Cowbell Challenge Marathon 2009

I guess there is a first time for everything. First time riding a bike, first time racing...first time winning, first time losing...but I have never, ever in my life quit in a mountain bike race like I did in the Cowbell. Everything was going perfectly as planned. Arrived the night before and I had the wifey and child there to help out in the pit, excellent nights sleep at the Homewood suites the night before...I even had our pit tent already setup on Friday. Although my preride of the course should have been an indicator of the problems I would be facing on Saturday, I was too excited with the idea of my first SS marathon. Did I mention I busted a spoke during that preride? bad omen?....

So, Saturday morning comes like a typical race morning usually does come, fast and blurry. Before we knew it, we were driving from our hotel out to Fisher Farms 10 minutes behind schedule...Justin was waiting to get his numberplate from me and was ready to go...I was slapping stuff on and noticing all the madness going on around me...It was an awesome turnout! Pros in attendance were Harlan Price, Dejay Birtch, John "Fuzzy" Milnes, Dave Hall, Rich Dillen(Team Dicky)...So with all this madness going on I start to realize it is only 9am and the heat is already off the charts! We finally get shuttled into town and the race starts. The first part of the race has us flying through town for about 6.5 miles along backroads and greenways and all you hear are the townspeople ringing cowbells which is really neat! Spinning like a madman, I start to find my pedaling start/stop points since the rolling hills give me some needed momentum. Finally we arrive at Fisher Farms via the back entrance which corrals us over the hardest of the 2 ending loop climbs right from the start....immediately a bottleneck occurs and geared riders all around me start dropping straight into their granny gears...i only make it halfway up the hill climbing since there is too much traffic in front of me and immediately unclip and start running my bike up through spinny gearies...I make it up the climb and out of the woods in good shape, but right before you cross through the starting checkpoint, you have to pass through the Kudzu corridor...I have never realized just how much heat kudzu traps, but it is similar to laying out in 100+ degree weather on top of aluminum foil...radiant, pulsing heat. It just takes the fight right out of you. I get bottlenecked again and jump off and start running my bike up and out of the kudzu...My body at this point is pouring sweat out by the gallons trying to cool off and this is just entering the first lap! Not good.

Laps 1-3 are a blur...they went by smooth, hot and not that easy, but they did go by...Lots of twisty, turny rooty slippery singletrack. Twitch cramps waiting to happen everytime I slid across roots....deep gultches with skinny rail crossings....log piles everywhere, dropoff bridges, off camber singletrack, slippery grass turns, open field scortching heat, rock gardens, more rock gardens, slippery punchy climbs...you name it, this course had it...a true challenge....


Lap 3 saw me finally entering a zone, but something still did not feel right...my legs were still not altogether there and I was just not wanting to be there anymore...it really had me concerned. I roll back to the pit upon entering lap#4 and realize I am not alone...I hear many rumours of others quitting, such as Dejay Birtch, Rich Dillen and still many more who had not made it through lap 2...so I am thinking ok, I am not crazy or totally weak, this heat is insane! I relax, drink lots of water, load up with Perpetuum, endurolytes and another bottle of cold water on my back to drop my core temp down a bit and roll out for Deathmarch Lap 4. This lap hit me hard....I went out slow because I had just eaten a potato to see if it would help restore my system levels, but nothing was processing anymore...I spent more time in the switchback hanging off trees and trying to focus on the trail ahead that I knew, this would be it for me. It was nasty hot when entering the open fields and jungle heat emanated from the woods. There was no shelter to be found. I continued onwards conserving energy at all times. Everytime I saw a hill, I walked, switchbacks were taken with great care and my overall pace came to a crawl...So many riders were passed at this point who were keeled over with cramps and heat exhaustion, it started to look like a warzone. I saw EMS pulling a few riders out with IVs to rehydrate them. Upon passing through the final stretch of kudzu, I decided I would take a long break in the pits this time around before thinking of Lap 5.

Upon arriving at the pits, I saw someone there who surprised me entirely. Justin Fisher, who was sharing our pits, was zonked in a corner with a look of total confusion on his face. I knew immediately what happened. Heat exhaustion had hit him hard. I took this as the final sign. I got off my bike and started downing cold liquids. I sat there for about 10 minutes staring off into space deciding what I should do next...I then started to feel stiff. In a final fleeting moment of panic, I got up and decided to try and roll through lap 5. Justin thought if he tagged along behind me that he would find his legs again and hold his strong lead on his race class. It was weird having Justin trail me since he is usually miles in front of me, but I rode on through the technicals using reserve energy in spots I should not be using it, but my mind was not thinking clearly. I should not even be out here anymore. Justin yoyos back and forth catching up to me on flats and from my quick glances appears sluggish and not in total control. After about 2-3 miles, I ask Justin if he is feeling any better and he immediately replies loudly NO...I take that as the final marker and throw in the towel. I cut off the trail and decide for both of us that it is time to head back to camp. It is at this point that Dave Hall comes flying by pedaling with some insane determination to finish this lap. That was me getting pushed out of third place at the time...So I realize I won't even get a Cowbell for this effort and really decide to stop, drop and roll...Justin and I walk back to camp stunned by the amount of heat still smashing us in the face....We arrive, cool down and watch one rider after another stumble in. Because of the record 115 degree heat, DNFs were not recorded and places and times continued. This is great for me since I did not want a DNF on my records...but deep down inside, I gave up the fight...but only to be able to fight another day...8th place in my first Singlespeed marathon...better than dead last i guess...until next year...lessons learned...

Tour Divide

There is an amazing race going on right now as we speak. The Great Tour Divide This race is basically a little under 3000miles(yes thousand!) which starts in Canada and ends up at the Mexican border. Unreal! It is touted as the longest, most challenging MTB race on the planet. I am definitely interested in this. It is fully self-supported racing with some of the best scenery you can only find while doing an event like this. Not only is the race extreme and unlike most sprint races, the technology for following your favorite rider or all of the riders is soooo powerful! They are all carrying SPOT devices to ping back their location to a centralized computer server which serves the location request via Google maps.

+1 for insane pedal power!

Check out the leaderboard:
http://tourdivide.org/leaderboard

Sweet!

Le Tour de Cure....part deux

Ok, I really, really underestimated the Tour de Cure this year...IT was much harder than I was anticipating. Fun, but surprisingly difficult. I never knew Irmo, SC had so many hills. I did plan it out pretty well this year by getting a room ahead of time to rest up for a full day of road riding, but never planned on climbing in and out of the saddle all day long. The Tour de Cure occurred on Saturday, June 13, 2009. It was a nice cool 8am start with a surprisingly large crowd. I was riding with team "Low Country Fat Tire Freaks". All were present and accounted for. Luke Farrow rode up with me late Friday night as he was planning on completing his first semi-metric century (60ish miles). I really knew the heat was going to be my worst enemy all day long, but had not factored in the amount of climbing I would be doing. So just like that, we were off and running with no real idea of what was in store. I started slow to keep myself in check and not try and go chasing after the lead pack because this was not a race, it was a ride....That kind of focus worked great until about a few miles in and I realized the heat was only going to get worse. I started to unconsciously up my pace trying to find a moderate paceline to keep me moving but not have to work so hard. The first thing I realized was that riding with more experienced riders than myself, such as the Lowcountry Volkswagon Team, I was able to more comfortably understand when it was time to shift the paceline. I other words, I had become somewhat of a "cyclist snob". Some of the riders I was riding around were noticeably less experienced in holding a steady line and it made me nervous. I knew this would expend more energy by trying to hold a slow line in a dangerous pack, so I broke away from the mid pack and started trying to chase down the leadpack alone. I was feeling good about 40 miles in, so I kept a great 18-22mph pace. The winds were relatively calm which was why it was so dang hot, but helped with riding solo. I picked up another fast guy who was also looking to chase down a more organized pack, so we started a duo-paceline. It worked out really well for the next 20 miles, but shortly afterwards, I started to feel my legs fade a little, and ran very low on water, so I made the decision to stop at a rest stop and refuel. I mentioned to the other rider that I was fading and I may not be able to ride further with him. About 10 miles in, I had realized I forgot to turn on my GPS again, doh! Shortly afterwards, we picked up a third rider and although he seemed to undertstand how tired I already was, once we got moving again he wanted to try and push me harder. I dropped the group and watched them sprint away like there was a only 5 miles left. I dropped my pace down considerably and focused on keeping my heartrate in zone 3 and taking it easy on the climbs. I actually ran across Nick Latto, our team captain, on the next to last rest stop. He had taken a wrong turn somewhere and was looking at only completing around 80 miles today...which is still NOT bad at all! My strategy really worked well for me in terms of energy control. I felt great coming back into town and started to pass a ton of people who had entirely blown up from going out too hard in the beginning. I tapped into my reserve energy at 10 miles to go and broke away from all the trailing people trying to draft on my tail. I held it all the way up to the finish and rode right up to the lunch counter to fix myself up a plate of some good food! Surprisingly, the guys who had dropped me earlier finished 5 minutes after I did....interesting. Don Watts and Luke had already completed their ride and were in great shape! Beers were consumed and food was devoured. Excellent end to a great ride! What a great day!

