Check out my XC -type ride at Rutland State Forest. Rutland has a rail trail with several trail off shoots. Some are very fast (like in the video) and some are technical (not shown). Others are old jeep roads and dike maintenance roads in the Barre Dam flood zone. This is a great place to ride for the beginner to intermediate mt biker or for tempo and fartlek rides. Enjoy!
Thursday, July 31, 2014
Video Rutlan trails before they closed
Some fun at Rutland State Forest
Check out my XC -type ride at Rutland State Forest. Rutland has a rail trail with several trail off shoots. Some are very fast (like in the video) and some are technical (not shown). Others are old jeep roads and dike maintenance roads in the Barre Dam flood zone. This is a great place to ride for the beginner to intermediate mt biker or for tempo and fartlek rides. Enjoy!
Check out my XC -type ride at Rutland State Forest. Rutland has a rail trail with several trail off shoots. Some are very fast (like in the video) and some are technical (not shown). Others are old jeep roads and dike maintenance roads in the Barre Dam flood zone. This is a great place to ride for the beginner to intermediate mt biker or for tempo and fartlek rides. Enjoy!
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
2014 12 hrs of Millstone race recap
2014 12 hrs of Millstone Race Recap
Saturday, July 26th, 2014 was my second 12 hr solo attempt at the 12 hrs of Millstone (race web page). I had come back to break my personal record set in 2013 where I had completed 7 laps in 9 hours and 15 minutes before my body decided that it had had enough and basically cramped from my foot to my neck to let me know it was done. This year I was determined to ride more then 7 laps and more then 9 hrs or whichever came first.
The course at Millstone weaves and winds through 6.5 miles of trail that skirts along multiple abandoned quarries that were dug about a hundred years ago to pull the granite from the mountain (race course). Throughout the forest there are tons of slag piles that reach as high as several hundred feet and several quarry ponds. Nature has reclaimed this area and one could be walking through a thick pine forest only to stumble upon a huge hole in the ground filled with water and flanked by steep granite cliffs. It is a very unique and amazing place.
The area is situated in Barre, VT, at the top of a hill. The race venue utilizes a large field for camping and support tent set up and offers a great place for camping with fantastic Vermont views, and excellent star gazing at night. The course itself doesn't seem to be that steep (at least for the first few laps) but does have about 800 feet of climbing over the 6.5 miles. The elevation gain is sneaky though and really starts to wear on you over the course of the day. The trails are technical, a lot of roots and rocks, and tight, flowy single track. However, the course makes for some excellent mt biking, but is not for the beginner or even intermediate rider.
I got to the field on a Friday evening and picked a spot for my tent and set up. I had a nice dinner and registered and mingled with fellow riders, but not for very long. I was eager to get a good night's rest as I knew I was about to endure a very tough and punishing course. I went to sleep by 9pm and slept a solid 9 hrs. When I awoke I put my race number on my bike and realized that I was #12. A good sign as I was a solo rider, attempting to ride for 12 hrs.
The race started promptly at 9 am. The weather was a little humid, but not too warm. The high for the day was predicted to be in the 80's but the majority of the course would be in the forest so I was not worried. My strategy was to complete 2 consecutive laps and stop at the end of the second lap long enough to eat solid food and do some stretches to avoid the cramps from last year. I relied on a Gu pack every hour and 2 endurolyte salt pills every hour, on the hour.
The first 4 laps went very well. I had consistent times and felt really good. The 5th lap started to hurt, and the 6th lap was my low point. At the end of my 6th lap I took a 20 minute break eating some soup that my camp neighbors were kind enough to provide and to stretch. By this point I had been riding my bike for over 6 hours and had experienced significant elevation gain. My legs were starting to feel awful and my back was one giant knot. I had decided to stop after every lap going forward. I still had plenty of time though to attempt to break my record.
