2013 High Cascades 100 Race Report

Quick Stats
Place: 11th, Solo Men 40+
Time: 9:40:43Miles: 97-ish (I don't know exactly because the Garmin 810 gets very poor reception in the trees…and we were in the trees a lot) 
Elevation Gain: 10,000-ish (see above)

I absolutely will go back to the High Cascades 100 in 2014.  The 2013 edition didn’t go the way I envisioned it would and I am going to need redemption.  On one hand, the High Cascades 100 was a first-class event, held in a cool town, and attended by a bunch of fun people.  It was everything I look for in an endurance mountain bike event.  On the other hand, I did not have the race I was looking for. 

This was an “A” race for me and I prepared accordingly but for some reason, the “sparkle” didn’t materialize.  I have no tales of epic bonks, no ass-over-tea-kettle crashes, or mental melt-downs requiring post-race psycho-therapy.  I was flat, my legs felt heavy, and I simply was not fast on this day…and the “why” is bugging the shit out of me.  Fast is a relative term.  It would be more accurate to say that I did not have “my fast” on this day.  At least I am stubborn. 

The dust was brutal early in the race

The Pavement

The 5.5 miles of pavement that start this race is definitely the calm before the storm.  In this case, it is the calm before the dust storm.  I really thought there might be some aggression on the pavement to spread things out a bit but the pack just rolled up the road in one big blob.  It was really strange to look down at my HR and see 120-130 bpm 20’ into it.  I am not the guy to go to the front of a 100-mile mtb race and attack in the first couple of miles.  Where was JayP when I needed him?

The Dust

Going into the race, I knew there would be dust early on.  I was not expecting the total solar eclipse that occurred when we hit the dusty two-track as a giant peloton though.  There was carnage immediately.  Defending champion, Barry Wicks, broke his collarbone at mile 8.  Another rider piled it up just in front of me and I am sure there were other countless near-misses.  You simply could not see the ground and had to hope that the guy in front of you could see…all while trying to go as fast as possible less than an hour into the race.  Yikes! 

The riding in Bend, OR was awesome

Funner

No, I am not just describing the riding.  The trail is actually named Funner…and it is.  We hit Funner about an hour into the race and I was able to ride all but one of the tricky rock sections.  If you were unlucky, you could easily get stuck behind a conga-line of riders choosing to dismount frequently in this section so I was stoked to breeze through it quickly.  Pre-riding this section was a good call.

Smiles at the Aid Stations

I had planned to be self-supported at the HC100 and packed my drop coolers accordingly.  Our friend Beth Bolen was in Bend to support her hubby so I was pleasantly surprised when she offered to help me with a quick transition at the Swampy Aid, and every aid station after that.  It was super helpful and definitely an energy boost to see a friendly smiling face at all of the aid stations.  Thanks Beth, you rock!

Check out my Sick Air!

Happy Valley is a Happy Place

Holy shit, that area is beautiful.  From what I am told, this part of the course can only be used during years when winter snowfall is less than normal because there is typically still snow on the trail in July.  I got a little bit of mojo back around mile 40 and I distinctly remember thinking that the trail from mile 45 to 55-ish was just incredible.  We rode through giant Douglas Fir trees, huge green meadows, snow drifts just off the trail, high mountain river crossings, and loamy dirt.  When I visualize riding my mountain bike in Oregon that trail is exactly what I will think of from now on.

The Final Leg

What little bit of mojo I had conjured quickly left my body as I left Aid #5 for the last 21 miles.  On paper, we had already knocked out most of the climbing so how hard could it be?  Plus, there was 5 miles of pavement to finish it off.  No problem right?

My traveling buddy AJ and I had pre-ridden one of the last pieces of singletrack called Tiddlywinks on Friday and I couldn't wait to get on those banked corners and table-tops and send it.  For a little video of Tiddlywinks, check out the Start/Finish Preview by Dirtwire.Tv.  In fact, the entire trail after Aid #5 is great.  The problem is that you are so hammered by the time you get there you can't fully enjoy it. Ha!  Having something left in the tank late in a 100-mile race is usually my specialty but not on this day.  I was crawling up the climbs after Aid #5 and just surviving.  In my mind, if I could just get to Tiddlywinks I was home free.

