Out of the water and just suited up for the long haul. We got our bearings and set off, or better stated, UP. The only way out of a gorge is to walk your way out. From the get go we set our trekking golden rule: Run flats and downhills, hike hills. There's no reason to spike the heart rate at this point. We knew other teams would run and we decided that this was based on one of two things a) they were uber-fit/well-trained for this race or b) they had no idea how long this pig was and the emotions of getting out of the water/transition got the better of them.
I felt really good that Charlie set this precedent because I know I'm not the strongest runner in the group. It was only during this section that I realized that I'm also a slow hiker. I started pacing myself with Z-man who had a strong gait. I pretty much just focused on his movement, which gave me less things to worry about.
It's this mental checklist that I kept tabs on the whole race. The less things on my plate to worry about the better in tune with my body's signals I'd be.
We set a pretty strong pace from the get go. We even decided to shave some more time off by scrambling up a pretty steep hill. What these guys didn't know is that this was one of my fears. I hate heights and this was definitely outside my comfort range. The rest scrambled up with ease. I on the otherhand took more deliberate (slow - if you wanna be an ass) movements to get to the top. As I climbed over the last ledge my bottle of Perpetuem flew out of my pack and down the hill.
Dammit. My nutritional plan has been compromised and we've only been at it for 2 hours. Mick was kind enough to do a search and rescue, but to no avail. I decided that we should cut the loss and move ahead. I did pack enough food to get me through something like this. It just wasn't my plan "A".
We hiked for an hour and a half without much confusion. We did get to a neighborhood and got temporarily misguided, but eventually found our way to the town park which was CP2 (12:40 pm). They gave us 4 questions which had to be answered in the town of Fayettesville. We had an upperhand, in that we spent most of our first night running around town looking for a strobe. So we thought we knew where most of these clues were located.
We ran into town and our first clue was to find the statue and figure out who it was. Mick, landed that response and while he was doing that we were waiting for him at an intersection. We sat there looking around the square and noticed an older gentleman and asked if he could help us with some of the questions. As it was, he helped us answer the remaining questions. If it were not for him we would've probably missed a question that a majority of the racers didn't get on the first shot.
'What bank does the mayor send most of his time in?" Easy, the bank that's right next to town hall. Wrong. The town hall was the old Bank of Fayette, which we would've never guessed without the guidance from our old friend who pointed out that the mayor never hangs out at the other bank. There in front of us, in big honkin' letters on the town hall, read "BANK OF FAYETTE". We listened to some of his stories, answered some of his questions, shook his hand and went back to CP2 to check in. We got back at 1:11. Teams were bitching about not having the right answer, stating that their answer had to be right. Unfortunately, they were barking at the wrong dog, the race director.
CP3 and CP4 was a bunch of walking, a lot of elevation change and the place where I decided that I needed to keep my own pace. These guys were fast hikers and I just am not. No need to test the "speed" waters on race day. I filed this under, "Things I need to train for next time". Thankfully our group chemistry was second to none: we all had our strengths, but maintained a sense of comaraderie and humor which was the cornerstone to an enjoyable and competitive race.
After 3 hours and 46 minutes of trekking, I was very happy to see my bike back at the Cunard put-out location. The hike back down into the gorge was dificult on the knees and feet because the road was covered in gravel and the grade was somewhat steep. My big toe is still recovering from the pressure. We checked in at 4:57.
There's more...
For those who want to jump ahead, here's the result sheet with our checkpoint times.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
PART 2: Race Start to CP1 - Whitewater rafting
The day started with us waking at 0600 (remember this time). Some washed, all put on the lotion, packed our gear and away to the starting line we went. We cheered on the sprint racers as they began and then the 24 hour racers hopped on a bus to head to the Cunard put in on New River Gorge. As typical with most adventure races, everyone drank tons of water before the race. The 30 minute bus ride nearly broke us all. As the bus stopped, we raced to the latrine.
Once business was dealt with, we received our raft assignments. we were paired with the Silverbacks 1, another 4 man team. We headed down to the raft, got some brief instructions and then the the race director, Joy, announced the first twist of the race. Instead of going into the water based on a lottery selection, as previously stated, each raft had to choose one member to run/swim a le mans-style start. Luckily, the Silverbacks selected their young gun as the start man. The gun went off and our man was running up a flight of stairs, down a paved walkway and dove into the water. He was the second of 6 swimmers to get to the boat. At that moment the games began.
We started by paddling on flat pools for a spell behind the leader and then we encountered our first rapid (the first rapid I ever encountered). Charlie and I took point in the boat and as I quickly came to realize, I was going to get soaked. BLAM...into the first rapid. Our guide, Fitzy, instructed our way through it with what I believe was an eddy spin. We entered sideways into the rapid and shot out of it by spinning with the current??? I dunno...it was fun as shit.
After about 5-6 more rapids we were able to pass the lead boat. The guides were financially motivated to do well, which put undue pressure on the racers. We put forth a lot of effort at a discipline that didn't really reward us with a time advantage.
There was only one time which I was really worried about going in. We hit a class V rapid and there was a considerable drop. I think it was called the Bikini? Basically, I was strapped in by one foot, we dropped into the rapid and the raft correction was pretty sudden forcing my head into the water. Fantastic rush!
