The Crosscheck sees it's first cross race

With it's 2nd birthday coming up in January, my Crosscheck was starting to feel inadequate and slightly ripped off. This is understandable since it was purchased as a road bike/do-all bike/cross bike/gravel grinder bike yet in almost 2 years it had yet to see any cyclocross action. It would patiently hang in the workshop as it's owner would go to cross races and heckle the other racers while enjoying delicious beer. It was starting to become too much for the little bloke so the time had come and the Cross the Way race at the Goat Farm was just the place for it's introduction.

Fate would have it that the race was on Halloween and also the weather conditions were perfect for a cyclocross race; cold, wet and muddy. I showed up early to give myself some time to register and also to practice my dismounts and remounts. I was a cross virgin and didn't want to make a fool of myself (too badly) by tripping up in my bike. Lots of other people took the initiative to come dressed up which was fun. I didn't have a great costume idea and knowing how wet it would most likely be, I opted to just rock the normal Yazoo attire and represent the few of us left racing under Yazoo.

Superhero Graham

I pre-rode the course to get familiar with any crazy stuff which was a great idea but also a bad idea. The course was hard and seemed very long. The grass was high, and almost the entire course was wet. I was even having trouble with traction on the smallest of climbs. I did thankfully get to see the Run Up Of Death, which ended up being harder in the pre-ride than the race since someone took the time to cut in some steps with a shovel right before the race started. By the time I finally made it around the full lap some of my friends had shown up. Thad (dressed as a crazy losing Canadian,) and Mike (my fellow Yazoo supporter), were there to suffer with me along with Jeremy (THE Fondoadie who's beating Thad) and his wife, Jeanie (Cop supporter) and many other of the usual suspects.

Do we get free beer?

I thought I may get a little slack for signing up for the Cat4 race but I figured since it was my first true cross race, that was where I belonged. I felt better when Mike said he was racing Cat4 and not singlespeed but also when I lined up and saw the 26 other guys I was comforted by my choice. Yet I was also thinking, crap, most of these guys mean business. Then we were off and sprinting down the gravel road with no warm-up. It was time to start the 30 minutes of "I think I may throw up" riding. The course had been chewed up a lot since my pre ride an hour earlier and the mud bogs were bigger. I was joking on the line that it would be a 2 lap race and halfway through my first lap I was half hoping for a shorter race and yet still hoping I could squeak out 3 laps. The first half of the course was tough with some soggy false flat sections and two no-so-steep-but-kinda-long climbs. With my heart pumping in my throat and my rear tire barely connecting with anything, I dismounted and tried to run up the climbs. It ended up being more of a fast walk, but I was holding my place. It was the classic dilemma of should I walk or granny gear it up and both were the same speed.

My idea of jumping off the couch to enter my first ever cross race wasn't the best I'd ever had. My body does better with the longer races were I can fall into my pace. This was nothing of that sort. The Run Up Of Death was easier with the steps they cut in and I was getting the hang of jumping back on the saddle without having to stop or jamming up the boys. After a grunt climb we started into the second half of the lap and the part I enjoyed much more. We rode through a barn and into the twisties and then over some barriers. This was where I was able to make a some ground but I couldn't ever catch up with Mike who was 2 guys in front of me. It seemed I was just a head of a racer who was slow to remount so I was able to stay a head of him yet I didn't have any advantage over Mike so I just help my place the race.

The second lap was pretty uneventful and similar to the first lap. I didn't pass anyone and no one passed me. I got the hang of the barriers better but as I rode through the finish line I got the "your done" sign. I was slightly annoyed (at myself) that I only got to ride 2 laps for my $30 but it was a great intro to cyclocross and like many races, hanging out after my race for just as much fun. The race was very well run and they sprung for a keg of Yazoo Dos Perros which made it easy to forget the pain of racing the course. I stuck around and watched all the other races and shot a bunch of photos of the Masters 35+ and the singlespeed race. My trusty Crosscheck performed great for me. My new handlebars that I just got from Harpeth Bicycles were also great. I found them way more comfortable than my old Salsa Bell Lap bars and I had more power while standing, though in the mud I couldn't actually use this new power.

MUD! Many comments were made about Dirt Sweat & Gears, wonder why

I'm looking forward to the next Cross The Way race which is going to be held on the peninsula at Lock4. The Uphill Grind crew know how to plan a great event!!


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Intellectually Opinionated

So, I'm intellectually opinionated, says my wife. She goes on to explain that I can be opinionated, but that I usually back it up with a lot of research. I think I'll take that as a compliment!

