I want to thank everyone that helped me fight this fight as good as I did. Phil at Adventures Recreation is always there to help be it motivation to ride stronger or helping get my bike and gear performing flawlessly. Honey Stinger for giving me energy products that I still enjoy eating after nothing sounds good anymore. Tailwind Nutrition for helping me get in some much needed nutrients when I forget to eat enough food. To Kruger for talking me in to doing this race that I have wanted to do for several years. I am just glad the weather was as good as it was. To the Bushong's for being great company and friends. It sure makes events like this a lot easier with good people like you around. It also helps to draw on some of the power of the beard by just being in close proximity. To my wife for allowing me to spend all this time away from home racing or riding. With out your support I would still be sitting at home. I know you have to do a lot more work when I am out riding or away at a race. Last but not least I have to thank Tuell for consistently motivating me to go for rides when I feel thee least motivated to do anything. There is no way I would be in the condition I am in with out him. It is always hard to juggle riding in around work and soccer. Many times I am tired and could just stay sitting on the couch and do nothing. You make me want to get out there and keep improving.

2016 Team People's Brewing Pisgah Trip

When I was first asked about going to Pisgah with some People's brewing riders I was not really sure what to say. I really wanted to go back as it has been way too long, but I know what kind of talent these riders have and didn't know if I would be too slow. Even though I should be in the best shape that I have ever been when I was there. I was assured that it would be a more casual pace and I would be fine. I still knew that I would more than likely be making everyone wait, but I really enjoy riding with some of these guys and figured it would be worth it. Worse case I know my way around pretty good and could just take a shorter route if needed.



We were all heading down in one of the best vans I have ever been in. It was obvious right away that it was going to be a great trip no matter how well I rode. I am used to going all the way down in one day, but with everyone else coming from farther north, we made a pit stop part of the way to break up the trip in to two segments. It was really nice doing it this way. I was not as tired when we got there and we still put in a good ride after checking in to the hotel. We did the normal Maxwell>Black mtn>sycamore cove loop. This was not a huge ride, but it was a great start to the weekend and ended with a ride to Oskar Blues Brewery. This place is just awesome and a great addition to the area. This was just the beginning, but I soon found out that there was a lot bigger ride planned for the next day.

Three of the guys are signed up for the Pisgah 111k. The one had not done it before and the plan was to see a lot of that loop for a training ride and to make sure the intersections were more familiar. To do this meant we were going to ride a LOT of trails. We did Clawhammer,  Buckhorn gap, Squirrel, 5015, Laurel, Pilot rock and a few other trails that I can seem to remember at the moment. A lot of the intersections were familiar, but I was very rusty on my navigation of the area. I could really tell that it had been a while.



The day went pretty much as the day before and as I figured. I was pulling up the rear for most of the day. Some times not as far off as others, but any time the trail headed up I was by far the slowest of the group. I rode a lot of stuff and climbed fairly well compared to previous trips down there, but I just didn't have the power when climbing. I was having this issue before I went down there and had hoped that the legs would come back better than they did, but no such luck. I had a pretty scary moment on Squirrel as I went over the bars on a tight section and ended up landing over the side of the hill. I landed a lot lower than the trail that my tires were just on. I saw the bike flip end over end about 3 times before stopping. The side of the hill was pretty steep and I was not sure how I was going to retrieve my bike. Somehow I managed to make it down to it and back up to the trail. I was not hurt, but I sure was a little more timid for the rest of this trail. With the wreck they were really waiting on me and was starting to wonder if I was ok LOL.



The climb up 5015 and Laurel was hard, but seemed to be going better. By the time we made it to the top I was feeling better about my riding again, but still getting tired. I had a little mess up right at the top of Pilot and should have known that my game was a little off. I walked down the first two switch back drop offs and started to ride as much as I could. I was doing pretty well for a few sections, but not too far down the trail I went over the bars again. This time was just as scary as squirrel, but the landing was not near as soft. I had nothing but a section of rocks to land on. I ended up jabbing the end of my bars in to my lower gut and ending up sprawled out on the rocks. My head was lower than my feet and I was having a little hard time getting back up. I was a little worried that I really hurt my self where the bars hit me. My hand was hurting and partly numb. I was having a hard time feeling my brake or holding the bars. The mount to my computer was broke so I put it in my pocket. I then walked a little bit of the trail after that. I was not sure if I could hold the bars or squeeze the brakes.



