108 miles of Pinhoti

108 miles and 15,000+ vertical feet of the Pinhoti.

We were dropped off Friday at a trailhead in Summerville, GA. It was pouring down rain and 41 degrees… I was skeptical and debated for a moment about riding. Two of the guys (there were 6 of us) decided to stay dry and warm and took the cars into town for some beers and to buy dry firewood for that night. They were going to meet us at that night’s camping destination. It only took a few minutes to be completely soaked and ok with it. We would shiver any time we stopped moving so we tried to just keep going. We covered 38 miles and over 4,500 feet climbing on gravel road and amazing single track all while it continued to pour. We had our ~40 lb packs on just in case we didn’t make it to the camp site. It was an insane adventure and we were met by our dry friends at the site with hot coffee, dry socks and firewood. We camped at the Snake Creek Gap 17 mile trailhead. It finally stopped raining around 8PM the stars came out and we decided to use the cars to check out Jim's Family Restaurant. That way we could save our packed food and not have to re-up on groceries in Dalton.

The second day started with a welcomed sunrise and a high of ~60 degrees. All 6 of us were ready to roll with all of our equipment for the next 2 days. We covered 40 miles and another 5,000 feet of climbing before we found a really great camping spot. We rode the final 17 miles of Snake Creek Gap (which is an entirely different animal with a 40lb pack and the contents of a seatpost rack slapping you in the bum). We then had to make it to Chatsworth on pavement, so we refueled in Dalton and proceeded with the strangest looking paceline I’ve ever seen. The last few gravel miles before the camp spot felt like 20+ degree grades and I ultimately snapped my chain and bent my derailleur hanger which would haunt me later.

The third day was intense. The sun skipped through the huge hardwoods very early. It was hard to get any sleep so I didn’t mind… My back wouldn’t allow me to lay flat - on my back or stomach, and my hips didn’t like me being on my side… not to mention that we had three dudes crammed into an oversized two man tent. To start the day off, we got lost a couple times and found a nice creek to filter and refill on water. We had used all of our water for dinner and breakfast which were both amazing. Apparently there are some really great JetBoil recipes out there. One we found the Pinhoti again, we climbed some serious grades for what seemed like forever. The views were fantastic and the payoffs were insane! We came out of the woods after several hours to highway 52 and the Cohutta Overlook. It was cool to see the land we had ridden through on the horizon. From the overlook we bombed down the mountain and then over another pass on the most fun single track of the trip which dumped us into Bear Creek. We made it to Elijay where our buddy was waiting with a 15 person van to shuttle us back to where we had left our cars. Day three covered only 30 miles but over 5,500 feet of climbing.

There were surprisingly few mechanicals and no significant crashes – even with all the gear on. It was great to be reminded how vast even north GA is. The riding was very challenging and rewarding. I had previously convinced myself that I had to go to Pisgah in NC to get this type of all day riding in but in reality this stuff is only 60ish miles away.

Fool's Gold '08

Flashback one year ~ Fool's Gold '07 was my first bike race... I had been riding mountain bikes off and on since high school but never felt the need to be competitive. Mountain biking for me was an excuse to get out of town and play in the woods... observe nature, have fun with friends and do something healthy. Most of my rides were compromised by hangovers and the need for rest stops. I signed up for FG'07 with a group of friends that I had been riding a good amount with. We were riding nearly every weekend and we just wanted to see how far we would get on the 52 mile Bull/Jake Mountain course (this is one of our favorite trail systems). We camped at the top of the mountain and barely made it down to watch the field of riders moving up the first gravel road climb. We were late - but who cares... I'm just in it to finish. It was over 80deg as we mount the bikes at 7AM for the start. The temps quickly rose to over 95 and I struggled through most of the day. Roughly 6 hours and 20 minutes later I surprised myself when I finished the race and actually did ok at 18th place overall (out of ~80 riders). It felt so great to be finished and to think of all of the suffering and how my body was able to overcome and perform. The experiences of camping and the friends and the beer afterwards were all heightened because of the race... I wanted more events like this... I think I'll do more races... and I did this year. I believe I did 12 mountain bike races this year and I actually wish I was at the Black Bear Rampage this weekend for some more.