Tiddlywinks did not disappoint and I did, in my feeble state, attempt to “send it”.  Now for the cruel twist to this part of my story.  AJ failed to properly describe the last piece of singletrack, Storm King, to me.  I had it in my brain that it was a very short piece of trail used to get us onto the pavement and back to the finish line.  In reality, it is a long damn trail.  I don’t know how long I descended but I have renamed the trail, “Storm King Never Fucking Ends Trail”.  My triceps were on fiiiiire.  Storm King did finally end and I banged out the final miles of pavement by channeling my inner Jens Voigt.

As I rolled under the Kenda arch at the finish, a smiling volunteer handed me an ice-cold wash cloth for my face (a very nice touch by the way) and AJ gave me a high-five.

The Finisher Growler 

Random Post-Race Thoughts

Mike Ripley and Mudslinger Events nailed it.  Having been to races of all shapes & sizes, I truly appreciate it when a race director takes care of the details:  Great course markings, good info leading up to the race, awesome aid stations & volunteers, good finish line scene, free food for racers, free beer for racers, great schwag, and timely results.  

An added bonus to the trip was traveling and sharing a room with my Fitzgerald’s Bicycles Teammate AJ Linnell from Victor, ID.  AJ absolutely killed it and won the Singlespeed Open race.  AJ is getting to be kinda famous and now has to do post-race interviews.

The Deschutes River is a glorious place to soak immediately following a hot, 100-mile mountain bike race.

AJ Linnell, so hawt right now

Pre-Race Jitters at the High Cascades 100

I am feeling a little nervous as I sit here thinking about what else I need to do before I try to get a little sleep.

The bike is dialed, the drop coolers are prepped, and the map has been studied.  It's almost showtime here in Bend, OR where the High Cascades 100 starts tomorrow at 5:30 AM. 

This is a new race for me and my first time riding the singletrack around Bend, OR. From my short pre-rides, it is going to be fun, dusty, hot, and fast riding...and did I mention dusty? More tomorrow after the dust settles.

A clean bike is a fast bike. It will be clean for the first 6 miles of pavement at least.

PRO number plates 

We cover a LOT of ground in this race

2013 Knobby 9 to 5 Race Report

Quick Stats

Place:  2^nd, Solo Men 40+

Laps:  10

Time:  7:51:49

Miles:  90.4

Elevation Gain:  12,303’

My Race

Fast forward to the end of the first lap as I came through the timing tent; the woman calling out numbers yelled, “Number 38, 42 minutes…”  WTF?  Did she say 42 minutes and something?  Holy shit!  I was nowhere near the front of the race but that was much faster than I expected.  I had been racing wheel-to-wheel with several fast folks for the entire first lap and was riding at a pace that was above my normal endurance race comfort zone.  It’s good to break out of your comfort zone once in awhile right?

Solo Men, 40+ Podium

At the 2011 Knobby 9 to 5, I had a very good race and did nine laps on my singlespeed.  In 2012, I DNF’d after three laps with severe low back pain.  For 2013 I wanted to go “all-in” and see if I could do ten laps.  The math was intimidating…I had to average 48’ per lap to finish ten before the 5pm cutoff. 

Starting fast has never been my strength but I knew that I needed to “bank” at least three fast laps to start this race in order to give myself any shot at doing ten laps.  After that, I was simply hoping that I my endurance would kick in and I could sustain a 48’-49’ per lap pace for the remainder of the day.  I love it when a plan works!  I was able to finish my 10^th lap with nine minutes to spare.

Pre-Race Movement Prep

My Crew Chief was very calm before the race

Things that worked:

LW Coaching - The foundation for this race was laid back in March & April when LW Coaching dished out the pain prior to the 12 Hours of Mesa Verde.  I didn’t do a lot of “training” between Mesa Verde and the 9 to 5 and I was a little nervous about a loss of fitness.  In fact, twitchy might be a better description.  As usual, LW was right and her formula worked.  Thanks coach!

CarboRocket – The original CarboRocket was one of the first high-electrolyte drink mixes to hit the market.  Most people have heard about Skratch Labs and Osmo Nutrition these days.  Both companies make a low calorie, high electrolyte drink mix and preach “food in your pocket, hydration in your bottle”.  The original CarboRocket was ahead of the curve with its 110 calories per 24oz bottle mixture and high electrolyte content and I have been using it since the summer of 2009.  The main difference between original CarboRocket & Skratch/Osmo is that CarboRocket uses a mix of Maltodextrin & sugar instead of simply sugar as Skratch/Osmo do.  The other huge difference is price.  Original CarboRocket is $.82 per 24oz bottle whereas Skratch & Osmo are $1.50 per 24oz bottle.  Hey Boise bike shops, we need a local CarboRocket dealer.

