Dan Atkins (Race Pace cycling) gives good advice on tires. How do I know? I wouldn't have won the Monster Cross non-elite race on Sunday if I didn't push back my fears and take his advice.
I had questions, he had answers and I'm sharing:
me: atkins. me: tread vs. volume. lets say a 2.1 with more aggressive tread vs. a 2.2 with faster rolling tread. bascially the same weight.
go.
Dan: that's up to you
i like low tread tires usually
me: are they equally grippy. or does more tread mean more grip. or more volume mean more grip?
Dan: they're not equally grippy
lower tread height tires typically have less grip
but that doesn't really mean its a worse tire
i like low tread tires on the rear because it helps me move the bike around with the brake a lot easier
me: agreed.
alright
how about puncture resistance
any difference?
Dan: not really
me: ok, what is an advantage of volume?
me: more valume that is.
and what is the advantage of less volume
Dan: lower pressure, better traction for higher volume tires
generally
less volume is lighter and potentially faster
its hard to generalize
you really need to compare one tire to the next
me: u ever go high pressure for something like cohutta 100 miler
like so much road
seems like u want like 45 psi
Dan: no
never
me: hah, ok
Dan: it might make sense reading race reports and descriptions of the course
but in reality it's a terrible idea
me: good to know
Dan: just run whatever your regular tire pressure is
you will be MUCH more comfortable
i made that mistake the first time i did a 100
at wilderness
i rode like 45 PSI because i heard that there was so much stuff other than singletrack
and it was awful
me: lol, ok i was def heading towards that mistake for wildcat 100
Dan: don't do it!
me: i
rode 40 psi last night just to see. seemed alright. but only rode one
trail in ccbc (over by my house) so tough to tell. this helps
Dan: you will regret it for sure
after 8 hours your back will be dead
me: excellent info thx! ok to post this to my blog "tire talk with dan atkins"?
According to the "confirmed riders" list leading up to race day, Monster Cross 2013 looked like the unofficial February Mid-Atlantic off-road championship, with big names and a huge field (573 riders). Normally at an ultracross race I would enter the "open under 40" field, but Monster cross had a unique set of divisions. There was the Pro/Elite division that was choc-full of Cat 1 roadies and cyclocrossers, as well as pro mountain bikers who all crush me at their leisure. I felt that field was too big for my britches. So I signed up for a "non-elite" division, the cyclocross under 40. Top 3 in this division get winners jerseys so that was a sweet prize to race for. I felt if I raced very well I had a chance for 3rd-ish in that division.
My Setup:
For nutrition I continue to go with Cerasport for hydration and Probar nutrition. This is a no-brainer. No Camelbak Rogue this time, since the race is only about 3 hours.
For equipment I continue to use the Backcountry Research - Awesome Strap to hold my spare tube, tire levers, and hand-pump. It totally works (take the time to adjust it
correctly) and I recommend no one uses a saddle bag ever again (man i
hate saddle bags!). If you are worried about your stuff coming loose
and falling all over the place, well stop worrying. Get the right
awesome strap for the location that you want (stem, seat post, seat
rails, etc.) and go Awesome. Also, watch this video because its fun Awesome Strap baseball bat test.
For tires I chose to NOT use the Schwalbe Marathon Mondial, Double Defense, 700x35
at 570 grams. This course is one of the tamer ultracross courses with pretty fast avg speeds over 17mph. Not to mention I had previously promised myself that I take Danny Atkins advice (he's right a lot). I put on the Vittoria EVO XG cx 700x32 tubeless. They are so easy to air up tubeless on the Stans wheels. I took'm for a spin on my local cx course a few days earlier. It was a rough and bumpy ride since the ground was all frozen and I am used to my comfy mtb. I started to waffle towards the mondials again but then i saw this video which shows a lot of the course in speedy time:
Vittoria tires it is. Thanks to Danny Atkins and articles like this article that helped me to step away from my fear of flatting, to go to a lighter tire for this years' ultracross experiences.
I am still using TRP CX8.4
linear pull brakes because cantilevers are rubbish and i can't afford
to upgrade my cx bike to have disc brakes. I still want a Cannondale SuperX with disc brakes ;)
The weather:
It was in the 30s in the morning but climbed to the low 50s. The ground was wet but still fast after hard rain the day before. The skies were clear (beautiful!).
The Race:
The pro/elite group went off a few minutes before us. I was glad of that because I wanted to try to go with the lead group of non-elites. But if they had all been mixed together it would have been chaos in the non-elite standings. Pat was in the elite race. Sug was on his single speed cx bike in the non-elite race with me. I didn't have high expectations going in to this race so I was calm as a cucumber. I chatted with my ultracross buddy Brian Patton at the start. It was a good atomosphere. We had a neutral start for a while and the crowds were thick. The
initial pace wasn't anything crazy. It felt a lot like a group training ride. The double track was fast and gravely. There were muddy spots here and there. The lead group (pace-line) was huge! Turns felt dicey with people all around, coming forward and moving back. I was doing everything I could to stay calm.