We ended up being first into the put out for our stage (staggered start). It took us 1 hour and 20 minutes from end to end.
We got out of the boat, help portage it to the truck and grabbed our gear to transition. We stripped down to the clothes god gave us and re-armored with our trail running gear. We threw our rafting clothes, gear and dry bags into Z-man's dry bag. Once we had fully transition it was 11:03 (an 8 minute transition - not slow, but not fast), we threw on our packs and headed out for our long trek.....
Until next time RideCam'rs...
For your enjoyment. The following was meant to be tactic we employed during race day. Alas, we spent most of our pre-race time doing unimportant things like plotting coordinates and making perpeteum. I give you Mick's Fun With Facial Hair:
ODE TO ROLLING THUNDER/POURING RAIN
Once business was dealt with, we received our raft assignments. we were paired with the Silverbacks 1, another 4 man team. We headed down to the raft, got some brief instructions and then the the race director, Joy, announced the first twist of the race. Instead of going into the water based on a lottery selection, as previously stated, each raft had to choose one member to run/swim a le mans-style start. Luckily, the Silverbacks selected their young gun as the start man. The gun went off and our man was running up a flight of stairs, down a paved walkway and dove into the water. He was the second of 6 swimmers to get to the boat. At that moment the games began.
We started by paddling on flat pools for a spell behind the leader and then we encountered our first rapid (the first rapid I ever encountered). Charlie and I took point in the boat and as I quickly came to realize, I was going to get soaked. BLAM...into the first rapid. Our guide, Fitzy, instructed our way through it with what I believe was an eddy spin. We entered sideways into the rapid and shot out of it by spinning with the current??? I dunno...it was fun as shit.
After about 5-6 more rapids we were able to pass the lead boat. The guides were financially motivated to do well, which put undue pressure on the racers. We put forth a lot of effort at a discipline that didn't really reward us with a time advantage.
There was only one time which I was really worried about going in. We hit a class V rapid and there was a considerable drop. I think it was called the Bikini? Basically, I was strapped in by one foot, we dropped into the rapid and the raft correction was pretty sudden forcing my head into the water. Fantastic rush!
We ended up being first into the put out for our stage (staggered start). It took us 1 hour and 20 minutes from end to end.
We got out of the boat, help portage it to the truck and grabbed our gear to transition. We stripped down to the clothes god gave us and re-armored with our trail running gear. We threw our rafting clothes, gear and dry bags into Z-man's dry bag. Once we had fully transition it was 11:03 (an 8 minute transition - not slow, but not fast), we threw on our packs and headed out for our long trek.....
Until next time RideCam'rs...
For your enjoyment. The following was meant to be tactic we employed during race day. Alas, we spent most of our pre-race time doing unimportant things like plotting coordinates and making perpeteum. I give you Mick's Fun With Facial Hair:
ODE TO ROLLING THUNDER/POURING RAIN
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
When going through hell, keep going
Truer words of wisdom do not exist. The 24 Hour Wild and Wonderful AR is over and it was everything and more I thought it would be. The most exhilirating and the most difficult thing I've ever done. There were some of the highest points in my life and some of the lowest. I will be writing a pretty lengthy blog about the race this evening, but I thought I would share with my faithful following that a) I'm still alive an b) Rolling Thunder, Pouring Rain is a contender baby!!! 
Photo courtesy of our new friends Cheryl and Bobby, taken after our lightening fast trek on the rail trail. From left to right, Mick, Charlie, Zack and Cam
The Wild and Wonderful 24 Hour Adventure Race 2007
The race weekend began with me driving to Arlington, VA to pick up Zack and his college buddy, Mick. We packed our things and headed down to WV. It was a long haul - 6 hours. Our first stop was in Fayettesville to pick up Mick's rental bike and then our adventure began. We got a call from Charlie, Mick's brother-in-law and our fourth teammate, with a request to find a strobe light. He couldn't find one. So we added that to our list. Three shops later and no strobe. We found a dog blinker - maybe we could squeak by on that. We opted to forge on and eventually picked up a strobe (better described as a cute blinky) light at a raft store which was operated by a couple of stoners. Asking for a strobe in that establishment led to the obvious question, "Where's the party?"
We exited the store and headed to Camp Washington Carver (race headquarters), but not before we figured out that we also needed dry bags. Dammit, this was getting ridiculous. What else were we forgetting? So we decided to see if we could rent them. No luck. We headed back to town to Ace Adventure Store, where we found the dog light and picked up four dry bags.
Done. Off to Camp WC. We met up with Charlie and exchanged hellos and we started the gear check process. It went off without a hitch. The bike check however was a different story. Mick had a generator headlamp system which I think he stole from my father's Schwinn Fastback. I wonder if he had the Mickey Mantle rookie card that made my pop's bike sound like a motorcycle when it struck the spokes?
We got through the checks and Mick and Charlie went to sign into our cabin. Zack and I head into town for some food. We met back at the pre-race debrief, got the usual spiel, ate our dinner, got our maps and headed back to the cabin to prep for the day ahead of us. We mixed our drinks, packed our bags and plotted our course (via UTMs - thanks Zack).
