Yet Another Ride

As the temps rise so does the need for a constant breeze on my grill. So another ride in the books. This made for two rides last week. With a total of three rides in two weeks. Met up with Joe for a Wednesday night out at Harbison. First ride back on my SS since PMBAR. Nice eye opener, shows just where my cycle fitness is right now. Still feeling inspired I managed a solo loop of 2:00 around West Columbia/Cayce/S. Congaree on Sunday. Still looking at 4:2 or 5:1, run to cycle ratio during the week.

Finding My Way Back

..... onto the bike

Rock 2 Rock 10k

Straight from the race website, "This is a technical and demanding course. A good estimate is to add about 60% on to your usual 10k time. You will not be able to run the entire course. There will be a single water station at the high point (Eden Rock)…roughly 3.5 miles into the course. Roots, rocks, downed trees, low limbs and very steep terrain are just some of the challenges…but the rewards are some sweet single track and an unmatched view off Eden rock…You will be amazed to be only minutes from I-40 and feel so remote.''
so why not give it a go.

Nestled in Camp Rockmont.....ain just outside of Swannanoa NC. An energetic crowd gathered to kick off the Mountain Festival weekend. E&I made the drive up for an outing in the mountains and to meet local friends Clay and Terri. Some chit chatting and not much warming up. We lined up and it was go time.

From the open field start the climb starts. Mostly double track then to some single track. Once the single starts the climbing slows to a fast walk. So about a mile and half in. The realization sets in that I possibly went out too hard for my current condition. That realization was soon all to real. Heart rate was through the roof and the breathing was labored. So the fast walking sections were a hidden blessing.

All along I knew Clay would be lurking, with all his not so secret hill training. He was a touch on the conservative side at the start. He would pick his way through the field to pull right up on my 6 in no time. Just as the steep section kicks in. At a fast hike pace the climb tops out a quick steep down hill. All to hit yet another steep hike to the pinnacle of the race. Grabbed two cups of water and started to chase Clay on the downhill.

This section really got steep in sections. The trail conveniently weaved through some rhododendron. Great for grabbing a hold and using for balance. By now Clay had gaped me putting two ladies between us. Wondering if was a planned move to discourage me from catching him, and it was.

Onto the final decent. The trail starts to level off a touch but the rocks keep coming. Finally I decided to let go and the leg turn over went along with it. Just focused on foot placement and not a face plant. Honed in on Clay. The flow was working for me. Hitting the line all the way down. Till Sultan came by me at faster pace. Held him as long as possible. Soon the trail would open to a gravel road and the pace picked up for the others. Now paying full retail for the previous down hill. My legs were starting to feel heavy and weak. As I was catching two ladies, they just accelerated away as the gravel went on. Soon as it started it was over. The road would let back onto the opening trail into the finishing area. A short hill gaining 15' or so had my legs going weak. Another corner to the finish. 1:02:4_ for a 10k with over 2000' of elevation gain and loss. Not to bad for a flatlander.

PMBAR 2010

Another PMBAR down in the books. Another extreme test of grit and sheer courage to survive yet another longish bike ride in the mountains, with one dang gear. After 4 attempts, the best placing yet. A freakin top 10 at PMBAR, yes!!
So for the second year, I teamed up with Clay. Whom may I add has a vast knowledge of single speed friendly and practical routes from point A to point B. A slight obsession maybe or maybe not. Any who it came in very handy for this adventure into Pisgah.

As always PMBAR starts many months before race day. Preparation miles on the trails or even day trips to the hills to test your mettle amongst the locals. What ever your poison it's generally well thought out and down to a science. Well not always. This would be my 15th ride of the season. Longest being 3:30 in the saddle. Nervous oh yeah.

So goals for the race in order of improtance
- not crash hard (1 crash but not to bad & few close calls)
- keep up with Clay (with the exception of FS1206 & Maxwell Cove)
- have a super duper time (with the exception of FS1206 & Maxwell Cove)

Now nerves in check and a set of well rested legs it was time to race/hike-a-bike up Black Mountain at near anaerobic pace. With a mystic fog lingering over Black the sense of a good day was there. Clay had the master plan nailed for the day. It was all 5 CP and no discussion about anything less. Now slap on the chamios creme and get a pushing ya flatlander its gonna be a long day in the woods. At least in my mind that is what I heard.

