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

Becoming a Clydesdale

The past few months have been just a whirlwind of activity and traveling.  Me and the burrower went to New York City as she had never been and wanted to see the Big Apple (Ill give anyone who knows the origin of that nickname 4 street cred points if they post the answer).  This started my downfall, or I guess it would be upfall of the scale.  We did get to see some cool stuff. 

We might need to rethink our vacation plans when walking behind guys in haz-mat suits

Theres just to many pictures to post, but it was an exciting fun trip and thanks to my aunt and uncle who let us stay with them to save a little bit of cash.  But this trip also produced way to many trips to the kielbasa and gyro carts which litter the city.  But they were sure good.


2 weeks later was a surprise party for my best friend and his son (who also happens to be my godson).  This meant traveling again up to Chicago.  Because it was a surprise I couldn't see him before the party which sucked, but luckily Chuck was there to kill a few hours and help me finish a pizza.

 Now this is a place that knows how to make a pizza

Yup, this was another fun filled bad decision making long weekend in which took its toll on me.  Espcially having my flight cancelled and being stuck in the airport for 5 hours and then about 4 hours of sleep in a crappy hotel to compensate for it. 

The Boys of 2016 Gaines

Bunny ears, its what grownups do when not taking shots

 Only dropped him once, not to shabby

Anyway, with all the traveling and lack of daylight after I get off work, the holiday pounds are starting to pile up, and espeically with all the holiday and work parties that I am obligated to attended.  Ok, not obligated, I just hear "Bar" and that is usually enough to get me to go.

I do have a makeshift paincave set up and ready to go.

But I usually just end up riding and watching Gilmore Girls.  At which point I go eat about a pound of chocolate afterwards.  Haven't quite figured out why yet though.   Anyway, just watch out, I'm coming for you Mutt in the short track series.

Happy Thanksgiving

I just want to say to everyone what I am thankful for. 

The Burrower for always being there for me, and to let me be me

Family, blood related and not

Friends who would do anything at the drop of a hat if asked.

Good health for myself and everyone listed above

A job in which lets me enjoy my lifestyle.

Having the freedom to pursue anything I was to do.

Happy Thanksgiving everybody.

Annual Trike Race

I dont really have that much to post about, not going to make anything up.  But here is the link for my companies annual tricycle race for charity.  We raised $1.5 million dollars this year.  Yup, thats right, full size adults riding kid size bikes.  Makes for an interesting video.  Enjoy.

Final Race(s) of the season

I wish I had some witty or funny remarks to make fun of some people on the whole interweb thingy, but not this time.  This time its a wrap up from my last race and a half of the season.  Not that coming in an hour after the leaders is much of a race report, but a finish is a finish.

The last race was the point to point race in Wilkesboro, Shriners Run. 

38 miles of fun.  I wont bore you with all the details, but I put forth a personal effort this time not to just be content to finish.  I actually had bouts of "racing" and not just cruising along. Could have I gone faster? Probably, I made the mistake of not checking my bike the night before as I did emergency repairs to tighten lose spokes last minute.  Also, a fast slow leak (yeah, you read that right) required the stopping every 45 minutes to put air in the tire that wouldn't hold air.  And I was to lazy to put the intertube in.  If you need to know one thing about Wilkesboro trails, its your tires need air because the berms require it, otherwise your wheels sounds like a dying beaver when you try to corner.

Like I said, not trying to bore you with details, but I put forth effort, happy with the time considering the circumstances, and learned a few more things. Enough said

And finally, my last half race (I did say race and a half at the beginning in case you werent paying attention) was the annual tricycle race at work.  This is a charity event in which my company over the course of a month raised about 1.2 million dollars between employees and company match.  Whats funnier than one adult size person riding a tricycles.  37 teams of 4.

I'm still working on the video, but we were the "Avengers".  If your going to ride a trike, might as well give the half assed effort for dressing up in a costume.

Photo cred: Sarah

I had to work it up for the crowd.  Thats Captain America behind me (originally from Ghana), but thats part of the fun.

Working on editing the video of the GoPro while on the trike, I can give you a hint of things to come, lot of crotch shots.

Maybe I should keep the wings on the helmet too...might make me faster, just a thought.