I last time I came down Pilot I rode more of the trail then I had ever done before. This time I walked more than I had ever done before. Quite a difference between rides. But, I was really mentally messed up and not confident in my riding. Eventually I started riding some sections, but still had issues using the back brake. Sometimes I could squeeze it and it worked and other times I could not feel the lever. I really thought my finger or hand was broke. With all of the issues they were waiting at the bottom for a very long time. One even started to ride back up the hill looking for me, but I was already near the bottom by then. I was hurting pretty bad and not really sure of my condition. They must have discussed it already as they decided that we would take the road around back to the bottom. It was going to be a little longer, but it was going to be an easier ride. There were no arguments from me. I was just hoping to make it back to the hotel at that point. This ride was one of my longest rides in Pisgah to date. The only other time I did a longer ride was the only time I actually finished PMBAR and was out there for over 13.5 hours.



The beer was sure good that night as I tried to kill the pain and discomfort. Still thinking my finger was broke, I now had a softball sized blood bruise on my gut and assumed that I didn't do any major damage inside or I would have known by then. I was not sure what was planned for the next days ride, but it was not looking good for me to be there. The next morning I decided that I was going to just go do my own ride on some gravel. I figured I could turn pedals but the bars/brakes were another story. I called my wife to give her an update on how I was doing and said I was not riding. After that it seems that the peer pressure kicked in and before I knew it i was loaded up in the van heading toward Dupont. It was sold to me that it was smooth there and if I could ride gravel, I could ride Dupont. That was not completely true, but not too far from it. I still had some issues using the brakes at times, but I managed to ride good enough.



I can not express how grateful that I was invited along for this trip. It was so much fun on and off the bike. I might have been riding slow, but considering who I was riding with I would say that I didn't do too bad. Maybe some day I can get up to that level or at least a little closer. I can not thank Jeff and Jason enough for everything. This was the best trip I have been on in years. Florida is not bad, but not even close to how much fun this one was. I think my face hurt from laughing so much.

Gravel Grovel 2015

After yesterday I no longer have to say that my fastest times for the Gravel Grovel were done on a SS. After trying for the last few years to finish in less than 5 hours, I finally succeeded this year finishing in 4:53. I know that last week I figured out that I actually did finish under the 5 hour mark in 2010, but I am still no sure how that could have happened. I was on my SS and I didn't think I was very fast back then, but one thing with a SS is that you are forced to be consistent with your speed so hard telling.

I worked pretty hard this year to be in the best condition I have been in awhile to improve my chances for a good finish time. I was feeling pretty good about it a few months ago, but as the time was getting closer I was not so sure anymore. The two scouting trips I made up there did not help me feel better about the condition of my legs. I rode well both times, but I just was not climbing very fast either time and there are plenty climbing sections that can make a big difference. Even the Wednesday night ride this week the legs were feeling heavy and I was struggling climbing. Maybe I was just expecting too much, but I still felt like I was not climbing very fast and the legs were hurting.


The weather leading up to the race was not very favorable. It rained most of the day Friday and as far as I could tell, most of the day Saturday too. It was supposed to be a high of 47 degrees, so I figured it would be cold too. I knew the trail sections would be interesting to say the least. There were probably going to be some road sections that could be just as bad.

Getting ready that morning it felt warmer than I expected. This made it very hard to decide what to wear. It was going to be muddy and wet for sure, but not sure how cold it really will be. The parking lot was pretty soft and the rain was pretty steady. The conditions were not very good for me to put in a good time, but I was in for the ride no matter what happened.

Soon enough I found myself at the starting line and after a few announcements we were off. It didn't take long before the water was spraying all over the place. The pace did not seem too fast, but I know I tend to go a little faster than I should at the start. I kept moving around trying to find wheels to follow with out putting in too much effort. I found myself being surrounded by some people that I should not be trying to keep up with. I found some other wheels to ride with and took a little off of the pace. It was going to be a long day and no need to blow up before the first climb.