FOOL'S GOLD '08:

I had been looking forward to this race all year. After doing the entire Georgia State Championship series and some 12 hour / 24 hour team events I was ready for an endurance race. All of the races I had done up to this point in the year were basically just long sprints. Give me 50 miles and all day and let me just have some fun. I was also curious how my time would compare this year with last year's first effort. My goal was to improve by at least 20 minute and finish at sub-6 hours.

I took a half day off work on Friday and we went up to Dahlonega to find a prime camping spot. We arrived around 3PM and the spots were filling up and racers were getting registered and comfortable. We wanted to go have some fun while we waited on the rest of our crew to come in from Atlanta that evening. We rode up the mountain to a swimming hole we had found over the previous year. The water was freezing and I was getting demolished by mosquitoes. We decided to explore down stream but didn't bother putting shoes on... then... I stepped on something painful. I lifted up my foot and found a squirming yellowjacket. He got me right between the toes and my foot was swelling immediately. The plan was to get the rest of the crew set up once they arrive and then head into town for some dinner... By the time we left for dinner my left foot was about twice the size of my right. We made a poor choice and ate dinner at a horrible Italian spot right across the street from another Italian restaurant that we later heard great things about. We still had fun though. On the way back to camp we found a CVS and I scored some benadril and ointment for my throbbing and huge foot. Seriously - any time someone looked at my foot they would laugh. It looked like a cartoon foot and I was getting worried.

The benadril helped me sleep and I woke up at 5:45AM feeling good - but my foot was still huge. I grabbed some breakfast and got ready. I do the best I can to strap my left shoe on and ride over to the start line. It was dark and almost chilly. The weather was going to be perfect for the race, especially compared with last year. The high for the day was 80ish! Also - we found out that the course was rerouted a bit to get the mileage exactly 50 miles - and the section eliminated was the toughest from the previous year. There were some useless horse trails used last year that were completely rutted and stair stepped and un-rideable. I was glad to hear about the weather and course, but now I had to adjust my goal of sub-6hrs. What should I shoot for... maybe 5 hours and 30 minutes? That's a 50 minute improvement - no way!

We line up at 6:50 for the 7AM start and there is a ton of people. Apparently this race had blown up and we now had ~300 racers! The whistle blows and we are off... the first 12 - 13 miles of the course are a gravel road climb with the first 5 miles being straight up and getting steeper along the way. Groups begin to form and I'm not satisfied with the pace. I move up the mountain and find a group of 3 to ride with. They were pushing it and on some sections we could still see the lead group that was about 12 deep. I didn't want to climb too fast and not be able to hang for the final 40 miles, but I didn't want to sit back and wished I had ridden harder either. I was tough to gauge considering I had not done any long rides or endurance events all year. We keep pushing and start to absorb some of the guys who could not hang with the lead group and we also get passed by a few folks. I was still feeling ok and felt even better knowing that there was probably only 15 or so racers ahead. AH!!! It is only 5 miles into the 50 mile course - I can't start thinking about that!! So... I calm down and just enjoy the ride.

I skip the first SAG stop and fly down the other side of that 12 miles of elevation gain. It was super sketchy with loose gravel and a smoke screen from the riders ahead. I'm trying to keep my tires on the ground when I hear someone next to me giving a "yo A! looking good!!" what the hell?? who would ride up next to me on this crazy 30+mph frightening descent? it was none other than the same dude who beat me at every GSC race - Robert! He nailed it and took off through the dust to catch the leaders. I reach the first section of singletrack and was loving it. This race was going to be fun!

I knew that I had about 10 miles before the next rest stop and my bottles were doing ok. I thought I could also skip this stop, but my bladder didn't agree. I'll spare you the details, but I held on till SAG2 so I could empty the bladder and top off my bottles in one stop. The volunteers were throwing a party and offered PBR and cookies - I settled for water and a cookie for now. I head back to the trails and they just kept getting sweeter and sweeter. I was seriously loving it! I finish off this 15 mile loop section and come across SAG3, which by design was also SAG2. They are still partying and I turn down another beer. I make a new bottle and stuff my pockets because I don't want to stop again until the finish. I leave and I'm feeling great still. I'm pacing myself and wondering if I should begin to push it a bit more.

