The BIG BEAR 2X12 race in Wild, Wonderful West Virginia was a relay type event that I competed in with my friend Heidi Shilling. We were each to do 3 laps of around 12 miles on some of the toughest terrain in the area. We had both fared well at our last event and had high hopes of winning this one (along with the mega jackpot first place prize) or at least claiming second place in the coed category.
Arriving at the venue the night before I set up my tent and we built a fire and discussed our plans for the race the next morning. Sleeping under the stars was a nice change of pace. The weather was perfect for camping, 70's and a nice breeze.
The next morning I woke up nearly an hour late due to a technical malfunction of my alarm clock, and we scrambled to get into town for breakfast and back to the venue to prepare for the race. I managed to overeat not even thinking about the fact that I would be racing in less than 2 hours.
Arriving back at camp I walked and fed the pack of Rottweilers I travel with, prepared my bike, and finished just in time for the pre race meeting. Immediately following the meeting we lined up for the start up a long gravel road. I had no time to warm up.
The race started and I was immediately in distress. I managed to cling to the leaders as we entered the trail but without a proper warm up I was feeling major discomfort. Miles of mucus was draining from my nose, perhaps from camping the night before, i am not sure. My plan was to treat it as a time trial and go as hard as possible each lap.
Having never ridden this trail before I was shocked to see how technical it was. Using every ounce of energy I was barely staying with the front group but was happy with my position. The course was littered with boulders, rocks, roots, long climbs, and a surprise around every corner. The dirt was tacky with a few mud holes here and there. My suspenion was o
verwhelmed and bottomed out often on the ultra rough trail, and I found myself hitting my pedals on the rocks a lot.
Nearing the end of the first lap I caught a pedal in a rather high speed section and hit the ground hard. Our nearest competitors gained nearly a minute on me as I remounted and tried to get my groove back on the way to the finish where I handed our baton off to Heidi for lap 2 of 6.
Temps were rising, Heidi had a good lap and we were sitting in second place when I went out for my second of three laps. I had decided to slowly work up to a time trial pace this lap and I was feeling pretty good. Temps were rising now and the heat was becoming and issue but I still felt as if I was riding well as I made my way through the rough, hilly course.
Arriving at some long climbs I knew the finish was near and ramped up the power, trying to get there in short order. Entering a high speed rock garden (one of dozens) I took a chance and lost...hard. I hit the ground again, very hard this time. I was ok just a bit shaken. But once back on the bicycle I noticed I had bent one of my pedals. This made it very hard to pedal and though it was only a few miles to the finish I lost major time for our team as I limped in to finish my second lap way behind our competition.
Heidi again had a smooth and consistent lap and the thunderstorms rolled in and muddied it up while she was out there. It also cooled things off considerably for my 3rd and final lap. We were down but not out. My third lap was tough, I had repaired my pedal but was being overly cautious after crashing hard my first two laps. The trail was now very muddy and slow just staying upright was goal number one....which I failed at. Crashing hard again on the technical and now slimy boulders about half way through. I basically gave up the race at this point and just tried to save my ass to race another day.
Heidi set out on her final lap but the deal was done at this point, I had a bad day and my riding put us in 4th overall out of 8 teams. Not even near where we wanted to be. I had great fun hangin with Heidi and all my Pennsylvania and West Virginia friends, and the course was great too but my mind was just not in it. I left feeling like I let us down and was a bit bummed for a while....a big change after coming off such an epic win the week before.
Now I am happy to be on a long break from racing. Getting in some long training miles and getting some much needed time away from racing. I am hoping to feel refreshed when I return in mid July....in the meantime it's gonna be work, work, dog shows, work, summer parties and some work.
The Mohican 100k is the race I look forward to most each year. It has all the makings of an epic race when the weather is good, and when it rains it becomes more of a torture test to see how much one body and one bike can take.
The course received ample rain in the days leading up to race day, and again the day before, and then just for good measure there were torrential downpours for about 2 hours leading up the the 7a.m. starting time.
The rain stopped just as I arrived at the venue at 6am. I unloaded the bike and while warming up remembered my 4 previous experiences at this race, given the weather conditions I knew I would need some luck to finish today.
I lined up near the front of nearly 600 racers and felt an unusual calm thinking I had prepared as well as possible. Looking around to see who else I recognized I instantly picked out Pennsylvania Steve and Ohio Steve as my major competitors. And of course with so many racers from outside the state and country there was no telling who else I needed to watch.
Finally we were off and racing, the Steves and I were right up front, then Pennsylvania Steve went hard on the first climb to win the cash prize for first to the top, no surprise as he is known as arguably the best climber around. I grabbed the rear wheel of Ohio Steve and my plan was to hold onto him for as long as possible. He and I both know the first 20 miles of singletrack well and I was hoping we could gain some major time on everyone else early in the race.
Once we hit the woods, only 2 miles into the race, Ohio Steve put the hammer down! He was off the front charging hard and it was all I could do to hold on. Hitting the water crossing, steep hikabike, some technical trail, we had gone from a group of several hundred down to an elite ten in no time at all.