Cheers!


Pictures:
http://www.lowcountryfattirefreaks.com/?p=268

Garmin GPS recap:

Check out this Garmin Connect activity: Tour de Cure Century - Irmo, SC
Tour de Cure Century - Irmo, SC

If you are experiencing problems with the link, copy and paste the following URL directly into your Internet browser
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/7135024

Ay-Up Lights!

I just got my new lights for the fall night racing season in the mail today! Direct from Australia! Less than a week shipped direct. Unreal! I did not expect these lights for about a month. The lights come from a company called AY UP! The lights cannot be described with words alone...they are TINY. True LEDs with Lipo Battery Packs. These guys really, really know how to build light kits. The kits come with a neoprene bag to store all items properly for maximum organization leading up to a race event. I ordered the MTB kit with 2 lights all for around $300, which I believe is a fantastic deal. 12 hours of battery life, fully waterproof, and very low weight unlike most of the other brands! They came highly recommended so I will be running them for the entire season. Did I mention they are anodized in some really cool colors? I am stoked! I almost want to go ride around in the dark tonite just to test them out, but I am in rest mode and cannot ride my bike today. I will however put the mounts on my bike and get it ready for my next night riding session...I will probably writeup a followup report later on to really let everyone know how well these puppies work. In the meantime, I wonder what AY UP means.....

Singles Night #2

Singles Night #2 ...ahh yes...another memorable race meet...

I had ridden my road bike for about 2.5 hours earlier around noon to make sure all was in working order since I have the Tour de Cure century coming up this Saturday and I wanted to really put in a decent ride for that event. With this said, you can probably already tell I was not entirely prepared for the race that evening. I made my way out to the race with SS changes consisting of taller gearing, 36x17, and the Reba Race back on to get used to her since this is the fork I have selected for the Cowbell Challenge on Jun 20th. I was hoping the taller gearing would really let me put a gap between my opponents when I reached the flats, but little did I know nature had just thrown a monkey wrench into things. An hour or so before arriving to Marrington, it had rained/downpoured in that general area. This means the trail was not going to hook-up at all! This also meant my taller gearing was going to grind my legs to a pulp with all the stopping and starting I would now be doing in every approached corner...things were definitely not going my way this week. So, once again, I changed my strategy on-the-fly and decided to just ride a steady even pace.

Did I mention this weeks line-up of heavy hitters? Yeah, we had a great race in store today! Last weeks winner, Joe Pelton from Columbia was there to defend his title, Justin Fisher was present and looking hungry for a win...Brad Phillips had somehow managed to cobble his SingleSpeed back together to try and reclaim some of his dignity, Robby Bennett had his machine tuned and ready, Sean Mehaffey was back for more with some comtemplation of fully converting to SS...

Seems like I was not the only one looking for an edge on speed. These spy photos taken of my competitors rides show they are all running taller gears in hopes of keeping up an exceptional pace.

Some others were employing alternative ways to go faster such as wasp venom injection taken 10 minutes before the start, no I would not count this as a "technical violation" just yet....would we? Maybe we may just need to have everyone "tested" after finishing here as well?

Racetime:

So we decide the course, clockwise, roll out in a nice orderly calm fashion and decide to do a gradual rolling start...We all unconciously sort each other out and then like he was reading my mind, Robby Bennett blasts out of nowhere from the back of the pack and mixes everything up which really makes the racehorses twitchy...sensing this edginess, I jump out of line and rocket up behind Robby laughing all the way since there is no way in hell I am going to go fast today, especially with the mud already starting to fly everywhere. MY first thought as we enter the singletrack is: BE CAREFUL, Do NOT crash. Of Course Robby was on a mission and spills almost immediately upon touching the first bridge which rolls like ice because of the wetness. I slow to a stop see him laughing and not in pain, so I unclip and run-launch around him. I feel others do the same behind me and I suspect the race is now officially on! Off I tear like a rabbit in pursuit only to realize I do not have a bit of traction. Upon Approaching the first turn I goto lightly bank and find myself still sliding forwards. I run up and into the bushes and whiplash out of the turn hangning onto the lead by inches...Behind me I hear Justin mutter something about staying on the course and then he asks me if I am already blown up from starting out too strong. I cannot think of a reply since I am just trying to avoid slamming facedown into the mud. I try a little harder to separate myself from the racehorses to my backside, but I feel it is a downward spiral today, so I quickly swallow my pride and yield. Immediately almost instinctively, Justin takes the opening, shortly followed by Joe and then finally Brad. I feel the pressure let off but the trail is still nowhere near rideable. I try like mad to trail them, but slide out of a corner and almost lose it. I trim the speed and find my pace. Heartrate was not a pretty sight. Handling was out the window, and the legs were on strike. Somewhere in my head I hear the voice, do not stop pedaling, no matter what. So I continue pedaling, trying to figure out where I would make up lost time. After a few moments, I gather steam and approach a good rolling boil of about 18-19mph, then immediately go skidding to a halt because I missed my turn to Fosters Creek. Damn! That sucked. Turning around I feel my legs shouting at me for making them restart...then off through the valley of the dead I went...Foster's was a blur...a slow painstaking blur of mud, slippery roots, heavy breathing, sweating and lots of stand-up pedaling. Wrong gear choice for the mud...Once I finally made it, I was moving fast! I had found my legs and I was trying some nice sliding manuevers around the turns in the Amazon. I pulled most of em, and never ended up crashing, miraculously. Upon approach to Mary's Landing, I felt my system start to fade again and went back to pace mode...never stopping. I passed Page at this point and then shortly after this Robby Bennett who had also missed Foster's Creek or some turn in it and decided to just lap out the course...I also saw a glimpse of Brad working really hard to get out of the singletrack. This was the inspiration I needed to keep moving strong. I started churning noticing him up ahead by about 1-2 minutes in the crossings. Yeah, my strategy was actually working! I worked hard up to Mary's Landing and actually had Brad fully in my sights then. I rang my bell in celebration, and yelled out that I was coming for him and the hunt was on! No sooner had I said that when I slipped on a root in the middle of the technical section and gently smacked the tenders onto the stempost. All the gas was momentarily gone, but the injury was light as I had been able to catch myself for the most part. Upon getting my momentum up again, I realize Brad is gone and I jam out of the technicals with my sole purpose to hunt him down. I entered the red section and see him one last time whereupon I unwillingly go back into pace mode and finish out my lap running on nothing but fumes. Surprisingly, I was right behind Joe and Brad the entire time. Justin had finished a few minutes before them and was also still spinning around...Awesome Race! I had not won the race, but my strategy really helped me finish in a good time. I was satisfied with my performance. Beer made it's appearance at this meet and cheers were shared by all...

So finishing order:

Justin Fisher

Joe Pelton

Brad Phillips

Joel Watson

Sean Mehaffey

Robby Bennett (DNF)

Cheers!

I have been Facebooked...

Ok, I believe I survived the MySpace fad, but the Facebook thing has hit me square in the head after request after request to have me be someone's friend...I went to a family get-together a few weekends ago and I was asked by nearly everyone if I had a Facebook page and that we should link up to share photos of the party and stories...bah! I finally caved in and added myself to the huge Facebook melting pot...My only concern was with being able to update yet another virtual entity online with blogging being my main focus since it helps me gather my thoughts...Anyways, I am now on Facebook, which is really not a big deal, but more virtual maintenance for me if it is to be taken seriously. I did find however that it is a clever idea with lots of interweaving of relationships. The privacy filters are very well thought out. The Add-A-Friend suggestion window is smart and probably entails tons of brilliant search algorithms. The in-browser utility toolbar with integrated instant chat is a wonderful implementation of AJAX technology on steroids...overall, lots of features, yet still not busting at the seams with overkill...which is great! I really enjoyed the way multiple people can jump into another's "wall" by commenting and leaving posts...It is really doing a great service to families who want to stay in touch...Focusing on searching for lost friends and catching up with new ones as well as posting photos, videos, notes, pulling in your blogposts from other sources is just as close to virtual addiction as you may find....
As my close cousin told me, "It's like crack son!"...