Not sure what else to say - except that I was loving it! Still loving it! One thing that was a bit strange was that I kept having to reach down and tighten my left shoe. I was wondering what was going on but was having too much fun to care if my shoe was falling apart... then I realized that the swelling in my foot was going down. I had totally forgotten about my big throbbing foot!

I skip past SAG4 and head into the final section of the course. I try to increase my pace and realize that I had actually been working a bit... I felt like I could maintain this pace all day, but when I would try to accelerate it would hurt. I passed a few people and wondered how far up the trail that lead group was. Could I break into the top 10?? I had been riding back and forth all day with a Dedicated Athlete rider and he was ahead of me as we dipping back into some twisty singletrack. He crashed right in front of me and told me to go around - something about needing to chill for a minute.

This was a super fun section of trail that must have been the bypass of the horse trails from the previous year. I pass the waterfall and come out onto the last section of doubletrack before the creek crossing and final descent into the finish line. As soon as I come out of the singletrack there is a group of horses coming right for me. The trail was tight and I didn't want to spook them... I make it past the first 3 and then the 4th horse completely falls down right next to me. We spooked the hell out of each other and I felt terrible about it. The horse right behind him spun around and I thought he was about to kick me in the throat. This was ugly and I wasn't sure what to do. I slid through and hoped for the best. I cross the final creek, bomb down the gravel road we had climbed at 7AM and then take the finish re-route over some trees and through the camp. I finish at 4 hours and 42 minutes and just in time to get slapped across the ass by Ritchie. An improvement of ~1.5 hours and 12th place overall. I honestly wanted to ride more... this is the fun stuff!

Full results:
http://www.55nineperformance.com/Results_2008.htm

This guy took some amazing photos throughout the weekend:
http://pa.photoshelter.com/package-show/P0000lfSaqD5aWI8

Me... http://pa.photoshelter.com/img-show/I0000g8Y2hRUgIIA

GSC WRAP UP

i knew this was going to happen at some point. i let a couple weeks slide and then all of a sudden the 'season' is over and i didn't do a race report for the final 3 races.

where did i leave off?? the Georgia State Championship series ended with a race at Fort Mountain on July 20th and then the finale at the 'Pig Trails' in Macon on August 3rd. these courses were near opposites but both great races.

GSC #7 - Chatsworth, GA - Fort Mountain:

A ~6 mile course where we would do 3 laps. Not sure why I bother explaining every time, but I once again showed up late and didn't get a chance for a pre-ride. This time I barely even got to start. The racers were on the line while I was signing in. I paid and ran over to line up and the guys were giving me a hard time. Some of them are used to watching me fly off the trail on the first lap due to surprises. They asked if I had a chance to look at the finish - I hadn't... They explained that the end of the lap was a downhill that looked like a downhill ski run and followed the straight down power lines.

The whistle blows and I think there were 15 or 16 of us for my group. I try to mash for position at the start and come unclipped from my pedal. I'm trying to get clipped back in as the group pulls away from me - only 30 feet into the race and I'm dead last! We make it to the singletrack and it goes straight up! The group turns into single file and starts climbing - me still in the very back. The rider in 9th or 10th position falls on the climb and we are stuck waiting for him to get up and clear the trail. The lead group pulls away and we get going again. The course opened up after the first mile for some doubletrack and I was able to make some passes. I was really loving this course! It was up and down and tough. I felt good and figured that since I had a bad start and the lead group got away instantly I would just enjoy the ride and work for a top 10 and hope for a 5th or 6th. I was going back and forth with a couple guys I had raced all series and we were pushing each other really hard.... After some great rolling grunt climbs and rocks and fast sections, I hit a tough rock garden about 50 meters long which is followed by a straight up switchback and more climbing. The climb was rocky and long and when I reach the top and the clearing I notice the power lines above. We turn right and drop off the side of the mountain for the final descent of the lap. It was crazy fast and hard to keep the tires on the ground. About half way down I'm hearing cheering and heckling from the announcer... from the bottom of the descent you could watch the entire thing. What a great place to watch the race! Lap 1 was over and I now knew the course and had 2 more to go.

