12 Hours of Pitch Black Singletrack

(Pic Would Go Here But THEY Want $20 Bucks For It)

The cheerful and recovered author paid the price to get the win at the WEMS 12 Hours of Pitch Black Singletrack.  You see, this 12 hour solo event wasn't quite like the others.  The race started after sunset and finished just after sunrise from 8pm to 8am.  This was a new journey for me despite all of the night hours I've been fortunate enough to ride in the darkness. 

I had to start fast and finish fast all throughout the night and usually I am used to already having good knowledge of the course and have sections already picked out to drink, recover, and hammer to put time into the field.  The race started with the typical run to the bikes where I swear I had to be the last one to get mounted and on my way.  Luckily for me the leadout was flat and long where I picked up at least a dozen spots and passed some of my competitors flying up the first long climb.  I settled into a pace with Tim Bates, who was racing 3 hour solo.  I had my fair share of mistakes on the course while feeling it out and really got frustrated with my tech skills.  I did manage to settle down and began to start tilting my line of sight upward and that seemed to make a difference.  All too often you get caught looking at your front wheel and where you don't want to go as opposed to looking ahead and where you do want your bike to go. 

The rest of the first lap went okay and got a sense of what sections will be hike a bike due to keeping the bike in working order and also to save energy.  My lights were almost ridiculous and really didn't have a need for bar and helmet light and powered one off completely and the other was only on at half output.

I made a plan in those first few laps as I caught and passed several others out there on the trail that I would only be making two stops.  The first would happen 4 hours into it to switch batteries and took advantage of the time to drink some boost and eat a banana.  The same would take place on the 8th hour where I drank two boosts, ate a banana, took some ibuprofen for the my ailing knee.  I dealt with the annoying soreness of my right knee for as long as I could handle it, but as would go with any bout with tendonitis it got to the point where I couldn't turn the cranks.  At about hour 10 the sun tried to sneek a peek over the horizon and I discovered that I could make the knee work as long as I continued to pedal.  This became really difficult while decending and the pain on the upcoming climbs would be insane to the point of almost being unable to make it up the climb.  The first sustained climb on each lap never hurt as I could pedal all the way to the beginning stretch of it, but some of the others you rolled into the climb and the sharp pain would get worse and worse.

Laps came and went and by the time I came around for the 12 lap I had it under wraps, but now it became a sense of pride and sticking it out for another lap and only finished about 6 minutes off the pace of my first one.  I came across the finish line as the winner traveling 89 miles at night in 11 hours and 33 minutes.  Now it's time to get some at cheq fat.  I have big plans for that race as we have a history.  Who is up for a blizzard challenge?

Wausau24 Part 2 Looking Back and Time for Breakfast

A blog I wrote on July 27, 2009 shortly after the titled "24-9 A Catastrophic Failure" ran its course as did the short lived battle with mono, I ended that post with "Redemption will be the word to describe 2010!"  Little did I know how real that statement would become.  As I ponder and gather my thoughts of what the night laps had in store for me I now realized that I am getting better and better with each passing 24 solo event and that sickening feeling holds off longer and longer each time I do one.  I hope at one point I wont get the weird dizzy spells and naucious feelings, maybe next year? 

Anyway, the night laps went pretty well.  I would have good laps where I cleaned each section with ease, but there were times where others kicked up rocks and dislodged logs and I wisely jumped off to save myself and my bike.  A fog started settling in but my lights were doing the trick.  I was quite pleased with the performance of my light setup and the burn time.  I came and went through the pits the only time I sat was when it was time to change batteries so killing 2 birds with one stone seemed appropriate and I was still in the right frame of mind that I could sit and not quit.  I continued to click off laps and then the big one came.  at around 5:30 or so I became very dizzy and sick to my stomach I thought I was going to get sick, but I did lay down for a little while, made a visit to the bathroom and got back out there.  I wasn't sure what to expect but the lap times of the last three laps were pretty good and rivaled that of my late afternoon lap times.  Then out of nowhere my wife shows up with coffee and that was exactly what I needed and I finished pretty strong.  I wasn't completely destroyed at the finish but was looking forward to having some RedEye goodness added to mix. 

I was quite pleased with the outcome this year at the Wausau24, but will look to continue my improvement into next year as I will be back and looking to improve on my top 5 finish.  The most important thing, I raised roughly $1,200 for the Wissbroecker family.  I am very thankful for all the help this year.  Jason kept the bottles filled and the lights charged, John from Sprocketz supplied more than I asked and was a great supporter for the fundraiser.  Of course my wife for putting up with my training antics and supplying coffee in the early morning hours.  Kevin at RedEye for the post race brew.  Thanks to Muddy Paws for resurrecting a race and doing an excellent job I only hope it continues to be as successful if not more in years to come.  Matt designed a killer course can't wait to see what's in store for 2011. 

