Trying to get your fitness back?

Giving yourself a heart-attack?

Riding with STRAVA and talking SMACK?

Harbins is my evening racetrack...   

I've been struggling to get a decent ride in for quite some time...  with school, working odd jobs, and breaking my bike frame (again) it seems like the universe is standing in the way of a good hard bike ride sometimes.  Then there is occasionally that feeling of complete exhaustion which can leave you craving more sleep for the day, and to top it off, when you finally get on the bike something breaks or goes wrong.  Yesterday I decided I had enough of this whole process of trying to overcome immeasurable odds and just went for it.  I know there are more technical trails in the area, but I settled on Harbins Park for my trail-slaughtering comeback to begin.

In the parking lot I began to "suit up"...  reset the trusty bike computer, started STRAVA on my Android phone, filled bottles, took a deep breath and then set out.  For a warm up I hit the right side trails first.  I knocked out the short loop in a little over 8 minutes.  Crushing it from there on, I next went down MB5, which is sort of a lollipop trail with two different loops in the back section.  Coming back to the finish of that loop is more uphill, and I love hammering up it on the singlespeed.  I raced back to the car and stopped the STRAVA only to find out that it lost GPS reception and quit on me after only .7 miles.  My bike computer said I averaged 11.6 mph for 9 miles,  and did the whole right-side of the park in 44 minutes flat.  Not bad for a warm up....  

Quickly I refilled my water bottles and set out for the other half of the park.  Sunlight is fading quickly now that September is here, so I strapped my Niterider light to the handlebars and started thinking that riding without gloves wasn't so bad.  Yes, that's right.  I forgot my gloves.  And now that I was all warmed up I started sweating.  If I could knock out 9 miles in 44 minutes with no gloves I should be fine to finish the other 9 or so miles without crashing... right?  

Racing across the granite stream (slippery sometimes) I completed all the trails on the MB4 section with the "Rim Bender" downhill and some berms and jumps thrown in the mix.  Light was fading faster now...  need to push it!  Faster!  I am starting to get used to the 34x20 gearing again, so I am spinning out on flat sections and slight downhills.  It's about time to swap back to the 34x18.  Once back to the other side of the creek it was a race to the parking lot.  There are a lot of roots in this section though, and I was sweating bullets by this time.  I almost slipped off the grips a couple times and barely escaped smashing into trees.  

About 2 miles left and I switched my light on.  I could still see, but I thought if any other riders were headed my direction it would be safer for them.  Just then the thought crossed my mind "I'm riding surprisingly well for not having gloves".  Moments later, flying through the air time seemed to pause and I found myself asking what happened...   then I remembered all too quickly about the sweaty palms and the slick (worn) Ergon grips.  Don't people usually think about what happened AFTER they crash-land?  This is not going to be good....

CRASH!  

My right hand slipped forward off the grip, just as I hit the 2nd or 3rd large root in a row.  With the support of my body weight thrown off significantly already, I started to kick out of my Eggbeater on the right side, but my body momentum was just going forward too quickly.  The bike and I separated, and we smashed into two trees at the same time, maybe a foot apart.  I ended up on my back, staring up into the canopy of the tree I just became acquainted with.  Lots of leaves were falling on my face...  I actually hit the tree sideways.  With my face.  My chin took the bulk of the momentum out of my entire body with the side of the tree.  I have to admit though, my first thought was about the bike's safety.

Need quality Lighting so you can continue your ride?

I picked it up quickly and inspected for damage.  No cracks anywhere, some scratches on the carbon fork, which I wiped and they were gone...   and some frame-protector tape had been hit directly on my headtube, so hard that the tree actually split the tape into two halves.  The frame was protected though, so it did it's job.  :)   The Niner Carbon fork actually dented the tree it smacked into.  That stuff is HARD.  Noticed a crack in my helmet later, but that is always better than a crack in the head.  

While my crash wasn't quite this severe...  it still hurts just the same...

I ended up riding around 18 miles at 11.3mph with a wreck.  The comeback has begun!  More miles on the bike, blogs, and hopefully some more races soon!  This new hydro-formed aluminum Niner One9 frame is stiff, and it turns on a dime.  Thanks for reading everyone!  Ride safely and always remember your gloves!!!  

