First off, I did do the race on gears. Maybe next year I'll have a decent single speed cross bike built up. I have one now, but it is on fixed gear commuting duty, and I don't really have enough faith in the wheels anymore to really take it off road.
The whole weekend was awesome, aside from the fact that we were uncharacteristically ill-prepared with our beer supply, the night before the race was awesome. Had a pretty decent fire going. Camped in a cabin with a bunch of friends. Jake and I were doing laps of the "Spiral of Death" with our lights until about 9:30. Maybe if we had more beer, there would have been some shenanigans with the fire, but it was not to be.
Race started out with the awesome spiral of death and a little cross course. Down a dirt road to a paved rail trail, through a sand volleyball court, to pavement. Pavement turned to a jeep road climb, to a pretty smooth fire road for a while. Saw sled dogs in training with this crazy shopping cart frame thing with a fat couple in it, stopped on the side of the road. Poor dogs. At this point it was about 8 miles in, and there was a group of 4 maybe that had Pflug in it way ahead of us out of sight, another group with 6 or so that I could see, and then 4 of us.
Eventually pop out on pavement downhill to a right turn onto more of a main road, with a small group in which nobody knew how to use their momentum on the rollers. Climb for a bit, get passed by the video truck, and Jpok, back on to fireroad past the first checkpoint. Pull him for a bit, until it starts climbing again. Says that it's going to be a long day for him, he's really hurting on the climbs. Get to the left turn for Lippencote trail, the hardest single track of the day. Catch and pass maybe 4 guys pretty quickly, JPok caught back up to me and passed me on the downhill dropping off of a rock where there wasn't a line. Roger Masse passed me on his single speed MOUNTAIN BIKE with suspension and disc brakes, while my hands are cramping trying to hold onto these stupid fucking road bars. Fuck canti brakes. Finally get to route 30, bomb down the hill, get past the single speeds again, go past flea market where there fortunately is NOT a car crashed into one of the tents, and make a right into Caledonia?? state park.
Suddenly realize that our group picked up a few more, so I hang at the back cruising along at about 25 or so on the pavement, make a left onto another little fire road climb, left again to a single track climb, onto the powerline to the 1000' vert in about a mile and a half "run" up. Get to the top at the same time as 5 other people, and have to wait in line to fill up my water from the single water cooler at the aid station. Awesome.
More fire roads at the top, killin myself to try and catch back up with Jake, who was leaving the aid station as I got there. Bomb down hill for a while, hard right into a double track climb that turned into a twisty single track climb, that while not yet muddy, it was getting soft, and did, as I found out later, after another 100 people rode it. Catch up to Jake when it popped out on another road, but had a searing cramp in my right leg, and I told him I'd see him later. Did the pedal once, coast and stretch thing for a mile or so, didn't get caught by anyone, so it was ok. Finally get the cramp worked out, catch Jake a few miles before checkpoint 3, rode together bullshitting for a bit, we both say how much better this race is when you get to ride with people you know for a bit, and I pulled him to aid 3. Filled my bottles, grab a banana, and rode away from him on the climb. That was the last I saw of him.
Less than a mile out of the aid station, Pflug is fixing a flat, and I asked him if he needed anything. He said he was good, thanks for the offer, but things just weren't going his way today, and this was his third flat. Ouch. I wish him good luck, and continue up the hill. He seemed remarkably calm for having 3 flats already. About a mile or so after I pass him, I hear a loud BANG. I imagine that he was not so calm anymore.
Up and down on fire road some more, and bombing down a pretty fast section, hit a pretty nasty pot hole while in the drops, loudly mother f-ing my bike up in down because it really hurt, I see a friendly old lady directing me to take a right turn. "Um, sorry about that."
Double track for a bit to a field, almost miss a turn, through grass back into single track to aid 4. Still have over a bottle left so I don't bother stopping. A bunch more singletrack, pretty fun, with some sketchy little rock crossings that I am too tired to bother trying to ride half of them, and JPok catches me again. And he has a master on his tail. Ok, follow them for a while, until we pop out into a field where they ride right past the arrow telling us to turn left. I make the turn, and yell for them. JPok looks, and crashes into a tree.
Single track approach to the last climb which should be rideable, but I don't bother. The master guy caught back up to us, and also decides to walk. JPok is worried that he's going to be caught, there was another singlespeeder on his tail, and he shouldn't be too far behind. Just before the top of the climb there is a sign, "Larry's Tavern - open 11-5.". YES!! I yell "Larry, I need a beer!!!!". I stop, chug half of a cup of ice cold PBR. Neither JPok or the other guy stop. I told them that was a mistake.
Start riding down the gravel road before the fun fast downhill pavement near the finish, and I thought that Justin was with us, so I hang back and wait for him to give him a pull. He said he's dead, and I told him too bad, hang on as long as he could. Pull him most of the way, until the steep-ish climb when he falls off. I figured he had enough of a gap now to hang onto 3rd place.
By this point I had caught back up to the other guy, and he glued himself to my wheel. I tried to pull away from him a couple times, but still he just sat there. I kept slowing down, and he still wouldn't pass. I slowed to about 5 and pulled to the yellow line and told him to have fun. I was annoyed. Two more miles and we were done. Yay! Time to sit around and not drink beer due to poor planning on my part.
For 9th place I win a bag of coffee, weird but good BBQ salsa, and a bag of tostitos.
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