New Terrain

So on Friday my dad and I are flying out to Durango for the Telluride - Durango ride from Western Spirit. After a few days hanging out and riding around Durango, we'll shuttle out to Telluride and ride the gondola up to the top of the mountain, where our five day singletrack epic begins. Western Spirit shuttles all your gear in their van and you camp at different spots each night. But during the day you ride on all unsupported singletrack. I have no clue what to expect, other than some fun riding and crazy long descents and climbs. I'm taking a whole bunch of batteries, so hopefully there will be some helmet cam video from each day.

Wilderness 101

Being a mountain biker in State College, you are always surrounded by the Wilderness 101. People talk times and training all year round and for people who only do one or two races a year, this is their time to throw down a good race and have some friendly competition with the other local riders. On the last Saturday in July (sometimes first in August), almost everyone in the area that rides a bike will either be racing, watching, or working any one of the five well stocked aid stations. That being said, July 31st, 2010 was a day that I have thought about for most of my life.


I started riding at a very young age and my dad was always there for support. One year (2002 or 2003?) he told me about this all-day race through the rocks and over the mountains called the "Wilderness 101." Later he showed me this picture, and immediatly I knew that I wanted to do this race. So I set a goal for myself that I wanted to finish this race before I was 18.



It's six or seven years later, and I'm laying in bed the night before the race. Everything is racing around my mind. Bike is spotless, dinner was healthy and filling enough to get me through the race, my aid station bags are ready to go, clothes are clean, so it should be a good day. At around midnight I'm starting to get worried, and I finally fall asleep at 2. Oh, a 9+ hour race on three hours of sleep? No big deal. What was re-assuring was that it turns out that not many people actually do sleep much before this race. So before I knew it, it was 6:30 the morning of the race and it was cold. Got a short warm up in with Bill Nagel and Jake Davidson and headed back to the Coburn park for the start of the race. The neutral paced start was led by the local Purple Lizard mapmaker, who also led out this year's Stoopid 50. Turned left and across the bridge and started climbing. I found myself in a group with Jake, Dustin, locals Clay Chiles and Peter Buckland, and others. We stayed behind the singlespeeders into aid station 1. The group split a bit as some of us stopped for water before the second climb of the day. This is the hot, sunny climb in the Stoopid 50 that everyone hates, but it was cool and shaded today. The whole day I stayed focused on riding all the trails smoothly and paying attention to whatever my body told me it needed. You have to race smart to get through this stuff. Rather than give a 100 mile course description, I'll just give you a link to a good video from the course.

Jump ahead to 6:00 later

Coming into Aid 5, there is one rocky singletrack. At this point I was freaking out because I wasn't sure if I'd break my goal of 9 hours. So I figured that I'd need to average 10-12mph into the finish to make it. Cranked the rock gardens as hard as I could and came into Aid 5 like I was breaking away in a XC race. After a quick refueling and a glance at the Garmin, I was safe. Just keep it steady to the finish and don't get bit by any snakes. Up the Mingle climb, which isn't bad by itself but is a real pain over 90 miles into this race. On the other side is the infamous Fisherman's Path. It's makeable, and I came close to riding it. So now I guess my next goal for this race is to clean it. Anyway, it's some technical boulders on the side of the river and a couple short climbs and drops. Once you're across it, there's a bit more rail-trail to the next tunnel. This is your last chance to get a flat, cause there's glass in this one. But if you make it out of the tunnel fine, it's all pavement back to the park. You can smell the food and you can catch a glimpse of the finish before you loop through the town of Coburn. At this point I was so pumped, because I sprinted into the finish with an 8:25. The Centre Daily Times was there covering the event, which is cool because it's a race that's been going on here for so long and not too many people know about it. Here's the article.

It feels good to have that one behind me. What's cool about this event is that you get everyone from the top racers, to those that are just here to finish all starting at once and everything is very relaxed, but serious at the same time. And no matter where you finish, everyone has the same thoughts at the end of the day.