Cool stuff indeed...

Cheers!

2009 Catawba Riverfront Classic

This weekend, I got to break my new steed in, the Salsa Selma, at the Charlotte National Whitewater Center. Their annual XC mountain bike race was being held, the Catawba Riverfront Classic. Brad Phillips and I made the journey to represent Charleston and the Lowcountry Fat Tire Freaks. It was a great event with a decent turnout. I raced singlespeed division for the first time. It was harder than I thought it would be...First mistake made was surfing in the ocean for about 2.5 hours in rough surf the day before. I drove up to the event still sore from paddling for such an extended period of time. The waves were really fun though and you just don't always get days like this in the Lowcountry. I knew this would affect my performance on raceday, but I really did not know by how much. At the start line there it was hard to concentrate on getting my raceface on with so many COOL singlespeeds all around me...Bianchi, LiteSpeed, another Salsa! It was a sight to see...The announcer counted down 5...3...1..Go! We went from chatty, to dead silent, then into action we sped...wait, not me, I slipped a pedal. I tried again, and could not clip in to my eggbeaters...I laughed, and tried one last time..CLIP, I was in! Unreal, missed clipin off the start, not good...Then, with some explosive BMX-style speed, I cranked through the crowd up into 2nd. Into the singletrack I went holding 2nd strong. I kept thinking all the while, this is some insane speed...I must throttle back soon, but I couldn't with so many riders bearing down on my back! I drafted 1st place and after a mile he made a mistake and crashed into the bushes, just like that I had 1st! I cranked harder than ever, cleaning climbs I had previously been walking and just had total control of the race situation. I started to get far enough ahead that I could no longer hear others behind me. I then started to realize I may have first wrapped up! 5 miles in and still clearly in 1st! While fantasizing about 1st place trophies, I came upon my first obstacle; last place women's expert racer...She was going at a strange moderate pace which had me confused because I suddenly thought I was back in a major endurance race where a slow moderate pace is key. I let off the gas momentarily and started to feel the effects of my efforts...my body was hurting! I then realized I had to pass this person. I made myself noticed and she finally let me by, but I knew that I had lost a lot of time to my pursuers...I cranked it up again, but felt my lungs burning and my arms were stinging from yesterday's surf session. I reached my cruising speed once again and held it for about half a mile before being overcome by a singlespeeder who had finally caught up with me. He came by breathing hard and simply said..."that was one heck of a strong start!". I said thanks and watched him overtake me and continue cruising along. I kept on his tail and focused on simply working on him until the end where I could possibly sprint finish, but it was too far away to know what would happen next...
We both rode up upon yet another women's expert rider...Same kind of pace, but with a bit more struggle. Still hurting all over from going out so strong, this slowing of pace was comforting, but the guy in front of me was determined to pass her...MY second mistake. I should have also passed that person with no hesitation, but I did not and it cost me. He took off after his pass and I slipped in behind her for a bit longer trying to find my pace. I settled into a pace hoping my other pursuer's would be doing the same, but more more than 1/4 mile further did another singlespeed demon come into view. I then started to panic and realized I had to make my move now. I passed and tried to get away, but a pack of 3 were now on my tail. It seemed the slower expert woman from earlier had made her move and was gunning for the gold. She was also pulling along a singlespeeder in her draft. I was immediately left in 3rd position. I was crushed. I then tried for the remainder of the race to chase these guys down. About 2/3rds of the way in I almost had them, only to lose my legs to poor nutrition since I had not been thinking clearly at all. With this blanket of heat around us, I had forgotten to drink constantly, and it was past time for some more Endurolytes and Heed. My arms started cramping, my legs started twanging like guitar strings. I fed myself and waited for the assimilation process to occur and within a mile, I was somewhat back in action, but with time and distance lost, I had to focus on simply maintaining my position. I rolled in at 1:49minutes for about 19 miles...3rd place. no more no less... Valuable Lessons ReLearned. Fortunately this race was on my training calendar simply for upcoming events like Cowbell Challenge and ORAMM. Time for a light spin to spew all the bad stuff out!

Did I mention Brad Phillips got 2nd in Sport Men? A very strong finish was witnessed. Impressive! Cheers to the State Champion!


My Garmin Edge Recap:

Check out this Garmin Connect activity: 2009 Catawba Riverfront Classic2009 Catawba Riverfront Classic

If you are experiencing problems with the link, copy and paste the following URL directly into your Internet browserhttp://connect.garmin.com/activity/6648041

Cheers!

Beer & Bike...without the biking...

Thursday night was supposed to be Bike & Beer night out at Marrington Plantation, but the rain had been coming down all day and this only makes things much worse on an already waterlogged trail...So, just when I was planning on getting on the spin bike and doing a few boring hours, Don calls me up and mentions he is about to start making some homebrew...I am a amateur craft brewer myself and really have been curious to see his setup since he brews from all grain instead of starting with mash extract like I do, so I roll over as quickly as possible. I arrive just as he is starting the second stage which is steeping the grains in 154degree water for about an hour...The next step is called sparging which consists of carefully pouring 175degree water over the top of the "mash tun" and opening a valve on the bottom of the mash tun to allow the sweet grain water be forced out...The heavier cooler sugar water will go downwards and into the wort boiler...From this point on, everything is similar to what I do, depending on the recipe desired...but the setup that Don has is very impressive and rekindles my desire to create something similar. Did I mention that during this timely set of steps, we had a chance to sample a few of Don's recently created masterpieces? MadDaddyPat joined us in downing a few pints of select ales....It was a good Thursday night after all!

Ahh yes, the Joys of Homebrewing....

:o)

Piccolo Spoleto

I found time in the afternoon to sneak out and watch another Young Artists series performance from the Piccolo Spoleto Events. I definitely enjoyed this one. My cello instructor Yun Hao Jiang performed with Jesus Manuel Toro on Piano with some movements from Dmitri Shostakovich. It is incredible to watch a performance like this since it lets you really see what your instructor is trying to teach you in terms of self control while playing the cello. I was awestruck watching him play in so many different positions as well as styles on the cello. Hopefully in about 7-10 years time, I may be good enough to play a performance like this one, but for now, I will continue practicing my open string, first position scale, and focusing on my bow arm... ;)

LCFTF's First Singles Night

A fellow Lowcountry Fat Tire Freak, Robby Bennett, came up with another original idea for a unique race requiring all participants to either race SingleSpeed bikes or stay in one gear of their choice...

The reasoning behind this was to try and level out the playing field. Most riders at Marrington know racing is fast, furious and can greatly depend on gear choices.
So those willing to accept the "restrictor plate" race challenge were ready and waiting on Tuesday June 2nd for the first ever Singles Night Racing...
Onhand were Robby Bennett, Sean Mehaffey, Brad Phillips, Joe Pelton, and myself, Joel Watson, were on hand ready to go!

Joe Pelton had already been riding around the course and was changing gears to something a little higher when I rolled up. I did the math and found he had hit upon my ideal gear combo for Marrington. So much for my only advantage...but he was also riding a 69er, which is basically a 26 wheel in back with a 29 up front...this might help me out a bit... Brad rolled up shortly after I did and came out of his car with parts falling out left and right...After determining what was truly bolted to his bike and what was not, I realized he was running some insanely high gearing of 42x17 or it could have been 42x16...Either way, it was more than 60gear inches and one heck of a high gear to push through Foster Creek. Sean was running a 2x9 gearing and chose a 38x19 gear to plow through the trail I believe...Robby was running SingleSpeed in some secret combination which escapes me...

