Friday had Wifey, Janel and I heading back to TN for the first of the new Kenda Cup Series here on the east coast.

After being stuck in traffic for an hour we decided to grap some food and call it a night midway thru the 12 hour drive. We knew we were in luck with our Mexican food choice (and our only choice of food) when we saw a handmade sign on the door walking into the restaurant that read "no pubic restroom." And with the limited scan I did they were true to their word.

When we checked into our hotel I found this sitting on the shower ledge:

Yesterday was the highlights, so I guess it's time for a little more detail.

After my super secret breakfast and pre race rep I rolled down to the starting line just in time to hear all the call ups. I know it's sounds kind on lame but it was really cool to see all these great riders lining up. I've seen most all of them before at races here and there, but this was the first time I'd seen this many at one line up.

It's also funny to see what everyone has done to themselves/bike for the race. You have the normal things like gels taped to your top tube, people playing with I-Pods and even a person or two just trying to mentally zone out. But I saw a first, it was a female rider (come to find out it was the female winner Carey Lowery) that wrote "eat" on her inner forearm. It's a great idea for a personal reminder during endurance races, but at the time it just made me smile...but it did not last.

The race started with a two mile leg on a paved road to thin out the ranks a little before we headed into the singletrack. This first 5-6 miles of singletrack was super fast and very little pedaling was needed, it was a little like being on a roller coaster...just flowy up and downs with sweeping corners thrown in here and there.

After a fast paved downhill we headed into a couple miles of double track that ended with the only thing I'd call technical at all on the course...

It was very ridable for most but a couple riders did have a problem on it. After a few more miles of rolling uphill singletrack we hit the fireroads.

At the first rest stop (18 miles) I filled my empty bottle, dropped in a Motor Tab, graped a couple cookies and was on my way. This is also where the climbing started, nothing major just a little teaser for what was to come. About ten miles later is where the main climb for the race started. Again nothing major just a nice steady climb the next 8-9 miles to rest stop number two (36 miles.)

I felt great, so other then popping a couple Endurolytes I repeated the same as stop one. But a few more uphill miles after leaving the stop I learned the day was not gonna turn out as well as I wanted. A group on four of us were working well together in a pace line for a few miles, until a rider dropped off...and then a second. The two of us tried to keep it going but the short rest break in between pulls brought out what I knew was coming. I was not recovered from the past two weekend, I guess doing a 6 hour and a 13 hour the two weekends before a 100 miler were not good planning...go figure.

So with the legs starting to feel a little sluggish I backed off and rode my own pace, but overall still felt pretty good when I hit the third stop (49 miles.) Leaving the stop is where I started to feel the heat, and the last 7-8 miles of this never ending climb we starting to get to me. But help in the from of 15 plus miles of downhill to the forth rest stop was on the way.

I tried to eat what I could (which was not much/to little) as a wrench lubed my chain before I was off again. After 5-8 miles of flatish rolling climbs the incline grade kicked back upward for the first of the last three climbs. These last climbs were much shorter (maybe a mile or so each) but a little steeper and totally exposed to the sun. This is where the wheels really fell off, not on the bike...but on me.

The 15 miles from rest stop 4 to 5 felt like I was a hot dog on the grill. At the stop one of the volunteers had rags in a cooler of ice water. Dude treated me like a turkey being basted for Thanksgiving and I could still now hug him for it. During my ice bath I looked around with my fuzzy vision and saw two riders laying on the ground all but paws up, both were being attended to...but they were not looking good.

After the bath I felt a little better and rolled out for the last two climbs. I knew it was hot and getting hotter (I'd stopped sweating sometime before) so I forced myself to drink the two bottles I had knowing it was only ten miles to the last rest stop.

With the last two climbs (and both bottles) I hunted for the last rest stop....and missed it. I remember where it must have been, but at the time I thought it was volunteers warning/giving directions into a hard corner heading back into the singletrack. Needless to say that last 10 miles of what should have been fun singletrack was Hell.

I could not focus, I was light headed to say it mildly and found it harder and harder to hold a line. Knowing I was in a bad place physically and getting worse fast I backed off even more. This last few miles probably took me twice as long as it should have but I made it to the last mile of pavement without the bike or myself meeting a tree or worse beforehand.

As I came across the finishline the timing clock was great to see, but not the numbers that were on it. I came in 30 plus minutes over my targeted time of nine hours, but all I wanted to do was get to the FJ and get cold fluids in me and sit in the AC.

I found results posted lastnight and seeing them did not help my mood at all....62nd of 101 finishers in my class. I have a mixed feels right now, half of me wants to get my ass on the bike (not that it's gonna fix anything) and the other half wants to just forget about it and enjoy an beer....or five.

Another weekend just means one more shot at doing stupid human tricks. With that Wifey, Jason, Matty, Dan K, F'ing Gary,and others headed down to Leesburg for the Baker's Dozen.

Other then riding a lap plus with Gary midway thru it was a pretty lonely day....but I kind of prefer it that way.

Nice shot below from Gary Ryan, you can check out all his race photos here.

