I used to think that SS racing was just for the washed up that want to win at something. It is apparent now, because it wasn’t this way before, that plenty of really fast people race SS.
This weekend I signed up for the Escape from Dark Mountain P2P race. It was in conflict with another season favorite, Double Dare/Pisgah Gathering, but I wrote it off due to the time commitment from the family, lack of partnering, and lack of fitness. So along comes this race last minute and I jump all over it.
These trails are excellent and tying them together for a P2P is a great idea.
I showed up at the venue around 830am expecting a 10am start only to find out the start had been postponed to 12noon. What to do? I wasted 2 hours eating, getting fuel, and listening to talk radio, then the pre race started. Temps were in the 40s so clothing is hard to pick. While waiting for the start you freeze your butt off hoping that you do not have too much clothing while racing.
The start was a le-mans start for a 50 yard dash to the bikes, then a 500 yard sprint to the single track. We started up
About half way through the
By this time in the race, 12 or so miles in, the traffic you see is pretty minimal. You might catch or get caught by one or two, but you really don’t expect much. I was lucky enough to have a few geared riders around me to help me push my pace, but once I got past them I must have backed it down to a more comfortable pace. About mile 15 I se a train of 3 riders gaining on me so I pull over as soon as they reach my wheel. It is 2 geared riders and Lime Green Niner Shawn. Starting to feel the miles, but not ready to quit, I pick it up to stay on their wheel. During the ups they would pull away a little, but I could easily make the gap on the downs. The whole time I am thinking, “how long can I keep this up before I blow”? We exit the OVT for 3 miles of pavement to the Warrior Creek trails. One of the geared riders takes the lead, Shawn next, me 3rd, and the other geared rider in the back. Spun Out is an understatement. We cruised most of that section at around 16mph. According to Sheldon, that is 120rpm. A few times during this section I really considered dropping out of the draft and just spinning as best I could for fear I was going to pop any minute. I managed to hang on, then we entered the single track. Shawn took the lead with me right behind him. He was still looking strong on the climbs and I was trying to recover from 11 minutes straight of 120rpm. We had a quick 2-3 miles of single track, then they put us back out on the road. Shawn and I tried to determine who was the weakest, and who would attack. We turn the corner and there is a wall of road in front of us. Up head I can see another SSer weaving back and forth to cut the grade and that is all I needed. With another carrot up ahead, I decided I was going to catch him and I attacked the hill. No weaving back and forth here, just straight up. When I got to the top I was greeted with an awesome view, no time for site seeing, and a long road descent. I look back and Shawn is no where to be found. A few turns here and there and we are back on some single track, but it is nothing I have seen before. It must have been part of the OVT trail on this side of the area that does not get much traffic. The leaves where thick and the ground was mushy. I kept the gas on and shortly caught another SSer. This fellow, AKA Bert, was cussing his gear choice. I think he said 36x17, which just sounds insane. That is like a 55” gear on a 26er. A few miles of chatting and then I take the opportunity to pass. We finally hit WC proper and the flow is on. This trail is just ha ha good and the legs are starting feel some fatigue. I catch a few more riders and start thinking that there can not be that much race left. I figure 6 to 7 miles max. I turn the corner and this slow deceiving climb starts. I had just passed a rider and did not want to get passed back, so I start to grind it out. Oh no. The cramps hit and they hit hard. It is by far the worst hamstring cramp I have ever had. I am not regretting the 6 beers I had the night before, even though they were good. (Give Inclined Plane Ale a shot. Low price IPA with good taste. It is a lot like Dales Pale Ale, but $3.5 / 6 pack less.) Back to racing… So I get off my bike and try to walk, but can’t. Every step is pure pain and cramping. At this point I start to figure the ride is over and how am I going to make this last 6 miles. Then Bert passes me and few other riders. It is killing me inside, but I feel broke down. I take a few deep breathes, stretch it out, then start riding really slowly. I figure any day now Shawn is going to catch me and just like that I have lost 2 places in SS. Another mile goes by and my legs start feeling better, but my pace isn’t picking up too much. A few more geared riders pass me so I use them to tempo my ride. Then about 2 miles from the finish I see Bert up ahead. I know we only have one last hard climb left so I start putting on the power to close the gap. I tried to pass him on the inside of the switch back, but could not make it stick, then as soon as the trail opened up, I called the inside and started to go. I cruised through rock gardens and on to the WC start finish. This is where I expected to see the finish, but it was not here. No real signs, so I just crossed the road and kept going. I looked around and could not see anyone in front of me or anyone behind, then I started wondering if I am even going in the right direction. About a mile more and finally I see some signs of the finish. Elated to be finished and completely spent I rolled across the finish line 7th of 12 SSers and 27th of 100+ racers. If I would have signed up for my age group I would have placed 2nd. I was pleasantly surprised and satisfied with the results especially since I have not been riding to train for anything lately.
Ride details here:
No comments:
Post a Comment