Three Peaks USA

Three Peaks USA race is a 55 mile ultracross race held from the top of Beech Mountian which includes ~8000ft of ascending and is hosted by Pirate Race Productions. This was the fourth year of the race however this would be the first for me. A few days prior to the race, I had a peek at the participant list and discovered that this race would include the most competitive non-NUE field I have lined up against this year.

I don't usually have much drama to deal with heading into races, however this time was a little different. V and I were all packed up and ready to hit the road when I decided to split some wood for a fire later in the evening. As I was finishing up, I got distracted and ended up whittling my left pointer finger down to the bone with the hatchet (kind of like peeling a carrot). We opted to visit the urgent care rather than the ER which proved to be a smart choice. When I explained to the doctor that I needed a sturdy fix because I was racing the next day, she gave me "the look" and said just as long as you don't bend it. The only problem with not bending my left pointer finger while riding would be the use or lack there of, of my front brake. After thinking things over, I decided that during the race I would rely on my middle finger to provide the front braking power.

V and I got to Banner Elk a little later than planned. It rained most of the way out but we were lucky to find a lull in the rain to set up the tent. Because of our later than planned arrival coupled with the wet conditions, I decided to skip my pre-ride which I usually use to spin out the legs. Instead, we worked our way up Beech Mountain for registration and followed that up with a nice meal in Banner Elk at the Frog and the Monkey.

At the race start the next morning it was cold, very cold. I always race warm so when it's cold, I have trouble figuring out what to wear. I went with my normal kit with a side of arm warmers. A last minute experiment with my brake situation revealed that my middle finger may not be as reliable as I thought. This meant that it's freshly stitched up counter-part may have to take on the bulk of the workload. I planned for such by adjusted the lever throw way out taking some of the bend out of my finger while squeezing the brake.

The start was a neutral roll out down hill. It was cold enough that most of the guys including myself were shaking causing some death wobble. Luckily the speed was slow so no concern there. As the lead vehicle pulled away, the race was on. Within a mile or so, I could tell that something wasn't right. My perceived exertion was high, my heart was beating out of my chest, I couldn't breath and there was minimal power output. I tried, but couldn't manage to hang onto the lead group or the chase group. I sent out a search party for my legs but they were nowhere to be found. I tried using my high cadence legs, slow grind legs, out of the saddle and hammer legs, I even tried to use the legs of others with no luck. It didn't take long before I was dropped from the third group, left alone with a mind that would not stop troubleshooting.

Was I getting sick? Was it the lack of a ride the day before? Was it the cold weather? Was it the elevation? Could my finger be getting infected? Why is my stomach upset?.. Maybe I am getting sick.

I still have no idea what went on out there but whatever it was almost convinced me to call it a day 30 minutes into the race. No matter what I did, I couldn't keep on any of the groups coming by and I felt horrible. I got very discouraged and was in a dark place but would not let myself quit. I knew that a good finish was out of reach but wanted the satisfaction of pushing through.

In the meantime, the course was more rough than I was expecting which was providing a challenge with the beat up finger. I had adjusted my lever throw out so far that I was having trouble reaching it. On top of that, there was no way to keep from using my finger or to keep from bending it. I had to use it and there was no way around it. There were times where I was a bit worried that I had ripped some of the stitches out however the lack of blood convinced me that everything was ok. I tried to take it as easy as possible while using the front brake and eventually started slowing sooner than normal in anticipation of turns or sketchy terrain which seemed to work well.

Late into the race, three hours to be exact, I found myself in the company of lead singlespeeder Daniel Rapp. We crossed paths at the base of our final "peak", a 10 mile climb to the finish. It was here where my body finally started working as a unit and the first time in the race where I felt like I could work my legs. For nearly an hour, we set ourselves on cruise control catching and passing rider after rider. Knowing that time was running out had me wishing that this climb would continue for another hour so I could continue to work my way back up the field.

Crossing the line just shy of four hours, I learned that on that last climb, I had worked my way into 8th overall and third in my age category. Even though the race did not go as planned and I am a bit disappointed in whatever went on out there, I am happy that my finger stayed in one piece and that I was able to get in one good climb out of three.