Now it's onto some wems races and cheq fat.  After that I will continue to work on my trails in Bradley Park and work on getting two races scheduled to occur there hopefully in 2011.

Wausau24 Part 1 Racing the Sunset

I am not sure what it is about 24 hour racing that keeps me coming back for more, but it takes a strange and rare breed to get excited about sitting in the saddle for over 24 hours.  During a race like this you can go from high heat and humidity to cold and rainy at any given moment.  Rocks become slippery after being ridden over by hundreds of different tires.  Roots become slippery, rocks and logs become dislodged and branches come out of nowhere to slap you in the face.  Day turns into night and corners become blind.  As the 12 hour racers finish, you see less and less people and you find yourself imagining things and at times talking or even singing to yourself.  The air becomes chilled and some fog sets in and you can't tell the difference from the fog or dust.  Bats from above diving down all around you as you jump in and out of the singletrack. As each stop through solo row goes by I feel a little better each time until at one moment it all goes south and a break was much needed before things turned for the worst.  I rested and shook off the stomach bug, drank some coffee and rode into the sunrise.  I managed to get in a few more laps and at a pace that rivaled that of my early afternoon laps some 18 hours earlier.  I began my last lap and took each section one at a time saying to myself  "this is the last time through this section and that section"

This years' Wausau24 was something I will not soon forget.

With the new sherrif in town organizing the race after the epic fail of a certain east coast promoter.  The event was in great hands with Adam Schmidt, Josh Halverson, and course designer extrodinare, Matt Block.  These guys did a hell of a job and without charging an arm and leg.  I am looking forward to doing this all over again in 2011 as I complete my transformation to a 24 hour racer.

I set up my pit along solo row once again and began to get everything set up and ready for the race.  Jason had my bottles set to go and was helping with the fundraising efforts prior to the race getting started.  I was really expecting and hoping for some great things this year as I was helping a friend (Tim Wissbroecker) with his mounting expenses stemming from a hit and run accident that left him with multiple fractures and other damages that will take an exstensive time to heal.  After suiting up and doing a quick interview with a local news station I applied a healthy dose of chamois butter and jogged to the start line, it was time to get some. 

I was glad to see so many familiar faces and some old friends that have previously boycotted the race.  The pre-race chatter was so loud that we couldn't hear the national anthem or the countdown.  Before we knew it the time was here to run to our bikes.  I stayed comfortable and jogged easily to my Mamasita, which proved hard to find considering the amount of them at the race and even having the green Ergons.  I found my bike though and continued on my lap.  I tried to keep my pace and not worry about the team riders busting out of the gates as I know that I had over 24 hours to ride my bike and it does me no good to push the pace this early on.  The only regret came in the form to the entrance to #3 the first time across Redbud Road where I got stuck in a log jam of sorts on the first rock garden and again on #1.  Across Redbud again and into #6 things began to string out a little bit and I was getting a rhythm going.  The doubletrack to HoChi was still wet which made the climb up HoChi really interesting to say the least as I've seen so many different lines through the rocks, but I used my typical line through that section and through #12 and was home free for lap 1.  Lap 2  started off with me and a few others taking the wrong turn into the first section of singletrack, but I had Brett in front of me leading the way through singletrack and made up all of the time we lost as that dude can ride the hell out of singletrack.  from the top of the gravel climb and out by checkpoint charlie I began to have conversations with Scott Cole as he was helping his brother Mark along to his 8th place finish in the 12 solo (nice job Mark).  I mean out of nowhere he would show up and keep telling me to stay consistent and that is a phrase that stuck with me all day long. I had a couple of bad laps somewhere during the normal lunch hour time I would take on 12 hour race, but I remembered to eat more at that time and not stop and luckily there was some tylenol around to help with the correllating headache.  I got back some of the time lost while being in a funk and I was bridged up shortly to Salsa Pro Danielle Musto.  We continued to chat during the next couple of laps which was refreshing considering I've been kind of bored riding by myself for a few laps prior to that, but when I stopped to get my lights she continued on to her pit and that would be the last we would see of each other till the awards as she took the 1st place spot on the box in the womens 12 solo (great job Danielle).  Now it was nightfall and this is when things began to get quite interesting.

To Be Continued.......

