Pulaski Va to Asheville NC Day 1

 It dawned on my about 30 minutes before I got dropped off, that I would be riding the trail upriver.

I have wanted to ride The New River Trail State Park for a long time.  I first heard about it about 16 yrs ago, when the wife and I stopped at the Shot Tower.  I have followed the trail's progress ever since.  I finally had the opportunity to ride it, then get on the parkway and head home.

After driving through thunderstorms, my awesome  family dropped me off under mostly sunny skies.  It was 5:15pm by the time I go rolling.  With roughly 3.5 hrs of daylight left I was itching to get rolling. 

The New River Trail is a rail to trail conversion.   It goes from Pulaski VA to Galax VA with short side spur to Fries VA.  I saddled up and got into a rythym, anxious to see how far I could make it tonight.  I did not think that Galax was within reach but I was pleasantly surprised at my pace and became hopeful as the miles ticked by.

A gentle grade, barely discernible took me mostly along the New River.  The forest walls were dense on both sides and limited view, but the trail was clear and smooth.  Horses are allowed to use the trail and I passed a couple of rodeo arenas.  I imagine that at times the area could get pretty crowded with horses.  Somewhere in the middle of the distance, I came upon a group of about 8 horseback riders were had ridden out and back.  The trail was now pockmarked with hoofprints,  not deep, just enough to rattle me to the bone.  I was really wising I had a carbon bar instead of the aluminum one, but such is life. 

 I maintained a steady pace but stopped to take pictures fairly often.  I was not worried about the impending dark.  I was prepared with lights, one on the handle bar and one on my helmet.  And a blinky light on the rear.  Actually,  I was hoping that I would get caught out in the dark so that I could practice that. 

 I rode past numerous old train depots.  There is a campground at Foster Falls that I did not stop to check out.  I was aiming for the campground at Cliffview, about 5 miles outside of Galax. 

 The trail crosses the river several times with these wooden trestles. 

 As I climbed gently, the river became narrower and more scenic.  There were multiple places that I wanted to stop, but being unsure of the night's "lodgings", I decided to keep rolling.

I arrived at Cliffview Campground with about 15 minutes of light left.  I looked around.  The campsites were nice and clean, but empty.  There were several families in the area picnicking.  Hmm.  I really wanted to camp in this pristine spot by the river, but prefer not to camp alone.  I've seen some crazy things and feel safer with other people around.

After talking to a local who was very helpful,  I decided to try my luck in Galax,  upgrading from campground to motel. 

I got into Galax around 9:30pm, after dark and began the search for somewhere to sleep.  I considered my free options: church, city park etc.  But, then I found the Rhodeway Inn and for $50 had a chance at sleeping well,  so I took it.   After checking in,  I headed 3 blocks down to Macado's for some grub and was in bed by 10:30pm.

ORAMM Training

 I took off Saturday for an ORAMM training ride.   I was trying out a couple of things and was hoping the results would be positive.

The main thing was my nutrition.  I was going to find out if I could make it without a Camelbak.  Just two bottles.  For some people, this is a no brainer,  but I've grown accustomed to needing more water.  Recently, I realized that I am probably diluting any electrolytes that I am consuming.  The cool water feels good temporarily,   but of the course of 3-4 hrs, my body is lacking the necessary minerals compared to the amount of water I am taking in.

So, I started out with two bottles, one with sports drink and one with nuun.  I planned on refilling at the spring on Curtis Creek Rd, and was hoping to find some water at the seep on the way down Heartbreak.

The other thing I was trying out was my single speed gearing.  I wanted to see how the 32x21 worked for me on a longer ride.

 I parked at the geyser and headed up into the woods onto Star Gap.  The air was cool and felt like it stayed that way all day.  Later people talked about how hot it got, but when I finished up, my thermometer read 75.  I enjoyed the cool,  and hoped it would be like this on race day.  Speaking of race.  I'm not racing this year, I'm finishing.....

Up and over the gap, down onto Jarrets Creek Rd,  winding, climbing, cruising.  The gravel grind was uneventful and I popped out on Curtis Creek Rd.  Here I was spun out.  But I took the opportunity to relax and maintain a low heart rate.  I started climbing and was feeling great.  As I neared the spring, I emptied my bottles.

I continued to enjoy the cool lushness.

I thought ahead to the climb and realized that it might not be a good idea trying to make it the rest of the way on only two water bottles.  I considered that on race day, there would be 3 more water stops between here and Heartbreak and that if I could make it today, I would definitely make it then.  I got back on the bike, ready for the climb.

I assumed a steady pace.  Knowing that if my heart rate stays too high to long, I overheat and I'm done.  I pass a couple of people on the way  up and we chat briefly while we ride.  Once I reach the parkway, I'm halfway through my bottles and wish I could drink more.  I know I need to stretch it, so I do.

