Kindling

The tinder is lit, and it's time to add some kindling to set this fire ablaze. This year is starting off better than last year as far as training goes. Last year I didn't run a half-marathon until the end of January, and I'm already up to that distance as of last weekend. I've been getting shin splints pretty bad, but at least it doesn't hurt when I'm riding. I'm going to take it easy running with out the Camelbak for a while until my shins man up. I think the added weight was too much too soon. I'll fill in the morning work-outs with trainer rides with Coach Troy and Team Clydesdale, and keep my long runs on the trail. Listening to "The Quest" has kept me entertained, but I'll be ready for a funner book after this one...

BIG INDIAN 2011

The weather was perfect for great day of climbing through the Catskill Park. The Big Indian route was laid out like this:http://www.mapmyrun.com/routes/view/47491386

Mark, Gary and I met in Ellenville, NY at Aroma Thyme Bistro. This year, the the mileage was cut to 95 miles from the massive 138 that Gary and I did last year, but there was plenty of climbing (over 5800'). The plan was to ascend four major climbs on this route: Sugarloaf (Cat 2), Big Indian (Cat 4, tops out at 2700'),Peekamoose (Cat 3, from the Ashokan side), and Red Bush (Cat 2). I'd never done the two Cat 2 climbs on this route gave me butterflies. The refuel stops were the Claryville Country Store (mile 23) and Bread Alone (Espresso stop, mile 60) with the finish at the Aroma Thyme Bistro for a well deserved beer and

eats http://www.aromathymebistro.com/craftbeer_trapistbeer.html.

This was the pre-Irene plan. Reports from the Frost Valley, were that Irene mad the Frost Valley Road impassable, and a complete disaster zone. With this knowledge, I decided to bring a map and go with the original plan. All was well up past the Rondout and up Sugarloaf Road. The Sugarloaf Road climb is one that Gary and I agreed was the toughest on the route, and dreamworthy for climbers like us. Virtually trafficless, unmarked roads with burgeoning forest on both sides. This CAT 2 climb has a couple formidable pitchy sections, and is almost always gaining vertical. We passed a local who declared Sugarloaf to be the hardest climb in the Catskills, and warned us that Frost Valley Road was impassable.

We pushed on to our first refuel stop, and soon reached an area where we could detect that a major storm event had made its mark. Washed out shoulders, detritus littered lawns, and home owners making repairs on battered dwellings. The full impact of the damage didn't hit until we reached Frost Valley Road. The road was gone, and earth movers were dredging stone from the river.

In some places the road was washed off into the woods in one piece... a true road to nowhere.

Flats! Minutes after passing through this area, I got a flat. I pulled my tube from the my back pocket.. Pumped it up... no good. Mark

gave me another tube and that one was good. At this point, we had two CO2s and one tube left.

We continued on the steady climb up Big Indian and topped out at over 2700 feet. We passed countless road washouts, and were warned that the road was IMPASSABLE! 75 foot crevasse, 75 feet deep! We continued on.

There was, indeed, a canyon where a section of Frost Valley Road once was. Luck for us, they cut a four-wheeler path down to a log bridge complete with a safety rope for us to cross. No adventure ride would be complete without a log crossing.

We continued on through the wreckage of flooded homes along Frost Valley Road. Eventually made our way to Bread Alone where we stopped for espresso and a bite. We continued to the foot of Peekamoose where Mark got a flat, and we went door to door looking for a pump to try to save it.

Lessons learned for Catskill rides:

1. Check your patch kit

2. Take extra CO2

3. Take extra tubes

4. Take a Schrader to Presta valve adapter

Duh. Mark convinced us that it was ok to ride on the rim with a flat; he'd done 20 miles on it and was still rolling his middle grade Bontragers. It says a lot about owning sturdy over ultralight bike components. As a sport rider, I'm sold on sturdy! I swapped Mark's flat for my front, since I had gotten 3 out of the 4 flats. And we began the climb up Peekamoose. I was surprised at how the rim held up. At one point, were all cruising along at 17 mph, which was good for our remaining 25 miles back to Aroma Thyme. We opted to save Red Bush Road for another day, which didn't really reduce the mileage but only elevation gain. Overall, this was an epic adventure ride that will be hard to surpass. But we'll try to next year.

