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....

6hr Gear Grinder

there is something about ripping down a gnarly single track that makes you feel alive, in the moment,  and much younger than your years.... 

Saturday was a great mountain bike event in Tuxedo, NC....Gear Grinder 6hr MTB Race at the Falling Creek Camp off Green River Rd.

Awesome event... great weather, people, venue, course (except that first climb... first gear slog up a 1 mile gravel climb).... a great race requiring a lot of grit....

Brandon, Beth, and Jim Hoffmeister did the solo, while I teamed up with the "BigDog" for a 2-person team ...birddog 

guess who is who........ to race in the 40+ .... other than Jim there was no one close in age.....

BigDog and I pre-rode the course on Friday..... ouch, not sure we will be able to go under an hour per lap to make 6 laps in under 6 hours hour.  BigDog, as he said in his blog, was "intimidated" ...what have I (Jim?) gotten us into..... A helluva a climb to start, then a lot of rocky narrow single track with more climbing and a rippin descent.

And if Brandon saw the climb on Friday he may have not slept that night.  Not a course for "clydesdales"..

Brandon ended up 7th doing 4 laps even though cramping on the 3rd....

Jim was right behind (well a bit back... but hey, almost 30yrs difference)  came in 8th..... just impressive...  below is the only spot on the course you could relax for a second....oh, he is about to hit the "wall"

Bethster, of course podium-ed.. taking first,  finishing 4 laps with 1 crash and no contestants left taking first in women's 40+... she was itching to go out for that 5th though.... (note: she likes the new kits so much that she didn't want to get it dirty)...

and team birddog...the two old guys gave it all we had, averaging under an hour per lap going a full 6 laps.... finishing 8th out of 9 teams in the 40+mens.    In my view, we won... a couple of 60 year olds still playing in the dirt, putting it out there, up for a challenge.........no fear....great being out there with the BigDog.

And our old team mates and riding buddies Debbie and Katherine put together an awesome showing taking 2nd in the Women's Team overall....... Debbie put on a clinic for me when we hit the single track descent on the first lap, never to be seen again except in the transition... that girl can go......

Just a great event...a great challenge....nothing but fun...well ..with a little pain.....

I'll be there next year....

And that's what it's all about!

I’m sitting on the couch on a beautiful Saturday afternoon feeling tired and happy.  Today was a really good day!

After 14 months of trying to figure out what was going on with my hip / back (which was causing a lot of pain pretty much all the time), my PT figured out that my sacrum was stuck backwards and a little twisted due to the way I landed on it in a wreck in October 2012.  The technical term is a “counter-nutation” of the sacrum.  I’ve been doing some specific stretches and exercises for 2 months, and I’m stoked to report that things seem to be heading back to normal. Which makes me very happy!

During the course of last year when nobody could figure out what was going on, and cycling just caused too much pain, I began to explore some other fitness options, and rediscovered some things that I love to do and had forgotten about.  Which makes me very happy!

In February or March last year, I started teaching a HIIT (high intensity interval training) class at Greenville Fitness, and returned to a love of Lifting Heavy Stuff.  Steve has been doing it with me consistently, and we both love feeling strong.  Our current project is handstand push-ups.  We’re at least kinking the elbows a bit.  Which makes me very happy!

Around the same time I went to a beginner Zumba class.  It was a blast, but I distinctly remember thinking that my hips must be different from everyone else’s, because there’s no way they were ever going to move like that.  Well, things have improved a bit over a year, and I go to at least one class a week and to shake my booty with the others in the class. Which makes me very happy!

Two weekends ago I shocked the heck out of myself by painting a picture. I went to Uptown Art with a bunch of girls on a Friday night.  There was wine and cake and painting, and apparently I follow instructions well ha ha.  I really had a fun time being creative and I liked the way the picture turned out.  I would definitely hang it behind the bathroom door.  Which makes me very happy!

 Everyone that knows me, knows that I don’t do the cold very well.  I grumble and moan about the cold weather all winter, but you’ll never hear a peep out of me during the summer heat.  I am beyond thrilled that spring has finally arrived, and the weather is warm so I can get out and ride again.  Which makes me very happy!

Today was a fantastic day.  We rode up the watershed with friends and team mates on a perfect spring day, with no agenda, ate a freshly baked sticky bun and sat in the sunshine thinking about how wonderful life is.  Which makes me very happy!

So, looking back over the past year, I am grateful that I was derailed a bit from the focus of training and racing because I’ve experienced some things that I wouldn’t have made time for otherwise. I'm happy to be back on the bike too. Life is good.  Which makes me very happy!

Superhero Wannabes

The new Greenville Velo kits are here and they are fantastic! At least that's my opinion. I am very pleased to hear that many of my teammates love them too. They are bright and cheery and I love the way they stand out from the crowd. Big thanks to all that helped make this design a success. I want to especially thank Catherine James for her design help. She successfully translated our verbal vision into graphic reality. That's not easy, but it all worked out well.

Some have said that these new kits look like Superhero costumes. I got thinking about that last night and I think it's a pretty decent description. We weren't trying to make superhero costumes when we set out on the design process. We just wanted...well, we wanted just what we got...fun, bright and cheery kits. We did take inspiration from the Marvel Comic world, so I can see how the superhero elements infiltrated our creation. Maybe we're all superhero wannabes in these kits. And, that's not a bad thing.

Think about it. Our cycling apparel is a sort of costume. We're out there putting in miles with danger all around us. We're trying to do good in the world by getting fit or improving our lifestyle or maybe even winning an event. We have foe's that attempt to foil our plan with their evil genius at every turn or climb. Maybe, in our own little way we're wannabe superheroes riding for truth, justice and the American way...or maybe more like watts, miles and dessert at every meal.