Around the nine hour area the body was starting to not be happy with me. No one real thing, just little this and that. Did not want to drink more, no food sounded good, I'd stopped sweating and just overall was becoming a not so happy camper.

With this I got off the bike for the first time and hung out it the pit for 15-20 minutes to try to eat something. After a handful of potato chips eaten as slowly as a person could I rolled back out.

After a couple more laps in the pit I sat again. Dan K and Matty were giving me the how's things going questions as we saw Vegan Rob roll in and out once more on his way of beat us mear mortals down (dude is a freakin machine.) So the questioning turned more into BS'ing as I took off my helmet ands shoes.....the next thing I know I see Rob pitting again. I yelled over to his wife "Rob just left, what's up?" "He left 35 minutes ago" she replied laughing.....son of a....

Shoes and helmet back on I start to roll out when Dan K asks me "aren't you gonna put you lights on?" I've got 45 minutes till dusk I reply, "do you really think you're gonna do a sub 45 minute lap right now" he gives me. I know he was trying to look out for me and a smarter man would have listened to him, but we are talking about me here.

Everything went well and I got back in while it was still light. Lights on this time I rolled out on lap 16 and then straight into lap 17 as I was doing the lap timing math in my fuzzy head. I knew I'd make it in before the cutoff time but had no clue on my or others placing around me. So with a little under 11 and a half hours and 128 miles I was calling it a day....even with 25 minutes on the clock.

So what does calling it a day 25 minutes early cost you....two places. I feel from 7th to ninth overall in the 61 person field. I was as high as 4th before my 40 plus minute whatever the hell pitstop, but it is what it is. Should have would have, I firmly believe everything happens for a reason (even thou you may never know why.)

So with all that we have a couple of days to recover at home before the Wifey and I start doing our apart weekends. She's heading somewhat locally to a XC to qualify for Nationals and I'm from some reason driving to TN to do a 100 miler in the mountains.

I'm starting to think that everyone is right.....something may be wrong with me.

What's rises 4727 feet in 7.6 miles, has nearly a 12% average grade that then turns into a 22% grade section at the top?

or better yet, the SNOTiceCYCLE.

Kind of at the last minute Wifey and I decided to head down and to Snotcycle down in VA. It was mostly just to scout out the course for the upcoming Baker's Dozen, but we also had a number of friends coming too (even thou I did not get to do much BSing.)

You can kind of see that the trail was changing from ice to mud where the sun was, so once again the name Snotcycle was balls on...a little more on that "mud" to come.

The third lap we had a lot more mud in the fields where the sun was melting the ice sheets, but the trails themselves were getting better. They were still snow/ice, but they were starting to get a little grip to them.

The last lap started just as the third did, I passed the guy in the picture above crossing the timing mats (he past me both times on a climb I could not gear down for....zero shifting and a monster gear) He, I and a third guy (just in front of us) BS'ed most of the race, was one of those races.

Knowing I had to gain time on the spots where I could I pushed a little hard then I wanted to in the first few hundred meters of the trailhead. I went by my BS partner up front that earlier joked "the last lap it's every man for himself" and continued to push for a couple minutes till I heard nothing behind me.

On an open flat road (mud) section about a third of the way thru I look back and saw no one for 200-300 meters. That when I took a few deep breaths and started thinking about the "mud" covering my face, and even in my mouth. The course runs threw a cow pasture and if I was one cow patty I was a thousand...and we were riding threw them.

So you get the point on the "mud." Something seams wrong about a vegetarian not eating meat, but being ok with having cow ass in your mouth....I'll need to check the vegetarian handbook on that one.

So things ended as they were, never see my riding partners again. But the first thing I wanted to do have seeing why the Hell I could not shift was get the cow ass off me.

Why lick your lips when they're covered in ass?

The shift was east to figure out once I look at the drivetrain. Both the middle/small gears up front and the rear cassette were blocks of ice. It was kind of cool to see at first....but then it took my body about two minutes to felt just like them.

I knew I was out of the payout range so my main concern was not gettin hypothermia, so it was off to dry clothes and the heat of the car. The violent shivering took about 20-30 minutes to stop but then the nausea kicked in because I did not eat during or after the race. But after a recovery bar and sitting in the passenger seat in the fetal position for an hour things started to come back.

Still a little fuzzy on my placing, but Wifey was thinking 6-8th (I'm thinking 10-12th range) of the 40ish person field. Results should be out in a few days, I'll threw a number up then.

Also want to throw a shout out to Fort James, Wifey told me you were 3-4th. Great job man, you and Jason had a HUGE freakin field of riders out there.

Today it's gonna hit the mid 40's, so that will put me out on the fixie for a recovery spin.....and then maybe get tested for mad cow.

So, after a seventeen hour drive in the car, five loads of laundry and getting the kids out of doggie jail things are starting to return to normal.

The body feels pretty good, expect the arse. Must have went a little light on the undercarriage lube, because we've got some mild to heavy chafing....still hoping to get back in the saddle tomorrow thou.

So a few other things outside the highlights I gave the other day. The course was great, a few changes from last year....I think all for the better, added some great new single track...can't go wrong with that.