Luckily all was going well. At a steady pace we pushed up and over Black > Buckhorn > South Mills > Squirrel Gap > Laurel Creek > 5015 > 1206 > 5000 > 1206 > Laurel Mtn. > Pilot Rock > 1206 > 276 > 475B > 225 > 475B > 276 > 477 > Clawhammer > Maxwell Cove Rd. > Black Mtn.

10:30 - 67 miles, 16000' elevation gain.

Things that went right
- forgot my watch it's good to not realized you are 6 hours past your longest ride of the season.
- nutrition finally got it right just not enough of it
- focused on survival and not speed
- nothing came off the bike, did manage to snap a bottle cage
- frosty cold PBR at FS5000

Things that went wrong
- FS 1206, just in a funk walked a few times to change my rhythm a bit
- Maxwell Cove, just a mere 5miles from the finish and the taunting of pizza and beer had my senses on overload, it just would not translate to my legs to push harder.

After proof reading this blog post. I realize its a bit vague and mixed up. It is the true time warp I felt at the time. Some 48 hrs after and I'm still beat. My body aches and my mind is numb. Hope I'll be back for more in the future and maybe a new plan for 2011.

(all photos cred Clay)

Mt Mitchell Challenge Recap

A fine intro to the world of Ultra Running. The Mt. Mitchell Challenge would not be the first pick of most folks. Why lean towards easy? This just makes the others easier in the future. Well I finished in tact (7:17:32 - 35 miles - 72th of 121).

This event was to be slated as an epic adventure. As the building anticipation of the remains of inclement weather. As most know the winter of 09-10 in the NC mountains has been great for skiers. Jay Curwin (RD) did a great job at looking out for the well being of his entrants. A mandatory re-route of the course was inevitable. Shorten the course and bringing about more asphalt than in years past.

Miles 0-3
The start was chilly. A slow jog up the road to the first hill would warm me up. The College of Montreat would be the official start to the climbing. With an elevation gain of 1020'+ in a mile (19%). Brought things to a slow walk early on. You could look around an see people shedding the excess clothing. This is where I figured out my first Ultra mistake. I was way overdressed for this party. After so many years of cycling and figuring out the proper attire for the weather, this running thing may take some more time. Dress 20* warmer than your starting temps. Lesson 1 CHECK.

Miles 3 - 12
This would be the start to the ice. It was highly recommended to bring along YakTrax for this section known as the Old Toll Road. In my preparation for this race I just could not bring myself to shell out the cash for some gear I would barely use.

So with the help of Bronco Billy's Blog about screwing your shoes for ice. I was all in on the DIY solution. It was a minimal approach, but worked well for me. It was slow goings in the real icy sections anyway. All to find out later the top female (Krissy Moehl) used the same setup. So maybe not so crazy after all. It comes down to skill. Lesson 2 CHECK.

Back to the Old Toll Road. The company of Jeff R. and J.R. all the way to the summit was a welcomed treat. The footing was good overall. Mixed in with some sketchty sections. I recall on 3 different occasions pulling the Bambi on ice. A slid down the trail pulling some form of a 360*till stopping. Oh the memories. The Old Toll Rd would eventually come to an end at aid station 2 - 2:15 into the adventure. Most all mileage was positive elevation gain. pics #143-144 here

12-23 miles
The very instant we departed the aid station a gust of wind 30+mph comes through. An immediate chill comes over you. Now the stage for the next 11 miles is set. The course changes would have us on pavement the entire time to and from the summit. I'm not complaining. It was clear of snow and ice. Just super windy and cold. By far the coldest I've ever been in my life. Reports of 6* with windchill at -10*. That was a long cold walk.

Rather uneventful just keep moving, eat and drink as much as you can. Well that became a problem once my hydration bladder froze into large chunks. It came down to putting one foot in front of the other. Plus trying to stay with my party. All the way to the summit.
Should have started at least a Jog/Walk approach to the climb. This could have help eliminated some exposure on the mountain. Lesson 3 CHECK. The approach to the turn around had us venture off the pavement to a spur trail to the summit sign. The snow was on average calf deep. After many runners ahead of us made many holes. The footing was sparatic. Start > Summit 3:45.