After some smalltalk concerning course layout and a little exciting buildup to a mutually agreed upon readiness state, we were rolling towards the start....The start simply consisted of Joe Pelton asking us if we were ready to which everyone quickly replied "yeah", and then Joe casually bellowed out a loud "Goooooo!". I believe Joe was expecting everyone to simply cruise out and spread out slowly, but I decided to shake things up early on since I really wanted to see how my legs would fare after a brisk high cadence warmup, so I pulled away with a sprint start. I took off fast and furious, but was soon limited by my gearing choice...not too spinny, not too mashy... There I was spinning like a madman hearing bikes closing up behind...IT really plays on your senses! I surprised myself by reaching the entrance to the singletrack with no real opposition. I knew Joe was playing conservative, but just how much he would allow was still in question. I did not know where Brad was yet, but I am sure he was picking up speed and closing in sooner or later...

The problem with racing against others on SingleSpeeds is that if their bikes are in good shape, you really can't hear em coming until they start backpedaling... Not too many aggressive racers back pedal and this was the case with Joe and Brad. I was holding a decent lead up until a few miles in when I sensed Joe on my wheel...Now nothing wears me out more mentally than someone trailing me inches behind. I immediately assume I am holding them up and will definitely yield if neccessary. I try and pull away looking for a straight line in the singeltrack so I can look back and check my gap, but once again sense Joe pulling me back in. I then yield to let him by and accept second for just a while..but all of a sudden, Brad storms by me with a loud hum coming from his bike...meaning he is hauling some serious ass...so off to third I fall. Racing means having to do lots of improvisations if you are just not strong enough to hold it up front all day long...so I replan my strategy and decide to simply hold their wheels as long and as hard as I can. This worked great because as soon as I started to relax, my legs came back and I was moving along once again...Brad decides he no longer needs his chain to go this fast and throws it once, twice..3 strikes...Brad is out....I kick up my speed and trail Joe like a deerfly in the woods...I follow him through the entire Foster Creek loop and feel myself fade now and then realizing I just cannot pass him...yet.

We exit Foster creeek and enter lower Amazon, both feeling the surge coming back since it is wide open in this area. I look for my moment to pass Joe and it comes when he reaches for his water bottle. As he is occupied, I dart past him hearing him slurp in disgust because he was hoping for a break. No breaks this time around...I tear off through the Amazon, trying like mad to shake Joe off me, but he is strong and experienced and once again passes me....We come out of the Amazon with our minds now set on simply switching the workload back and forth to create a gap between us and a fictitious Brad who we assumed to be gaining on us with each and every passing moment. I pass Joe again and hold it entering the yellow section at Mary's Landing. This is where I think I may finally be able to drop Joe since I can ride through this area practically blindfolded, but upon exiting and looking for a chance to catch my breath, I find Joe steady on my tail, waiting for a chance to pass....I realized too late that he was drafting me since I was exhausted at this point and simply trying to shake him off. His strategy worked perfectly because as soon as I hit the pavement, I was baked. No more fight was coming from me. I hoped he did not sense my fatigue long enough to let me get back into the woods alongside him, but he took off midway down the pavement and kept on gaining speed upon entering the last remaining singletrack yellow area. I tried one last effort to catch him by riding through all the twisties without using any brakes and all technique, but as soon as I caught back up with him, my body said no more.... I managed to keep him within distance until the end, but I had no more fight left in me...What a GREAT mini-race! I think I plucked about 7-10 ticks off of me from cutting corners so tightly and hitting branches, leaves, bushes you name it. My lungs were burning, heart was literally pounding out of my chest for a few moments, but my legs felt pretty darn good.

I am so looking forward to next Tuesday!

Road Cycling Training

I have been doing a ton of road cycling lately. It really is fun when the bike just "fits". I can go over 100 miles and not really suffer, whereas previously, I would not make it more than 50 miles without major discomfort...

My cycling tips:

• A Great supportive saddle...not too cushy and not too firm
• Good Fitting Bike shorts with lightly padded Chamois
• Chamois cream, Bag Balm, Udder Cream...etc...anything to keep the friction to a minimum.
• a good nutritional liquid meal
• Some sense of where you are going and how far you are planning to go.

Follow these tips and you will be on your way to a great day!

12 Hours of Santos

Ever have one of those moments where you just wanna ride your bike all day long? I did....it was some fun!

I recently made a last minute decision to go down to Florida to ride in the 12 Hours of Santos. Dave Hall from the Trek Bike Shop had mentioned riding along to this event sometime back, but I kept it in the back of my mind since I did not feel ready for a main event so early in the season. I entered the 6 hour event since I had never raced this format before and was curious about the entire endurance race thing in general. Turns out 6 hours was more than enough for me...This was one heck of a fun race! The trail itself was tough and unforgiving. Not a lot of climbing, just harsh rough twisties and fast rolling flats....The Vortex is the place where the pain started and the Twister is the place where you tend to forget about the pain you just endured and just floated along singing a song...until you return to the Vortex again and again for the next 6 hours! There was quite a large turnout, much like a music festival or something...lots of partying going on. Lots of positive attitudes...Lots and Lots of COOL bikes man! Everywhere, bike-porn eyecandy! IT was great! Anyways...the night prior to the event, the weather decided to mess with us by dropping down into the teens...not cool...nasty cold weather on the first night made for tired souls on the morning of the big event...regardless, this is an event everyone must try at least once to really find their tipping point...Santos is a trail system which must be visited just to check it out...it is truly a work of art...

so to recap: camping, seemingly endless bike riding, beer, good friends, campfire, more beer and steaks!

Along for the ride with Dave were Adam DeWitt and Justin Fisher(who met us there).

• Congratulations to Dave Hall who finished 1st overall in the 12 hour Solo Singlespeed class and 5th overall. WOW!


• Congratulations also to Justin Fisher who finished 9th overall in the 6 hour solo Elite class! Impressive first time Justin!!


• Cheers to Joel Watson who managed to simply finish the 6 hour event ....


• Kudos to Adam Dewitt for attempting the 12 hour event...impressive times Adam!!!

Santos Results Posted here: http://www.goneriding.com/2009/12%20hours%20of%20santos/results.htm

We all had a great time and I personally plan on attending next year!

-joel

Pictures available here:
http://www.lowcountryfattirefreaks.com/?p=162

Cello

Ok,

So my New Years Resolution this year is to finally master one musical instrument I truly love to hear. The CELLO. While being a very simple instrument to understand, it is one of the hardest instruments when it comes to intonation. I am really suffering on the mechanics and the intonation is really kicking my ass, but my teacher is patient and is trying different ways to get me to understand how to relax, listen, and focus....

good luck to him.... ;)

Swamp Fox Passage of the Palmetto Trail

I have been wanting to ride more of the Palmetto Trail ever since I read about the "famous" Swamp Fox. I have been itching to do a little micro-exploration and it seems Justin Fisher was on the same wavelength. We had previously ridden the lower section from Hwy 17 to Buck Hall which is an endpoint to the Palmetto trail. He has been really chomping at the bit to do this ride since we both read about Trek Bike Shop's very own David Hall riding it a few months back. It seems that was the catalyst. A little back n forth texting and we were up early and on our way to do a little adventure riding...The trail is loopy, swoopy and bumpy in spots. Lots of mud, lots of great bridge crossings, beautiful swamp scenery, tricky log rides with some fun rooty singletrack, even some nice rock crossings thrown in...I was impressed and look forward to doing it again very soon!

• Distance covered: 29.5 miles.


• Time: 2:55:38s


• Avg Speed: 11mph


• Weather: Light Rain, hazy, 60-65degrees

We started from Quenby Creek and Rode all the way up to Canal recreation area....right under 30 miles end to end...but they are some tricky miles....but for the most part fun, fun , fun...

Photos available here: Palmetto Trail

Swank 65 2008

How can I possibly start this article? How many different ways can one be subjected to the most extreme elements mountain biking can offer? Obviously quite a few...

Somewhere out in Asheville, I believe Todd Branham and his merry little crew of masochists let out little snickers of joy as they traverse the intended race path thinking of all the pain, suffering and misery we subject ourselves to. That's my conspiracy theory. In reality, Blue Ridge Adventures once again steps up to the call for setting up the most intense epic mountain adventure races in the Pisgah mountain area. Like moths to the flame, we drive out there to challenge ourselves against the forces of nature while following Todd's roadmap over treacherous terrain, unrideable creek crossings, as well as hanging from vines on the edges of washed out trail. I will tell you right now, I almost entertained the notion of quitting this time around. Something about biting cold weather and brutal rocky descents make one weak all over....This is one of those races where legs and technical must meet properly. Once you have those two factors down, you then have to turn your attention to factor in the elements. It is biting cold when you leave and if done at the snail's pace I encountered, biting cold upon arrival. I learned so much from this race, much more than my ORAMM experience since I really focused on listening to my body scream out loud at me while partially ignoring it.

