I was a late to the starting line. It seemed that I needed to be up there 15 minutes earlier to get near the front, but it was too cold and wet for that. I edged my way in near the front, but was going to have to merge once they said go. They said “go” and the chaos ensued for 20 seconds as we merged to squeeze through the starting gate, but once on the other side surge at the front kept the complaints to a minimum. I tucked into the back of the lead group and tried to find a wheel that was not going to get shelled as soon as the first climb came. There’s nothing like drafting off of someone going backwards and realizing it too late to make the jump back to the group….or even worse, jumping to someone else how is going backward. It’s like climbing a falling rope.

The guy that got shelled was almost me, but the peak came just in time for me to get back into the group before I was left behind. I wanted to be in this group to be sure I got into the single track in front of most of the traffic. In past editions of this race I was more conservative at the start and it cost me time & energy as I tried to pick my way through riders. Today’s theme was going to be an effective use of efficiency.

The first 9-10 miles were uneventful; though this is the first time I’ve done this race and not felt like I was going to lose my breakfast at this point. I let the group pull away some as we rose to Boyd Gap, but closed the distance in the descent. On Old Copper Rd I let them go again, knowing that rocky, rooty mess was coming. It’s only 50-60 yards long, but on a good day I can pass a lot of riders here and it was a good day. It’s hard to say how many I passed, 5 maybe 6, because I was too busy staying up right. There are decent lines on the sides of this old road bed, but the middle is a mess of thick tree roots and sharp edged rocks. The only place to pass is right down the middle. I accelerated and hoped for the best and it worked nicely. Of course most of these guys were going to pass me back on the next climb, but it was glorious while it lasted.

Up to the first SAG I was in a good group and figured they would be the ones to work with once we were on the forest services roads that make up the middle 70 miles of this course. This group included Andy Applegate, Garth Prosser, and 3-4 guys I didn’t know. That did not play out at all. Rather than working together through this relatively flat section, one after the other took off in search of next guy up the road. I held my pace. I know this course and I knew my limits. I have not done anything over 5 hours & 15 minutes this year and a good day for me at the Cohutta is 7 hours plus. Now was not the time to get on the gas….not yet.

I did get a chance to jump on Ernie‘s wheel through the flattest part on the eastside of the course, which was nice. Since this course mostly dirt roads it’s good to have a draft when on the flats. As soon as the road went up, Ernie rode away. Still I was content to keep my pace. I ditched two bottles and took my bottle & gel at the second SAG. One bottle only because it’s a long steep climb up to SAG 3 at Potato Patch. There is a descent long enough to recover on just past SAG 2 so picked up the pace and even passed one guy in the descent.

The climb that follows is a soul crusher. From the Jack’s River camp ground up past the Mountaintown Creek trail head and finally up to Potato Patch is mean. It’s also where a good bit of the race is decided. Some will go too hard heading into it and suffer a miserable, tortuous morning; some will meter their efforts perfectly and cruise to the top and I was going to come into is a little fresh because I was not going to be one of the former. I did not take long before I was both catching people and being caught. I fought the urge to race anyone and kept my pace steady. I talked to a few of those around me just assure myself I was going easy enough to still do it.

Then I made it to the East Cowpen Trailhead and swung left into a nice 16% grade. The fog did a good job of hiding the pain that lay ahead: 4.6 miles of these steep steps up to Potato Patch and SAG 3. A group of 4 of us had formed here and went to the front. Now it was time to spend some of the energy I was banking. I didn’t accelerate, but I didn’t slow down at all either. First the twin single speeders fell back (they had the same kit on), then another single speeder, and then it was just me another guy (this one with gears). We passed 2 or 3 more as we clawed up the mountain, but each would hang on for a minute or two and then go back to their pace. Finally out of the fog I could see the sign for FS 68, aka Potato Patch (named for the big rocks that look like giant potatoes sticking up out of the ground). I rolled up to SAG 3 with two other guys, one stopped and the other kept going. I stopped long enough to get my two bottles, gel products and caffeine source, and then I was off again. It was way too cold up there to hang out. (I found out later that the ladies from Mulberry Gap were cheering for me).

I bombed the descent that followed and saw the guy that didn’t stop at the SAG. His name was Drew, but wouldn’t find that out until the day after the race when I saw the results. He’ll play a role later in this story. Anyway I eventually catch Drew and another rider before descending FS 17. On paper this is a 12 mile drop from the mountain tops to the valley floor. In reality there is a lot of climbing in that descent. The first 4 miles are just fast. The mud was slick, but aside from a few switch backs there is little to brake for at all. Then the punchy little rollers start. You climbs a hundred yards and then descent a half mile and repeat and repeat and repeat….

Finally the slope becomes more gradual and then just after SAG 4 it’s just flat. Luckily I passed Tim Finkel (whom I met that the 6 hours of Warrior Creek a few weeks before) and his teammate (Robert, I think). I saw them coming from behind and let them come up to me, then it was a pace line for the next several miles. A few times I considered dropping off because the pace was just a little higher than I wanted at the moment, but stuck it out. They both seemed strong. After the race I found out we all had the same thought as some point during that part. The flat parts never last long and we made the right hander that will eventually bring us back up to the Ocoee Whitewater Center. The first pitch is steep and it took me a few minutes to make the transition from fast and flat to slow and up. Tim rode away and Robert fell back.

I have this last part memorized, maybe not as well at the Conyers course, but close. From that flat section it’s a steep, stepped climb, then fast rollers, then the winding descent to SAG 5. There is a SAG for the 65 milers in there too and someone handed me Coke. It was much appreciated. As I was dropping into the holler where SAG 5 was, I heard some riders approaching from behind rather fast. For just a minute I thought I’d let them go and just grind out the last 25-30 miles on my own. Then I saw it was Dan Larocque and Drew. Dan and I finished very close together at the Ouchita Challenge, I may have been 10 seconds up on him. He said something to the effect of “yo dude, want to have a drag race to the end?” Maybe it was not so many words, but I knew what he meant.

Just after they caught me we entered The Three Steps. This one climb has both made and broke my race in the past. We rode the first one eyeing each other, Dan, Drew and I. I threw in a few accelerations, Drew stayed to my left and Dan was right on my wheel. I preferred to set the pace and ramped it up between each step to keep the pressure on. At one point Drew asked if we (Dan and I) had some rivalry going on. Dan replied no, but I knew better. When we crested the top of the steps I accelerated again trying to use the descents to gain an advantage. They were not long enough to get away, but I was able to stay steady on the ensuing climb while Dan & Drew played catch up. We hit the last rolling section fast and I continued to try to make a separation, but they were glued to me.

I almost didn’t recognize the last climb back to the WWC because of the fog/low hanging clouds. We were nearly at the top when I saw a trailhead sign for the Big Frog Wilderness area. I took a quick assessment and then gunned it over the top and down. I made the wide lefthander toward the final SAG and back into the single track. I looked back to see at least a 5 second gap. I knew the single track would be a sloppy mess with a good 12 hours of rain and most of the 65 mile racers already having been through. I stayed on the gas into the last forest road descent. I passed Tim Finkel again and kept on going. I wanted as much time as possible.

I took a bottle a SAG 6 from Zeke without stopping and ripped down the Westfork trail. It bottomed with a switchback and I could see Tim and Dan about 15 seconds back. I motored as best I could up the climb. It was a steady grade which helped me since my legs were screaming at this point. I remembered to drink some while climbing since there would be little chance from here out. I crested the top and they had closed the gap. Dan came in on my wheel with Tim on his.

I nearly lost it heading into the Quartz Loop. I hit some mud and my back wheel came around, but I managed to correct it, get clipped back and retain my spot on the front. I offered to let them come around before the trail got tight, but they declined. We crawled around the Quartz Loop. It rolls up and down for a mile then descends (mostly) yet some how finishes where it began. Once again I right before the descent. It was muddy and loose, but kept the front wheel in control while the back wheel seemed to do what it pleased. I made the turn out of the Quartz Loop and down to the Chestnut Trail and didn’t see anyone behind. I felt like that gap was going to stick.