The decent was not my cup of tea. It was a good feeling to not be climbing for a change. I was having problems getting the legs to turn over. This was where I started to lose my running partners. Slipped into survival mode, to just maintain a steady pace and keep moving. The downhill running if not kept in check for me will punish my quads and knees. Still to far away from the finish to take the risk.


Summit Photos borrowed from Citizen Times. Top pic of Brad Kee coming from the summit. Second pick of the paved road near the summit.

Miles 23-35
Pain Pain and Pain. By this time I was running solo w/ my ipod. Yep, I busted it out on the Parkway to drown the voices in my head. So now later in the day. The icy sections were turning to slush. This slush turns out to be very refreshing when the friction on your feet is rising from the steady downhill. Steady movement.

The hardest part was the decent through Montreat. Remember that uphill section at the beginng. Well it turns out we would be going down that part also. WOW!!!!!!!!! That was some brutal basting of the feet and knees. Heck you couldn't even walk it slowly. My approach to ease the pounding was to cut back and forth across the road. It worked for a bit. Till the fact hit me. That I was indeed make this race longer step by step.

A little spur of a trail along some river was a pleasant touch. Wish I would have known that the final 3ish miles were along a paved road. Damn this was the longest 3 miles ever. Trying to mix it up a touch. I would shoulder surf on every patch of organic surface I could. Finally a lap around Lake Tomahawk to finish things up. It was a good time and an excellent event.

Also I would like to thank the Harbison Trail Runners. With three houses rented out in Black Mountain. 17 folks made the trip up. Many more thanks for the dinner and ample amounts of food and beer. I believe we all had a super time.

Goals Completed:

• Finished
• Had Fun
• Gained Experience
• Earned the coveted MMC Fleece Pullover

Goals Not Completed

• Finished Under 7 hours
• Finished in the top 50 or 50%

Till next year.

It's time

To suffer that is. The bags are packed with the cold weather gear and a jar full of courage. Heading up to the town of Black Mountain for the Mt Mitchell Challenge. The cool temps and ample amounts of snow has shortened the course a touch, only 36 miles for the challenge. The first challenge will be making the 10am cut off to the parkway. It's the pass to continue to the top. If not you will be turned around and givin credit for the marathon. Winch is not a full marathon either. Hope for the best. Thanks for the heads up Clay. This should toughen me up for PMBAR.

All Photo credit goes to CF

Snow in Cola

Next Challenge

It's the Challenge! The Mt. Mitchell Challenge a 40mi. trail run. Starting from the quaint little town of Black Mountain NC. Traversing the hill side to the peak of Mt. Mitchell then returning to town. That's it in a nutshell. So whats the big deal, besides the 40 miles of running & shuffling over Pisgah's terrain. Well it will be the epic weather they have had this winter. Recently a video journal of another runners approach to the summit documented the degree of difficulty one my face. ICE, knee deep snow and more ICE. So WTF was I thinking?

This may be right up there with some other local nuts prepping for the Pisgah 36. My hats off to you fellas, take care and be safe. So what was I thinking? Really, I wanted the trifecta for topping Mt. Mitchell. To date I've competed and completed in the Off-Road and Road assaults on MM. These both by bike of course. So why the hell not try my hand at the trail run version. Why the hell not. Yeah!

To date I've been back running for 2 years now. For the last 6 months the focus has been aimed at Mitchell. The riding as of late has been very minimal. In fear of taking away mileage & time from running. WTF! So the approach has been calculated to some degree. Steadily building to longer and longer trail runs. Weekly mileage has gone from 20ish to 40+ in the last few weeks. Maybe too much too soon? Who says going out on 20ish mile training runs for 3 weeks then bust out the 30 miler is not a great idea. Got me.

So the foundation is built. Now just stay healthy for the next 3 weeks. That brings me to the Taper phase. A lost art for those obsessed with quantity over quality. I balance this thin line. It seems my build phase used too many boards and not enough nails. So this foundation is solid but this structure atop is a bit rickety. Yep I'm nursing a bum ankle. WTF! So it looks like the rollers will be getting the call up. Frustrating as hell but I have time to get it healed. Only if I'm patient, yeah we will see about that.

Oh and bye the way don't forget about V day coming up. The Silver Dog could have the perfect gift waiting for you. See link on side bar.