The climbs are hard
The descents chew you up and spit you out
The rocks will make your hands black and blue
It's the 101

A few weeks ago was the Stoopid 50. The course was mostly the same as last year...the only change was that it was extended a little bit past the last downhill so that it finished much closer to the parking lot. Racers got to ride the Three Bridges trail in the opposite direction of the Wilderness 101, and then take a chute down to the finish. A few days before the start, a tree fell on one of the 3 bridges and made it un-rideable. But it was fixed for the race.

The night before the race, Jay and Cameron Dodge, Alan Consalvo, Chad Mccurdy, and Jeff Dicky came up to stay at the house. Bob Popovich, the photographer, also came to stay. As everyone staged for the start, it started to lightly drizzle. Thunderstorms were in the forcast, so I don't think anyone was too suprized (although most people weren't too happy with the wet rocks). As we cruised up the road, the rain started to pick up. It was really raining hard as I turned into the first section of trail that takes you up to Tussey Ridge. Cameron was on my wheel and we were setting a pretty good pace coming up the road. A short but rocky downhill takes you to the ridge, which is one of the best trails in the race. My mom was watching the race at the gasline crossing and she told me that I was in the top 10. I wish I could've kept this position all day. After the ridge there is a benchcut downhill that takes you into the valley, where the toughest climb on the course seems to look down and laugh at you. It looks like you are about to ride off the edge of the mounain as you climb up through the clouds, then the road makes a turn and you get your first look at a long wall that stands between you and the top of the climb. Every singlespeeder that passed me earlier on the climb had to walk this section. Then you take a jeep road down the other side of the mountain to the first aid station. After the aid station, there is a slick, rocky, rooty section of trail that can really waste your energy. Then there is some downhills and climbs, and you retrace your way back to the aid station. Most of these trails were also on the Transsylvania Epic course. Once you're back at the aid station, all of the tough singletrack is behind you. But there are still three major climbs and one crazy descent to the finish. Thought I'd share this little write up of thoughs from the race.



The next week was the Massanutten Hoo Ha. It was a hot weekend and the course was dusty, but it ended up being a fun race. Raced the Super D on Saturday and that turned out to be really fun. The course wasn't nearly as technical as I would've liked, but that's alright. We stayed around and watched the short track race and saw the intense finish between Jeremiah and Sid.
The next day was the cross country race. Just as dusty and hot as the day before. The race started off with the most hectic, confusing mass start fake out start I've been in, but once I picked my way out to the front of the field I could actually enjoy the course. Some seriously dusty trails, but high speed singletrack through dense trees and then out to the start finish area. Then started the only sustained climb of the whole course, but it was a long one. Switchbacks took you all the way to the top of the Super D course and through some rocks and ledges at the top. Then pretty muched bombed the Supder D back (with a little detour through some more fun singletrack) to the finish. It was really hot, but it was a fun weekend.

Next was a longish road ride up and down some pretty big climbs. I think we did somewhere around 80 miles with 5 or 6 serious climbs and sprints for signs throughout the day. And then every Tuesyday, the local shop holds a nice group ride. This week we took the first twisty descent on the Stoopid to the bottom of the first nasty climb, then turned off and rode one of the rockiest trails in the area. It's full of oddly placed boulders and lots of holes for your front wheel to fall into. Here's a video of one of the rock gardens, taken by Don Page on his nifty Iphone (yeah it shoots in HD).

Last weekend was the Long Pine Classic. A new race in the MASS series and probably one of my favorite courses anywhere. Gotta love those one-lap XC races. Some killer climbs, twisty singletrack, and just enough rocks to keep you on your toes. Not to mention some loose ATV downhills. This race was a fight throughout the whole 22 miles, but there isn't much that beats the feeling of pushing your limits and knowing that you did the best that you could do.

It was gonna happen sooner or later...

So I've been hearing things about the Cannondale Scalpel frames separating at the chain stay/bottom bracket. There's a little spot there where the carbon front triangle is glued to the different weave of the rear triangle (same with the aluminum bike). And last night my dad and I were coming pretty fast down the last downhill on our ride. I get to the bottom and wait...after a few minutes, I get a little worried and start to ride back up. So here comes my dad and he's talking about how he thinks he might have bent his axle or frame or something because his wheel locked up on the descent. We take a look, but couldn't really find a problem. And then my dad finds a little gap where the chain stay meets the front triangle. I didn't get a picture before he took it into the shop but there was about a 1/2 inch gap on the one stay. Cannondale has a bunch of frames at the factory and he should get a red and black warranty 2010 frame built up in a little bit.