Bed by 2 am, alarms set for 6 am. Lights out.
More to come...
Thursday, May 24, 2007
The final countdown
I finalized some race issues last night by picking up some Perpeteum, some Clif Blocks, and some batteries. I still need to decide which solid food I'll be bringing along, which will be used as a much needed diversion from the gel and liquid diet. My finicky stomach makes this decision difficult. I'm thinking PB & Honey and some trail mix (how cliche).
I got in a lazy 30 minute run just to shake off the nervous energy and some cobwebs.
All my gear is laid out for final review tonight. I want to get a solid night of sleep, so my final decision will be, do I sleep at home or at Zack's? My gut says home.
This will be the last post before the race. I assume people can check live updates (or semi-live) via http://www.checkpointzero.com/ and/or http://www.oarevents.com. Our team in Rolling Thunder, Pouring Rain (a 4-man team).
Giro: Crank 18.8, Ride 46.8. Popo is killing me. With Hincapie dropping out, I'm not sure whether Popo has a shot or if his podium chances just increased. His first day w/o Capie was pretty dismal.
I got in a lazy 30 minute run just to shake off the nervous energy and some cobwebs.
All my gear is laid out for final review tonight. I want to get a solid night of sleep, so my final decision will be, do I sleep at home or at Zack's? My gut says home.
This will be the last post before the race. I assume people can check live updates (or semi-live) via http://www.checkpointzero.com/ and/or http://www.oarevents.com. Our team in Rolling Thunder, Pouring Rain (a 4-man team).
Giro: Crank 18.8, Ride 46.8. Popo is killing me. With Hincapie dropping out, I'm not sure whether Popo has a shot or if his podium chances just increased. His first day w/o Capie was pretty dismal.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Taper Man
Worked from home yesterday and instead of eating lunch, I ran 3 miles at Soldier's Delight. I told myself over and over...only one loop! As I got to the end of the western loop, I started to cross the road to the east side. It was difficult, but I pulled up and headed back to my truck.
I'm starting to realize that training is more about consistency and sticking to the plan, than it is about sheer volume. Finding the thin line between the two can be difficult. As they say, there is no "cramming" in training.
I am feeling real good about this race, which may be the kiss of death. But, all cylinders are clicking along. The only unknown element is the rafting, but that will boil down to the guide we get and luck.
In other news, I hit the John Butler show at Sonar last night. Sonar is an amazing venue and the show was amazing.
And a big thanks to my RT/PR teammate, Mick, for sending us advice on how to avoid bowel movements during the adventure race...wow.
Giro: Crankenstein - 60.8, RideCam - 79.4. Our picks are starting to flesh out. They have entered the true GC contention stages, weeding out the sprinters and the wannabes from the top spots. Barring any unfortunate events, our picks seem to be pretty solid.
I'm starting to realize that training is more about consistency and sticking to the plan, than it is about sheer volume. Finding the thin line between the two can be difficult. As they say, there is no "cramming" in training.
I am feeling real good about this race, which may be the kiss of death. But, all cylinders are clicking along. The only unknown element is the rafting, but that will boil down to the guide we get and luck.
In other news, I hit the John Butler show at Sonar last night. Sonar is an amazing venue and the show was amazing.
And a big thanks to my RT/PR teammate, Mick, for sending us advice on how to avoid bowel movements during the adventure race...wow.
Giro: Crankenstein - 60.8, RideCam - 79.4. Our picks are starting to flesh out. They have entered the true GC contention stages, weeding out the sprinters and the wannabes from the top spots. Barring any unfortunate events, our picks seem to be pretty solid.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Last true training day
Z-man and I hit Hashawa in Westminster to get some extra mountain bike mileage in our legs and we had hoped to get some orienteering as well. Mountain bike - check, O-course - nada. The nature center attendant told me that there wasn't an o-course, but their website said that they did. About a half mile into the ride - low and behold - an o-course control. Damn! Well, no map, no o-coursing.
After about 8-10 miles, Z-man and I decided to get a couple running miles under the belt, which is a good thing, because my pants kept dropping - note to self: wear belt. We had some good discussions around possible race strategy and nutrition planning.
After Hash, we headed to our second home, REI, to pick up some last minute items and then noshed at Noodles & Co. Back at race headquarters, we finalized our nutrition plan which seems like it will consist of liquids and gels with a dabble of solid foods mixed in the bag...PB&J fo' me.
I am getting so amped up for this race...it's ri-donk-ulous.
Giro: No real change of note. Waiting until Tuesday when they hit the real mountain stages and riders begin to implode.
After about 8-10 miles, Z-man and I decided to get a couple running miles under the belt, which is a good thing, because my pants kept dropping - note to self: wear belt. We had some good discussions around possible race strategy and nutrition planning.
After Hash, we headed to our second home, REI, to pick up some last minute items and then noshed at Noodles & Co. Back at race headquarters, we finalized our nutrition plan which seems like it will consist of liquids and gels with a dabble of solid foods mixed in the bag...PB&J fo' me.
I am getting so amped up for this race...it's ri-donk-ulous.
Giro: No real change of note. Waiting until Tuesday when they hit the real mountain stages and riders begin to implode.
