Saturday, July 1, 2023

Bicycle Tour of Black Mountain - 2023

Dates: July 27th – 30th

Who's ready for 4 wonderful days in the lovely little town of Black Mountain?  You are.


Logistics:

Where are we meeting?

Mario’s house with be the HQ this year.

Mario: 47 Cheshire Drive, Black Mountain, NC 28711

C.T.: 17 Teresa Way, Black Mountain, NC 28711


Where am I going to Sleep?

Mario has quite a few extra rooms and I have an extra bed.  We'll figure it out.  Also, there is the treehouse or Nemo’s Van.  He’s gotten much more respectful about reaching into your sleeping bag a night.

 


 

Recommended Gear List:

  • Bikes - In working order (Nemo)
  • Spare Tubes and/or tires
  • Jacket & Gloves – sometimes it gets a little cold or wet up high
  • Helmet, shoes, riding kit, water bottles, etc. (duh)
  • Bike tail light
  • A good attitude
Daily Start Time:

Thursday and Friday, we will plan to be rolling at 10:15.  For those of you that need to get some work done, that will leave a few hours in the morning or the afternoon.  All is predicated on weather as well so we may adjust due to rain forecast.  Don't hold me to anything.

Agenda:

Wednesday July 26th - Arrival and Tour Check-in

It isn’t a short drive, but it isn’t too bad.  From the Columbus area, I prefer to drive the US 23 route.  It’s a little more stop-and-go but you avoid the mess of Cincinnati.  As you’ll have plenty of time to think along the route, I would suggest using it as  a time to plan some strategies for the following topics that are bound to come up:

  • Excuses for why you are so slow
  • Excuses for why you are so fat
  • Excuses for why you didn’t get to ride much this year
  • Comments for the person riding faster than you
  • Comments for the person riding slower than you
  • Plans to buy a new bike
  • Repairs you need to make on your bike 

Wednesday evening we’ll meet up at Mario’s, figure out some dinner, and review the plan for the next few days.  This would be a good time to discuss some of the above topics as well.


Thursday July 27th – Grey Rock Parkway, Sugar Hill, Old Fort

 Distance: 50 miles

Estimated Duration: 3:56

Elevation Gain: 4,855

This is a really interesting little loop.  It starts with a climb out of Black Mountain.  This will be a good opportunity to set a bench mark on the segment Hwy 9 Climb from Old Lakey Gap as we will do it again on Saturday.  As we turn off HWY 9, we will take on one of the steepest (but short) climbs we'll face this week up Rock Creek Road Climb as we enter a gated community that never really developed.  This has a very fast descent after we pass through the gate.  The roads are superb but steep and twisty.  I've put it in the grass twice there so please use caution.  

As we exit the gated community, the roads are are pretty quiet.  We'll hit a store in Sugar Hill for some snacks and water bottle refills before turning towards Old Fort.



Leaving Old Fort, we'll climb one of my very frequented routes up Point Lookout Trail.  As with the Hwy 9 climb above, this would be another climb we'll be doing on Saturday.  Point Lookout Trail Climb is on my most frequented route.  I've probably climbed it 100+ times.  For those of you that have been down here before, you will remember it.  It is a closed bike path that offers a great overlook.  Don't spend too much time looking out though as that will impact your Strava segment time!



 


Route Maps:  

Interesting Strava Segments:

Options 1 - You can cut this short by 5 miles and reduce the climb by a few hundred feet if you want after we come off the Grey Rock Descent by turning up Cedar Creek Road (https://www.strava.com/activities/5611406199/)

Option 2 - Want to get just a little warmed up and test your mountain legs, here is a 36 mile / 3,000ft option


Friday July 28th – Curtis Creek, Parkway, Route 80 (+ Pisgah Fun)

Distance: 35

Estimated Duration: 2:45

Elevation Gain: 3,478


Bring all your bikes!  The Grandfather Region of the Pisgah Forrest is my playground.  This is the region north of Old Fort and where the Forrest Service as well as the local community are building out some great new trails.  We will start with a climb up one of the most scenic "roads" in the area.  Curtis Creek Road is a mostly gravel road that climbs from Old Fort to the Blue Ridge Parkway so miles 2-9 are Gravel.  Don't worry too much about it, you can ride it on your road bike or you can borrow something with fatter tires.  See "options" below.  