The Swank 65 is the final epic race goal for the season that I had set for myself. It is by far nothing like I had expected. I arrived early Saturday morning to setup camp since it is included in the rider registration fees. I arrive to find the camp area very much desolate and devoid of human life except for a few Blue Ridge Adv associates. They inform me Cove Creek campground is also the Start/Finish for this fine event. I accept the information, find my little spot in the woods, setup camp nice n quick, get some hot coals going for cooking, then proceed to wander about trying to find things to do without blowing myself out since I am supposed to be resting up for Sunday. I try helping out with registration setup and find there is not much I can do there. So, I strap on my biking shoes and go putter up Cove Creek trail on the blue section for a little bit. This was an enlightening experience as I find it totally covered up with leaves and no sign of roots or rocks hidden beneath. I spin around after a few brisk light spin miles upward, and descend back towards camp at full speed. The rush returns and I realize I am looking forward to riding some new terrain tomorrow. A few more campers arrive and night soon falls as everyone hugs the edges of the fire, I realize I am truly having a great time camping, but know I must go to bed shortly. 10pm comes quickly and I retreat back to my frosty campsite and slide my way into my sleeping bag restless, anxious cold and a bit nervous hearing all of the horror stories of past years events....

Sunday comes up fast! I am up and awake at 6am. Coffee is on by 6:30. Restless, I get suited up and go over my battle/survival plan. While eating my dozen pancakes breakfast, I notice the grassy knoll which just yesterday was littered only with a pack of dancing dogs from nearby campers was now overridden by car after car after SUV. The hotel stayers had arrived. I would say about a good hundred or more. The madness started right away. Time sped forward and before I knew it we were instructed to lay our bikes in a large group area and walk up and away from our bikes to start in a "Le Mans"-like fashion (Indy car racers would have to run to their vehicles when the green flag was waved). Todd briefed us on the start and instructed us on where to run. While he was talking I notice Andy Campbell had shown up to race! Awesome! I wish him good luck and just like that we were running through the woods. I notice many were simply walking which forced the runners up through them all. I say we must have started in the upper third of the pack upon grabbing our bikes and spinning off. I immediately realize running up and down a mountain before a race really sucked. I was winded before I ever got onto the trail, not a good feeling. The ride winds up Cove Creek and it is climbing singletrack mixed with a handful of tricky creek crossings. I fall into a rhythm almost immediately and hope that my breathing can slow down before I pass out from sucking wind. I feel every bit of the cold mountain air deep in my lungs and grow a bit more upset that I just cannot acclimate properly. I notice myself passing many riders who are having a worse time than I am at breathing and quickly understand I am not the only one battling the elements. Rest stop 1 comes quicker than expected and I find myself warm and optimistic. The rest stops were AWESOME! The attendants were so organized and really there to wait on you hand and foot. I was told not to get off my bike, but to ask for what I needed, so I ordered a peanut butter sandwich, my water support bag, and a fresh set of lungs. They simply could not fulfill the lungs part, but that is a difficult request...Off I rode from rest stop #1 in less than a minute of arriving which was a shock to me as I had expected to lose 5 minutes at each stop.

Up a long gravel road climb I went. Daniels Ridge connector is around here. Onwards to rest stop#2 which came quickly, so I must be deprived of oxygen by this point. Once again, awesome reststop! I fly through this one, only eating a sandwich, climbing on and quickly entering the singletrack in Gloucester gap. I start making up tons of spots here. I finally catch up to Andy and am flowing along with the large group he is mixed into and notice he starts slowing because he has popped a rear derailleur cable! I stop to check if he needs anything, but he already has his hex wrenches out and working on the problem, so I scoot on ahead. I drop the rest of the group and am feeling really optimistic about finishing around 5 hours based on my current speed and physical status. Then it happens...a simple creek crossing turns into a nightmare when I get my front wheel hooked in a gap between rocks. I flip over, hit my helmet on rocks, my shoulder and part of my back go into the cold creek, and my feet are still clipped in! I cringe from the impact and both my legs cramp solid. It is agonizing pain. I force my legs to unclip and straighten out for the next 10 minutes staring at everyone fly by me asking if I am ok. Andy passes me again at this point and checks if I am ok. I tell him thanks, and to get moving, no problem here and I never see him again for the rest of the race. Not being able to move freely was the downward spiral to the entire race. In pain, cramping everywhere, cold, and slightly wet, I pedal on. No more optimism. I make it to rest stop#3 and look forward to drying out a bit on the climb up Pilot Mtn. Rd. This climb is a lot like Curtis Creek on the ORAMM, long steep and ridiculously long. I actually find I don't mind climbs like this as much anymore. I did dry out, but the cramps would resurface again after a few miles upwards and send me looking for a nice sunny warm spot to allow my legs to carry me onwards. It was time consuming and something I will be focusing on entirely throughout next season. I finally make it to Farlow Gap and breath a sigh of relief because despite everything terrible I have heard about this descent, I am looking forward to some time not pedaling and simply flowing...WRONG. As I enter Farlow, I realize it looks pretty and simple, but underneath the overgrown grass, moss, and barrage of leaves, are boulders, baby head rocks and sharp protruding rocks everywhere. It is one of the most difficult decents I have ever attempted to make. I make it a third of the way and go over the bars again. Fortunately, I catch myself clip back in and try again...halfway down, the banging, constant line changing and state of panic for my body's safety grow to a level where, I simply cannot proceed on the bike and get off and start walking quickly. I carry where I can, and roll it where I can, but I try everything to keep moving along. I am not only afraid someone is going to catch up, I am afraid I will be stuck here well past dark. I reach some trees I must climb over and start complaining out loud about how I am not having fun not riding my bike, but then I think hard about how cool it is to be out here in a spot which is hard enough to hike to and using my bike to get me here and out of here. It is also quite beautiful out here. I come to a creek crossing and notice a nice waterfall off the right edge, don't fall here! I hike onwards and upwards. Up and through junglelike singletrack, wondering if I am still on the right course. I come to another creek crossing and realize I haven't ridden my bike in quite sometime. Finally, I start seeing some steep uphill singletrack and clip back in and creep forwards since my legs are screaming in pain now. 2 riders actually catch up to me and my spirits sink for holding what few spots I had retained. I make it all the way to Davidson river trail and this area actually sends nice vibes through my soul since it flows and makes up for the setbacks I had on Farlow Gap. I start really cruising along now and make it back to rest stop#1 which signifys I am coming close to the end of the race. I am really happy I made it to this point because I learned I can ignore some pain in my body and continue forwards. Onto Cove Creek I ride, discovering another long arduous uphill gravel road climb was in store. I actually made this entire climb in my middle gear, so I am assuming it was not nearly as steep as Pilot Mtn Rd. It winds upwards for around 4.5 cold cold miles according to my computer and then quickly enters some super nice single track which is Cove Creek. I start jamming on this trail as soon as I realize it is the same trail we rode upon the start! I take tons of chances, roll over some of the same creek crossings that I earlier walked across and hop over rocks and anything else which would get me to the finish as soon as possible. I then hear the beautiful sound of people talking, and cheering as they see me coming through the woods. As I approach the finish, Todd announces my arrival and gives me a hi-five which sends a smile across my face! I made it! 6:07:02 official time, 5:21:33 computer time. I actually made it back in time to have a beer from the keg which was one of my goals as well! I hang out for the next few hours watching riders roll in amazed there were still so many out there! There were also quite a few DNFs and a few riders still not present as darkness set in! There were dozens of people who were getting ready to camp for their second night and although I wanted to stay one more night and really engage in the merriment with others whom I had met here, I had to get back to work the next day. With that said, I said my goodbyes, thanked Todd and crew for their fine work, and I hopped into the car, and drove quietly into the night taking with me a strong feeling of accomplishment and awe. I am sure I will return next year for another round of punishment, 'err enlightenment.