The race is two 24 mile loops. Winning times in 2012 had been around 2:47 so I expected this group would go 3 hours. At an hour of racing I looked around and there were just tons of people in the pace-line. The pace was fast enough that no one wanted to attack away from the group and tame enough with only a few steep hills that no big separations could occur. In a way it felt like a dream because I am used to just burying myself early trying to stay with crazy fast guys. But now I was around peers and was racing well within myself. Its like all those races you read about, with tactics and strategy. It felt really good. I was having to exercise patience in a lead pack for the first time.
As we came through the start/finish around 1:20 I continued to feel great. I hadn't spent much time at the front and started to wonder if people were hurting or hiding. I took to the front, working with a rider from the Winchester Wheelmen. The pack was still in tact. So I made a small move on my next turn up front. A gap formed.
I wasn't really sure what to do. Its still early, but that gap formed fairly easily. I decided to go with it for a bit. I didn't really step on the gas but just kept the pressure on. I caught up to a pro/elite rider Zach Morrey. He is a super good NUE mountain biker that is coming off a double collar bone break. We chatted some and worked together. I enjoyed not having the pack around me on the descents and turns. But after a while the pack caught me. And I tucked back in.
That effort might have lasted 10 minutes. I'm not sure. But it moved me from comfortable, to engaged. And now the pack is starting to turn up the pace. I went from engaged to pushing in a short time. In retrospect it was a tactical mistake to have gone it alone for a while. Go or stay, but don't hang out. I drank and ate and tried to prepare for some tough racing in the last 20 miles. The smooth rolling double track was drying some and becoming thicker/slower. The screw was tightening and I started wishing I never made that move.
With maybe 15 miles to go or maybe 10, the real attack comes. It kinda happened, nothing immediately noticeable, but I was gapped. I was feeling tight, a little out of energy. Thoughts of "u blew it!" started creeping in. Sug came by me and said "let's go! get on my wheel!". I decided that I would bury myself to stay with him in hopes that we could bridge. He stood up out of each turn. I thought "I haven't really been standing" so I stood out of the turns. The legs started to sizzle but it felt right.
The gap was holding to the 5 or so leaders. They had maybe 10 or 15 seconds on us. It seemed that we had been beat. But Sug kept drilling. And once he let up I moved to the front and drilled. I got down in the drops and put my head down on the straights and just let it rip. The legs kept giving so I kept asking. A minute or so went by and I had done it! I was back with the leaders (so I thought).
We hit the last big climb with about 5 miles to go. I threw down all the way to the top. The five of us crested together but it seemed that only 4 of us had anything left. The road section was fast and I tucked in. Small attacks kept coming and all I could think is how am I going to win this? Where should I attack? How close are we to the finish?
We entered a trail section that had people cheering and some one said "make your move now!" so I thought it was now or the final sprint. I made some nice descending moves to get on the wheel of the leader. We entered the park proper. I tried to shift to the big ring but the mud had taken its toll and the small ring was all i had. We sprinted through the muddy grass to the line! I couldn't get around the leader. I congratulated him on the win and he said "no i was in the pro/elite race." Wow! I think I won!
I was super proud to have bridged to the group (thanks to Sug!). And was stunned to have finished ahead of all the non-elites. Unfortunately, the results show an over 40 cyclocrosser that has a faster time then mine.
Photo evidence has surfaced that #27 was not in my race, he started with the elites (he's towards the right in orange and light blue ;) evidence (lol)
I won the under 40 cyclocross division and got a sweet jersey :) Happy days!
(left to right) me, pat blair, and adam (sug) driscoll.
This morning started great, rise with the family, horse around. Get on the bike to go to work. Well it rained a lot last night. I admired the raging Potapsco as I crossed the bridge from BaltCo. to HoCo (avalon). River road had some shallow standing water. I started pedaling through it and it got deeper and deeper. By the time I realized that I was in a flood it was too late to turn around (will never mess wtih standing water again). The water rose and rose until my entire bike frame became submerged. I'm freaking out obviously. Some how I stayed upright and made it to the other side... scary (i might have got it on video and will upload tonight). My feet experienced an epic level of cold during the rest of the super windy 40 degree commute. Fortunately I had overdressed so the rest of me was hot.
I was really looking forward to my shower at work, I crack my bag open and there is just work shoes, no clothes. Ugh! I guess I'm going to have to wear my flooded rain pants and my skinsuit to work today. Then I checked Pat's unlocked locker, he has a pair of wrinkled jeans in there that seem to be 34w and 30L. I was thankful for them. Took a shower (no towel). Got dressed in jeans and a skinsuit. Got up to work and put on my sweater.
Happy to be safe and basically dressed. Strava output
Iron Cross 2012 has been my Fall target race since doing Hilly Billy Roubaix 2012. Hilly Billy showed me that I really enjoy ultracross because it plays to my adventurous side, and tests the limits.
Iron Cross 2012 was the final race of the American Ultracross Championship Series and is the queen stage (if u will) of the series. That means deeper fields and hotter paces.