Here is the most important stat:  This stuff just works.  When I look back at the notes from all of the races I have done using Carbo Rocket there is a common theme; no stomach distress and very little cramping.

Scott Spark 900 – My 2013 race bike is pretty awesome.  In fact, it is the best race bike I have ever owned and I don’t feel like I am giving up anything by racing a full-suspension bike 100% of the time.  Based on my conversations with the other Fitzgerald’s Bicycles team members currently racing this bike, I am not the only one who feels this way.  I use the shit out of the Fox CTD Remote lever and I find myself using all three settings equally as often.  Having the Fox CTD remote lever on the left side of the bars and the SRAM XX1 twist-shift on the right is a sweet combo.  In hindsight, I wish I had run a 34T XX1 ring for the Knobby 9 to 5 but the 32T ring worked out ok.   

Work to be done:

Low Back Pain - My low back started to hurt on Lap #1.  Seriously?  It wasn’t a deal-breaker but it was uncomfortable and forced me to stand and stretch on the bike more than I wanted to.  The pain crept up to about 7 out of 10 on Lap #3 but then subsided a bit and leveled off for the remainder of the race.  Sustained, seated race-pace efforts seem to trigger my low back pain. I also think nervousness and stress manifest themselves in my low back at times and I was pretty keyed up before this one.

My visits to Dr. Nate at Trailhead Chiropractic have helped a ton.  Dr. Nate has used a combination of Graston Therapy and Active Release Technique on me and my back has responded well.  Most importantly, Dr. Nate is the first doctor to accurately diagnose “why” I have low back pain and prescribed a series of stretches & foam roller exercises that allow me to work on the issue on my own.  This is obviously a work-in-progress but I am far ahead of where I was last year at this time.  

Garmin500 Race File

Lap Splits

2013 12 Hours of Mesa Verde Race Report

Quick Stats:
Laps:  8
Place: 4th, Men's Solo
Time:  12:22:28 
Miles:  128 
Stoke Level:  HIGH

Boom! The cannon went off without warning and the thundering herd, 350 strong, was off. I was not at the front as I had planned. My chances of getting to my bike in the top 10% were gone faster than the smoke from the cannon dispersed so I simply tried to survive and not get trampled en route to my bike which was lying in the rodeo pen 500 yards away.

The 2013 12 Hours of Mesa Verde was underway and I was happy to finally be racing after many months of staring at “May 11th, 2013” on my calendar. In my previous four years of racing solo at Mesa Verde, I have had one bad race and three good races. A “great” race at Mesa Verde has eluded me and I signed up for 2013 in search of that great race.

Although I am standing in the middle, I took 4th place

A little background

What is my definition a great race at Mesa Verde? 8 Laps. It looks so simple on paper but for me to do 8 laps at Mesa Verde meant that I needed to shave 42 minutes from my personal best in order to make the 6pm last-lap cutoff. I kept going back to the following stat: I needed to average 1:34:00 per lap, for 7 laps, in order to make the 6 pm cutoff. My all-time fastest lap at Mesa Verde, in four years of racing, was a 1:35:18. Yikes! Oh, and I was going to be racing self-supported too.

Have I mentioned that I LOVE the 12 Hours of Mesa Verde? I love everything about it: The course is pure greatness, the overall vibe is festive, and the organizers seem to do a little more each year to make this race even better than the previous year. However, the 12 Hours of Mesa Verde is not all rainbows and unicorns. The course is like Jekyll & Hyde. Parts of the course will make your lower back, hands, and the balls of your feet hurt like never before while others parts will leave you with perma-grin…and then you do it all over again.

Pre-Filled hydration packs, ready to rock

My Race

I had no choice but to start faster than I normally do. I didn’t drive all the way to Cortez, CO to do seven fucking laps…again. I was either going to do eight laps or blow up spectacularly and I was ok with it. This was uncharted territory for me. As I mentioned above, the LeMan’s start didn’t go exactly as planned but I was surprisingly calm and I passed riders when I could without being a jerk or wasting a lot of energy. After riding all of Lap 1 in traffic, I was surprised when I looked down at my Garmin and saw 1:30:14. Ok, now I had something to build on.

