2018 NUE Mohican 100 - 8th Time is the Charm? #kindasorta
This was my 8th time racing the Mohican Mountain Bike Race. It's easy from a location point of view as it is in Ohio and only 1:20 hours drive. The first year I did this race, well it was my first race ever. I "raced" it on a Motobecane Full Squish, but at 35lbs I wouldn't say I had an advantage with a full squish. This was the 2010 year of peanut butter fun-ness.
Severe electrical thunderstorms knocked out power and produced winds in excess of 60mph, swollen streams, several local tornados, and unusually large hail that greeted a record 600+ racers at the Mohican Mountain Bike 100, round number two of the National Ultra Endurance (NUE) Series in Ohio on Saturday.
It took me over 10.5 hours to finish the 100k ... but I finished nonetheless. 12" peanut butter is an understatement. Seriously ... it was BAD! Flash forward to now and I am close to going sub-8 hours on this course. A feat easy for some ... but not me. Missed sub-8 this year ... yet again ... but I am getting close. I would likely need perfect trail conditions to go sub-8 hours and that was NOT this year.
The race start was a bit daunting this year. It's usually a mad dash start road start of about 400m or so to the bottom of this gnarly climb and that mad dash is where things can get very chaotic. Folks fighting for position and wanting to not be bottlenecked when they hit the trails, about 5-miles after the paved start. A friend of mine, Michael Gottfried, got taken out last year and suffered a minor concussion, I think, and a broken collarbone within the first 100m. Just so stupid that people think they are going to win the race in the first 400m of a 100 or 100k race. This year had the added fun that the bridge near the bottom of the hill was under construction so Ryan O'Dell the RD made darn sure to keep stating that is was a NEUTRAL start, there was NO prime at the top of that gnarly hill, and for everyone to stay CALM and SLOW UP!! Well ... it worked to my knowledge. It was calm cool and collected and we all made it over the right-hand side of the bridge unscathed and then the lead can horn blasted and we were off!!
As I watched the lead peloton stroll away from me like I was standing still, I actually had a solid race start. I am more of a diesel engine that needs some warming up and although I do a warm-up before every race, I am just not a jet engine off the start line. Never have been and prolly never will be. I was in a rather scattered second group and well away from the mid to back of the back so I was happy with that and I felt great!
Fast forward to aid station #1 and I had hit one of my faster times to aid #1 under 2-hours, 1:50 and change so that was a great start. We had covered most of the Mohican SP trail and had another 7-miles to the infamous horse trail climb. The ONLY person that I am aware of that has cleaned the climb during the race is none other than Jeremiah Bishop. Man is a friggin stud so it makes sense that he would clean a very gnarly Bridle Trail climb (LOL). My wife, being the most awesomeness race support anyone could ever ask for, gave me my bottles and I was off in less than 1-minute. She's my rock, my BFF, and I will sing it from the rooftops (just pray you don't hear it cuz I suck at singing).
All the way from the start to Aid #2 I am happy that I really never got stuck behind many folks on any of the single track which is NOT what has been my experience in this race, usually. It was great to just be able to motor at my own pace. Not much to really say on the sections from aid #1 to aid #2 except the water bar section. This trail section ... well frankly ... sucks flying donkeys. They are water bars to help horse climb so naturally, the RD sends us down them every year. You think that is all mud you are riding thru???? THink again. Keep your mouth closed and pray you don't have to put a foot down. There was an AWESOME heckling crew mid-way down this section from Knobby Side Down, a local cycling team made up of a bunch of excellent mountain bikers, but mostly just awesome people. Fun, down to earth, and a blast to be around. If you ever get a chance to hang out with them, grab a beer, or ride with them ... DO IT!! These folks are absolutely wonderfully awesome!! Regardless, they were in rare form and ... well ... I won't repeat some of the comments. They had me laughing all the way down the water bars section. I "mostly" cleaned it? Ok, I dabbed a couple times cuz when the water bars go off camber and at an angle and are wet and dump you down into a ... we'll say "muddy" ravine ... it is rather daunting. I made it down with no OTB so ... all was good as far as I am concerned.
I ran bottles this entire race which is the first time I have ever run all bottles at this race. I am getting more comfortable grabbing bottled while on the trail while not getting dehydrated so it was great not to have a Camelbak on all day or even some of the day. I shot through aid #2 and did not need anything so just kept rolling. I always wonder how many 100-milers I'm passing when I do that, but it's not like I'll ever stop and ask. Ha!
Between aid #2 and aid #3 you hit some paved roads, gravel roads, and the other larger section of single track, Wilderness. I had ridden it the week before the race a couple times with my partner in crime Dave Jolin and a good friend and stellar mountain biker Brad Rogers. I got more and more comfortable with this trail and felt good heading into it. I road the entire section fairly clean, but there is one sort of snotty rocky section that I struggle with cleaning, but did when I trained on it the week prior. Ran up to some guys on this section and since they slipped out and were dabbing I was unable to get a really good run at it. Regardless, I did fairly well and I always have the thought in my head of ... "just keep moving forward"!! Don't stop, don't get angry for not being able to clean a section. During a race, you always want forward progress. I don't care if you're riding, walking, or hiking ... like Dori says ... "Just Keeping Swimming, Swimming, Swimming".