 

I am glad that I was finally able to make it out to this race as the course was beautiful, easy to follow and provided plenty of challenges. Thanks to all of the volunteers as well as Andrew Stackhouse of Pirate Race Productions for taking the time to provide us with another event that I will look forward to adding to the schedule time and time again. Also thanks once again to Blue Mountain Revival Productions for setting the benchmark for timing with a system that is accurate while providing instant results.

Pisgah Monster Cross

The Pisgah Monster Cross Challenge would be the third race in the Pisgah Productions King of Pisgah Series and the second race in the Blue Ridge Monster Cross Series. With only one race remaining in the KOP and two in the BRMC, I was hoping for a good result at the PMCC.

Last year, the PMCC course was ridden in the counter-clockwise direction which meant lots of climbing from the start. I prefer climbing over any other aspect of riding so naturally I prefer to get right to it. This year the race opened with a six mile section of flat pavement as the course was navigated clockwise.

Photo Cred: Blue Mountain Revival Productions

 

Photo Cred: Eric Wever

From the start, I found myself out front of our long neutral roll out. I decided to keep my spot instead of pulling out and risk getting dropped back into the mass of riders. Once we hit the first climb of the day leading to Glouchester Gap, Sam E., Sam K, Tristan and Devin skirted around me and gunned it. This was the group that I wanted to stick with but after two failed attempts to bridge the gap, I knew that I needed to settle into my own pace.

As we began the long climb up 215, a group of six formed with Garth leading the chase. Early on, I found myself getting dropped, putting out a big effort to close the gap and then getting dropped again. This was not a good sign and figured that I would pay for those efforts later in the race. This happened about four times and after bridging up for the final time, Garth and I proceeded to pull away from the rest of the group in full on chase mode.

At Aid #1, I took on two bottles as Garth blew by the aid requiring him to turn around. I wasn't sure if I should wait or set out solo so I just gunned it. I had a feeling that I might not see Garth again but he put in a huge effort as he was on my tail in no time. As I stood on the pedals to match Garth's pace, my right calf revolted and I knew that I had the back off for a bit. As I watched the gap grow, my thoughts shifted from chasing the lead group to holding off those behind me.

Photo Cred: Brad O Allen

Photo Cred: Brad O Allen 

With much of the course being pavement, I decided to run a 38c tire which is the narrowest tire I've ever been on. I put a couple of rides in on these tires prior to the race but could not test them in loose gravel which was encountered in the last third of the course. Once I hit the 5000 descent, I knew I was going to be slow but after almost washing out twice in the first couple minutes my pace had me looking over my shoulder often. As I turned onto 1206, I caught a glimpse of Garth at most a minute up the road.

I gave it all I had on the climb up to Yellow Gap knowing that this could be one of the last chances to make up time on anyone who may have fallen off the lead group. I wanted to stand and hammer but my tire choice and road conditions wouldn't allow it. I settled in with a grinding cadence and only managed to catch a couple of recreational riders on the way up. Not long after Yellow Gap, I caught a glimpse of another rider. I figured it was another non-racer but as I closed in, I realized it was Sam K.
I was hoping that the two of us might be able to close the gap on Garth but as I began the last chase of the day, it got quiet behind me and Sam was nowhere to be seen.

Photo Cred: Brad O Allen

I was unable to catch Garth on the 477 descent and came in a minute behind him at 4:11 and 5th overall. Sam Evans once again showed us what fast looks like with a time of 3:50.

Photo Cred: Mom!

I would like to thank Eric and Erinna once again for giving us the opportunity to come play in a place as beautiful as the PNF. As always, the course was seamless, the volunteers were on point and friendly and the experience was one of a kind.

 

What could be better than spending the weekend in the PNF? Spending it with your wife, dog, parents and capping it all off with a ride with my favorite riding partner!