After the climb, we'll roll along the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway for a bit before a really fun descent into Marion.  From Marion, we'll have a few rollers to get back to our vehicles.  Then the fun begins.



Maybe start with a cool down in Curtis Creek, maybe grab a mountain bike to explore some of the new G5 Trail System, maybe both and then head over to the local brewery (Hillman) for a little snack and refreshment.





 

Route Maps:  

Interesting Strava Segments:
Options - First, as noted above, their is some gravel in the first 10 miles.  I've climbed it on a road bike and we will have Gravel Bikes for Dave and Russ if they would like to do that.  Alternatively, you could just start up on the Parkway or even ride a mountain bike up and we could stash your road bike at the parkway for a switch.


Saturday July 29th – Hickory Nut, Bat Cave, Old Fort

Distance: 57

Estimated Duration: 4:15

Elevation Gain: 5,054

Our last day will offer you the most miles and climbing!  If you were here a few years back this will be a repeat but it is so lovely, it made the remix.  We'll start with a second opportunity at the Hwy 9 climb and end with a final try at the Point Lookout Climb.  In between, we climb up over Hickory Nut Gap and take a really fun descent into Bat Cave.  From Bat Cave, we may sneak into Chimney Rock for a coffee and water refill if the mood strikes.  From Bat Cave we roll back towards Black Mountain but head east for a little more miles and a last look at Old Fort.  As noted above, we will then "leave it all out there" as you make your PR attempt at Point Lookout Trail Climb.



 


 

Route Maps:  Interesting Strava Segments:
Options - Around the 32 mile mark, we will turn off to head out to Old Fort.  If you've had enough for the day, you can stay on Hwy 9 and head right back into Black Mountain cutting the ride short by about 12 miles and 1,000 feet of climbing but you still have to climb the 2 miles back over the the HWY 9 hill!
Sunday July 30th - You don't have to go home but you can't stay here.
If anyone is up for a some riding on Sunday morning, we can do a little mountain bike ride.  I have a great little hour loop from my house that is mostly chill.  After that, hug your buds and get on down the road.





Final Notes:

  • For any dangerous descents, use good judgement.  No one is getting a pro contract for fastest descent
  • When climbing, stay behind me.  This will prevent you from getting any of my PRs
  • Any Strava PRs taken from me could result in exclusion in future tours
  • If there is any doubt what to eat, we'll have Mexican

Friday, August 6, 2021

Bicycle Tour of Black Mountain 2021 - Gravel Edition

 Bicycle Tour of Black Mountain (Gravel Edition)



This year we are going to try something a little different and put all those new "Gravel" and "All-Road" bikes to use a bit.  



Date: June 17th to June 21st.

Agenda:
Wednesday August 11th - Arrival and Tour Check-in
Let me know when you are arriving.  We'll plan on some dinner and discuss the week ahead.

Thursday August 12th - Maple Sally
Distance: 32 miles
Elevation: 3,284

If you want a little less, a good turnaround would be about Mile 11.5.





Friday August 13th - Dupont Gravel and Slam the Damn 10K
Distance: 40 miles
Elevation: 3,566


If you are only riding 2 days, this is the one to miss.  It is about a 45 minute drive over to the start and I don't know the route too well.  The downhill starting around mile 17 is a pretty rough trail.

If you are feeling like a run, there is a little 10K that I committed to a bit back on that Friday night with my running mate Brian.  Click here if you want to sign up.  I may run it with an afternoon buzz.





Saturday August 14th Curtis Creek and South Toe
Distance: 30 miles
Elevation: 4,226

This is my favorite route of the week.  It is a "gentle" climb to the Blue Ridge Parkway on a lovely gravel road.  Turnaround at the parkway would make it about 90 minutes.  Continue over and around and it is a 3 hour commitment.  








Sunday August 15th - You don't have to go home but you can't stay here





Accommodations:
Both Mario and I have a spare room.  We'll figure it out.  Also, there is the treehouse option.




Travel:
Drive to my house.  You've been there, you can find it again.


Friday, June 12, 2020

Bicycle Tour of Black Mountain - Update #2



Bicycle Tour of Black Mountain (Revised)

Come ride the beautiful hills and mountains of Western North Carolina. The agenda is simple.  Each day we'll ride a little, eat a little, and have a few cold ones.  We may throw in a few runs and hikes to see some additional views.