My Setup:
For nutrition I continue to go with Cerasport for hydration and Probar nutrition. This is a no-brainer. I also carry water and tools in my Camelbak Rogue.
For equipment I tried the Backcountry Research - Awesome Strap for the first time. It totally works (take the time to adjust it correctly) and I recommend no one uses a saddle bag ever again (man i hate saddle bags!). If you are worried about your stuff coming loose and falling all over the place, well stop worrying. Get the right awesome strap for the location that you want (stem, seat post, seat rails, etc.) and go Awesome. Also, watch this video because its fun Awesome Strap baseball bat test.
For tires I chose Schwalbe Marathon Mondial, Double Defense, 700x35 at 570 grams, because I would rather take a weight penalty and have the extra flat protection. The width is perfect for ultracross. And the tread is great in dry conditions, gravel, and is even decent in wet conditions. I would call it a winner if you're looking for some lower-risk ultracross racing. But if you are willing to risk flatting for the chance to go a few minutes faster, then go with something lighter but with the same volume like the Stans Raven 700x35 at 360 grams. I found this article enticing me to go to a lighter tire for my next ultracross experience (maybe all of 2013 to give them a fair shot).
In review:
1) they will last thousands of miles.
2) they are lighter (570 grams) than the bomb-proof continental cx plus (800 grams)
3) they are very flat resistant (gotta be the "Double Defense" version)
4) they seem to air up tubeless pretty easily on my Stans wheels.
5) the tread is very good on road, gravel, dry trails, and even decent on wet trails.
I am still using TRP CX8.4 linear pull brakes because cantilevers are rubbish and i can't afford to upgrade my cx bike to have disc brakes. But I talked to someone with a Cannondale SuperX and I wanted it ;)
The weather:
Man, all week the weather reports worsened. 20% chance of rain and 53, then 40% chance of rain and 50, by Friday it was 80% chance of rain and 45. The race directors sent out a doom-gloom/hypothermia email that was begging racers to be ready and encouraged them to even carry a Mylar blanket in case of an emergency. Wowzer. I was nervous. I don't do well in cold/wet conditions. Just like my tire selection, I decided I would rather play things safe, and take a speed penalty to be ready. I wore an O2 Cycling Rain Jacket under my jersey. Which worked pretty well despite NO RAIN! Lol, I could feel the wind tugging on me a little so I focused on drafting during descents as often as possible.
The Race:
I lined-up front. I wanted to try to go with the lead group. Pat and Sug were up there, so why not? It was pretty cold at the start and i was a little shaky. Some of those shakes were nerves/excitement. Garth Prosser(?), Gerry Pflug, are all up here. That's cool ;)
The initial pace went out pretty hot. It felt a lot like a 1 hour cyclocross race except a little less sprinty. The first four-ish miles are on bike paths between 2 parks and so its gravel, a little sand, and some road. A bit sketchy and I liked it a lot. I could feel that I was a little above my limit but was happy to be following Gerry's wheel (see video)
Early lead group:
As we approached the first cat 3 climb from mile 7 to 10, Piney Mountain Ridge Rd Climb, I hoped I could continue on with the leaders but that was a dream. So I cut my early losses and decided to fall back. Several of us kinda spread out behind the leaders throughout the climb and these would all form the eventual chase group. Our organization out on the roads with rolling hills wasn't the best but we worked together. I felt like one of the stronger of the bunch so I was happy with this group. But in hindsight, when I was pulling i was doing a very bad job of pacing myself. I go too hard for too long. Then drop back in the group until the legs come to life and go again. It was stupid excitement and just poor pacing.
Chase group being led by the eventual single speed winner. Yes I am drafting on a single speed (43x18 on these climbs!):
The chase group whittled down to about 4 of us as we approached the Lippencote descent. I felt pretty burnt by this point but hoped the descending would rebuild the legs. I made sure to lead my group into Lippencote so that i could pick my lines in the technical trails. I climbed the initial part well and then started descending. I felt comfortable and didn't push it. Then I see Pat with a flat and a little later I see Adam with a flat as well. Damn, this trail took both AFC top contenders... out of contention. Adam's flat kinda fixed itself via Stans liquid and some C02 so we continued out of the descent together. I sprinted to grab the wheel of a roadie-looking rider that had a small gap on us... the legs responded with a resounding "I DON'T THINK SO!" Hmmm, I'm not bouncing back as quickly as I had hoped.
Adam, the SS leader, and the roadie went on ahead as a group. I rode moderately until I could catch a draft on the rider behind me. We drilled some downhill (legs were coming back) but again I think I'm drilling too hard when I pull. Bad pacing again. On the Milesburg Rd climb at mile 28 I decide that its time ride my own race. No more chasing people. I've put too much hurt'n on myself and it's still too early in the race. I climbed strongly and consistently (should have just ridden this way from the start) and prepared for the mighty WigWam.
