Eddie O

Saturday was the first ever Spin for Kids mountain bike ride. Spin for Kids has existed has a road event for 4 years. The rides are fund raising event for Camp Twin Lakes which provides summer camps for children with disabilities. I was approached late last year to help organize a mountain bike event at Ft Yargo State Park where Camp Twin Lakes now owns and operates Camp Will-a-Way. About 70 riders took part in the mtb event and along with the 700 that participated in the road rides on Sunday near $250,000 was raised to help fund Camp Twin Lakes projects. Read the rest of this entry »

Jonathan Garrard shot this video of his ACC friends and happen to catch the first 2 or 3 laps of my race and some of Namrita’s: It’s not often I get to see myself on video in a race, so I have some analyzing to do. The opening sprint was executed well though I could have kept my head/face down a little lower. Read the rest of this entry »

This week I raced the men’s Bs because the masters started at 10:00, which meant leaving the house at 6:30. Instead we woke at 7:00 and left at 8:30. Much more civilized. This is the off season after all.

I lined up in the front of the knowing I wanted the hole shot. The course had a lot of tight turns, 4 barriers all in a row, a nice down hill section that would favor the mountain bike, two long flatish sections that would not and one mean “run up” that I could clean on the mtb. The run up came early in the lap and I wanted a clean shot at it for the first lap. I really didn’t expect to be the first up it or even hold the lead for the rest of the lap, but happened that way.

Photo by Drew Graham

I had someone challenge me at the end of the first lap on the flat section, but took the lead back to get another clean shot at the run up hill. I’d lose my gap on flat section after the run up hill, but get it back in the tight turns that followed. I was much better with my sprints this week compared to last week. All around I was more focused, unlike last week where I was still in endurance racing mode…i.e. day-dreaming at times. I was able to really jump out of the turns and it seemed a little earlier than the other guys. Whether that was timing or better traction with the bigger tires of the mountain bike I can’t say.

I did put the mtb to use near the end of the lap where it went down hill. On the fourth lap I lost the lead to two guys through the finish and before the run up, but closed it over the top and then took it back on that descent. I was able or more willing to take more risks than these guys on cross bikes and this time, like each lap prior, they where faster on the flatish paved finish. But only one of them caught back on on the fifth lap.

Rob came around me on the paved section, but gave me the lead heading into the run up hill. I wasn’t a 100% sure I could still clean it, but on principle I gave it shot. Rob was right behind as we headed into the next sweeping, flatish section and was able to take the lead back. I let him have it. I was now going to bide my time until the last lap. I don’t remember if I took the lead again, but I was not attacking any more though I know I needed 10 seconds heading into the finish to hold him off. He was definitely faster where there were no turns, roots or steep hills and that was the finishing straight.

Photo by Drew Graham

We entered the run up at about the same time and Rob actually finished in front of me this time. I was losing contact as we rounded the first sweeping turn and off it in the next. I didn’t panic though. I knew I could bring it back in barriers and the series of 180* turns that followed. The last barrier nearly took me out though. I hit my front wheel, then my trailing foot. My worse nightmare in cross is falling hard on my bike. I’ve done it before and it’s always painful. I saved it, but just barely. It was also a sign of a lack of focus. “Here and now!”

I took the lead in a 180* turn with two more coming to create a gap. Each time I’d jump out into a sprint like it was the last time I’d ever get to turn the cranks. I hit the S turn paved part with max speed and was pushing the limits of traction as I hit the ramp over the curb. I was at least at a 45* angle through that turn, coming out of the saddle and gunning it again. I had to coast through the next turn because more speed would not help there and then out of the saddle again over the short rise. I could feel the gap opening.

hoto by Drew Graham

The next bit is down hill and rooty. I gave it 6 hard pedal stroke and coasted knowing from the previous laps that Rob would not go that fast though here. I swept wide through then next two turns carrying momentum where I could and then gunned it with everything I had.