The paved climb in the middle of no where came up soon enough. I actually didn't do to bad on it and Strava says it was a PR for that section. The next several miles I found myself riding around the same few riders. They would get me on the climbs and I would bomb past them on the down hills. Soon we were heading in to Combs road. After the last ride there, I knew this section would be tough. There were several riders with bike issues in this section.

I was not riding too bad in this section. I was riding a lot of parts that people were having issues with. The creek crossings were deep and plenty of mud to go around. I had a few gears that started to grind pretty good when I was using them. I just tried to pick one that was not making noise and went that speed because I didn't need to rip the rear derailleur off that early in the race. I was very thankful that the easiest gear in the back was one of the few that were working. I felt like I could have gone faster in a few spots, but I didn't want to risk using those gears in that kind of situation. I made it up to the last little pitch on the climb and the chain was really making some noise. I didn't want to, but I decided that I should walk the last section and save my bike. The down hill section was quite interesting as my brakes were not working all that well. Just enough to slow me down if I really needed it.

In all I actually thought that Combs road would have been even worse. Don't get me wrong, it was not that great, but I am pretty sure I have seen it in worse conditions. The next section of road started off pretty good, but right after the bridge crossing it got a lot softer and more standing water. I just tried to pick good lines and keep the pace moving with out crashing or breaking the bike. I was not doing too bad on the climb right up to a spot that the back wheel spun out on a rock or something. I walked a little bit and then hopped back on. I did not climb it anywhere close to the speed that I could have, but I just had to do what I could. The next section to the road was spend crossing back and forth on the trail just trying to take the best lines.

The road section moved along pretty good. It was nice to have one of the People's Brewing guys to ride with. We chatted a little and took some turns drafting off each other. It was nice riding on the road, but it would not last long. I started up the Nebo Ridge climb just trying to pick a line that I could keep traction. I didn't do too bad, but did spin out on one part. Other than that I rode everything and made pretty good time considering everything. I even cruised down the down hills better than before. Maybe because the brakes were not really working anymore. I did have a few times that I thought I might go down, but thankfully I never did.

The next road section I just tried to put it in a big gear and cruise with out using too much energy to hold that speed. The legs tend to feel a little better after I can spin them out for a little bit. I knew what was coming up ahead and needed all the hills I could find. I tried to take in some food and water so I had all the energy needed to climb the next few hills. Mt. Baldy hurt pretty bad. I kept moving, but no where near my fastest time. I passed the rest stop at the top and prepared to bomb down the hill. I knew this was a place I could let it all hang out and gain some time.

The next hill didn't hurt as bad as Mt. Baldy, but I was still moving way to slow. Somewhere in this section I looked at how many miles I had in and how much time I had left to be able to finish in under 5 hours. Apparently my math was not the best, but I figured that there would be no way to be able to meet my goal. I just figured I would keep riding and get back as soon as I could.

I was hurting pretty good for the next several miles. I think the self realization that I was not going to reach my goal and the fact that it had been a while since I could feel my feet started some bad thoughts. At one point I even thought of a short cut to get me back to the car. After trail 21 I just kept moving. Charles was there and cheered me on. That was very uplifting and helped me get past this next loop. Near the top of the hill I thought that I could take the left and the car would be not too far away. Then I figured if I took the energy to climb this silly hill, I better not quit and head back. I did lose traction and had to walk the last few feet of the climb. After I started going again I glanced back and thought I saw the green jacket of my team mate Alex.

I figured he would soon catch me on this next section. He has been a lot stronger than me and I figured he would have caught me long before now. I didn't see anyone for a while and figured maybe I was just seeing things. I went a little too fast on the down hill section back to where trail 21 comes out, but thankfully I could keep the bike upright and rolling good. I didn't waste any time at the intersection and rolled on by. At this point not only could I not feel my feet, I could not feel my hands. Those fast down hill sections were good for getting back sooner, but they were also a heck of a lot colder than the climbs.

I struggled on the trail 12 section. There are a lot of dips and things that were hard for me to ride. I had to walk a few more sections and the other sections that I was riding was pretty sketchy. I thought I heard a few people behind me so I just kept trying to move the best I could. Toward the end of this section Alex did catch me. He yelled at me to give me a hard time. I was pretty out of it at that point and was just going to move over for him and almost wrecked. I know that is not what he was trying to do, but that is what almost happened.