Snake Creek Gap Training....

This is always a hard time of year.  It gets colder.  It rains.  A lot.  Most mountain bike trails are closed, and those that aren't probably should be anyway.  How does one get ready for a race like the Snake Creek Gap Time Trials when all of the local trails are closed?  How do you get technical training into your weekly schedule too, so you can survive those gnarly rock gardens?

There are lots of excuses not to ride.  I don't have a good light... so I cant ride at night.   Or...  I don't have a road bike so I can't get any riding in at all.   Or how about this one:  The family is all in town and I have to relax with them, and can't get away for a ride to save my life.   Well, who said you had to have a road bike?  Do you think the family would mind if you went to the garage or the basement for an hour or two?   I doubt it.  Lights?  If you don't own a bike light what's wrong with you!?    Just kidding,  if you can't afford the expense, or you just haven't gotten around to buying one yet, why not just get up earlier and ride at first light?  That would definitely solve that problem.

Here are some fairly simple solutions to help you keep your fitness in this time of crisis...

A good trainer:   While Fluid trainers used to be the best thing in this category, now there are other, more expensive, and much more advanced trainers in this category.  I use a fluid trainer, with my laptop in front of me, or some hard rock, and jam out while I stand up off the saddle and practice hill climbs.

A set of Rollers:  Rollers are another great idea for keeping the cycling muscles working, and you can add resistance to make them an even better workout.  Not only does training with rollers keep your pedaling muscles trained fairly well, but they also help with you balance.  Balance is a great bit of ammunition for your Snake Creek Gap conquering arsenal.

Mountain bike on the road:  You can do it with another set of wheels and tires, to protect your knobbies, or you can take the slower route and just swap rubber.  There are plenty of big hills on the road nearby.  You could find some monster in a neighborhood someplace and do hill repeats while listening to so AC/DC or drive out to Kennesaw Mountain and climb that over and over.  It will leave you breathing hard for sure!

Go for a hike or a run:  If the trails are closed you shouldn't go hike on them either, but maybe A run up Stone Mountain is in order?  I suggest the season pass if you  plan on becoming a regular, otherwise you are just throwing money away that could be spent on upgrades...  Running strengthens your quads, and calves, which are both important to keep fine tuned for hiking the "Horrible Hill"  aka "The Wall"  at the Snake.  No joke here...   95% of riders hike this section.

Spin Class:  I always picture an 80's video with neon pink and orange tights and chicks with giant hair spinning away.  I've heard stories about people walking by and slipping and falling because there was so much sweat on the floor.   Keep in mind,  Spin classes, trainers, and rollers may keep you from losing all of your fitness, but there is no replacement for ACTUAL HILL CLIMBS and REAL technical challenges.   Which reminds me:

Cornering Drills / Trackstands
Go to the local Target, Wal-Mart, (yeah I said it...) Sports Authority, Dicks, or REI, and pick up a few sets of small soccer cones.  You can lay them out in all kinds of formations and practice your low-speed cornering.  This type of skill, along with trackstands, really help improve your balance and your ability in technical areas like rock gardens, rooty steps and drops, and tight twisty singletrack.   You will thank me later.   Some of the best drills in my opinion are Figure 8's and the staggered slalom.  You will be amazed at how much these drills help you turn!

See you at the Snake boys and girls!   Hope you are ready.........

Thomson 12 days of Christmas Contest!

What a great idea:   Thomson is having a competition via social media site Facebook, and giving away some really cool bike bling.   Seat posts and Stems make up the vast majority of their product line, but for good reasons.  These posts are tried, tested, and true.  They are ridiculously strong, and they are made in the good ol' USofA!

I hope this short blog post will entitle me to 50 points in the contest, as I have a very important final exam today...  back to the books!

-Daniel

Snake Creek Gap - PreRide this weekend!

If you think you are man enough (Or woman ) to brave the elements, come on out this Saturday and check out the race course for the Snake Creek Gap Time Trials.  Every year, the crew at North-West Georgia SORBA puts on this amazing event, filled with great mountain views, treacherous cliffs, frigid creek-crossings, amazing volunteers, and some REALLY SWEET SCHWAG!!!!!

