Warrior Creek Wrap up (with pictures)

Me and Siggy at the Start

Photo Cred: Erica

Well after the disatourous start. Fine we will call it what is is, operator error for not tightening the darn go-pro screw tight enough to make me drop 45 places right into a traffic jam.  (see you tube video for a recap of that)


The race continued on for me.  I would like to say that lap 2 was easy, but I can't.  I am trying this new thing called "racing" in which means putting forth a little bit more effort to go fast instead of just trying to see how long I can stay on the bike, I am trying to go faster for the same amount of time.  Apparently that is what the winners usually do, pedal faster than me.  Who knew.   I did take my time in the pits area getting everything ready for the second lap. Probably lost more than a few minutes eating food, letting my heart rate down, making sure my pregnant wife wasn't going into labor, you know, the usual things people do on a 6 hour race.

I pushed it and felt pretty good, I kept on passing people who I should have been in front of minus the go-pro incident  with almost no one passing me back.  I kept the pace high (for me) and kept a smile on my face and both wheels on the ground.

Lap 3 was much of the same, minus the passing of people. I kept my motivation up, legs turning and kept attempting the smile but after about hours of tight, fast, twisty singletrack, it wears on your body, and even wears on your mind.  It can be mentally draining to figure out when to pedal, when to change gears, stand, sit, which line to take, use the brakes or hope and pray you didn't take a corner to fast, etc etc.  I also think this is the lap in which I was getting passed by a few select leaders in which I gladly and slowly moved out the way to let them continue going for the win.    I came into the pits with plenty of time to do a 3rd lap, but not enough time to do a 4th.  BMCC keeps on making the trail longer and better so you need to up your game every year to complete the same number of laps, but more miles each time.

Lap four was uneventfull to say teh least.  I kept moving along and seeing people on the side of the trail. Luckily they were all either cramping or bonking (having no energy left).  With very little I could do besides offer up some warm Gatorade or jelly beans, I continue on my way.  I was lucky, I didn't have any cramping issues (at that time) or any food (or lack there of) issues this time.  I think I have finally learned after4 years, what my body can and can't do.  Of course after I say this it will all change.  But next up on the race list is tomorrow, the Rivers Edge Marathon.

This race differs opposed to a timed race as there is a set number of miles to complete as opposed to being able to do one lap and then be finished.  I just got back from a vactation type trip to the midwest for a baby shower and was able to get in some miles, but finding a place to climb was pretty rough...

Warrior creek recap lap one

(please excuse the lack of punctuation as i am writing on a tablet.)

Its been almost two weeks since the rave of all races in the southeast.  I awoke early (ok so the wife had to go to the bathroom and decided that i had enough sleep) so we loaded up the bike and set off for my six hour race.

The goal of this race for me was four laps, or roughly around 55 miles.My gameplan changed from last year.Go out fast and pay for it later. I figured might as well try something new.

I  up towards the back of the pack as i knew I just cant hang with some of the big boys who train multiple days of the week. Cheaters.

I had the go-pro on the handlebars wanting to record first lap pretty the request of some of my co-workers. Little did i know that would be my downfall. I was cruising along the nuetral start and every thing was going good. About two miles of pavement later we hit the first section that leads into the singletrack.  It turned out that I did not tighten the camera enoughon the bars so it turned over on me. In the process of fixing it I lost about sixty places when people v were passing me whilewhile tightening the nut. Dumb move on my part. It meant that I was further bwck than ivwanted to be. It also meant I was  to behind less skilled or slower riders.It makes for a rough twelve miles waiting for others in front of you. I ended up having to wait a few times for others to get back on their bike after attempting to cross some technical parts or wait them quit riding their brakes riding the berms.

So the first lap ended with no incidents and about an hour and fourty minutes ride time. I pull into the pits to see the burrower waiting for me. Ill get to the next laps later and add pictures once i get to a computer.

Its Been too Long....

Since I have done a post.  About 2 months worth.  Ideally I always wanted to do at least one a week, more for my own record of what I am doing to look back at years later and be like "what the %&*$ was I thinking, that was so awesome!"  Also I guess some people actually read this thing hoping for some kind of insight into my ever so exciting life.  Or you meant to type someone else's name into google and mine came up.

Any of those may or my not apply, but at this time I actually do have a lot going on.  Check it out.

Get it?  Do I need to spell it out for you?  Two buns in the oven.  If it took you that long to figure it out, I feel sorry for you as you probably get outsmarted by a 5th grader more often than not.

Thank you Jeff Foxworthy for letting me know that my remedial math and geography skills are just that.  Remedial. 

Most of my time is spent getting ready for those two buns to finish baking.  Should be done sometime in July by all of the doctors predictions.  Until then the burrower has been having the normal pregnancy sickness that hasn't ceased since I placed said buns in said oven.  Meanwhile, my Halo skills have improved remarkably due to her early bedtime and my free time increasing after dark.

This year at the short track races was also an improvement for me personally.  Although I was still at the back of the pack, I was actually at the back of the pack fighting for positions, and not just hanging out waiting for the bootleg beer to show up.  Looking back at it, my lap times improved every week and I felt stronger.  Its the simple things in life for me sometimes

 Photo Cred: The burrower

Photo Cred: Michael Quinn

The way I figure it, I have half a riding season before I have to worry about getting a set of sidecars for the bike.  That may be dangerous on the trail.  So I am making the best of it, especially this week with daylight savings time. I am able to get out and ride after work.  I also have decided to be just a trend behind in the moutain bike world by trying this new 2x10 system.  

What does that mean?  It means only 20 gears instead of 30.  Why do you ask?  I honestly don't know anymore.  They made it so now you only have 11 gears.  I can't keep up with the cool kids.

With 6 Hours of Warrior Creek coming up in less than a month, I figure I better start riding.  What better time to get ready for 6 hours of sitting on a bike than 3 weeks before.  I figure the last minute preparation worked for me in college, might as well try it now.  And just because I bought the picture last year of me at Warrior Creek, I am putting it up again.  Its a picture of me, how can that be bad?

Photo cred: Ryan Sigsbey

Plus this picture is about the only thing that keeps me sane at work, just thinking about falling out of a rock garden on my bike.  Sometimes its the little things that get us through the day.

Hopefully I will be back again before Warrior Creek, but I make no promises. 

short track lap 1 published