This is where is gets a little weird. I passed Namrita who started a minute behind me today. Later I found out that one of the girls in her group crashed hard, they all stopped and restarted together. Little did I know that lapping her meant the end of her race (Lame rule if you ask me, why should my race effect hers?). Any way, she yelled that I still had one to go…meaning I should save some. I know I heard the bell the last lap so I was “sure” I was going for the win at the finish line…..or was I? I messed up the count the week before, but there was no bell.

So I come into the paved section with a good 10 second lead and I drill it. I catch the next girl in front of me. She looks over and (I learn later…) she thinks I’m Namrita (same kit) and starts sprinting. On instinct I sprint too. She realizes that I’m not Nam, but would be lapping her and continues to sprint. We are 60 yards from the finish and I know I don’t have that long of a sprint left in my legs and let her go. I look back to make sure I still have a gap on Rob which I do, zip the jersey and then rethink what lap I’m on. Uh, uh, “am I done?” I roll across the finish to a mixed response and yell more urgently. A very clear “you are done” comes through.

Namrita comes sprinting through as soon as I stop. I’m cheering her on since her nearest competitor was right in front of me. She comes through and the official says “you’re done.” She looks at me and I don’t know. After what seemed like minutes, but was really only 10-20 seconds she decides to just keep going just in case. It turns out that she was done because I lapped her (even with the delayed start, again lame), but neither of us knew the rules.

Photo by Drew Graham

It cost her the chance to go after one more placing, but she still finished 5th in her first A race. I won the men’s Bs and will be moving up for the next one. I’m really digging these races and I’m sure I’ll keep learning as I go. Many thanks to Ross Douglas and the fine crew in Augusta for a well run race.

To join in on the fun check out the Georgia Cross series page. To learn how you can improve your cycling performance check out 55nine.com

Florida Cycling Magazine asked me for a report on the TNGA race soon after I finished. I struggled with writing anything longer than a paragraph for a week after due to the fatigue from the race. I knew my body would be pretty useless for a week or so, but I didn’t expect the mental fatigue that also lingered.

Finally, 6 days after finishing the race I loaded up on coffee and sat down to write in ernest. Once I did the story just flooded out of me. I had no idea what the parameters were for the magazine article or the formatting, so I just wrote and wrote. It took about 4 hours to get it all out of me. I ran the spell check, but did little else as far editing goes. I didn’t even reread it. I was just too tired.

FCM was impressed enough that they ran the whole story in it’s entirety, all 8 pages. My thanks to the editing staff for bumping whatever content they had planned and I hope you enjoy the read. The report begins on page 40, but “flip” through the whole mag because it’s a pretty good read: http://www.floridaracingmagazine.com/sept-2-2010.html

Here is the official write up from the TNGA. Check out the Topeak site for some pictures. Florida Cycling Magazine is currently editing my long version for publication. Hopefully this Thursday.

Trans North Georgia Race – Eddie O’Dea Races to Victory!
Topeak Ergon Racer Eddie O’Dea wins the Trans North Georgia, a grueling, non-stop, 3+ day mountain bike race across the state of Georgia with 350 miles and has approximately 50,000 ft of aggressive climbing.

Saturday, Sept 4th at 8:00 AM 2010 marked the beginning of the inaugural Trans North Georgia, a 350 mile point to point race through the rugged Southern Appellation Mountains. Limited support, navigation and 56,000 feet of elevation gain all add to the challenge of this event. 17 riders towed the line for this epic journey which began under blue skies, unseasonably cool temps and low humidity.

Topeak-Ergon racer, Eddie O’Dea, exchanged the lead through the first 10 hours with Mathew Lee, multiple winner of the Tour Divide race, before finally pulling away for the next 24 hours. Eddie set a blistering pace for the day, putting in over 200 miles. He made brief stop of Mulberry Gap Mountain Bike Get-A-Way in Ellijay, GA for food and massage before pushing on to Dalton, GA. Here Eddie made the decision to rest for the night rather than trying to cross the extremely technical Pinhoti Trail in the dark. Both Mathew Lee and Brad Kees passed Eddie while he slept, but were unable to put sufficient distance on him. Now 45 hours into the race, Eddie awoke fresh and ready to battle. He closed the gap to Mathew and Brad and continued on for the win in 55 hours and 57 minutes, which is now the course record.