UPDATE: We are less than a week away from our ride.  I am making some route adjustments due to road conditions.  We'll probably continue to be flexible as we look at weather and exactly how out of shape Team Jason is.



Date: June 17th to June 21st.

Agenda:
Tuesday June 16th - Arrival and Tour Check-in
Upon arrival you will be provided route maps and information necessary for the week.  We'll be spending the first evening at my house grilling some food and getting bikes ready for this epic adventure.  You can hit the grocery for your breakfast and snacking needs as well.

Wednesday June 17th - Let's get right to the Top!
Overview: We will start our tour with a day on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  The Parkway gets a lot of bicycle traffic and the auto speed limit is controlled.  Be sure to bring a taillight as there are a few long dark tunnels.  We'll want to use caution going through them to ensure we are traveling safely. The starting point is a short 20-minute drive to the Folk Art Center and then get to the highest point east of the Mississippi!



UPDATE
Departure Time: TBD
Because you are all workaholics, we may need to split our group to accommodate morning and afternoon meetings for some of us...I'm not going to name any names, but you know who you are.  We could also just all start later in the day as there is plenty of daylight.

Route: Folk Art Center to Mt Mitchell (https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28218252)
Distance: 63 Miles
Elevation Gain: 7,126



Post Ride / Dinner: As we may be out at varying times, we'll just use my house as a base and figure it out when everyone gets back in.

Thursday June 18th - Recover and Relax
Overview: After the long day yesterday, we'll hit some of my more familiar roads with a shorter easier bit of riding.  It is a good day to recover a bit, maybe throw in some running or hiking.  If the weather is good, we can take a dip in a cold mountain river. The route starts with a climb up to the Eastern Continental Divide.  Keep a look on your right on the way up to see one of our local natural springs if you want to sample some fresh mountain spring water.  The first descent is winding but fast but a good introduction to the roads.  We’ll roll around the area a bit before making our way into Old Fort.  In Old Fort, we can hit a gas station for a water stop before climbing back into Black Mountain.  For those that like Strava segments, there is a great little climb after Old Fort on a “bike path”.  This isn't your typical bike path as it is a 3.5 mile sustained climb at 5%.  It isn't the steepest but it is a good consistent climb. Take a run at my Strava PR (21:02) if you are feeling spunky.   I rode this route last weekend and it was right at 4 hours.  Here is the Strava if you want to peek (https://www.strava.com/activities/3578337536)



Departure Time: 10am

Route: Hickory Nut and Bat Cave (https://ridewithgps.com/routes/21155057)
Distance 56 Miles
Elevation Gain: 5,504



Post Ride / Dinner: Maybe you are up for a nap in a hammock, hike to a waterfall, take a dip in the stream, back it with a trail run, or get an early start on your cocktail of choice.  Lots of options before we get to some dinner in town.



Friday June 19th - Western Pisgah and BRP

UPDATE: Due to the road conditions on Curtis Creek, we are going to change to a ride just Southwest of Asheville in Pisgah. The original route up Curtis Creek had a 10 mile gravel climb and the road is just too rough.  It was closed during our Pandemic so hasn't gotten smoothed out by cars yet.

Overview:  The start is a short but scenic 45 minute drive over to The Hub (https://www.thehubpisgah.com/).  Today will be some early climbing up to the Blue Ridge Parkway, then more climbing on the Parkway followed by great decent through the Pisgah Forest.  The route should allow for some food and water stops along the way as well.  Most of the hard climbing is in the first 25 miles but there are some rollers late that will sap some energy.  I haven’t ridden any of this but am told it is beautiful so we can explore this area together.  Get ready for a long day!



Departure Time: 8am

Route: Rossman Loop from the Hub (https://ridewithgps.com/routes/32928612)
Distance: 73 miles
Elevation Gain: 7,003



Dinner: We’ll probably grab a cold one near the finish and then try something new like Mexican for dinner. 



Saturday June 20th - Easy, Hard, or Harder?

UPDATE: We're going to scrap Paris Mountain as the drive is long, the weather is hotter down there, and I've been told it is a zoo on the weekend.

Overview: By this time, we may need to adjust our plans depending on energy and saddle sores but I'm going to throw out 2 options.  If you are ambitious maybe you want both.



Route 1: Mill Creek to Old Fort loop.  This is my common "lunch ride" for 18 miles that usually takes me about 1:15. It starts with a fun chunk of gravel and the same return as Friday up the  paved bike path.  This is a chance to get after your PR from earlier in the week.


