NWA Mountain Bike Championship

This year marks the 25th year for the XC (Cross Country) race at Devils Dean State Park (DD). I have only ridden Devils Dean a few time and always wanted to race out there. On Thursday (12 SEP 13), after being egging on by some friends, I decided to go ride some laps and see if I really wanted to race DD. I had been sick with sinus issues for about two weeks and was not too sure if racing would be healthy. 

Well I felt great, had power, and liked to course. So I bit the bullet and decided I needed to race. After getting to bed at 10 pm, I had a chance to sleep-in until 7:30 am. I love local races with late start times. They give you plenty of time to wake up in the morning.

I got registration done, and was partially changed into my kit,  when I remembered that my rear tire was dry of Stans. I went over to one of the local shop tents hoping to get some to save the day. First stop proved fruitful , which meant I had one less thing to worry about.  With only 30 min left before the race I started spinning around the parking area and up and down the double track start.

I have not had much success at XC races in the past. I usually get the "Hole Shot" then blow up and fall back quickly. I decided that I would force myself to try a different strategy.

The start was much slower that I was expecting, no one was really looking to get a gap before hitting the single track. Defiantly something I'm not use to.  I passed a few people I knew would be slower and hit the trail head in 2nd place. I was reminded quickly why I don't like being behind people in the woods. I try to be smooth and squeeze every ounce of speed out of my smoothness. Most XC races seam to think sprinting from turn to turn is fast, but it's really just sketchy. 

After a few turns I notice that we had put in a gap on the field. I told the leader to "Ride smooth, we already have a gap on the field". After a few minutes the trail opened up, back on double track, just as I started to hear wheels quickly approaching. I decided it was time to moved to the lead and pushed the pace.  The only real climb comes at about 2.5 miles into the lap. Racers hill reminds me so much of the Oak Mountain climb (back when it was double track), I took a swig from my bottle and peak over my shoulder. 3 riders in tow, this will not end well.

I don't know how, but 5 minutes later I look back to see only one person. How had I dropped 2 people climbing at an "endurance race  pace"?  I pushed the speed down the hill, and was rewarded with clear trails all around, no one in sight ahead and no one in sight behind.  This was my first time ever to be off the front of a XC race (heck any race really). But by the end of the lap I had two people back on my wheel, and had made a small mistake, which caused me to cross the line in 3rd place.  

28 minutes for 5.5 miles? Not too bad, a little slower than I wanted, but I'm  with in eye sight of the leader!  I quickly gaped back up to the leaders on the double track and hit the trail on their wheels. I allowed a gap to form so I could have a clear view of the trail. (Small wheels have to take a different path then 29ers do) A few turns later I pass second as he was getting up from the dirt, I guess he had lost an edge trying to put a gap in on me. I push myself to the max for a mile or two th 

inking that he would be hot in pursuit, but when I looked back I did not see anyone. I backed off to an endurance pace and finished the second lap with something left in the tank.

The third lap was much harder for me, as the faster XC pace had started to hurt my endurance legs.  I was passed for second just after Racers Hill, right about the time the tank had hit empty.  I could not answer the attack as he passed, and settled on finishing 3rd. After 3 laps of 28 min (+-30sec) I crossed the line in 3rd. Not too bad considering I have had 0 specific training for XC and only decided on racing two days before hand. 

I just need to Ride more, Ride harder, and Get Faster. Only 6 months until Ouachita Challenge! 

Thank you Arkansas Outside for the photos!

Skool Of Hard Nox 50, AKA Cramp City

I know it's been almost 3 weeks, but I said I would write about it. The Skool Of Hard Nox 50 is a 50 mile mountain bike race held in Central Mississippi at the Noxubee Hills Trail System. Its 50 miles of 75% single track and 25% Gated Forest roads. It's the place I learned how to ride mountain bike at, and the location of my first bike race. I know that trail better than most people know there home trails, and I had not ridden it in nearly 3 years.  This race also holds a special place in my heart because it was my first endurance race to ever complete.