I followed him to the end of the trail section. I was feeling pretty bad at that point and before I got out of the woods I figured I might as well go ahead and answer natures call. I needed to go for quite a while at that point and figured why not stop since I was not going to hit the 5 hour mark. I have never gone in my kit as I rode, but with the amount of rain and mud this was the day that I really thought about it. Alex was eating some Doritos when I came up and then he proceeded to feed me a few hand fulls so he would not eat them all and I emptied the bag.

We took off both hurting pretty bad. That next climb really hurt. I was so ready for the next turn and then the one after that. The church could not have came too soon. I tried to ride with Alex for his section, but we would yo-yo back and forth depending if we were climbing or descending. We hit a big hill and I pulled away from him. I tried to wait on him a few times, but I was just really ready to be done and the pedals were just turning what ever pace they wanted to go. Shortly after that I noticed a rider up ahead. That helped me find a little more motivation to reel him in. I did just that and promptly dropped him. I just kept moving as fast and smooth as I could. I was starting to feel a little better. It must have been those Doritos that gave me that extra little power.

I was in my big ring and rolling pretty good. I was very happy when I saw the church and took that corner. I guess I could really smell the finish line there and the legs were working really good. I have no idea how fast I was moving since my computer had been covered by mud since mile 6. There was another two more riders that I reeled in and passed in this section. Near the end the legs were screaming, but I knew the end was near and kept pushing. I thought I could hear one of those riders coming up behind me, but it turns out that it was probably just my imagination.

I was so relieved when I could see the horse camp through the trees. Then I remembered that I still needed to cross one more creek. I tried to pick a good line and just went for it. I knew it was deep and was not good for my bike, but after what I just put it through it could not be that much worse for it. It felt like the water was up to my knees as I rolled in the middle. I almost messed up on the other side as I saw a big rock under the water and barely negotiated around it and climbed the last hill to cross the finish.

I was drained and just leaned on my bars resting. I figured Alex should have been right behind me. After waiting a minute I asked one of the photographers what time it was. He said 5 till 3. It took a minute for that to sink in and then I was like wait...umm...what?? If we started right at 10, then 3 o'clock would be the 5 hour mark. This means that I finished in under 5 hours. I was not sure what to think at that point. I could not have been happier at that moment. I could not wait any longer as I could not feel most of my body and headed back to the cabin. It was so awesome to have the whole People's brewing group hanging out there waiting for me and cheering as I rolled up. I never expected that and was one of the best moments of the weekend. Even when other people were staying in the cabin with me, no one hung out waiting for me.

I cleaned myself up and changed clothes. They headed over to the dining hall to eat and pick up there first and second place awards for the single speed class. Then I made it in to the hall and picked up my plate of food and did not even sit down and my name was called out for a door prize.

I ended up finishing with 4:53 and in 41st place overall. 12th place in the masters class. Not too bad with there being 120 finishers and over 150 people signed up. This is by far the highest finish that I have ever had. Most years I didn't finish under the top 100 overall. Granted the turn out was down some because of the weather, but I am still pretty happy with it. It is pretty hard to believe that I could actually finish under my goal with the conditions that we had to ride in. It makes me wonder just how fast I could have finished it if was on the dry side. It leads me to believe that with a little more work I could finish somewhere near that 4:30 range. Now I guess I have something to shoot for next year. I will have to decide what bike I plan on riding. I know there are sections that I can ride faster on my mtb, but not sure if I can maintain the speed on the sections that my cross bike excels. I do know that my hands hurt really bad today from trying to hold on to those bars. I am sure my hands would not hurt as bad if I was holding on to a flat bar. I guess I have 363 days to figure that out.

I would like to thank Brian and the team at Dino for putting this event on. I think they did a great job this year and if Sub 9 was not going to be there, I am very glad that they decided to keep this thing moving. I also want to thank Phil @ Adventures Recreation, with out them I would not have had the gear to keep me as warm and comfortable as I was and a bike that was not flawless, but held on in some crazy conditions to get me to the finish line. I need to thank Honey Stinger and Tailwind Nutrition for helping me keep my body fueled up and hydrated. I also need to thank Stan's No Tubes for some awesome wheels and tubeless fluid. There were several sections out there that I thought I destroyed a wheel or would have at least had a flat. Neither of those things happened and I had no reason to stop.