South on the Parkway, I lookout over the ridges and valleys of the Appalachian mountain range.  I'm so privileged to live in a place like this.  48 mph down into the gap and then another climb up to the Heartbreak trailhead.  The hike a bike does not seem to be as difficult as I remembered.  Either I'm stronger, or I'm more in control of my effort and not about to blow up.

In fact, I'm feeling really good. I can almost stay on top of my gearing but consider going with a 32-22 on race day so I can spin more.

I'm almost out of water as I ride down Heartbreak.  I could definitely use a full bottle.  I know I can refill at the creek at the bottom, but I stop at the seep.  The trickles are running pretty good and it takes me about 10 minutes to fill up and mix my sports drink mix.  I'm closer to getting this nutrition thing dialed.  4 hrs and nothing solid to eat except a granola bar and a pack of Pro Bar blocks.  This will be my 3rd bottle of sports drink holding about 400 calories. 

After filling up, I drink and my body is happy.  I cruise down the hill, considering how my body feels and coming to the conclusion that I definitely have it in me to climb Mill Creek rd,  if only I had the time. 

I'll save it for another day. 

Another good ride finished up.  I'm actually excited about finishing ORAMM this year.  This thing has been my nemesis.  I won't get caught up, I'll go my own pace...

...enjoy the ride!

Thursday Night Ride

Well.  Tonight, I thought my number was up.  Once again the group decided to ride north up the mountain rather than go the normal route.  Some felt it would be more chill, others didn't want to get wet.  I wanted some long flattish high speed interval type work out, but that was not going to happen tonight.  Hopefully next week.

We headed through Biltmore Forest, single file and stopping at the stop signs.  Through Biltmore village, and out Meadow rd.  Just after we crossed onto Wyman St, I was following Kevin.  He signaled to point out a road hazard which I simply did not see.  We were rolling along about 25 plus mph this point.  I ran over the large chunk of metal.  It was big enough to cause my bike to jerk and bounce,  my left hand slipped . 

I had been listening to the car approaching and slowly gaining on us,  it was just behind me and to my left.  As my bike jumped and my hand slipped, my body shifted and I leaned and veered left.  In that split second, I knew that I was going down.  I knew that I would land on my left hip and that the car, if they didn't hit the brakes would fold me under the front bumper.  All that crossed my mind in the split second. 

And then suddenly, I was upright and rolling again.  I never hit the ground, never got smacked by the car. 

I almost quit and went home.  I could not explain how I stayed up right.  I'll chalk that one up to miraculous.  I'm glad to be in one piece.

We decided to head up Elk this time instead of Town.  I figured that if we were out here, we might as well get a good work out.  Most people were game. 

Jamie and Chris told me to attack at the bottom.  I did, but I was in the middle of a snack and there was a head wind so I got reeled in.  Then the suffering started.  I don't know how long it took, but at 104% HR almost the entire way, I pushed as hard as I could.  Jane just in front of me, and Chris Brown just behind me. 

At the top, south on the parkway and then down Town Mtn.  I rolled my own pace and got dropped,  I need to take a skills camp with the focus on descending! 

As I looked out over Asheville, I could see the rain coming and we ended up getting the edge of the storm.  Immediately cooled down, it felt good. 

Riding through my neighborhood, cooling down, chatting with neighbors.  Home to family and leftovers. 

Good ride.

Stopping Point

10 yrs ago I bought a house.  My elderly neighbor lady called it a crackerbox.  I wasn't insulted.  I had ideas that eventually turned into plans, which then became blood sweat and tears and is now our dream home.  Lot's of early mornings, late nights and anything in between. 

With the help from a handful of friends (to who I am eternally grateful), I spent the last 9 months on a final push getting the larger projects wrapped up. 

I am excited to say that I have finally reached  a stopping point.  I'm done.  Well,  mostly.  Still have some caulking, touch up painting etc to get done, but that stuff can wait until fall/winter;  aesthetic kinds of things.


Any holy moly am I relieved.  Looking back on the past ten years, and the sacrifices we have made, it is amazing and I never want to go through that again.  Hard work with positive results, but there are other things I want to do..... like ride my bike! 

Long live long rides.

When we moved into the house, we didn't have a house warming party.  I was too ashamed and embarrassed about the condition of our home.  I shouldn't have felt that way,  I know now that my friend would have come over and eaten my food and drank my beer regardless of the condition of my house.  That's how it is with true friends!

So,  stay tuned,  we'll be having a house warming party in the next couple of months, to celebrate where we started and where we are today!

But for now,  I'm gonna ride my bike,  by myself, with friends, with family and with http://tripsforkidswnc.com/ !