The last 4 miles or so was scary. I elected to run the Conti Race Kings over the Mountain Kings for speed out on the forest roads. If I could have swapped wheels at the last SAG for something with a big knob I may have had some blood in my knuckles for this last bit. The trail rolls up and down on side hill trail with slick roots. Whenever I felt it was safe I’d look back over my shoulder, but still no one was there. Each steep pitch pushed me every closer to the cramps I had been fighting for the last 30 minutes. I tried unsuccessfully to use the granny gear, but there was too much mud and debris in there. I ground out each one trying not slip and each slip giving me panic that Dan and/or Tim would come up behind me any second.

Just as I hit what I knew was the last little climb on Chestnut, I heard the brakes squealing behind me. Not the slow moving brakes of the 65 milers I had passed, but the fast moving brakes of someone on a mission. I dug deep and crested the hill entering the Thunder Rocks trail and the final descent. Looking back I saw…..Drew. For real? Yup, he didn’t play the attack game and just stayed steady. Now he was passing me. I don’t generally get passed in a descent, so that stung a bit. On the other hand I was pretty wrecked and I’ve seen a few ugly crashes on this trail. I had to let him go and focus on staying up right and limiting my losses. When I made the last turn out of the single track I didn’t see him, I rounded the turn on to the pavement and didn’t see him, then I saw him making the right turn for that last flat mile and half back to the finish. He had about 15 seconds.

I tucked my head down and just focused on my pedaling. For the first half of a mile I didn’t seem to make any gains, then slowly, but surely I was drawing closer. We hit the parking lot and luckily no one alerted him to my presence and fell in behind a 65 miler heading for the finish. I assumed he cracked. Why would he slow up like that? So I came right up behind and then jumped around. He surprised me with his response. He came right around me and began the sprint for home. We made the right turn on to the bridge over the Ocoee with me on his wheel. Then I messed up. I went wide and he went wider….pushing me out the edge of the road. I had to brake to avoid a sign post, but I sprinted hard again. I gained. I made up 2/3rds of a bike length, but then the line came. Drew got it by a nose. I still had not caught my breath when Tim and soon after Dan rolled in.

I love racing. Just when you think you are at your absolute limit…..

Pictures to follow.

The 6 Hours of Warrior Creek rocked! Plain and simple. Bum and the guys from BMCC put on some great events (they took over the BURN 24 from me) and this was not exception. Namrita & I raced the duo co-ed category, but really we were after the duo overall class. Also as is the norm in these relay races I was after the fastest lap of the day while still being able to maintain a fast pace throughout.

The plan was for me to start, gain a lead and put some traffic between myself and anyone else in our category. Then Namrita would come out and either maintain the lead or extend it. We didn’t get in early enough to pre-ride the course on Friday, so I did what I could while warming up. I decided to focus on the starting parade loop and then figure the rest out as I went. The parade loop consisted of 1 mile of pavement and then 1/2 of dirt before hitting the single track. That meant just enough room to thin the group before hitting the trail.

I lined up in the second row and as we started I did a quick assessment of who really surged liked they wanted to lead this thing. After about 200 yards we hit a steep hill which lasted another 50 yards. I continued to follow wheels at this point. There was a little shuffling and coasted 10 feet or so. That put me in the back of the lead group of 10-12 that just formed over the hill. I took 3 good pedal strokes, tucked into an aero position and coasted right into 3rd position. I swung wide left and made a smooth arc into the right hand turn and into 2nd place. 50 yards into another right hander and then down hill. I made the turn and tucked again. I buzzed past the lead guy and kept going….without even a pedal stroke. The road twisted through a camp ground and then did a 180* and climbed back out. I had about 3 seconds as I began to climb again. I settled into a rhythm expecting someone to jump off the front (only to blow up 300 yards up the climb). No one did, they were content for the moment. I waited until about 100 yards from the last right turn before we descended into the dirt and stood into a sprint. I made the turn in the lead and never looked back.

Not pre-riding is not the best practice, but I got lucky this time. The trails are so predictable and smooth that I simply just “knew” what was coming next. I do not often find myself leading out a race, so I was going to enjoy this opportunity or blow up trying. I did look back occasionally to see the results of my accelerations and about half through the group had been cut to 6. Someone asked from behind who was on a team (and implied who was solo), I was the only team guy. I knew then that they would let me lead to the finish, since I was stopping after this lap and they were not.

I stayed focused on my form and on picking good lines. It was not technical in the rocks and roots sense, but every turn was bermed (a curving slope). If you stayed off the brakes and used the berm to control the turn and your speed you can really carry a lot of momentum through the turns. The climbs were never steady, but instead broken into little bits with dips to gain more momentum. The course required many bursts of power and very few sections where you needed to stay on the gas for long. Perfect for me to just get after it.

Mile 10 hurt….. a lot. Thankfully the miles were marked, so I knew I only had a couple of miles left and some of that was a descent. The guy behind me, Tim Finkel, mentioned a “nasty rock garden” coming up soon. Having just returned from the Ouachita Challenge in Arkansas, I had no fear of rocks. Namrita pre-rode it before the race and told me not to worry about it. I trusted her and gunned it into the final descent. At this point there were only 3 guys left behind me. I hit the rocks with speed and the hill dipped steeply downward. I flowed over the first set quite well if I do say so myself. Then trail dipped even steeper, though smoothly and then shot back up for a second before making sharp left hander. Then the “gnarly” part came. I could still hear the others behind me at this point, so I accelerated and hoped for the best. The line was not clear, but it was there and momentum was my friend. I cleared the rocks without pause and accelerated again once I was clear. I made a sharp switchback which lead me under rock garden above and could see that I had at least a 10 second gap. I accelerated again because I could hear the finish.

I surprised Namrita. Maybe it was because I was first out or because I was a good 8 minutes ahead of schedule. We had a long transition area to make the hand off and I set her rolling with a clear trail ahead. And then she crushed it, adding more minutes to the lead.

Then my head felt like it was going to explode, my lungs hurt and my legs ached…..but I was done for an hour. Namrita did her part in adding to the lead from there and I continued to turn myself inside out on each lap. It was great to be able to go full gas instead of holding back because I have 5 more hours to ride.

Namrita did the last lap and we finished with a healthy lead. We cleaned up our pit, let the dogs swim some and then headed to the awards ceremony up the road (no alcohol in the park). We hung with the Faster Mustache crew, had BBQ & beers then headed off for a relaxing evening of sitting next to a campfire. What a great weekend.

Friday was more packing and some more checking over the bike. I was so nervous something would fail because nothing was tested, so I went over everything twice and then had two others look it all over. Finally I just ran out of time and left it alone.

Fast forward again to the pre-ride. I rode up to the venue with a friend, Monte, and then met up with Mark D and Ernesto for a quick spin. The Rotwild delivered on all it’s promised hype: stiff when pedaling (even out of the saddle), super light & maneuverable, took the edge off the bumps and had great traction on the climbs. The new Magura Durin Race was sweet as well. It’s plush in the descents and remote lock out is so easy to get to that I actually use it. I never bother with the on the fork lock out, since I always to forget to unlock it before it gets ugly, then nearly die trying to unlock it. The Magura Martas not only look cool, but they do thier job well. The modulation felt smooth & even and the stopping power was confidence inspiring. The Crank Brothers pedals have been on all of my bikes since they I found them in 2001, the only difference with this set is the 2-Ti version saves some weight. I’m also happy to report that I never gave the Northwave shoes a second thought. I set the cleats up according to my Wobble-Naught blueprint slipped in some SOLE footbeds and rode in comfort all weekend. My Jagwire cables which matched my shoes and all the other lime green bits garnered more than one comment as well. The whole look is definitely Euro, then add in the Addias specs and it’s over the top. Even the brake hoses are green.

