It's hard to believe it is January already. Have kept myself pretty busy and the weather makes it hard to know what month it is. But, I do know next season should have started already in some form or another. I can't say I am happy that the year is over, but it was not quite the year I had hoped. It was not a terrible year, but I felt slower than the previous year. But I did have some pretty crazy rides. Here is a little year in review for 2019.
The year started out good enough at the Dirty South Roubaix. Legs were not fully ready yet, but did good enough. Weather was a little colder than preferred. The next weekend was the Death March. I had some high hopes that my legs would be feeling pretty good for this race. I teamed up with Bushong again and we were going for all the check points. The weather was not very nice to us. It rained most of the day, I think there was some hail and we were frozen solid. We ended up taking the shortest way back to the car and taking the dnf. The worst part was when we made that decision, we were still 10 miles out. It took me 2 months to feel part of my one finger.
After that race I headed to Pisgah with the People's group and had some great rides. I was really hoping this would be a big boost to the legs. The rides really hurt, but the company and views were all worth it. A few weeks later I ended up heading down the Land Between the Lakes and doing the April Fools Gravel Camp. It was a pretty new race, but they did a good job and had a good party set up after wards. Overall I had a good ride, but the legs faded in the second half. It was a fun time and I will probably be going back this year.
Next up was a race that I was really bummed I could not attend the year before. The 45 is part of a pretty new promoter's races. I can not reccomend the Boondoggle races enough. It still has a grass roots feel. Not very expensive, but is ran like a pro. Just because it is new doesn't mean it is easy. The starting list is filled with who's who from the NUE series. There were a couple other races I didn't make, but the new 3 race series is on my must do list this year. I can't way to get back to Cave Run.
Next up was PMBAR! What a race. This race is one of the hardest things I have ever done (every time). Every year is completely different and you never know what could happen. This year was a monsoon. It was another crazy day on the bike. It rained even more than Death March, but was not as cold. There was crazy lightning and thunder, hail and it rained so much that we were riding down a creek. It was a day to remember for sure.
Next up on my list was the Mohican 100k. I came in to this race with weaker legs than I should have. I was not recovering from the effort at PMBAR very well and life was busy and kept me from riding as much as I should have. Even with not feeling the strongest, I did have a better ride than I expected so there are no complaints there and the after party was pretty solid from what I remember.
Then I headed up to Michigan to attend my first ever Lumberjack 100. This is a race that I have been interested in a while. I have heard nothing but good things about this race and the only complaint I have is that I don't live closer. After last years Mohican 100 I was not sure if I would ever do another 100 miler. After the the Lumberjack I immediately said I would come back and do it again. Legs were still not where I hoped, but with everything considered, they treated me pretty well and I really enjoyed the race. I will be going back, just not this year.
I had some time before the next race on the schedule. I had some vacation time, did a beer ride and the local road ride. It was good to be on vacation some and was still getting some good rides in. There was a new race that popped up on the calendar. It was a 6 hour race in Ky. How could I pass this up. It sounded like a great time. The KY 6 hour was a super fun race. There is something about the 6 hour race that is a lot of fun. I'm not a huge fan of a lot of traffic, but everything else makes up for it. I have not seen anything about another race this year, but if there happens to be one, I sure hope I can attend.
I then made the trip back to Fools Gold. This was my 3rd time there. This is a hard loop that is still a lot of fun. My legs still felt heavy, but they once again did a great job for me. I really like this race and would not be disappointed if I go back again this year. My full plan for this has not been decided just yet. This race is back in the NUE schedule so that might made this years race a little different.
In between this time and my next race was the HMBA Epic. This is always a good time. The music is good, the beer is good and the trails are awesome. Several good people to hang out with for the weekend. I hate to think of all the years I didn't attend. It is not the cheapest event to attend, but it sure is one of the best times.
My next race was a race that I have wanted to do for a very long time. The BT Epic has always seemed interesting to me, but seemed too far away. I am not sure why I thought that since I have gone farther for races. The other thing is that it sells out very quickly. There is not waiting if you want in this one. This race was pretty cool. They have a nice big area set up at a camp ground for the start/finish. There is also vendors and beer tents set up. The race alone is a good one and when you add the party, it is one heck of a good time. I hope to get in for this years race again.
I also attended the Obannon Woods Adventure ride weekend. It has been a while since I have been back there and they have been doing a lot of work . There are a lot of good trails that have been built. We also spent several hours on the AHT. It didn't take long to remember how hard that trail is. I need to make more trips back there. In fact, I went back the next weekend to get even more.
The last big thing of the year is always Gravel Grovel. I did the least amount of GG specific riding leading up to the race. Heck, I didn't even know what bike I was going to ride a couple weeks before the race. A last minute decision had be signed up again in the SS class. The weather was not going to be good. It was once again going to rain on me all day on the bike. It seemed like the trend of the year and might as well go out in a bang. Well, the weather didn't hold back and it was a very wet ride. Very deep creek crossings and it was much colder than I would have liked, but still warmer than Death March or at least it seemed like it. Maybe I was dressed better this time? I didn't have a fast time, but was just happy to have finished. Most of the racers either didn't show up or dropped out.
My overall miles for the year were down a lot from last year. My legs seemed weaker, but they always seem weak. After last year, I had high hopes that I could improve on what I built and be even stronger this season. That didn't happen like planned. I am really the only one to blame for this. All I can do is hope that I actually do a better job at putting in the work. I have several races I am already signed up for and a couple that I hope I am quick enough to get in before they sell out. Here's to a strong 2020 season or at least another great year full of uncontrollable laughs and plenty of good rides. Hope to see you there.
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