Route 2: I got introduced to this route this week and it is a doozy.  There are 4 brutal climbs and 1 wicked fast descent that should be addressed with caution.  Let me repeat that, this descent needs caution.  It is a mostly untraveled well paved road but did I mention you need to use caution.  Here is my Strava if you are included to peek https://www.strava.com/activities/3578337536

Departure Time: 9am

Route 1: Mill Creek to Old Fort back on Point Lookout Trail (https://ridewithgps.com/routes/32974569)
Distance: 17.5
Elevation Gain: 1,447



Route 2: HWY 9/Greyock/Mt Hebron (https://ridewithgps.com/routes/32951508)
Distance: 40.5
Elevation Gain: 4,522



Dinner: Pizza and Bourbon.


Sunday June 21st - Departures
Departure day!  Hug your buds and get the hell out of here.

Accommodations:
All are welcome to stay at my place.  I have a guest room and 2 kids rooms.  We can toss out some blow up mattresses or even a hammock in the yard if you are so inclined.  If you want to hotel it there is a Hampton Inn.  My wife and kids will be away so we have the run of the place.

Travel:
Black Mountain is about a 7-8 hours by car from the Columbus area.  If you want fly into Asheville, I'll pick you up.



Thursday, April 30, 2020

Tour of Black Mountain (Original Routes)



Bicycle Tour of Black Mountain


Come ride the beautiful hills and mountains of Western North Carolina. The agenda is pretty simple.  Each day we'll ride a little, eat a little, and have a few cold ones.  We may throw in a few runs and hikes to see some additional views.

Date: June 17th to June 21st.

Agenda:
Tuesday June 16th - Arrival and Tour Check-in.  
Upon arrival you will be provided route maps and information necessary for the week.  We'll be spending the evening at my house grilling some food and getting bikes ready for this epic adventure.  You can hit the grocery for your breakfast and snacking needs as well.


Wednesday June 17th - Let's get right to the Top!
Overview: Today, we'll spend the day on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  The Parkway gets a lot of bicycle traffic and the auto speed limit is controlled.  Be sure to bring a tail light as there are a few long dark tunnels.  We'll want to use caution going through them to ensure we are traveling safely. We'll take a short 20 minute drive to get to our route start at the Folk Art Center and then get to the highest point east of the Mississippi!

Departure Time: 10am

Route: Folk Art Center to Mt Mitchell (https://ridewithgps.com/routes/28218252)
Distance: 63 Miles
Elevation Gain: 7,126 

Dinner: Ole Guacamole!  That's right, we are having Mexican



Thursday June 18th - Recover and Relax
Overview: Today we'll hit some of my more familiar roads.  It is a good day to recover a bit, maybe throw in some running or hiking.  If the weather is good, we can take a dip in a cold mountain spring.

Departure Time: 11am

Route: Hickory Nut and Lake Lure (https://ridewithgps.com/routes/21155057
Distance 56 Miles
Elevation Gain: 5,504

Dinner: Foothills Local Meats, my favorite place in downtown Black Mountain.





Friday June 19th - Back to the Top, the Long Way

Overview: Today we'll have an opportunity to go back to the top of Mt Mitchell but this time we will take the adventurous route.  We'll roll right from the house heading east where we will pass through Old Fort and onto a gravel road climb up past Curtis Creek Campground (my favorite) to the Blue Ridge Parkway.  There is about 10 miles of gravel climbing on this route so sure to be fun.  Once we get up to the Parkway, we'll head back west to make the Mt Mitchell Climb.  After taking in the view, we'll descend back to the Parkway and take a little bit more easterly route south avoiding the gravel road we used for the approach.  This is going to be a monster of a day so be prepared and take your time.

Departure Time: 9am

Route: Mt Mitchell from the East (https://ridewithgps.com/routes/4795980) (little gravel first 10 miles on Curtis Creek)
Distance: 85 Miles (60 in the route map  + 25 miles round trip to route start from Black Mountain)
Elevation Gain: 7,142

Dinner: Highland Brewing, this is a great local brewery in East Asheville




Saturday June 20th - Paris Mountain and a little bit of South Carolina
Overview: We'll have to make a 90 minute drive this morning to South Carolina where we will be riding up Paris Mountain, site of the 2009 U.S. Pro Championships and popular training ground of the beloved George Hincapie.  After the ride, we'll head back to Black Mountain for one last dinner and some revelry.

