Catch 22

" Your kidding right? Run around the house, then shot gun a Milwaukee's best? OK, I'm in!"







The more and more I do longer races, the better and better I feel and the more I am able to control myself and focus on actually attacking and counter attacking. Lord knows it took me years to figure out how to race a short race and thankfully it seems like I'm picking up the skills for a longer race a lot quicker. I didn't win, but I did go fast and I finished the race with no pain in my ass (or anywhere else for that matter).

It was a crazy day before and a crazy morning off. Big Papa posted a course map that gave details on how the course was going to be. And it proved to be pretty accurate but after visually scouring the map it looked like there was going to be a fair amount of road, sidewalk, bike path and double track. Which is fine by me, but if I'm running a single geared bike, the choice was going to be important. So I made the choice to change my rear cog to an 18tooth which was 2 to 1 ratio on a 29er and should prove to be adequate for the varying terrain.

Well I made the mechanical adjustment, went to my secret trail to test it and noticed the rear cog was skipping. Somewhere between the cog and the singulator there was either a chain line problem or the cog was worn but it was driving me crazy. I jumped in the car raced back home making several calls to Broadus (Bikeworks single speed expert) and Ted (aka the general from the MTB forum), asking for any and all advice. After working furiously for an hour, I decided to give up on the singulator. I took it off. Measured the chain from chain ring to rear cog, removed a link and cranked it on. It worked. It felt strange to back pedal. But I decided with two power links and some extra chain links in my pocket, I should be alright. I managed to overcome my potential disaster and went to bed, much later then I expected, ruining my plans of rising early and getting a good breakfast.

Instead, I rose late, and spent my morning trying to wedge myself in the middle of the aggressive drivers that where on the road with the hopes of shadowing my excessive speed by having one speeder in front and one speeder in back. It all worked and we made it to Big Poppa's house at 8:45am.

I prepped, got ready and hit the line. I looked around and notice that Ryan Woodall was there as well as Mr.Martin Cox, which happen to be some of the fastest guys I know. Also a hosts of other riders that I don't know but sure did look like they would prove to be fast guys. I was speaking to Luis, and he was informing me of the high probability of getting lost. Which I kind of shrugged off at the time, but he would prove to be more then correct before the days end.

On the line I decided to joke with Ryan telling him I was going to put him into the wall, humorously referring to the Mike Wallace Geico commercials. He got a laugh as did I and I was really digging the overall feel of the morning, very relaxed, as we lined up for our Le man's style start. I was thinking as I rode that day, who the hell was Le man and why did he like to run so much. Any how, ever since the alley cat race,I had re thunk my running strategy, and decided, from my first experience at the razorback 12 hour, that running fast was the way to do it, slow is not the move. And that was what I did, I ran my butt off and was in the lead bunch at the beer chug and with the lead bunch on the bikes.

Like always, the start was chaotic and the woods was proving to be interesting, I could see the front group as I made my way thru the tight twisty single track. I got passed by a handful of riders in the woods but quickly started pulling some back in. Especially when the trail got technical. As I hit the long stretch of dirt road, I could clearly see the lead bunch of ten riders and the couple that I was with. We worked hard to try and close the gap but it seemed like everyone was pretty much moving at the same speed. We ended up on the road where I was eventually by myself and caught a group of 8 chasing riders at the light. We started riding and working together and quickly noticed after momentarily shaking the riders that navigation was going to be a critical element in the race.

Eventually we were all again together hitting the power line trail that led to a monstrous climb. Now I saw several riders chugging up the climb, literally taking off to attack it, but right before it began there was a hard right into single track and it seemed that several riders, had unintentionally cut course. And unfortunately I believe this happened more then once. Mountain Bikers, are an honest bunch, and I don't think anyone did it with the intention of gaining an unfair advantage. I did notice some of them come back, especially all the ones I was riding with, but the ones that I saw close to the top, I don't think ever knew the differance.

I got into race mode and attacked the bunch I was with, leaving them behind in the tight and I mean tight single track. I came out to another big climb and I was churning to the top wishing I had one or two less teeth in my cog. Got off to push the crest of the climb and got passed my three of the riders I was in the bunch with. We went over the hill and right before the bottom there was another tight turn. Now those guys either got super fast or they missed the turn and went straight cause I never saw them again.

Regardless I rode hard, till I got really lost. Like lost for 30 minutes. At that point I realized that trying to race might be pointless and I needed to keep my focus on the cues on the road and in the sand. I probably rode an extra hour and and extra seven miles in miscalculations and missed turns. One guy from the original bunch caught up to me and we yo yo ed the last 12 miles. I was with him at one point, right behind him and figured I could easily keep his pace, but I dropped my water bottle and I needed it as I was getting close to the end and low on water.
I did eventually see him and another guy in the end both from the crazy eight that had met up at that light earlier in the day, but they were several turns in front of me and I didn't see them again till the end.

I had a fantastic ride and the terrain and conditions were spectacular. I kept a fast and strong speed the entire ride and I must say I was more then satisfied with my performance. I felt great too at the end, I could not even tell I had ridden close to fifty miles that day. The riding I did was similar to what most of my training rides are like, bike paths, sidewalks, dirt roads, road and single track. I almost felt like I had inadvertently trained perfectly for this event. I wish I knew the course by heart cause I honestly believed I could of taken up to an hour off my time and maybe closed the gap to the lead bunch.

In the end, I got free beer, food and excellent company. What more can I say an excellent event put on by even better people. And I got this T shirt! Cant wait till next time!