The 2nd and 3rd laps were super fun and from what I remember, I was still having fun with it even though there were some painful sections. Until maybe half way into the 3rd lap I was still fighting for what I assumed was about 5th place with a Dedicated Athlete rider. We had exchanged positions a few times at this point. I finally pull away from him on a climb and I didn't see him again. My 3rd time up the long ending climb and I'm anticipating the downhill on the other side and then the cold beer. I'm climbing and come up on a racer. He is nearly falling off his bike. He tells me as I pass him that he "couldn't hold me off any longer... enjoy second place". I thought he was messing with me so I gasped back... "seriously!?" I crest the climb and fly down the otherside while being heckled some more. I cross the finish line and right then my rear tire blows out. Yes! and great timing! Results are posted and the guy wasn't kidding after all. Finished 2nd and loved it. Possibly my favorite course of the series.



GSC #8 - Macon, GA - Pig Trail:

We had a couple extra hours before this race due to an 11:30AM start. Of course that meant more time in bed rather than leaving early and considering any pre-ride - and temps around 90 degrees at the start. From what I had heard, this was a wide open, flat and fast course. It was a ~8 mile course and we would race for 3 laps. Most of the course was super fast where standing up and mashing in the big ring was the only way to keep up.

I had a good start and was having a pretty good race at about 5 miles in. Too early to get comfortable! I was in 3rd (i believe there were 17 at the start) and did not see anyone in front or behind me. Then.... the course had some new re-routes that were tight, steep and rooty. I am clearly not good at mixing the two styles - wide open speed then tight, technical and slower. It's not the first time I had run into this problem. I hear some riders catching up and as I push harder I get more clumsy. On a particularly tight and rooty switchback I went into in the entirely wrong gear and when I attempt to quickly gear down my bike has some ridiculous chain suck. I tried to back it out but nothing was helping. I could either move another inch and risk snapping my chain or jump off the bike and use my fingers to relieve my chain. As soon as I dismount I am passed by 2 racers. I never saw them again and I was trying to catch up. I did actually see them through the trees a couple times but I think they were further up the trail than it seemed due to number of turns in the trail.



I'm still riding as fast as I know how and I believe that I am holding onto 5th place after my mechanical. I actually have to dismount at least five more times for the chainsuck issue... I think it had a lot to do with the dry and dirty conditions and a stiff link. My chain was in bad need of lube. About half way through the 3rd lap I am passed by a guy with 8xx (eight hundred and something) on his calf. I sit on his wheel for a short bit and decide to let him go since he wasn't in my category (my cat was always in the 700s). After the race I find out that there were several racers in my category that were given the wrong number! The guy that I let go was racing against me - I ended up in 6th for the race. Bummer.

I had secure a 2nd place overall for the Georgia State Championship Series!! The race was followed by a dinner and banquet where palques and tons of prizes were given out.

Final Standings




I really enjoyed the GSC series and learned a lot about my racing. The promoters, racers, and friends were all great and made this summer one of my best ever. I said earlier that I wouldn't commit to the entire series next season. I will probably race a handfull and will try to avoid getting into the points chase. I may move up to the Expert category and race for top 10 finishes rather than the podium. The difference between Sport and Expert seems to be maintaning the race pace for an additional lap. I'll need to find more endurance before next spring!

**to catch up i will have to put out a report for Fool's Gold '08 and FM.24.08. click the linkys for some scoop (think DREADNOK).

The only race I have remaining on my 'schedule' is next weekend's Festival of Speed down at Dick Lane Velodrome. The pro races should be really exciting with some big names coming to town.

