How not to get ready for a race:
1. Get sick the week before
2. Go for a hike the day before the race
3. Go out to a nice dinner the night before
So I did all three of the above, one for each peak in
the race! In addition it was my wedding anniversary weekend, so I made sure to
pay extra attention to my wife. She was kind enough to support me in doing this
event this year. Whether one of my 2 boys, allergens, or some other source
caused my system to weaken this week and I've been paying the price with
congestion for the past week. This persisted through Sunday, and probably
wasn't helped by hiking Saturday outside (although it was quite
beautiful!).
Sunday greeted me with nice, crisp Fall temperatures in
the 50s, with a projected high of around 60 on the day. Pretty nice for an
off-road event. Three Peaks USA is billed as "America's Hardest Cyclocross
Race". Check out the course:http://ridewithgps.com/routes/1183096, and a
video: http://vimeo.com/31066243
In 50 miles, we took in 10'000 feet of climbing,
several gnarly decents and 30+ miles of dirt and gravel roads. The course is
based on 3 climbs, with lots of technical riding, and some pavement in between.
The gun went off at 10AM and we all blitzed the first climb, with several of the
regions top mountain bikers present as well as riders from up and down the East
Coast. I knew from the first climb that the day would be a long one as I just
didn't have the top-end that I normally do, and my breathing was labored
(probably from whatever had been ailing me). I settled in behind the front
group and just tried to take it steady. The group exploded on the first climb
and I ended up in the top 20, setting my own pace. In a race of this distance
(about 4 hours) you need to really focus on nutrition to keep you energy levels
up. So I took turn taking drinks from my Camelback hydration pack, sips of
energy drink, and blowing my nose. Since I wasn't on a great day, I tried to
enjoy myself a bit and snuck a few peaks at the peaks surrounding us as we
climbed up the backside of Beech Mountain. It was a gorgeous, clear day and the
views were really breathtaking (or was that just the altitude?)!
Over the first peak our group was diverted off course
and cost us about 10 minutes. We turned around and began our chase of the lead
group once again. The steep, off-road ascents were the best, since my
Specialized tubeless tires rolling on the new I9 wheels held traction better
than most others out there. I also spend a lot of time in my 34 x 32 "granny
gear"! The rest of the day wasn't the most tantalizing race from a strategic
perspective, as I only had one speed. My mantra became, stay safe, catch
riders. Over the second peak I was caught by a few riders, but on the technical
descent I held my own and passed several riders who had either crashed, or
gotten flats (one of the perils of riding a cyclocross bike down mountain bike
trails!). I hit the middle of the course in about 15th place and just kept up
my charge, hydrating, and eating (gels).
I actually started to feel pretty good on the final
climb, and thought of my smiling boys and my son, Ethan, shouting "go faster
Daddy"!, which he does when he riding in the trailer behind me and we're
climbing a hill. I picked riders off one by one and climbed into 9th place by
the top of the final peak. The final descent couldn't come soon enough, as my
back started to lock up with about 5 miles to go, and the extra mileage from our
"detour" left me on the brink of the dreaded BONK. I was able to hold my
position however and came across the line in a top 10 position. I was pleased,
since the whole day was a physical struggle, but the beer, wine at Banner Elk
Winery, and pasta helped fuel my body and soul.
Thanks to all of
our great sponsors: Earth Fare, Industry Nine, Specialized/Cycle Sport Concepts, Highland
Brewing, Mamacita’s, Blue Sky M.D., DNA Cycling, CarboRocket, DeFeet, HD
Coaching, Omnium Bodyworks, Peak 10, and ABRC (check them all out on our
Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/earthfare.cyclingteam !).
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