34 degrees makes for a cold ride,  especially when you are only 2 miles in, and you  ride through this...

If you have never tried this race and you call yourself a mountain biker, well, you are missing out.  This is one of those courses that will make you wish you had another set of lungs, legs, and sometimes even another bike frame.  I'm not kidding, this course has broken two frames of mine.  I've seen quite a few others laying by the dumpster after the event comes to an end.

Some of the events amazing sponsors for 2012 include:


Trek Bicycle Store of Chattanooga
Carver Bikes
Lynskey Performance
Wright Labels
Apex
Dalton Convention & Visitors Bureau
Mulberry Gap Mountain Bike Get-A-Way
Subaru
Hammer Nutrition
Boys & Girls Clubs NWGA
MAXXIS
Terrapin Brewing Company
Rice Rehabilitation Associates
SORBA
RoadID
Clairmont Dental Services
East Ridge Bicycles
Pearl Izumi Dawsonville

There are hotels available at a discounted rate for this event, and there are plenty of restaurants nearby in Dalton as well, so when you finish up, you can replenish all those calories you burned off.  Be sure to race all 3 events in January, February, and March so you can receive your  3x34 Challenge Belt Buckle.  2011 was the first year for this awesome buckle, and I got mine...   When are you going to get yours?

More information on the pre-ride, and the race itself can be found here:  http://nwgasorba.org/snake

 

24 Hours of Georgia -- A look back

There are times in life when your family will question your sanity.  Your friends will tell you that you have lost your mind.  People you don't really know might just ask 'Why?'  What on earth would make you want to sit on a bicycle, go round-and-round on a course in the woods, in the day, night, and back into the day for 24 straight hours?  Some kind of madness for sure.

There are times in life when you question your own sanity.  Usually it's about the time you realize your friends, family, and those strangers who questioned your intelligence were probably right.  Why would someone want to do this to themselves?  But then it's too late, because you are on the bike, you have been on it for 14 hours, and you now think  "Hey self,  You are well past the halfway mark....  just hang in there for another 10 hours.

Racer Dammule setting up sleeping quarters before the race.  

My awesome girlfriend stayed awake for almost as long as I did.  She refilled my camelbak for me with a properly mixed concoction of GU-BREW endurance fuel at least 6 times.  She helped me find my GU Gels when I came through after each lap, and also helped grab other odds and ends and throw them to me when they were requested.

My own personal pit crew:  Nikki G, getting ready for a loooong day of refilling my camelbak, drinking beers, and telling me to keep on pedaling!   She is the best a guy could ask for !!!!!

A close friend of mine, Jeff, came up from Florida just to hang out during the race, and give me shit.  I'd come through and he would say stuff like  "You are so slow, I'd have about 40 laps by now..."    and far worse things.  Luckily I was having a good ride, and I wasn't about to let anything interfere with that.   I broke 100 miles around 2:30 am.  Slow and steady, I picked a few monster hills on that course and walked them each lap, so I could save valuable energy and ride just a bit longer.   On lap 9, at around 2:30 or 2:45 a.m., right in the middle of this crazy song by Static-X,  my iPod came unclipped from my camelbak and swung around in slow-motion.  Right into my front wheel.  This was a rough, bouncy downhill section in the woods, the only light being the one attached to my handlebars.  As soon as the iPod hit the spokes, my song was replaced with silence.  Just long enough for me to hear the iPod go skipping off through the bushes and leaves somewhere off to my right.  It's one of those new Nano touch models.  The thing is hard enough to find when I know where it is.

Nikki had a couple friends up to hang for a bit.  My parents came out to show their support too.  From left to right:
Mike, Mom Top, Jeff, James, and Pop Top

Continuing on for a bit, with only headphones in my ear and nothing attached to them, I decided I should wrap them around my hand and wrist until I found a good stopping point.  They fell off my wrist before I stopped.  "Well, what good are they without the iPod?"  I asked myself out loud.   Now slightly pissed off that my iPod and musical source of motivation was gone, it was even harder to continue.  I finished that lap and stopped to try to eat some solid foods.  I whipped up some pasta shells with some very mild olive-oil sauce the night before, and I was hoping it would still mash well with my stomach.  Not the best plan.