Friday, May 18, 2007
Sweet bubaka!
Short and sweet: The Seminary ride was fast as hell. Feeling good about the upcoming races.
Giro: dunno yet...they haven't posted the stage results and I haven't had time to read the coverage.
Landis: I'm starting to think bad things about our golden boy. This arbitration hearing is turning into a soap opera. Phone threats to key witnesses, tainted lab results, a horrible interpreter on day one...HBO can't write this kinda stuff.
Giro: dunno yet...they haven't posted the stage results and I haven't had time to read the coverage.
Landis: I'm starting to think bad things about our golden boy. This arbitration hearing is turning into a soap opera. Phone threats to key witnesses, tainted lab results, a horrible interpreter on day one...HBO can't write this kinda stuff.
Thursday, May 17, 2007
Not much to report
Took a break yesterday to accomplish some household tasks...stupid household tasks always gettin' in the way of fun stuff. Oh well, live like a pig, you must clean up after a pig.
Quick and dirty
Riding: Seminary tonight with Toby and Hoppe. I believe they are prepping or a race this weekend at Granogue in Delaware...could be wrong. It will be great to ride with those guys again, since we have the 24 Hours of Big Bear in three weeks. It's been too long without a solid ride with these pros.
Giro poll: No changes in the GC. Crankenstein still destroying RideCam. It was a sprinters race today, so I wasn't anticipating any shake-ups in the GC.
Commute: I may attempt another bike commute tomorrow.
Training weekend: Looks like Z-man and I will be getting our final major workout in before the AR. We're hitting Hashawa in Westminster which has decent mountain biking and an O-course...we are thinking two and two.
Bye,
Cycle
Quick and dirty
Riding: Seminary tonight with Toby and Hoppe. I believe they are prepping or a race this weekend at Granogue in Delaware...could be wrong. It will be great to ride with those guys again, since we have the 24 Hours of Big Bear in three weeks. It's been too long without a solid ride with these pros.
Giro poll: No changes in the GC. Crankenstein still destroying RideCam. It was a sprinters race today, so I wasn't anticipating any shake-ups in the GC.
Commute: I may attempt another bike commute tomorrow.
Training weekend: Looks like Z-man and I will be getting our final major workout in before the AR. We're hitting Hashawa in Westminster which has decent mountain biking and an O-course...we are thinking two and two.
Bye,
Cycle
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
I'm baaack in the (commuter) saddle again...
Hit my 15-16 mile commuter run this morning and it felt great. I forgot how nice it felt to wake up and get some spin in your legs. It humped my work clothes, towel/toileteries and other gear in my AR bag, totalling about 6-8 lbs. The GoLite backpack is a huge improvement to the messenger bag by way of weight distibution which eased the pressure on my left shoulder.
Here are some of the vitals (approximations):
Mileage: 15-16 (factoring in some short detours I took on the typical route)
Time: 47 minutes (by way off cell phone clock)
Weather: started a little nippy, but warmed up quickly
Issues: The mechanic didn't do a proper adjustment on the rear derailleur, so I couldn't click into the small gear in the rear cluster. Not a big issue though.
After the ride, I stretched out and did a few lifts in the gym at work.
GIRO NEWS: Crankenstein is winning the Overall GC Podium Pool at 72.4 points to RideCam's even 90. The race is still young at stage 3...today being a race day.
Oh, this week is Ride Your Bike to Work Week.
Monday, May 14, 2007
A-town Boogie
Headed to Arlington...again, to hang with the A-town crew. Friday night was more or less a blur. We had grand plans to run in the Clarendon 10k, but 7am came way too quickly. Later on Saturday, Zack and I hit Hemlock Overlook's permanent orienteering course. With compass and map in hand we set off on a bushwacking excursion. It was the first time in a long time that I've orienteered and this course was tough. Z-man and I found 4 or 5 checkpoints out of the scheduled 8 we wanted to hit.
After our excursion, we headed back home for some grub and headed back out into Arlington, meeting up with Wilson and Hedges and crew.
Sunday, Zack and I hit Gambrill to mountain bike. This was Z-ball's first attempt at Gambrill and basically his first assault on a mountain bike trail. He struggled a bit at the start, but was a very quick study. I figured that this would be the roughest terrain we'll see at the AR (and probably won't see more than 2 miles of it), so I'm confident in his abilities.
After our excursion, we headed back home for some grub and headed back out into Arlington, meeting up with Wilson and Hedges and crew.
Sunday, Zack and I hit Gambrill to mountain bike. This was Z-ball's first attempt at Gambrill and basically his first assault on a mountain bike trail. He struggled a bit at the start, but was a very quick study. I figured that this would be the roughest terrain we'll see at the AR (and probably won't see more than 2 miles of it), so I'm confident in his abilities.
Friday, May 11, 2007
What a beautiful season for a tour
Tour season is upon us, which can only mean one thing. Crankenstein and RideCam waste unimaginable hours at work following the day's race and arguing over our tiered wager system. First up, Giro d'Italia:
Crankenstein
1. Simoni
2. DiLuca
3. Cunego
Team Time Trial: CSC
RideCam
1. Simoni
2. Cunego
3. Popo
Team Time Trial: Discovery
Winner of the podium pool: Six pack of choice
Winner of TTT: A tall cool one at a finer watering hole.
