July 15, 2006
Hot Doggett 100 mile ride

The inaugural Hot Doggett lived up to its name. The ride started in optimal conditions but the temperature heated up like an aerosol can in a bonfire. Over 100 riders were foolish enough to choose the 100 mile route along with me.

I started out quickly but at the first climb many riders zoomed past. The bite tube in my camelbak came off and doused my gloves with gatorade. I figure if that's the worst equipment malfunction of the day then I'm in pretty good shape.

The first long climb was Doggett Mountain. It started gradually, climbing through a valley, much like Alpe d'Huez in the Tour de France. Granted, it didn't have anywhere near that difficulty, but it still challenged. About half way up, I noticed a girl riding a few hundred yards in back of me. I would try to hold her off for another mile. So much for that ploy. She caught me in less than half a mile. Not a problem, I thought. Long, slow climbs are certainly not my forte. It's just that this was a girl, a young girl. She turned out to be 15.

Teenagers don't generally participate in endurance events. They tend to have good fast-twitch muscles but tire easily. This girl didn't tire easily. She blew past me with little trouble. When the grade leveled out a bit, I was able to stay with her.

Alpe d'Huez has a city at its summit. Doggett had a tent with food. It was much appreciated. Three of the four greatest climbs had rest stops at the top. Whoever came up with that idea is a genius.

On the descent, Bridgette was riding ahead of me and looked back to see where I was. Her front wheel drifted off the road, which led to a three inch drop. Bridgette and the bicycle flipped over completely. Her helmet just grazed the pavement and she landed on the asphalt, scraping a knee and an elbow. It was harrowing witnessing such a fantastic wipeout. I'd seen riders fall on mountain bikes but they were always simple collapses to one side. This one had air time and real danger.

My anxiety quickly subsided as Bridgette leapt up from the pavement and grabbed her bicycle, which had landed in the other lane. I still figured she was seriously injured. Her scrapes looked painful but were relatively small and there was a bump on her forehead. Her helmet was unscathed. The bicycle received little damage. I attempted to straighten out the grips but failed miserably. I'm not much of a mechanic. Her response was "The Lord was looking out for me". She was more concerned about the damage to her bicycle and whether her dad would be upset about it.

Fortunately, the next rider stopped. Garrett knew Bridgette from previous rides. We would make sure she'd make it through the day and complete the hundred miles. All she really needed was some moral support. She was plenty strong and tough as nails.

Hot Springs is a resort town on the AT. It's known for hiking, natural hot tubs and whitewater rafting. Water...the universal solvent...and the universal thirst quencher. Unfortunately, we could not take a dip in the water. We stopped at the aid station and Bridgette got patched up. The climb out of Hot Springs was absolutely brutal. There were no trees to provide shade and the sun beat down with incredible intensity. The temperature had reached the 80's and the lack of shade took its toll on our bodies. This wasn't the longest climb but it was the hottest. The descent cooled us off and afterward, we had the priviledge of riding along the nice, cool Laurel river.

Singing is better left to those who can actually do it. But in the absence of one who is able, talentless, off-key cyclists may be inclined to croon a few bars. Garrett started and we went down the line. One show tune and a folk song down and it was up to me. I tried my hand at Louis Armstrong and Bruce Springsteen. "What a Wonderful World" went better than expected. "Born to Run" was a spirited rendition but drew too much lung power and had to be abandoned midverse.

Devil's Fork contained the steepest climb of the day. I cramped up a bit and had to lay off a bit. At the top of the climb, we entered Tennessee, and crossed the AT for the second time. The support car was filling up with cyclists who had abandoned the ride. We would push on further.

Sam's Gap wasn't as steep a climb but continued for five long, hot miles. The final rest stop was at the top. Bridgette's stepmom appeared in a support car. She had also wiped out on Doggett, and chose to call it a day. Two other riders abandoned after wipeouts.

Three rest stops were positioned at the tops of climbs. Whoever decided to place these in such opportune locations is a tactical genius.

We all crossed the finish line together. The Hot Doggett was as challenging as Blood, Sweat and Gears. I managed to finish with minimal cramping but the heat really slowed me down. Bridgette finished after a horrific crash and Garrett was a good sport for hanging back with us.

Raging Bull

June 24, 2006
Blood, Sweat and Gears 100+ mile ride

Blood-lifeforce; fluid circulated by the heart.
Sweat-to create perspiration through the pores in the skin; perspire.
Gears-toothed machine parts, such as wheels or cylinders that mesh with another toothed part to transmit motion or to change speed or direction.