Departure Time: 9am

Route:  Paris Mountain (https://ridewithgps.com/routes/939766)  
Distance: 76 Miles
Elevation: 5,597 Elevation

Dinner: Trail Head, downtown "pub grub"



Sunday June 21st - Departures
Departure day!  Hug your buds and get the hell out of here.

Accommodations:
All are welcome to stay at my place.  I have a guest room and 2 kids rooms.  We can toss out some blow up mattresses or even a hammock in the yard if you are so inclined.  If you want to hotel it there is a Hampton Inn.  My wife and kids will be away so we have the run of the place.

Travel:
Black Mountain is about a 7-8 hours by car from the Columbus area.  If you want fly into Asheville, I'll pick you up.




Saturday, October 29, 2011

Little Chilly for October

Nemo, MD, and I went 8 miles.  29 degrees is a little cold for October...had to wear my glove like a codpiece.  If this is any indication as to the winter to come, it is going to be a rough few months.

Nemo and I are going to explore Burr Oak State Park tomorrow.  Looking for new trails to run but it is going to be a cold tonight sleeping on the ground.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Columbus Marathon 2011 Race Report

Thought I got this out on Monday but I must have forgotten to publish...

The Columbus Marathon was yesterday.  Although not on most of the MRC(am) "must due" list for 2011, J-Fo, GS, MD, and I decided to start.  No one was really peaking for this...the big race of the year was Ragnar but with that being a bit of a disaster, why not support our home town Marathon.  Besides that, GS was already registered from a deferral in 2010. 

It was a warm 51 degrees as I tried to get downtown.  Traffic was a bit more than I planned.  I wonder if anyone missed the start.  The highway was still backed up 30 minutes before the race start.  I got parked and met J-Fo and GS at our predetermined meeting point.  MD didn't show up there so I never saw him.  Through the port-o-john and down into the corral we go.  Columbus did a really nice job with the fireworks display.  I hadn't run Columbus in a few years so either this is new or I forgot about it. 

GS was planning on seeing what he could do with a 20 mile per week training plan.  He got a nice 1:26:04.  He was pleased considering lack of speed work and recent injuries. 

MD was not really sure what he was going to do.  He considered running with J-Fo, then considered running just fast enough to get a Boston Qualifier for 2013.  In the end, he had a pretty fast 3:11:14. 

J-Fo was the only one who really had a good shot at a PR.  He had his sights focused on a sub 3:30. 

I was not going to run but decided to go ahead with it considering I was registered and it would be fun to pace for J-Fo.  Well maybe not fun for the whole race but generally fun.

J-Fo and I started out with a nice steady pace and were really able to hold it up until the very end.  Not too much to say about the race.  J-Fo and I didn't chat much.  I dictated the tempo and J-Fo went right along with me.  Somewhere in OSU, Nance jumped in to help us through the last part of the race.  It was a great help since we were facing a bit of a head wind.  Nance blocked for us for a good couple miles.  It is always wild how long those last couple miles can be.  The Neil Avenue stretch wasn't too bad but I was dying on Buttles and onto Park.  Coming down Park is a blur of pain and I was thinking...damn we have a long way to go yet.  We brought it home with 1:16 to spare though.

Great to see J-Fo's family supporting him.  His wife, sister, and mother were able to give us some oranges a couple times around the course.  Nice change from Gu and Gatorade.

Here are the splits from my Garmin:
1 - 7:53

2 - 7:30
3 - 7:46
4 - 7:49
5 - 7:43
6 - 7:31
7 - 7:50
8 - 7:57
9 - 7:44
10 - 7:45
11 - 7:49
12 - 7:41
13 - 7:57
14 - 7:56
15 - 7:55
16 - 7:58
17 - 7:47
18 - 7:58
19 - 8:11
20 - 8:04
21 - 7:56
22 - 7:56
23 - 7:54
24 - 8:09
25 - 8:33
26 - 8:37
Kick - 7:47 pace

Time: 3:28:44
Average Pace: 7:58

Well it is "off season".  Time to maybe do a little cyclocross and physical therapy.