Approaching the WigWam Run-up
Up WigWam I caught Adam and others that I had lost out on the roads. I never ran, I just hiked faster. According to Strava I'm the fastest on this segment. Yay! I'm tickled to be tops at something (although I would prefer to be the best pedal-er). It was max heart rate for everyone and boy is it pretty up there ;)
I was getting thirsty heading into aid station 2 and thought we would all be stopping. Negative, none of my group stopped. I was surprised but took my time. The mistake I made here is when the volunteers asked me how many scoops of Heed I wanted "1 or 2". I'll take "4". "4!" they say. "Ya". So what the hell was I thinking? Well I'm not familiar with Heed other than drinking it at Hilly Billy. The stuff tastes horrible. At Hilly Billy they were digging it out with a teaspoon. Apparently these guys were using a scooper (i wasn't watching them, i was eating). I thanked them, jumped on the bike and grabbed my waterbottle. I take a swig, "UUUuuuuugh!". This is the nastiest sweetness of all time. But i don't have much water left in my Camelbak so it'll have to do and I try to convince myself that some how the super sugary grossness is going to help me. Please race directors, use Cerasport. Heed is so gross.
So this first half of iron cross has totally shot my legs. Time to regroup. I have a lot of descending to do (i think). So I just ride a comfortable pace. Then hit some trials that I never rode in my recon. Its some pretty tough climbing. The legs are not happy. I'm constantly looking for ways to cut my losses. But then Brian Patton shows up. He and I have become friends, meeting in Potapsco before SugarHill 2012 and keeping in touch via Strava and Facebook. He told me he was in the hunt for the series win for under 40, having ridden Hilly Billy and Three peaks. I wanted to help him but doubted I could. He recommended that I draft on him through these gravel road descents. I'm happy to oblige. This helped a ton. I'll take it too far and say that I was riding on the neon wings of an angel (for a while), Lol.
Thompson Hollow Descent, or maybe the descent after Thompson....i don't know.
After some fun gravel descending we head out on the roads. Again I think my pacing during pulls was really poor. I was extra motivated to help Brian try to catch the guy that he was battling for the series. But it just wasn't any good. Its like I am trying to go faster via a pace-line instead of trying to go the same speed with less effort. I'll definitely improve on this in my next pace-line. Anyway, I gave it almost everything I had out on those roads. I planned to eek-out the last drops of effort at Hogshead. As soon as we hit the loooong Hogshead climb Brian went ahead. I didn't mind too much. I knew at this point I would finish, and finish pretty well.
Hogshead Road Climb
I got passed by maybe 5 riders on Hogshead. But made it to the top without cramps or any other problem other than being really tired. I descended well to aid station 4. There I ate a peanut butter sandwich which is now a new favorite aid station treat. Also apple slices (mmmmmmmm PA apples!). I got some water and headed into the final trails of the race. I wasn't pushing but riding ok. There was no one around. After several miles a guy in a Cycleworks orange kit caught me. I went with him, excited that we had about 5 miles left, and that I had some one to race. I let him lead since he was obviously stronger on the pedals at this point. His technical log hopping skills were pretty bad though. I gave him some room and used my skills to absorb his efforts. On a tougher log jump he crashed and I went ahead. He came back after a while and we hit the run-up, me with a slight gap. We also closed in on another guy. This was getting painful but exciting! After the run-up was a grassy trail climb. My climbing legs are totally shot and I'm barely staying on the bike but I pedal, pedal, pedal. I hear Pat come up behind me when he says "AFC!". I say "finally!" knowing that he must have taken a long time with his flat and partied a bunch at the aid stations to just be catching me now with 3 miles to go.
At the top of the climb we all take beer hand-ups. Yummy! The cycleworks rider passes me on the final road section and I just settle in on his draft. I feel bad racing this way but I decide that I will pretend he is rider 20 and my goal is to be top 20, so I'm going to beat him. We make the turn to the finish and I take the sprint. Whew! That was a fun hard race. 2 thumbs up to the Iron Cross folks. Their course is really well marked and top notch.
The IC course description is really good (in my opinion). I add some notes from my recon. 2 days until race time! from ic website: We
usually break this thing down into four "sektors" - as we're fond of
calling them. Each Sektor has it's own unique features and they are
separated by our checkpoints making it pretty easy to figure out what's
where - as long as you're not so oxygen depleted that you don't remember
where you are, what day it is, or why the heck you're climbing up a
cliff with a bike hanging off your back.