--Joel

Check out more pictures here:

http://www.lowcountryfattirefreaks.com/?p=119

My Tsali Fat Tire Freaks Camping Trip

The Freaks went camping out to Tsali Recreation Area which is near Fontana Lake in Western North Carolina. The trip occurred October 10-13th, 2008. Tsali happens to be home to some of the finest, well-groomed mountain bike trails I have ridden in quite some time. There is not really a definite way to compare them to other trail systems like FATS, Dupont, as well as some of the other frequented trails in the Pisgah Forest area... Tsali is old forest, clean, predictable and definitely standing the test of time since the last time I had ridden these trails was over 15 years ago! There are easy loops and moderate loops, but nothing insane, meaning lots of group riding fun. The campsite at Tsali was clean, simple and VERY popular! There was good food, good friends, lots of jokers and lots of different personalities...did I mention all the great riding within feet of our campsite? I ate, drank, turned around jumped on my bike, did 10 miles up and around, afterwards coming back for more food and drink...too perfect...

Campers in attendance were:

• Don Watts


• Collin Papke


• Luke Farrow


• Ken Michalak


• Ken Kirchner


• Shawn Mehaffey


• Steve Jolly


• Mike Hobson


• Joel Watson

I, "joel", rode up with the "Kens" in the Kirchner "expedition" shuttle. The ride was smooth and nicely uneventful. The weather was freakishly perfect. I already knew this weekend was going to be sublime. We arrive at Tsali campground amidst a smackload of other campers also coming in and filling spots. It was a madhouse! Tsali campground is first come, first served, so you gotta hustle to get your gear in place. Collin had already landed one and I ended up putting my gear in Collin's massive tent for the first night until the others arrived. The "Kens" ended up camping up the road a bit from us at a different campsite, which looked great for family camping in the future. The Tsali campground was definitely all about the mountain bikers. There were SOO many bikes here! It was mountain bike eyecandy heaven! Being a slight gearhead myself, I rode around a bit to see all the different bikes, components, and setups people were riding on. I calculated close to half a million dollars in just bikes alone. This did not take into account extra gear! Thats insane!

The campsite was very accomodating with clean bathrooms and hot showers! No sooner had we setup camp, that we realized we had arrived early enough to hit the trails! We immediately suited up and took off like a pack of wild kids who had been in the car traveling for way too long! Upon paying the trail entry fee, we immediately hit right loop since it is open on Friday. Smooth moderate climbs, nice breezy descents, incredible views, so much fun! The primary consensus was to just do a little bit of right loop since it was getting close to dark and it is always typical to be overly cautious upon first entering the mountains when trail riding. That notion flew right out and over the lake after about 2 miles since this trail was flowing so nicely! We finished all 13.9 miles of right loop in a great time with tons of energy left on reserve for the remainder of the weekend. Back to camp, time to eat! Chef Collin had already taken the liberty of precooking our first night's meal of some kind of pasta alfredo which really hit the spot when warmed up. Good beer, good food, and lots of relaxed smiles everywhere you turned. oh yeah!

Saturday was a classic slow wake, no hurries type day with many miles of trail left to explore. Upon eating one heck of a delicious hungry man's breakfast made by Chef Collin, we discussed the order of trails to be ridden that day. Steve, Mike and Shawn arrived sometime this day. Today's agenda revolved around Mouse Branch and Thompson Loop of which both were moderate and open on Saturdays. Collin had taken the extra effort to bring along his extra bike, the Caffeine 29er. After some chatting about it, Collin offered to let me take it for the day on the trails. I was reluctant at first because I was truly trying to focus on enjoying the trails up here with no worries about my handling skills based on a different bike setup, but this apprehension dissapeared after about 5 minutes riding along on this bike. My eyes were opened to 29ers on this weekend after riding every trail effortlessly and with little or no problems climbing. Thanks Collin! You've made a believer out of me. Ok, Mouse loop, wonderful descents, slightly rocky, moderate climbs, lots of people on the trail, but manageable. This trail was certainly the most technical I can recall. Thompson Loop was kind of more of the same with a bit more gumption in the climbs than Mouse Branch. The reward for climbing Thompson Loop was a fast Pisgah-like downhill which sends you screaming down straight into our campsite. Lunch, then Thompson loop again! oh yeah! Afterwards, I was back in camp and setup on a nearby hill for the night. Perfectly seasoned steaks and creative work with our current leftovers were on the agenda for that night's dinner. It was an excellent meal once again. Great campfires were everywhere! Rest settled in and one too many beers with way too many pounds of food sent everyone right off to bed.

Sunday was a hazy start. Breakfast was pancakes by Don Watts and fried buckeye walnuts cooked by myself since they seemed to be abundant everywhere! I believe Buckeye walnuts could be the answer to our energy shortage. After another excellent breakfast, we decided on hitting Left Loop since the talk is this is one tough hair raising trail. After a heated debate of whether we should hit right loop first or left loop, we go forth on left loop and plunge right into the fun. Left loop has a little bit of everything; whoops crossings, switchbacks, rocks, smooth fast forest loam, peek through views of the lake, wide open cliff hanger views of the lake, as well as a scenic option with a nice climb to a breathtaking view of Fontana Lake and the Smokies! This was truly a treat. I think I rode this loop twice today...We then rode a half loop on right loop before calling it a day. Night was coming up fast and it was soon time for our night ride! We left out of the camp with lights ablaze towards right loop. The weather felt cold until you hit the woods. It was warm and comfortable. We ended up shedding lots of our layers throughout the ride and had a blast while catching glimpses of the lake simmering in the moonlight. What a great last night's ride!

Monday was breakdown and pack up day. But our riding was not over. Collin had mentioned attempting to meet up with John Lackey and Andy Campbell who had chosen to challenge themselves at Pisgah Forest this weekend. Our meeting point was Dupont. Dupont was also a last minute treat with our special tour guide, Shrimper, leading the way up and over burnt mountain, cedar rock and a few trails whose names I still cannot remember, but such excellent riding! Shrimper had previously ridden at Marrington and had offered to show us some of his favorite spots when possible. He met up with us at Dupont with a smile and an eagerness to ride. Thanks Shrimper for your time! It was unforgettable!

So many showed up this time around! It was really cool!

Special thanks Luke Farrow for the AWESOME photos he took!

Click on the picture jump to the massive slideshow:

ORAMM 2008

Masochism....insanity...abuse...futility; all adjectives which accurately describe the OffRoad Assault on Mt. Mitchell(ORAMM).

I am quite comfortable stating that while I am a fairly seasoned rider with some decent technical riding experience under my belt, this event tested me beyond normal acceptable human limits. This was the most grueling climbing endurance marathon I have ever participated in. I never realized how far one can climb when they simply have to. Pain was everywhere, suffering was everywhere, broken bodies and wills were everywhere. Quitting was not an option for myself after 30 dedicated miles ....To make a long story short, I suffered, survived, and completed my first, and possibly last Off-Road Assault On Mt. Mitchell....unofficial time: 11hrs:??mins... official computer time 8:36:07, therefore with moderate reststop visits, about 9.5 hours(more on that later)...oh yeah, one more thing:climbing sucks.

Personal Computer Data:

• 
  
  Total miles ridden: 65.26



• 
  
  Total Time: 8:36'07



• 
  
  Average Speed: 7.5mph



• 
  
  Maximum speed: 29.4mph

Travel Crew: Brad & Jennifer Phillips, and myself, Joel Watson....

Other participating LCFTFs: Justin & Tina Fisher & family, Nick Latto, Andy Campbell

PreRace.)

Breakfast time at the Comfort Inn. 6:30 am and all is quiet in the Continental breakfast lounge. I grab myself a danish, some rather rubbery looking cooked eggs, OJ, and some wickedly watered down coffee...i go back for some toast and more OJ....Some more water back in the room to keep the hydration system circulating...we all get dressed and stagger out to meet the monster. Food Drop bags in place, then shuffle into a good spot to avoid the lockdown at the hike-a-bike at Kitsuma...

Start.)

GO! I have never heard that many knobbies roaring along on a paved road before...it was an amazing sound! Adrenaline pumped through my body. The rush was overwhelming. My heart rate shot up to 175 instantly! I could not control how incredible and insane this start was! Heartrate check: 184. Myself, being stuck dead in the middle of this fearsome aggressive pack of winners made for an uncomfortable feeling of not making the slightest mistake in formation. One turn led us through a man trying to control the pack traffic into a left turn, but he was too short to see, so many riders almost hit him: maybe he should be up on a large pedestal next year? This went on up most of Old 70...truthfully, I actually felt immediately winded from the immediate grade that the road started taking....I started wondering if I would even see RestStop#1....