165 lbs...got to lay off the twinkies.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Ragnar Race Report - Finally



Here is the mostly true story of how Mr. Ragnar crushed Team #17, DTLS.  Let's just begin with "Everything that could go wrong almost did".  The guys and I have been rehashing our mistakes, missteps, and misjudgements for a few weeks now.  Sure we could have done a few things different but no preparation would have gotten us through this race. 

Things were coming together pretty well about a week before the start of the race.  GS had healed up pretty well, MD was in town and doing some real training, J-Fo was looking strong, Nemo was solid as usual, Nance was a little burned out leading up to the race but seemed amped about this event.  I was pretending I wasn't hurt.

As we were leading up to the departure, our first victim fell.  One of our drivers had to bail due to some work and family issues.  No big deal, we had two drivers left and we could get by.  Robert did do well by his absence and came through with a sweet looking design for team shirts.  That along with some scrambling by J-Fo to get some shirts to print and we looked like a very good team. 

All set...

On Thursday night / Friday morning, Nemo had to bail due to a family issue.  He was quite bummed about it but as we know, we are not professionals and family always comes first.  That left us with 5 runners and some decisions to make on Friday morning.  After much review, juggling of running assignments, and thoughts of cancelling our trip, we decided to carry on. 

It was a great ride out to Cumberland and a bit of an antsy day waiting to start but finally around 1:30 we arrived at the start line.  As you can see, the weather wasn't great.  Not too hot but lots of clouds and rain.  We were not going to be able to keep the van or ourselves dry. 

This was going to be a sloppy day and night. 

Nance, contemplating his plan.


MD, he didn't start until late.  He gets pre-race jumpy so this was a long day for him.



Here we are, signed in, gear checked, safety briefing complete and looking ready.  We had no idea what the next 14 hours had in store for us.  Before the beatdown from left to right...

Rob, CT, J-Fo, Keith, Nance, Greg, and Mario

J-Fo is taking the first leg...looking intense!


We made some mistakes early.  We tried to run the same pace as some of the other teams that started with us.  J-Fo was flying but just hanging with the pack because most of these teams were 12 person relay.  When they finished their leg, they were done for a few hours.  We had to keep running.  More on this later. 

And Team DTLS is off...




The race start area is a really pretty park.  This whole section of the state was scenic.  That being said when you get off into the back woods, you get a different kind of folk.

Look at all the satellites dishes....they must really like Direct TV and the NFL Package



After Josh took off, we took our time to leisurely get to where the 3rd leg starts.  We were in no hurry since we had about an hour and a half to get to the Exchange.  We made it with much time to spare.  As the 1:30 mark came and went, we started to get concerned about Josh. 

Me: "Where the Hell is Josh?"
[Then his phone started ringing but we ignored it]
[and then his phone kept ringing...and finally we answered it.  ]
Josh: "Where are you guys?"
Us: "At the Exchange.  Where are you?"
Josh: "At the fucking Exchange."
Us: "We don't see you."
Josh: "I'm the only one in the god damn parking lot."
Us: "We aren't in a parking lot, we are in a field."

Who would have thought that Exchange #2 is where the 3rd leg starts.  We were sitting at Exchange #3, Josh was at Exchange #2.  All 6 Navigators were wrong and Josh wasn't lost, not that he wouldn't be but that is a later story.  So we quickly piled in the van and took off through the woods.  Keith's excellent driving kept the van on the path but it was a little crazy.

Lost in the woods for a while

The might van needed a washing



I didn't get any shots of the runners but the next 2 legs were for GS.  It was brutal.  He had a love hate relationship with this run and didn't want to talk to us when he was done.  He is getting it again next year but don't tell him.

Leg #3


Leg #4

As GS was finishing his leg, we got information from the Race Support that the next leg was cancelled due to flooding. This was going to be my first run but instead, we were instructed to drive to the next exchange and start there.  Skip me and on to Nance.  Before we move on though, the sun peaked out with a little tease but clear skies were not to follow.  Instead we got fog.

Beautiful area but this was about the only sunshine we saw


As we arrived at the next leg, Nance was to start the first of the "night time run" legs.  He was geared up with his cool vest and headlamp ready to go.  Strangely the Race Support was tearing down the course around us.  Because of our late start and the hiccups, we were among the last 5 teams coming through each exchange.  I have to say it was a little irritating.  I'll be talking to Ragnar about it.  Anyway, Nance took off like a bat out of hell up a 2 mile hill...past some useless course support in the form of local police.  They were paked in front of the course markings and Nance missed his turn.  They didn't get out of the car and didn't correct him.  Assholes.  2 extra miles for the guy...