Festival of Speed - July '08

This past weekend was the 2nd Dick Lane Velodrome Festival of Speed for ’08 (there are only 3 each year) – which also happened to be my first. I’ve gone to several festivals as a spectator in the past and always looked on with great respect. Track racing is fast and smart and the riders always appeared to be fearless. I wondered if I would ever decide to step up to the challenge and take on a festival for myself. I started riding this season in the Ds (beginner) and have since then moved up to the Bs (expert) and with that comes an invite to the Festival of Speed. The festival only has Pro / Expert / and Women cats.

I had no idea what to expect going into the festival and I was feeling under-prepared. Going into the 4th of July weekend I rode a couple hammer fest group rides and then went up to the Gaps in north GA… I was busted. Then I stayed off the bike until Wednesday night racing at the track last week. It was the hardest Wednesday night of the year and I could not get on top of my gear. The next day (Thursday) I picked up my dog from the hospital after some pretty rough surgery and it proceeded to rain…. So no riding…. I did spend some time on the trainer which I had not done in months but at this point was critical. So Saturday finally comes and I’m nervous and it is 95deg and steamy. I get on my bike and was surprised to actually feel really good.

Warning - the text below contains specifics and may come off as boring and/or self absorbed. i appologize, however since i personally enjoy reading other people's race reports i don't actually feel bad.

The races started with 5 Lap Scratch heats. My heat had 4 riders and I was able to be in the right position. I rode 3rd wheel for the first 3 laps and then people tried to make a couple moves. The first 2 riders wanted to give up their positions but we weren’t having it. Coming into turn 3 on lap 4 and the rider in 4th position made a strong move over the top. Fortunately we were riding fairly high on the track and I was able to respond quickly underneath and grab his wheel. We turned it on and I just sat in 2nd position until turn 3 on the bell lap. We were coming in all together and I was able to come over top and take the sprint. The winners of the Scratch heats were now qualified for the Handicap race later in the evening.




The next race was a 15 Lap Point A Lap. The first rider over the line each lap would get a point and the rider with the most points wins the race. I sat in for the first few laps and then decided to make a move. I pulled around for a point and then looked back to notice that no one responded. Instead of waiting for the group, I tried to push a smooth line and collect a couple more laps. I’m getting updates from some spectators who are telling me that I have to keep it up… I’m 50 meters out… I collect 7 points and then I’m caught. I tried to do the math and realized that I left 8 points up for grabs. I’m watching the riders in the front and could not tell who was collecting the points now. I then hear over the PA something about a “2 way tie”. I wasn’t sure if this was for first place but I didn’t feel like risking it after the effort that I had put in for this race. I stood up going into turn 1 from about 6 riders deep and took the last lap to guarantee the win.



The next race was a 30 Lap Points Race. We would race for 30 laps (6 miles) with a sprint every 5 laps which scored 3 deep. The rider with the most points wins the race. I don’t exactly remember this race except that it was long and difficult and I was able to get into a small break at the end and somehow come up with enough points for the win.



Later in the evening we raced a Miss And Out which is always super stressful. The last rider across the line each lap is eliminated until the field is reduced to 3 riders. These 3 riders will continue for a 2 lap race. Positioning is very important and I’ve only ridden this race a few times so I’ve yet to find anywhere I would consider comfortable. We were down to about 8 riders and I was completely boxed in at the bottom of the track between turns 1 and 2. We are riding very tight and I feel someone coming down on me. I’m communicating for the rider to “STICK” which means for them to hold their line. The next thing I hear is someone going down right behind me. I look back expecting to see several riders, but it was somehow just Kurt. We roll up the track to clear the scene the next time around and then I look back again to see that he is already gone. Then during a neutral lap, I see Kurt rolling back into the field and the race is back on. That was awesome! Kurt earned some serious cred… I decide to move into the front and attempt to control the pace. If anyone came over the top I would be able to attempt to sprint and there was a good chance that a rider would be boxed in behind me and I would survive another lap. We race for a few more laps and I look back and realize that we are now down to the final 3 – and I’m still alive! We roll through our ‘neutral’ lap and then the bell. I’m riding 2nd wheel and on the back straight 3rd wheel makes his move. It seems that he has decided to box me in instead of completing his pass. I slow a bit and move up and behind him. I’m ok with 3rd wheel for the moment but I realize I need to make a move soon… I have to come way over the top and the final sprint is super tight. We finish all within a bike length and I barely squeeze out the win.