We rode the first 10-12 miles of the course taking in the views of the surrounding mountains and the Ocoee River:

I put the bike through the paces and tried to shake things loose. My legs felt good and my skills were slowly returning (it had been a month since I was on a mountain bike). The only issue was a loose pivot bolt that was fixed the next AM with some thread sealer. We dropped our SAG bags and headed for dinner and then some early sleep.

We were up at 5:00 AM to get some food in and head to the start. I was actually pretty organized so I had a few minutes sit and visualize how the first couple of hours would go……Draft up the first paved climb, jump up a few spots as we hit the single track, be conservative until the Old Copper Road where I attack a bit, steady up the climb to SAG one, then find some others work with as we hit the FS roads….I felt ready: excited, but not fearful. I warmed up a bit and lined up in the second row.

Go! I sat near the back of 20-25 riders that made up the lead group. The heart rate was up immediately as they pushed the pace to thin the herd, but I was OK. There are two steps to the climb followed by a short descent to the single track. The key is to stick with this group then make a jump as we come over the top to get a good position into the single track. Up the first step I was well placed and drafting. Then I started to fall back and pushed hard to stay on. Drifting back further I became worried that I just didn’t have the fitness to stay up there. Then I felt it….the bouncing from the rear wheel. I flatted. 5 or less minutes in and I flatted.

I pulled off the road and began the frantic tube change. I could hear the riders going by “…sure is early to flat…” “…oh, that sucks…” “…come on Eddie!” I had the tube changed and looked up to see the police escort tailing the last three racers up the climb. “This is going to be a long day.”

Big ringing the climb I passed as many as I could before the single track. I jumped in at what looked like a never ending line of riders. There was some room to pass, but with a line of riders as far as I can see I’m not feeling real motivated. Still, I get to work. “On your left.” “Can I get by up here?” “Thanks.” “Good luck.” Then I feel my tire washing out in the turns….I needed some more air in there. I decided to try to replace the CO2 canister while I ride so I can jump off when it’s more convenient and I won’t lose too many places in this line. I get the inflator out, take the top off and pull the C02 out with my teeth while negotiating the turns. I put the head & empty C02 back in my pocket and get the new canister out and slip in the inflator while making a hard right hander. I fetch the head to screw it back on. Now is the hard part, screwing the head to the lower part which requires two hands. The trail is not giving me more then a few seconds between sweeping turns to get it done. I drop the head…. That was the chance to take. I stop grab the head, put the inflator together and add some more air to the tire. 6 people pass me.

I begin the passing process over again, but eventually just sat in as the trail climbs up to Boyd Gap. I let the girl in front of me know I’m going as soon as it opens up. We make the left hand turn, over the little rise and I sprint across the 30 yards of grass for the next bit of single track. I drop into the descent at full speed, pass a guy on a rigid bike, then another who hesitates in a technical spot, three more on a short up hill section before finally coming out on the pavement to descend to the Old Copper Road. There I hammer across the flat section and try to float over the rooty sections. I can feel a couple of guys trying to draft me through here, but I will not let anyone pass here so I can pick my own lines when it gets technical. Finally I negotiate the creek crossing that caused my flat last year and cross the bridge of the Ocoee River. Friday’s preride to this point took a leisurely 58 minutes. My race pace was 1 hour even….not good.

I settled into a good rhythm as I passed a steady stream of racers. Fortunately they are more spread out that on the flatter sections earlier. I was just coming out of the single track when the first 65 miler passed me. Then Z came by in second and I stuck to his wheel for a few minutes, but lost him in traffic on the single track. My impetus to get around others was waning by now.

Passing another 20 or so racers on the two track up to SAG 1, I was feeling good and ready to try to salvage a decent time for this race. I had not spent much of the high-end efforts I have been training for, so I figured I could race back into the top 30 or so and still finish under 8 hours…..if all goes well. I flatted again as I rolled up to SAG 1.

I rolled into SAG 1 with the fork locked out and all my wight on it while I nursed the flat rear to the top of the hill. I pulled the tire off and began to really inspect why I was flatting. These were brand new Conti Mtn King 2.2s which are pretty beefy tires for today’s smooth and dry conditions. The tubes were fresh. I checked for anything stuck in the tire and found nothing. Next looked at the rim strip and found my problem….spoke holes were showing. They have sharp edges and will cut a tube if you hit it right….twice. I tried to fix the strip, but it was having none of it. Mean while this guy who introduced himself as David later rolled in with a sliced tire. One of the volunteers tended to him while I loathed the idea of having to bag it for the day. Decided there was nothing I could, I gave up my rear tire to David and he was soon off again. Next someone asked if I had chainring bolt, so I removed one of those and he too was off. While I was asking for directions back to the start finish one of the volunteers offers me his wheel. “Do you have a chainring bolt I can borrow as well?” It took another 20 minutes or so to get it all back together, but I was rolling out again. By now I was solidly in last place….at least 15 minutes back.

The rest of the ride was pretty uneventful. I started off pretty leisurely, but then realized I would be out there for 12 hours unless I picked up it. Besides I was here to push myself as much as I was to race others. I could at least get half of the experience. I kept my pace as I would if I were actually racing for the top 10, though in reality it was more like 50th. I certainly missed the opportunity to work with some others as I cruised passed all of the riders I came upon. I’m sure that cost me some time, but made for a good day of training.

I rolled into the Whitewater Center and across the finish line for 9:13 finish and a solid 53rd place. That was almost 2 hours off the last time I ran the 100 miler in 07. Oh well, it was a good day of riding and some great training. Next up is the Dirty Spoke 12 hour this weekend at Fort Yargo.

Namrita, Kona Scott, and I arrived Friday afternoon in Fayetteville, TN. We pre-rode the course….sweet! My Kona Hei Hei was gonna rock on this course. Steep climbs, tight single track broken up with fast double track sections with just enough rocks and roots to appreciate the full suspension. I wish we had arrived on Thursday to get another day on it. That would have helped me figure out where to put in my efforts on some of the early laps. We rode and then hung out for a little while. There were lots of festivities going on and dinner was to be served around 6:00. We ended up getting hungry and went looking for food…huge mistake in Fayetteville, TN. We drove through downtown and saw a single sandwich shop and nothing else that serves food. We headed for the “commercial district” aka fast food haven. Not a single sit down place other than a few Mexican places which I usually steer clear of the night before a race. We checked in at the hotel and asked for some guidance…actually I checked the hotel’s restaurant out first: All You Can Eat Fried Chicken Buffet…then we asked for some guidance. Certainly this town had one decent eating establishment….

“…well everyone loves Cattleman’s.”

“What is Cattleman’s?”

“It’s a steakhouse.”

“Do they have pasta dishes?”

“mmm, nope. They have steak.”

“OK, is there a pasta place in town?”

“Oh yes, just past Cattleman’s is Raphael’s, they have pasta.”

….so we go to Raphael’s. It sounds Italian. We pull up to the place and only stayed because there were no other choices. I shoved in all I could, but I was hungry again 2 hours later. We should have stayed at the race sight for the free dinner, I heard it was great. Unfortunately, with a 8:00 AM start there was no time to find more food. I ate some granola and slept.

5:30 AM comes all too soon. I drank some bad coffee, ate some cereal and a banana. At the race sight we set up pit and then I ate some pancakes. I had to forgo my usual breakfast shake/smoothie concoction which have not done since ORAMM 03 (which was a terrible day on the bike).