So on to the race. On Friday I worked all day then drove 4 hr down to Redfield, AR to spend the night at my parents house. Saturday consisted of driving the remaining 5 hr to Starkville, MS. I had a chance to meet up with some old friends and get in a short pre ride. One thing was for sure, Mississippi may not have the rocks I'm use to, but they make up for it in roots.

On race day I woke up 3.5 hr before race start, ate and was out the door to get to the course. Man I can say one thing for sure about this race, it has grown so much in its 3 year run. 117 races this year compared to last year's 77. The race was to start at 8 am, but the larger than expected crowd of  racers made registration bog down.  So the start was pushed back to 8:30. This spelled disaster for me, the combination of extra heat and extra time to let nerves build up cost me big time.

About 5 minutes before the race start we were instructed to line our bikes up for the Le Mans style start. That's right, this is one race that breaks "The Rules". After the USAC official did his thing (mostly announcing that he was there and would not allow PLD. What a bummer.) we had a simple 30 sec, 15 sec, go! start. I got to my bike quickly, did a quick mount and was off.

I knew that there was 3 fast guys I wanted to hit the trail with (Scott Kuppersmith, Kevin Connerly, and Frank Webber), they would be the ones to fight it out for the win, I just wanted to catch a draft and hit the trail in good position. All was going well until we hit the gravel. The pace was fast, but not as fast as I was expecting. This pace made me start to listen to my body, not my brain. We crested a small roller and all three of the fast guys suddenly slowed down. My body was ready to go, so I kept the faster pace and put in a few seconds of space between me and them. Then came the trail.

As soon as I hit the trail I knew I had made a big mistake. I had to push hard to not look like a fool, but needed to let them pass as the trail allowed me to. I suddenly got hit by a "side stitch" and had to shut it down for a few minutes. During that time I counted as person after person past me. I think the final count was 8 or so. I finally came around after about 20 minutes and rode for a good while, yo-yoing back and forth,  with local fast guy Ross Livingston.  After a few good pulls on the hills (up and down) I was off in "No Mans Land".

At 1:00:30 I past buy the first aid station, 12.5 miles in. Yes, only 30 seconds off my goal. But at 1:30 my race started to fall apart. I felt a small tingle of a cramp starting in BOTH my calfs. At 2:05 I finally made it to check point 2. Hum, 5 minutes off pace, not as bad as I was expecting. But wait, where is my stuff.... my drinks I had in the blue bag by the tree??? I must of said something out loud, because one of the volunteers had found my bag and was switching out my bottles as I pocketed my food.

After grabbing my stuff, I started back up the road knowing I was half way done. Not too far off pace, but needing to push as hard as I could without cramping up. At 30 miles in I started passing people like crazy. One would be walking up a hill, then 5 minutes latter I would pass another races cussing about their cramps. I guess the heat and the 4800ft of billed climbing was getting to them. At 3:10 I had made it to check point 3. I had already slammed 2 bottles of Cyto since the last check point and need some water. The volunteers where ready again, just trying to help the wrong way. I need water for the bottles, not a water hand up.

But with their help, and an encouraging comment of me being in the top 10 I set off with the easiest part of the race left. Only 12.5 miles left to ride, a sort 5 miles of single track then home free on gated roads. Well this was not to be. At 3:30 BOTH my quads AND hamstrings locked up on me. Full-on, vomit inducing CRAMPS. By far the worst feeling I've ever had on a bike. I sat on the side of the trail trying my best to get my body working again. My digestion had shut down about an hour earlier, and my muscles where beyond their breaking point.

A few minutes later a guy pasted me and asked if I was ok and if he could help. "I'm not ok, but it can't be helped". I pushed my bike to the top of the hill I was on, jumped back on and hoped for the best. I still don't know how, but my legs came back to life. I again started to pass people every few minutes. I crossed the line in 4:30:39. (7th Mens Open, 9th Over all)  Not too bad considering the cramping.

More I think about it the cramps came from two sources. One was burning a match way before I was ready too, the other was sticking to my nutrition plan a little too exactly. I've done some reading on it, I should of drawn back on fluid and food intake until my digestion started working again.

Anyways, learn and live. Ride more, Ride harder, and Get faster each race is all I can do for now.        

Video showing the essence of the race.