Finally – I’m ready for some hanging out and sports beverage drinking while watching the pros rip it up… but we have the Handicap Race. This is a little complicated, but the winner from each heat of each cat’s Scratch Race is now on a ‘team’. The Women start on the back straight, the Experts start between turns 1-2, and the Pros start on the front straight. It’s a standing start with holders and then nail it for 4 laps. The idea is to have all groups sprinting in the end for places… We Experts put together a game plan and are going to try to be at top speed by turn 3 and then take half lap pulls until the end. We are given the “GO” and my holder gives me an amazing push and I was immediately ahead of one of my ‘teammates’. I get on Kurt’s wheel going into turn 3 and he pulls until turn 1. He pulls up and it’s my turn… I’m pulling as hard as I can and I look back to see no one. This is always a hard decision in the Handicap Race – Do I wait for my team which appears to be all broken up or do I just put my head down and spin as hard and fast as I can. I decide to just go…. I pass the women and I’m feeling really good. I come around for the bell lap in first place and then I all of a sudden felt real bad… I hold on for as long as I can and I’m coming into turn 3 when I look back to see the Pro group (they were still together!) coming up really, really fast… they blew past me like I was standing still and I though about trying to catch a tow from them but there was no way I could have caught on. Then I realize that Alex (a fellow Expert) had caught on with them – smart move!



Once we finished the Handicap Race it finally occurred to me that I was done for the day. I had survived my first Festival of Speed and actually did pretty well. I was excited to grab a beer and relax. Later that night I found out that there was a payout for the Expert class. I thought the money was only for the Pro class and the opportunity did not even occur to me... who would have though that I might be in a position for any type of payout…. So, I got paid a little which was a fantastic surprise and another first for me. I’ll just say that I earned my registration money back and maybe some lunch money…

Full results: RESULTS

All photos by Chris Kelly: PHOTOS

66 - SERC/GSC & mixed feelings

it's been a while so i have two race reports to post in order to catch up. the past few weekends have been busy... why the cryptic subject? the two races were SERC6 and GSC6 and i came away from each of them with a nearly opposite vibe in the end.

SERC #6 – GSC makeup - Clemson

Two Sundays ago was the Clemson SERC#6 race which was also the GSC makeup race. I needed the makeup since I skipped GSC#4 at Heritage Park. Not a whole lot to say about this race… and without sounding too bitter, this is how the race went down… It was the worst I've felt in a race all year. It may have been a combination of lack of fitness, my sausage biscuit having an argument with me, and the fact that my brakes were 40% on 100% of the time. Pissed... I had my bike overhauled and ended up with new bottom bracket, chain ring, cassette, chain and brake pads. When I pick up the bike from the shop the wheels barely moved and I was told that the new pads would work out after a couple miles. After the race my front wheel was marginally better but my back wheel would still only spin a few rotations before coming to a hard stop. No wonder it felt like I was dragging a weight behind me. I just couldn't get any momentum for some reason... Finished the race in 7th place and looking for revenge.

I have to remind myself to preride the course! Again I raced a course I've never seen. Had a decent start and at the bottom of the first descent I completely missed the hard left inside the tree. I end up off the trail while the entire field passed me. In my condition I couldn't have stayed in the front group anyway, but playing catch up from the beginning is not the ideal way to spend efforts.


GSC #6 – Eatonton - Rock Hawk

This Sunday’s race had our wave of categories taking off at 11:30am which was a welcomed change from the 9:30am start times. However, instead of sleeping in we stayed true to our bros and car pool partners and left Atlanta at 7am (that was the plan anyway). Adrian was racing with the base wave at 9:30… We met up at A&P and a brief series of comedies began. Between loading up 5 people’s gear into 2 separate cars and a last minute wakeup call for ARon, just getting out of town was a challenge. We finally make it out of the city limits around 7:50 and we get Adrian to his start with only a couple minutes to spare – he went on to a strong finish with 5th place.