Jackrabbit= Fun Times

 With the house remodel to-do list dwindling, we finally took the time to hit the road for a short camping trip.  We were all excited about exploring somewhere new as we packed up and pulled out of the driveway, heading west to Jackrabbit Mountain, near Hayesville NC.  The campground only costs $15 but we paid the extra $10 to reserve online and not have to worry about having a spot when we got there.

The trips took just under 2 hrs and as we drove over the ridge line and down into the valley that holds Lake Chatuge, we were greeted by heat and humidity.  The campground is laid out well and the site we chose from the online map gave us a beach of our own. 

We got camp set up and the kid wanted to swim.  I was anxious to try out the trails so we decided I would ride,  find the best trails for the wife and kid, then we would ride together.  With close to 15 miles of trail, I figured that I could ride all of them in under 2 hrs, come back and grab the family for another hour or so. 

I set off and road the loop by the boat ramp.  This trail was older and less maintained.  Fun but not what I was expecting.  Then I headed over to the newer trail system and was greeted by some fun, fast, flowy trails. I was on the single speed and with a 32x 21 I was under geared.  Next time I'll know.

 The trails are very well marked with a central loop, and then several loops branching off of the central loop.  The system makes it very easy to ride all of the trails in either direction without crisscrossing or backtracking.  I made it to the first loop, Sneaking Creek and turned left.  Someone in a Cartecay bike shop jersey turned in behind me and I stopped to ask if this trail loops around.  The guy said yes and hit the gas.   Ok,  it was on.  I followed him,  staying close,  and waiting for my time.   We didn't say much, just rode.  Finally, on the last little climb, he cracked, and let me pass.  I thanked him and we bid farewell.  Then,  my phone rang. 

 The wife and kid were ready to ride, so I rode back out to the trailhead and met up with them.  We rode the entire white loop and green loop.  They did awesome and were having a blast.  That made me really happy; mountain biking road tripping family.... After 4.5 miles the family was done.  I dropped them back at the trailhead and went back out for a couple more miles. 

Back at camp, it felt great to walk right into the lake after a hot ride.  We swam for a while then got the fire started for some roasted hot dogs!  Yum. 

Late night smores and another swim, it was the kid's first time swimming at night.  I have a giant mag light that he took in the water with him.  He loves the water.  Reminds me of me when I was just a little older than him.  The Caribbean Sea turned out to be one of my best friends.  I gotta keep getting this kid around water!

 Bed around 10pm and sleeping well until around 2 pm.  Lightning and thunder in the distance.  We closed the rain fly.  The thunder was creeping closer.  I sat up, trying to decide if we should move to the van.  The tent was dry, but I was concerned with falling trees/debris.  Lightning hit nearby and we scrambled.  The kid was scared and shivering.  We crammed in the back lying on the floor.  After about an hour, the storm rolled on and we headed back tot he tent.  The rain continued through early morning and we were able to get some more sleep. 

 Morning rolled around and I fired up the stove for some sausage and pancakes.   We were disappointed that we would not be able to ride after the massive rain storm so we swam some more.  Large gray clouds were rolling in, looking like rain, so we packed up and prepared to head home.  On the way out of the campground, we stopped by the trail head where some people were on bikes.  We asked how the trails were and got reports that they were fine.  Some SABA members were there getting ready to ride as well.  Sweet. 

 We unloaded and and saddled up.  We rode the white trail out to the slightly more narrow and techy blue trail.  Another 5.6 miles for the family.  They had a blast and so did I. 

I definitely recommend this campground.  It was not at all crowded and neither were the trails on Saturday and Sunday.  The trails are beginner/intermediate level, but it was great to be able to go for a longish ride and not feel bad about leaving the family behind. 

Can't wait to go back!

Thursday Night Ride

We met up for the ride and a huge storm cloud greeted us.  Taylor suggested going north.  I wanted to do the same route and risk getting wet.  I can be stubborn sometimes, and a little rain isn't going to change my ride.  I went along with the group and we wound our way through Biltmore Forest, down Meadow Rd and eventually up the side of Town Mtn. 

I was frustrated with the route change and my thoughts quickly went to what I am trying to teach my kid: our ideas are not always better and its ok in certain situations to go with the flow. 

So,  I went with the flow.  Took too long of a pull at the front and dangled and got dropped. 

Taylor and Rebecca waited up and we formed a gruppetto up and over the top.

After a quick break, we headed down the parkway.  I got excited and went towards the front, then realized that with my skills,  I would be better off following someone down.  Might be able to learn something. 

It was fun bombing down the grade past Haw Creek Overlook with a dozen skilled riders.   We were like falcons diving in on our prey.  Tucked in, aero,  constantly watching around us, yet focused on going faster.  Down, we dove,  gliding on little slivers of rubber.   Close to 50 mph.  And then we were at the bottom with only a few miles to go.

