Great Course...Bad Legs

Headed south to Virginia over this past Labor Day weekend for the Shenandoah Mountain 100. Arrived mid-day on Saturday, it was brutally hot. I set up the tent, registered and went out for my pre-ride of the first climb.

Heading towards the climb, the legs were a little stiff from the drive, so I hit a few openers and was feeling great. I was flying up the climb doing my sprints and was 100% ready to go. The first climb was simply the same thing over and over until the top. Climb a little, left hand bend with a slight descent, tight right hand turn into a steep climb. Probably did that at least 10 or more times over. It made a sharp left got a little steeper and a little looser up to the top. I turned around rolled to the bottom and made it back to the campground in time for the free spaghetti dinner.

Hit the tent around dark for the 5am wakeup. After about an hour a little sprinkle started, then a full on downpour till at least midnight. Did I mention my tent leaks? Every few minutes I had to move to keep from getting wet. Finally it stopped, then the fireworks started. After the fireworks were the bullhorn whoooop-whooooooooop just about every half hour right until 5am. Needless to friggin' say, I really got no sleep whatsoever. Knowing my history of racing after getting no sleep due to jackasses, I knew it was going to be a tough day. Little did I know how tough....

5am the gong goes off. I get up with everyone else, bleary eyed and tired. Slam a starbucks mochachinno, and a little bagel. Prepped and to the line. 500 eager racers in the middle of a field behind the lead moto, making a mad dash for a right hand turn onto a road 100 yards later. Announcer makes the pre-race speech and finishes with a "Ok, let's go" Moto wasn't even started yet, half take off, half hesitate, I go. Get to the first climb, feeling pretty good. I'm comfortable in the top 30 or so, perfect where I want to be for my sub 9 hour goal. Climb well, feeling good, yo-yoing in a few spots where I try to keep the effort low if I go to hard, top the climb about 2-3 minutes shy of Eatough and the front group.

Mad fast descent then over to the next climb. Singletrack slogfest, muddy, steep, rocky, narrow. Half are waking a few are riding. I start to feel like crap, no mojo to get going on the climb. Decide to walk, I walk slow and finally get to the top after losing about 50 spots. Start the singletrack descent and saddle snaps out of place. Have to jump off and fix, bolt was super tight, but fixed and got going. Make up about 20 places on the bombingly long singletrack descent. Feeling good and happy about going down.

Hit the dirt roads and picking people off, end up getting into a big group and just roll along. Dump the group shortly after and working with a few riders on the slightly downhill dirt roads and we are flying, picking off tons of riders. Feeling strong, taking good pulls. I'm working with Cheryl Sornson and Trish Stevenson (eventual female 1st/2nd). The 3 of us actually split the group and take off on the road climb and I give them a hand to help chase down Betsy Shogren. I eventually drop them on the road climb and make it to the aid station. They made a quick stop, and I stopped for some food and bathroom break. Never did see them again.

I start the long climb up the 3rd main climb and I'm feeling completely hosed. Wondering if I'll ever even finish. No snap in the legs, barely turning over the pedals. Granny gearing at 50rpm, while singlespeeders are flying by in 32x20. I have to stop and stretch my legs a few times. I finally make it to the top after what feels like forever. I got a sick, insanely fun singletrack off-camber 20+ minute long descent, caught a few people back and I'm having a blast. I hit the road after the aid station, having just slammed a coke. Catch a few riders and as we keep catching the group keeps getting bigger. I realize I feel pretty good on the road and no one else remotely wants to work. I roll ahead without anyone following. Have a good minute lead into the next singletrack climb. I decide to just climb at my pace. I feel good, climbing great. It's super techy and rocky, keeps going and going and going. Continually techy, continually up. I hadn't had any real food in a bit and feel my energy levels low. Decide to sit down and eat a bar. Lose a few spots, but get to the top with a few locals for the descent. According to them it was the best singletrack around. I'm following, riding blind, but not having trouble keeping up. Descent is sick and just a blast of fun. End up getting a little wide in a corner and front wheel washes out. I hit the deck, get up, go back to find the powertap cpu and get started. Get going again, and end up giving a tube to Betsy Shogren as she flatted for the 2nd time (she was waaay out in front early). Even after that, I railed the descent and caught the original riders I had started with.

Aid station, then death march. Long, long false flat on the road. End up pulling the trigger as the coke doesn't settle well. Paved road was forever long false flat, onto a dirt road roller/false flat. I'm feeling spent. I have to stop a few times to stretch the legs and keep from just falling over on the bike. Keep going, and onto a long fire-road climb. It went on forever, literally. I think it was a good 90+ minutes or longer after already having climbed slowly for the past 45 mintues. Make it to the aid station, spent. Looking forward to the descent. Refuel with pizza, and a few bites of food. Get ready to bomb, hit some fast double-track down. Then climb, and continue climbing. WTF! where's the downhill. Keep climbing for the next 45 minutes. Now, I'm seriously dead meat on the bike. I walk for a portion to gain some energy.

Finally the descent starts, feel great, flying down it. Pass a bunch and get to the road, feeling good and flying, final climb. We've been over this already, but the legs again shut down. Don't know what's wrong but keep going as slowly as I can. Finally over the top and hit the fireroad descent. It's almost over. I end up catching another rider, we're riding and chatting. Pretty much all downhill, he suddenly takes off. No idea why really so I follow, we quickly come off the road into a congested area, shit we are super close. I'm following hard on his wheel, into the campground. Whoa, he just railed a crazy jump in the grass, so I nail it too, get some good air. Can hear all the people cheering about the jump. Have to land and start sprinting hard, I pull right up next to him, but carrying so much speed, I can't swing the corner and have to go wide.

79th place 9:46 official. 9:02 ride time. Considering I felt like absolute death, I'm fairly ok with that.

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Immediately grab 2 beers from my cooler and head to the creek under the bridge and just chill in the ice cold rain water from the night before. I'd been thinking about the water and beer for 99.5 miles!