The start was a start. I didn’t feel great on the first lap, but figured my legs would come around in a hour or so. An hour or so came and went, no better. By lap/hour 4 I was feeling my power fade and my HRM confirmed my mounting fear that I was bonking. I was eating plenty during the race, but the lack of food before and maybe a not so great recovery from the Cohutta 100 left me no reserves. By lap/hour 6 I was fading fast. My heart rate dropped to the 120s and nothing was making it jump. I was really starting to get worried as my handling was getting bad too. This was a pretty technical course and I didn’t want to ride for another 6 hour with no motorskills.

I stopped at the pits after lap 6 and received some tough love from Nam. “Eat, shut up and ride.” Kona Scott came in right behind me and offered some “magic pill.” I was suspicious at first, but he reassured me it was Hammer product and just vitamin B. I figured it couldn’t make me feel much worse, so I popped one and headed out. Sure enough about 20 minutes later I was rolling a big gear again and picking up steam. On my next trip through the pits I asked for an extra bottle and to keep the magic pills coming. It may have been the placebo effect, but I didn’t care. In the words of the sage Stephen Wright “I’m addicted to placebos…and it doesn’t matter if I quit.”

A few laps later race leader, Nat Ross, caught me. I rode his wheel for half a lap and chatted a bit. He looked very comfortable and seemed to be conserving a bit for the final push to win. We bombed the descents and then hit a flat section near the pits. I took the lead and pulled him across the field and then pulled away. I decided my motivation would be to not get lapped.

Pushing on passed Chris from UF, which gave me another position in the solo race and then on the next lap I passed another solo guy I was yo-yoing with most of the first 6 laps. That felt good and motivated me more. The course looped back on itself a lot, so I tried to keep an eye out for the other solos ahead of me, but never saw anyone.

Next thing I knew I was 9 laps in and time was running out. “Good.” I was starting to feel the late race efforts I was putting in and knew I could not hold off another bonk for much longer even with the “magic pills.” Lap 10 was good, but the last lap was pretty painful. Nat passed me again but I couldn’t do anything about that. He was pushing for a win, I was just pushing on. Knowing it was all over soon kept me going, but the bonk was back and the first couple of steep climbs really sapped the last of the power left in my legs. Nat passed me again, but I couldn’t hold on. Then about half way through 2nd place, Josh Tostada, came by. His pace was a little easier to handle, so I chased for a bit. We hit one of the double track sections though and I was unable to hold on. “So much for not getting lapped.” “OK, no more though.” I pushed on, but could see Tinker flying through the sections just up the ridge from me. 5 minutes back…I figured I could hold him off with that. Well, that didn’t happen either. I was on the last climb which was steep and rocky when he came by like a man possessed. He was chasing a fading Tostada and doing a pretty good job of it. I came to find out later he took 12 minutes out of Josh on that lap…freaking amazing effort. I punched over the top of the last climb and cruised in to the finish.

Announcer, Bruce Dickman, was there with a microphone in my face for the post race interview and then as I exited the finish tent, the race organizers were there as well to offer their thanks and congrats. Luckily Nam was there to hold me up and move me toward the pits. I finished in 7th, which considering all of the issues I had was pretty good….but truthfully I was really disappointed with myself. I knew I had some serious power at the Cohutta, but just could not show any of that at the DSG. Next year…

Many thanks to Namrita for her support at this one. She was kind enough to give up her weekend of riding to help Kona Scott and I which is a sacrifice I can appreciate. Thank you. A huge thank you to Kona Scott as well. I was hoping to show off with a big result, but bad days happen. Thanks for making the rest of the weekend such a good time and of course thanks for the support from Kona.

Jeff Kerkove has a ton of pics on his sight…click it.

The DSG race itself was a well orchestrated event. They had big prize money for the men & women which brought in a lot of talent. The southeast just took another step up on the cycling ladder. The local support of the race was great to see. Local non-profits doing the cooking, the mayor of Fayetteville was there (note to mayor, please attract an Olive Garden), tons of picture takers, the volunteers were so kind, and the directors were great too. Clay Higgens called me last summer for some advice about putting on a race….little did I know he was going so big. Nice work.

I’d like thank all of my sponsors:

Kona Bicycles & Apparel:

55nine Performance:

Light & Motion

American Classic Wheels:

Wingnut Gear:

Tifosi Optics

BURN Energy Drinks

AKorn Photography

GNC at Plantation Square in Lakeland, FL

Georgia Sports Chiropractic

Collette at Sports Massage and Integrated Therapies

Cartecay Bike Shop

SRAM, Rock Shox, Truvativ & Avid

Wicked Fast Sports Nutrition

Extreme Steering Inc:

Chainwheel Drive Bike Shop

Eddie O

That was the end of the drama for me. I finished the ride, ate a lot of food and then drove to West Palm Beach for some 55nine Performance bike fittings. Tinker won it, with Harvey in second and Mikey V in forth. I ended up 5th at about 20 minutes back. Not too shabby considering my 3 weeks of training leading into this one. Oh well, at least one 55nine Performance racer was on the podium…nice job Harvey. Harvey gave a powerful testimonial after the race about is custom made IF which was based on his 55nine Performance fitting.

Eddie O

The heavy AM rains had passed, but the sky was still cloudy. About 30 racers toed the line at the Le Mans start for the NORBA 24 Hour National Championships which awarded the “Stars & Stripes” jerseys to both solo & team categories with another 150 solos & teams lined up behind us for the regular 24 Hours of 9 Mile race. This was a big race with all the top solo riders present each hoping to bring home the honor of being this year’s national champion.

I began the run close the front, but was quickly passed by the horde. We ran straight for a 100 yards, then pulled a 180 and had about 500 more to go before being corralled through the tight finishing shoot. I may a surging sprint as we near the shoot entrance, gaining about 50 position with that one move. It was single file through the shoot and chaos on the other side. I ran right passed my bike, but quickly figured it. I mounted up and headed off.

Out on the course I drafted where I could because of the mostly flat terrain. A few minutes in we hit the first bit of single track which was tight and twisty. It was very reminiscent of Florida trails, making up for a lack elevation with as much technical riding as possible. We hit another short section of double track before a hard right hander into the trees again.

In this section I realised I how well placed I was. Just about 20 seconds up the trail Erneasto Marenchin and Mark Hendershot were making their way through the fading team riders. It took 10 minutes to bridge the gap to Mark’s wheel because Ernie was cruising on the double track, but once there I had to do very little work. Ernie continued to pull for the rest of the lap. He gunned it on the open double track, but I was more than comfortable with the pace in the single track. I decided the best thing I could was just sit on and let these two do the work.

We swung through the pits with each of us making our appropriate stops or slow downs as the case may be. We regrouped as we headed back out with Ernie taking the lead again. I managed to get away with only one pull for a few minutes on this one and again sat on while we caught, passed and dropped fellow solo rider Jeff Kerkove. This made me wonder if I was pushing a little too hard to stay with these two, more experienced riders. I decided to stay with it if they were going to drag me to the front of this race and not expect me to do any work.

On the third lap I thought I was feeling the effects of the first two laps when Mark & Ernie began to pull away….turns out the brakes were on. After a couple of passing riders remarked on the wobble in my rear wheel I knew something was not right. Turns out that I cracked my rear rim and my disc brake rotor was rubbing the pads. There was little I could while out on the course. Luckily this was not my good American Classic wheels, but a back up set on the King Kikapu. This is why I usually run my “spare” bike on the early laps because I tend to break stuff early.

The pit lay out at this race was ideal. I could slow down enough to grab a fresh bottle and let Richard know what I needed as I headed for the timing tent. Then we passed by a second time on the way back out. Richard was waiting with the second Kona and I was off and riding.

I rolled out a couple of uneventful laps feeling pretty good, but not really very motivated. I lost contact with Mark & Ernie and had not seen another solo rider at all. The later was a good thing, but I knew the race was in front of me and I just had to give it some time get back into it. It was early still.

Richard relayed the news that was only 5 minutes off of Mark & Ernie while we switched bikes again. He scored a wheel from the Mavic support guys and they straightened my rotor. I immediatedly feel amazingly faster. The news inspired me, but this bike felt different.