The last couple of miles was a more social pace.  The cloudy skies started to let go of some moisture, sprinkling us.  I peeled off and bid farewell.

I look forward to the high paced training sessions on Thursday night, but after letting go and going with the flow,  I ended up enjoying tonight's ride. 

Recovery

 Awesome ride in the woods yesterday.  My body still feel less than 100%.  Recovering from a century takes some time,  sickness on top of an already weak body takes it's toll.  I just spun around on some easy trails.  Hoping my legs would loosen up.  Interestingly, it was my lungs rib cage area that were tight.  I didn't do anything active on Monday and Tuesday.  I started getting a little bit of angst build up so knew I should get out on Weds for sure!

 The woods are vibrant and green.  The smells of the flora have been amazing this spring.  Fresh air filled with honeysuckle,  makes my brain happy. 

Life is hectic,  about to get crazy.   I've been prepping bikes and scheduling the 8 weeks of summer.  It wears me out, but to get groups of kids out in the woods is an amazing experience, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.  The smiles they show and the confidence they take with them is amazing! 

Liberty Ride tonight,  I'm hoping I will at least be able to dangle after being on my feet again all day!! 


Ha,  good luck with that!!

Nutrition

I'm still tweaking my nutrition for longs rides and tried something different at the Flyer.  I have been experimenting on my shorter rides with this and it had been working, so with full support  over 100 miles, I decided it would be a good place to experiment. 

After talking to several nutritionists and endurance racers,  I started wondering if I was still taking in too much plain water.  My theory is that even though I am taking in enough calories/electrolytes,  the additional water I was drinking was diluting the nutrition. So,  why not include electrolytes in my water intake, and eliminate plain water.

The one element missing on Sunday was heat.  It was humid but not hot. 

The result of my experiment turned out well and I actually felt better than in the past.  I also noticed that I was sweating almost the entire time and don't remember getting nauseous.  Of course, I was on the single speed so it was more difficult to get my heart rate up and over exert. 

I used nuun in one bottle and a personal sports drink mix with a maltodextrin base in the other.

Lots of factors,  but definitely a move in the right direction.

Fletcher Flyer Weekend

 It was the day before the Fletcher Flyer, but when Mike called and said he was coming to town and wanted a 40-50 mile ride,  I couldn't resist showing him around the mountains!   We met a little after 8am on Saturday and headed out towards Black Mountain winding through Reems Creek, around Warren Wilson, and out old Hwy 70.   We pedaled through town then hung a right on Hwy 9.  Up and over the Eastern Continental Divide, we were up in the clouds.  Misty and cool, dropping down the other side and greeted by a Buncombe County Sheriff roadblock.  They waved us through.

We then turned right on Old Fort Rd,  enjoying the scenery at a mellow pace.  We were bombing down the hill at Echo Lake and I saw a fox,  standing there looking at the water.   I yelled for Mike to stop.  We turned around to take a look and found a plastic decoy,  apparently to scare the geese!  I was disappointed and considered chucking it in the water..... but I didn't. 

We came out on Hwy 74A stopped for some food and coffee at Mountain Mojo, then headed home.

 The afternoon and evening were spent preparing for and executing the kid's birthday party.  Our little yard packed with kids running around screaming.... fun times!

Then Sunday morning rolled around early,  5:15am.   Time to get up, eat, load and drive out for the Fletcher Flyer.  I arrived to find a traffic jam getting into Oskar Blues where the start finish was.  I pulled into the Elementary school,  got changed, mounted my single speed and headed to the start. 

Yup,  single speed.  Why?  It is something I have always considered doing and since this year, is my year of "Take bike racing less seriously"  I figured it would be a good time to go for it. 

I had taken one short ride with a 42x19 gearing set up and was hoping it would be alright.   After the 100 miles on this course,  at least an 18 or maybe even 17 would have been a better option.  Next year....

We lined up and headed out.  I was with the lead group when my computer popped off the handlebars.  Dang it.  I pulled over and grabbed it, managing not to get run over.  Hopped back on the bike and took off.  I worked my way up through the pack and grabbed Kevin Hessler's wheel for a 3 seconds, then the pace went up and I was forced to find my own rhythm.  I spent the rest of the ride hoping for that perfectly paced group to come along.  It never happened,   I was faster up hill,  I would tuck in on the down hills but had some difficulty keeping up if the speed got above 21mph.  I could maintain 21mph but that was my limit, and with the gearing  18-19 was more comfortable.