Spent a wonderful day outside on the bike today. Dropped the truck off for an oil change and rolled down to Percy Warner for a couple laps and then headed back to the house. The weather was perfect, though I found myself slightly over dressed in my knickers. Could of easily been a shorts day but I liked having the pockets. I'll say it was a perfect day for the wool Yazoo jersey.

Beth and I had an eventful weekend. I had to work all day Saturday but was lucky to work on a very cool project at Blackbird Studios. We both survived the freak, tornado-forming storm and had a quiet evening at home playing board games and sipping wine. Sunday we headed down to Chickasaw Trace park to watch the racers battle the not-so-great conditions. Our boy Adam cleaned house in the singlespeed category, taking his Karate Monkey race history out with a bang before his new steed arrived. Not many from the team raced, but we came and helped cheer them on. It was cold and windy but we all had a great time.

My Sunday evening was spent playing Guitar Hero: Metallica. I gotta say, if you're a fan of the Guitar Hero game, and you really gotta check out this game. Total riot!



Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Snake Creek Gap Feb 2009

As we are now entering the back half of the month, the time for a race review is imminent. Life has settled down for little bit and it's time to gather my thoughts and put them somewhere before they blow away.

Well the weekend was finally here after a lot of anticipation. It was time to return to Dalton and push my body beyond it's normal comfort zone for 34 miles and hope to finish with a better time than last year. Though many parts were going to be the same, this trip would be different. I was going to camp in the lot again, enjoy the campfire, catch up with friends, enjoy some frosty beverages and I was going to suffer in the woods and contemplate quitting the race multiple times. This time though it would all happen on a new bike with a new gearing choice. Would it make a big difference? Was my body ready for the Snake? I was about to find out.

After carpooling down to Dalton with Scott M, we setup camp and joined the blossoming group of riders and race organizers at the camp fire. Yazoo was very kind to send a warhead of Dos Perros down with J5. Much stress was made about keeping it iced for the weekend and how we'd all fill the time slots to babysit. It was all for naught as the keg was floated in under 2 hrs. I attempted to keep my consumption in check and keep at least a 2 for 1, beer to water ratio going all night. I woke up sans hangover so apparently I did something right. I didn't get much sleep though and I could tell my body was a bit lethargic. Not a great start to a big day.

We once again managed to avoid the death bus and got a shuttle with MeanJoe to the start. I was excited and still trying to make my clothing choices for the 60 degree forecast. The temps were in the low 40s in the shade at the start so it was the now familiar wool or lycra debate. We all lined up and were sent off, me riding in a group with KRS1, MeanJoe, Scott M and scrapper Dustin. Ok so the memory is already fading. I'm sure there were more in our group. After some rolling fireroads, avoiding huge brown frozen puddles, we filed in for the long climb. KRS1 kept a great pace and I did my best to stick to his wheel. In no time we were making the hard right into the singletrack. This was the best I'd felt at this point in any Snake. My eyes weren't bulging and I actually had a quick thought that I may be able to ride most of the singletrack climb here. I just stared down and kept the pedals spinning and made it a good ways before having to walk. WOW! One accomplishment checked off. I'd officially ridden more and walked less. I did eventually have to dismount and walk some but it's inevitable really. I played leep frog with 6 riders or so the rest of this climb to the gravel decent. I met up with Scraffy and lost sight of KRS1 and MeanJoe.

The rest of the 1st 17 just rolled by. Riding with Mr. Clean Cooper and Scraffy Ricky for the pine needle climb and the rolling sections after. The decent down to the halfway point was a blast. Any pain you've endured in the first 17 is erased during this downhill. Whenever I hit the halfway point I am always energized and all thoughts of quitting are gone. I made a goal to not stop as long at the halfway or 8mile sag so I refilled bottles, talked to the Yazoo riders that were hanging and got right back on the trail to start the long climb to the ridgeline. I rode most of this section with Jeremy N. Again I rode much more of this climb than I have in the past.

Photo Credit: Blue Tree Images

I don't remember much of the next few miles. There are some fun flowing sections and a fun decent with some creek crossings. I was trying my best to stay loose on the bike and not get too beat up with my rigid fork. Some of the decents I felt like I was going just as fast as I did with my suspension and I was really flowing over the rocks. Some of the decents though were torture trying to keep my speed fast but also in check. I tried to pump the brakes more than ride them but I just couldn't stop from going faster than I felt comfortable. In this regard, riding rigid could make me faster only out of the desire not to brake. Overall I was less beat up than I thought I might be. I was apprehensive about attempting Snake on a rigid fork but really it wasn't that bad. I know I was happy to have it on the long climbs, even in the singletrack.