Both had been fit with the Wobble-Naught system, but I was supposed to get a new seat post for the Kona King and in all of the chaos of starting a new biz, quitting the corporate job, doing odd work for my bother, training and racing I some how negecelted to take care of this detail. My spare bike, the Kona King Kikapu, had a straight seat post and I was able to get that extra 10mm over the cranks I needed. Because this course was pan flat leg speed was a huge factor and that 10mm made a huge difference. Looking back the lap time difference was 3-5 minutes bewteen the two bikes. Fit matters and that’s a lesson I will not forget anytime soon.

Back to the racing. Over the next two laps I closed the gap on Ernie and drew within two minutes of Mark. Mark upped the pace, but I caught Ernie as we exitted a single track section early in the lap. I waited a few seconds to relax and then slide up on the saddle and let the legs fly. He chased hard, but once in the single track again I lost him pretty quickly. There is a long double track section in the middle of the course and I looked back repeatedly expecting to see him at any moment, but he didn’t come. Time to go after Mark.

Mark managed his lead nicely through the next 3 laps until dark. He held just 5 minutes on me. Richard did a great job of limiting my stoppage time, feeding me and giving me updates. I did notice Nam in the pits, but it would morning before I’d know that she had pulled the plug on a what she called “a bad day.” She still managed 60 miles, but she has high standards.

I felt great in the dark. We approached the half way mark of 10:00 PM and I was still only 5 minutes back on Mark. Ernie suffered in the heat and fell off the pace, so my only focus was on staying near Mark until the AM when I could bury myself to pass him and hold him off…that was the plan any way. Everytime I felt like I was making head way a my helmet light blacked out half way through the lap. Because it was so twisty in the last 5-6 miles I really needed that light to see through the turns. I’d have to stop and switch the bar light battery.

Then around 4 AM both failed within minutes of each other! I had to follow other racers in the dark. I’d stay as close as possible without rubbing wheels and then watch what was coming through their lights. This would work until I over turned or stumbled on an unseen root or rock and I’d have to wait for the next rider to come. It was painfully frustrating, but I had no choice and tried to remain calm. We still had at least 6 hours of racing or so I thought. Later I found a pair of newly aquired chargers to be at fault, which will no longer be an issue thanks to wonderful warrenty folks at Light & Motion.

Richard says to me “someone called so and so and they say this storm is going to the pass to the north…not gonna hit here, so go get’m. I’d been watching lighting all around for the last 30 minutes. He also informed me that sun rises a little after 5:00 AM this far north and the lights shouldn’t be an issue much longer. I had given up 30 minutes to Mark, but had only given 10 back to Ernie which kept 20 minutes up on him.

Then the storm came alomst as suddenly as my lights had gone out earlier. It started with wind gusts and few drops, but within minutes I was getting pelted so hard I couldn’t see. I got flagged down as I came the halfway checkpoint and stopped. There was 6 or so racers standing there looking a little confused, tired and hungry. Every couple of minutes another couple racers would so up. Soon there was 60 up us huddled under this 10 x tent while Mother Nature gave us a good lashing. I wormed my way to the middle to keep warm. I even dosed off a couple times while standing. Then I noticed Ernie at the end of the tent, then Nat Ross, Slone Anderson and finally race leader Chris Eatough.

So here I am tired & shivering standing next to Ernie & Slone, whom I had comfortable leads on at the begining of this lap. I hear over the race radio that we will start again at 6:45. Lots of questions arose, but the most important was “What about the previous time splits?” No one had answer, but it was time to go!

There was a lot of traffic as we funneled into the single track that immediately follwed our stop. I kept a tab on Ernie as I consdiered him the biggest threat to my 4th place. I excited onto the double track with him just in front of me and picked up the pace, mostly to get warmed up, but he didn’t respond so I attacked. I took off so hard that I nearly ran right into the back of Chris Eatough. I righted myself, passed Chris and just ripped through the rest of the course. I passed all but one of the team riders that had been stopped with me.

I came in the pit and was greeted with great confusion. I was told Mark now had 40 minutes becuase he made to the end of the lap before he was stopped. Nam offer me pancakes and sausage. Then while stuffing my face Ernie came by. “Are we on the same lap?” I ask. “Yeah.” “We’ll &*$#@# I have to go!” Off again like an XC race, but after 20 so hours of racing. I kept the pace high, but manageable on the double track, but ripped the single track knowing I could get through it faster than Ernie. After gunning it throught last 4-5 miles of tight single track I looked back and still saw Ernie. He was like the villian in a horror movie and I was the victim that ran as hard as he could while he just walked, but kept pace.

I took a deep breath and said to myself “not with out a fight” and mentally prepared for the hardest effort of my life. There was time for one, maybe two more laps.

As I blew through the pits I saw Mark Hendershot standing there talking to someone and heard Namrita yell something I could not understand. I was not about to give a single second more back Ernie. There is a short single track bit before the finishing straight and in there I heard what sounded like canceled from spectators. Still I kept pace until I hit the finishing shoot, then the timing offical gave me the news. I walked 3 feet to folding chair, dropped my bike, took a seat and put my head in my hands. I feeling of relief swept over me and I felt like I wanted to cheer, cry & scream all at the same time. I just sat there until I could feel eyes on me and decided to move on.

Many thanks to Richard Walker for his amazing pit duties & Namrita for her unending support. I’d also like to thank my sponsors for their amazing support.

Eddie O

Photos courtesy of GoneRiding.com

We entered the woods with Drew out front (which I didn’t know at the time because I had know idea who he was yet), then me, then right behind me was Trent and Harvey. I can hear them talking, but only slightly louder than the pounding of my heart in my ears. I was thinking that start was rough, way too fast, but necessary to keep ahead of the traffic behind. Then Trent says to Harvey “I wish our XC starts were like that, all leisurely and wide open.” Two minutes later he asked to pass. I’m thinking should have worked harder at the start, but can only reply with “not a chance.” I wasn’t going to let him drag Harvey right by me like that. Besides we had already caught up to the fast runners and slow riders group just ahead of us. Luckily Turner was caught up in there too.

Photos courtesy of GoneRiding.com

There was little rest in that first lap. I swear I have anaerobic for 45 mins straight. The course was fast and the few downhills required just was much work as the climbs to keep the pace up. Because we were late as usual to the start Nam & I pitted far away from everyone else, so when the leaders stopped or slowed at the pits I rolled through. My lead was short lived as both Harvey & Turner passed me while I was trying to recover from that first effort. I hoped to stay away until I reached my pit because I would have to actually stop, get off the bike, rummage through the cooler, then remount and go….costing at least 30 seconds and the way these guys were going 30 seconds was 1/4 mile…..so I skipped it. I hadn’t drink my of my bottle and I had 50 oz of water in my Wingnut Assault.

I stayed with Harvey through the 1/3 of lap, but Turner had opened a gap. I was working hard, but within myself until we hit the Pine Mountain climb. Don’t let the name fool you, this is no mountain, but it’s long and steep enough to cause some separation. I was leading at the base and purposely slowed as we approached hoping ever second of recover would help when Harvey was sure to keep the pace high up the climb. I was right and he came around and opened a gap quickly. There is 3 sections to this climb: the first couple of steep steps, then a slight drop, and then the second steep section to the road. I figured I could bring him back on that second section, but it didn’t happen, so I dug deep on the steep pitch to the road and still couldn’t close it. I gained some distance back, but not enough to even consider a pass. The rest of the lap he slowly pulled further away. “That’s OK…he’ll crack later” or so I told myself.