 It rained on and off for the first part of the ride, but I was maintaining a steady pace.  Around 40 miles in I was riding just ahead of a small group when a truck coming the other direction, ran over a large chunk of gravel and launched it straight into my face.  The larger than a quarter sized piece of granite smacked me on the left side of my nose,  narrowly missing my eye and my mouth.  I was stunned for a second then pulled over and sat on the side of the road to assess the damage.  I would like to say how impressed I was that the hoards of cyclists stopped to make sure I was ok.  That didn't happen so I sat for a few minutes while the pain faded slightly, then I touch my nose.  Everything seemed intact except for a little skin missing.  Thankfully, a guy in a Road ID kit stopped to check on me.  I continue riding.

As I ride, I started thinking about rest stop food.  I consider all of the research on proteins and how they should be taken before or after, but not during,  and if during, only a little bit.   If that is the case,  I wonder how much a pb and j affects performance during these rides.  Especially with whole grain bread?  It does not seems like this combo would take a lot of energy for the body to process.  Cheap and easy yes, but good for energy?  hmm

After 6hrs and 10 minutes of winding around the valley, I arrived back at the brewery, excited to be done and looking forward to some Moe's BBQ. 

It was a great day overall,  the rest stops were great, super helpful and even funny and entertaining.    The rest of the evening was uneventful,  home, nap in the hammock, hanging with the family etc. 

Around mid nite though, I woke up feeling bloated and yucky.  The next 3 hours was spent in the bathroom, allowing my body to purge itself of who knows what?  Ugh.  I wish I could figure out what causes that and avoid it....  But I survived and woke up to tell the story. 

20 days until my next adventure! 

Mayhem

 Man, I need to find the remote, so I can hit the pause button.  Life feels like intervals right now and I'm finding it hard to catch my breathe and recover.  I'm doing things I love, I can't really complain, but good grief,  can we add a day to the week?  A month to the year?  Yowza.

 May is my month of Mayhem.  Ever single weekend is booked with events of one sort or another,  all requiring multiple 12 plus hour days, and only half of them spent in the saddle.  I spent the past weekend at The Mountain Sports Festival, selling used bikes and gear to raise funds for Trips For Kids WNC.  It was a huge success and I'm worn out.  We went to a friend's church picnic yesterday.  I am normally pretty social but I had no energy to talk about life with anyone....  all my words are used up for the rest of the week for sure!   

 I even tried to take a spin out at Bent Creek and there were people all over.  Wah, freakin' wah,  huh?

Well,  off to get the trailer unloaded and get The Bicycle Thrift Shop up and running again!

Thursday Night Ride

The ride went off hot and heavy,  weather wise that is.  Humid and hot, the air was heavy.  Of course there was a strong wind blowing as well.  The A and B group broke up leaving about 20 in the A group.  I knew where I was going to get dropped, and I did.  I simply can't hang on up the little grunt climbs.   I gotta figure out what I need to do to maintain up the steep short grades. 

I was able to get back on after and hang on for most of the rest of the ride.  

I dangled a couple of times but was able to get back on.  Then we hit Hendersonville Rd, and my legs were toast.  I tried, but could not maintain.  So, I dangled. 

Another good ride with some strong riders. 

More Training

Another good result from the DNF at the P111K is that it got me motivated.  I'm finding time to train where I made excuses before.   I'm signed up for ORAMM and lack of training will not stop me from finishing. 

I squeezed in time to ride the Jerdon Mountain Challenge loop.  I wanted to see how long it would take me at a slow and steady pace.  My legs were tired from the weekend and now riding 3 days in a row.  (wow, I know, 3 days, 3 rides!!). 

So, I headed up Kitsuma, and down the other side,  meandering, cruising.  I saw a lizard scurry off the trail.  The wind was howling as if a storm was blowing in, but there were hardly any clouds.  Temps in the upper 70's, everything was awesome. 

A chipmunk scurried across the trail and I greeted him,  he didn't respond.  I went around a bend and down and there 15 yrds in front of me, trotting along the trail was a full sized coyote.  That really made my day and made me smile.   It ran in front of me for about 40 yards then darted up through the rhododendron. 

I made my way slowly up the pavement to Lower Heartbreak then up and over Star Gap.  Onto Jarret's Creek Rd, I was still feeling good and I was maintaining my slow and steady pace. 

The gravel road was fast and it took a bit longer than I remembered, but I finally got to Curtis Creek.  Only the pavement grind remained, with the last climb up Point Lookout Trail.  At the bottom of the trail I came across some motorcycle tourists, who thought Old 70 would be open to ride.  I directed them to Mill Creek Rd and then headed up.  My legs were dead tired.  It was getting warm now, mid 80's and the wind was still howling.  I spun my way up and was glad to see the truck. 

Exactly 3 hrs.  That's what it used to take me on my training rides 4 yrs ago, the last time I attempted ORAMM.   That's good to know. 