 

 

Blue Mountain Revival's Savage CX Race Report

A lot has happened since the last time I put up a blog post. V and I had a fantastic trip to CO. CB was amazing as always and we finally were amongst the wildflowers while they were peaking. I managed to squeeze in an MRI which revealed a bulging disc in the L5/S1. The cause is still unknown and the treatment.. well there doesn't seem to be any. I did go ahead and get an epidural steroid injection which seemed to make things worse. I'm not sure what the next step will be but I am planning on taking a month or two off of the bike starting immediately after Double Dare. Maybe with some time off the bike and a primary focus on strength training, things will start to shift around.

This past weekend I traveled to Nebo, NC for the first race in the Blueridge Monster Cross Series. With 50 miles of gravel, a 17+ mile climb right out of the gate and sponsors like Industry Nine and Fourty Four Bikes, this would not be one to pass up.

www.bluemountainrevival.com

One thing that set this race apart from others was the venue. Pulling into the venue, I noticed kids, lots of kids. I learned that the race was being staged out of the Southmountain Children and Family Services community. Southmountain is the site of an orphanage that dates back to the early 1900's. The orphanage is still standing however the area has been transformed into a foster community which contains homes for children to live in normal family situations while still  having access to the benefits that institutional care provides. I also learned that some of the proceeds from the race would be donated to the community. Upon learning this, I knew that Cam Fraser of Blue Mountain Revival Productions was a class act and we were in for a fantastic event.

 

Going into this race, I had some uncertainty about where I stood fitness wise. I had not raced since Hillybilly and had no idea what to expect. Looking around at the start line I noticed that I was in good company. With the likes of Sam Evans, David Wood, Brian Rogers and many others who I didn't recognize, I knew that this was going to be a fast ride.

With a long climb and some steep pitches less than a mile into the race, it didn't take long for the field to break up. Sam took the lead while taking two with him. I fell back into the next group of four which included David and Brian. We worked our way up the climb trading places here and there but remaining tight until hitting some descents. With Brian leading the way, we managed to pull away from the others in our group and set out in hopes of chasing down the three out front. It was something else watching Brian rail the gravel on his CX bike. It was apparent that Brian had more skills on his drop bar bike than I did on my mountain bike.

Not long after dumping out on pavement, we caught a glimpse of the guy in third. Unfortunately he caught a glimpse of us and took off. We kept our pace constant knowing that eventually we would gain some time on the solo rider. It took a while but we eventually caught Philip Short who had fallen off of the lead group. This all happened around the second and final aid station. I had planned to refill a bottle here but apparently Brian and Philip had not. As I stopped, they continued on. I was able to fill half a bottle before I decided it was time to go. Lucky for me as it turns out, the next section of the course was rough, overgrown (even though it had been mowed) and downhill. Being on my Specialized Carve with 1.8 Renegades, I knew that this may be my only chance to catch, pass and put a gap on these guys.

The downhill was very rough and my back along with my hands let me know. Here I was getting beat up on my mountain bike and the two guys I was trying to chase down were on CX bikes. I couldn't believe how fast and smooth they were. I managed to squeeze by both of them before the course turned into doubletrack. I knew that this section would be critical so I decided to attack. I quickly learned that it was useless to attack as Philip wasn't going anywhere. Shortly before exiting the doubletrack, we came upon the second place rider who was tending to a flat.

Philip and I knew that Sam was way out front and our chances of catching him were slim. We decided to work together in order to increase the gap we had on Brian and maybe close the gap on Sam. As we took turns taking pulls, Philip mentioned that there was a rider 200 yards back. Sure enough Brian was putting together an incredible solo effort. We continued to work and Brian continued to close the gap on us. As we encountered a slight downhill and flat, we drilled it. This was enough to increase our lead on Brian and start focusing on how this was going to finish out.

With twinges in my quads and hamstrings on both legs, I had been hurting for a while. Philip seemed to be managing and in my mind was stronger at this point. As we made the left turn which was our indicator of 1 mile left to the finish, I gave it all I had and didn't look back. I expected to see Philip come flying by me at any second but that never happened. As I turned into the Southmountain community I had a look over my shoulder and saw Philip 100 yards back. He must have been hurting more than he led on. As the finish line came into sight, so did Sam Evans. He was standing under the canopy sipping water with a bored look on his face. He had shown us all how it's supposed to be done by finishing about 12 minutes prior.