Long Post…

Alright so it’s been a month or so since the last post on here. A lot has happened…

Fair hill was the first race of the year and it hurt a lot. The course is fast and flat, which means that there aren’t any breaks and you never stop pedaling for the entire race. Since my injury, the weakest part of my body has been my back and this course definitely hurt it a lot. It felt worse than any other ride or race than I can remember, although my legs didn’t feel nearly as bad. Ended up finishing somewhere in the middle of the group, which isn’t bad considering that this is the exact opposite of what we ride.

Tour de Tykes went better, but still not as well as I would’ve liked. I was definitely able to use the course and the weather to my advantage, but it just didn’t go all that smoothly. Missed the start, and then got gapped when I couldn’t pass some riders. But it’s a fun course and a lot of people enjoyed the cool weather for once.

And then there was a week off. We ended up riding 40ish miles of the Stoopid 50 course. Trails are in good condition…probably gonna get out there with a brush cutter and trim some stuff back, but everything is holding up nice.

Any race in Michaux is always a good time. I didn’t do the new course last year, and was a bit upset that they took out the Grave’s Ridge trail, which is a rocky ridge-top ATV trail. Fun stuff…but the new course turned out to be almost as technical anyway. Slightly disappointed in losing the race on a fire road climb but it was still a good race. Broke out the new frame for its first race. Last fall, my dad found some Rush frames on eBay, so he bought some in case we cracked one. Since I wasn’t really feeling the 29er, I just took all the parts off it and built up a second Rush. Thanks to my dad for letting me ride his I9 wheels.

 

I hate missing French Creek, but that day was prom…But it was a good time anyway.

Cascade Classic (used to be CAT Classic) is a nice course when it’s dry. Some climbs and just enough rocks to keep you on your toes. But this year it was really muddy so it completely changed the race. None of the three people that drove with us actually finished. My dad got lost and Anthony DiNallo and I both quit after 2 laps because we were sick of mud. Didn’t stay too long after the race but I’m pretty sure Julian crushed it on his home course. It’s a shame that the conditions were so bad for this year, first impressions of races usually last a while.

Marysville

So on the Tuesday before the Marysville relay, I saw a neurologist and he said that I'd be fine to ride, just as long as I didn't do anything too risky and get another concussion. I've ridden 8 times since last Wednesday and it's really nice to be riding again. That Thursday, my dad called me and said that Erik at the Bicycle Shop was looking for a 4th person so that they could have a second team in the relay. So I've been lucky enough to get back on the bike a lot earlier than I thought, and I've also been lucky to find a team for last weekend. Marysville is such a fun event that it doesn't matter who has stacked teams, who has the most handicapped points, or even who wins at the end of the day. All people seem to care about is seeing all the people that they race with, having a good time, and some short and hard efforts on the bike.

With two of our riders not being able to ride because of injuries (yes, we had two ski accidents on the MBR team), we needed to find two replacement riders. We ended up with Anthony DiNallo and Bob Radzwich. Both were very competitive, triathletes, and singlespeeders. So that team did really well and MBR ended up getting 2nd place for the second time in a row. I really want to win that trophy next year, but our handicaps are slowly going away each year.

The relay was able to tell me a few things. First, 25 sessions on the rollers can really come in handy. It was the first time I actually trained during the winter, and thankfully it carried me through 3 weeks of no exercise. Indoor riding is boring but nothing gets you more ready for spring races. Second, I was able to see that my ribs held up to a hard effort and that I'll be able to race expert for Fair Hill and Tour de Tykes.

Maybe it's time to tell people...