Recovered

 I spent Sunday after the P111K laying around.  I took the wife and kid to see Bears at the theater, then then came home and watched Prince Caspian and Voyage of the Dawn Treader.   We had watched The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe on Friday night, so it was a Narnia kind of weekend.  The kid and I had spent the past year, reading The Chronicles of Narnia Series together.   If you have not read it, you should.  Good Stuff.  

 I've been out on the bike seeing how my body is recovering and I am pleased that I feel fine.  I think if I had pushed to the finish, beyond my limit, I would not have recovered so quickly.   I rode up to Bent Creek gap the other day and Wash Creek Rd is still closed.   I was told that the plan is to reopen at the end of May,  hopefully that is still the case. 

The kid's birthday was this week, so I spent the day painting a mural in his room.  He wanted Indy Cars so that's what he got.  I was going to just to some silhouettes, but then got carried away.  Then I found some glow in the dark paint.  The faint spots you can see in the sky is that paint, so when the lights go out, the start appear!  I also outlined the Jordon silhouette so it shows up in the dark. 

 Fun times!    There is still some blank space on the wall, so I plan on filling in a little more, but for the most part, it is complete. 

The Used Gear Sale is happening this weekend at The Mountain Sports Festival.  If you are in the area, come see me!

The Upside of a DNF

DNF= Did Not Finish. 

I finally signed up for the Pisgah Productions P111K  one week before the start.  Knowing that my training has been lax and non structured, with my longest ride since February a mere 2.04hrs,   I knew that the likelihood of finishing this beast was slim to none.

I played mind games all week and forced myself to the start line.  If I could get to the start, I told myself,  that would mean part of the mental battle was won. 

Carey Lowery found me in the parking lot before the race started and gave me this note with some goodies!  It appeared to be a good start to the day.  I'd have some yummy treats waiting for me, no matter the outcome!

90 racers lined up and started,  I held back and found my all day pace.  I was pedaling fine, but the mind games continued.   Every minute that passed brought new questions and doubts.  Why am I doing this?  I could be at home.  There is no way that I should be out here with my lack of training.... and so on, all the way up Clawhammer, then up and over Black Mountain to Turkey Pen.

Looking around, I took in the beauty,  I tried to enjoy it,  but simply was not.   Even the view at the top of Black, which usually causes my spirits to soar, only brought about a mediocre response. 

Left on Turkey Pen,  a dreaded trail in these parts, and I pretended to rip the first down hill.  At the first hike a bike, Laura Goetz caught up to me.  Cool, company.  I vented a bit to her, trying not to sound negative, but glad to have a sounding board.  Her advice was to keep on going forward,  that it was impossible to make a judgement call at this point in a long race.  I chewed on that and miraculously the cloud lifted from my head.  I made the Yellow Gap rest stop my goal.  I would get there and see how I was feeling.

I actually enjoyed the rest of Turkey Pen.  Despite lacking long hours on the bike, I have spent most of that time on the mountain bike, and I could tell that my skills were more solid than in previous years.

I rolled into rest stop #1 feeling good.  The Motion Maker peeps were there doing a stellar job.  Happy Birthday Kent!   I refilled, grabbed my salami and cheese sammy and ate it on the down hill to the river.  I should have saved it, because that downhill is fun,  but.....

Across the river, through the woods, up Mullinax, Squirrel, Laurel Creek, 5015 up to Yellow Gap and greeted by Sam White, the wife and kid!  Nice.  I was feeling good but still pessimistic about finishing.  I only had 22 miles at this point and was roughly 4 hrs into the race.  I knew the reality of what another 40 miles could feel like.  Pete and Mark hooked me up at the Liberty Bikes aid station before I headed up Laurel to Pilot.

Zeke showed up and had some encouraging words for me, and then I started the climb.  I was still having fun and determined to make rest stop #3 and reassess how I felt.  

The climb up Laurel was uneventful,  eating, drinking, pedaling, hiking etc.  I made it to the top, had a snack and then started to descend.  Maybe I'd enjoy this trail more on full suspension, but I simply don't like it.  I tried to like it, and felt that I was picking better lines than usual, but ugh,  its a beast, and I was glad to get to the bottom. 

Left on 1206, left on Slate Rock Pilot Cove loop (clockwise).  This loop is has no flow and includes a lot of hike a bike.  I was still feeling good and hopeful about continuing.  I chatted and yo yo'ed with Melissa for a bit over the next hour.  I finally got back to 1206 and took a right.  It was then that fatigue started to set in.  I slowed way down, ate some, drank.  I could feel my body shutting down,  then came the nauseousness, and that was it.  I slowed some more,  asked Tom if he had some Coke.  He didn't so I soft pedaled to 479. 