7 rhymes with heaven, but my 7th lap was the lap from hell. Nothing seemed to go right on this lap. I was making very dumb mistakes in regards to my race lines. I crashed into a small tree on one of my miscalculations and I felt like I was pedaling in slow motion. By this lap I had consumed far too many Gus then I care to remember and this was the lap that my gastro-intestinal system decided to mutiny. It wanted nothing more to do with Gu, yet I had to somehow find the courage to down yet another packet. The Gu on the 7th lap felt like the consistency of tar by this point and tasted like old bubblegum, like the kind you find stuck to a chair in an old movie theater. I was slow and I was starting to feel like crap, and I was having trouble seeing the trail in front of me. I felt dizzy and faint and for the first time I started to think about how nice it would be to stop.
When I finished my 7th lap I stretched for a solid 10 minutes next to my tent. I changed my glasses lens to clear because it was starting to get darker in the shadier parts of the woods. There was 4 hours left to the race at this point. I had been on the bike for 8 hrs and was starting to feel it. I gathered enough strength to commit to an 8th lap. My 8th lap started good. I was feeling strong and was feeling happy that I was breaking my PR, but after the first steep hill I lost my momentum. From that point on I walked every single hill, including the small and not steep ones. I was gassed, completely exhausted, but determined to finish the lap strong, and dare I even think it? Attempt a 9th lap? I got through the 8th lap, but it was one of my slowest. When I crossed the race tent I decided that 8 would be enough for the day. There were about 2 hours left to the race, and I could have tried a 9th lap, but I was exhausted, and I would have had to race with lights, and I had other races coming up and the risk of an injury at this point was just too great.
When I finished, I had completed 8 laps. I rode my bike for 9 hrs and 50 minutes. I had covered 60 miles of very technical and punishing single track and had climbed 7,500 feet of elevation. I put my bike down and sat on the ground, then laid on the ground and just didn't move. My legs were numb, my stomach was feeling very weird (with a slight nausea), my back was destroyed, and my arms were shot. I got up to get some finisher BBQ, took 4 steps and literally crashed to the ground. The world was spinning, and I felt like I was going to pass out and puke at the same time. I took about 30 minutes of my time just lying on the ground and eventually (and slowly) got up and ate 2 plates of BBQ. I took a shower at the open facility across the street and then grabbed a beer and waited for the race award's to hear how the other solo's and teams performed.
At night I could see every star in the sky, and even saw the faint white band of the milky way, as well as several shooting stars and satellites reflecting sunlight form orbit. I crawled into my tent with a huge smile and sense of accomplishment. My body was sore as hell, but my spirit was soaring. I came to break my PR and that is exactly what I did. I overcame extreme adversity and suffering to do what I love and I was very grateful for it.
Saturday, July 26th, 2014 was my second 12 hr solo attempt at the 12 hrs of Millstone (race web page). I had come back to break my personal record set in 2013 where I had completed 7 laps in 9 hours and 15 minutes before my body decided that it had had enough and basically cramped from my foot to my neck to let me know it was done. This year I was determined to ride more then 7 laps and more then 9 hrs or whichever came first.
 |
| Granite slag piles as high as a mountain in the middle of a forest |
The area is situated in Barre, VT, at the top of a hill. The race venue utilizes a large field for camping and support tent set up and offers a great place for camping with fantastic Vermont views, and excellent star gazing at night. The course itself doesn't seem to be that steep (at least for the first few laps) but does have about 800 feet of climbing over the 6.5 miles. The elevation gain is sneaky though and really starts to wear on you over the course of the day. The trails are technical, a lot of roots and rocks, and tight, flowy single track. However, the course makes for some excellent mt biking, but is not for the beginner or even intermediate rider.
I got to the field on a Friday evening and picked a spot for my tent and set up. I had a nice dinner and registered and mingled with fellow riders, but not for very long. I was eager to get a good night's rest as I knew I was about to endure a very tough and punishing course. I went to sleep by 9pm and slept a solid 9 hrs. When I awoke I put my race number on my bike and realized that I was #12. A good sign as I was a solo rider, attempting to ride for 12 hrs.