A few weeks ago I was and idiot and went skiing in jeans, a flannel shirt, sunglasses, and without a helmet. First run of the day, I hit a 50ish foot jump. Of course I didn't check it out ahead of time to realized that it was re-groomed and you didn't need nearly as much speed to hit it anymore. I ended up hitting it with way too much speed, got kicked back, and completely overshot the landing. I was sure that it was a dream and that I was gonna wake up soon. I also thought it was summer...

It turns out that I landed on the flat below the jump on my back, got the wind knocked out of me really bad, and walked down to ski patrol where I ended up passing out. Once I understood that this actually happened and it was really winter, I figured out that I was in a neck brace attached to a stretcher, and being loaded into an ambulance while my parents watched. At that time I couldn't imagine what they were going through.

As you could imagine, my parents were pretty upset about this. Five hours, one cat-scan, and one x-ray later, I left the hospital knowing that I had collapsed a lung and broke a rib. I also knew that I'd be able to walk, which was a major relief. I'm sure I had a concussion too but the hospital report didn't say anything about that, so.....

My dad kept telling me that my face was pretty messed up and that I must've been bleeding a lot, but I didn't realize the extent of what had happened until I looked in the mirror. Well a nice spring break full of riding was over, and I didn't know when I'd be able to ride a bike again. It's been three weeks, and my lung has healed. I've ridden outside on fire roads twice, and have been on the rollers countless times. Next week I'm supposed to go to a neurologist to decide when I'm able to get back to normal riding and racing. It could be fine and I could be out riding next week, but I still wouldn't be racing until May. Or it could be the exact opposite and I might not be able to ride any trails for a full calendar year. I'm trying to stay optimistic about things but I'm mainly just happy that I had the chance to learn from that mistake. Everyone out there, have a good season. I'll be at the races regardless so I'll see you all soon. And now I feel bad writing a post entirely about me...oh well, have a good season everybody.

Just a Reminder

Just because a gate was open the first 2 times you climbed a hill doesn’t mean it will still be open the 3rd time you climb it. Remember to keep your eye on the road and don’t get caught up in your training intervals.

Fall, winter, and then some more training

It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything, or even visited anyone else’s blogs. I don’t know why I haven’t because a lot of great things have happened since race season ended, and I’m sure lots of other people had some interesting things to write about. So anyway, let’s think back to where I left off…

Bear Creek was a good race and the whole weekend turned out great. It’s always nice to go to a race and be able to enjoy the whole weekend, from all the time you spend off the bike, to the race, and then packing up and going back home. After Bear Creek was Michaux’s Terror of Teaberry. Great course, but my dad and I both had a few flat tires. He flatted on his rear tire and I flatted on my front, so after blowing out the valve on my second tube, I was able to use his wheel to keep going. I got really close to the start/finish and didn’t really feel like being selfish and racing another 10 miles, so I rode back to the finish and waited for my to grab his second set of wheels. Then we rode the course at a fast trail ride pace and were able to enjoy it. I had another flat but there wasn’t any pressure and it took me back to 2006 when my dad would ride the races behind me to make sure I didn’t hurt myself and to offer all the encouragement he could.

Fall riding is always fun. Getting to ride the technical, hardly ever ridden trails that are too dangerous or too hard to get to during the racing season.

My Rush that we bought in April 2008 has gone through some major changes that started midway through this summer. The goal is to make it a strong, all mountain bike. When it’s finished, the only parts that were original will be the fork, shock, stem, seat post, and front derailleur. The major changes have been the wheels and brakes. XTR wheels to Mavic 819/717 with Chris King hub with a future fun bolt. XTR brakes to Avid Jucy 7s, 185mm/160mm rotors. Also, the XTR rear derailleur is getting switched out for an SLX.