Someone told me my legs would stay cleaner if I shaved them.  Not only was that NOT true, but  it also made me colder at night.   At least my girlfriend loved it...    

My stomach clearly wasn't in as good of shape as I thought.  On top of that, the wind was blowing from 5-25 mph all day.  It stayed basically the same at night, and being sweaty with damp clothes in windy 55 degrees is not a great idea.   Between nausea and chills, I knew I was going to be sick if I didn't get warm.  I jumped into my tent, changed to all dry clothes, and buried myself in my sleeping bag.  After 30 minutes of shaking, with my teeth chattering, and rubbing my chest, I passed out.  2 and a half hours later, I woke up feeling great!   Back on the bike!!!

Tim,  one of the local volunteers and very skilled riders, let me ride his Penny Farthing around after the race.  That was the scariest contraption I have ever ridden!   The whole thing wobbles, and it's a fixie!

I finished up my tenth lap around 7 a.m. (120 miles)  and caught the sunrise in doing so.  I never did get that solid food down earlier though, so my 'Great feeling'  wore off kind of fast.  Liquid food was keeping me moving, just barely, and I knew i only had one lap left in me.  I took another Gu gel, jumped on the bike, and went out for one more.  Being exhausted makes navigating tight twisty downhills that much more difficult.  Hell, they are usually pretty easy.  Having daylight back was helpful though and I couldn't help but think about my iPod.   How I missed it...    that playlist was awesome too.   "I'm going to find it!"  I shouted to the trail and hammered on.  I stopped within 20 or 30 feet of where i thought it fell off, and walked along with my bike.  A few steps and sweeping stares into the leaves, and nothing.  A few more steps.  Still nothing.
I swear it was on the last glance before I gave up, and I looked down next to this small sapling.  There it was!
AWESOME!!!    In my excitement, I failed to realize I didn't have earphones anymore.   DOH!!!

Practicing proper chain-lubrication technique, clean, lube, wipe - approximately 20 hours in...

In the end I made for 5th place in my first ever 24 hour race, I did it on a singlespeed, and hit my goal of 125 miles.   I got 132.  My friends Charles Weaving III  (19 years old from Macon, Ga)  and Tim Winters (one of the local GATRs) Took first and second in the singlespeed class.   Charles ended up with 15 laps and 180 miles!  The crazy part is, he never rides a singlespeed!   I'm impressed.   Tim got in 14, as well as the next 3 places.  I had never even ridden 100 miles in a day before, so 132 was a victory for me.

Pop Top, Jeff, and Tim talking about his crazy bike.  Tim came by our tent a few times to see how I was doing.  Thanks TIM!!!!   Nikki G. is in the background too!!!   

It was great seeing so many people come out to the first 24 Hours of Georgia event.  Chain Buster Racing and DirtySpokes Productions put on really great events, and this was no different!   For probably 20 hours of the 24, Bruce Dickman announced, heckled, and promoted Pro-Gold lubricants.   It's amazing how much energy that guy has....

As always, thanks for reading and I hope to see you out there on the trails soon!

-Daniel

Chainbuster Racing 9 Hours of Jackrabbit Mountain in Hayesville NC

This video sums up the beginning of the day quite well.  Everyone lined up, made a few jokes, and tried to hide the butterflies that we all get in our stomachs before a race.  It reminds me of when I was a little kid, and I had to stand in front of the class to give some kind of class presentation.  Awkward and nervous.  In this video you see the starting line, a little extra road that was only used in the first lap, and, and the part we used every lap.  Also, you get to see all of the riders turning into the singletrack and preparing for battle in the woods.

Hey, don't forget your Emergen-C Everyone!!!

I like to start in the back of the race during a 9 hour event.  For one thing, I'm going solo.  I won't maintain as high a speed as the 6 hour racers, so I don't want to be in their way.  Another reason is, I'm on a Singlespeed.  One gear.  There is a generally 'happy pace' that I will fall into and try to maintain that.  If I climb, I usually catch a bunch of geared riders and on a descent, a few of them might catch me.  All-in-all though, I really enjoy starting in the back of the herd.   Well, except for this one time at Jackrabbit....