Blood, sweat and gears conjure thoughts of pain, endurance and intimidation. The name implies untold effort and determination.

The morning air was crisp, clear and cool. The hour and a half drive to Valle Cruscis went smoothly. More and more cars appeared with bicycles on their roofs.

The first hill was not steep but had several false tops. These false tops give a false sense of hope that the climbing is about to end. By the end of the day I would have experienced an abundance of these teasers.

With a thousand riders, bicyclists tend to be bunched up for quite some time. On the first climb, I was behind a group of about a dozen riders. A deer darted out into the group. Despite their close proximity, no one hit the deer. We were all stunned for a bit but then it was back to business. Century rides contain some play but more business.

The Blue Ridge Parkway is a scenic route and my favorite place to ride. I'd never ridden this stretch of parkway. The climbs weren't excessively steep but were definite lung burners.

Coming off the Parkway, things got a bit easier but we still climbed. The hills became shorter and not so steep. The road actually flattened for a few miles. This was a reprieve for the work we had done and a recovery for the intense work on the horizon yet to come. One more easy mountain and then on to Snake mountain.

Snake starts out slowly. It's a moderate climb which lulls you into overworking rather than conserving. Fortunately, I had been forewarned about the bite this mountain had. I felt strange riding in easy gears while others passed me but I figured this was the best course of action.

"The mountain was angry that day, my friends; like an old man trying to send back soup in a deli!"

"I tell you that mountain was a hundred miles high if it was a foot!"

The climb gets steeper on a straightaway-about ten percent. After a brief 2% grade, the really steep climb occurs. It wavers between 15 and 20 percent. After a couple of turns, the top is in view. About a quarter of riders are now walking their bicycles, making nearly as much time as I am. I finally reached the top and all of a sudden my leg muscles start to strangle me. It was like a blood pressure test gone awry. I'd never felt such pain in a muscle cramp. The big problem is that once you get muscle cramps, you have to deal with them for the rest of the day.

The descent was fine and gave my muscles a rest but I iced them down at the next rest stop. I hydrated profusely but to little avail. Fortunately, bicycle shoes allow you to pedal on the upstroke. That would be the only way I'd be able to finish.

This ride climbs a total of 13000+ feet, or about two and a half miles. The last three climbs, all 8 to 10%, had to be done with very little pushing or the intense pain would return. Unwittingly, I did push a bit and the cramps came back. Seven times I had to walk around until the pain subsided. One time, a redneck pickup stopped and the driver offered to toss my bike in the back and give me a lift to the finish. I declined and trudged on.

Lightning flashed and thunder crashed in the distance in the last ten miles. A summer rainstorm would have provided much needed relief from the heat but I didn't get rained upon.

The finish line came into view and I felt relieved from not having to deal with the pain any more. I came in at 7:45, a bit better than I'd expected for the 105 mile ride, especially with cramping so much. I was very pleased with the amount of energy I still had. On the way back home, I stopped at Linville falls and did a little running to work out the kinks in my legs.

Raging Bull

April 29, 2006
Crowders Mountain 50k Punisher run

Poison ivy can be quite nasty. I was still getting over it on race day. My ankle was still a bit swollen so I knew I might not finish but I was certainly going to try. The weather was perfect, 58 degrees and a few clouds. The course was a mystery. I'd heard there were stairs. There were many, many stairs.

Two groups formed early. The fast group would wear me out too quickly and the slow group was a bit too slow. I found myself in between along with a another guy, Travis. We got to talking and decided to work together. I recognized Travis from the Mount Mitchell Challenge. He started out way too strong and his body blew up. He had to plead with the sweep just to make it to the finish line. The sweep can pull a runner off the course if they aren't on course to finish timely enough. Travis was the last to finish, but he made it.

Our strategy was to walk any section with more than a 2% grade. We would jog the level sections and go all out on the downhills. This was a strategy that would pay off famously.

The course started out on rolling hills but quickly changed to a very steep mountain climb. We passed one from the fast group before we reached the top. The view was spectacular but fleeting as we descended the other side. This descent involved those steps I'd heard about-300 of them. They weren't so bad the first time.

After the steps, the trail descended steeply on gravel. We took a turn to single track and were greeted by roots and rock beds. Tricky footing isn't a problem early on in a race but it becomes a challenge in the later stages. Stabilizing muscles tend to get fatigued after about 20 miles.

After one hour we arrived at the turning point of the trail. I thought we went at too fast a pace. I did not expect to be able to continue at that pace. It was time to do it in reverse. We were at the lower point so the 600 foot climb at the beginning would become an 800 foot climb on the return.