This time I had to pit. I needed calories, fluids and some cold water for my head. After that I was under way again, but someone had turned on the oven! What little cloud cover we had was now gone and the temps rose quickly. Between the efforts need to stay near the leaders and the rising temps my head was beginning to throb with the heat. I eat and drank a lot on that lap, but didn’t see Harvey or Turner. I came through the pits and Harvey’s wife Lauren informs me that she will “not let me know where he is this time” referring to ORAMM last year when she let me know I was close enough to catch him in the final 2 miles.

During the 4th lap it rained. It only lasted 20 to 30 minutes, but it made a mess of the trail. One section in particular, the Huff & Puff Connector, was slick. The H&PC was twisty, with plenty of exposed roots and these little 2-4 foot rollers that really killed momentum even though it was mostly downhill. I was being cautious because after crashing at the Cowbell a month earlier I didn’t really want to deal with that again with one week to go to the 24 hr Nationals. Personally I think that is a lame excuse and was reminded of that when Drew showed up. I think I had passed him when he pitted and now he was back, which meant I was being too cautious.

Drew and I finished that lap, each pitted in our respective areas and then regrouped on the trail. Not intentionally, but that’s the way it worked out. While it was good to have someone there pushing me, I knew I needed to get away from him for the final. He actually pulled away from me leading up Pine Mountain, but unlike with Harvey, I managed Drew’s gap well. He only had about 5 seconds on my as we hit that last steep pitch to the rode and I let loose with all I had. I passed him while on the climb, shifter to a bigger gear over he top and didn’t look back for another mile. The next section of trail is short, technical climb and then fast rooty descent and I continued to drive the pace and bury myself to open a gap. When I rolled through the pit he was no where in sight. I allowed myself a 30 second break (rolling on the bike, not stopped) after start/finish, but then resumed a higher pace to my pit where I took fresh bottle and was out as quickly as possible.

I made it through the slick H&PC section, but I was feeling bad from the effort I put on the last lap. The H&PC in it’s peanut butter like state allowed for very little smooth pedaling and as I exited I was struck by a leg locking cramp in my abductor (inner thigh). That is a muscle I have been trying not to use in my pedal stroke, but I guess with all the hard efforts I had lost concentration and reverted to my old ways. Here I am half standing on the pedals trying to get my legs to turn over when I hear behind me “whoa, I though you were long gone.” Drew. I tried to work out the knots in legs before we got to Pine Mountain yet again, but when it came time to really push to keep with him I felt the cramp coming on again. I kept him in sight until close the end of that lap, but it was torture to watch him ride away.

The GoneRiding folks let me know this was my last lap, so I skipped my pit stop. The course was still slick in spots and I took greater and great chances while tried to catch Drew. I figured he had no more than a minute on me and if he pitted it could be less. It seemed like there was a lot of traffic on the course now, but that was probably because I was in a hurry. I passed in some ugly spots, but couldn’t spare anytime for anything more than an “on your left” and then go for it. The cramping sensations had passed and pushed with as much speed as I had left up every climb and tried to glide as quickly as possible through every turn. I made it up Pine Mountain and then through next section, but still no sign. Every time I saw a glimpse of a red jersey I was hopeful and could raise the pace just a bit, but it was never the right red & white jersey. The last 2 miles I just flew through the turns with little care about being sloppy or crashing in hopes of getting Drew in sight, but I finally rolled across the finish line about minute back from Drew and almost 10 from Harvey & Turner, with Turner winning it.

Meanwhile back at the ranch…or out on the course anyway, Namrita had an amazing race with a second place finish in the 6 hour. Even more impressive is that this was her first race on the Kona Unit 2-9er. Had she know the time splits to first she may have been able to close that gap, she was feeling great at the end of the race! Here is a quote from her blog: “I felt way too good after the race was over, I should have felt much worse and more tired than I did.” This is a great sign heading into her first 24 of the year. Great job baby!

Of course I wanted to win, but more importantly I needed the hard effort. That was certainly harder than I will start a 24 hour race with, but hopefully that speed will be useful toward the end of next week’s race when we start duking it out for finishing positions. Congrats to Greg, Harvey, Drew and all the other racers out there. Many thanks to the BODers, Sorella Team and the Broke Back Mountain Bike team and their supporters for all the encouragement.

I also got to meet Mallie Dein finally. She’s the one responsible for the header on this site and the 55ninePerformance.com design. Thank you so much for your work . Look Mallie if you need a creative logo, website or other graphic design up because as you can see, she does great work.

And a huge thank you to all of my sponsors————————>

Eddie O

The start was pretty relaxed for me as I let the hammer heads (seemed to be mostly women) sprint for their bikes. I knew those that went too hard in the run, would not have much left for the steep 50 yard haul up to the single track and I was right as I passed 20 or so riders on that climb to head out in the top 15. I had no idea who the competition was other than Rich Dillon (who was racing in the SS class, but I can’t let him beat me) so I followed him. My lack of a proper warm was not helping me in the least, so I settled in and barely used the big ring. The course was similar to last year’s with an added section of double track for an extra mile. The rain from the night before drained well (no big puddles), but the 100% humidity meant nothing was really dry either. The exposed roots were super slick and my front tire was not hooking up too well.

Since visiting Wobble-Naught HQ out in Boise, I’ve been practicing my new and improved pedal stroke which still requires some concentration to maintain, though it’s getting easier. As the first lap ended I was into a decent groove with the stroke, but my body was still revolting over the shock from the start sans a warm up. “Oh well, can’t do a thing about it but roll on.”

Rich and I continued on together through the next lap and then towards the end of that one his pace was beginning to hurt me a bit. I decided to let him go knowing that he had to stop at the pit and I was prepared to skip it (I had a Wingnut with 40 oz & bottle of pink stuff). That meant I had 30 seconds to play with at no extra cost physically….or so I thought. As I climbed up the last hill to the pit I felt unfamiliar looseness in my pedal contact….mt left cleat had come loose. I had to stop to tighten it and Rich had already left! No panic, it’s only a minute or so….

I upped the pace to close the gap and found that legs were finally ready to respond. I cleaned the first switch back section and start rolling the big gear. The first steep drop down to the river was just a controlled slide, but if you can keep the momentum going through the bottom you can carry a lot of speed into the next flat section, which I did. That speed combined with a badly picked line across some slippery roots resulted in my body bouncing off the ground. I landed heavily on my right thigh, shoulder and knee…but mostly the thigh. I yelped, probably cursed, and the rider behind me was yelling at me. It took a few second for me to register he was asking if needed help. After a quick damage assessment I replied with a no and slowly stood up and dragged my bike out of the trail. A few more riders came by while slowly got my bearings back and reset my chain which popped off in the fall. Luckily I didn’t break anything on the bike, since I only had one Kona with me. Once I was rolling again the adrenaline wore off a bit and the pain in my thigh had me thinking about an early ending to this race.

The next descent was only a few minutes up the trail and when I hit it I was still not right on the bike. I had no confidence in my ability to clear the slick roots and because so I hesitated, then touched the brakes. Big mistake and crash number two ensued. I rolled down the hill into the mud and leaves. I didn’t hurt anything, but I was really frustrated at this point. “Come on Ed, you can’t ride like this or it’s going to be a long day.” A little tough love for myself. I started rolling again this time up a steep climb. My thigh was aching, but the harder I pushed the gears the less I could focus on that particular pain and off I went. The rest of that lap was pretty slow and conservative, but I didn’t crash and slowly I regained my confidence. Once back at the pit I took four Recover-Ease tablets which helped with the swelling in my knee and thigh.

Over the next two laps the course dried a little and I was able to really open it up. This new pedal stroke made rolling the big gear on the flats almost effortless and then I found I could keep that momentum from those flats into the climbs and just cruise right on up. I haven’t seen the lap times yet, but these laps in the middle of the race felt like my best. As I climbed what is it called the Carpet Climb (because of the big slab of carpet on it of course) I hear this strange howl of anguish around the switchback. It was Rich, but he had changed his jersey (to through me off, I’m sure). We continued over the top of that climb and down a sweet descent to double track mile. We spoke a bit the events that brought us this moment in the race and then I decided I need to put some time into him, so I wouldn’t get beat by a single-speeder.