I hit the grassy fireroad climb and rode all the lower section where the grade isn't that steep. I started to feel the beginnings of some cramps in my quads so I took it easy and walked most of the steaper sections, right up to the 8 mile checkpoint. Maybe if and when I can come to a Snake with more training and miles I'll be able to ride this road. I know that lies in the last 8 miles and don't want to waste energy on this climb. And in practice, I generally end up staying with the same folks for the whole climb, even if they are riding and I'm walking.

After a short NMB reunion at the last sag spot, Jeremy and Rick and I started in on the last stretch of rock. I soon found myself off the back and riding alone. The first couple miles of this section aren't that bad, and some parts are fun. If only the entire section were like this! Not so though, it just keeps getting rockier with your frustation level getting ever higher. When I was truly in the land-of-rocks is when the rigid fork started getting the best of me. I was tired, worn out and barely had energy to even walk at a decent pace. Even dismounting was taxing and I was slowing down and barely trugging along. I didn't have my computer on the bike so I didn't know what pace I was on or how I was doing overall. MeanJoe mentioned that he thought I was doing great at the halfway and was atleast 30 min ahead of my usual time. This was a boost then, but was totally forgotten as I walked and slowly plotted my way through the maze of rocks. Every small rock seems to stop my dead in my tracks. My body was tired of moving with the bike and absorbing hits and was now fighting back. I lost faith that I was doing well and just tried to get out of the woods. I didn't care if it took me another hour, I just wanted out. I was so happy when I saw the Tower and rode the last curve of singletrack to the gravel rd decent. A photographer snapped a good picture of me right there with a big smile. A smile of accomplishment that for sure was not on my face during the previous 2 miles.

Photo Credit: Sharpie

I pedaled as fast as I could through the rolling gravel section and then tucked in for the long road decent to the parking lot. I crossed the line and saw all my friends hanging out. Some had great rides and new personal best times and others were feeling ragged and were just happy to be done like me. I, as always, was grinning big time and very happy to be done, to have no quit early and to have thankfully gotten through with out any injuries. I waited a few minutes before going to get my official time. I didn't have high hopes as I walked to go get my time. My only goal was to hopefully get under the 5 hr mark. I felt like I'd ridden more and probably should of averaged a better overall pace, but my morale was so broken during that last 3 miles of trail that I was not expecting a good number. The SUPER organized race timers told me I finished in 4:46. WOW! At first I was telling myself, that can't be right and they may of mixed me up with a different rider. They didn't though! 35 minutes off my best time in 2008.

Now I am looking towards March Snake. I again and battling a busy Feb schedule and trying to fit in some pedaling time whenever I can. I don't predict being any more prepared for March as I was for Feb, but I hope I can have a repeat performance.

The Swank 65 2008 Report

Ok, so fitting that I start this report right after coming home from the typical Thurs night Tap room evening with dinner at Pizza Perrrrrrfect. Thad came over and we moved a bunch of not-so-heavy-but awkward furniture to the new house. We got a lot moved, yet forgot Beth's computer which was a big oops. We were done though in time to get back to the condo and changed and on the bikes in time to hit the tap room. The usual occured from then on and we ended the night at Pizza Perfect and then a brisk ride home....me regreting the decision to not bring my wool and borrowing a vest from Thad.

So..... Swank 2008 eh? Well if you are one of the few who actually keep up with this blog, you'll know that I was in no shape for this race. I've had a lot of big changes and events over the past 2 months and riding my bike just hasn't been on the top of my priority list. I think I had about 25 miles total for the month of Oct and I was entering a 40 mile bike race?? yep! I was paid up and had a hotel room and was already in North Carolina for a craft show so why not? At least I'd get a nice long ride in the woods out of it. Well, I got a lot more!