Sektor 1 - Start to CP#1 Features: Start at Pine Grove Furnace State Park; KOM/QOM; rolling roads and two big climbs This
is fast fast fast for the most part with the start course sometimes
playing a bigger role in the race than you might think. A prologue loop
of rolling pavement and rail trail brings you back through Pine Grove
SP in about four miles. Find a group to ride with and hang on up the
first dirt climb as you'll appreciate the help on the rolling roads that
lead to the first major climb to the KOM just before CP1. Up front the
attacks usually start on those rollers after a long burn up the first
climb has put a couple pretenders out the back. The KOM climb will
cause a selection or perhaps even a breakaway and small groups will
solidify for the run to Lippencote with riders chasing hard to make
contact. --- I didn't ride this section. Seems like a descent description. This is cardio work, nothing really technical. Sektor 2: CP#1 to CP#2 Features: Lippencote Tr. descent; Rt 30; WigWam "Run" Up Rolling
along the top of the ridgeline to Lippencote the front runners may test
each other but alliances form here so that those who are off the back
don't get the chance to get back on. Then comes Lippencote which can be
carnage or bliss depending on how smooth and light you can ride the
rocks. You can't hold back though because a minute lost here can prove
very difficult to pull back. Lippencote will almost certainly put paid
to at least one front runner's day, but those who can float this descent
can then fly on the flats of Rt 30 around the end of the ridge. But
awaiting all is Wigwam, IC's infamous run-up. Often a decision maker in
this race, it is not unusual to see groups enter the trail to Wigwam
together only to emerge at the top scattered over minutes of trail as
they enter CP#2.
-- The miles approaching lippenconte you will be riding a park road (gravel but smooth, nothing like hilly billy).
-- It is pretty much rolling hills and fast so u should be in a group.
-- At some point you will see a clearing coming, that is powerlines. These powerlines are very close to the LEFT_HAND turn into Lippenconte. I think it is super important to not get caught behind a bunch of technical slowpokes. Get up front as best as possible at the powerlines and get ready for a semi-short technical trail climb. I rode it on my single speed mtb with cx tires. But it was dry. Point being, positioning up front seems to be really important. After the semi-short climb is the big descent. This thing is classic michaux. Take ur time and ride or run it as necessary. But take comfort that you put a bunch of slowpokes behind u at the hole shot.
-- at the base of the descent u come to a road. there is a lot of road from here so find a group and chill (lot of downhill for many miles).
-- eventually u will start getting back into the forest (on roads) and are getting near a biiig road/gravelish (smooth) climb. Several minutes to climb this. if u got gapped and are in a group that is kinda slow, this is where u make a move to catch the next group. At the top of that climb the road will flatten out and the reservoir will be on ur right.
-- basically with the resevoir on the right u are approaching the Wigwam run-up. But it really is four parts.
1) As you leave the reservoir a left hand turn is coming. This turns immediately into some single/double track that is kinda a technical climb (very hilly billy-esqu). steep and kinda loose. It was totally rideable dry. So u want to get into this section towards the front of ur group and drill this hill.
2) u come out to a powerline field and have to ride the flat (tall grass) field to the base of wigwam. put everyone behind u that u possible can before this run-up.
3) Hike wigwam as fast as possible. but avoid getting on ur toes and trying to run. Overall u'll be faster if u hike quickly/smoothly. Ur heart rate will be max.
4) At the top of the run-up u bike for a bit on double track but have another rocky run-up in about 1/4 mile. hike (and possibly run) that one fast too. At the top of that you have officially finished the run-up. slog ur way in the field (tall grass) to the road. IF u have a group to ride with from here u will probably never see people gapped behind u ever agian! Sektor 3: CP#2 to CP#3 Features: Repeat climbs, Long Paved Section, Super Fast Descending This
Sektor would be a hoot except that is it preceded by that run-up and
that makes things ruff for a bit. Once you get your legs back under you
you'll start rolling across a ridge top road that, if you're lucky
enough to be with some buds, can be some fast stuff. A short sweet
climb leads to more rolling ridge riding and perhaps the fastest descent
of the day - keep your head up and watch for the off-camber bit! Hit
the pavement along the base of the ridge; it is great to have friends to
share the work on this bit of the course too! Keep your head up for
those turns though as there are couple of them to keep you on the right
course, both on the ground and on the telephone poles (and if you don't
see the confirmation arrow then you probably missed something!). A
final right off the pavement and a slight upgrade mean you're just about
to CP#3 where they'll great you with a smile, a smile that hides their
pity for what you are about to experience.
-- I didn't ride the first half of this section so take the description for what its worth.
-- The second half of this section is pretty tame and fast gravel road so u'll be happy to be in a group. Sektor 4: CP#3 to Finish Features: Hogshead Climb; Woodrow Descent; CP#4, Final Singletrack; Last Run-Up (?); Pavement Finish! And
now we come to it. The final sektor of Iron Cross. We don't take it
easy on you so don't expect to coast home. First it's Hogshead,
probably the biggest meanest bitch on the course. This thing is
relentless. You think you're at the top. You're not. Keep going. And
then go some more. Then swear at the guys that came up with this
course. Then rub out the cramps. Then keep going and you're close.
Next up is the descent of Woodrow. Watch those corners, it's loose and
sketchball. Down the descent to CP#4 and some fun double and
singletrack a short road bit and more trail for next few miles. If it's
dry a lot of the folks up front will rip through this bit with a couple
steps here or there and one last run up to get back to the ridge top.
The really fast guys ride that last run up in the dry. If it's
wet...YMMV. From there you'll smell the finish. Well, that's actually
your stank but it does smell, I'll give you that. Rip across the ridge
and then it's down the paved descent (where it is the only time of the
day you're wishing for bigger gears) and into the finish at Pine Grove
Furnace and the Iron Masters Mansion.