I love Saturday morning tour watchin'...
Crankenstein
1. Simoni
2. DiLuca
3. Cunego
Team Time Trial: CSC
RideCam
1. Simoni
2. Cunego
3. Popo
Team Time Trial: Discovery
Winner of the podium pool: Six pack of choice
Winner of TTT: A tall cool one at a finer watering hole.
I love Saturday morning tour watchin'...
Thursday, May 10, 2007
Upon further review...
As a rule, I don't read my posts right after I write them - it encourages flow of consciousness. I do, however, go back and read my old posts to reminisce, review training and get a pulse on the roller coaster that is my life.
A couple posts ago I posted some old Snowshoe pics. One particular caption didn't sit well with me. The picture in question is of Jimmie, Toby and myself, and the caption reads: "the original Enter the Draggin crew". Yes, that was the first year we unveiled the EtD name unto the 24 hour mountain bike world. But to say that just three of us were the original gansters wouldn't be accurate. EtD became EtD when we landed our 4th wiley vet, Hoppe. So let me reintroduce the Original EtD crew:
A couple posts ago I posted some old Snowshoe pics. One particular caption didn't sit well with me. The picture in question is of Jimmie, Toby and myself, and the caption reads: "the original Enter the Draggin crew". Yes, that was the first year we unveiled the EtD name unto the 24 hour mountain bike world. But to say that just three of us were the original gansters wouldn't be accurate. EtD became EtD when we landed our 4th wiley vet, Hoppe. So let me reintroduce the Original EtD crew:
(l to r) Tobias, Hoppe, Killah, Jimmie
Dedicated to spending our life behind bars!!!
Okay, now that's off my chest. Here's what I've been doing:
1. Rest - my ankle needed some TLC and my quad was soooorrrre!
2. Garden - Poppa C came to O-mill to help ressurect the ol' garden in my backyard. The list of delectables is as follows: Roma tomatoes, spinach, cucumbers and zucchini in the salad garden. Mint, rosemary and basil in the herb garden. Can you say mojitoes and basil/tomato/mozzarella lounging on my patio? Also looking into growing hops in the herb garden and some peppers in the salad garden
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Feelin' Good
BREAKING NEWS: The Marine Corps Marathon is in my future. All future events have been put on lock down. Current events include the 24 Hour Wild and Wonderful AR, 24 Hours of Big Bear and the Blackbeard Sprint AR at the OBX. Additional events will be reviewed, but limited due to marathon training.
So, the Frederick Halfy has been ran successfully. I accomplished two out of three goals (in order of priority):
1. Finish - accomplished
2. Run the entire time - accomplished
3. Finish in under two hours - 2:07
I'm chalking it up to a couple things. I didn't have a stellar workout plan. In fact, one could say I didn't have a workout plan at all. My list of activities that I needed to train for were scattered across various disciplines (mainly running and biking), which made training for my first long distance race difficult.
I may have taken the distance for granted. I thought that I had covered that distance before, so it wouldn't be that difficult. Well, factor in some unaccounted hills, wind and the relentless asphalt...and you have a whole new run. I am now seeing why it is imperative to train in all conditions and terrain.
My short list of excuses...my ankle was sore by mile 6 (block the pain) and course nutrition wasn't my usual or to my liking (Gatorade, Water, and Tri-Berry GU). So the takeaways, wrapped ankle and take my own electrolyte drink and food.
I can not express enough my gratitude to my running partners, Zack and Newb. They stuck by my side when they could have forged ahead faster. They were there at my side at mile 10 when I encourage them to go ahead (ie: I wanted to walk). They were there at mile 2 when I needed to scale back my pace. They were there when I put on my typical sideshows of "turning and burning" and "feelin' good" - and tolerated my antics. And we were there at the finish line - crossing together. Thanks fellas!
After the post-run hoopla of Factured Prune doughnuts and gatorade, we headed back to Casa de Paul e Maggie. Zack and I opted out of our Gambrill ride and instead rode the remaining 13 miles of the marathon course. We cheered on runners while looking for the Smither as he was finishing his 26.2 mile excursion. Somehow we missed him out there, but we watched him cross the finish at Harry Grove. Way to go Smither!
Post-post race found Newb, Zack, Sean and myself scarfing down Five Guys burgers and reminiscing...or not.
Post-post-post race, Zack and I hit our home away from home...REI.
The end.
So, the Frederick Halfy has been ran successfully. I accomplished two out of three goals (in order of priority):
1. Finish - accomplished
2. Run the entire time - accomplished
3. Finish in under two hours - 2:07
I'm chalking it up to a couple things. I didn't have a stellar workout plan. In fact, one could say I didn't have a workout plan at all. My list of activities that I needed to train for were scattered across various disciplines (mainly running and biking), which made training for my first long distance race difficult.
I may have taken the distance for granted. I thought that I had covered that distance before, so it wouldn't be that difficult. Well, factor in some unaccounted hills, wind and the relentless asphalt...and you have a whole new run. I am now seeing why it is imperative to train in all conditions and terrain.