Kitsuma.)

Ahh yes...lovely Kitsuma, she sounds like a lovely gentle asian flower, but in reality: demanding, demeaning, and will only give up her gift upon total devotion and surrender...so with that in mind, I briskly rode forward down a bit of singletrack towards a sharp left vertical turn by the highway whereupon an immediate congestion of riders commenced. Heartrate check: 170. At this point I realized I was not far enough at the front of the pack to avoid the traffic jam, so I physically and mentally throttled down and started the humbled march up Kitsuma...and up...and up....damn this hike-a-bike! Heartrate check: 180. Then, when all patience seems to vanish and thoughts of pushing riders out of the way to get ahead enter one's thoughts, you hear chatter from relieved riders ahead..."downhill, finally, alright..about time!..etc". I catch my breath for a moment, and impatiently clip in and start hammering...WOW, hard drops off roots, rocks jutting up everywhere! Quick ascents upward make for another moment of bunched up climbing, but before anyone can mutter a word about hiking, I am clipped in again and flying along bones jarring from the harsh, loose, rooty drops which propelled me forward to about 20mph in the blink of an eye and the slight release of the brakes. I fly across off camber ledges praying not to slip out, forcing my focus to remain on the trail ahead, feeling the presence of hundreds of riders breathing down my back. Hands screaming in pain from the downward pressure of the descent and the constant loading/unloading of the brakes...I let off the brakes and start really making some room! WOW...this is fun stuff now...total devotion and surrender and Kitsuma will bear her soul to you....and just when it starts smoothing out and turning fun and twisty, she takes it back! Heartrate check: 160. aww...i wanted more...ever heard the quote: be careful what you wish for? Arrived at RestStop#1 at the 15 mile marker according to my computer...dazed, I was starting to realize the key to surviving this race is not to race it out...off to RestStop#2

Star Gap.)

As soon as you set out from RestStop#1, you enter another type of climb up an old dirt road which is run over with mountain foliage. This climb seems to never end and I soon start to understand why this is called a climbers marathon and quickly decide I want don't want to ride anymore....too late possibly...I continue thinking thoughts of bailing after reaching RestStop#2, but RestStop#2 never seems to come...Heartrate check: 185. Wicked cramping sets in...Just when it seems like my legs seriously are done climbing, the road starts to point downward... fast, fast, fast...oh yeah, to hell with quitting, game on! Cramps forgotten. The downhill drops you right into RestStop#2 and I am overcome with adrenaline at the crazy descent I just finished, ready and wanting more. But, minor setback#1 occurs with a harsh reality check about the current state of logistics: no water at the feed station! Ok, getting worried...I calm down and slowly take out my pre-loaded feedbag which does not contain a water bottle, just some gels and energy foods and slowly eat them hoping the replacement water will be here once I am done. 10 minutes later, no water...Fellow LCFTF, Andy Campbell, shows up with the same look on his face regarding the current state of the race...ouch...15 minutes pass. finally...water arrives...frustrated, but not negative, I reload and immediately continue onto RestStop#3 trying to make up for unforeseen lost time.

Curtis Creek Rd.)

Someone at RestStop#2 mentioned this being his 3rd ORAMM attempt which always ended along the Curtis Creek Rd climb. This information worried me. Nonetheless, I had plenty of water, heartrate was 158 and I felt renourished and ecstatic having made it this far! I start the climb...Sweet! This is nice a leisurely climb up a long campground road, why all the fuss? Wow, this road sure is long..holy cow, this road is still climbing...omigosh, are you serious?? Still climbing....climbing....if I see any more gravel I am going to scream...nobody actually cared when I yelled...why are all the riders so silent? I can't stand this anymore...please give me something different to climb...damn it, I am not giving up...up..up...up..pass 2 riders..up..up...pass 5 riders, one at a time....Heartrate check: 180. stop, pee in the bushes, get back on ...up..up..up...up..up...get passed by some chick with groovy tassles on her bike seat...are you kidding me?....up...up...up, pass the tassles chick after she drops to her granny gear....7-10mph, mid-ring up front(this is the key)...up...Heartrate check: 170...up...you get the picture...I finally get off for a bit to walk and stretch my legs since saddle-itis is setting in and I gotta take care of tha' taint....get back on after a mile and ride past some lady who claims I only have 2.5 more miles to get to RestStop#3...awesome...up..up..up...1 mile left...I chug down my last bottle of water to keep the hydration system pumping steadily...all systems normal and operational....Heartrate check: 168. Finally RestStop#3! 1:30pm, I enter the feed zone with adrenaline surging...I grab my feedbag, down my food, look at my watch and tick off 7 minutes. I want to be outta this stop no later than 1:40pm. I quickly get my bottles ready for a refill and minor setback#2 occurs: NO WATER AT THE FEEDZONE! ok...getting panicky, so I ask the attendant when they expect more, to which his reply was: he doesn't know and he doesn't expect anymore anytime soon...Great! Wonderful...adrenaline turns to bewilderment...I turn around to look at what other liquids are available...2 roasting hot cans of RedBull sit amidst a flurry of emptied cans in an overflowed trash container. I finally make the decision to use them when someone runs up and chugs them both into his camelbak...wow, everything cannibalized...this is not good...nothing left at all except for remaining feedbags which were not an option to me...I sit down and try to think of a rational way to solve this issue, all the while, time rushes on....30 minutes...45 minutes...1 hour later, frustrated with it all, and mentions from many about abandoning the race as well as mentions of refunds....the growing group of upset people all walking around waiting for water are handed other's liquids from unknown feedbags...not cool. just wanting to get on with it I take it, reload and go away, not certain what lay ahead at RestStop#4...

BlueRidgeParkway.)

Determined not to let technical minor setbacks influence my adventure ride, I started moving along at a fast clip. Beautiful scenery, nice little decent and then, level and up again...oh no...not another gravel road! Climbing again...faster this time...rested, moving along at 10-12mph...really surprising myself...passed riders who had at least 45 minutes on me...moving along so nicely...this climb is just as insane as Curtis Creek! legs burning from the cold restart...heartrate: 175...drop it down to 7-10mph...keep moving don't stop....bam! Heartrate: 160. RestStop#4...oh surprise! They are out of water...and so here I am stuck yet again...man, I am frustrated, but NOT rude...this is obviously a logistics problem...not knowing what lay ahead I wait it out for water again..15 minutes pass, I finish my feedbag grub and look for a nice spot of grass to sleep in, but before any water detail arrives, a generous man named Phillip shares from his gallon of personal water with me! Alright, back in action! 25 minutes later I am back on the road! The only thought on my mind was: I cannot believe I am on my way to RestStop#5!

HeartBreakRidge.)

While waiting it out at RestStop#4, I overhear mention of the brutal downhill awaiting...over 6 miles of it! I don't know whether I should be afraid or very afraid...onwards up the BRP about 1-2 miles...then sharp left right into a mean, vertical hike-a-bike section...then...the moment of truth...the downhill begins....steep, fast, wicked fast if you wanna...ruts, turns, off-camber berms, ledges no safety net...you name it...Heartbreak throws everything it can at you...this descent is only for the serious-minded, seriously mental that is....sharpened focus is the key to survival here, as well as controlling your downhill descent speed...I did suffer a sever cramp in my left quad muscle when attempting to unclip upon arrival at a steep switchback...it almost turned ugly, but I caught myself and simply laid back on some shrubs for about 5 minutes to ease the pain...back to downhill flying I went...I witnessed some of the nicest outlook views from some of the points on the ridge where I paused to give my hands a break from the intense pain. I finish the downhill and cross over some surreal looking railroad tracks and discover RestStop#5...woohaa! I am not gonna even check for water...I catch my breath, get off the bike and spit on my rotors just to hear them hiss, laugh, gently massage my hands to bring them back to life and then set out to finish this beast off...

MillCreek./Kitsuma.)