I continued to lay down some good laps while testing myself on various climbs to see where I could use a bigger gear to produce more speed. The course had dried nicely and the threat of rain seemed to have passed, so the roots no longer created as much stress. I found that on the steeper pitches I was less taxed as I came over the top and could shift up sooner than expected. This meant I was able to get up to top speed sooner and that I was being more efficient on climbs…both good things.

Nam kept my pit stops minimal by waiting for me at the top of the last climb of each lap with a PB&J, fresh bottle of oddly colored drink mix, a BURN, an ice cold towel for my neck and a Wingnut Assault filled with ice. My nutrition seemed to perfect too. I mixed some Hammer powder with some simple sugar mixes (Power Bar, Gator-Aide), ate half of a PB&J every two laps and had a couple cans of BURN. My stomach was good all day and never felt close to bonking, actually quite the opposite really…I felt like I go hard whenever I needed/wanted to, which is such a cool feeling.

The cut off time for the last lap was supposed going to be at one hour to go, which was going to be around 9:00. I stopped at the pit at about 7:30 to get set for the last couple of laps. Nam ran down to check the latest results for me while I refilled my bottle and drank another BURN. As I rolled by she shouted that I had a lap and some time on second, “sweet, I can cruise through these last two and relax, maybe even skip the last lap…” Then she yells “Rich is only 4 minutes back!” “What the……” I spent the rest of the lap thinking that was not possible and the timing is screwed up just like last year.

Well, I was wrong and Rich is that strong (I knew that, but both Rich and I thought I had lapped him). I put a pretty fast lap and met Namrita in the usual spot where she reiterated the fact that Rich as still close and I need to hit it. She had a helmet with Light & Motion attached, a fresh bottle and a BURN. I was already removing my helmet and Wingnut as I stopped. She situated the battery and I adjusted the helmet. I chugged the BURN, burped and took off. It was 8:20 on my watch.

I hammered where I could, but traffic was pretty heavy since everyone has to finish a lap after 9:00 or receive a DNF. I kept an eye out in the places where the trail loops back on itself, but never did see Rich. As I made the hard left turn to head up the last climb my watch read 8:55…”I may make the cut off…..but do I really want to…” That would mean another lap. I decided that I could handle one more which would put me up a lap on Rich and 2 up on second in my class, which would be fine with me. Half way up I rode behind Alison Knight who is on the Sorella team with Namrita. She was hauling toward the finish, so I didn’t ask to pass. We rolled across the timing mats 2 minutes too late for another lap.

I finished with 15 laps for about 112 miles to claim my second in-a-row Cowbell Challange Solo Title. A little short of last year’s milage, but I was not as motivated as last year (when I had no idea what place I was in all race) and other than crash I was not hurting nearly as bad. Rich won the men’s Single Speed Solo class and would have finished second in the overall, which is truly impressive. If I do this race next year, I’ll have to try the SS. Congrats to Rebecca Tomaszewki who won the Women’s Solo class.

Hopefully with lots of ice and rest my thigh, shoulder and neck will be feeling normal again. I have an appoint at 3:00 with Dr. Glass at Georgia Sports Chiropractic, so that should help too.

A huge thank you goes out to Namrita for being my pit crew and doing such a great job with it despite having two misbehaving dogs to deal with. I’d also like to thank Taylor, Bart, Paul and everyone else involved in making the Cowbell Challenge happen. Bart must be doing a great job over at South Park Cycles because I saw Konas of ever shape, size and make at this race.

If anyone has pictures, please email me at ed@eddieodea.com.

Many thanks to my sponsors whose links are to the right ———–>

Eddie O

We have a new game in town. Granny Gear Productions did a great job putting on the race, but not getting the crowds out to enjoy it. With only 7 of us Solo Men, 5 ladies and a hand full of teams there were some very quiet times out there but still it was enjoyable.

My pit crew was the lovely Namrita, the always there to lend a hand cousin Ryan and his wife to be Jen. Jen, I am sure, had never been to a mountain bike race before and surely never a 24 hour. She’s pretty quiet, but she probably thinks we are all nuts. Oh, Jackson & Porter were there too. Porter took naps for me and Jackson inspired me with 25 hour of ball fetching. He was still chasing that thing at noon on Sunday. Richard was planning to come up from St Pete, but he had a splinter in his finger or some like medical catastrophe (Get well soon buddy

The first lap was blazing. Some solo guy from Maine took the early lead into the trail after the run and set the race’s fastest lap. I actually had to run in after getting a slow leaker in the front tire on the last descent of the course, but still managed to pull a 44 min lap…just a two minutes of first and a minute down from Ernie Marenchin. He won here back in Oct and would be the guy to watch again.

The next couple of laps were just as fast, but with no more mechanical issues I was able to settle into a comfortable pace. We continued to average about 45 minutes a lap, which I knew from the previous weeks of training rides on this course was just about as fast as I could handle and not redline. The guy from Maine blew from his early efforts, but Ernesto remained elusive. I would see him on occasion where the trail looped back on itself, but the gap never closed.

By 3:30 Pm or so I knew I had to back off because of the heat. The pace was fine, I was riding smoothly, but when we hit the granite side of the course the heat just radiated. Namrita must have noticed the effect the heat was having on me because she produced a small towel dipped in ice water for me to wear around my neck. She had one ready at the pit and then again half way through the course. This helped a ton and along with the ice water in my Wingnut Assault I managed to not get completely cooked out there.

I don’t remember what time it was, but my parents showed up before dark. That was very cool. They are on their way north for the summer and changed up their plans to swing through GA to catch the race. It helped to have some more moral support since there was so few racing. They stuck around until after dark and then returned in the morning.

The sun set, I was in second, Ernie was leading and the guy from Maine was in third. I could tell Ernie had pulled away a bit more because his pit guy was no longer in his familiar spot timing the gap, but instead already walking back to the pit. I figured “at least he’s not back at the pit napping yet…”

I had two bikes with me, my 06 Kona King and newly rebuilt 04 Kona King Kikapu. I had set the Kikapu up with a new 100 mm Fox Talas, new shock bearings , new drive train including rear der, and basically stripped it down regrease everything and rebuilt it…..we’ll I did most of it, my friend Charlie Martin finished putting together and tuned the drive for me. The thing that did not change on the Kikapu was the position. The on the 06 King, I’m over the pedals and sitting very upright. On the 04 Kikapu my position is how I left prior to all of my knee issue at the beginning of the year, which is with my saddle way back behind the cranks. I switched bikes a couple times to fix some minor issue and at first I didn’t really notice the difference that much, but after 3 or 4 laps on the Kikapu I knew that I could not continue on the bike.

Around midnight I could hardly take a deep breath without all the little muscles throughout my chest hurting. I believe this was due to the position of the Kikapu. The saddle was too far back and the reach to the handle bars made me really bend at the waist. This limited the movement of my diaphragm, forcing me to breath from my chest rather than my belly, which exactly the opposite of what I had been training to do. By the time I made the connection between the breathing issue and the bike I was already hurting.
I planned to use the King for most of the race anyway because the Fox RP3 shock and extra half inch (4 ) is much more forgiving on the granite. I could make the shock less firm as I hit the second half of the lap and gain some comfort on the descents as well as traction on the climbs. So after a short break to eat pizza in the pit I was back at, but having to go very easy on climbs to control my breathing. I was OK as long as I focused in breathing only with my belly, otherwise the ache in my chest back to remind me relax and focus.