As we hit the campground dirt roads I knew it would be my last chance to drink for about 10 miles so I let go of the group ahead and got some fluids down. The humidity must have been near 100 percent and I was already completely soaking wet and would remain so all day.
Hitting the most awesome Mohican State Forrest singletrack I was feeling very good so far. The trails were so extremely muddy, vegetation weighed down by the recent rains was low over our heads and was falling onto the trail in spots on each side, it was hard to see very far ahead. The roots were throwing our bikes sideways on the climbs. My eyes were burning with the mud coming from our tires...glasses are useless in conditions like these.
Somewhere around mile 15 the two Steves and I found ourselves riding all together, Ohio Steve was dying a slow death and waved us around. I followed PA Steve for the next several miles as he slowly climbed out of sight. Now we were into the first long climb of the race. I grabbed for my water bottle and realized that I had not properly prepared for this mud, I was out of water and it was more than 12 miles of extremely slow going to the next scheduled stop. This was my first sign of trouble.
Continuing on at a breakneck pace as planned I decided to just try to make it to Aid station 2 and not waste time stopping at aid 1. After all I just finished my water as I passed the aid station so that should last for a while right?
Now roughly 20 miles into the race I am riding alone and things are going pretty well. Coming across a long wooden bridge at high speed my bike then instantly disappears out from under me and I crash hard onto the wood. Instant pain in my right thigh...I try to stand and can't, I sit back down, yelling and cursing from the pain. "is it broken?" I wonder. I move it and realize its not, and although I cannot walk I climb back on the bike and begin to try to pedal. It's working...kind of. I can put no power into my right leg and I can't tell if it's just a bad charlie horse or if I did some real damage. Pedaling on I decide to try to continue and see if it gets better, after all I am heading in the direction of my car and need to go this way even if I quit. As I pedal I weigh my options and consider quitting the race. But the farther I went the better it felt and I decide to try to defend my position as long as possible.
Long hike a bike up an impossible grade, into some horse trails which are extremely hard to ride going either up or downhill, I am finally out on the road and really beginning to feel the damage of dehydration. My vision is blurring, I am hungry...and thirsty....and out of food and water. I am slowing down, trying to conserve as much energy as possible, now I am hurting. The course starts up a long steep gravel road, my good leg cramps and I cannot continue. For the first time ever at this race I am walking up a road climb. This is not good.
Continuing through the Mohican area countryside I ride zombie-like and slow, finally pulling into the aid station at mile 34. Someone asks if I want my bike washed just as I spy 20 full paper cups of HEED energy drink. I hand him my bike and quickly chug 3 cups of heed. Grab my two bottles, food, and gels, and am back to my bike in about 60 seconds. He at least had cleaned the drivetrain by this time so I lube the chain and jump on the bike, arranging my bottles and pocketing my food. I begin to chow down as I slowly pedal on.
Just then PA Steve comes by from behind....apparently I had passed him while he was changing a flat and I never even saw him. He sees I am suffering and moves on ahead, going out of site quickly. I am powerless to chase him until the hydration and calories can get into my system. Even then the damage from running on empty is done and I realize my fate may be sealed. Now I am racing for 2nd.
I quickly start feeling better but am still experiencing some cramping. Now on the longest road section of the course I welcome some racers from the 100 mile course and work together for a few miles. Just then we come across PA Steve with another flat tire and I realize I am now in the lead!
Putting in the best effort I could manage I ran hard as he jumped on his bike and chase me with a partially inflated tire. I was alive with 
motivation but my body was still protesting the abuse from early in the race.
I rode right through Aid station 3 without stopping and he was forced to stop for a repair. My body was slowly coming around and I was feeling ok again rolling through another series of dirt roads punctuated by flooded creeks and four wheeler trails.
Finally reaching the last aid station I request my final food and water packet as they fumble around trying to figure out where my stuff is and how to hand it to me. It takes every bit of patience I have waiting while I look over my back for my chaser. Only 6 miles of trail to the finish line now!
I enter the trail knowing I can at least equal the speed of my nearest rival here, only to find that the same trail I was flying through 5 hours ago is now a 4 foot wide river of mud. 600 racers apparently have this sort of impact on flooded singletrack. Some areas are completely impossible to ride, or walk. Falling is the only option. I find riding the side of the trail through the brush to be the best option in most places. I am risking a flat tire but running on adrenaline now. My burning eyes, sore leg, aching feet from shoes filled with gravel, all fades away and I am completely focused on the trail. That part is a fuzzy memory but I do distinctly remember crossing the finish line to take the win in 5 hours and 44 mins. 11 Minutes ahead of Pennsylvania Steve.
This was an "Epic Win" for me and one I will not soon forget!
My Gary Fisher Superfly 100 was the absolute perfect bike to have for this race, and my Bontrager Carbon wheels and components performed flawlessly. I no longer fear muddy races now that I am on 29" wheels. They really are that much better!
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verwhelmed and bottomed out often on the ultra rough trail, and I found myself hitting my pedals on the rocks a lot.