And now we’re back to training. 50 mile road ride yesterday

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Laurel Classic

Since both my dad and I did good here overall last year, we decided that it was probably a good decision to race expert. I had fun and I’m pretty sure he did too. The race started off well, and I realized that for the first time in a while, I needed to just let the leaders go. I knew that I would get burned out if I tried to keep up with TJ Mosher, Ray Adams, and the super fast rider from State College, Jean-Luc. So as people started to split apart, I ended up in a group with Julian, Rich Straub (another State College), and one other rider. I tried to avoid setting the pace, but eventually I had to. After the long road climb, there is a gradual downhill to the famous Stinger trail. Stinger is loose and steep, so there are a lot of people that come out to watch it. At the bottom, it turns onto a dirt road. There is a lot more people down there, just incase anyone gets hurt. But just my luck, I ended up hitting one of the cars that were parked on the course. Eventually I fought passed the pain in my wrist and caught back up to Julian. He was setting a really fast pace into the next downhill. Coming into the second downhill of the course, I thought I caught a stick in my wheel. I stopped to pull it out but couldn’t find it. Turns out that I had a broken spoke. Got it fixed and raced down the trail with the hope of catching Julian at the bottom. Right when I saw him, he was getting off his bike to fix a flat. I felt sorry for him since he always seems to have bad luck, but I also knew that I needed to ride strong to the finish. After the downhill is a fun little section of stream crossings, followed by a not-so-fun climb. And then across the top of the mountain, through some mud, and down the last downhill of the race. It’s about 3 1/2 miles long and is really fast. It’s hard to describe how fast it is for a singletrack trail…lets just say that 34 mph felt way too slow, and that another rider that we know had no problem reaching 45mph. On the long sprint down the road to the finish, I saw Julian walking back up the mountain. Turns out that he had another flat shortly afterward and decided to DNF. Again, I feel bad since he always breaks stuff in races. My goal for this race was to break 1:45. I got set back a bit with the bad crash and a broken spoke, but had a 1:46, so I’m happy. I didn’t think I’d do this well overall racing expert, but I guess that having to keep up with the riders around you makes you go faster. I can’t wait for expert next year, although I’m getting some thoughts of racing elite just for the fun of it. We’ll see…

My mom also came to the race. We told her that there was a lot of climbing in the Sport course, but she decided to do it anyway. She had fun, although it sounded like she hated it at first.

A Nice Intermission from Racing

Where to start…A few weeks ago was the Rattling Creek 50. As much as we wanted to go, we decided that morning that we didn’t want to ride in the rain. Of course, it didn’t turn out being that bad. But we had a great 3 hour ride here instead. My favorite riding conditions, with fog and a bit of light rain. Rode some rocky trails and some fun climbs and downhills. 

the view of Tussey Mountain Ski area and Bald Knob from our house

We did a good 55 mile road ride on Tuesday, and that was great. On Friday, we were planning on going to Bear Creek to pre-ride the course, but some more rain, and we decided that it wasn’t worth the 3.5 hour drive. So we had another good ride here instead. We ended up riding the first ridge of the Stoopid 50 in reverse. Once we were at the top of the first climb, it started to pour. A lot. It was really fun, but eventually the rain slowed. I ended up running about 15psi in the rear tire, but only really noticed it hitting the rim once or twice. At the top of the last downhill

(which was the first bit of singletrack in the Stoopid this year), it started raining harder than I remember ever riding in. It was really fun, and the rain actually helped grip the tight, loamy turns on the way down. Since we left from the house, and it would’ve been a really long ride back, we called my mom to come pick us up.

Today, we rode with a big group in RB Winter. It was a fun ride, and we rode the favorite trails like Stony Gap, Cowbell Hollow and Top Mountain Trail. It was my second time in RB Winter, and my first time on Top Mountain. After we convinced my dad to come along, the 6 of us (originally 28) had a blast on the trail. It’s a rocky jeep road, and from the stories that I had heard about it, I thought it was going to be a lot worse. So far, this is what fall is going to be like, and to be honest, I can’t wait.S

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So here’s some pictures from rides last winter. Hopefully it won’t be as icy so we can ride all year round.