My short list of excuses...my ankle was sore by mile 6 (block the pain) and course nutrition wasn't my usual or to my liking (Gatorade, Water, and Tri-Berry GU). So the takeaways, wrapped ankle and take my own electrolyte drink and food.
I can not express enough my gratitude to my running partners, Zack and Newb. They stuck by my side when they could have forged ahead faster. They were there at my side at mile 10 when I encourage them to go ahead (ie: I wanted to walk). They were there at mile 2 when I needed to scale back my pace. They were there when I put on my typical sideshows of "turning and burning" and "feelin' good" - and tolerated my antics. And we were there at the finish line - crossing together. Thanks fellas!
After the post-run hoopla of Factured Prune doughnuts and gatorade, we headed back to Casa de Paul e Maggie. Zack and I opted out of our Gambrill ride and instead rode the remaining 13 miles of the marathon course. We cheered on runners while looking for the Smither as he was finishing his 26.2 mile excursion. Somehow we missed him out there, but we watched him cross the finish at Harry Grove. Way to go Smither!
Post-post race found Newb, Zack, Sean and myself scarfing down Five Guys burgers and reminiscing...or not.
Post-post-post race, Zack and I hit our home away from home...REI.
The end.
Thursday, May 03, 2007
I have a nice little weekend planned
Chock full of half marathons, mountain biking, brewing, bike building...the list goes on and it don't stop. Friday night I head back to Chesnik headquarters to prep for the weekend and do a little bike repair. Saturday looks like a great day for brewing some beer and lying low for the Frederick Halfy. I'll also probably hit some of the pre-run festivities while I pick up my marathon package during the evening.
Bright and early on Sunday, I'll be running with a bunch of friends - Newbury, Zacker and Jimmie's wife, Tina. I think it will be a nice run, but I'm already setting the ground work to ensure people that no feats of endurance/speed will be shown. Afterwards, Z-man and I will be hitting Gambrill for a little mountain bike action...yee-haw!
I'm still waiting for the official Savage results..if the race day coordination is any indication of the timeliness of the results...don't hold your breath. Visit the blog often, but don't anticipate results.
Bright and early on Sunday, I'll be running with a bunch of friends - Newbury, Zacker and Jimmie's wife, Tina. I think it will be a nice run, but I'm already setting the ground work to ensure people that no feats of endurance/speed will be shown. Afterwards, Z-man and I will be hitting Gambrill for a little mountain bike action...yee-haw!
I'm still waiting for the official Savage results..if the race day coordination is any indication of the timeliness of the results...don't hold your breath. Visit the blog often, but don't anticipate results.
Found some old race pics from the 24 Hours of Snowshoe.1) The original Enter the Draggin crew at Snowshoe - Toby, Cam, Jimmie Jam; 2) Jimmie coming down the final slope on his first lap; 3) The ETD family minus a few - Jimmie, K, Mrs. L (we miss ya terribly), Mr. L and Toby.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
Savage Beasts
This weekend saw Team HKI (Jammie and I) and Team Tricerat (Tobias and Hoppe) - together known as Team Enter the Draggin - race the Savage at Marsh Creek State Park in Downingtown, PA. It started with Tobias and I running the "prologue", which consisted of one team member from every team running into the cold lake to a boat to gather the passport, which was being tossed from a boat. I think it was a horrible way to start a race, but alas the adventure of it all. The race was staggered, so teams started on different legs.
We all had the same course direction, starting with the Orienteering course. There was no compass work, just a rudimentary park map with checkpoint locations. scaling was way off, but we couldn't blame our first hiccup on that. Our second major hiccup was do to not paying attention to detail. Toby wins the "attention to detail" award. After collecting all the checkpoints, we headed back to the staging area, where I ended up slightly twisting my ankle.
Next up was the Challenge section comprised of a rock wall, partner carry and get the ping pong ball. Jimmie rocked the rock wall. The partner carry was hilarious and hurtful on my ankle. Jimmie carried me fireman style, which I'm sure hurt me more than it hurt him. On to the ping pong section. The objective was to fill up a five foot PVC pipe with lake water to get a ping pong ball to the top. The kickers - there were two holes on the pipe, which one team member had to hold. The teammates had to alternate positions every time, so there was some skill to the matter. In the end, I leveraged my beer pong skills by blowing in the pipe to get the ball out. See, I did learn something in college.
After the challenges, it was on to the canoe. I never knew how far and difficult five miles was on still water. This lake seemed like an ocean. By the last checkpoint I thought I was going to need shoulder surgery. Obviously, paddling is my weak point.
Thankfully it was on to biking. This was where we should've made up some time. But alas, our map skills floundered and we got turned around a bunch of times. We ended up missing one checkpoint, which sucked but we had a great day. Toby and Hop were able to find the last checkpoint...kudos on the first race!
I took Monday off to recover...I haven't been this sore since the first Snowshoe race. Note to self: Take more nutrition on the trail then you think you need.
We all had the same course direction, starting with the Orienteering course. There was no compass work, just a rudimentary park map with checkpoint locations. scaling was way off, but we couldn't blame our first hiccup on that. Our second major hiccup was do to not paying attention to detail. Toby wins the "attention to detail" award. After collecting all the checkpoints, we headed back to the staging area, where I ended up slightly twisting my ankle.