“This was by far the hardest thing I’ve ever done” says Eddie. “The mental and physical swings were staggering and the terrain was just relentless. What looks flat on paper is a lie. The only real flat part was the last 15 miles.” “My equipment was flawless. The only thing I had to do throughout the entire race was lube my chain. I was most impressed with the Topeak touring bags. I was told to use some custom made bags, but I really wanted to put the Topeak product to the test and it passed.”

RESULTS: Eddie O’Dea: 1st place, 55 hours 33 minutes

It’s the afternoon before the TNGA and I’m so full of nervous energy I’ll have this post written in no time, which is good because I feel like I still much to do. So many details to account for.

A quick recap for those not in the know: The Trans North Georgia is mostly dirt route from East to West across northern GA. Northern GA is the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains which is going to make such a traverse very challenging. The total length is about 350 miles and includes over 50,000 feet of climbing.

All racers have to carry a Spot GPS transponder for safety, but it also gives the world a way to keep an eye on the race. You can follow all of the racers as they take on the mountians: http://www.firstworks.com/tnga/

I’ll post more tonight when I settle down.

Eddie O

ORAMM: Going back after 5 years…..

Photos by Cathie Docherty: http://www.cathiedocherty.com/

I lined up on the front because I felt good that morning. I had done some warm up sprints to loosen the legs and limit the shock of the pace that was sure to come on the first climb. Starting off the Old 70 climb up to Kitsuma I was 20th dangling on the back of the lead group. I’m still not real good with these fast starts (some XC races may help). I looked back after a 1/2 mile to see a big gap, so I wasn’t worried about being caught up in traffic. 20th is not so bad, a few riders will crash, a few will drop from the heat and I’ll reel in some more. That’s the plan any way. Old 70 is paved, but closed to cars and the grade is just steep enough to make a selection, but not really hurt. I focused on my game plan and cruised up.

The plan was this: get near the front going into the single track on Kitsuma, keep the pace civilized over lower Heartbreak and Star Gap (though I love to rip through this part), then start turning the screws up Curtis Creek, attack on the next climb up to the parkway, recover down Heartbreak and then do whatever needed to be done to finish strong over Kitsuma and back into town. I built up my Rotwild R.R2 HT aka The Hardtail with an 80mm Magura Durin fork and Conti Race King Supersonic tires & the SRAM XX 2×10 to a svelte 21 lbs including the Topeak saddle bag, multi-tool, spare tube and pump. With the Wobble-Naught fit, this was a race rocket built to climb. Unfortunately I had not had any experience with a hardtail in a few years and only about an hour of dirt time to shake down the bike. Not 20 feet into the single track I struck my pedal twice and had to jump off to get balance again. I had to be more aware than that. Then over the top of the mountain found out my rear brake was barely working. It had not been bled correctly when I had the hoses cut to fit. I won’t name the shop, but I won’t be back either. The lack of brakes made a very technical descent that much harder. Then I feel a little resistance in the rear wheel and hear the guy behind me yelling something. I pull to the side, stop, look down and see my spare tube wrapped around my rear rotor. I forgot to zip my saddle bag up (that’s just plain dumb). The tube was shredded and my multi-tool no where to be found. I rolled out hoping that would be the last of the drama for the day.

I made it down Kitsuma white knuckled, but in one piece and set about reeling in those riders I could see up the road. A few stopped at the SAG (I did not) and I passed a few more on Lower Heartbreak Ridge. The Hardtail was climbing great. I hit the overgrown two track to Star Gap and hit the gas. I love the way this climb steps up and rolls. I can carry a lot of momentum into the little climbs and keep the pace high without spending much energy. I tend to move around on the saddle and alternate between standing and sitting which helps too. Soon I was ripping down toward the second SAG having passed 4-5 more riders.