We didn't get into Brevard until about 11:30pm Sat night so we just hung at the hotel and went to bed. 7am came fast and I was chowing on some hotel breakfast borritos and loading up the car. Beth and I rode to the starting area/campground at Cove Creek and started to get my stuff organized. After an hour or so of getting situated and catching up with some of the other Yazoo riders and Nashvillians, it was time for the race meeting. The morning was cold... like 35 degrees cold. I debated on what to wear but ended up with just my wool jersey and arm warmers. This ended up being perfect. I'd packed a long sleeve lycra shirt but never needed it. The wool was all that was needed. Oh and I was also rocking my new pair of Swiftwick 12" over-the-calf Merino wool socks. These were awesome. I never thought about them during the ride other than to think, man these socks rock, I'm not even thinking about them. I loved the compression style of them and they were never too much or made me hot or itch. (which for me is a big deal. I generally have hot legs... yea... hawt)

The race meeting went off quickly and we got in line for the Leman's start. I think someone said go and we all meandered into the woods. Jut popped out of no where and we learned he wasn't racing but was gonna stick around for moral and liquid support. We walked our little stretch of woods and then got on the bike and headed into the woods only to be stalled immediately by the train of riders. Lots of granny ring riding with some barely-pedaling going on for us single speeders. Eliot finally passed me and I saw the light and caught his wheel to get around as many people as we could before the numerous bridges forced us to dismount.

After this climb I don't remember all that much other than some fireroad climbing, some singletrack and then we were at Checkpoint #1 already. I was feeling good at this point and already loving my gear choice. (32x21) I got refueled and pushed on. My plan for the day was just to ride as long as I could until I either quit or was told I was done. They weren't having a time limit for the race this year so it was just up to me to quit.... so basically as they say "I'm too dumb to quit" so I kept going. I met up with Keith at this checkpoint and we rode the next few miles together.

Keith and I rode the next fireroad climb together and then down as the air cooled. The whole race was a combination of warm uphills and cold decending; arm warmers up and down, up and down. After the fireroad section we entered some singletrack followed with a very eroded, tough single track climb which forced me to walk for the first time. I've discovered one of my weaknesses.... If I see someone else walking, I'm doomed. I made the first section of this climb and even got some props from the female rider ahead of me, but I just had to glance up the trail and see a guy walking his bike. I said (out loud) "Oh crap".... and after about 3 more pedals strokes I was off the bike and walking.... morale gone. Wonder if this is something I can work on or if it's just me. I'm slowly getting better at not looking too far up the trail during climbs and sticking with a series of small victories to get me up.

I arrived at checkpoint 2 (mile 20) feeling pretty good, but starting to get some leg cramps. I was expecting to quit at this check point or be told I was out of time. Since there was no time cutoff I thought for a while about what I wanted to do. Thad mentioned I should quit here if I wasn't feeling like I could finish. Fred said I should push on to Farlow Gap and then quit after that since I'd be close to the start/finish. I decided that I hadn't suffered enough yet. I'd done 3 Snake Creek Gap races and knew was I had to go through to finish those and thought I hadn't worked hard enough yet in Swank to quit here so I decided to push on.

I walked the bulk of the 3 mile fireroad climb up to Farlow Gap. Most of the riders around me were walking and the few that were on their bikes weren't going much faster than me. I rode for as long as I could, but the quad cramps were keeping me on foot. I was using this time to refuel as much as i could and get some electrolites ingested. Everyone around me were new racers to Swank, and were getting very frustrated with the length of this climb. I just settled in, knowing it was a long and steep one. Once we got to Farlow Gap I got back on the bike and rode as far as I could. I didn't know I would be able to ride any of it so I was excited and confused to be riding the first stretch. I just kept looking ahead, waiting to see this gnarly, un-ridable trail. Well, I finally came upon it and quickly dismounted. About 20 min later (or it seemed) I seemed to be at the bottom but the trail was still too technical for me to ride. Then it started going uphill!! I was warned about Farlow, I knew what to expect mostly, but I didn't know that there was a considerable uphill stretch that I wouldn't be able to ride either. This is where I started to see Snake Creek Gap similiarities and started to suffer some. After this uphill was over it was pretty tame until the 3rd checkpoint.

The volunteers at the checkpoints were awesome. It was like a pit crew, even though I was in the back of the pack. They were taking my camel back, taking bottles off my bike and refilling them. There was all kinds of food available. I couldn't of asked for more help.

At the 3rd checkpoint I knew I was only a little ways from the finish/campground. I could either ride the last 10 miles, or quit and ride 1.5 miles out. hmmmm tough decision, especially considering I was only expecting to make it about halfway. I asked if they could describe the rest of the trail and of course it was said something like, "It's easy, all downhill from here". These words are never to be trusted. I pressed them hard for the truth and learned that we basically rode the first loop again but backwards then we'd be done. OK, I thought, I can do this and I set up, with a guy right behind me.