The night before the race I mounted a new tire to my front rim.  Tubeless rim, not a tubeless tire.  This is usually no big deal.  Stans-No Tubes sealant will take care of it.  It always does.  But then, fluid kept pouring out of the area immediately surrounding the tire valve.  Finally it stopped and I went to bed.   After 3 hours sleep, I drove up to Hayesville NC, and began unloading the car for the race.  The front tire was flat again.  Hmmm, I pumped it back up, and again fluid started pouring out of that same area.  I put some more Stans fluid in, and pumped it up again.  Seemed to hold.  The tire was feeling fresh and solid for the making of the above video...   but about 3 miles further it was almost flat.  I just passed a few people and now I had to stop...   it's almost maddening to see people pass you, that you just passed with ease.  But it happens to everyone at some point.  I pulled out my tiny crank brothers pump, and went to work.  After a couple minutes I was on my way again.

In 2 more miles it started feeling soft again.  I had passed a few riders for a second time.  Maybe even a dozen or more.  I didn't want to stop.  I climbed to two largest climbs in the course with about 10psi in my tire.  That's a bit sketchy to be sure...   every time I pressed down on the fork, the tire would try to fold over and toss me off the bike.  It was about 10 times worse on the long descent...   so I finally stopped to try to fill it up again.  This is when I noticed what a serious problem I had.

See how my valve stem went INSIDE the rim...   Not a good way to start the race. 

I will illustrate this for you.  Most people recommend re-filling the Stans-Fluid in your tubeless set up every two to three months.  I never heard anyone talk about replacing the tubeless valve-stem though.  Apparently the rubber on my valve had shrunk down to about 1/2 the normal (original) size, and when I tightened the nut on the outside of the rim, it pulled the whole stem into the middle of the rim.  Now I would not be able to get it tight...  or stable.  That's why it wouldn't seal.  It was a miracle it even re-inflated one time.   Now, I'm 4.2 miles from the end of the first lap, and have no choice but to run with my bike.  I haven't run more than 1 mile in 3 months...  great.  Just great.....but almost as soon as I started my run, I started feeling better.  I was still kind of angry at myself, but running always makes you feel good.  Even though I ran into my pedals a few times and that hurts like hell, it couldn't take away my runner's high.  I knew that running in the first lap was a catch-22.   If I ran too hard, I would not be able to pedal as far later on in the day, but if I didn't run, I would lose precious time to finish as many laps as possible.  I just moved into 3rd place in the series points before this race, so I knew I had to push the envelope to hang on to that spot.

Recognizing an issue when you see it... Not me!!! The tire!!!

I finished that first lap in just under an hour and a half.  A friendly racer in the tent next to me helped remove my tire from the rim and then we started surgery.  The valve stem would not come out of the rim.  The Stans ZTR-355 had been hungry it seemed, and this valve was between two layers of metal.  I carried over to my plastic cooler, and hit it with my BFH...   or  BIG F$%)IN HAMMER, until it came free.  Then, we realized the metal layer of rim on the inside actually broke slightly, producing a razor sharp shard of metal.  This would reduce the lifespan of any innertube we threw in to the wheel from months down to mere seconds.  Having another quick MacGuyver moment, I asked Charles Weaving Jr. if he had a cheap round patch.  I told him "Lets cut a tiny hole into the middle of it, and fit it around the tire valve, so it protects the base of the tube.  We did it, and it worked all day long.  Not a bad fix at all.

I came out of the pit area screaming fast that lap, trying to make up as much time as I could.  My calves burned every pedal stroke from the morning jog, and I didn't think I would make it long before I cramped up and had to stop.  My body surprised me.  I never had a single cramp.  I was close a couple times, but nothing worth stopping for.  I took a GU Gel every lap, alternating between the ones with caffeine and the ones without.  I ate shot bloks by Clif Bar.  I drank my Carbo-Rocket Half Evil 333 mix all day from my camelbak.  All of it must have worked perfectly...