I stopped for a single bottle to climb up Curtis Creek Rd. It’s a 9 mile gravel grinder up to the Blue Ridge Parkway (SAG 3), so I didn’t want to take on any more weight than necessary. There’s a few miles of pavement and then gravel before you hit the actual climb. I tucked my head down and thought about Contador and Shleck in the TdF. Contador knew how to get his head out of the wind, Shleck did not. I took notes from Contador. Another thing I noticed about Contador in the ITT (which I watched the day before) is that he does not stay in one place for long. I mean he moves around on the saddle a lot. Being a fitting and technique focused guy, I understood what he was doing: changing the muscle recruitment. I light bulb went off in my head and I put this technique to use. At the base of the climb I rode one guy off my wheel, then caught sight of the next. I was all over the saddle, then standing, then back on the saddle, fore, then aft, but always changing it up. To my surprise I was just feeling stronger and stronger up the climb. I think I caught 3 guys on that climb putting me back in the top 20.

SAG 3 was a welcome sight. Not only did it mean a fresh bottle, it meant I could drop down on the north side of the ridge and get a break from the heat that was building. It seemed to get hotter near the top of the climb which was a little backward. It should be cooler at the higher elevation. Anyway, I passed two more guys hiding in the shade at the top. I descend a few miles and tried to eat and drink enough to replenish for the next climb but not get bloated. I felt great as the road began to point up again. Gradually at first and then it gets nice and steep. Again I repeated my techniques from earlier, but with more urgency this time. I was not descending super fast today, so I wanted as much time on the climbs as possible. I had rabbits to chase all the way up and closed in on all of them quickly.

SAG 4 was a rolling pit. I never stopped, but I took on two new bottles and some food. I drank a half of one bottle and some food, then felt a little bloated. I took it in too fast. The problem was that I only had a mile and half of pavement before a steep hike-a-bike followed by a 7 mile descent. I needed to get the fuel in now so I could use it at the bottom. There was some awesome folks out cheering for us at the base of the hike-a-bike. “Run!” they yelled. I laughed, “yeah right, it’s more like crawl.” It’s steep with no chance of riding it. It’s not quite a 3 point stand kind of climb, but close. At the top I drank some more knowing I would not have many chances once I got going. Then I rolled off the edge.

One person passed me and I passed another, so it worked out OK. It was not my fastest time down Heartbreak ridge, but it would do. The hardest parts were rolling over logs on the steeper pitches and the switchbacks. Both are difficult to negotiate with so little resistance in the back brake. Finally I rolled down the last steep & rooted section (with 3 photogs waiting for the crashes) and out into the flatish last 1/2 mile before the final SAG. I let my guard down. Not on purpose, but it happened and crashed hard because of it. I was rolling up to the railroad crossing and there was a “S” turn with a steel pole off to one side which caught my attention (as do not run into that) and I missed the log sticking out down low. I clipped my Eggbeaters on it and went sailing over the bars. I manage to rotate a bit before impact and landed on my side instead of my face. Luckily I didn’t hit my shoulder, but my hip and back had souvenirs that would last a few weeks. I jumped up and the guy I just passed was asking if I was OK. My reply was “I’m good now, but tomorrow is going to suck. See ya…..” I jump the tracks, remounted and was off.

The crash may have jogged my brain because I should have rethought my nutrition/hydration needs and stopped at SAG 5, but I blew through it tossing an empty bottle. In my head I was going to be climbing up Mill Creek Rd just as I had done on the two previous climbs. Focus on my technique and go. Instead I struggled. Maybe the new techniques were a little more taxing than I expected since I had not been training like this, but I think the 102* temps and my lack of hydration adjustment was more the culprit. The road had loads of sun exposure and the temps were peaking. I actually hallucinated on the climb for a minute. I was staring out just past my front wheel when I realized that I saw this weird orange color to the dirt road. Then I thought “that’s not normal” and then I realize I was just seeing things and pushed on.