Some pics from the Wilderness 101

Even though we've done recent races, both my dad and I went into Neshaminy feeling like it's been forever since a MASS race. After the W101, Bill Nagel invited us to stay at his house the night before the race. We drove down there, and ate dinner with Bill, Chad, Cameron, and Jay. It was lightly raining, and everyone knew that the race might get canceled because of the rain. In that case, they planned a ride in Wiss. Got a good night's sleep, but we awoke to pouring rain. Things slowed down a bit, and then Bill got a txt saying that the race was still on. So we loaded up the bikes and drove to the start. Still light rain, and the beginners were looking muddy when they came out onto the field. I was trying to be optimistic about things, but the course was as muddy as Granogue. The race started well, and as long as you were focused, the mud wasn't that slippery. But the race would get interesting as the mud messed with the bikes. Coming off of a downhill and into an uphill, Noah lost his chain and needed to get off his bike. It was still really early, but I knew that this was when I needed to break away. So I did, but right when I was starting to recover from the attack, I kept hearing my cassette pop. I backed off a bit, and it went away. When Jeremy passed me, I stopped and tried to get the mud out of my derrailleur. The cage was completely covered. I ended up getting passed by a bunch of other people, but finished the race. I had to walk most of the climbs because of the gears, but I felt good physically. I had fun even though I was a bit dissapointed. Everyone else had a good race, so I'm happy.

Later that week, my dad convinced me to get new bars for my road bike. I feel much better on shallow drop bars, and we had one of the best road rides we've had in a while. My mom wanted to do a sport race sometime this year, and she was able to go to French Creek, so she came along with us. The race was really hot and humid, but they cut the lap down to 10 miles, putting the race at around an hour. The course was full of rocks, climbs, and techy descents. So what it lacked in distance, it made up for in trails that you'll never see in a MASS race. Everything was a little slick, but sliding was predictable. It was a good race. I'm a little dissapointed that I didn't break an hour (only because I came so close with 1:00.14), but I was really happy with the race and nothing makes me happier than rocks. Both my dad and I came out with wins, and my mom had a good time.

Wilderness 101

Every year, one of the biggest challenges of the W101 is the weather. It is always hot and humid, but this year seemed to be different. We got a lot of rain the days before the race, and a little the morning of the race. It was a bit chilly, and very cloudy and foggy. But the fog burned off around 10:00, and everything cleared out to a hot and humid day. After watching the start, I made a quick stop by Three Bridges to watch a good section of trail. The trail gets it's name from the three skinny bridges that cross a stream about halfway through the trail. Usually a lot of people who don't know the trails walk this section when they are dry. But that day was really slippery, and almost everyone walked the bridges. Some people tried to ride their bikes through the stream, which is very hard since there isn't any trail. One person actually did it and got back on the course. After the bridges is a big rock garden. It is easier the direction that the 101 does it, but it's still hard, especially for people who have never seen it. I was able to see my dad and Stu Hess come through this section, and they were doing better than I thought they would be. After the trail is a climb up a dirt road. It's not one of the hardest in the race, but it still picks up a lot of elevation. This is where the Stoopid 50 finished, and right at the intersection of Three Bridges and the road is Old Laurel trail - the last downhill in the Stoopid. John Williams and some others accidentally turned up this trail, hiked to the top, and then rode back down. If you're familiar with the trail, you know that it's a big mistake. After watching Three Bridges, I went over to Aid Station 3 to help out. By that point, it was really hot. We had a lot of help at the station, but everything was really rushed to try to help people and get them on their way. My dad and Stu were together still, and they both were riding pretty good. Bill Gardner came by a few minutes later, and was also feeling good. After aid 3 is another nasty climb. This one is the only major singletrack climb in the race. One singlespeeder got to the top of the climb, but then his chain snapped. So he rode 3 miles back down to the aid station to get another chain...and then climbed back up. Around 4:30, it started getting cloudy as another storm rolled in. Just a little rain though. My dad finished under 10 hours, which seems to be the benchmark for the 101. Stu ended up pulling away from him at the last climb, but my dad kept it close and only lost about 4 minutes. Everyone had a good race, and my dad ended up getting 2nd in the Masters category, behind Bill Nagel from Guy's Racing, who stayed with us the night before the race. I took some pictures from the race, some are decent, but most are pretty bad, so I'll just give you a link to some professional ones taken before the race.