The Brisk New Year Start

First off a huge Thanks goes out to the 7 brave riders who braved the cold and bitter winds. All to make the inaugural I.F. Memorial ride a success.
Thank You So Much
Damon, Brian, Bill, Mark, Kenny, Tony, Steve

Honestly I had no idea who or how many folks would show up. With temp in the 30*s and winds around 20mph. With only 39 miles and 20 sections of dirt, this would become an epic ride. A unique blend of riders and bikes. Including 1 mtb(29"), 2 road bikes, 3 cross, 1 hybrid & 1 fixed road.

No wrong turns, no mechanicals, no flats, no dog bites, no crazed red necks, low traffic and only one body slap to the Lexington Co. clay. Two maybe three sections were hike-a-bike due to sand. No one even whispered any complaints. It was a chill ride and no one had any agenda and we all stayed as a group the entire time. So with that I thank you once again and just maybe we will plan another outing in April. Just Maybe.

Update

See post below on route update

Update on Route

0 mi Start
0.01 mi Stop
0.29 mi Turn right at Burma Rd
1.74 mi Turn left at Triangle Rd
5.02 mi Turn right at Southland Rd/State Rd S-32-1102
6.04 mi Turn right at Spring Hill Rd/State Rd S-32-113
6.43 mi Sharp right at Redhaven Rd
6.63 mi Slight left to stay on Redhaven Rd
7.39 mi Turn left at Jumper Leaphart Rd
9.21 mi Turn left to stay on Cactus Rd
9.98 mi Turn right at Hyler Rd View
10.22 mi Turn right at Clay Amick Rd
11.52 mi Turn right at Oren Adams Rd
12.04 mi Turn right at Devils Backbone Rd/State Rd S-32-59
13.6 mi Sharp left at Ridge Rd
14.39 mi Slight right at Jimmie Long Rd
15.48 mi Continue onto US-378 W
17.04 mi Turn right at Lake Village Dr/State Rd S-32-1189
17.26 mi Turn left at Rock N' Creek Rd
19.31 mi Turn right at Nathaniel Oxner Rd
23.3 mi Turn right at Ansel Caughman Rd/State Rd S-32-54
29.1 mi Turn right at Lewie Rd/State Rd S-32-277
29.61 mi Turn right at Harley Taylor Rd
29.73 mi Turn left at Craps-Weeks Rd
30.71 mi Turn right
31.38 mi Turn right at Spring Hill Rd/State Rd S-32-113
33.84 mi Turn right at Long Branch Rd
35.23 mi Turn left at Calks Ferry Rd/State Rd S-32-278
35.68 mi Turn left at Lost Branch Rd
37.55 mi Continue onto Calks Ferry Rd/State Rd S-32-278
38.72 mi Turn right at Burma Rd
39.01 mi Stop

New Years Day After Ride

Ian Foyster Memorial Ride – New Years Day After Ride (10^th Anniversary)

The 2010 New Years Lake Loop will take on a different meaning this coming January. I am inviting all my local cycling friends to come and join me to honor Ian’s memory. The route this year, due to increasing traffic and safety concerns in the Lexington and surrounding areas, will have more dirt road sections and less bridge crossings/lake views.

When: Saturday January 2, 2010 10 a.m.

Where: Lex High School. (N33*58’43.3” W81*18’35.9”) 0.4 mi West of intersection of US1 & Pisgah Church Rd (3^rd Left after intersection on Olde Farm Road, 1^st Parking lot on left)

Why: To honor the memory of our friend Ian Foyster who was all too suddenly and tragically taken this past year. For the folks who did not get a chance to meet Ian, you missed the opportunity to meet one heck of a fella. Ian was a constant figure in the cycling and enduro-moto community for many years. A regular trickster and all around funny man, he loved humor and a good bike ride. This is the chance to celebrate with a group of likeminded folks, which can come together and give back as a group to a worthy cause. A donation is encouraged and will be greatly appreciated. All donations will be presented to Ian’s daughter from the midlands cycling community.

This route will be a 40 mile multi surface loop. There will be various sections of Lexington County’s finest dirt, clay, sandy and gravel to ride. The rural rolling terrain will be very low on traffic. You be will be chased by a dog or two but don’t worry, a squirt of water will do the trick. This loop will be a character builder and a great winter day ride.