 

If you couldn't already tell, I really enjoyed this race. Everything from the atmosphere, venue, promoter, course, course marking, volunteers, competition and even the trophies were top notch. If you get the opportunity, I would highly recommend participating in a Blue Mountain Revival event. The next race in the Blueridge Monster Cross series is the Pisgah Productions Monster Cross. I am looking forward to seeing how this course rolls backwards. See you there!

Hilly Billy Race Report

Even with the setbacks that I had been experiencing this season, I have been determined to put my fitness to good use. With the NUE series or any races with singletrack out of the question, I decided to focus on the American Ultra CX series, Blueridge Ultra CX series as well as finishing up the King of Pisgah Series.

Since I raced the first race of the AUCX on the singlespeed, I figured that I should go ahead and race the remainder of that series on the singlespeed. I pulled the gears off of the Carve and turned it into the single that I enjoy riding so much. I have recently replaced my Quarq power meter with a Stages that I can easily swap from bike to bike. I have always liked racing by feel without having any numbers in front of me including time. For the Hilly Billy, I mounted up the power meter just so I could document some data from the race.

I had good company, so the drive up to Morgantown, WV passed by rather quickly. We stayed in a hotel the night before the race which was a nice change of pace. Being that most of my races are fairly long, they start early in the morning. Since the Hilly Billy was only 72 miles of pavement and gravel, it started at 10:00. This gave us ample time to get ready the morning of the race but standing around in the sun at the venue waiting for the start had me wishing for an earlier start.

After a five minute spin prior to the start, I decided that the gearing I was running may be too tough to push on the steep hills in the area. I was able to bum a larger cog off of another singlespeeder but was unable to make it work without adding some links to my chain. I decided to not risk a weak chain and put my 18t Endless back on.

As always, the pace was fast from the start. Once we found gravel, it was confirmed that I would have my work cut out with the gear that I was mashing. I found myself caught up in a rather large group, almost at a standstill, on a steep pitch in loose gravel. After some weaving while spitting rocks, I was able to work out of the mass of riders and onto some open road.



Photo Cred: Mike Briggs



Photo Cred: Mike Briggs

I was feeling great until the 50 minute mark but once the muscles started tightening in the back, I knew I was in for a long ride. Just like many times before, the discomfort that I was experiencing was enough for me to know that my race was over. My spinning, tucking and drafting turned into just spinning as it hurt to much to tuck. I took the opportunity to stretch my back out on every downhill wishing my problems would all just go away. I started asking other riders if there was an easy bail out option and was unable to figure one out.

When I arrived at the aid stations, I took time to stretch off of the bike. I thought that this might help some but it did not. A car ride back to the start/finish at each aid station would have been ideal but I just couldn't get myself to ask.

I spent much of the afternoon going back and forth with a dozen or so other riders. I was determined to not walk any of the course (even though it may have helped me) and would pass them on the climbs. I don't know how they could climb any slower than I was as I found myself almost at a standstill over and over. I would then get caught on the flats being that I was just spinning my gear out and coasting. Eventually I think the heat along with flats took many of these riders out because I found myself passing people with no one passing me back.

I was relieved to see the final grassy climb which meant the finish was near. I was hoping on finishing somewhere in the 4:30 time frame but ended up with 5:00. The course seemed like it would be tough even if I were feeling good. The hills were not long but they were steep and many were loose. They also kept coming for the entire race. After racing on a few courses similar to this one, I can say without a doubt that I much prefer climbing for many miles at a time.

Photo Cred: Mike Briggs

Photo Cred: Mike Briggs
The face kind of sums it up.. discouraged.

The quality of this event caught me off guard. It was fantastic! There were a ton of volunteers positioned at every turn on the course as well as at the aid stations and many of them were dressed up as Hillbillies. I hope to be back at this event next year and maybe I'll be able to get Vanessa to join me dressed as a Hillbilly.

Even though I have been working endlessly at trying to figure out my back issues and have put time in with several medical professionals and countless hours in the gym, it seems like the smart thing to do is take a break from racing. I still really want to finish out the King of Pisgah series with Monstercross and Double Dare but I'm not sure that's going to happen. Right now my focus is on getting to the bottom of this so I can heal up and come back strong next season.

