(See attached file: Cohutta.bmp)
I guess it's safe to say the 2010 race season has started. Mine began with the first race in the Appalachian Road Race Series the Morgantown Road Race. I just got one small little problem with this race why the hell is it called the Morgantown Road Race when the entire race in PA? Whatever the race didn't go to good for me I was at the back of the pack at the start of the first climb and got dropped. Then rode with a few different groups for the rest of the race. I did feel like a got a good workout in so I was happy about that. Then a few weeks later I headed out for the first OMBC at the Mohican Wilderness. As luck would have it it was the same day as the first WVMBA race at Big Bear. I love racing at Big Bear but choose the Mohican race over BB because the Mohican course seems to have allot more climbing and I was hoping it would help more in my preparation for the Cohutta. Last year at Mohican I raced my SS and did pretty well but last year the conditions were allot different from this year. This year the course was fast and dry I had a good start but got dropped out in the flats and never caught up. I got a good ass whooping and finished 7th. The only good I took out of this race was the fact that all my lap times were consistent.
Now it was time to get ready and head down to the Cohutta 100 the first race in the NUE series. I've never done this race before and the reason why is I figured the drive would suck. Now onto the race it starts on the highway with about a 2 mile climb then a short downhill then into some really fun singletrack. I had an OK start and was maybe in the top 40 or so headed into the singletrack. It was pretty tight and I passed a few people then I finally caught up to the big line of people. It seemed pretty chill like and not much going on and the pace seemed pretty easy to handle. Then we hit some downhills and it opened up and I was able to get around a few more people. Then back in the tight stuff I think the first 20 to 25 miles was pretty much all singletrack and a blast to ride. Then we hit the gravel and dirt roads and started climbing. I passed the first aid station and everything was going good. The climbs seemed to be pretty long but not to steep and it be allot of up and down. I got the second aid station and made my first big mistake of the day. Usually I don't put anything in the drop bags because I figure what's the chances of putting in the correct stuff. You could put 20 things in and forget the one thing you do need and so everything is else is useless. The only reason I used them this time was because I wasn't sure how stocked the aid stations would be so I just packed some food, coke and redbull. Now for the mistake it wasn't what I packed it was remembering which stop I put it in. After searching through the bags twice I left and figured that I must have put it in #3 not #2. Not sure how many miles in it was but at about 4 hours in the rain started. It was pretty steady and some thunder and lightening too. I got to #3 and found my bag and continued on. Then around mile 80 I was seeing allot more people I think this was around where the 100K racers rejoined 100 milers. I was feeling pretty strong still and every time I would get near someone I was looking to see if they were a SS or geared racer. Not sure but I think I passed like 5 or 6 other SS racers. Then I hit the final piece of singletrack and figured from what everyone had told me I had about 10 miles to go. It was pretty muddy and wet I felt like I was riding it pretty well. Then it happened my chain fell off I stopped and put it back on it happened early too but I decided not to fix it then. Then it happened again and again I think it happened like 5 or 6 more times. At this point I was debating about stopping and retensioning the chain but it was a tough call when I didn't know how much further I had to go or what the trail was like. I was watching my garmin like a hawk and knew I was getting close because I was at 94 miles. Then I passed a tent and they said 1-1/2 miles to go. I Finished without anyone catching me so I was pretty happy. My late surge put me in 4th in the SS class and around 20th overall. I was pretty happy about my placing but there was a big time gap between me and the SS in front of me. Two other note worthy details about the race for me first 100 miler in under 8 hours and first 100 miler that didn't have any hike a bikes.
Here's a few things I learned
#1 Remember what stations your drop bags are at
#2 Try to preride the beginning and end of the course
#3 The drive did suck
#4 Racing and riding in the rain is allot easier than the aftermath of changing, packing and waiting in the rain
#5 That there's an awful lot of Porn and fireworks for sale along 75 in Tennessee
The only one that was new was #5. But big thanks to everyone at Newleaf Adventure Center for all the good times and thanks to all my sponsors. Also Ruth made the trip and finished but lets just say she had a bad day and spent to much time in the cabin.
J