Once on the Kitsuma single track I thought I’d be able overcome the sluggishness that had hit be out on the road, but I was too far gone and I was down to a few sips of Powerbar Endurance left. Not even the thought of being finished was going to get my legs firing again. I finished my drink and trudged on. There are few short steep climbs scattered over the descent and they felt like another Curtis Creek grind, but after what seemed like an hour I was into the last of the descent. I still was not home free with my limited braking and general fatigue, but I managed to get down safely. At the bottom I was checking out the creek that we cross (on a bridge), but it’s lack of depth made me decide to hold out for the finish. I could have sat in some cold water right then, instead I knocked out the last few miles on the pavement as fast as my exhausted legs would allow. I crossed the line, dumped my bike and headed straight down the embankment to the creek and sat…..for most of the next hour and half.

I ended up finishing 14th over all and 8th in the open mens class with a time of 5:55. My personal best on this course by 46 minutes. That’s what 5 years of training will do for you. I’m really excited to work on these new pedaling techniques and share them with my clients. Many thanks to the ORAMM race staff and volunteers for making this event run so smoothly. I also have to thank my sponsors for the best equipment a racer could ask for. I honestly cannot think of what I could improve upon and that inspires a lot of confidence.

A video blog from Saturday’s TNGA recon starting from Helen, GA:

Video 1 – Base of Unicoi Gap

Video 3 – Heading East from Hiawassee to Dick Creek

Video 3 – Dick Creek Gap Climb

Descending FS 164

Video 5 – Hwy 197 near Lake Burton

There was a lot of fishing going on here at the fish hatcheries trout ponds.

There is a beautiful waterfall back there, but it’s a little washed out by the greenery in the photo.

Namrita & Chris ended up heading back to Helen when I was running late. We all ended up getting soaked in the thunder storm that came in around 4:00 PM.

I have to admit I’m obsessing some….OK, a lot. The TNGA has my attention suddenly and won’t let go.

TNGA is unlike any race I’ve ever done on a few levels. First is the distance and terrain: 350 mile of (mostly) dirt and 56,000 feet of vertical gain. It’s a bigun’. Yes there are bigger and longer events out there aplenty, but this is the biggest and longest race I’ve tackled and that makes it something for me to obsess over. I’ve eyed some of these other events with a mild curiosity, but when someone brings a challenge like this to my back yard I just have to go for it…….and by go for it I mean really go for it. I’m not going out there to see if I can finish. This is a race and I plan to treat it like one even if I’m alone 99% of the time.

The terrain and distance create their own issues. One is navigation. The route is not marked, though it is published and GPS files are available. The only navigation racing I’ve done is the PMBAR, but I’ve always been finished within 10 hours and the 2 (out of 3) times I’ve done it I didn’t have to do the route setting. This one could go on for a few days (I’m thinking two, but I’m still looking into it). Wrong turns in the North Georgia Mountains can be costly in both time and energy. I’ll be studying maps, reconnoitering a few sections and investing in a GPS.

Another challenge is gear….as in how much to carry or what is essential and what is extra weight. I’ve never even been bikepacking before, so this is all new to me. 24 hour race involve a pit crew and minimal weight on the bike and rider, hundies have some additional considerations that are covered by a good multi-tool and a pump. Food may be scarce, sleeping will have to happen at some point (maybe), fresh water is limited and mechanical support is non existent. Luckily I work with a company that makes some well suited products and I’ve already begun testing some. I’ve already nailed down the Mini 20 Pro, Rescue Box and Race Rocket Pump. I also recently tested the Dyna Pack which was a little out of it’s league on the technical descents (I took is down Bear Creek, Pinhoti 1 & 2, & Windy Gap to shake it down), but may still make the cut with a slight modification. I also rode with the Bikamper for the extra weight on the bars. Having the counterbalance to the loaded down Dyna Pack was actually an improvement and much easier to over come on the climbs than expected. There will be more testing. I’m hoping to have the new Air BackPack for testing next week.

As for a bike, well I already have the best dern machine on the planet. I seriously could not have picked out a better build if wanted to. I also know it’s dialed in to the millimeter because that’s what I do (when I’m not doing ten other things).