I speed off again fueled mainly by adrenaline only to meet yet another climb! Blast this race and its neverending eternal uphill battles! Along the way, I meet a couple, Russ & Megan, who had entered the ORAMM because of their friends who had backed out at the last minute due to unforeseen circumstances...They were troopers! Onward I climbed...up....up...up...and yes, up...ok, now old 70 again....things are looking great, then I remember...Kitsuma...again...remember what I wished for earlier?..well, I take it back...I didn't wanna hang out with Kitsuma anymore...Strangely, now with little or no energy left in me, Kitsuma seemed a much larger challenge than before. I did, however, manage to navigate up many a switchback before jumping into hike-a-bike mode which left me a bit impressed to know I can handle this trail with some skill. After goofing off a bit and dizzy with completion anticipation, I start the downhill...whoa...I didn't realize how many descents and climbs there were...I noticed a lot of different challenges now that I was entirely spent...the switchbacks were much harder and trickier...I could not believe some of the drops I had taken earlier with little or no thought...you really get to know your limits in this race. Finally, I reach the bottom sweeping downhill of Kitsuma and start charging taking lots of risks to simply end this game...I blast right out of the woods into the campground area and startle a large group of campers who were walking along. I take note of the directions and get on the long road home....

Finish.)

The road to the finish is old 70 back to Old Fort...it is fast and paved...oh yeah, big ring, top gear...kickin it up I reach almost 30mph and love the wind cooling me down. My legs start quivering half from pain half from adrenaline...feeling very much alive....i reach the one mile marker and start really cranking...just when I thought the racing was over, here comes a dude with a yellow jersey on who I had passed looking dizzy 15 minutes ago on the Kitsuma descent...He flies up in front of me, so I start drafting him...he throws a textbook move from the Tour de France at me and proceeds to start shaking me off...I laugh and dart ahead...testing him...he takes the bait and follows...I then proceed to shake and drop him...and then slow down to maintain energy...then he blasts by again...I see the finish coming up fast...I crank like a madman to pass...he ramps up his speed...we end up finishing basically tied(no photo finish)...it was pretty funny battling for something like next-to-last place...but it made the last mile enjoyable... Being close to the last one returning, pretty much everything was gone...the keg was drained, the spaghetti was mushy, but I enjoyed every bit of my mushy dinner and frothy bottom of the keg beer like it was the best meal ever... After explanations as to why it took me so long, we were caught up, loaded up and back on our way to Charleston...

Aside from the minor setbacks based on water shortages: Logistics as well as rumours earlier riders were wasting water by using it as personal shower systems(I truly hope you guys get this problem figured out Todd), I had a great adventure...

Overall, this was an awesome test of perseverance and true mastery of one's bike handling & survival skills...I am happy to be able to honestly say I completed it and now truly know what it is all about.

ORAMM is one hell of an adventure challenge....do it...

Tour de Cure 2008

Well, this was a great way to break in my new road-bike computer(it still has the plastic on the screen!)....it also shows how many miles you can ride in 5-6 hours because of one wrong turn....ouch!
Overall, the Tour De Cure was a really fun road ride with lots of great people helping out at every stop. The food and drinks at the end of the ride were great(bbq, beer and lots of fixins!) and the SAG support was superb! Thanks to Charles Fox and everyone else we met out there who really made this event possible!

Fat Tire Freaks in attendance were:
Don Watts,
Nick Latto,
Nick "Speedy" Luther,
Chris Eaton...
special hello to Ramsey, who was there with us throughout...
cant wait till next year!

Pisgah Rocks!

Pisgah Rocks!

Incredible trip, words cannot describe everything experienced riding in Pisgah. We arrived late in the evening on Friday, setup camp in the dark all while trying to control our excitement about the upcoming rides. Andy Campbell had arrived earlier and had already ridden 17 miles! We setout Saturday morning focused on riding as much as we could.

Saturday - Clawhammer Mountain:

• This was a major wakeup call! The initial climb was an uphill gravel fireroad from hell! I had chosen to use a CamelBak for the trip which I had not used in quite some time and started to feel the weight of it within the first few miles. That gravel road really made me start sucking wind and made me wonder if I was going to feel like this all weekend. I finally got into a nice pace and started moving along. After our first stop at the top of the gravel road, we discovered we had lost "Naked Bear Ken". After a failed search party attempt , it was later discovered that he had taken a right turn earlier on an entirely different trail! We continued on a bit concerned about where Ken could be, but soon became preoccupied with one of the gnarliest hike-a-bike sections I have ever witnessed. At times it seemed we would never see the top of Black Mountain. Finally reaching the summit, we found ourselves looking deep over the valley with one thing on our minds: the downhill! A little more singletrack ups and downs and finally we found what we were looking for! The first downhill out there was one of the roughest most abusive descents I have taken in a while. After about 3-4 miles of nonstop downhill aggression, I actually had to stop and rest my hands because my thumbs were on fire from the constant bashing the trail was giving me. Hard Turns, berms, erosion bars, off-camber rocks, you name it, this downhill trail was dishing it out in buckets. After reaching the bottom, we then paused to enjoy the adrenaline rush we were feeling. Thinking the ride was over we started up again after giving our thumbs a good long rest, we discovered the best laid directly ahead. The final descent of Buckhorn Gap was a perfect set of pump track humps with oversized berms just begging to be carved! After racing downhill again loving every moment of this insanely perfect speedway, Collin went into attack mode ahead of me and grabbed a huge part of the berm and whipped out of it super fast using it to connect to a perfect jump up ahead! It was really cool to watch someone else enjoy this trail in the way it was supposed to be enjoyed... We then returned to camp, ate a light lunch, hydrated on CytoMax by the buckets, and decided to try another trail before dark. I found my second wind and rode much stronger than earlier and yes, you know it, we hit that super fast downhill once again...it was too good to not do twice...JD had other thoughts on that second ride, but that is his story to tell...Dinner at camp Saturday was incredible! Dutch oven cooked biscuits! Red Beans & Rice with bits of sausage! German Beer! CytoMax! woohoo!

Sunday - DuPont State Forest:

• Sunday morning came up fast! Breakfast was by Collin , another Dutch oven masterpiece! Feeling well nourished, rested and ready for more adventure, we loaded up the cars and drove off to DuPont to find out what all the fuss was about. Joe Pelton has been mentioning this place to me for quite sometime, but I have had an unusually busy year with only local trails within my grasp to keep myself fit. I now know what all the fuss is about DuPont...this is one incredibly beautiful trail system! Our first ride was up Laurel Ridge Tr, which was a moderate climb with a great rewards system around every bend. Ultra smooth climbs followed by curvy predictable descents. I was in heaven! THEN we found Bridal Falls! WOW! Slick Rock on the East Coast? No Way! Intense! I was in another world! We climbed all the way up to the Falls and then sat there taking it all in. It was really nice...words can't really describe this once again...THEN we returned to the parking lot for lunch and our next trail adventure! The last trail that day was on another section of DuPont called Cedar Rock Mountain. This place was something else. It starts out as clean singletrack leading into rocky sections leading into slick face off-camber climbs. The climbs went more and more vertical as you leave the security of the trees and up and out into the open. I have never had such fun climbing and enjoying the magnificient views as I have while I was there. The views alone helped you forget the fact that the climbs were incredibly challenging. This is one place to visit again and again. I did, however, take a pretty gnarly spill on the way down. It happened near the end, so I guess it was due sooner or later. I had started to get pretty comfortable racing downhill with my suspension plushed out, so this was definitely a lesson to be learned. Racing down the slickrock really gave me a charge, so I started to go much faster and take more risks. I came near the end of the trailhead and I noticed a super smooth hill begging to be jumped. I guess I was hitting around 26-27mph when I neared it. Speed has a way of making simple decisions very very difficult. I approached the jump, got into position and then saw horses up ahead! I decided to try and stop and float up and over the hill...BIG mistake, too much speed, brakes locked and up and over I went, landing a bit sideways immediately sliding into the gravel...ouch! Down I went, sliding across onto my hip, elbow and a bit of my helmet. The landing was uglier than it felt. I got up, chunked my bike, checked myself over, apologized for scaring the horses, and got back on and finished the ride. A little blood, a few reminders to be more careful and all was good. I was lucky that day...
  

Monday - More DuPont State Forest!:

• Monday gave us more of the first trail in DuPont since JD was eager to go back and explore that trail some more...I, at this point, was totally exhausted and finally gave in to the cramps which were probably more from eating too much camp goodies the night before...

Noone really wanted to leave, but we all had places to return to in the "real-world"