2010 State Championship Race #1

Today was the opening race for the Ohio State Championship Series. I was excited going into this one as I have been on the bike often doing all the right things recently, and Mohican Wilderness is among my favorite courses.


Temps were in the high 40's and the trails were mostly dry. Last fall's leaves had been blown free only hours before the race leaving a slow but traction rich trail to race on.

I grabbed another pretty good start and was about to enter the trail in 3rd when the riders ahead tangled and fell blocking the entire trail. Racers scattered everywhere running and riding around the mess up front and relegating me to mid pack.

By the end of the first of three 10 mile laps I had moved forward to 4th place with 2 guys pretty close behind me. I was not feeling my best, as though my legs were not putting out the power I was asking of them.

Lap 2 had me running scared and feeling a bit better than the first. 5th place began to gain on me up the climbs. The climbing here is brutal, steeper and longer than any other Ohio course. My legs were starting to fatigue and I was looking forward to the end of this one. The top 3 were out of view as I began my final lap.

Lucky for me my chasers tired before I did and my final lap was just a matter of getting to the keg of Dortmunder at the finish as fast as possible. No pressure from the other racers and the traffic on the trail was thinning out. I came across the line in 2hrs 14 mins to claim 4th in the skinny young guy class.

4th place is not bad but the top 3 finished a little too far ahead for comfort. Lucky for me the season is early and I have a plan!

One of the best parts of racing for me is the social scene after the race and this one was no disappointment. I saw some folks I had not seen in a very long time and met some newer racers who I expect to be future friends....and as usual, I was among the last racers to leave the venue. Good times!


Thanks Al Prososki for the photos!

Vulture's Knob Race #1 of 2010

A long time has passed since you have heard from me.
It seems like no matter how I try to unclutter my life, each year is somehow even more busy than the last! I even took 5 months away from racing mountain bikes, it's been six years since I had a break of that length if my memory is correct. Anyway work has been my main focus in the "off season". A two week long trip to the desert southwest was in there somewhere, all the while I stayed on my bike in one way or another but was unsure about my race fitness until last weekend.
Saturday was the first of the Vulture's Knob series and the first MTB race in Ohio for 2010. There was much talk before the race about who was fast this year and who was already registered...everyone was freaking out with anticipation of the thrill of victory or the almost equal thrill of just finishing the race....or the possibility of disaster.

Personally I was anticipating my first race on my new bike, and on 29" wheels.

The weather was perfect, low 60s and sunny and the trails very dry. The start was very fast, with nearly 20 large class sprinting for the singletrack. I grabbed a textbook perfect start and was 2nd into the trails, then dropping to third shortly thereafter. The 3 of us grew a quick lead on the pack and things were looking very good until...

Flat rear tire on one the signature knob rocks had me stopping to change a tube...only I had grabbed the wrong size, a 26" tube that I could not get in my 29" tire. So walking back to the car I felt some sense of disappointment knowing I had a chance at a good finish.

15 minutes later I get back onto the trail and work my way through the 140 novice and sport racers, finally catching some experts late in the 3rd and final 7 mile lap. Needless to say I did not place high but after seeing my lap times I had some satisfaction knowing my fitness is good.


Thanks to my friend Jason Shaffer for the photos. He completed his first ever race on his Trek Fuel that day. He is already an accomplished photographer and I have a feeling he will be a fixture at more races in the future.

Next race will be Ohio Mountain Bike Championship Race #1 @ Mohican State Park. More on my new BIKE in a future blog.