Nutrition is a whole can of worms that I’m still working on. I know what I need nutrition wise, it’s just how to get it along the way that’s difficult. I’m sure I’ll carry a bunch of some variety of sports drinks because I function well on them & they are dense (both calories and space). I’m still researching what’s going to be available along the route and then I’ll need to figure out the hours of these businesses. There is the option of having someone meet me along the route (which is legal in this event), but I’m not sure I’ll have someone to fulfill those duties or if they are necessary. The places where support is allowed is also where I’ll have easy access to food and water, so we’ll see.

Strategy is the last one which also plays into the others. Do I pack uber-minimal and risk getting caught in a less than ideal situation unprepared? Do I bring along some nonessentials that may save my arse or at least hours of delay. How about pacing? Do I blister the pace, but sleep longer or just set it in diesel mode and grind out out for two days straight?

What I am working on now is riding with weight no matter what it is to get used to it. I’ve notice is takes more upper body and core strength to ride with the weight on the singletrack and it is certainly taking it’s poll on my legs on the climbs. On the other hand I’m quickly figuring out how to use on the descents to gain more momentum. My nutrition is dialed, I know how to tune my bike to account for the added weight, my pedaling mechanics are the best they’ve ever been, my fitness is OK, and I have time to obsess. This weekend Namrita and I are going to ride the Shallowford Bridge to Mulberry Gap (P2) section. It should be about 45-50 miles. I’ll load up the gear again for the training weight and maybe try some different Topeak gear for giggles. More to come….

Namrita and I headed up a week early to visit with her parents and some friends. I used the time to visit some MI bicycle retailers on Topeak‘s behalf. The new job is going really well and I’ve been a sponge for any info I can glean from the retailers about he Topeak brand and the industry itself. I’m a total bike geek, so to be immerse myself such a variety of products is thrilling for me. Anyway, on to the race….

We woke before the crack of dawn as is usual for this 7:00 AM starts. It never fails that I dream about oversleeping when I have to get up at 4:30. 99% of the prep for the race was already done down the coffee just waiting for someone to press the start button. We ate, a gathered our stuff (we checked out of cabin that morning), heeded the call of nature and drove on to the venue. I made sure our tub of food and drinks, the cooler and the tool box were all in our pit area and then did a short warm up before the start. This race is a mad dash for the single track, so getting loosened up and even hitting a few hard efforts really helps reduce the shock of that hard effort at the beginning.

I lined up in the second row knowing I was going to draft into the singletrack anyway. The group rolled out with a neutral start for the first 1/4 mile then the lead out pulls off and it’s on. There is a total of 2 miles of pavement before we hit the dirt, so I slowly worked my way up toward the top 10 or so by following anyone heading that way. I made sure to keep my nose out of the wind to conserve as much as I could for the first few early climbs. Once I reached a position in the group that seemed manageable I settled in and waited….it didn’t take long.

With Schalk, Tangguy, Simonson and company on the front I was surprised at first and then a little scared to see two guys gunning to get into the single track first. I was scared because I trusted the aforementioned riders to string out the group at a high pace which would keep things safe. When we bunch up people get stupid and crash….I don’t like crashing. Luckily these two just gunned it until they blew and peeled off leaving the enduro-monsters to do their work.

The single track started fairly wide which left room for passing. I continued to draft as much as possible. jumping on a passing wheel as it suited me. The first climb made the selections. The enduro-monsters created a group of 7 or so and surged on. I was in the next group which would become 5 or 6 as we came together on the flat two-track sections. I worked hard through the first 8 miles to get to Andy Applegate‘s wheel and then let him do a bulk of the work. I came around and took long pull on two track, but was very happy that Andy was content to do the work through all the rest. This course allows for drafting and the benefits are noticeable. I came around about 25 miles in to lead on two track section and then continued into the single track again. As nice as having the draft was it was also nice to be able to control my own momentum over the hills and around the turns.

I pushed the pace a bit to thin our group. I knew Andy would make the selection and most likely continue to do a lot of the pulling in the second lap, but I didn’t know any of these other guys. Unfortunately I didn’t make my own selection. I hit this particularly steep hill with speed and planned to march right over the top, but three pedal strokes in and POP! Next thing I know I’m nearly fallen over sideways as all the tension in my drivetrain goes away. The chain broke.