Off goes Nance


So far we are down one driver, down one runner, missed an exchange and gotten a runner lost.  At this time we are a little shaken but we were still looking at our pacing, expecting some corrections from the race director, and we had good legs.  What happen through the night would bring us to our knees.  There are no pictures but stay with me.

I picked up for Nance in the dark night and tore off down the country rides.  I can only give my account of running in the night but the general consensus was pretty similar.  It was very dark, very foggy, and some of the roads were narrow.  It was like running in a tunnel in the dark.  I do quite a bit of early morning running with a headlamp but my first 7 miles were tough.  I was trying to stay with this guy that was running really fast.  He was on a 12 person team and he was flying.  It was a mistake to try to hold on.  His team would go on to win the whole thing.  With some early misses, our supporting team decided that we were going to go to every exchange to try to keep track of the runner better They met me at the next exchange to give me a little boost and some drink.  Off I went.  It felt like I was running in jello.  For the distance it really hurt.  I was happy to get to MD in and hand off the baton.

It gets a little blurry now because I was sleep deprived and also dozing in and out of sleep but here are the remaining memories.  It may be a little out of order.

MD had about 13 miles and it hurt him. I don't know much about it but he was getting sick and throwing up. He had a combination of vertigo and India gut. MD is a tough competitor, always shows up on race day but after his leg, he was done. One more down.

J-Fo got lost but it wasn't his fault.  In one of the small towns, someone (probably drunk) pointed an arrow in the wrong direction.  J-Fo ran across the Potomac River a few times before Keith and I picked him up. 

We got pissed and said fuck the rules.  We will run with whatever runners we can, screw the order.  Who ever can will go.  If they can't keep the course open and well marked then we are on our own.

GS hammered out another run, finishing what he was expected to do.

I finished another leg and handed off to Nance, who had been throwing up.  MD and J-Fo were lying in the back of the van with the chills and looking green.

GS picked up J-Fo's next 1/2 leg.

J-Fo rallied after sunrise to pick up another leg and then the hand off was to go to me.  I was banged up, my knee was swollen and we were running on fumes.

We chatted about it for a while...MD was done, GS was done, I was banged up, Nance wanted to carry on, and J-Fo was struggling through the last half.  Our fearless drivers were ready to carry on.  We were not going to make it to DC.  We had over 60 miles or so to go.  We tapped out.  It actually hurts to say that. 

Here is the team that didn't make it.  We tried and we just had too much bad luck.

As we gathered around the van to get ready to roll back home the mood wasn't too bad.  We figured we would make it back for most of the OSU game.  We rehashed the ups and downs, grabbed some bad food and a few good beers and limped home. 

One of the more solid pieces of our team were our stellar drivers Keith and Rob.  They endured all night, never got us too lost, and always made sure we had food.   Of course we didn't dig on the beef jerkey and pringles until after the race.   I can't say enough good things about the job they did.  They kept us entertained, kept us in good music, made sure we had everything that we needed.  Now if they could only have done some running for us.

Our great support crew getting some much needed rest. 



Lessons Learned:
1) Everything has to go right on a Ultra Team

2) Predict your Marathon time for an Ultra Team, we would have had a better start time and not had the race course being broken down around us.

3) Take 2 vans...even if you can sleep in a moving vehicle the van stops about every 30 minutes at the exchange, people pile out, lights come on, lots of noise. Take 2 vans and drive the other runners ahead to a quite place an relax. Also, there is not enough room for all the people and gear

4) We nailed food I think...plenty of places to eat and PB&J in the van.

5) Don't bring too much water. They were giving away cases and you can always get that on the road.

6) Don't go too hard too early.  Remember that you are racing a long time.  Don't try to keep pace with those around you. 
7) Practice running with a headlamp

8) Carry a phone and the maps. I though only an idiot could get lost. We got lost a bunch.

9) Bring a team of people you get along with, this could have been a disaster with strangers.  There was never a argument or ill will despite all that went wrong.  That can only happen with friends.

10) Remember that no matter how many races you finish, no race is guaranteed.

Maybe it was better this way. If you don't fail once in a while, maybe you are not reaching far enough.

Hope to see you next year Mr. Ragnar.