Laps 2-4 were a blur for me but I do remember one thing; I was getting passed less than normal and I wasn’t getting passed by solo riders. This was encouraging. My strategy was working so far but I knew it was still early. My pit stops were fast: Drop off the hydration pack, grab 300-350 calories and drop them in my Mountain Feedbag, grab a new pre-filled hydration pack from the cooler, and roll out.  This ain’t no party, this ain’t no disco….

In the back of my mind was the threat of thunderstorms. I really don’t mind riding in the rain and I have good gear for it. However, dealing with a muddy bike while self-supported is not ideal. Plus, my low back seems to get especially grumpy when it’s cold. Halfway through Lap 6 it looked like we might be in for some serious rain. It started raining hard enough to make the trails greasy, the rocks slippery, and my body started to get cold. A lightweight rain jacket took the chill off but I had to slow way down in the grease for the 2nd half of Lap 6 and my lap time suffered. Luckily, the rain was short-lived and full-speed racing resumed for Lap 7.

I really wish I knew exactly what happened to my body on Lap 7. My brain said “go faster” but my body said “fuck you, this is all we got right now”. I probably got dehydrated AND a little behind on calories. I felt like I was going backwards and I was battling a little tummy distress. In hindsight, I should have been drinking a little more plain water throughout the day. Halfway through Lap 7 I realized that I was going to have plenty of time to go out for Lap 8 and that perked me up a bit. The other thing that perked me up was the 20oz bottle of black goodness that had been waiting for me in my cooler all day. Pepsi. Damn it tasted good as I rode away from my pit to start my last lap.

But I wasn’t done. I still had 16 miles of Phil’s World singletrack to ride and hopefully retain whatever place I had ridden myself into by that point. My last lap was awesome for several reasons:

• The sun was setting and the post-thunderstorm light was amazing 

• The realization that I was going to achieve my goal of doing 8 laps was sinking in 

• Several team riders, many of whom I had chatted with earlier in the day, were coming around me on their final lap and were full of positive energy as they went by 

• Mmmm, Pepsi 

And then, with only 3 miles to go, I had to pee. WTF? Who stops to pee on their last lap? I tried to block it out but it became evident that if I didn’t pull over I was going to have an accident in my bib shorts. I was so nervous that I was going to get passed by a solo racer while peeing…but that didn’t happen. I rolled into the packed timing building at 7:22pm with 8 laps and an empty tank. Perfect.

Lap Times

Although I traveled to Mesa Verde solo, this one felt like a team effort. LW Coaching put together a great training plan for me leading up to the race, Dr. Nate at Trailhead Chiro has really helped me reduce my lower back pain (without traditional Chiro adjustments), and of course Michelle for her continuous support and delicious healthy cooking. Thank you!

2013 Spark 900 Hotness

When Fitzgerald's Bicycles generously offered the team a chance to buy a 2013 Scott bike/frame on a "one-time only" offer" I knew exactly what my choice would be.  I wanted to lighten up the race bike for 2013 and the Spark 900 PR definitely saves some weight over my previous Giant AnthemX 29.  I really like the way the AnthemX 29 rides so I was a little nervous about whether I would like the Scott as well as the Giant.

After four rides, I can say that I really like the way Spark 900 rides.  It took me a few rides to dial in my position and the suspension (more on that later) but now its feeling groovy.  As pictured below, the bike is not quite "race ready" but you get the idea. My sexy race wheels are getting a little love at the moment.

I think it is pretty crazy, in a good way, that I have a large, full-suspension 29er that weighs just under 23lbs without resorting to stupid parts that will break.

2013 Scott Spark 900 with a mix of new & old parts

Pretty clean cockpit considering the dual remote

First bike with a 142mm x 12mm rear axle, and I dig it

SRAM XX1...does this cassette make my ass look big?

Cockpit Favorites:  Enve Bar, K-Edge Garmin Mount, Ergon GP1 Grips, and Thomson Stem

The Fox Float CTD Remote Shock replaces the stock DT Swiss Nude2

Very clean internal routing and exit port.

This DT  Swiss 190 hub is at least three years old and still smoove like butter

The Fox remote is meant to be run on top of the bar, but works very well under the bar

I will have more thoughts on the suspension and the SRAM XX1 drivetrain after a few more rides.