The first 4 laps went very well. I had consistent times and felt really good. The 5th lap started to hurt, and the 6th lap was my low point. At the end of my 6th lap I took a 20 minute break eating some soup that my camp neighbors were kind enough to provide and to stretch. By this point I had been riding my bike for over 6 hours and had experienced significant elevation gain. My legs were starting to feel awful and my back was one giant knot. I had decided to stop after every lap going forward. I still had plenty of time though to attempt to break my record.
7 rhymes with heaven, but my 7th lap was the lap from hell. Nothing seemed to go right on this lap. I was making very dumb mistakes in regards to my race lines. I crashed into a small tree on one of my miscalculations and I felt like I was pedaling in slow motion. By this lap I had consumed far too many Gus then I care to remember and this was the lap that my gastro-intestinal system decided to mutiny. It wanted nothing more to do with Gu, yet I had to somehow find the courage to down yet another packet. The Gu on the 7th lap felt like the consistency of tar by this point and tasted like old bubblegum, like the kind you find stuck to a chair in an old movie theater. I was slow and I was starting to feel like crap, and I was having trouble seeing the trail in front of me. I felt dizzy and faint and for the first time I started to think about how nice it would be to stop.
When I finished my 7th lap I stretched for a solid 10 minutes next to my tent. I changed my glasses lens to clear because it was starting to get darker in the shadier parts of the woods. There was 4 hours left to the race at this point. I had been on the bike for 8 hrs and was starting to feel it. I gathered enough strength to commit to an 8th lap. My 8th lap started good. I was feeling strong and was feeling happy that I was breaking my PR, but after the first steep hill I lost my momentum. From that point on I walked every single hill, including the small and not steep ones. I was gassed, completely exhausted, but determined to finish the lap strong, and dare I even think it? Attempt a 9th lap? I got through the 8th lap, but it was one of my slowest. When I crossed the race tent I decided that 8 would be enough for the day. There were about 2 hours left to the race, and I could have tried a 9th lap, but I was exhausted, and I would have had to race with lights, and I had other races coming up and the risk of an injury at this point was just too great.
When I finished, I had completed 8 laps. I rode my bike for 9 hrs and 50 minutes. I had covered 60 miles of very technical and punishing single track and had climbed 7,500 feet of elevation. I put my bike down and sat on the ground, then laid on the ground and just didn't move. My legs were numb, my stomach was feeling very weird (with a slight nausea), my back was destroyed, and my arms were shot. I got up to get some finisher BBQ, took 4 steps and literally crashed to the ground. The world was spinning, and I felt like I was going to pass out and puke at the same time. I took about 30 minutes of my time just lying on the ground and eventually (and slowly) got up and ate 2 plates of BBQ. I took a shower at the open facility across the street and then grabbed a beer and waited for the race award's to hear how the other solo's and teams performed.
At night I could see every star in the sky, and even saw the faint white band of the milky way, as well as several shooting stars and satellites reflecting sunlight form orbit. I crawled into my tent with a huge smile and sense of accomplishment. My body was sore as hell, but my spirit was soaring. I came to break my PR and that is exactly what I did. I overcame extreme adversity and suffering to do what I love and I was very grateful for it.
Sunday, July 20, 2014
Video LSF in mid summer
Wanted to share a video (music by Basement Jaxx, "Raindrops") from one of my favorite mountain biking spots in Massachusetts. Leominster State Forest (http://www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/dcr/massparks/region-central/leominster-state-forest.html). LSF as it's called has something to offer every rider from the beginner to the expert (http://www.singletracks.com/bike-trails/leominster-state-forest.html). NEMBA has done a great job of building and maintaining the trails here and some of the more expert level single track will literally take your breath away (adrenaline surges are funny like that). Here is a copy of the trail map too (http://www.hikenewengland.com/images/LeominsterStateForestMA.pdf).
Thursday, July 17, 2014
2014 Wildcat Epic race recap
June 28th, 2014 Wild Cat Epic
I was in Mt biking bliss once I got to the Lundy section. It was such a treat to have this in the race. The trails were very tight, smooth, flowy, roller coasters with lots of S turns and you really had to balance your line properly but if you did, it was a blast!
