Depending on who you ask I might be referred to as a mountain biker or a roadie. No doubt I started in mountain bikes and this year moved further to the road side than anyone would ever want to, but that doesn't mean I don't love shredding on beautiful single track. That combined with having friends like Keck Baker and Gordon Wadsworth means you always have an eye on the endurance scene and jumping in for a hundo has been on my radar since learning about all the stoke at the Shenandoah Mountain 100. Unfortunately SM is the same weekend as Green Mountain Stage Race and I haven't been able to toss my hat in the ring. Fortunately Keck kept nagging me to come down to visit Gordon and take on the Fool's Gold 100. Somehow he also convinced me driving 7 hours back home and waking up early to get to Jeremiah Bishop's Alpine Loop Gran Fondo was also a good idea. Not sure if Keck's advice is to be taken anymore. Either way, what a weekend, here we go....
Fool's Gold 100
Fool's Gold 100 is in Gordon's backyard so he invited myself and others to stay with him before the race. We were met with a nice shake out ride, a Pippagram, and an awesome Pesto Chicken dinner with lots of melons for desert. It was a different group than normal but awesome to enjoy the friendship and laughter pre-race. Significant discussion went in to how far the course was. Gordon said 35 minutes, Google said 80 minutes. We set alarms for 4:30am and hoped we'd have enough time to get there. A good breakfast and packing up and we hit the road at 5:15am. Okay, first problem with hundo's, have you heard of starting at 10:00am? It's amazing, you should try it. I realize this wouldn't work, but I don't think I'd woken up before 7:00 before this...ouch. Either way, neither Google Maps or Gordon were quite right, we got to the course in an hour of ripping through twisty Georgia roads in the dark just in time to get our drop bags to their Feedzones, except Keck, who missed a drop somehow.
With drop bags in I could relax and get ready. At this point in time I once again realized i didn't know what I was doing, everyone was so prepared with their headlamps, because it was pitch black outside. Smart. Oh well. I dressed up, stuffed all the food possible in my jersey pockets, and backup stash tucked in to the jersey, and a PopTart in hand for pre-race. A wise man once told me endurance racing was just an eating contest. On the line, Keck just looked at me and said, "man, I'm not really sure what I got you in to, good luck out there." Thanks Keck, real confidence inspiring for a race where I have NO IDEA WHAT I'M DOING! With that, we were off.
Immediately following the neutral roll out I attacked, because I thought it best to be in the early break, oh, not road racing, darn. Okay, regroup, geez, that attack did not feel good. Time to relax. The group responded quickly and it may have set the tone because the first climb was hard. So much for relaxing and easing in to it. The gravel climb lasted for a long time and solidified a lead group of 6-8 or so going in to the first single track section. The section was short we were back on gravel. Eventually we hit aid #2 and Dylan Johnson set the pace from there leading in to the single track heavy back half of lap #1 of 2. Brief climb led to some awesome buffed out single track ending in a big creek crossing. Now I need to pause this story to let you in on a little known fact. I don't want my feet to get wet, especially 30 miles in to 100 miles of trail. Now, in collegiate racing Luke Vrouwenvelder and I would neutralize all water crossings or damp sections to keep our feet dry. This tactic found some disapproval at times, but people realized it was a better way of racing, if everyone went slow it was okay. Now, back to the racing, I saw this creek crossing and for sure was not getting my feet wet but neutralizing it wasn't going to be a simple option, so I did the next best (worst) thing I unclipped and lifted my feet above my handlebars and went flying across it. Papa Keck immediately shook his head and told me how sketchy that was, specifically, "That was the sketchiest thing I have ever seen". I then found myself in a super hard gear and unable to clip in on the backside and lost 4 spots, so...all around a good situation. Now, back to the racing. Dylan set the pace up the steep and tough single track climb until only four of us were left. Brian Schromm flatting, and only Keck, Gordon, and I holding pace. The descent was gradual and flowy so we kept the pedals spinning and ripped our way to aid three and the remaining flowing Single Track that led us back to the big gravel climb and the start of Lap #2.
Immediately following the neutral roll out I attacked, because I thought it best to be in the early break, oh, not road racing, darn. Okay, regroup, geez, that attack did not feel good. Time to relax. The group responded quickly and it may have set the tone because the first climb was hard. So much for relaxing and easing in to it. The gravel climb lasted for a long time and solidified a lead group of 6-8 or so going in to the first single track section. The section was short we were back on gravel. Eventually we hit aid #2 and Dylan Johnson set the pace from there leading in to the single track heavy back half of lap #1 of 2. Brief climb led to some awesome buffed out single track ending in a big creek crossing. Now I need to pause this story to let you in on a little known fact. I don't want my feet to get wet, especially 30 miles in to 100 miles of trail. Now, in collegiate racing Luke Vrouwenvelder and I would neutralize all water crossings or damp sections to keep our feet dry. This tactic found some disapproval at times, but people realized it was a better way of racing, if everyone went slow it was okay. Now, back to the racing, I saw this creek crossing and for sure was not getting my feet wet but neutralizing it wasn't going to be a simple option, so I did the next best (worst) thing I unclipped and lifted my feet above my handlebars and went flying across it. Papa Keck immediately shook his head and told me how sketchy that was, specifically, "That was the sketchiest thing I have ever seen". I then found myself in a super hard gear and unable to clip in on the backside and lost 4 spots, so...all around a good situation. Now, back to the racing. Dylan set the pace up the steep and tough single track climb until only four of us were left. Brian Schromm flatting, and only Keck, Gordon, and I holding pace. The descent was gradual and flowy so we kept the pedals spinning and ripped our way to aid three and the remaining flowing Single Track that led us back to the big gravel climb and the start of Lap #2.