It's All About the Big Picture

Levis 100 strikes again.  I am now 0-3 at this race and am thinking of staying away from that place for awhile as nothing good happens there....for me anyways.

I started off great and moved with ease to where I wanted to go.  I then got caught up by some junk riding that forced me off my bike 3 times in the first lap.  The start of the second lap I put some air in the tires based on the fact that I was rimming out a little too easily.  The very start of the third lap is where all hell broke loose and upon entering the first section of singletrack I picked up a stick and snapped off the derailure hanger.  My day was done after that, but I did manage to salvage the day by getting out on the mountain bay for another 40 miles.  Luckily for me I still managed to get in 6 hours of riding just as the coach ordered.

This race was a dissapointment, but all in all it's about the big picture and riding as many laps as I can for Tim Wissbroecker and his family.  The more laps I complete the more I can hopefully give them.  So if you are interested in pledging or even just a regular donation I wont turn you away plus you gain entry into a raffle from the great people at:

Bigby Coffee of Wausau
Sprocketz Bike Shop of Weston
RedEye Brewing Company of Wausau

All you need to do is send me the following to mtbkr81[at]gmail.com

Name:
Address:
Phone Number:
$ Pledge per lap:
$ Maximum:

Here is the news story about my quest and personal tie to Tim and this type of accident:

Thanks to everyone for their donations and support see you at Wausau24.

Ramping up to Wausau24

As I get closer to the Summer Formal of 24 hour racing here in the Midwest I am slowly learning more about my strengths and weaknesses by riding with the fast and the furious from right here in Wausau to those speed demons from Duluth.  I have found what I need to work on just in time to have a final test before Wausau24 by facing some past demons at the Levis 100.

This race has seemed to hand my arse to me year after year.  The first time I made it to that race was in 2008 and I had just come down with the flu in which I only managed to make it for 4 of the 8 laps.  2009 I was determined to get my revenge and come home with the win but I had been already plagued by mono up to that point unknowingly and was extremely sick before crossing the line in which I at least finished.  I am hoping for a strong appearance this year as it would be only two weeks out from my last 24 solo attempt for an unknown amount of time.

Needless to say I am ready for Levis after a hard workout at the underdown and I will be ready for Wausau24.  So let it be known I am ready to GET SOME!

Louis Garneau "The Review"

Louis Garneau TRAIL X-GRIP SHOES

About the shoe: 

This is actually their level MTB shoe and has two single straps that merge into a wider one for more power transfer. Removable crampons under the toes and a heel retention system make this shoe a practical and affordable solution.

Approximate weight (size 41/1 shoe): 308 g/11 oz

First thoughts were based on the price range and at an msrp of $84.99 I wasn't sure if I was going to get the performance to rival that of the Sidi's and Specialized BG shoes.  The design was simple and for me it didn't include a ratchet strap that seem to fail on me after a year or so on most shoes i've tried in the past.  The loop on the back I wasn't really fond of I honestly thought I was going to catch it on something, but that has not yet happened.  I was worried at first about only having two velcro straps but the width of the top strap made for a tight yet comfortable fit.  Even in wet muddy or dry and sandy conditions I never felt the velcro loosen up.   The cleat track is durable and stiff but not to the point of being unable to run in them and they clear mud quite well.  The design of the toe box is interesting and while I didn't see anything up front to protect it from the elements and damage from bouncing off rocks amongst other things it's held up very well after 4 wors races, 3 12 hour races, and multiple mountain bay rides in all conditions from the wet rain and snow to the dry and dusty.  I am very happy with the performance of these shoes and at this price there is no possible way you can go wrong especially if you don't like the ratchet strapping.

(short version pictured)

Louis Garneau MEN ALVEO 3K BIB

About These Bib Shorts: 

The mesh look-a-like construction of the Alveo 3K Bibshorts provides ventilation and the ability to recover its shape although it has been stretched.  Airzone chamois is super ventilated with memory foam that maintains density.

DETAILS:

• Ergonomic fit
• 10 panels
• No seams inside legs
• Flatlocks
• Powerband
• Front reflector
• Back and bottom reflective logos
• Airzone Chamois

I normally don't go the route of a bib short I just didn't like the feel in the past but I'd figure I would give it one more chance and I am glad I did and with a bib at an msrp of $119.99  It is well ahead of it's competition at the pricepoint.  Fabric felt heavy at first but the mesh like material allows the short to breath with ease and very comfortable.  I was very impressed with the airzone chamois in one major aspect in that the beveled edges really made a difference by not pinching your skin as you move in the saddle as you pedal at a high cadence.  A nice touch to add to this as well would be the lack of seams on the inside of the short and the "powerband" got rid of that ever so annoying gel bead at the end of the leg.  The only thing I didn't like and I may just need to get used to this is how high the material goes above the waistband and I thought it would get too warm but didn't notice a change except to the slimming of my midsection.....hahahahaha.   I am loving these shorts, but I have to keep reminding myself that I still need to use some chamois butter despite how comfortable these bibs are. 