CarboRocket, organic, effective, and easy on your stomach.

After 6 laps, I asked a young guy named John (who just finished his first 6 hour solo) to see what kinda position I was in.  John ran down to the timing tent, and back, telling me I was only 3 minutes out of 4th place.  "How many are in my class today?"   I asked him.   John's reply: "Umm five."  Okay, I had work to do.  Back on the saddle, back to the pedals.   I went pretty fast that lap, caught a few other riders from other classes, but didn't see anyone I knew until 3/4 through that lap.  I caught up with racer Jono Senk, who is a pretty hardcore rider.  Apparently Jono had wrecked into a tree and dislocated his shoulder, but was still riding 2 laps later.  We chatted for a bit and finished the lap together, after passing another friend, Brian Young.

Army Ranger Jono Senk, rode for a few more laps with a dislocated shoulder.... SICK

I had to stop after that lap to grab a fresh bottle since I knew I was getting low on water in my camelbak.  Grabbing a bottle is much faster that refilling the bladder.  Back out i went!  This would be my 8th lap and final one due to the time left on the 9 hour clock, every pedal-stroke had to count.  I came blazing through and jumped off the bike at the end.  I thought for sure I had accomplished something.  All day felt like an accomplishment.  I found out a while later that I made it to 4th place.   However, the guy who was in 4th, as it turned out, was actually placed in the wrong class of racer.  (The accidentally placed him in the 'Sport' category, when he should have been in the 'Expert' category.  So, once they straightened that out, only 4 guys were in my class.  Looking at the lap times, I'm sure I would have been on the podium if it weren't for that flat tire problem  Missing it by a lap just gives me more fuel to want it next time.  I got this!

The first two of my lap times were terrible because of my mechanical.  Only one person is to blame for that... ME

A few days later, I looked at the series points on the ChainBuster Racing website, and noticed something great!  I just moved up in points to the number 2 spot!  The previous 2nd place guy didn't show for the race so I moved right up there.   This is great!  If I don't have any mechanical failures and can continue to train hard enough,  I have a very strong likelihood of staying in 2nd for the whole series.  Woohoooo!!!

Thanks for reading everyone!  Next update:  24 hours of GA.  SOLO.   This one is going to HURT

Tribble Mill 9 Hour Endurance Race - Great day for the books

 One of my friends who I run into very frequently at Tribble Mill Park, Craig, mentioned to me that Jose Paz signed up for 9 hour Sport. Jose is a friend of mine, who runs, rides, and lives very near Tribble Mill Park.  This is his home turf.   I was kind of nervous about that news at first.  But it was good to have a friend in my class because it made me train harder.  I went to Tribble Mill park several times in the 2 weeks before the race, just to make sure that I was mentally ready for the climbing.  Here is the official 2011 course map.
If you want a tour guide sometime, hit me up, I'm always game for some Tribble training laps.

I've come to realize that if you (mentally) prep yourself for a hard day of racing, it becomes much much easier when the course is actually laid out in front of you.  I ran into some of the GATR riders a few days before the race, and pre-rode the course.  There was a new hill, a couple of new loops, and an extended hill over last years course.  I loved it.  This is one of my local trails and I ride here frequently, so a new way to go about it definitely helps.

Emergen-C for me?  YES PLEASE!!! 

Tuesday - 4 days before race day, I start feeling like crap.  Throat was tight, light fever, and even a little nausea.  Friggin great.  Less than a week and now I'm getting sick.  ARRRGH!  Last year at Tribble Mill's 12 hour I was very sick too.  I think that time it was strep throat.   I still managed 68 miles and I couldn't even talk at the end of the day.  This year seemed to be repeating...   hmmmm.   Maybe the race-gods are trying to tell me something?


Friday - less than a day before the race.  I have taken it easy for 3 days, stayed hydrated, eaten only healthy foods, taken my Emergen-C, and drank excessive amounts of organic green tea.  I actually felt kinda good, except for the congestion and the weakness that comes with being sick.  I called up my awesome gal, Nikki G., and told her I wanted to pre-ride the course before dark, so I could tell how my body was doing.

My awesome gal, Nikki G!