The 300 steps were a slow go but we made it without losing much time. We had discussed downhill strategy and both saw ourselves as strong downhillers, perhaps in line with the elite runners. Our prognostication proved to be accurate. Travis was very strong but I pulled way out in front. Being the only 200 pounders on the course, we had gravity on our side. The return trip saw us pass two runners from that lead group. We enjoyed a negative split and reached home base at 1:55.

Home base featured a nice spread of food. We loaded up quickly and were on our way to round two. This round proceeded at only a slightly
slower pace than the first. The mountain seemed a bit taller and the steps seemed like 400 this go round. Yet, nobody was passing us. The leader was well in front but there was no chance of him lapping us. We reached home a second time at 4:15. I was ecstatic that we didn't lose much time in the second lap. The third, however, was likely to be more grueling.

More hiking was in store for us this time. About amile into the third leg, the leader came barreling by us. This climb was slower than the previous two. I could not keep up with Travis. The stairs downhill presented a formidable challenge this time. The knees were no longer nimble. The entire trail seemed about 50% longer.

Finally, the last turn was reached. The return trip proved slow but steady. The runner who had held 5th place was walking. I never expected to catch anyone on the way back. The steps were daunting but knowing that the last mile and a half were downhill kept me going. On the downhill, another runner was passed. I was back in 12th place and I made sure I held it. The finish line came into sight so I kicked it into high gear and finished in a roaring sprint.

I finished 6 minutes behind Travis. Two ultras down and many more to come this year.

Raging Bull

February 4, 2006
Uwharrie 41 mile run

Friday night was the pre-race dinner. It was there that I found out exactly what I was getting into. This little race was not only tougher than the Mount Mitchell Challenge, but by a wide margin. That race which climbs from my town to the tallest mountain in the east climbs about 5000 feet overall. The Uwharrie Mountain Run climbs 7000 feet.

Shortly before the start, I was stretching my calves on a small log. logs tend to be round as was this one and I just about fell flat on my face when it rolled out from under me. I almost foiled the entire run. Unfortunately, I didn't hurt myself. The pain was yet to come.

We embarked upon our journey at 7 am at a walking pace, which would be instrumental later in the day. Ultrarunners are an odd lot. They don't seem to care about how fast they get through a race. They only care to finish and even that isn't a must.

The first mountain contained numerous rock beds with very difficult footing. We trotted along and sooner than expected, came upon the first aid station. The stations were rather gourmet with homemade cookies, fruit and beverages. The miles piled upon one another until an extended downhill. That was where I picked up the pace and left the others with whom I'd been jogging. I met up with a couple of young ladies and ran with them intermittently for the next ten miles.

Rock hopping is an art form. Fortunately, it is one of the few art forms I seem to excel at. I kept my feet dry the entire run. After the widest stream crossing, the longest climb loomed in the distance. This one took a while to scale and wore me down a bit. I trudged on for several more miles and finally arrived at the turn around point. 20 1/2 miles and 5:20 later, it was time to head back for round two.

The emotional boost of the halfway point led me to run like a gazelle for the next three miles. Also, it was nice to commiserate with those I met earlier in the run. The return run was lonely. I passed a few runners and a couple passed me. The aid stations seemed to be placed further apart on the way back. The easy downhills on the way out became tedious climbs on the way back.

6:00 at the 38 mile point was the cutoff to go on without a light. Fortunately, I had a light with me just in case. I made it to 38 at 5:45, but I was glad I had a light with me. The sunset was spectacular as I reached the top of the last mountain. The way down was through the rock beds, in the dark. I stubbed a toe on one rock so I got out the headlamp. I slipped in the rock bed and nailed the side of my foot. Since that was the most painful moment I endured, I felt fortunate. The level of muscle pain was quite low. By staying slow, no lactic acid built up.

Soon I could hear people at the camp at the trailhead. The end was near. 11 hours, 18 minutes and 41 miles later, I was greeted by the finish line. I saw several runners who were way behind me. They dropped out. About 25 of the 100+ runners did not finish. I finished 67th. My goal was simply to finish but many experienced ultrarunners did not finish. I believe there was only one other first time ultrarunner and he finished 3 minutes after me.

I'm looking forward to the next ultra. It really was enjoyable. It wasn't the grueling trek I expected. I was sore for two days but it wasn't a debilitating pain. I was on the bicycle Monday, and may run tomorrow if the snow doesn't get too deep

Raging Bull