Night Before
Around midnight I carefully slipped out of a middle bunk in a cabin full of 16+ racers trying not to disturb anyone. It's been hard to sleep even though I'm exhausted by the drive down from Richmond and the poor sleep from the night before in Asheville. Constant noises have kept me up a bit as well even though I had my ear buds in and the I-pod on low volume. There are at least two folks in the cabin snoring very loudly and the jackasses from Long Island outside are still making a lot of noise. Don’t they know we are all getting up at 4:45am and riding 100 miles starting at 7:00? As I head to the bathhouse for the last time this night, I cast the obnoxious people a searing dirty gaze. I think they finally get the hint and retire as well after turning off their radio, it’s about midnight. Sometime around 1:00am the severe headache I have had relents and I gain a few hours of precious sleep. 4:45am arrives well before the sun and rooster.
Race Day
Soon the Jet Boil is rumbling on the picnic table and oatmeal stands by for a scalding bath. I brew some coffee and David, Joe, and myself each have a cup to get things going. Rolling out of the camp and onto the highway is a bit dodgy because of a thick fog that shrouds the entire area. We arrive at the Whitewater Center where the race starts and I am surprised by just how many people are in the parking lot already.
Prepping for the race start is always a bit chaotic and this morning is no exception for me: Sunscreen, Chamois cream, DP Kit, Shoes, Head Band, Prep all my Bottles... where did I put those gels... dang, not enough mix for the pre-start bottle... pre open the cliff bar... bring 2 or 3 bottles?... Mix up bottles for start... double check the bike... tire pressure... Oh yeah, almost forgot the extra tube... what else am I forgetting?!
OK, car is locked up and we are all ready to go. Riding around, I cross paths with a lot cool folks I've met from all over the place during the previous 3 years of hundred milers and stage racing. Team DP rolls up to where the start line usually is and soon it's obvious that the start has moved. Tooling around the parking lot just before a race is always a bit sketchy and we witness a couple of riders crash into each other and end up as a pretzel on the pavement. Ahead, a huge Kenda banner marks the start line, and soon 3 Design Physics racers roll through and take position.
GO
After a few minutes and more than words, the crack of a start gun rings out! The pack accelerates with no drama, but at an alarmingly fast pace. A few small speed bumps are the catalyst for the day’s first bunny hops. The police escort leads us out onto the main highway climbing to Boyd Gap overlook. I'm hanging with the lead group for about a third of the pavement and then end up with the second group that splits off from the first. Cresting Boyd Gap lessens the demand on the legs and lungs slightly. I shift up to the big ring and accelerate towards the turn off into single track.
Single Track Attack
The group I settle in with is going at a decent pace, not too slow, but I would like to go a little faster. I know from experience that I can save the effort for the single track climb after the riverside trails. Fog hangs eerily along the river as we wind our way down and up the serpentine trails and I notice that the new course has cut out a good bit of the trails that were normally in this section. Eventually the trail skirts the river through a wide, root infested, gravel path, I gain some positions here by charging over the rough lines. After the stream crossing the trail takes a bridge over the river at the whitewater center, and then a left put us on a good single track climb. I trade some paint on the climb and then drop into the next single track section. The riders I am rolling with are a good match and there is not much need for me to pass anyone. Everyone is moving at a good consistent pace and demonstrate good riding skill. All too soon the sweet trails give way to the rolling fire roads heading into Georgia.
Miles of rolling gravel awaited us as we exited the trail system. A few sections of road had been recently graded and were frustratingly rough. After an extensive series of rolling grades, the 1st major climb started. I was a bit frustrated as my leg power seemed to be lacking a bit and I realized I need to focus more on my morning fueling routine. I was frustrated by the steady stream of riders who were passing me on the climb. Now and then a familiar voice would talk to me as friends from races past shared the climb with me before moving on.
Eventually, I arrived at aid 3/6 where volunteers did an excellent job of helping me with my drop, filling my bottle, and asking me if they could re-fill he bottles I was swapping out so I could grab then when I came back by at mile 70 something… The gravel grind continued and leveled a bit into a long rolling section with some great views of the north Georgia mountains. I just reminded myself to push hard till the lollipop waypoint at mile 60ish.
Here come the Pros
As I neared the end of the major gravel climbing, I heard a shouting voice heralding the presence of the leader of the race. There would be some two way traffic on the course and I soon found out that Jeremiah Bishop was in the lead and calling out when he was entering a blind corner. He absolutely ripped around a corner on the tight inside line as he descended on the opposite side of the hairpin corner I was climbing. Very impressive! A good while later Christian Tanguy came by followed shortly by the dark horse, Kevin Carter. I still had a bit of climbing before beginning the descent into hell.