I am currently in the process of trying to schedule an MRI. The scan may allow us to get a better look into what is going on and hopefully come up with some effective ways to treat it. The timing of all this is not the best as I leave on Sunday for a month of riding in CO. As of now, it's looking like I won't be scheduled for the MRI until I return. I am taking some bikepacking gear along with me and the flowers are popping right now. I can't wait to spend some quality time with V in a town we both have come to love. Crested Butte here we come!

Mohican 100 Race Report

It's been a while since my last post. Let's get caught up. On the weekend of June 1st, I traveled up to Loudonville, OH for the Mohican 100. I took the Epic along for this race and was looking forward to racing my first NUE race with gears and suspension.

Unfortunately, I was unable to enjoy the luxury of the squish and gears due to my back acting up soon after the start. Less than ten miles into the course, I was so uncomfortable that I had slowed to a crawl and was pulling over to stay out of the way of people actually racing. The plan was to bail at the first aid station however I just couldn't do it. What if I gave my back some time to work things out and it got to feeling better? It didn't happen. I don't know why but I also rode by aid #2. By the time I made it to aid #3, I knew that it was pointless to push on. I had been barely turning over the pedals since well before aid #1 and each revolution was just as painful as the last. I finally pulled out at aid #3 and rode the 10-15 miles of pavement back to the venue.

The ride back was a nice stretch of road along the Mohican river. With all of the people floating, kayaking, and grilling on pontoon boats, I was thoroughly entertained. I didn't count, but there must have been a couple dozen places to camp along that road. It looked like a great area to spend a weekend.

Yes there was a little bit of mud..not too bad this time.

As luck would have it, my traveling partner had also DNFed due to a hip injury sustained in the P55k. We showered up, grabbed a bite to eat and hit the road for our 10 hour drive back home. This was my first year at the Mohican and I have to say that it was a  very well run event. The venue was nice, the course was well marked, the food was good, and the volunteers were very helpful.

After my experience at Mohican, I decided that the 100 mile format is just too much for my body at the moment. Honestly,  I think that racing period is just too much for me right now. Even though I enjoy taking the trips and being at the races, I am too uncomfortable while on the bike to find any enjoyment in the race itself. I have decided to sell the remainder of my NUE entries and have restructured my season to include nothing but gravel grinders. Can I make it through the season by staying off of singletrack? We'll see.

P55k Race Report

After finishing up with the 111k, I made sure to spend ample time working on recovery. I found that my hamstrings just above the knee were quite sore. Coming off of a singlespeed, I am still not used to spending so much time in the saddle. I attribute this to the soreness of the hamstrings. To place more emphasis on the quads for the 55k, I went ahead and lowered my saddle just a tad. My back remained very sore throughout the evening and had me wondering what the morning would bring.

In the morning, I awoke to guess what... more rain!  I also awoke to no soreness in the back (how does that work?). Even though I felt as if the P55k was going to be more of a ride for me than a race, I went ahead and took up a spot in the front row. The start today had us going straight up Black Mountain to Turkey Pen. The pace was quick and I found myself in the same company as the day before. Once again, we dropped the rest of the pack rather quickly and once again, the threesome of Sam K., David W., and Sam E. pulled out of sight. As I hit the hike-a-bike on Black, I kept peering over my shoulder expecting to see a train of riders but instead saw no one.

Photo Cred: Eric W

Turkey Pen was just flat out treacherous. I am usually confident in most situations but my confidence took a big hit as a result of getting rocked twice the day prior. I was so tentative on the greasy downhills that I almost lost it a few times. I found myself at about the halfway point of TP when Morgan Olsson appeared behind me out of nowhere. I let him pass as I didn't want any witnesses to my rattled descending skills. I was able to bridge up to him on a few of the climbs but as the descents became longer, he was gone.