A shot Wifey took on the Friday pre ride:
The race started with a 400-500 meter run before we jumped into the single track, and with a little luck I was sitting in about 10-12th....right behind Prickish Maximus. The first hundred yards of the trail had a few tricky/tight climbs and turns. It took Mr PM about 1.5 seconds of being "slowed" to start his yelling "get the F out on the way, if you can't ride a bike get off the F'ing trail." Then came my personal favorite, "pro rider back, get the F out of my way!"

Class, straight up class.

But as in all endurance races things work themselves out and I was riding for the most part alone, passing and/or being passed by a Team rider here and there. I pretty much just fell into a grove and was rolling with it....it must have been some grove since seeing the first of the two topless sunbathers did little to break my mindset. The second did draw a little more attention, but she was also sporting fresh off the showroom floor bolt-ons.

A few bunny sightings later is when Mr T-Rex (the iguana) and I had our meeting. Guessing someone let there pet free once it got to big, cuz I'm pretty sure those things don't normally sport around southern FL. I'm just glad he was the smarter/more awake one and got the hell out of dodge.

I could hear Wifey now back in the pits...what happened to you? I hit/was attacked by an iguana..... A what?!....You heard me, a freakin iguana. If that conversation happened I'm pretty sure she would have called it a day for me...luckily it did not happen that way.

Once the night laps came around things got REALLY quiet, and other then a lot of beady little yellow eyes not much was happening. That is until my little shoe problem (I'll get a picture of that later today.) But even with that it was a good day.....4th of 30 plus solo men, just under 110 miles and a little over 11 hours of ride time.

A huge thanks to the Berger's for once again putting on a great race for all. This is our forth trip to FL for the 12's they put on and everyone is top shelf....we'll be back next year, if not sooner.

but it's done.

yeah, some guy with a cool cycling cap and a black and blue knee.

Now it's time to heal a little then start getting things ready for next year. I know it's a long way away...but I have a long way to go. Let's just say my first few Expert races have not gone the way I wanted them to. Long walks in the woods dragging a broken bike.....been there, done that.

We've only got 200 days (ish) and a wake up before the first race of the 2009 season, time is short. Are you gonna be ready?

...and by no means do I mean anything to do with church. Cyclo-cross kids, Cyclo-cross....as sick and mental as it is....it's started.



So I hit most of the highlights on Seven Springs in my first post, but here's a little more.



As the norm for any endurance race you had the questionable attire...

...lucky the Wife did not get a shot of the dude wearing the paisley dress, some form of fake boobs and a pink wig....sadly I thought dude was pulling it off pretty well. Thou I'm not sure why she missed getting a picture of the all female team rocking the schoolgirl look...plaid skirts, knee high socks...one even had pigtails, not that I really noticed.



Just past the two mile mark on my first lap I plowed my right pedal into something on a super fast downhill singletrack section...I saw on later laps it was a rock about the size of a cider block. Needless to say I went down HARD, and I truly thought I'd broken my leg. I knew a first aid station was at the bottom of the hill so I thought I'd just one leg it down the rest of the way.



After a minute or so I was able to start moving it and by the aid station I rode. I'd mostly forgotten about the leg when I came flying in for pass off to the next rider on my team. As they she took off two women came over to me freaking out..."come with us, just leave your bike and come with us." My brains not really working after red lining it the past hour so I stagger with them as another teammate grabs my bike and gear.



They sit me in a chair and now I see what they were freaking on, my left leg from my knee to my ankle is covered in blood. Long story short, the sweat made things look much worse then they really were...just some cuts and two really good impact points.



The night laps were cool, nothing like doing a MTB race and hearing the Ted Nugent concert at the bottom of the resort most of the course.



My fourth and last lap was just about riding safe and burning up time. At that point we knew we had a fifty minute lead on the second place team with just over two hours to go. After my lap I took a couple shots of the resort on my way back down....this was about halfway the mountain.

The area reminded me of western NC alot, a sea of rolling green "east coast" mountains.

Proof that I can't get dressed without Wifey...

I've also got to thank the guys from Lupine Lighting System for the lighting system they raffled off....and I won. This thing is pimping and will gets LOTS of use....a huge thank you.

Now on to this Cross thing. Lastnight was the first cross practice here in Doylestown and I have to say that guys/gals that do this are a sick, sadistic group...really. I mean who in there right mind sprints for 40 minutes on a fat tired "road bike" thru grassy fields, rocky dirt roads, dismounts to run over barriers (put there on purpose) just to come to a hill so steep it's not ridable...therefore you throw the bike of your shoulder and run up it.

I know, like I said sadistic......and yeah, don't even ask...I'll be back next week.

Here's a snap shot of the weekend. But we warned, the brain's only running about 50% of normal right now.....and when "normal" is about 50% of where it should...well, you get the point.

A win of the five person Expert class and victory 'gift' from the second place team.

Will fill in the blanks later today or tomorrow, after I regain full motor control. But a way to man up award goes out to Jason on throwing down nine laps in the Solo class...huge props man.