I made my way up what turned into about a 2.5-3 mile gentle fireroad climb. I passed a few folks I'd ridden with down Farlow and just settled in for the long haul. I started riding with guy named Abhay. He was on a 1x9 and I was on my SS so we kept switching positions during the climb. I'd pass when it got a bit harder and he'd gear up, and he'd pass when it flattened out a little. We kept climbing forever.... really. We started riding an overgrown section of fireroad which at the time I thought looked familiar. We even rode past a tombstone-like thing on the side of the trail that I remember passing earlier. I just remember thinking,"When will this climb end?" We rode that fireroad until it ended and spit us onto some singletrack off to the left. We rode this downhill for about a 1/3 of a mile to a T intersection. We didn't know which way to go and we noticed that we couldn't see any ribbons guiding us.... strange. We looked and explored both directions but couldn't find any ribbons. We decided to back track a little to find the last ribbon we'd seen. Ok, we can't find any ribbons. hmm strange. Then we finally find one, but it's on the ground. Is someone taking down the ribbons already?? We kept backtracking for lack of a better idea. We made it all the way back to the fireroad and hadn't seen any ribbons. Neither of us knew what to do or where to go but we knew that we didn't have much daylight left. We decided to continue backtracking since we thought that was the most logical thing to do. Maybe someone was collecting the trail marking ribbons already, we thought or maybe we'll run into the sweeper.

We kept riding and riding.... and riding and riding. Man, we rode a long ways without seeing any ribbons. Then we found the ribbons we'd seen earlier. Ok, we aren't crazy, we did have reason to ride this way. "Wait, or those ribbons 1" wide or 2" wide? Maybe those are old ribbons?" We continued to backtrack and finally came upon the very obvious left turn into Cove Creek Trail that we'd ridden right by. How did we ride by this you ask? Well, me and Abhay have NO IDEA!! I mean there were ribbons, signs and wrong-way signs that we rode right by somehow. Unfortunately for us, within a quarter mile of this turn, there are these old ribbons that we mistook and continued to follow. I bet we rode atleast 2.5-3 miles out of the way before turning back, and then we had to ride back.

So after an hour or so of exploring, we were finally back on track. This section of trail was the part that we had ridden at the beginning. The part that I was looking for forever and thinking I was on. So we quickly put away the questions of how we got off track and just rode fast towards the finish. This was the uphill secton that was slow going at the beginning but wasn't that steep, just backed up with riders. Lots of roots which slowed Abhay down with his rigid fork but the trail was fast and flowing downhill which was nice after all the climbing. We knew we were close to the end which gave us a burst of energy to get done. I had no idea how long I'd be out, what time it was or anything. I just knew I was close to being done and I was super frustrated from being lost for so long.

To my surprise I was being cheered as I got closer. My friends and teammates had stuck around to wait for me to finish. What a great feeling... not only to finish but to ride into such a crowd. Beth was there and I knew she was probably wondering where I was and if I was ok. I'd told her to meet me back at the start/finish area around 3-3:30pm and it was now about 5:30pm but I was done. I exceeded my expectations and finished the longest off-road ride ever. Of course I was and am frustrated about getting lost and wish I would of finished when I should have, about an hour earlier, but I finished, which I wasn't expecting to. I didn't think I could finish the 38 mile race, but ended up with around 45 miles when it was all said and done and was out for about 7 1/2 hours. It totally didn't seem like that long.

This race was awesome. I felt comfortable on so many of the climbs which never happens. I was passing people which never happens. I got lost, which generally doesn't happen. The course was fun and a good mixture of trail types. In a perfect world, I would of loved to of had more singletrack and less fireroads, mainly in the section from Farlow to the end, but eh... theres no reason to complain. The course was a great summary of riding in Pisgah and truthfully if there was much more singletrack, Pisgah-style climbing involved, I wouldn't of been able to ride it anyhow and probably would of been cramping and walking. A big thanks to Todd for organizing such a great event and to all the volunteers for pulling it off and offering so much help to all the racers. I had a great time and will definately try my best to ride this race again next year.

Big thanks to gRant for letting me borrow his 21t cog. I thought I wanted to run 32x20 for this race. I even bought a 20t cog but something wasn't right and it wouldn't fit on my wheel. gRant stepped up with not only a cog, but also a sweet Swiftwick dry-fit style shirt and a great pair of 12" Merino wool socks. gRant, you'll a Godsend...can't say I would of finished the race without your help! 32x21 was the magic gear for me on Sunday. It worked so well for all the climbs but a few, what more could you ask for in a SS gearing? I felt more comfortable on the fireroad climbs than I've even felt before.