For more info go to www.louisgarneau.com

Order through John at Sprocketz here in Weston!!!!

WEMS #2 Stump Farm 100

Photo By Mark Schindel

I'll start off by saying that I wasn't sure what to expect.  The weather up to Sunday morning had been well short of amazing even by rain forest standards, but if history says anything about the Reforestation Camp, this place could hold water on monsoon like levels, which is a complete contrast from what the Adventure 212 guys went through in Ohio this past weekend.  The weather when I left for the venue was fine with even some sun here and there and that basically lasted till I got to highway 41 when it poured like crazy really till I got to the camp.  The setup was very much different from the past and without lapping through the same route as done in past.

We lined up for the start and the field was not short of competition and even with Tim sprinting to a top 5 finish at the Dirty Kanza, I still had to contend with the usual suspects plus with the addition of Carlos, Mike and Trevor this was surely going to be a hard fought event.

The start ran in the opposite direction down the new wet single track and then out on the ski trails backwards to the main gravel two track.  I got off the line out front and was first to the bike.  I was quickly joined by Carlos and clearly he can ride singletrack smoother than I can so I held is wheel and jumped ahead going into the first section to buy a few minutes of time and once it opened up he regained the lead and we rode out the better half of the first lap wheel to wheel until I bobbled a section and lost my momentum for little bit.  I thought at this stage in the game it was early and maybe, hopefully, he would come back to me later on  and really I should have stuck with him as our lap times were almost the same averaged out over the last 4 laps so yeah I screwed up a little bit so I settled into a pace in which I felt most comfortable and was caught by Mike Curtes and we rode in through the lap area chit chatting a bit about how fun that course was backwards.

I kept my pace where I thought it needed to be and began concentrating on riding smooth and efficient and basically that's what I did for next few hours. Lap 3 I was already encountering lapped traffic and  Lap 4 I came in for new bottles and took to the course again without hesitation.  I started feeling pretty damn good so I began my attack and really my approach was to pass every rider ahead of as if it were a fellow 100 miler and this pace continued on as I came through lap 8 even though I dropped my chain while climbing some singletrack.

It's strange what goes on in your head during a race like this.  Today I was paranoid that my bike was going to break and that Mike would catch me so in an effort to fend off those demons I stopped for more bottles and this time I lubed my chain quickly and glanced for loose twigs and such in the derailure, pedals and cassette.  I ripped out of there like a James "Bubba" Stewart starting a Moto X race with every intention of testing these tired legs and "build some character" I pulled out a couple of my best laps  (minus the pit stop) and rolled in 2nd place at 7 hours and 5 minutes.  This was probably in my eyes the best race I had where I didn't win because of the hard pace I sustained and then the increased effort that I didn't know I had towards the end.

Photo By Mark Schindel

WORS #4 Sunburst Slowdown
With a very difficult training week in store I wasn't expecting much but it did have some climbing so I thought I could sustain enough for a top half finish.        WRONG!

I took off from the back and got hung up in a crash that occurred early on before the initial loop even got underway.  Then to top it off, I got caught up in another mess on the singletrack climb where I was reaching for every branch trying to keep myself from unclipping but it just wouldn't hold off and I jumped off the bike while Scanley, Mark, Bill, Dan and Jesse all got away and again I was off the back. Now I am getting pissed off at this point and really just cruised around for the first lap.  The second lap I hit the reset switch and attacked as best as I could with my flat as hell legs and busted up that climb.  I started reeling riders in one by one and thought I did a good job, but that was not the case.  Too much early on putzing around really cost me some valuable time.

Next up is the 12 Hours of John Muir.  I've loved this course the last couple of times I've done it and am looking to improve on my 9th place finish from last year and looking back at my lap times, there should be no reason why I can't get back to my 2008 2nd place performance, but the new course has me quite curious and with the weather that place doesn't hold water all that well and gets very sticky.

After that I have the Subaru Cup XC and Short Track followed by a much needed break before heading to Levis to get some revenge on that course.  I have unfinished business with that race let's put it that way shall we.