Revenge...well sort of, its on the internet so it doesn't really count

It seems to think that some people are ok to make fun of in blog form. (Read this to get the full, poorly written story)  Well, that said person, not going to name names, (Big Dave) wanted to take the teenage girl route and make fun of me on the internet for not being able to go on a camping/biking trip.  Little does he know that I am a dangerous foe as I have a lot of free time to sit around and think of ways to get back at him.

First off, Big Dave…..isn’t big.  There.  I said it, everyone was thinking it, and I had to get it out in the open.   In fact, he is actually hiding behind this guy right here.

2^nd.  He isn’t that bright.  With all the technology out there, he can’t figure out how to change gears on a bicycle and insist on that it’s the new “bees knees”.  Sorry Dave, that phrase hasn’t been used in about 3 years, so your late to that party as well. 

3^rd.  I asked him if he wanted to race this weekend at the Shriners Run in Wilksboro.  This race occurs on the Epic Trails list and encompasses 37 miles of the singletrack goodness tackling Dark Mountain, OVT, and Warrior Creek.  Each of them worthy of a race by themselves, but put together, an unstoppable force of fun and smiles and giggling like a hyena at a comedy club.   

Unfortunately, he has “plans” this weekend and can’t make it.  But all I heard was “I’m too scared of fun”

 

4^th and finally, he used “the Hoff”.  This is an illegal move in all accounts. Now granted it was Knight Rider Hoff and not Baywatch Hoff, so he does get partial credit, but it still is a shot below the belt. 

In other news, I just had my final 30^th birthday.  Angry mom and dad showed up on Friday.  On Saturday I took them to the White Water Center to show them some of the fun in which me and the burrower have had there.  I think they really enjoyed watching people fall off the rafts and get close to drowning.  I mean who wouldn’t?

That night all my friends came over and we shared in a nice keg, watching football,  bullshiting, and playing some washers in the  garage. 

And finally my demise, the burrower got me a Garmen GPS for my birthday.  This thing is going to be the death of me as I keep trying to ride faster and beat my previous times.  I know, heartbreaking right? Hopefully some good will come out of this new-fangled technology.  So almost done with the year and it looks just like one final race report is coming, you have been warned.

Only a few weeks late...

On a wrap up from my first actual road race.  Technically it was a duatholon, which fits in closer to the tri-athalon family with rules and regulations and such.  Any way since I didn't feel like running a total of 8k, I hooked up with one of my co-workers Moxley, aka, Sinful a week before to do the run portion while I decided to ride my bicycle. 



Although we are both in decent shape for our respective events, we didn't put a whole lot of thought into actually preparing for this type of event.  He was a track runner by trade, one lap around and I think he hopped over things occasionally too, but that does not prepare him to just get up and decide to run a 5k to start and 3k to finish. 

I am a mountain biker by trade, just started getting into the roadie stuff, only because I needed a way to consistently get 50 miles in to prepare for the Battle of the Carolina's race. 

 Getting ready for battle

 Moxley took off like a bat out of hell for the first run which was a 5k.  He turned in a respectable sub 30 minute lap time.  Not to shabby for an out of practice sprinter.

I then took off for my 25k bike ride. 

I passed a lot of people.  But to be fair, I didn't run a 5k before hopping on the bike either.  On the other hand, I didn't warm up at all and was hurting the first couple of miles as I also made the mistake of riding like heck right out of the gate.  It was actually a very challenging course, a lot of steep short hills.  I have learned that I do not like my road bike gearing as I tended to not have enough gears going downhill which would have lessened my time.  Also, towards the end, I ended up running into traffic, no not other riders traffic, I mean vehicle traffic.  The cars couldn't pass the slower riders, and I couldn't pass the cars.  It was a vicious cycle. 

I came in fast and handed off the timing chip to Moxley who then cruised the last 3k run real quick. 

Turns out that we were the only entrants in the duo-male catagory so we took 1st place.  Even if there were other people, we still would have taken 1st.  After looking at the split, I took 30th fastest bike time out of over 100 people.  I probably would have broken top 25 if I hadnt hit all the cars on the way back.  Not to shabby for a mountain bike guy.

Maybe next year I will do the race with the burrower in the duo-category again.  She will run, I will ride, and then we drink.  Sounds like a plan.  Anyone else want to give us a run for the money next year?