12 Hrs of Tsali May 17th, 2014

You might me wondering why there is a blatant advertisement for Claussen Dill Pickles on our blog.....

That is because I have to give credit to that jar for getting me through over 5hrs and 5 laps of another wet, muddy 6hr Tsali MTB race..... and the reason that jar is empty is that I ate all of them.....had a great ride, finished strong with a smile on my face.....so maybe what they say is true about pickle juice.. as I only had 3 bottles of Carbo Pro, 1 water bottle, and 2 packages of shot blocks.... no cramps, no big fatigue.  Finished 9th out of 33 riders and I was the last to get on my bike...

Well it also might have something to do with the "Hoffmeister" strategy and the BigDog's nagging of "Bird, you always go out to fast..."

The story......

My son, Jonathan, and son-in-law, Ray had signed up for the 12 hour event with 2 friends of theirs, and I thought, "well it couldn't be any worse than last year" so I signed up for the 6hr solo... Wait.... has the 12HRs of Tsali ever been anything but cold wet, muddy, and full of pain?

Jonathan, Ray, and I met at the campground on Friday under blue skies.... can you believe it!   Don't.  Within 10 minutes it started raining, turned freezing cold, and started to hail.   An hour later the blue skies were back but he temperature was not.   So, off we go on the "pre-ride".   Same old course... head up the gravel road, climb climb hit the descent, hard right onto single track full of puddles and mud.... 1+ hour later we exit... 2 falls, covered in mud.  You cannot see the tread on the tires they are so caked with mud..... but hey its Tsali.

Race Day.... where's are tent?  The popup we put up Friday is GONE... well not gone, but taken down and another put up in its place...... The race director told us an overzealous "sponsor" who showed up late did it, and we could just move their tent over..... OK problem solved......

Jonathan and I take our bikes up the start which is further up the course this year as the gate is not open and we prop our bikes up by the side of the trail.   This is a Leman's start and the racers "race" up about a quarter of mile to mount their steeds hopefully spreading the pack out.

GO.. everyone runs... Jonathan looks at me and says aren't you going to run?  Nope I am going to walk up and calmly get on my bike and ride.... Jim, you hear that.....

By the time I get up past the gate their is only 2 bikes left and neither is mine.......race personnel assist me in back tracking to the gate and finding my bike down the slope???

No worries..... go... not fast just go....

If you have never ridden the Tsali race course it is a combination of the right and left loops.  Starting up a 2 mile gravel "road" then dropping down to some great single track for about 3 miles of twisting rolling stream crossing trail.  Then you hit a set of 5 camel back climbs before running down a "gauntlet" of overgrown brush to a rocky descent and then some more of that fast rolling single track for about 2.5 miles when you hit a clay gulley climb that has 3 stair steps to some more rolling single track back to the StartFinish...10mile loop.

My plan is to do 5 laps, if I can in the 6 hours.  So it is all about pace and feeding the tank....

Since I started so far back I got to climb at a nice unhurried pace catching the first riders near the top of the climb... I started to overtake riders on the single track which 1) allowed me to "draft" a bit, and 2) keep me from going too fast.   Riders were just great about pulling over and letting me pass without spending alot of extra energy.   I caught Jonathan on the Camel Back climbs and pushed on...... the trail was better than it was on Friday after the rain but you still had to be careful of some muck.

I catch a "kid" with a Clemson kit on and we ride the rest of the lap together.   Through transition to my tent.   Drink a bottle slowly, eat 2 pickles... yes Kosher Dills... drink and I am off.   Clemson is gone without stopping...

I cruise up the climb catching some  more riders, hit the descent and fly down the track..... man this is sweeeeet...... get this one done and then 3 more... pace, pace....

This time I do not dismount for the clay gulley and ride right up the center as there is no one to impede my pace..... I catch Clemson again and he allows me to pass but hangs onto my wheel.. Lap 2 done (under 2 hours.... feeling good)... hit the tent and repeat... water bottle, pickles relax then back on the bike.... Clemson is gone...

Lap 3... feeling good on the climb, Bike...check, HR...check.... mentally you know it is really 3 sections of climbs of about 4 miles that challenge your fitness, and another 6 miles that test your skills..  with stream crossings, roots, puddles, muck, speed, and some narrow overgrown singletrack.

The rain is starting..... a light drizzle hope that is all it will be....  trail is quickly getting more slick....

 There is Clemson again.   He lets me pass and I am cruising.    Easy buddy, we don't need to crash... I hear a rider coming up and glance back....blue...green.... wait I turn around... its Ray! And just like that I am off the trail .... shit..... I wait for Ray to pass then get going on his wheel knowing that this may be his first lap but the steep rut is coming up.... we hit it and he falters I make it around him and keep going.... really going as I know he is coming after me......  I should not be going this hard/fast but hey... I might as well make the big guy earn it....... into the Finish area.. Ray close behind....

3hr mark... a minute under actually... 3hours to do 2 laps... 20miles.... 6 climbs... I got this.......

I go to the tent sit down and........drink a bottle of carbo pro eat some pickles as Ray shakes his head, open a pack of shot blocks and consume those... stretch, chat with the boys, it is starting to really come down and the temperature has dropped... vest on...

4th lap

Now I am thinking that "OK you have it"  but, but sometimes like that hammer that misses the nail and hits your thumb instead.. shit happens....... ESPECIALLY in MTB races.

I ride the first climb easy as I have time to back off the pace... I am feeling my legs on the climbs and having to strain a little on the steep sections but OK... Cruising the Single track...... There is Clemson.  The guy never stops... We finish lap 4.   Pit stop... sit down ... you know the drill... bottle of Carbo Pro, pickles, shot blocks.... relax.   The "boys" are now eating some of the pickles and drinking the juice....

Lap 5 4:10 in.... 1:50 to do this..... just ride ...... definitely feeling the climb...HR.Check, Legs.Check...water..Good........ what is that noise.... drivetrain is making a racket .... get to the top...... my rear wheel feels soft.... OH bike, don't fail me now....

Cruise the single track.. 2 more climbs and you are done.... concentrate no accidents.
I loose traction on the rut and walk up the upper section ... rest a second mount and finish the ride.... hitting that last  2 miles of winding single track to the finish.......

5:23   5  Laps.... Soaked, covered in mud.... a smile on my face    .... I am done...

A great ride for me... a great event, even with its nasty weather and mucky trail...

Team Split Spaghetti (Ray, Jonathan, Dre, Dustin).. had one mechanical and one flat on the course setting them back from their 1 hr lap pacing to Ray finishing the 11th lap under the wire for 17 place of 27 4 person teams.

Celebration at the camp site grilling chicken having a few beers and ALOT of story telling....