DARK WILDERNESS HORSE 141

Friday night I launched out for Coburn right after work, just like everyone else. Things were moving along, until about 12 miles from the NJ - PA border when I-80 turned into a parking lot. After about 30 minutes of standstill, doors started opening and people started getting out of their cars to gawk at the cars up ahead and prognosticate the root cause of the delay. An hour later, the log jam broke free, and I continued on towards Coburn, PA.

I arrived just before they shut down registration for the night, which was 11PM. Cdubs reserved me a camp spot, but it was too late to go searching. After a hasty meal of Ramen noodles and Endurolytes, I crawled into the bed of my truck for a restful 5 hours of sleep.

The gong sounded and the racers arose from their slumbers. the morning sun revealed that we were surrounded by lush mountains where cougars once roamed; maybe still do. I loaded up with instant oatmeal, black coffee, and prepared for the all the deserved glory that goes with climbing thousands on la bicicletas de una velocidad.

I started easy, and welcomed the first climb because the flats isn't where it's at with a 32x19. I rode easy because I knew, according to the race profile, the test would come at mile 60. I met up with Charles Kline (Team CF), and Eric Nord (Freeze Thaw Cycles), and we were back and forth through the climbs early in the race. Eric was well versed with what was to come on the course, and was giving the low down on the tough sections - thanks man! On one of the long, open double track descents my water bottle popped out of the rib-cage water bottle holder, which was the first time that had ever happened. I don't ride sustained fast descents like that enough, and I started to question the validity of full rigidity. Hindsight being 20/20, I wouldn't have it any other way, but when my kidneys were bouncing around I was apprehensive.

Just as advertised, the pain train started at mile 60. I'm glad I put in those miles on Cannonball with Monte because the single track was kind of like that - rocky! I never really felt great during the race, but I kept the leg cramps at bay and didn't bonk. I stayed steady until the last miles after the long rail trail section. I made the mistake of trying to ride the gnarly Fisherman's trail section. After I fell over a sizable boulder and scraped my fork along the way, I decided to run it. I passed another single speeder, and from his thousand yard stare, he wasn't worried about it. When I passed through the tunnel, with 100 down and 1 to go I pedaled with all I had left. I jumped on the wheel of a geared rider, and cheered him on as we pushed towards the finish. He took 60th and me 61st (11th SS).

I've passed those mountains many times while cruising along I-80, and always gazed into the Pennsylvania Wilds and wondered. Now that I have sweated up into those mountains, I have a quixotic esteem for that wilderness and look forward to our next affair.

One race down, one to go... I met my beloved family, and we made our way back to New York. The logistics were complex, and we didn't get home until 2:30 am - good thing I live only 15 min. from Stewart. I rolled out of bed, applied a generous layer of my son's Budreax's Butt Paste (diaper cream worked great), and jumped into the truck with the bike still on top from the W101. I pulled into the lot, got a VIP parking spot (thanks Rave), and pulled out the tools to swap to a 32x18. When I turned the bike over, I found a bat sleeping under my seat - sorry dude, no riders!

The DH40 has a distinct vibe that no other race has for me. Maybe it's because some of my best mountain biking times were had at Stewart, and I'm about to race another 40 miles there. Like paying homage to the friendships that faded away. No, the vibe is because it's the place to be on the mountain biking scene in the Northeast. Everyone's a rockstar at the Darkhorse 40.

I started slow again, let them all go. I felt pretty good, except for being saddle sore, so I kept pedaling. I love riding at Stewart, and I pretty much zened out. SS MTB bliss. I funneled into the Wishing Well trail hoping to catch sight of any racers in front of me, and there he was! I gave it everything I had to try to pass him. I dabbed on those baby heads in the final seconds, and couldn't catch - 4th place SS. I'm cool with that, and Dark Horse gave me a set of XTR pedals for "being a stud" doing the W101 the day before.

Black Rock

Climb 5000 feet

Over 26 short miles

Saw a fox up there

NECS GRAND FONDO 2011

Many times I have mounted the bicycle to climb into the mountains in adverse conditions that would make boastful men seek shelter, but few compare to this. The men of this ride are true "culo patadas a los machos" and the story of the epic battles ascending Catskill cols will be passed down through generations of my progeny.