Next up was the Challenge section comprised of a rock wall, partner carry and get the ping pong ball. Jimmie rocked the rock wall. The partner carry was hilarious and hurtful on my ankle. Jimmie carried me fireman style, which I'm sure hurt me more than it hurt him. On to the ping pong section. The objective was to fill up a five foot PVC pipe with lake water to get a ping pong ball to the top. The kickers - there were two holes on the pipe, which one team member had to hold. The teammates had to alternate positions every time, so there was some skill to the matter. In the end, I leveraged my beer pong skills by blowing in the pipe to get the ball out. See, I did learn something in college.
After the challenges, it was on to the canoe. I never knew how far and difficult five miles was on still water. This lake seemed like an ocean. By the last checkpoint I thought I was going to need shoulder surgery. Obviously, paddling is my weak point.
Thankfully it was on to biking. This was where we should've made up some time. But alas, our map skills floundered and we got turned around a bunch of times. We ended up missing one checkpoint, which sucked but we had a great day. Toby and Hop were able to find the last checkpoint...kudos on the first race!
I took Monday off to recover...I haven't been this sore since the first Snowshoe race. Note to self: Take more nutrition on the trail then you think you need.
Toby Carson, Matt Hoppe, moi, Jimmie Lobley
Friday, April 27, 2007
Stop...demotivate and listen
A workmate sent me a website that pokes fun at those motivational posters that you see hanging in conference rooms across the USA. Within the site they have a fun application that allows you to make your very own "motivational" poster. I made two referencing 1) Jimmie and I after 15 miles of being lost and 2) Bradley's first race and first wreck. Enjoy!
In other news, The Loch ride last night was a blast. I was very impressed by the newbie. He was taking log piles and other obstacles with nary an issue. It was his first ride with clipless pedals and only fell once, due to a slow and steady issue. My bike seems to be dialed in...the ride was smooth and steady....I had a lot of fuel left in the tank. Now it's time to rest.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Dog is my co-pilot
Yesterday I planned on taking my little girl on a stroll around Soldier's Delight, but rain started coming in droves. She didn't seem too energetic anyway. I went about my business...laundry, dinner, not mowing my lawn, flexing in front of the mirror, etc. As I sat watching the tube, I noticed she was obsessing over her rear end. I finally had enough and took a look. Yikes!!! A huge bump on the rump! Off to the ER vet we went. She had a blocked anal gland, which I'm told can be normal. Not normal to me...that was scary!!
So she got it drained, we got some meds, and she has a lampshade around her neck. Thumbs up to the Falls Road Veterinarian Clinic. Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and they have a fantastic staff. Pictures are forthcoming of the lampshaded Cobster...not of her butt...she's a lady.
Tonight I ride Loch as a warm-up/gear check for the Savage on Sunday. I am taking a newbie out on the trail so it should be somewhat moderately paced...although I said that when I rode with Hoppe the first time too.
Friday I hope to get a decent hike in and rest on Saturday in the 'Ville, because Team HKI takes the Savage by storm on Sunday.
Newbs requests that I don't hurt myself before the halfy...request noted.
So she got it drained, we got some meds, and she has a lampshade around her neck. Thumbs up to the Falls Road Veterinarian Clinic. Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year and they have a fantastic staff. Pictures are forthcoming of the lampshaded Cobster...not of her butt...she's a lady.
Tonight I ride Loch as a warm-up/gear check for the Savage on Sunday. I am taking a newbie out on the trail so it should be somewhat moderately paced...although I said that when I rode with Hoppe the first time too.
Friday I hope to get a decent hike in and rest on Saturday in the 'Ville, because Team HKI takes the Savage by storm on Sunday.
Newbs requests that I don't hurt myself before the halfy...request noted.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Nemesis
I finally got back on the Soldier's Delight trail for a 5.5'er run. The good ol' double up (west trail and east trail). A couple months ago I twisted my ankle and thought my entire season was in jeopardy, but I plowed through like the ox I am.
I had my pack loaded with game day gear and headed out for a smooth run. No timing, pacing, etc. I felt really good and according to the sun, I couldn't have been on the trail for much more than an hour.
I did get a blister which isn't a good sign...sock choice is important. I think I may hit the trail more often though...lots of single, in shape ladies running amok. Although at the end of the run I noticed that I had my AR knife clipped to my strap...that probably sent off a lot of unwanted signals. Oh well, you can never be too safe.
Trail hike tonight with Cobi and then a easy Seminary ride on Thursday to make sure the Paragon is dialed in for this weekend's festivities.
I had my pack loaded with game day gear and headed out for a smooth run. No timing, pacing, etc. I felt really good and according to the sun, I couldn't have been on the trail for much more than an hour.
I did get a blister which isn't a good sign...sock choice is important. I think I may hit the trail more often though...lots of single, in shape ladies running amok. Although at the end of the run I noticed that I had my AR knife clipped to my strap...that probably sent off a lot of unwanted signals. Oh well, you can never be too safe.