-- Pat and Sug will destroy the Hogshead climb. It pails in comparsion to SM100 climbing but its long and tough.
-- The woodrow Descent is where Sug/Alex/Goat crashed back in 2007ish. So take these fast loose turns with care. It really helps to have the course displaying in your garmin (i found). I could see the hairpin or gradual turns coming on the map.
-- Survive the trails. The description is very good though. It is a lot of rideable stuff. But definitely favor the run if ur unsure.
-- Goat and I missed the run-up they mention at the end of the trails so I've got nothing to add to that.
Ahhhhh a little cyclocross to sooth the soul. My last race was epicly epic, THE Shenandoah 100. So its nice to be coming to a race that involves less preparation, less stress, less travel, and less... rac'n.
Charm city is nostalgic. It was my first real bike race. I did Cat 4 in 2010, then won both Cat 4 races in 2011 to get my upgrade, and did both 2/3/4 races this year.
Day 1 was not all I had hoped. I started 4th or 5th row which was decent. I liken a start with that many racers of different skill levels to escaping a burning building. The first lap or two is the burning building. Some escape easily, others not as easily. Point being, you can't start racing until you escape the building and get with a group of riders that aren't holding you back and aren't going to wreck wildly.
The start was sluggish. I picked my way through pretty well on lap 1 to move into the top 20. My body wasn't too happy though. I was nervous that my lack of cyclocross training would hurt me. I was hurt'n! I hung in there. It was hot hot hot. I didn't enjoy this race immensely but it was fun. I think I finished 15th.
Day 2 was a totally different. I start 3rd row this time and from the "go!" felt like my old cyclocross self. I put in efforts to pass and was in the top 15 after lap 1. But this time I felt that there was plenty of gas in the tank. I caught up to a group including Jameson Ribbens and Andrey Doroshenko. I'm pretty sure I can ride with these guys and I know they did well on Day 1 so I'm happy.
After a while I hear that we're in the top 10 and there are tons of guys just ahead. I decide to attack and try to make it to the next group. This was foolish in hindsight. I had worked hard to catch these guys who mostly started front row. I should have spent more laps with them. The attack hurts me and I drop back to the back of the group. And I'm hurt'n! But I think I can rally and still take this group in a few laps.
Approaching the sandpit it takes a lot of effort to ride it because I'm sitting at the back of the pack and have to deal with the riders in front of me swerving and slowing. This became a recurring theme for my race. Bale or crash in the sand pit. Spend a lap to catch back up to the group. But bale or crash again because they are all sprawled out in front of me (that's right, i could do it easily if it wasn't for them, lol ;).
But I'm loving this race. I'm riding hard but within myself. I'm competing. I'm pedaling AND thinking. Usually it's all pedaling for me. I'm making mistakes and learning. I'm measuring up the guys in my group. I'm looking for ways to beat them. I've never really been able to enjoy the tactics of racing. This is awesome!
I end up in a group of 3 riders with a lap to go. The body has been giving it all she's got and i'm in the mix for a top 10 finish. I start thinking how I'm going to handle our last sandpit pass. This sand has been killing me. I'm going to run through it and go for the sprint on the road.
We come to the sandpit, and once again i'm sitting at the back of the group. I immediately go for the run but stupidly go inside. There is room but not much. There had been plenty of room on the outside line! The rider in front starts swerving and ends up coming into me and the tape. I'm running full speed and just tear through the tape and kinda through him (sorry dude!). Its a mess and I'm not proud of it but I make it through. The guy at the front of our group is clear and I'm not catching him but the second guy is still close enough.
I close down the gap in the final turns and sprint on the road. The guy makes an effort but he can't match. I come close to catching the leader of our group but it was too much space. Soooo FUN!!!
Super exciting and I think this is one of my first really tactical races (it showed). There is something to be said for not just pedaling ur guts out the whole race. It was a blast and I believe I ended up 10th.
Oh man, this was so brutally terrible it almost doesn't qualify for a lancefun blog. But this chat with Danny got me kick started. The report follows this chat. But the chat is better.
me: lol, that's the "i'm going to be top 5 SS" look
silly fellow
Dan: haha!
me: deep
down inside its also the "danny really kicked my ass up that last hill
and now i can't see him. i thought i was going to out climb him?" look
Dan: man I was looking for you, I totally expected you to kill me on that hill
me: i
could see u and wolfy. but i was zone 5 at least to be that close.
and after that really long climb somewhere in mile 20ish i never saw u
again. and i was totally broken by then
miserable
Dan: man it makes me sad to hear you were miserable
me: ya.
it was just such a struggle. never felt comfortable until i decided i
was going to quit chasing u. but didn't decide that until after i sunk
my own battle ship with no hope of feeling good. and then i had to
walk up all those techy climbs. bad to worse. i enjoyed some of the
descents.
me: until my hands got exhausted and i could barely brake anymore. hahaha. pathetic
Dan: hahah it was a pretty rough intro to NUE i guess
you still had a solid time
me: ya,
could have been worse. rallied from mile 40 to 85 (through soul crusher) but then that big descent just ended me with the exhausted
hands (crash). and the final long climb was sad... lol. man i hated a
lot of that. this is my race report. i don't think i'll blog about it
because it doesn't qualify for lancefun.blogspot....