I was at a crossroads.  I was done.  Could I recover?  I didn't think so, but the only way to find out was to keep riding to aid station #3 refuel and keep riding.  If I kept riding and didn't recover, I would be deeper into the woulds and rescue would take time and resources.  If I pulled the plug, I could get to Hwy 276 and soft pedal to the finish.  Then the mental game got real.  If I quit, what does that tell my kid?   Just the other day he talked about quitting track and field, " because it is boring".  Quitting here was different though,  possibly a matter of survival. 

I started heading down 479 to rest stop #3.  I had been out for over hrs.  That was a long time.  Did I really think I would recover and be able to finish the Black-Buckhorn-Avery-Clawhammer-Maxwell-Black loop?  Ugh,  no way I had enough left to do that.  My tank was empty and I knew it.  I had discovered how far I could go with little training.  I had pushed myself and overcome the voices in my head.  It was time to quit. 

I headed out 1206 and down 276,  chilled I stopped to put on my rain jacket.  My head was quiet on the ride back.  I was comfortable with my decision, not pleased but comfortable.  Better than laying on the side of the trail waiting for rescue though.  I was also bummed to miss the friends at the Industry Nine rest stop. 

Back at the start finish, I chatted with friends and fellow racers,  had a burrito and a coke, and did the walk of shame to the timing tent to announce my DNF. Before loading up and  heading home,  Eric Wever, head honcho of Pisgah Productions wrote a check for $650.00 to Trips For Kids WNC.   Money raised from I-9 product raffles at the races this year.  That was an amazing surprise,  we are gearing up for a big spring/summer full of rides with kids and this will help fill in some gaps!  Thanks I-9, Pisgah Productions and everyone who took a chance!!

Driving home, I had the time to reflect on our cycling community, local more widespread, and all of the contributions that people have made over the year.  I appreciate each one!

And to top off the day,  I had that banana nut bread to nibble on on the way home,  it really hit the spot!

What Have I Done?

First things first.  Happy Anniversary to the wife.   16yrs ago today, I cut my hair at the in-laws request and married their daughter,  made her my wife and life partner,   took her on a wild ride, got her an education and sent her off to work, so I could ride my bike!

Congrats!

Then, I finally signed up for the P111K,  and now I realize that I have lost my confidence.  That confidence that comes with riding consistently. The confidence that comes with doing a couple of longer training rides before a big event. 

I keep thinking about the race as a bikepacking trip. If I had everything I needed to survive on my bike, I would not be so worried,  I could just stop and take a nap or spend the night.  No worries there.   But, in XC Endurance,  in order to maintain some speed, it is impossible to carry much of a load.  My biggest concern is not knowing what will be available at the rest stops.  What kind of food?  Can I carry a sub sandwich without worrying about the meat going bad?  What kind of meat won't go bad over 12  hrs?

I'm not so worried about water,  the temps are going to be 40-60 degrees with a  chance of afternoon rain.  I'll have two bottles on the bike and my 30oz Camelbak on my back,  and some Nuun in my pocket.  Knee warmers, arm warmers, baselayer and jacket should take care of the weather.

So, yeah,  I'm a bit hesitant,   and a lot skeerd.  My plan is to ride at a bikepacking pace, take in the scenery and smell the roses.  No racing or I'll end up DNF for sure.  We'll see what happens.

Thursday Night

Tony Zaffino grins....

 We rolled out tonight, a group of about 25.  It was great to see Cara Applegate and Jane Burlew mixing it up.  I don't mind being schooled by a couple of fast women.

The group was riding a moderate pace,  I would be able to hang on if this kept up.

The wind was blowing clouds of pollen and I felt as if I had pink eye.  Itchy, scratchy chunks of the stuff.  But if that was the worst thing that happened, I have nothing to complain about.  Blue skies, temps in the low 80's and bikes!!  It was a great evening for a ride.

I managed to hang on up the grunt climb on Ledbetter to Glenn Bridge Rd where we slowed to an almost stop at the 4 way.  We made the turn and as a group pedaled up the road.  Suddenly a dude in a full sized pick up truck hit the gas and passed all of us,  definitely exceeding the speed limit, over a double yellow on a blind curve.    Wow,  we made comments as usual.  Then the unexpected happened.

We heard the "Woop Woop" of a law enforcement vehicle and a Buncombe County Sherrif's Deputy passed us, lights flashing in hot pursuit.  I let out a yell of encouragement and pumped my fist in the air.  We saw the guy up the road, pulled over.  Thanks Buncombe County Sherrif's Dept for taking care of us!! 