The biggest question will be what bike do I bring? Well this route will be most enjoyed on a cross bike. Set up with tires ranging from 28-42c. tires. A mtb will be equally as nice. Slap on some semi slicks or be a bad ass and show up with full knobbies. If you see yourself as THE diehard classics specialist by all means bring out that road bike. However be warned I would not ride it with anything less than 28c. tires. That’s that!

Rudolph's Rampage

Trail 1/2 Marathon held in Harbison State Forrest on a chilly and damp Saturday morning. A much anticipated event promoted by Friends of Harbison, Cycle Center & Fleet Feet. As a spin off from the April 10k event. A longer event was a test to see the response. So the trail 1/2 marathon has evolved. Nearly 50 local runners came together to kick off the inaugural Rudolph's Rampage Trail 1/2 Marathon.

An easy to follow and straight forward loop.
Start Gazebo area
R > Forrest Road to parking area 4
L > Fire Break Trail
R > Stewardship Trail
R > Harder - Easier Spur
L > Midlands Mtn up the switch backs
R > @ trail junction above Spider Woman
R > Fire Break
L > Eagle Trail
L > Kids Trial
F > Field around Gazebo, then repeat


So my plan for the day was no plan at all. To start fueled on coffee alone. I arrived at HSF with about 30 min till the start. Register, meet and say hello to everyone I laid eyes on. A short warm up later (3 min). All started to line up so I followed suit. Line up at the front - of course.

In a blast all runners were hauling it up the gravel road. Quick head count (top 10) a good start. Trying to hold back at the same time and stay close to the front. How quick the gaps form and the front runners disappear. No worries here, just staying patient is something I've been working on. Tagged up with Anthony from Fleet Feet and kept pace for pace. We just ticked off the miles. All the same from here till the second time up the switchbacks. I decided to see if the pace could be picked up.

Well what-a you know. Picking up my pace slowly waiting till the crest of the hill, then turned it up a bit more. Steady on the flat section then attacked the decent across the road and another surge. It's now or never. A quick breather. Then another surge on the fire break to the last section of single track. As fast as I could go. Tricky single at top speed. Two near miss steps but manged to stay upright. Taking it to the finish in 6th place overall. Good times.

Overall happy with the effort and glad I took the time and competed. Hopefully this will become an annual event. A bonus was the regional Montrail rep showing up with some 2010 goodies to look at. Soup and massages for all runners plus a long sleeve tech shirt.

13+ miles 1:42ish
6th overall
1st in age group (even departed with a tub of Endurox)

Shut In Trail Race

Finally something worth blogging about. The 30th annual Shut In trail race. Held the first Saturday in November. An 18 mile route from the NC Arboretum to the Mt Pisgah parking area located along the Blue Ridge Parkway. Traversing the Shut In Ridge trail all along the way. Revered as one the most exciting trail races in the area.

What would be a perfect day to be in the beautiful Pisgah National Forrest. Its been way too long since my last visit to the area. Not much has changed especially the desire to stay every time I visit. This would be the longest trail race to date for me. With ample amounts of climbing this would be a true test of an ability to climb some hills.

Patience was something I was constantly reminding myself of. A reoccurring problem is to go out too hard and suffer the consequences towards the end. Today would be different. With a vague memory of the trail I was very content to just follow. Harder than it seems.

Many folks were wearing road shoes. This was not the appropriate choice for rugged singletrack with a heavy covering of fall foliage. Lots of slips and blunders were to be had by many. Amazing how ones MTB handling skills can come in handy. Handling the treacherous downhills better while out in front. Funny how that works.

To recall the hardest part of the race was the final climb. I came through the final rest stop at 3 hours with a faint smile on my face. The final climb winch I was amply warned was brutal, but somewhere in the past three hours I had totally forgotten the warning. A climb that brought most all to a slow hike and some to a squat. With the throbbing pulse pounding in my eardrums. A slow hike to the top was all I could muster. It would take at least 30 minutes to ascend. Now with thrashed quads a short decent to the finish. I was finally done.

I would like to give a more detailed step by tricky step. However it seems to be more difficult to dissect all the near misses and elated excitement of just making it from ridge to ridge. Any way this race would be my first time to surpass three hours in a run. So possibly a good confidence booster for future races.