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Another turn at the Wildcat Epic. I did last year's 100 km that featured hours and hours of rain, peanut butter-like mud, apple orchards of death, and a general feeling of wet misery and doom. I managed to finish it last year (barely) at 8 and a half hours. It was certainly challenging, but also in a great spot (the Shawangunk range in New York).
This year's 100k race featured a course redesign and riding in both the Lippman park area and Lundy estate in the southern portion of the Catskill mountains. We also lucked out weather wise: there was no rain, and the temperatures actually went as high as 87!
My race was a very awesome experience,
but also a very tough one! The race started at 6:45 am so at least the first couple of hours were comfortable, after that it got balmy. The parts
of the course that were exposed to the sun were hot but luckily most
of the course was in the woods.
I finished very strong with a good race overall and really enjoyed the challenge and difficulty and adventure that the course provided.
It was hilly. The total elevation
gained over the 63 miles was 6,500 feet. When I recall the
course I don't remember any flat sections (elevation profile: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/5121378
). There was one section of about 17 miles that we rode that
was some of the best single track I've been able to ride during a
race; it was so much fun! The guys at Renegade mt bike club have done a phenomenal job at building the trails at Lundy. if you get a chance to get there, don't miss these trails!!! (http://www.bikekinetix.com/t_ny/ny_county/lippman_park_trails.php).
I was in Mt biking bliss once I got to the Lundy section. It was such a treat to have this in the race. The trails were very tight, smooth, flowy, roller coasters with lots of S turns and you really had to balance your line properly but if you did, it was a blast!
After the flowy single track we started
a very steep climb on another section of single track that rode over
several rock walls and logs. Then we came out to a dirt road
and then a paved road that began a very long and steep climb. This climb section was hard! But somehow I
managed to stay strong on it. When we finally crested, we
began our descent on an ATV trail that was actually very tough
trail-wise. It was surprisingly technical. This section was not easy, especially after the fatigue from the climb up.
We came down this trail and followed a
stream and crossed it using a bridge that was adjacent to a very nice
waterfall. Then we proceeded down a dirt road that crossed this
river about 6 times. The river crossings were a lot of fun.
Some of them were shallow (inches) and others were deep (feet).
At one point I had to carry my bike over my head because the water
was waste deep!
After that we began one of the last big
climbs. It went up on a dirt road adjacent to a power line (that
we rode down). It was on this dirt road that I screamed so loud
that my shout echoed off of the entire forest. The reason why I
shouted so loud was because as I was riding up, I all of a sudden
heard this weird noise. It sounded like someone shaking a box
of tic tacs, when I saw something move down by my foot as I was
pedaling. The thing that was moving was a timber rattle
snake!!!!
I almost ran it over, and was inches away from the
thing. It started to rattle like crazy and curled it's neck and
I was so startled that I shouted: LOUD!!
I felt my shout bounce
off the ground and I think the snake did too because he took off.
It was so scary though because those things can kill you! (good thing I signed the race waver)
After my experience with the snake I
was a bit shaken, but determined to finish strong. I was
starting to get fatigued though when I entered the same flowy Lippman single
track from earlier in the morning. I managed to muster up my
last bit of strength to get another fun roller coaster flow
going.... until I mis-managed my line riding through a clump of trees
and hit one with my knee cap going about 8 mph. My legs were
too muddy to notice the damage, but my knee essentially started bleeding (mixed in with mud and dirt) and swell to twice it's normal size. I wouldn't
realize this of course until I finished, washed it off, realized it was screwed up and then got an ice pack for
it.
Overall though the race was fantastic!
It was sooo damn hard, but sooo damn rewarding at the same time.
I finished in 8 hours and 7 minutes, 16th place out of 28 finishers
and 33 total racers (full 100k results here:
http://www.wildcatepicevents.com/results-wc-100-/2014-wc-100-50-results/
). I was very surprised with how strong of a
finish I had too. My nutrition went perfect, I never felt like
I was going to bonk: and I finished well. I
remember being dizzy for the first 45 minutes after but that was probably from being so hot and hungry. I managed to consume 3 cheese burgers and a ton of pasta salad within about 10 minutes!