It was really nice to have the time to eat and get a full warm up before the next wave of races started. Unfortunately I once again did not get to pre-ride the course, but from talking with other riders it was explained to me that the course was really fast – except for where it was really slow. Huh? I even heard it explained as a true yin/yang course. What? So the course was a ~9 mile loop and we would do 2 laps. About half of the course was open undulating double track where big ring mashing was the protocol. The other half of the course was horrible single track that had been created within the past few weeks. It was like they had raked a trail between every tree possible and over rocky off camber climbs and descents. Not my favorite course but there is really great potential out there for some excellent trails.

We line up and there are two rows of riders in my class. I knew the start was going to be fast and within about 50’ we were funneled into a narrow paved path and then there was an initial 3’ drop off of the pavement onto gravel and then dirt. I had been watching all of the other cats start and waited for some carnage at the drop but it appeared to run pretty clean. I was still nervous about how I would find it in traffic... The whistle blows and we are sprinting toward the drop (no problem!) and the first section of extremely narrow and twisty single track. I’m 4th into the single track and we are all in a tight pack. We come out to the first double track climb and we are all still in a pack. A couple guys make their first move and I follow. I end up riding second wheel for the next couple of miles… I look back and notice that we are somehow alone. This part of the course was really fast but with many off camber and loose turns. I was trying to stay with 1st place and we were both in the big ring and standing up to get over the short climbs and then nailing it on the downhills. We make it to the next section of single track and he starts to drop me. At this point we are mixing it up with the riders from the previous cats and once in the single track it was very hard to make passes. I ended up off the bike 3 times on this lap due to slipping out on the new unpacked trail or just looking ahead for a passing lane and being out of control on the rocks below. The first lap is finally over and I figure that there is no reeling in 1st place (this is the same guy that has won the past 3 races) so I need to recover some to finish strong and ride cleaner on the 2nd lap.

This lap was much like the first and when I get to the new single track section I realize that I’ve been caught by the 3rd place rider who I had not seen since around mile 4. This was not good news because I was feeling it… A huge challenge for me on this course was having the fitness to ride all out on the open sections and then still be able to handle the highly technical and slow moving sections. All of my muscles were spent and moving the bike through the rocks and holding the line was getting harder and harder. Everytime the 3rd place guy would get within a few feet of me I would have to dig and pull away some. I was just hoping that I could make it last… we get to the last 500 yards of trail and a singlespeeder crashes about 20’ in front of me and as he’s getting up and about to get on his bike in middle of the trail, I’m yelling at him “heads up – we’re coming hard and we can’t stop”. Well – I had to nearly stop or run right into him…. Now 3rd place is only a couple inches off of my rear tire and I knew that he was setting up for a sprint to the finish line. We pop out of the woods and the last obstacle is a 1’ step-up from the dirt to the pavement and then ~30 yards to the finish line. I decide that I need to get into a taller gear for the sprint and as I’m trying to change gears and not stop pedaling – I completely mistimed the step up and had a pedal strike on the pavement which nearly sent me face down. I’m trying to get clipped back in while I get passed and then it was too late for a true sprint. The announcer and the spectators around the finish all give a collective “oohhh aahhh hhhahaa”. The announcer took pleasure in saying “oh – the pleasure of a win and the agony of a defeat” (I was the defeated). I rode 2nd and finished 3rd. Oh well… I was happy with my effort knowing that I couldn’t have done anymore, but I was disappointed in myself for making that last mistake costing my position.

a photo montage of the GSC race:

*the start - i'm nervous and already paranoid.


*sitting up and looking for a passing lane.

*struggling a bit.
*done.

GSC #5 - Carter's Lake

from what we had heard and read, the Carter's Lake trail was really tough. we decided to head up to Elijay on Saturday for a preride and some camping which worked out great. it was ridiculously hot at over 95deg so i took it really easy and just tried to imagine the course at a race pace. the course was a 5 mile loop which was had several screaming rocky descents and gruelling climbs. the rest of the course is what i heard some people call 'undulating', but that seems like a bit of an understatement. after the ride we jumped in the lake and then headed into town for a nice dinner. perfect day.