(Sorry this report may be a bit discombobulated and is missing a lot from the race, but that's what you get when I write this after a few Yazoos... mmm Fresh Hops)

Montgomery, Monty, Monkey

So this past Sunday was the TBRA series race held at Montgomery Bell State Park. I didn't have plans in advance to race, but kept the decision a late one. I just kept it in the back of my mind as something to do if my schedule allowed. I still have memories of the race last year and how hot everyone said it was,

photo credit: James Weeks

people being dehydrated and having cramping issues and suffering through the tough course. Monty Bell is challenging for me to ride so racing it has always seemed daunting.

After riding all day in the Tour De Chamois (Nash) with the Yazoo boys I was actually feeling pretty pepped to race. Some would say taking 7 days off then riding 55 miles Sat and racing Sunday isn't a good idea. Well people say many things and I'll admit I had the fleeting thought that it was dumb. But hey, my schedule allowed it and I wanted to do it. It also gave me a great ready-to-use excuse for a poor race....."Did you ride 50 miles yesterday?"

So up early once again (sleep is for sissys) and got the truck loaded and out the door with coffee. Carb loading at the tap room crossed the line into hangover territory so I wasn't feeling so fresh. It was nice to get to the trailhead with ample time to socialize and get my gear together and my food/hydration sorted out. Finally remembered to take the Sport Legs before the legs started pushing hard. This will turn out to be my saving grace. SSers were set to start the day of racing so we line up and they sent us off shortly after 9am.

They cut a new entrance to avoid the hard turn so we're into singletrack almost immediately and getting settled in. For once I feel ok where I am and am not falling back immediately. I actually passed someone after about 2 miles. Course I was passed by everyone and their moms in the geared sport classes behind us. Starting early is great for the fast SSers, us slow guys get passed a lot.

I tried my best to push the pace where I could and recover whenever possible. My legs felt tired, but not spent. I felt pretty good for most of the first lap though I was sweating like it was 100 degrees. Really it was more like 75 with about 90 percent humidity.... you could tell the rain was coming. I tried my best to stay hydrated and I was feeling great on the fuel standpoint. This was my first race with only water bottles and it was proving a bit difficult for me to get enough fluid without slowing down to drink.

After pushing hard up the long pine needle climb I took some time to recover and drink. I suffered through some of the climbs in the Yellow section and really started wondering how I was going to bust out a second lap. After climbing back out towards the finish line area to start my second lap I gained some momentum. One of my DSG teammate's son was at the finish line and called out to me, "Way to go Mr. Greg!" wow... what a boost! I mean first off, I always try to look like I'm not suffering too bad when riding by the crowd, but when Jacob cheered me on (who's around 12) I go a new pep in my step and rolling right into my second lap. Took the opportunity for a gel and fluids during the next 1/4 mile and then tried to push the pace back up.

Second lap kinda went by as a blur as it generally does. I'm new to racing but I'm starting to see a trend for me in these two lap races. I push hard the first lap, and always have the worry of blowing up too early. Then I start worrying about if I can even ride a second lap when I am really suffering. Then the second lap comes and goes and all the sudden I'm a few miles from the finish and thinking that I don't want to leave anything on the trail and I push it til the end. TBRA racing in a nutshell for me. I do remember it cooling down and then starting to rain in the 2nd lap. That also raised my spirits... I had the thought "yea, this is real mountain biking pushing hard, riding in the woods and the surprise rain storm."

I had a clean race with no mechanical issues and no crashes. I did pivot around a left turn while leaning on a tree and gotta bruise from that but no lasting damage. The race was run very well and went off very smooth. Swag bags were filled with gel and a t shirt and they provided free food for everyone! Top notch! The course was labeled beautifully and allowed you to really ride 'dumb' and worry only about what's coming right up and not where to go. I did almost go off course in a moment of weakness at the top of Tommy's Revenge. Since I've ridden this trail a lot, but didn't do a preride of the course, my bike kinda went on autopilot at the top of the climb and I turned the corner and rode right under the red tape. I immediately had a "what the ..." moment and got off and turned around. It made me laugh...the bike was on autopilot.

But back on the race organizers. Bravo guys! Great job and thanks for the quick posting of results! Thanks for finding my lost saddlebag contents too.