I was psyched for such a hard course,
but a lot of my peers were displeased that the course was so hard.
One guy had said that the race was harder then an ironman he had done. It was certainly not an easy course, but it was rewarding, beautiful, and a ton of fun!
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
2014 Pat's Peak race recap
Pat's Peak: Roots, Rock, (no Reggae)
June 14th, 2014
Pat's Peak mountain bike festival in Henniker NH (http://www.patspeak.com/summer/bike.html). What a venue! I have raced here 3 times before, with this time being my 4th. The first time I ever came here I raced my stumpjumper FSR comp, 26" wheels with 6" shock travel. I entered the 12 hour solo. That race was pure insanity. I don't know if I have encountered a course as hard as Pat's Peak 12 hr solo either before then or after. This was the only race that I have ever fell asleep on from sheer exhaustion. No joke, the year I did the 12 hr, I got off the bike after riding for 11 hours, sat down on the ground to take a break and remember waking up 30 minutes later shivering from my sweat and the dew condensing on me.
To say that Pat's Peak is technical is an understatement. It is a 5.5 mile loop with about 800 feet of climbing per lap. The entire course is on a ski mountain in Southern NH. With that much climbing there is obviously a lot of downhill, but with the mud, trail camber, and roots and rocks the downhill is actually harder then the up!
My first year at the peak I completed 9 laps in 12 hours. My second year I DNFed because it was pouring the entire time and I was miserable. The 3rd year I entered the 6 hour solo and raced my stumpjumper again and completed 5 laps.
This year I raced the Epic 29er.
Except that the snow had finally melted on the backside of the mountain the week before and the week in between the resort saw 4 inches of rain fall. So, it was muddy. Very muddy.
But still, despite the mud, the hills, the technical, and being lunch for hundreds of mosquitoes, I had a blast and even managed to break my PR, completing 6 laps in 6 hours and 20 minutes :)
See you next year Pat's Peak (maybe for the 12 hr this time?)
June 14th, 2014
Pat's Peak mountain bike festival in Henniker NH (http://www.patspeak.com/summer/bike.html). What a venue! I have raced here 3 times before, with this time being my 4th. The first time I ever came here I raced my stumpjumper FSR comp, 26" wheels with 6" shock travel. I entered the 12 hour solo. That race was pure insanity. I don't know if I have encountered a course as hard as Pat's Peak 12 hr solo either before then or after. This was the only race that I have ever fell asleep on from sheer exhaustion. No joke, the year I did the 12 hr, I got off the bike after riding for 11 hours, sat down on the ground to take a break and remember waking up 30 minutes later shivering from my sweat and the dew condensing on me.
 |
| At the start of the 12 hr solo, notice the smile |
To say that Pat's Peak is technical is an understatement. It is a 5.5 mile loop with about 800 feet of climbing per lap. The entire course is on a ski mountain in Southern NH. With that much climbing there is obviously a lot of downhill, but with the mud, trail camber, and roots and rocks the downhill is actually harder then the up!
My first year at the peak I completed 9 laps in 12 hours. My second year I DNFed because it was pouring the entire time and I was miserable. The 3rd year I entered the 6 hour solo and raced my stumpjumper again and completed 5 laps.
 |
| Racing my first 6 hour solo |
This year I raced the Epic 29er.
Except that the snow had finally melted on the backside of the mountain the week before and the week in between the resort saw 4 inches of rain fall. So, it was muddy. Very muddy.
 |
| Pats Peak 2014 6hr solo |
But still, despite the mud, the hills, the technical, and being lunch for hundreds of mosquitoes, I had a blast and even managed to break my PR, completing 6 laps in 6 hours and 20 minutes :)
 |
| Downhill at a ski mountain during an endurance race |
See you next year Pat's Peak (maybe for the 12 hr this time?)
Elite stands for speed, not distance
Elite doesn't mean big distance, it means fast.