The rest of the night was rather uneventful. There were not crazy, drunken guys painted red chanting and drumming, no weirdos wishing “the force” to be with me, not even a check point with volunteers to tell “you’re almost done” event though I know there is still 10 hours left. We did have few cops on cell phones and a volunteer dude who seemed to be at the lower road crossing for 20 of the 24 hours. The only drama came on my last dark lap when I skipped stopping in the pit because Nam was sleeping and Ryan must have off checking on charging batteries. Both of my batteries ran dead (no fault to the Light & Motion lights, they had been running for about 4 hours) and since there was no one else out there to follow I walked more than I should have. Luckily it was about 6 AM and the sun was on it’s way up.

So the sun came up just as it went down, Ernie was leading, I was in second and the guy from Maine was in third. The only difference was the number of laps between us. Ernie now had two laps on me and I had three on Mr Maine. (I really should look up this guy’s name, but I’m on a plane to Boise right now.) I have to thank Bruce Dickman for the Micky D’s breakfast two races in a row…someone snapped what must have been a good shot of me shoving an egg McMuffin in my face while riding through the timing tent.

Around 9:00 AM I stopped into the pit, downed another BURN Energy Drink, ate the last slice of the pizza I had been eating all night and rolled out slowly knowing Ernie was coming around to pass me again…why fight it. He caught me about a mile in and rode the rest of the lap together. We talked about the 24 HOA Worlds race which will be held on this same course in Oct, we discussed Wobble-Naught bike fits, the National Ultra-Endurance Series (the Hundies) and who knows what else. He’s not just a great rider/racer, but a pretty nice guy too. Seemed like a regular Joe out for a Sunday ride. We knocked that lap out in about hour and called it a day.

In hind sight I wish I hadn’t finished early (notice I won’t even use the Q word). I should have finished out the 24 hours and at least tied my personal record of 23 laps, heck at the pace we did the previous lap, I may have gotten 24…and Ernie 27 I guess I have thrown myself at this wall one too many times and not achieved my goal (which of course is winning at Conyers). Maybe it was too soon to regain the motivation to race this same course again, but I don’t like that I didn’t stick it out and I hope to don’t make a habit of that.

Instead beating myself up at the time, we went to the nearest open restaraunt and I ate everything in sight. Then we returned for the awards. I actually won some cash (well they say it’s in the mail anyway) this time. This was actually my biggest payday yet for something like $270, but when you factor in the $330 entry it gets a little less exciting. Oh well, if I was in it for the money I would retired a long time ago.

I won’t be back to for that the other race at Conyers held in Oct or at least I won’t be racing it. I may help out others in with their or just swing by to watch, but I’ve got no interest in supporting that promoter and I’ll leave it at that. Instead I’ll be wrapping up plans for the ultimate endurance event…marriage. Namrita & I are getting married in late Oct in North Georgia (if you read her site I’m a little late with the news).

Last story. I immediately fell asleep on the couch when we got home, actually even before in the car, but then again on the couch. Nam says I was chewing in my sleep…now that’s hungry.

Many thanks to Ryan, Jen, Namrita, Javaun, Mom, Dad & Charlie for their help before, during and after this event. I’d also like to thank my sponsors for their support, please support them…links to the right —>

All of the photos used in this report were taken by Andrew Kornylak. Check out his amazing work at

All photos in this post by Jim & Chris O’Dea

The weather was perfect this year, my 5th time at this event. It was in the mid 50s in the early AM and rose to a high in the mid 80s! That sure beats the freezing rain & snow North GA has been seeing the last couple of weeks.

Namrita on the other hand really made me look like the slacker I am. She put in an impressive effort placing 6th in the 12 Hour! She’s doesn’t get real excited about the technical trails of FL, but I think she passed some personal boundaries at this one and gained some confidence which will set her up for some solid riding this year.

My race was rather unexciting I guess. The run was long as usual….at least a half mile…and I was one of the first 30 or so into the woods. The traffic was as thick at the Downtown Connector in Atlanta for the first 3 or 4 miles and just like the connector, there was one idiot being aggressive which screwed everyone up. This guy was cutting others off, passing unsafely, and had no respect at all for those around him. I don’t know who this guys is, but the jersey said Bike Works. I passed where I could and tried not to get caught up in the sprint, pass and die game going on around me. I settled into a pseudo pace line with three or four other guys as we traded leads. Toward the end of that first lap I passed Mr. I’mInAHurryAnd YouDon’tMatter and gave him a bit of advice on passing etiquette….not that it probably made much difference.

I stopped at the pits before the second lap and donned my Wingnut Gear Pack. My plan was to go the next 3 laps without having to stop, but that didn’t work for a couple reasons. The first was the heat. It sounds a bit odd in February, but it was hot, real hot. I ended up stopping each lap to dump water over my head and legs to cool off. I’m not exactly acclimated to 80* temps this time of year and from the sight of so many other riders slumped in the pits and on the side of the trail, I was not the only one.

The next reason my plan for not stopping didn’t work was a lack of air. Not from altitude mind you, this is Florida after all, but for my tubes. I flatted my front tire about a mile into the course on my 3rd lap and quickly realized my folly. I never did check before the race which will get you into trouble every time. I changed the tube and ran back to the pits for some service, losing some serious time. Once there grabbed my Crank Bros mini pump while Richard started filling the fresh tube. Unfortunately I either pinched the tube while installing it or never removed what punctured it in the first place. Eventually I was off and riding again…..

The rest of race was uneventful with the exception of some cramping. That was from a lack a fitness. I pushed pretty hard for the first couple laps and I’m just not in the same shape I was in at this time last year. Besides I usually cramp 3-4 hours into my first race of the year any way. It seems it’s just part of the process of moving up that never level of fitness.

I missed the cut off for a 7th lap by 10 minutes or so. Maybe without the flat I would have made it, but in all seriousness I don’t think I could have done another one without jeopardizing any chance of training this week. The way it worked out was for the best. I got a great workout in, had a lot of fun and still had plenty of energy this week to put in some quality workouts. Oh and I still got 8th out of 60, so not too bad.

I did get a chance to try a few new things regarding nutrition during this race. This was the first time I’ve raced used Hammer Gel products exclusively. I’m hoping to find a way to eliminate most of the solid foods from my 24 hour race diet and so far Hammer has been working. The last couple of weeks I have been using various drink mixes and gels in various combinations to figure out what works for me. The results have been good, but more testing is needed.

Another new product I have been using is designed specifically to aid in recovery. Recover-Ease seems to working great. How I feel is a subjective thing, but I’ve been doing some hard work lately and I feel great. My legs don’t feel as heavy after long tempo workouts like they have in the past. I don’t feel like I need ice baths weekly like I used to. I have the energy get in quality workouts every time I hit the bike and that is the most important thing to me. I’ve missed enough training time this year so I want to maximize my production everywhere I can. For more about the science behind Recover-Ease click here. I’ll have free samples with me throughout the year, so hit me up if you want to improve your recovery.

I’d like to thank Richard Walker & my Mom & Dad for coming out to the race to support both Namrita and I. I get a lot comments about how cool it is that my parents come to races and they are right, it is very cool. They have been very supportive and I do appreciate that. Richard is the man behind the scenes. He accepts the no glory job of mixing drink bottles and lubing chains. For this I will for ever be indebted. Thank you sir, may I have another?

Mechanical & Product Support from Cartecay Bike Shop – Ellijay, GA

Bicycles & clothing from Kona

Energy drinks from Source Drinks makers of BURN & BURN2

Supplements from GNC 5361 N Socrum Loop Rd, Lakeland, FL

Hydration packs From Wingnut Gear

Wheels & Seat Posts provided by American Classic

Racing Lights provided by Light & Motion

Post-Exercise Recovery provided by Recover-Ease

Nutritional & health advice from Dr. Jamie Brenon.

Eyewear provided by Tifosi Optics

Massage from Collette Adams at SMIT

Chiropractic Services from Dr. Josh Glass

Addition Product Support from Chainwheel Drive Bike Shop in Clearwater & Palm Harbor, FL

Eddie O