Ohio Cycling Disorder (OCD)

The last few years I have been more passionate about running than riding. Maybe I'm just burnt out on mountain biking when it comes to racing, because I still love to ride. I just have not had that fire in my belly for MTB racing. Trail running though, I have visions of doing all sorts of crazy races and training sessions. I just hope my body can keep up with the sh** that goes on in my head. For my sixth time racing Marji I decided to tap into the 50-mile run. I had been registered for the Duathlon for a third year in a row, but changed my mind over the summer, sold my registration, and snagged a run registration. After having completed the Burning River 100 at the end of July, I thought this would be a good second test of my nutrition plan and ability to handle many hours on my feet. My hope was to be close to a 14-hour finish but was prepared for 16 hours. I really do love the vibe of the race, the shenanigans of the race directors, and the trails and area are beautiful. Well .....

The last two years I have completed a virtual Everesting challenge using Zwift, my own bike and my trusty Wahoo KickR Core smart trainer. For this third attempt I was originally planning for and had prepared on the Zwift Epic KOM (forward) . I already completed a basecamp on the Reverse Epic KOM in 2020 (6-hours and change) and so I thought I would use a different climb altogether. I did not prepare for this third attempt nearly as much as I had in the past. My running really hit its stride this year which means my saddle time has been significantly reduced from the previous two years. The recipe that I continue to follow is to build up to a Basecamp (half of a full Everesting) attempt a few weeks out from Thanksgiving. The weekends leading up to the Basecamp I slowly increase the number of repetitions and be just shy of completing 50% of a full Everest on the selected climb. A day or two before Thanksgiving I would complete a Basecamp. This is a great way to work on your mindset of b...

Had to laugh at the line for the 100 MTB. After having a solid summer of running and feeling like I was back in the trail running game, I began to realize just how little time I had spent on my mountain bike leading up to my biggest race of the year. I felt like I was cramming for a college final exam, ill prepared with all of the anxiety and nerves creeping into my brain. I was fortunate to have two of my favorite teammates, Carey and Lisa, meet me in Ishpeming a month before the race to ride and run the course. This was a make or break trip for me. I was either going to get comfortable riding the trails or I would tuck my tail between my legs and bail. Ohio trails are not nearly as technical as what the MG trails offer, so there are no opportunities for me to quickly regain confidence. All that said, the trip was a success. I was able to get what I needed out of the trip from a riding perspective and got to hang out with two of the best in the business. #winwin Fast forward one month...