www.nycmtb.com/?p=764

Curse of Dark Hollow

For some reason, I always feel like I have an obligation to do well in any Michaux race. I don't know what it is, but I feel like I have something to defend, even though I don't. It's not like a kind of pressure that I get nervous about or anything too competitive, but it makes me ride faster and have more fun doing it. Sunday was the Curse, which turned out being a great race. While we were driving around to find a parking spot, we found Jay, Cameron, and the guys from Guy's racing...they saved us a spot next to their van. Thanks. That was good because we were able to get into the good parking lot and were close to everything. Got a short warm up in and rode off the the pre-race meeting. As with every Michaux race, you ride down a dirt road to where they tell you to stop, then turn around and ride back up to the trails. There was a bit of confusion as to where the juniors were going to stage, but we got it sorted out and I was luckily able to go with the Vets. I was really happy because that ment a lot less people to pass (usually we go close to last with the Masters). The start was really good. I was 3rd place, behind 2nd's wheel going up the road, but I jumped ahead to 2nd when the guy I was following backed off. Last time I did this race, I turned into the parking lot and slid out in all the loose gravel, getting passed by so many people. This year I didn't fall even though I felt it sliding out on me. Shifted into the big ring and followed a local from the Gettysburg Bike Shop team down the first downhill. That was good until he got out of my sight on a really short climb, but I caught back up on one of my favorite downhills in Michaux. After that, there is a really steep climb that switchbacks back up to the top of the mountain. He was out of my sight again, but I still pushed hard because I knew that I might be able to cath him on another downhill. Across a rocky ridge, and I was reminded of why I started racing. I started racing in Michaux, and ever since, I haven't been to any better races. After the ridge is another technical downhill, and I took some fun alternate lines for the fun of it. Eventually I passed the rider ahead of me, and really worked hard to get as far away from him as possible. Cleaned all the short technical climbs on that section, then dropped down to a lake. This is the same lake that is at Long Pine, and the course rides a fisherman's trail on the side of the lake, then takes a road around till it reaches the last short climb of the Long Pine course. Later was a steep climb full of loose rocks. It was faster to run most of it, but the Gettysburg rider was right on my wheel again. So I hopped on my bike as soon as possible and bombed another downhill. I was so scared because he was on my wheel, that I rode the downhill like the finish line was right at the bottom, and I was racing something much more important than a race in Michaux. At the long rode climb, he was out of my sight, so it looked like the downhill worked. But about 2 miles up the climb and on a gravel road, he was right there. He passed me with about 2 miles to go, and I was able to hold his wheel for a little bit, but he was a local and new the trail. It was a really soft and twisty trail, so it would be good to know it...anyway I ended up finishing a minute back, but still 2nd overall. It was a really good race and I'm happy I did so well because it is my last 25miler in Michaux...I'm racing the 40's (or if they ever go back to 50's) starting at Teaberry and going until I can't ride the distance anymore. Everyone had a good day - my dad and I got firsts, Bill Gardner got 2nd in the master class, and my mom got 3rd woman in the 10 mile race. Coming up is a bit of a break from racing, since I'm now going to the MASS race this weekend, and next is the Wilderness 101. I'll be there on the course. Next race is Neshaminy.

Today's Ride

So today, my dad and I got out on some of the lesser ridden roads of the Wilderness 101. Left from the house and rode out to where the W101 crosses 322, then took the route passed Penn Roosevelt and up Thickhead. Remember the killer climb from the Stoopid that was right after the 2nd aid station and baking in the sun? Today we had the fortune of riding it with the sun slowly setting behind the mountain. That was probably one of the best times I have ever ridden it. Then down the Detweiler trail from both the Stoopid and W101. Up a road climb to where the Stoopid turns off but continued to the top on the 101 course. Then we took a rocky trail that parallels the road to where the W101 later picks up the trail. Took the trail to the infamous 3 Bridges, and turned down to head back to the house. It was a good 36 mile ride that took about 3:15. Tomorrow we're going up to cut back a lot of the long grass on one of the trails for the Wilderness 101. It's a trail that would be wide enough to pass on, but with the grass, it is too narrow. It is the only trail here that isn't rocky or anything, just a little too narrow and hidden for a race to go through.