Dan: oh man! epic hard days are the best blogs to read
me: lol.
that was definitely my favorite part of the entire ride! glorious
that they got that pic. makes my day. thx dan. i'll post this chat as
my blog post. then maybe fill some stuff in as i have time
Shenandoah-oah-oah-oah.... Your mountains are large and I shall climb them like a frolicking goat!
So most of the blogs I read leading up to this behemoth 100 miler is that the climbs are long the descents are awesome and its basically a party. The only thing i was worried about was the sheer time on the bike. I had never ridden a bike for longer than 4 hours and 42 minutes during Hilly Billy Roubaix 2012. So 8+ hours sounded like a lot. Also, my longest mountain bike race was a 24 mile race at Sugarhill 2012. I bonked pretty hard during that. Also, I converted my bike to single speed three week before so I had never raced a single speed. But despite all that I still thought the only real issue for me would be the total time and distance.
Then I read this blog by Schottler from 2011 where he finished in 7:46 (fast!) and it sounded a little tougher. I thought "alright maybe this is going to be more technically challenging then i think".
I drove to the campground the night before, arriving at 10:30pm. I was sleeping in my car and maybe fell asleep by 12am. Super happy about a decent night's sleep. I woke at 5am and got ready. I hadn't planned for the darkness and didn't have a headlamp so getting ready with my bike light in awkward positions made for slow going. The whole drop bag situation confused me some. The stations already have tons of food. The drop bags are just for rider specific stuff. Weird and I don't feel comfortable with the drop bag stuff. Ok, I'll put some Cerasport and Probars at aid station 3. But I'll just carry the bulk of what I need. (MISTAKE)
Pat shouted for me at the start. I got in next to him. The sun is starting to rise so the race starts soon. Pat points out Gerry Pflug, Ron Harding, and others. I get to chat it up with Roger Masse (love that guy!). This is cool. 6:31am and we're off!
Right away I'm huffing and puffing. This is nothing like the party pace I read about in previous 100 miler descriptions. People are flying. And my single speed is holding me back. I'm at the back of the big lead group and start thinking "Maybe I just need to dig deep for 30 minutes and things will really settle down on the first climb"
The first climb is mildly-hard. and pretty long. I'm digging and passing some but mostly keeping up. I can see Danny Atkins and Dan Wolf (both of Race Pace bicycles) not too far ahead. These are the guys I had hoped to ride with. But that's because I thought I would be well within myself. But I'm redzone. We're 20 minutes in and people aren't backing off. "Ok, well maybe I just need to dig for 1 hour hard then things will settle".
Things are a little slick and loose on the descent. I feel pretty capable though. Mostly we're all happy its not raining. Things are a blur from here. I don't remember what happened for a while. But I know that I was still uncomfortably working hard. Spinning like crazy on the flats. Mashing on the uphills on my 32x18 single speed. I'm hurting. We hit another long climb. Again I see Dan and Dan but can't catch them without sprinting. "Maybe I'll see them later".
We get into some single track. This was getting pretty technical with big rocks jutting out everywhere. What the hell? Its really hard to follow geared guys because the spin slowly through this stuff. I'm single speed and have to back off, then mash over a slick rock, then back off. This is getting brutal and I'm not even a quarter of the way through. I'm already borderline miserable. But probably still doing well place wise. press forward.
We go down a long technical descent and out on the roads. I'm guessing we're at mile 25 or so. I'm spinning like crazy to stay with a group. I know that I'm heading towards a disastrous 100 if I keep doing this but the Dan's are still ahead, and I can't bear to let these groups go and ride my own pace. We catch a big group that is part pacing. I believe Dan Wolf is in it. I don't see Atkins. The leader looks like Gerry Pflug but that doesn't seem right because the women's leader "Sue" is here as well. I'm so happy to be going slow and to have caught up with the group that I believe I belong with.
The joy is short lived. We turn into a trail section and I'm towards the back of the group. Again the climb is pretty technical and the geared riders are taking it so slowly!!!! Its killing me as I balance on my single speed, then mash hard over slick roots/rocks then back off so that i don't run into the line of rider ahead of me. I know I need to walk but I'm also trying not to stop and cause the people behind me to have to walk to. Finally a falter and scramble out of the way to let people go by. I'm starting to hate this.
After some significant walk-climbing i see that nearly everyone is walking now. In fact this is a know "run-up" of the race. I just was walking sooner than everyone else. I just can't believe how technical this is. Its nothing like I imagined. eventually I see some one riding up behind. Its Roger Masse! Dude is riding much further up the "run-up" than most others. impressive. I know I'm toast and he looks pretty good. Damn I wish I had stuck back with him earlier.