It’s a Long Way Down to come Back Up
Had Isaac Newton been a 100 mile mountain bike racer, he surely would have stated a law of physics as “what goes down must come up”. Plunging down the fire road descent into hell, I realized how steep the descent was and how rapidly I was consuming it. This could only mean one thing since this was part of the lollipop, hellacious climbing to claw my way back out. While railing down, it was nice to hear Garth give a shout out while we passed head on. The pain I saw on the faces of the rest of the really fast guys coming out of the lollipop was a foreshadowing of my own grimaces to come.
The Ecstasy and the Agony
An unusual reversal of fortune awaited in the lollipop. A major fire road descent had led to aid 4/5. After the rest stop, a bit more downish gravel led to a moderate single track climb where a very cool trail awaited. The single track was tough to motor at first, but a chance to actually carve renewed my spirit substantially. Soon I was racing again and not just finishing. I passed some folks in the single track and finally felt fast again. The end of the reprieve came too soon as the dirt ribbon expunged me onto a grave road. Now began a moderate and unwelcome gravel climb back to aid 4/5. Again the volunteers were extraordinarily help full and had already refilled my water bottles for the upward spiral from the mountain abyss. The climb I later dubbed Mother F... awaited and I settled in for the long haul out.
I was surprised to feel invigorated from the single track snack and refueling at aid 4/5. However, there was no mistaking the effort needed to return to the top. While grinding my way out I am sure some of the racers just beginning their descent into hell were taking stock of the exhausted and agonizing expressions rendered by my taste of the lollipop.
The long road back
With the lollipop out of the way, the return trip awaited. Numerous rolling gravel roads were ridden in reverse and I soon would learn what was in store on the left off the fire road I had see earlier, going the opposite way. It turned out to be a blast. A cool fast grassy double track that funneled to a very fun section of single track was the surprise. Again the trails really lifted my spirit. I just wondered if the climb out would charge the same price as was just paid for the lollipop. There was a stream crossing at the bottom that doused my feet with a welcome cooling slash.
Soon I was pleased to find myself back at aid 3/6 after a fairly short gravel climb. After a quick exchange, I got back on and started dispatching the bobbing fire-road, that seemed to head down more than up in this direction. Eventually this would begin a nice series of gravel down hills, the same ones that seemed so energy sapping on the way up. Eventually, I got back to the freshly graded section and luckily there were some more worn in lines compared with earlier. Motoring along the creek / river was made less pleasant by and an obnoxious head wind. Aid station 2/6 was the next waypoint reached and I scored some coke that was warm (hot almost). The volunteers filled my bottles and sent me out for the 13 more miles to go. Yikes! I thought it would be more like 8… Now a seemingly unending series of gravel rolling gravel roads finally led to a right turn back onto single track.
Happy Trails to You
The single track was climbing more than I cared for at this point, but soon I realized I was on the connector trail. That meant that the annoying single track lollipop from the previous course had been omitted. Now all I had left was a series of connector trails leading to TRE trail. Soon, I came upon some riders that I overtook way to fast and realized they were some of the 65 mile racers trickling in and I was glad I would not have to fight them for position...
Then I saw the tape in the clearing that would guide me into the last bit of trail, Thunder Rock Express. That name had new meaning after riding 97 miles to get here. It was very nice not to have to pedal too hard to flow down at a good clip. I rode within in my reserves, not wanting to have a silly crash this late in the game. Soon I got to the bottom of TRE and it was all gravy rolling the last paved mile I crossed the finish and thought it said 11 something, I was devastated, I felt that the course may have been an hour longer, but surely not 2... I talked with James Burris and dropped my bike, collected my cup... and got ready to soak in the stream. I looked like a freshly born fawn trying to maintain balance as my exhausted legs quivered on the wet mossy rocks. While easing into the water on all fours, I almost floated away at the slightest hint of current in the water. Later I found out my time was 10:11 and that made me feel a bit better.
Joe and David killed it and placed very well.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/national-ultra-endurance-nue-series-cohutta-100-2012/results
That was one tough Mother!
http://www.cyclingdirt.org/coverage/249277-Cohutta-100-Kenda-NUE-1/video/632030-Jeff-Plastic-Man-It-was-a-real-mother
Thom Parsons posted an awesome highlights video on cyclingdirt:
http://www.cyclingdirt.org/coverage/249277-Cohutta-100-Kenda-NUE-1/video/632208-Cohutta-100-2012-Race-Highlights-Kenda-NUE-Series-1
Thoughts on the new Cohutta 100 course
The old course was more or less a sweetheart, but the new course, with the added lollipop from hell at mile 60, is a raging bitch. Added single track sections break up the monotony of the old courses’ 65 miles of gravel in the middle. However, the extended climbing proved devastating, both physically and mentally. On final analysis, I prefer the new course, but maybe not as the series opener. I’ll be looking forward to another beat down next year.
Good Stuff Plassman. The course sounded brutal, 14000+ ft of climbing is tough. Maybe next year I'll join you guys but I might bring gears or a 32x25 gear ratio.
ReplyDeleteGreat times! and write up!
ReplyDeletevery cool photos too