[while we were in the lake we watched an episode of our favorite hick sitcom unfold right before our eyes... a family showed up to do some fishing and within a couple minutes the very pregnant daughter gets hooked in the thigh. the dad unsuccessfully tries to pull out the hook and everyone else is mad at her for ruining their fishing trip. they pile back in the car and leave in a hurry. we were making up several alternate endings...]

7am and the race promoters are there blasting Cake through the woods. we wake up and cook up some breakfast and head to the starting line. the race starts at 9:30AM and it is already pushing 90deg! my old man category voted for 2 laps (8 to 7 - i voted 3 but was sort of glad when i was done after 2). it was hot and the course was steep. we toed the line and once i knew that it was going to be a short race i knew that the start was the most crucial part. i pounded up the start climb as fast as i could... i was first to the chicain (sp??) that funneled us into the singletrack - but then Ed flies past me through the cones. we hit the first descent and it is fast and scary. on the first climb i'm riding Ed's wheel and two guys pass us quickly. i follow them and they are killing it. the number 2 guy in front of me is starting to blow up and he is trying to recover on the downhills while i watch 1st place disappearing. i'm telling this guy to "keep pedaling - keep the gap - you've got this - keep up with #1 - do you mind if i get around...." i'm scrubbing this guys tire but there is nowhere to pass. we finally make it to a double track climb and i pass him but never again see 1st place. that guy won by ~2 minutes in an 11 mile race. thats nuts!

this was a great mountain bike course. i wish it was a longer trail because it would be fun to go RIDE (not necessarily do RACE loops on). i understand at least 2 collarbones were left on the trail.

*the pits indicate the heat index.

Goldsprints! ATL

Goldsprints have made it to the south - and they are painful. I raced a few heats on Saturday night and i'm still a little sore.

this was all part of the Faster Mustache 3 Year Birthday Party and Fundraiser. bands, djs, mustache contest and the main event - Goldsprints... it was a really good time and after a couple good heats and knowing what was left in the bracket - i was feeling pretty good about the competition. i wanted that Kazane! (sorry Chicken). i'm called up for round 4 after Night Moves finished their set. at this point it was about 11PM and i had been at Lenny's since 5:30 with no dinner.... we had to register by 5:30 and run qualifiers at 6 to build the brackets... so - in round 4 they call me and Scott Hodge to the stage. Hodge never shows up and apparently had bailed - much like his lunch after round 3. after some confusion, they decided to call up the late arriving Billy 'the East Point Outlaw' Santana to race against me. whatever - he just happens to be the #3 points holder and Elite/A racer at the Velodrome - spent all winter with his coach riding 20-25 hours a week - and it would be his first heat since he didn't come to Lenny's until after registration, qualifiers and 3 heats were in the bag - so, yup. this was intense and people were putting money on it (i think there was a $3 pot to go to me if i won). they decided to level the playing field a bit and fatigue Billy by having him chug a PBR. so - they count us down and we're off. spinning like frigging crazy and we have people seriously about 5 inches from our faces screaming at the tops of their lungs. fun stuff... i'm being screamed at that i'm ahead and then everyone yells for us to stop. the program had crashed (not the first time) and we were going to have to start over. apparently i was ahead and it crashed right at the half way point - so - they make a rule that if the program crashes at the halfway point or beyond they call the race to the spinner who was ahead - starting now - like if it happened again - not for me. thanks. so they remind us that the program crashes when people jump the count and they begin to count us down again. i listen to the entire count and give too long of a delay (i wanted to be certain that the program would not crash as i was into the last efforts my body would possibly allow). Billy got a jump and i had to catch up. i caught him and kept it really close and lost. something about some hundreths of a second at the finish. i was toast and quickly proceeded to the bar in an attempt to replace the fire in my legs with the cool comfort of a pibber. Billy went on to take home the frame in the final.

i'll share one of my heats... this is what it looked like to race Skip of No Brakes ATL:

This was not the last Goldsprint to be had in Atlanta.

a good report from Kurt at FM with links to photos.

**edit: the party and sprints were given mention on How To Avoid The Bummer Life!! one of my favorite blogs! see if you recognize the photo**