At one point on Turkey Pen, the trail was so slick and greasy that I decided to get off and walk. As I was walking, I slipped which caused me to turn my ankle and fall, sliding downhill with my bike on top of me. I had a sharp pain in my ankle and my first thought was that I had just broken my ankle while trying to be cautious. After some more sliding and riding, I made my way out to aid station #1 and it was apparent that I was dealing with some sort of sprain and not a break. Needless to say, my nerves were pretty rattled and I was questioning my ability to ride a bike.

With all of the walking that I had been doing, I was expecting all kinds of people to catch me. After all, there were people racing the P55k who did not race the 111k the day before. It was only a matter of time before being overtaken. I continued to look over my shoulder while navigating Bradley and knew that if I made it to 5015, I could more than likely out climb the others behind me. I made it to Yellow Gap with no one in sight and continued to keep a steady pace knowing that I needed any gap I could get as the descent that destroyed me 24 hours prior lay just ahead.

I did not clean Pilot nor did I try. When I got an uncomfortable feeling, I dismounted and walked. It happened more than I'd like to admit but I made it back to 1206 without incident. As I rolled through the last aid station of the day, I asked how far behind the person was behind me at the previous aid station. I was told that Garth had been just a couple minutes back. With how cautious I was coming down Pilot, I knew that he could be on my heels at any second. I proceeded to put the hammer down, picking the smartest lines I could find and standing where ever I could.

As I approached Black Mountain for the final time, I knew that the difference in being caught or not might depend on climbing versus hiking. As I climbed stuff that I had never even attempted when conditions were dry, I was amazed at what the mind can make the body do under certain circumstances. I descended off the top of Black cautiously and I was almost down to Pressly when my front tire slipped into a washed out gully sending me over the bars just to keep me humble. I passed through Pressly Gap where Clay was ringing a bell and cheering. Not ten seconds went by and I heard the bell again. The sound of that bell was enough motivation for me to climb my way out of Pressly ensuring that I would not get caught.

The pace I was now carrying was a little faster than I was comfortable with but by no means did I want to get passed in the last couple miles of the race. While making my way down the non-tech but very slick final section of Black,  I noticed a rider just up ahead. As I approached, it was apparent that Morgan had no idea I was behind him. The first thing I thought of was gaining enough speed so I could attempt a pass leaving him unsure of what just happened. Morgan had out ridden me for the entire day and he deserved to finish ahead of me. I did let him know that he had company and had better get rolling and roll he did. We flew down the remainder of the course and he was able to out sprint me by a wheel. Come to find out, Morgan thought that I was Garth who was racing in the same category as him. Sorry to mess with you like that, but it sure was fun! No one came in until 10 minutes after Morgan and I meaning that Clay passed out with the bell in his hand or was just messing with me.

Photo Cred: Eric W

Photo Cred: Vanessa

My finishing time for the 55k was 5:24. This put me in 4th in the Open and 5th overall on the day. I think that this also means that I am now sitting in fourth just ahead of Garth in the King of Pisgah Series. My legs felt better today than yesterday and my back felt great (I sure can't figure that one out). The Epic took a beating this weekend but performed flawlessly. I've already said it once, but the bike is phenomenal. The conditions experienced over these two races could destroy bearings of lesser wheels however after pulling off the hub on my Industry 9 Torches, I found happy bearings.

As always, a huge thank you goes out to Pisgah Productions as well as all of the volunteers, cheerleaders and Brados out on the course.

P111k Race Report

As I sit here this morning with my foot propped up icing my ankle, I notice how mangled my legs look. They are littered with cuts, scrapes, bruises and welts which will in time become scars, Pisgah scars.  As I recall the events that led to this thrashing, I can't help but crack a huge smile which in turn causes my jaw to ache from my temple down to my chin. Some people may look at me and think that I spent my weekend being tortured. To some, the races that Eric and Erinna Wever of Pisgah Productions promote, may be a form of torture but for me these races provide an opportunity for a sense of accomplishment and happiness.

The week after PMBAR, I was supposed to travel up to New York for the Wildcat Epic. With my experience at Cohutta the week prior to PMBAR, I decide to skip the Wildcat in favor of rest. In the week leading up to the 111k, I went on a few easy rides which left me a little uneasy about the upcoming events. Even with ample rest, my legs seemed to remain fatigued. I think that this may be because this year I am continuing to strength train while "in season".