May 18th, 2014
First mt bike race of the season: Weeping Willow at Willowdale forest in Ipswich Ma (https://www.bikereg.com/the-weeping-willow-efta-necs3). This race was put on by EFTA and was my first XC race of the 2014 season. Being used to long distance and endurance events I naturally signed up for as much distance as I could find, which happened to be the elite's 24 miles (8 mile laps).
I thought to myself, "oh, it must be called "Elite" because of the distance, because it's the only option for 24 miles." However, when I showed up to the race I realized why it was called Elite.
The "Elite" racers were called forward at the start, so I strolled on up to the front of the line. I took a look around and only saw skinny, sinewy, nervous, muscle-twitching thoroughbred racers on steads of carbon fiber that were as sinewy as they were and immediately thought to myself, "uh oh."
Every racer there wore European one piece shorts and had their jersey pockets bulging so that the bike wouldn't be bogged down by extra weight. I was the only one wearing fox cargo shorts: they might as well have been jean shorts. With serious looks on their faces: no one was talking at all; except for me.
I turned to the guy next to me and said, "yeah this is my first race of the season, so I'm gonna take it easy today." He replied with, "Yeah, me too." I never saw him again.
As soon as the race started these guys took off. I mean literally blew me away. I realized then why my race was called "Elite". These guys finished 3 laps in 2 hours, whereas I finished in 3. I did finish, although I was last, and had to find the time keeper (who was packing up) to let him know that I was the last finisher.
If I cared about that kind of stuff I would have been annoyed, but I was just happy to get out and ride a place I had many first experiences on the trail running circuit (first off road marathon and first 50 mile ultra-marathon). So my race was filled with memories of November's past and the camaraderie and racing friends I had encountered in those events.
The course was great. Very smooth and very fast. No super climbs or technical sections, but a lot of tight turns and narrow passageways. I had a lot of fun and committed to finishing a race that I was certainly out skilled on. I was a little embarrassed to have signed up in such a hard core class, but I paid good money to race and by damned I was going to finish with my head held high. Besides, no one can ever accuse me of sand bagging!
May 18th, 2014
First mt bike race of the season: Weeping Willow at Willowdale forest in Ipswich Ma (https://www.bikereg.com/the-weeping-willow-efta-necs3). This race was put on by EFTA and was my first XC race of the 2014 season. Being used to long distance and endurance events I naturally signed up for as much distance as I could find, which happened to be the elite's 24 miles (8 mile laps).
I thought to myself, "oh, it must be called "Elite" because of the distance, because it's the only option for 24 miles." However, when I showed up to the race I realized why it was called Elite.
The "Elite" racers were called forward at the start, so I strolled on up to the front of the line. I took a look around and only saw skinny, sinewy, nervous, muscle-twitching thoroughbred racers on steads of carbon fiber that were as sinewy as they were and immediately thought to myself, "uh oh."
Every racer there wore European one piece shorts and had their jersey pockets bulging so that the bike wouldn't be bogged down by extra weight. I was the only one wearing fox cargo shorts: they might as well have been jean shorts. With serious looks on their faces: no one was talking at all; except for me.
I turned to the guy next to me and said, "yeah this is my first race of the season, so I'm gonna take it easy today." He replied with, "Yeah, me too." I never saw him again.
As soon as the race started these guys took off. I mean literally blew me away. I realized then why my race was called "Elite". These guys finished 3 laps in 2 hours, whereas I finished in 3. I did finish, although I was last, and had to find the time keeper (who was packing up) to let him know that I was the last finisher.
If I cared about that kind of stuff I would have been annoyed, but I was just happy to get out and ride a place I had many first experiences on the trail running circuit (first off road marathon and first 50 mile ultra-marathon). So my race was filled with memories of November's past and the camaraderie and racing friends I had encountered in those events.
The course was great. Very smooth and very fast. No super climbs or technical sections, but a lot of tight turns and narrow passageways. I had a lot of fun and committed to finishing a race that I was certainly out skilled on. I was a little embarrassed to have signed up in such a hard core class, but I paid good money to race and by damned I was going to finish with my head held high. Besides, no one can ever accuse me of sand bagging!
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