I would have been smiling if I was not being passed by 20 guys, but I was super prepared. Opening my saddle bag, I knew I had everything I needed to fix the problem. The Mini 20 Pro for the chain hook and breaker and just the day before I picked up two sets of SRAM 10 speed Powerlinks which I stowed in my Rescue Box for safe keeping. I quickly set about repairing my chain and may have lost about 5 minutes on the hold deal.

Chasing hard 30 miles into a 100 mile race is dumb and I should know better. The best strategy is to keep a steady pace and not make mistakes. What did I do? I chased hard. I passed 5 or 8 guys quickly, nearly crashing into one of them in a turn I didn’t see coming. I red lined up the last two climbs, railed the descents and was in full time trial mode when I came into the pit for the first time (this hundie is a 3 lap format).

3 fresh bottles and a half can of BURN Squared later I was off hoping the caffeine would keep me charged enough to get back to the top ten on this next lap. Passing and attacking everything in sight, I charged on still making up lost time. 6 or 8 miles in I’m back to the first flat two track section trying to hunt down this guy in front of me, but I can’t seem to close the gap to more than a fifty yards. Mean while a group of 6 formed behind and are pacelining up to me. After a few more minutes of futile chasing/running, the group behind caught me. I jumped in the line for a few minutes and then all the effort I had been putting in for the last hour caught up to me. I sat up and watched them all pull away.

Suddenly I had no motivation to sit in a group and bide my time. I wanted to be on the attack and ran out of the juice to get it done. Instead I cruised along and thought. I thought about my dad who was having an angioplasty on Monday, my sister who was in the hospital with two blood clots and what would soon be determined as a tumor in her heart, my wife who has been heartbroken all week about one of the dogs we once fostered who has been missing…..and then about random stuff: the latest book I’ve been reading, what the weather must be like back home, what was happening in the World Cup today. Slowly though my focus came back to riding, my pedal stroke, cornering, keeping momentum.

Toward the end of the lap I had not seen anyone and I was grateful for that. Being alone in my head was what needed. Every once in a while I’d see this guy slowly creeping closer from behind and I’d only pick up the pace to continue being alone. “I can let that guy catch me” slowly turned into “you can catch that guy up there” as I came back into traffic. I attacked a descent with just few miles to go on lap number 2 and carried the momentum up and over the next climb, then down again and finally into the start/finish. “Looking good rider, you are number 21!”

Noticing a few riders from that train that dropped me earlier in the pits got me fired up a bit. I swapped bottles again, chugged the rest of the BURN and rolled. I ended up with Scott Cole and Thom Parsons for the first few miles and then Thom and I pulled away. Thom would go a little harder on the steep climbs and then I would go faster on the descents. I nearly crashed passing him as I tried to keep my momentum over the top of one climb. Then like someone refilled the tank I was able to get on the gas and go. It was a combo of resting for some much of the last lap and the energy bomb that is/was BURN (BURN Energy Drinks went away a few years ago and I nursing the last few cans in existence). I got around Thom and just milked every turn and descent for all the speed I could get. I was back to racing.

Slowly, but surely I reeled riders back in and it felt good. It felt right. At the start of the day I was really aiming for a top ten, my first in an NUE race. Now I had no care at all about my placing, I just wanted to go hard and feel good. I was focused and drilling it. I did worry about my chain, but that just kept me smooth and b y the this 3rd lap there were no more surprises on the course. Over the last two climbs I passed 3 more racers and then kept it steady to the line….7:29 and change. 32 minutes better than last year and good enough for 12th place in the Open category and 14th over all (there’s some darn fast singlespeed dudes out there). Namrita finished up 5th in the Women’s race and more importantly finished her first Lumberjack.

Many thanks to the race staff and volunteers at the Lumberjack 100, Scott and Danielle for the hospitality, our amazing sponsors for the absolute best equipment available, and to our family for their support of this odd need to spend long ours in the woods flogging ourselves for reasons that we can’t even explain.