I'm sure that some of us even feel like a superhero at times in the peloton. You know what I mean. Those times when you've trained hard. You've prepared well and you know you can take your shot at success at a moments notice. Yeah, when everything goes right you do feel like a superhero...you know without all that rescue the baby or stop the locomotive crap! You're just out on a ride doing what you love. And now, your superhero has a brand new costume.

Be safe...because you're not really bullet proof!

April Update

A week ago, Larry, Ray, Beth and Jim Hoffmeister joined Sam to support and ride the Swamp Rabbit Celebration GHS ride.  Conditions were a bit cool and windy, but just a great day.  Larry and I opted to take the longer option after La Bastide with Kim Morrow and Denizon.  The rain had washed many of the arrows off but we navigated our own shortened course for a great ride.

Thanks Steve for putting on a great ride, maybe next year we can get a few more to show up.

Saturday, was my first ride up to the BlueRidge for 2014 and Jim/Beth, Ray, Larry, and Tom joined me for a "spirited"  55 mile ride up 276 to the BlueRidge and then back doing a short loop through the French Broad Valley (you can see the route on Strava).

Ray and Larry were sporting the new kits.... great design.. highly visible, great colors, ....well done......

Here is me riding in the kit today...... I give it 2 thumbs up...

Maddog Update

Team Maddog83 scored big at the Tucson Bicycle Claasic this past weekend.  Randall won the overall......winning the opening ITT by 18 seconds, then fighting back in the road race to protect his lead, and then riding at the front of the final circuit race taking 4th in the bunch sprint to secure first place in the GC for 65+.

Teenie came back as the defending champion after sweeping the race last year in the  women's 55+, but that also meant being a "marked" rider.  This year the competition was raised a notch with several past National Champions in the mix.  Teenie improved on her ITT time from last year but came up short taking 3rd.  On Saturday, she got in a brake and fought a tough battle taking second, earning bonus seconds moving her up to second place overall.  The final circuit race was hard fought ending in a sprint with Teenie taking 4th, and a 3rd place overall, on the podium behind two great riders.

Congratulations to Randall and Teenie and Team Maddog83.

My first race of 2014

I signed up for the Green Gobbler 6 hour solo Mt. bike race.  I can't say I was in any kind of shape to start the season with a 6 hour race but something had to start off the season.  It's been a long winter with very few rides.  I tried to take what I learned from Tsali, slow and steady will make it possible to finish the race.  I started 2/3 of the way back in the pack and worked my way through on the first lap. Everything felt good but its a long day.

I entered the woods to start the second lap.  Flying down the first descent.  I went to sit down on the saddle and it was gone.  Racers coming by said, your saddle is back on the trail.  Well that was a short race I thought.  I picked up my saddle and started to walk.  It didn't take me long to decide I didn't feel like walking that far.  I jumped back on the bike and started cranking.  People said things like "that sucks!" "Dude that will build some leg power."  I kept pedaling and even started passing some people.  You don't realize how much you use your saddle descending until it's gone.  Lap 2 done.

I pull the seat post out of the bike. I decide that since I'm out here, I might as well make it a training ride and a challenge and go for one more lap.  The people in the pits say I'm crazy to keep going but they cheer me on.  I enter back into the trails for my 3rd and final lap.  To my surprise I keep catching riders and rarely get passed.  Now the people who both catch me and the ones I pass, start saying things "you're a f%$*ing animal...dude you rock."  This gives me a little boost of energy. Lap 3 goes by and I'm ready to sit down.  I cross the finish line and head back to the pits.

People in the pits can't believe I'm back already.  My legs are tired so I get out some food and do a little stretching.  I know I have more gas in the tank even though my legs and arms are getting tired.  It's a nice day so I go for another lap.  My arms are fatiguing making the descents harder.  I tried to keep my calves against the chain stay to help control the bike.  Finally back to the pits -4 laps done.  I have now ridden 24 miles without sitting down.  Lower back is fried, triceps don't want to hold me up anymore, my palms are starting to bruise.

Now as I enter the pits everyone is looking at me and encouraging me.  I do more stretching and go for another.  My legs feel better when I'm pedaling uphill vs. coasting downhill.  When I stop pedaling my legs want to cramp up.  I've been in the big chain ring for the whole race.  There is no such thing as spinning your legs when standing.  The only thing that feels good now is the steep long climbs.  This is when I can get relief for my arms, hands, and shoulders.  Finally, I can see the opening to finish the lap.  I'm starving, my body is shaking, and the cramping is relentless.  5 laps down and I can't believe I made it back.  I cross the finish line and there is 96 minutes left in the race. I have been averaging about 55 minutes a lap.  I think about this while heading to the pit.

I have lost my mind.  I tell myself that I can do one more lap really slow.  I get back on the bike and my body is refusing to pedal.  My hands can't get comfortable.  What was I thinking?  My arms are completely seized and my legs feel like I'm riding through quick sand.  I turn to a higher power and the words of all the people cheering me on and just take stroke by stroke.  My calves don't want to be on the pedals anymore and my arms don't want to hit one more pump.  The legs don't want to burst up over any more piles of roots or logs.  Some how I finish the lap with a pretty good time.  The race director says I have 45 minutes. I know I can't complete another lap.  Race is done. I can't believe I just rode 40 miles of single track without sitting down.  My body starts to shut down as soon as I sit on the truck.  I eat and drink the food that I have left.  I want to check out the standings but it hurts to stand.  I finally get enough energy to walk over to the table and see that I finished 2nd in my category. I can't believe it.  Today, persistence overcame a great obstacle and proved the old saying. 'Just keep moving.'  This race will go down as the hardest race I have done to date. I'm not looking for anymore challenges like this until next time.

The Beast! (courtesy of bird).