We got to the park around 5:30 or so and chatted with Clay and Krista (GATRs)  and spoke with Carebear for a few as well.  Then we went out for a lap.  The first climb felt awful.  So did the second and third.  I thought, "Daniel, tomorrow is going to hurt".   But then I thought soon after... "It's going to hurt and you are going to like it!"  So I stuck with the latter thought.   :)

Saturday - Race morning and I only slept about 6 hours, which somehow seemed to be the perfect amount.  My Niner was groomed and ready for battle, thanks to some parts I recently got at the LBS- The Bicycle Doctor, and my legs and lungs actually felt about as good as they ever had.   This was the first day that I had no fever all week.  Good timing. 

You are heading the right direction if....

The race started out with a bang, and a few hundred racers tore off into the woods.  I started in the rear as I like to do with my singlespeed steed.  This trail is very twisty so I wore my camelbak and this way I also eliminated stopping between every lap.  This worked to my advantage after a few laps, when I began passing the first few people from my own class.  After 4 laps I passed Jose and didn't see him again.  After 5, I caught David Blalock (was 3rd in the series at the time)

Jose Paz and Daniel Topley at the 2010 Tribble Mill Race

Some of the best (fun) laps I had were laps 6, 7, and 8.   Lap 6 I rode nearly half the lap behind Nicki Sutherland.  She usually podiums in her 6 hour events and today was no different.  I knew that if I pushed myself to hang with her for a while it would help my lap times.  Eventually I think I bugged her from talking too much so she insisted I go by.  I almost couldn't go any faster to pass her!  I was out of gearing!!!

Turbo-woman Nicki Sutherland let me draft her for a bit...Thanks Nicki!   (credit to Mark Duffus for the photo!)

On lap 7 I thought to myself that usually after the 6 hour race ends, it gets a bit quiet in the woods.  Instead, I rode up on a group of 5 or 6 guys and we all chatted a bit between gasps for breath.  The company and the conversation made the lap seem much faster.  I even bumped into Tommy Vu on the 7th lap for a bit.  He's always good for a laugh, and usually he refers to me as his 'caucasian brother'. 

A Good friend of mine, Cale, takes a moment to show the importance of pounding down the Electro-Mix, a sports drink mix developed by the makers of Emergen-C;  the Alacer Corp.

Finishing up lap 7, I came through the timing area and my buddy Cale C.  yells out "Go Go Go!!!"  and some other things I can't remember....  but he also told me 3rd place was within reach.  So I rolled out for a turbo 8th and final lap.  Everyone I passed on the first climb (which is not a friendly one) was hiking their bikes.  I pressed hard on the pedals and torqued away on the bars and slowly left them behind.  A few minutes later I began reeling in a guy.  For a while he would pull away from me, then I would catch him again.  Then he finally settled down a bit and we rode almost 7 miles together of the 9.2 mile course.  After a little bit of conversation, I found out he was racing in my class.  His voice sounded familiar, but I could not see his face since he was riding in front of me.  I was on lap 8, he was on 7.  This was a good sign...

Me, rocking the Singlespeed steed up the final hill in the course.

I came back through and finished the lap, and the race for that matter, with 73.6 miles in 8 hours and 22 minutes, and I find out to my amazement that I wasn't in 3rd.  Nope.  I bumped up to 2nd.  It turns out the number-one-man-to-beat, Chad Parker, didn't go back out for an 8th lap when everyone thought he had.  He hadn't recovered fully from the Fools Gold 100 miler the week before, and was cramping up too seriously to go back out.  Ladd Dunwoody smoked me and the rest of the field of Sport class racers and got a lap up on me.  He ended the day with 9, me with 8, and the next 3 or 4 guys (including Jose) had 7.

Not a bad day in the books...

An honorable spot...  Left to right: Chad Parker with 3rd, Ladd Dunwoody with 1rst, and me on the right with 2nd!

 

 

 

 

Winning has it's advantages...  I will have to continue this trend ;)

At the end of the day, I moved from 4th place in the series up to third, and the feeling of being on the podium really charged me up to start training for the next race at Jackrabbit Mountain, in Hayesville North Carolina.
See you all there!