I didn't take any pictures during the day and very few have been posted thus far. You can view a few here: NMB Pic Thread



Edit: Late picture additions....

James Weeks was on hand during the race shooting awesome pictures of all the racers. You can view the lot of them on his photography website: James Weeks Photography









photo credit: James Weeks









Jeff Scott pushing through the finish line







photo credit: James Weeks

Never been 4 wheelin' but I've been 2 wheelin'...

Chickasaw Trace race conditions were less than ideal. The race started out with wet spray in my face from the riders rear tire in front of me as we motored down the 'road'. After the muddy drop in by the guard rail it was Tokyo driftin' for the next few miles. Then it got rocky, slick and technical and tough to click in the pedals, the suffering was beginning.

Roller coaster section was a lot of fun, then the trail went uphill. Either I had no traction, and even walking was tough, or I had a ton of traction in the peanut butter mud and my bike seemed to weigh 50 lbs. The suffering had really started kicking in. After a few more roller coaster sections, the other climb was upon me. I looked up and saw a train of 5 riders walking; alright back to struggling even walking in the slick muck.

By the time I finished the first lap, I felt like I'd already ridden two. I got a much needed bottle hand-off from Dan and I tried to recover and drink some calories. The second lap was more rough than the first as the thick mud was clinging to every part of my bike and my body. Strangely I even wondered how I would finish... this is only an 8 mile course. The mud was surely demoralizing.

The Yazoo team was setup by the starting line with tents, beer and socks. Sharpie was spreading the good word about Swiftwicks and Mark from MOAB had the trailer out. We all enjoyed some great Yazoo porter as we got cleaned up and then watched the awards ceremony. Thad showed up determined and won first place with the faster 2lap time of all the classes. Adam (MeanJoe, one of the newest Yazooers) rode very well and stayed on Thad's wheel through the finish line and got 2nd and the 2nd fastest 2lap time.

Every Yazoo rider rode hard, Thad, Mike N, Pumptrack Jim, Adam, Jeff (other newest Yazooer) and myself. Dan, Fred, Sharpie, Greg D., Hillary, Jeanie and PTJim's wife all did a wonderful job supporting us! Can't ask for a better team!!

The Snake is over for the season

Another weekend of great riding, camping, great company and some beer drinking was had this past weekend. It was the 3rd installment of the Snake Creek Gap Time Trial series and the biggest one of the three. the NW SORBA crew had a great race planned and an awesome party afterwards with a live band, tons of food and some sweet give-aways and a raffle.

The Nashville Yazoo boys left for Georgia around 5pm with a yummy pitstop for some Cracker Barrel. We setup camp quickly and joined the campfire party already going on. Thankfully the temps stayed about 35 degrees this weekend so it wasn't as frigid as in Feb. After a few beers and a lot of stories I crashed around 1:30am and tried to get as much sleep as possible. I've yet to be able to sleep well before a Snake race, whether in a hotel or camping. Too much excitement to get unwound quickly.

We were up early the next morning and were welcomed to a bustling parking lot of activity. Everyone was setting up for the day's start, getting trailers backed in and registration started. Bruce Dickman was in attendance MCing the event again so we were treated to his banter all morning. I was on a mission to find some eggs for a solid breakfast so Jason G and I headed to IHOP early. I was determined to fuel myself better this race so breakfast was the best place to start.

We loaded up in Jeanie's box (Element) again and headed to the starting line. We followed the trailers of bikes this time and got to the line before the bus which was nice. We were off by 10:45am and starting the long journey back to the parking lot. I felt good at the start but was nervous about the first gravel climb. I feel into a nice easy pace and tried hard to control my breathing and just settle in for the long haul, determined not to quit pedaling until the top. Conditions were on par with the Feb race which meant quite a few soupy sections and some peanut butter climbs. I made it into the single track feeling great but immediately had to dismount and walk. This section of trail is just too steep for me, coming right off the long gravel climb. I proceeded to walk and ride the next mile or so then rode most of the rest up to the gravel decent.

For the next hour I felt really good and was keeping a great pace. About 20 minutes before the halfway point it occurred to me that I hadn't eaten anything nor drank much and I was getting tired and lethargic. Crap! I started off so well and was crashing. I tried to eat and still keep moving forward. I stopped at the halfway point and got some food down, refilled my bottles and shed some layers. It was getting really hot and I was sweating a ton, definitely over dressed this time. I started up the long climb after the halfway and tried to get my third wind. It took a long time for me to start feeling energized. I was trying hard to continue to get in some calories and drink as much as I could.