Dylan, Keck, Gordon and I set a leisurely pace up the climb. I was beginning to realize how long a day it was going to be, and while feeling great, attack didn't seem like an option from 50 miles out, so I rode as easy as Keck and Dylan allowed. This allowed Brian Schromm to catch us at aid #5, which he blew, and got 10 seconds on Keck and I leaving Dylan and Gordon further back chasing and never catching on. The infusion of pace turned the race light on. Keck and I caught Brian on the singletrack but he slammed the gas on the gravel and put me in some pain. I lead the next single track section and tried to put some pain back on Brian since he had been riding hard to catch us. My effort did nothing and I was starting to feel wonky. Not dehydrated or under fueled, just not feeling good. Shortly after that I could feel my rear tire going flat. Bummer, I pulled off the trail and hit it with half a CO2 and kept rolling, 3:00 later it was going flat again, another hit of CO2 and I kept going to aid #6 and the start of the long climb. It was holding okay but flat, I didn't want to lose any more time so I kept riding gently and began the long single track climb on 8psi. By that point I was completed out of it. Gordon calls this the spiritual experience point in any hundred. No matter how good you feel it'll happen at some point. I cursed every uphill and prayed for the top. Eventually getting there to hear that Keck and Brian were 3:00 up. I reinflated my tire and hoped I could make it to Aid #7 where I might get help throwing in a tube while I refueled. I drilled the downhill with all I had in the tank (nothing) and hoped not to be caught by Dylan. The tire seemed to be holding and I was able to grab and go at Aid #7. Just 20 miles of Single Track and 4 miles of road home. I could not wait to get on the road. I remember just looking at Emily Wadsworth, and saying, how the heck does Gordon do 10 of these in a year?!?! Off I went.
I don't remember much from the remaining 20 miles of singletrack besides constantly looking at my Garmin for passing miles and praying for the next aid station. Each uphill was another spirit broken and each downhill not steep enough to stop pedaling was just insult to injury. I knew Brian and Keck were gone and just hoped Dylan was hurting like I was. Third was respectable enough, and clearly I just didn't have it to stay with Brian and Keck. Hitting 6 hours and realizing I just don't ride that long. Gross. Eventually I got to the road and I new it was going to be okay. That was, until I turned into the campground and into a nasty creek crossing. Are you serious? I just want to go home and take a nap. I unclipped, made an unwitty comment to those watching, and dragged myself the last 200m up to the finishing banner. I felt much better shortly after finishing, but the memory of Fool's Gold will live with me for a long time. I wouldn't expect to see me on the line for another hundo for a while. Ooooff.
Alpine Loop Gran Fondo
After the awards I hit the rode for the 7 hour drive home. Since I was going to get in late it only seemed reasonable to visit good friend and BSlow Racing Co-Founder Steven Cook in Charlotte for milk shakes and a Grilled Cheese. What was supposed to be a quick stop turned in to an hour of being made fun of by his wife Virginia, still a great visit and back on the rode by 10:00 for the 3.5 hours home. I was really awake for most of it until I wasn't. Happy to make it home safely I set my alarm for 5:00 and hit the hay. 3 hours of glorious sleep later and it was off to Harrisonburg. Honestly I felt okay and was excited to see what the Alpine Loop was all about. It's gotten rave reviews from everyone and it wouldn't disappoint. It was great to catch up with old friends and chat through the first hour. A timed section broke it up and an amazing descent down 33 led to the first rest stop. From there I got in a group with Connor Bell and Adam Williams and hit the rode. For the remaining 70 miles they got the joy of taking in amazing views and hear my constant complaining. Seriously, this ride is unbelievably beautiful. If you ever get a chance to get up to Harrisonburg, check it out. The roads were brilliant with a good mix of pavement and gravel and stunning views all around. The pictures don't do it justice and I missed plenty of amazing shots as panoramic views would pop up out of nowhere around the corner and we took them on while rolling by.
Best of all, the ride finished with an amazing BBQ dinner and talk about the happenings of the day from flat tires to saving cokes and all sorts of adventures in between. A little help with cleanup and I was on my way home to Roanoke after an amazing weekend of riding and friends. I've spent a lot of time on the road the past couple of months and this was definitely a highlight.
Stats:
23,000ft of climbing
207 miles of riding
14 hours of riding
1000 miles of driving
Fool's Gold 100 Strava
Alpine Loop Gran Fondo Strava
On Monday I was stuck firmly planted to my couch as I watched through most of the 2nd season of Blacklist. And with that the 2015 season is complete.
Keep those pedals spinning,
Bslow
Stats:
23,000ft of climbing
207 miles of riding
14 hours of riding
1000 miles of driving
Fool's Gold 100 Strava
Alpine Loop Gran Fondo Strava
On Monday I was stuck firmly planted to my couch as I watched through most of the 2nd season of Blacklist. And with that the 2015 season is complete.
Keep those pedals spinning,
Bslow