Made it through most of Wilderness and into aid #3 where my wife was all ready to hand me my bag for aid #3. I grabbed some Sea Salt chips (tasted darn good!!), a Natures Bakery fig bar (downed those on my way out of aid #3 while riding), downed a GU, grabbed my next two bottles of Infint Nutrition (yay for Infint Nutrition!!), told my wife I love her (at least I hope I did that!) and I was off to the last little bit of Wilderness single track, Mohaven, and to aid #4 at Glenmont.
Wilderness Trail for the hundie racers had a final one-mile climb back out to some gravel roads that take you to Camp Mohaven. Its all rideable but was a little slick and loose in some spots. I cleaned most of it and have typically cleaned the entire one-mile climb. Regardless, made good time on this section, shot out to the road and hoofed it to Camp Mohaven. Camp Mohaven sorta sucks honestly. Some of the sections are just loamy, greasy, blah blah blah .... hey that's mountain bike racing man. You deal with the good and the bad. Everyone has to get through it so you put some power down and just ride!! There is an aid #3.5 station at the top of the Camp Mohaven climb. These folks are a blessing at the top of one of the gnarliest climbs. I wasn't going to grab anything this year but dang ... peanut M&Ms?? Yes please!! I downed a small cup of those (maybe had 8 in the cup) and was off to Glenmont aid #4.
Between aid #3.5 and aid #4 there was a bunch of loamy trails and a couple of gnarly climbs, one of which I was unable to clean. Just too steep and loose and this late in the race I struggled generating enough power to ride it clean. I walked the one climb and then jumped back on ma'rig and road everything else. Finally, we get to the Holmes Country Trail. This trail used to be a gravel trail but they recently paved the entire trail ... all 10-miles of it. Damn. Such a shame. It also has the longest covered bridge in Ohio so that's pretty darn awesome to ride across. Every once in a while you'll see a horse and carriage and I did see a couple of carriages this year. I always wave and show respect to the horses and those in the cartridge by slowing up and waving/smiling. All good stuff.
Finally arrived at aid #4 after the mindnumbing 10-mile paved path (those poor single speeders) jaunt where Angie was all ready with my bottles and food. Chowed some more chips, took a few swigs of a Coke (aka Liquid Crack), grabbed my bottles and I was off for aid #5.
Between aid #4 and #5, they have a nice aid #4.5 after a long suspension bridge that you get to ride over. It's always a neat way to head back to head back to Wilderness Campground, heading back onto Wally road before the Valley Stream climb. The folks at aid #4.5 were awesome as usual, heck ALL of the aid station volunteers are just incredible every year, and I stopped real quick to grab a swig of liquid-crack, downed a few pickles, and headed off. Before I left they informed me that I was likely in 18th place in the Open Mens division. Sweet! I have never finished better than 20th place so that helped with the mental motivation late in the race!
After riding Wally road for a short bit I came up to Valley Stream. While not the final climb of the day, it is certainly the last BIG climb of the day, at least that I can recall. As I made the left hand turn onto the road I was greeted by a long line of folks talking up the road. I think I had finally caught the tail end of the 100k group because as I rolled past them I saw a heck of a lot of red numbered race plates (black number plates were for the hundies). I cheered them on and they cheered me on and after getting to the top I continued on my way across a short bit of trail that dumps you out onto the final stretch of road before heading back to the Mohican State Park TH. I love when you dump out onto the road because it is this magical moment when you have all the motivation in the world thrust upon you to just hammer, well as much as your body will allow, of course, to get to the final 5-6 miles of single track goodness before crossing the finish line! It is just a wonderful feeling. Y'all know exactly what I am talking about.
Made it to Aid #5 and every year is the same deal. I grab my most empty bottle, throw it to the ground towards my wife as she is asking if I need anything and I launch full throttle into the single track. This year she was standing out a bit from the cars and extended her hand and like we had been practicing it for years, she grabbed the bottle out of my hand I kept on truckin. Never even hit the brakes once. #sopro #mywifeisawesome
Finished up the last bit of single track, of course not w/o being held up a few times by some 100kers, but that's ok. Only took a few minutes out of my time and by that point, I was not going to make a sub-8 hour time anyway. Rolled across the finish line in 8:10 + change and felt great! Tired of course, but great!
Final placement for the 2018 Mohican 100 was 15th place in the Open Mens category. Sweet!! I finally broke a sub-20th place at Mohican!! #sostoked
Without a doubt, I could not do any of the bit of craziness without the love and support of my one and only BFF, wife, and soul mate Angie. She continues to be and always will be my main squeeze and nothing in this world can change that!!
Of course, Rescue Racing has the most incredible and generous sponsors. So here's to Christopher Bean Coffee for getting me fired and fueled up for the 4am morning start (BEST COFFEE EVER). Infinit Nutrition for keeping me fueled throughout the race because without them I'd be running on fumes, sitting on the sidelines, or just not even starting in the first place. Maxxis Tires and TruckCo for keeping my rig rolling smoothly over the gnarly terrain and never letting me down!! Of course, tires and sealant are awesome and quite necessary, but having some of the best hand-built wheels from Built To Last Wheels on the amazing Industry Nine Torch Hubs .... #soawesome #sosmooth Chamois Butt'r for keeping the undercarriage comfortable, protected, and well frankly ... chafe-free because there is nothing worse than taking that after-race shower and well ... y'all know what I'm talking about.
Comments
Post a Comment