When I got to the fireroad section before the grassy gravel climb I was feeling great. I took this opportunity to fuel up and eat and drink while still traveling at a good speed. I started up the gravel climb feeling ok but started to feel some cramps coming on so I got off and walked. When I got to the 8 mile check point I stopped and refilled my bottles for one last time and got my food organized in my short pockets and started back into the single track. For the next 3 miles or so I was feeling great and was keeping a slow but very steady pace through the smaller rocks.

I pedaled on trying to keep a decent speed but not kill myself cardio wise. It just keeps getting harder and harder the more you ride this section so I was slowly slowing down and walking more. I met up with Chris from Tullahoma at the 8 mile marker as we have every Snake. He caught up to me at this point and we rode together with a really tall rider on a Merlin. I believe he's friends with Dan but I didn't get his name. The three of us played leap frog for a couple miles right into the hard section, the Wall. I still can't believe how anyone can ride this steep climb, let alone after riding the previous 28 miles. This is where the walking really begins. Ride a short section, walk a bit, then ride a short section and walk a bit.

When I passed the sign saying 4 miles to go I got this jolt of energy and this idea that, if I push it, I may be able to beat my time. I really had no idea what kind of pace I was on or where I was compared to my previous times but I just wanted to push hard and finish hard. I just forgot about any pain and pedaled hard through this section. I know I was riding sections that I walked previous times and I felt great. This lasted for about 1.75 miles of the last 2 miles then I hit the wall. I had the Tower in sight but it was still one small ridge away. I was spent and devastated as the Tower looked so far away! I continued to walk and push and finally was close to the Tower. Remembering how little trail was left and the lady with the cowbell, I got on the bike and tried to ride out the rest of the trail. I got about 5 pedal strokes and my entire lower body seemed to cramp at the same time. This was the first huge cramp that I had to deal with but it was crippling. I got my foot stuck on a very small rock and just sat there for a second trying to get going but not clipping out. Finally I told myself this was stupid and just walk and I got off and walked out the rest of the trail. There was no cowbell lady and no one to be seen anywhere. I knew it was all downhill from this point and I just bombed it as fast as I could. I flew through the last section of trail and then hit the paved road. I tucked in real small and just coasted down the hill, hoping I was ahead of my previous times. I even rode by a guy on the pavement and waved to him. He yelled "YEA! Get 'em!!" and I was gone.

I pedaled hard into the parking lot and crossed the line completely spent. I felt like I left it all out there on the trail and it felt great! They were busy computing overall times to get ready for the awards ceremony so I looked at the clock and guesstimated my time. I figured 20 minutes faster and I was quite close. 5:27:38 beating my previous best in Jan of 5:50 by 23 minutes!

They gave away red custom top caps to all the finishers of the third race. There was a woman right at the finish handing them out as you crossed the line. I about fell over, still clipped in trying to get off the bike, but I got it! I earned this top cap. I think it's going on the crosscheck and I'll get to look at it during all the hard gravel grinders and know what I'm training for. I'd put it on the singlespeed but I am running the nardguard and it would be wasted under there. It is such a great idea for a prize I bet more races follow suit.

I gotta give a big thanks to the NW SORBA crew and all the volunteers for putting on the best, hardest race I've ever ridden or been to. The support at this race is phenomenal, from the organizers to the racers to the spectators. Everyone that passes you throws out some great encouragement which for me is rare.

Thanks to Jeanie and Hillary for all the support, pre-ride, at the halfway point and after I finished!! You both rock and are very supportive and giving! I'm glad I was able to show Hillary how much sweat a helmet pad can hold and I'm glad Jeanie wasn't too grossed out to take my sweaty jersey. I rode in to the halfway point and they both jumped right up and asked what I needed and what they could do. It was great riding and knowing they would be there at the halfway point.

Today was a full on recovery, relaxing day. Stayed at home until about 1ish and then headed in to setup the studio for a session tomorrow. Beth and I went out to dinner at our old favorite, Jackson's and then came back to relax. I had intentions of going out on a short recovery ride on the crosscheck but never made it out. Maybe I get a ride in tuesday or wednesday. The new saddle should be here Wed, so I'll have that to try out.

Next race on my schedule right now is Dirt Sweat and Gears. I'm planning on ride any of the local TBRA races that I can. Looking forward to the next gravel grinder as well... I hear there is already a course and plan set up.


You can view my flickr set HERE.