In total 3:36 for 18 miles, 67th of 196 overall. Rolled my right ankle twice. Managed to stay upright the entire time. Also another new goal of mine. So to say this race had a great vibe to it. Water stations at every 2-3 miles with plenty of screaming spectators. It was truly a great race to be a part of. Hope to return next November for the chance to better 3:36.

Battle Royale

In the blue corner a scary bowl of sweet goodness

And in the red corner another sweet mess of goodness.

And the Battle Royale begins

A Sunny Fall Day

Something Old > Something New

This is mainly proof that I still do own bikes and yet still do on occasions ride them.

So Jaime here you go I made it out for a pleasant hour on Sunday. Made it out to Old State Rd. to see if it was under water or if the reds have destroyed it. The rain water has receded but the reds are working on destroying the only kickin' dirt road in the metro area.

In other news, a first attempt at a new hobby. Flying R/C planes. Bro-in-law has gotten me all fired up on the hobby. He introduced me to the world of cheap builds. PDF file + Blue Core Insulation + hand me down parts + time = a steep learning curve. Picture below is the direct effect of nose first to the ground. Good thing it's easy to cut the parts off and build another.



Now the new fleet has been built. First test flight on Friday and it made it home in one piece. This would be only the second time this has happened.

Tangled Web

So my quest to run some greater distances has over taken me. The weekly group runs out at Harbison have started to take it's toll on me mentally. The same loop every week and now I've jumped up to the two lap group. So now it's 17mi of the same ol same ol bumps and humps. So I had a great idea of making the trip to Lynch's for a Friday afternoon run.

Inspired by the Ultra Run at Lynch's over the Memorial Day weekend. The trails had to be in decent shape after 50+ runners made three trip through the forest. This would help with navigating the trail. With the exception on the many limbs and trees that has fallen along the way. The trails was in really good shape. The hidden nemesis of the trail were the spider webs. I've never been through more in my life. It seemed if every 30-50 step you were pulling another mask of web from your face.



First lap went by with a lot to think about. Do I have a spider on me? Between that and what would I order at Wendy's after this run was over. No real problems at all. Stopped by the car to rehydrate then off on another lap. About 10 min into lap two I began to wonder about the frosty that would meet my tummy later when I tripped on a root and tumbled into a patch of Poison Ivy . Son-of-bee-i, luckily the creek was close to go and make an attempt to wash it off. Back to the trail another 40 minutes pass then another lapse in concentration I stumble into yet another patch of p.i. Off to another creek I go to wash up.



This was probably the down slide of my enthusiasm for the remainder of the run. Between the waves of intense itching and the though of a spider somewhere on my person was really freaking me out. Exit strategy would soon play out. A quick exit to the road and then a slow jog back to the car. It was a good time alone in the woods, and soon I will return. It's hard to pass up something different within a convenient drive. Ended with 13mi in 2:30

081609 build up

Finally a week of fitness worth blogging about. Some of you folks know I've been running a good bit instead of cycling. If you didn't now you know. This May marked a full year of running for me. This month will mark my six month sabbatical from cycling. Something I really needed to miss the sport. Slowly I've been filling the void of cycling with a few rides here and there. Mostly to keep from the overuse of running through out the week. Finally it feels right. So now that I've fine tuned a proper run to cycle amount that will fit my needs and schedule.


So now what. Keep up the weekend trail runs. Yesterday, I knocked out a steady 11 mile run out at Harbison. Today a leisurely stroll around the Cayce/S.Congaree area. Three good dirt road sections to open up on. You gotta love the multi-surface approach to riding. Anywho just wanted to let all my old riding buddies know I'm not dead. Till next time.

080609 Urban Treasures

Another hot few days in the urban jungle this week so far. Friday is that much closer. Often while out I stumble across some interesting finds. Exciting to top the usual condom wrapper and hair extensions. What some throw out often baffle me, or just what little fella you might run across.
Kenny this is for you! Perhaps you need some Usher's Confessions added to your ORAMM mix tape. Location: Fire Hydrant on the corner of Martel & E. Main St. (N33*58'40", W81*13'49"), Town of Lexington. You could totally swing by and pick it up on your commute home.
As for this little fella. Well he's probably hiding out by now. Shocked to see a possum in the middle of the day. E wanted this little fella for a pet. After he hissed at me several times I let him roll on.
Happy trail little fella.