24 hours in Spokane
June 1, 2010 by scarkinsmel
So I was supposed to go 24 hours solo, but I decided that solo would not be fun, solo would not be a successful effort and I was feeling like I didn’t want to ride 24 hours alone. I did a team effort, and I am really happy with that decision. I can walk today, I can ride today, and I am feeling like a normal (for me) person.
How did the race go? Well in a word (after a nine other words) great.
Want more? Okay, I know you don’t but here goes. I rode a total of 4 laps of the course, all 4 were around pretty fast, well fast for me. The course was 15 miles (just about and for the purpose of this post it was at least 15 miles) with just a hair under 1000 feet of climbing so not really steep, and just long enough to make the rider tired. The biggest climb is called “take me higher” and is purported to be a five minute climb, but if it took more than a couple of minutes I would be surprised. It did kick up pretty hard at the end, but otherwise was very ridable. The next bit of notable trail was “Devils Up” and I have never ridden it entirely in any race, I have done it in practice on several occasions, but never racing….why? Well I think it is because the trail up the small climb is a false flat and I am spinning away at a very high RPM. I get almost to the top and either loose traction or pick the wrong line, so I hop off and run. Yeah, run, I don’t like that and it I go back next year I will have that stupid climb figured out (by loosing 20 pounds off my fat self). The only other bit of trail of real importance was “Devils Down” which after living in Italy (it should be called hugeboulderalloverthetrailaly) the Devils Down was easy as pie, just pick a line and pass the three or four guys scared out of their minds on a rocky section of trail. I tried to pick the hardest fastest line and I know a couple of people I was riding with at the time tried to follow my line and didn’t much care for it. Hey, I wanted the fastest straightest line not the smoothest line. I was successful, I think.
The rest of the trail was fun fast an just a bit rocky so I was really fun and fast. I really enjoyed the course this time. Normally I leave thinking Spokane’s Riverside Park trails are the worst things I have ever ridden turns out not to be true.
60 miles and 4000 feet of climbing and one happy me. Next time if I ride on a team I will have a geared bike (I say that now) and see if I can ride under hour laps. Everything I did was just a bit over one hour. Oh well, next year.
What have I forgotten? Yeah, that’s right, my team mates. I had six of the best guys to ride with doing the race with me. I would choose to ride with these guys even if we weren’t on a team trying to win a race, and the two volunteers. Our efforts would have been totally wasted were it not for the two wonderful women who did what we didn’t want to do. I owe them both dinner and beer or wine (whatever they prefer). Thanks to all my friends that I rode with and a special thanks to the volunteers.
(oh we took second, doing 22 laps together, had one flat one broken spoke. the result is not important to me, just the fun I had. except for blueberries, but that is a different story)
Iron Hill 100k write up
A day like some others, The Iron Hill 100k
July 12, 2010 by scarkinsmel
I rode 62ish miles on a marked race course, I didn’t get hurt, I had a burger and I am pretty sure I had fun.
So the race went like this, I went as fast as I could, most of the time and then walked way too freaking much up the hills. It wasn’t a especially good climbing day for myself, and in my own defense, most days aren’t especially good climbing days, but Sunday was pretty bad. I just couldn’t get the legs, lungs and heart all together. It seemed as if when the legs felt good the lungs just weren’t ready to work, and that led to way high feeling heart rates. I am not sure what was up, but nothing really worked well together.
The course itself was really fun, in hindsight. As is the case with every race I do, and it could be me, but the “best single track” is alway at the end of the course. What they should save for the end is the smoothest, fastest and least hilliest section of trail, but no, it is always hard, evil and straight up and down part. I would have to admit it is likely because I am nearing death and just wanted to get off the bike. Whatever, the trail was fun, if a bit rocky, which is something I have to get used to.
Other than the last few miles, it was, all in all, a pretty good ride. The trails are pretty fast and fun, and in all seriousness worth a trip just to ride for a weekend. If you get a chance go to Damascus VA and ride, it is worth the time.
I am doing nothing but eating today, tomorrow back on a bike for a couple of hours and then something else, what, I don’t know right now, I am sure I have something planned, I am not sure what.
I have a couple of pictures from the ride, and will post them shortly…. they are all uphill and when I took them I was suffering, so if they are blurry so be it. Later person who looks at this. Well, it is only me who looks at this, so later me
Link to race.
http://www.mtntouring.com/mountain/htm/iron-mountain-100k/race-info.htm
Off we go, like ants to a picnic.
Up we go and it wasn’t just me walking.
It never seemed to stop!
One of the few parts that wasn’t single track
