I have raced here before, back when the start/finish was on the old air strip. Last time I was on my rigid single speed and almost quit riding bikes forever because of it. The race is around 4k ft in climbing, and the ups average 9% with sections over 20%. There are water bars everywhere except for the road sections on the ridge top. Two major climbs that are not really ride-able, at least not by me knowing that once I get to the top, I have to ride the same hill 2 more times. The road sections became recovery sections after pushing my bike up steep grade. Stiff MTB shoes aren't the best hiking shoes and hike-a-bike sure made by calves burn ending in major cramps.
This time was to be different. I brought my lightweight XC hardtail (Redline d660) with gears and 100 mm front suspension. I used all 100 mm, bottoming it out down one of the fast descents over a water bar, and used all 20 gears at one time or another. The masters class had 9 riders and to be honest, I had no idea how fast I would be. I have hardly been on a trail or ridden a bike outside all winter but figured worst case would be a nice 3 hour supported ride. I was shooting for 2:30 for the 23 mile course.
The weather was great. It was sunny and started out around 40 degrees. Cool enough to wear arm warmers and a wind vest. The race starts with some pavement then a gravel road climb. It was perfect for warming up the muscles that were cold from standing at the start. It also helps stretch out the field so all 9 of us weren't diving in to the single track together. The single track at Scioto Trails is generally wide, no issues getting stuck behind slower riders or slowing others down as may be the case. I quickly settled in to a manageable effort level and by the time we were to the first descent I was somewhere in the middle of the pack. Then we hiked. Well not all of us. The guy that won the expert class didn't hike. But normal people like me, we hiked. Hike the first third of the climb, pedaled the middle third, hike to the top. Gravel road at the top to another downhill followed by another uphill. This one I hiked the first half and could ride the second. Then turn and do it all two more times.
On the final descent towards the finish line I was just behind another masters rider, James Knott. I passed and thought I could keep ahead of him, especially once we hit the road at the bottom. We both flew down that hill, passing him gave him the boost he needed I guess. Oh, and no road section at the bottom killed my boost. The course crossed the road and ended up on completely muddy trail section. We both had to dismount to get through it and once to the other side, he dropped me. Just didn't have it in me to pass him after 23 miles of racing, and really, its expert masters and we were racing for 7th. Still it was fun to compete.
Finish time 2:27:16, 15 seconds behind James and about 3 minutes ahead of my goal. As I was about to make the turn for lap 3 when I got passed by the would be winner of the expert class. He (Brian Schworm) apparently set the race record finishing at 1:47:49. That's nuts. The top 4 were all under 2 hours. Maybe they actually "train".
Even better, there were two 8 year olds racing. They did one lap but the same climbs with the same water bars and the same descents. Brock (also 8) still can't ride in the dirt.
You know what tastes really good, especially after a race? Take a cold thermos of chocolate milk (in this case it was the high protein stuff from Horizon) and dump in a packet of Starbucks instant.
Sorry, no photos of the race. I did get this photo of an all white squirrel at home though. Really neat. Not an albino, but a white morph. Though I wonder if the other grey squirrels make fun of him.
What's spinning - over the winter we made a trip to the record shop in Chillicothe (Apollo Records) where I found a used copy of the 1969 "Live Dead". Interesting set because side 1 and 4 are on the same record, with 2 and 3 on the second disc. Includes a 23:15 long version of Dark Star.