The rest of the ride was a mix of high speed and recovery pace. The Youngblood Bikes team spent some time on the front upping the pace.  Tay Little always does a pull or two (or more, I'm not really counting).  I spent  a little bit of time on the front.  Kevin Hessler complemented me on that and it made me happy.  I always like to contribute if I can.   I don't understand how some people can suck wheels all day.  Are they doing it on purpose?  Or do they simply not know that they are welcome to take a turn at the front?  Don't know.  I would rather do my part and get dropped than to never go to the front. Not a big deal really,  just a thought.

It was another great night of riding,  great to see familiar faces and some new ones.  Can't wait until next week!

Kitsuma for Breakfast

 I got out for a short Kitsuma/Star Gap ride in the morning.  The forest lush, and the temps not yet hot.  Pretty much perfect conditions.  Fun ride!  I wanted to keep going and do the whole Jerdon Mtn loop, but I didn't bring enough food with me.  I think I could have made it, but that last climb from Old Fort up the greenway would have been rough. 

 This was encouraging.  It is always a good sign to be wanting more and feeling like riding more on top of that.  I'll have to save it for another day.  Too much going on still.  I do feel a long ride coming up in the next couple of months.  Time for some saddle time without the pressure of getting back home to get stuff done.

This is an amazing place we live in, and I don't aim to take it for granted!

PMBAR Weekend

 This is the 3rd year in a row that I have had the opportunity to be a part of PMBAR.  I signed up as a volunteer to police FS Rd 5015,  a road that is off limits.  But decided that serving grilled cheese sammies and Coke while busting people would be more fun.  I'm out there from 8am until 8pm.  This year, the first riders: Sam Evans and Dave Wood came through at 11:15 am ish.  The last riders through:  Mike Pierce and partner,  got there as I was about to leave  7:57pm.  Randy Tuttle had come through about 20 minutes earlier and let me know that Mike and co.  were on their way. 

 After spending the day with my mountain biking family, Sunday was dedicated to my family.  Sunday morning we rented a tiller and tilled up the garden and started planting. 

When we got done with that, we headed into the woods to enjoy the beauty.

 Just a short hike and we found the perfect place by the creek to hang out. 

 We caught some salamanders.

 Caught a crawdad.

 And climbed some trees!

Ice cream on the way home and homemade tacos for dinner,  another awesome weekend!

Dangling

The whole group rolled out together again.  There must have been 25-30 of us.  Suddenly, a late arrival pulled up.  Sam and I and another guy waited while the group rolled on.  Kevin held the group back and we caught on just before we dropped down the parkway for the climb up the the I-26 bridge.  We held a steady pace up the climb.  I enjoyed the scenery and wondered if someone would attack.  No one did.  Down the other side, and onto 191,  the group barely stopped.  

Well, here goes.  Still holding a steady but high pace.  Winding up along the river,  I was feeling tired.  It had been a busy day,  a good day though,  I got a lot accomplished.

My goal again was to simply hang with the group as long as I could. 

As usual,  I got dropped on the first steep grunt climb.  I'm going to have to work on that,  not sure how though.  The group was bigger so a couple of others got dropped as well and we motored on, catching the group at the stoplight. 

And that  is how the ride went for me.  Hang with the group,  fall off the back, dangle,  catch back on.  I didn't really get dropped hard until the end of the ride.  I quit trying to ride that pace,  the legs simply would not give any more. 

Fortunately for me, about 5 other were also off the back.  When we turned onto Hendersonville Rd,  to head home, the head wind was horrendous.  It felt like it was blowing about 20mph.  We ground our way back and each headed to our own destinations.

Another day, another ride.

Single Speedn'

 I did a big loop out at Bent Creek.  Grinding the gravel roads on the single speed.   I have backed off my SS time and it appears to be making a difference.  My legs are definitely feeling fresher (not faster yet) on a daily basis. 

The was a slight chill in the thick humid air.  Everthing was soaked from the past several days of rainstorms.  The forest canopy is coming in nicely and the leaves are bright green.  I theorized as I rode that the shade and coolness of the forest would be noticeably different than past years, due to the healthier and thicker canopy.  Just a theory,  it would be nice if were cooler at ORAMM!

At some point during the ride, I began to focus more on body position than on going forward.  After working on this for a while,  it seemed that I started to work with the bike instead of pushing the bike.  I love that feeling when everything clicks.   That feeling where it is time to turn and head back to the parking lot, but I feel like I could take one more trail,  stay out just a little longer.   And today that is just what I did.  I stayed out, just a little longer. 

I've been trying to decide if I should enter the P111K or the P55K,  I know which one I want to do,  just not sure I'm ready for that many miles.  I can always bail, but I don't like to plan for a DNF.  At the same time, it has been a while since I took on a challenge that I was not sure I was going to finish.   Spending all day in the woods with friends might just be what I need. 

Either way, it will be  a fun time!!