I don't really remember the descent after this long climb. I think it was fun. I had met up with a single speeder, Kelly Klett, and decided to stick with him for as long as possible. We seemed to be climbing at similar speeds. I'm mashing and he looks more comfortable. He tells me he's riding 34x21! I tell him I chose a 32x18 and it was proving to be too tall. He chuckled and said "well i shouldn't be seeing you in the last 30 miles". I agreed.
Its starts raining pretty hard. UUUUUUGH! Not rain too! I'm feeling sorry for myself. Bleh! Thankfully I had arm warmers because I wasn't pedaling hard enough to keep warm.
I rode with Kelly for maybe 15 miles. But lost him as I stopped at aid station 3. This was fair since I think I caught him after aid 2 where he stopped. I basically rolled through that one (MISTAKE). There was a longish road section where I had plenty of time to chill and contemplate quitting. I'm feeling pretty terrible. And this is my last chance to drop out anywhere close to the finish. But i've invested this much time/effort/money/pain. Press forward. My only real fear at this point was cramps. So I was drinking Cerasport and eating Probars and Hammer gel liberally. Of all the things I did wrong I can at least say I ate enough. The MISTAKE was that I carried most of it with me and should have put most of it in drop bags at aid 2 and 4 as I had originally planned. That weight adds up.
I drafted on some geared guys. Again this felt way harder than I imagined it should. I'm feeling crummy. We get into some trails and approach a monster climb at mile 50. I try to ride it but again its just too technical (narrow, semi-loose, very wet roots, rocks). It felt like the roots and rocks were trying to push me off the side of the trail. I would get to a flattish section, hop on my bike. Get clipped in. Pedal pedal then back tire slides on a root and i'm back off nearly falling down the hill. Now I'm just angry. I WISH I HAD QUIT! The descent is not all that fun for a broken angry fellow either.
Out on the roads leading into the biggest climb of the day I pass by people that look as soul-less as me. We all look pretty fit/fast. But are having bad days from one thing or another. No one is really talking. I'm getting depressed just recounting it, lol! We're climbing slowly and then enter some double track. Now the real climbing up to aid 5 begins.
I can't sit climb. The legs are shot. So like my four year old son, I stand on the pedals and churn slowly, body swaying back and fourth for over an hour. I have no idea how I can pedal standing for so long. Just for short segments when I sit. I knew this would be a long climb but it seems to go beyond long. Danny Atkins had warned me that the climbing wasn't over by aid 5. So at aid 5 I get some food, get a drink and prepare to climb more.
Well, the climbing past aid5 is nothing like the climbing before. This is muddy. This is boggy. How is there so much water on top of a mountain? It stopped raining 30 minutes ago but water is coming out of every mountain orifice. I'm told by another rider that its wet up here even when it hasn't rained. This defies logic. Its a an active volcano of water up here! The pedals are turning so slow but I'm still passing other dead folk and I'm still fighting. How can I possibly still be pedaling. standing and pedaling? The human body is amazing.
I keep climbing and dipping and climbing and dipping. Its maddening! does this mountain have a top. Looking at the map I suppose I was riding the ridge of the mountain. This IS crushing my soul but i'm a little happy that the legs aren't cramping. They are turning. And finally! the descent. No wait another rise. The descent! Nope another rise.
Then the real descent. This thing is so long. I thought I would be glad to be here. But this is even worse. I'm exhausted so I have no technical skills. So I'm on the brakes. But the hands are shot. Literally I can't squeeze the levers anymore. I stop to let the hands rest and go again. I can't believe even the descents are crushing my soul now. At some point I wreck, imagining what my face will meet as i go over the bars. Will a stick stab me in the eye? Will my neck get slashed on a rock. Nope just dirt and gravel. I check my bike praying that there is no damage. Ok its good. I litetally pray out loud, "God please get me off this MOUNTAIN!". This marks my first steps into desperation. The crash gave my hands a little rest though so I'm able to descend again. But I keep meeting techy, kicker hills. The legs can't do it and I have to walk my bike up them.
Finally the bottom. I basically skip aid 6. I just want to get back. MISTAKE. 12 miles doesn't sound like much but at 9mph, its over an hour to the finish. This dawns on me about a mile past the station. I'm not turning back. So far its road and I can do that. Then the final climb. I know it aint little but now its the biggest slowest slog. At least its not technical. I get passed by a single speeder that makes me look like i'm standing still. I care. But can't do anything. The downhill is miserable with my mushy lifeless hands. Some guy tries to past me just before the finish area. He could hear that we were close and took a chance but crashed.
I finish in 9 hours 22 minutes. Ugh! Pat cheers me in. He won the single speed division on the same gearing (32x18) today finishing in 8 hours 8 minutes. Life is improving. I finished. And Pat won. Food! Wash the bike and cry to Dan Atkins and Dan Wolf how much that sucked. They didn't have the most fun either finishing in 8 hours 40ish minutes. I ended up 8th among single speeders. There were and incredible amount of DNF'd riders.