Pisgah Productions

The P111k would be my first time racing in Pisgah where I didn't have to carry a huge pack filled with survival gear thanks to the four stocked aid stations on course. This race would also be one of the first times that I would be racing solo in the PNF. This meant that I could push myself as hard as I wanted without worrying about strategies that come into play when racing with a partner.

 I woke up the morning of the 111k to the familiar sound of rain. Being that this seems to be a theme this year, I knew exactly what I was in for. As we arrived at the venue, we were greeted by huge puddles as it continued to pour. The race hadn't even started and we were soaked to the bone. The start consisted of a short section of pavement followed by a long gravel climb. As we began the climb, I found myself in a group of three others which included Sam K., David W., and Sam E. We quickly put a gap on the rest of the field and it wasn't long until I watched the three climb out of sight.

Photo Cred: Eric W.

As I came up on Turkey Pen from the top of Black, I was told that I was two minutes off of the lead. About half way down the TP trail I caught a glimpse of Sam E. just ahead. He would remain within sight until the first check point where I was able to get out just ahead of him. Not far into Bradley Creek, Sam showed back up, dropped me on a descent and would not be seen again until much later in the day.

As I made my way up the 5015 climb to aid station #2, I found myself dealing with a significant amount of lower back pain which in turn was beating me down mentally. My mind was telling me to pull out of the race at aid #2 but in order to stay in the running for the King of Pisgah point series, I could not take a DNF. I was not in good shape pulling into aid #2 but as I pointed my bike down 1206, I knew that I was going to do what it took to push to the finish.

Nothing too exciting happened until I was descending Pilot. I have ridden this trail many times in all kinds of conditions. I have cleaned this trail most of the time and have never had much trouble with it. Well.. on this trip down, that all changed. I manged to clean all of the switchbacks down and was feeling good. Coming off the back side of a log that I had ridden without incident many times, I stuck my front tire into something. As my rear was coming off the ground, I tried to unclip but found myself stuck in the pedals. Sure enough, I hit the ground hard head first while remaining clipped in and tangled in my bike. I ended up in a pile of rocks which hit me hard on both sides of the spine just above the hips. I was hurting bad. As I got back on the bike I could not clip my right foot in. I was now in the infamous rock garden with one foot clipped and the other swinging freely when it happened again. I put my front tire in a hole and catapulted over the bars again landing hard in the rocks below. This time my bike came at me with a vengeance nailing me with a pedal? in the side of the head, putting a nice sized dent in my helmet and smashing my jaw into the rocks. At this point, I thought my race was over. I wasn't sure if I could even get up or gain enough composure to ride. All I remember thinking was that I was going to get passed by Garth on a technical downhill and give up a spot.

As I sat on the side of the trail to collect myself, I noticed that my right cleat was moving freely. No wonder why I couldn't clip or unclip. It took me a minute to figure out that I needed to take off my shoe and dig the dirt out of the allen holes in order to reset my cleat. Once back on the bike I crept down the remainder of the trail that I once had no fear of. Feeling lucky to not have been seriously injured and remaining in the fourth position, I made my way through aid #4 and grinded my way up South Mills and Buckhorn.

Photo Cred: Brado

It was within a couple miles from Black that I came upon Sam E. taking in some gel on Buckhorn. As I approached, he mentioned that he was not doing so well and then proceeded to ride away from me. I was able to keep within sight of him on the hike-a-bike to the top of Black but I knew that it was going to be impossible to overtake him today. It was apparent to me that he was a well-rounded rider and I was completely rattled when it came to descending Black. I crept down black without any issues and crossed the line in 7:17 which put me in fourth in the Open class and fourth overall.

Can we do it again... please!
Photo Cred: Eric W.

My legs felt like they were in good shape after the race but my body was more beat up than it had ever been from a single ride. With the heavy hits that I took crashing my way down Pilot, I was wondering if I was even going to be able to move the following morning let alone race the P55k. The P55k is also part of the King of Pisgah Series and I would have to finish the P55 if I wanted to remain in the series.