Trail hike tonight with Cobi and then a easy Seminary ride on Thursday to make sure the Paragon is dialed in for this weekend's festivities.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Another weekend down
I had a pretty eventful weekend. I kicked off Friday with some pasta and some beers at a local watering hole, Liberatore's. Got some shut eye, woke up and prepped for a long haul bike ride. I started with a 35 and 4 in mind, but the day was so nice I extended my bike ride to 57.4 miles (per the Garmin).
I headed out my front door in Owings Mills and rode to McDaniel College where I was surprised to see Spring Flingers partying...it does my heart well. I was a little bit nutritionally challenged as I thought I was only doing 35 miles, but Perpeteum kept me strong until the last 5 miles where I popped coming up Deer Park from the reservoir...thank you granny gear.
I napped, I showered, I headed to Z-man's (aka, Everyday) in Arlington to celebrate the birth of one of our high school buddies. Good times until my cell phone alarm went off at 7ish in the morning and off to see Brad's first road race in Columbia. He rode strong and would've finished well, but got pinched in the last 100ish meters before the finish line. He crashed out, garnering some gnarly looking road rash, etc. See folks, this is why roadies shave legs. That and it makes your calves look huge!!! Brad...mad props to you in your first race!!!
Brad up front on lap 8, making it look like a ride in the park (note upright position compared to other riders...that's silly strong).
After the crash (Harshman on the left, mangled Brad center, HalfCam in the rear)
Photos courtesy of Eric "Pinarello"
Sunday evening I enjoyed the musical stylings of Sevendust at Ram's Head with Hoppe. I was expecting a loud, brash and noisy evening. While all of that occurred, I really enjoyed the show they put on. I never thought heavy metal show could end up being emotional/spiritual/something along those lines.
Monday I ran around Frederick...teeth cleaned, road bike adjusted, 29er tire found, lunch and Hefe's ingested and naps had...good day.
I headed out my front door in Owings Mills and rode to McDaniel College where I was surprised to see Spring Flingers partying...it does my heart well. I was a little bit nutritionally challenged as I thought I was only doing 35 miles, but Perpeteum kept me strong until the last 5 miles where I popped coming up Deer Park from the reservoir...thank you granny gear.
I napped, I showered, I headed to Z-man's (aka, Everyday) in Arlington to celebrate the birth of one of our high school buddies. Good times until my cell phone alarm went off at 7ish in the morning and off to see Brad's first road race in Columbia. He rode strong and would've finished well, but got pinched in the last 100ish meters before the finish line. He crashed out, garnering some gnarly looking road rash, etc. See folks, this is why roadies shave legs. That and it makes your calves look huge!!! Brad...mad props to you in your first race!!!
Brad up front on lap 8, making it look like a ride in the park (note upright position compared to other riders...that's silly strong).
After the crash (Harshman on the left, mangled Brad center, HalfCam in the rear)
Photos courtesy of Eric "Pinarello"
Sunday evening I enjoyed the musical stylings of Sevendust at Ram's Head with Hoppe. I was expecting a loud, brash and noisy evening. While all of that occurred, I really enjoyed the show they put on. I never thought heavy metal show could end up being emotional/spiritual/something along those lines.
Monday I ran around Frederick...teeth cleaned, road bike adjusted, 29er tire found, lunch and Hefe's ingested and naps had...good day.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Rollin' along
We hit Merryman's Loop at Loch Raven last night - we being Hoppe and I. Hoppe got hung up at work so I took a quick half hour loop and the timing couldn't have been better. As I rolled back to the lot, Hoppe was pulling in. He got ready, I fueled up on Vitamin Water (I immediately regretted making that decision, VM was a bad choice - read: vurps like acid). Then off we went, up Heart Attack Hill. It's not like the hill is so horrible, it's just the immediacy at which it comes.
Hoppe, on a singlespeed, once again showed me that I always have room for improvement. He rocked the hill like his biznatch. Although, I rolled it pretty nicely too. Then we were off to the races. My only hiccup was my rear tire. Last trip, and I suspect trips previous, I found a rip in my tire's sidewall. Simple physics suggests that the inner tube will expand the outer shell if the outer shell is weaker than the force exerted outwardly by the tube...I watched Mr. Wizard as a kid. The effect is a bulge in the tire, which makes rocky sections and switchbacks a little squirrelly in the rear. Most of the time I was worried about flatting out, so I took every clean line I could find and slowed down during downhill turns...boring.
We capped the ride off with a nice bottle of Burton Baton by DFH. It's a nice tradition Hoppe and I used to have. One bottle shared between friends after a hard ride.
Hoppe, on a singlespeed, once again showed me that I always have room for improvement. He rocked the hill like his biznatch. Although, I rolled it pretty nicely too. Then we were off to the races. My only hiccup was my rear tire. Last trip, and I suspect trips previous, I found a rip in my tire's sidewall. Simple physics suggests that the inner tube will expand the outer shell if the outer shell is weaker than the force exerted outwardly by the tube...I watched Mr. Wizard as a kid. The effect is a bulge in the tire, which makes rocky sections and switchbacks a little squirrelly in the rear. Most of the time I was worried about flatting out, so I took every clean line I could find and slowed down during downhill turns...boring.
We capped the ride off with a nice bottle of Burton Baton by DFH. It's a nice tradition Hoppe and I used to have. One bottle shared between friends after a hard ride.