Race Report: 2013 Cedar Cross

It was the Friday night before the Cedar Cross, a 112-mile mixed-surfaces ride through mid-Missouri. I was thinking it would take me about 10 hours. And the strange thing was...riding my bike for that long seemed just about normal. With all of my training for Dirty Kanza this year, a 10-hour day in the saddle seemed about par for the course. I knew what I would be wearing. I knew what would be in my bottles. I knew what would be in my pockets. Packing everything took no time at all, because I'd done it several times already this year. And that made me feel good. Bring it on, Bob Jenkins.

LEG 1: 0-47 MILES

Leg #1: From the start to the Drop Bags at mile 47.

I meet up with my Alpine Shop teammates Jeff and David at our second-favorite commuter lot in St. Louis at 0500 for the drive over to Jefferson City. For some reason the drive takes a little longer than expected so we roll into the designated parking lot about 0715 for the 0800 start. After socializing a tad bit too long while signing in, we're all a little frantic in our final prep. I for sure don't want to miss the National Anthem, so I grab my gloves and finish getting ready while Kayne Kirchner shreds. What an awesome (and very Bob-ish) way to start a race. David and Jeff still aren't here yet, so even though the race is starting, I soft-pedal at the back of the pack waiting for them to catch up. They do, and I hop on their wheel for a 20mph draft. They pull me to the first tiny little climb, and then I back off that effort because it's waayyyy to high for a 10-hour day.

The start! I'm in the back in the red jacket. Photo: Christina L

I spin up the first big climb at my own pace, happy that it's not raining and the temperature's reasonable. Since I have a sorta important adventure race next weekend, my strategy today is to just ride steady and stay comfortable all day. I'm hoping that will keep me competitive among the women that are here, but for now I have no idea of my position in the field due to our crazy start.

Riding in the field! Photo: Michael Raine Kauk

Cedar Cross is known for being a mixed-surface ride. This means we're primarily going to be on gravel, but there is some pavement, and...SINGLETRACK! And some riding through a field. The first section of singletrack/fields happens about mile 15 and I am so excited for it. I am pretty confident the Skirmishturkey will gobble it up (haha), but I can't wait to experience it for real. And my expectations are fully met: the Warbird handles great in the greasy slimy field, and even better on the muddy rocky singletrack that follows. This bike can really do it all. I'm totally grinning as I bomb down the technical singletrack in conditions that would be challenging even on a mountain bike. The Warbird, paired with 700x40mm Ritchey Speedmax Cross tires, lives up to its marketing as a mud-shedding freak.

So I pop out of the first section of singletrack in an awesome state of mind. Next we have a bunch of gravel miles to crush, and I do that mostly solo. Sure, there are some riders ahead and behind me, but I'm not riding "with" anyone. And it's kinda nice. My feet are really cold but otherwise I'm feeling great and just happy to be on my bike.

My drivetrain after Rutherford Bridge.
http://instagram.com/silkychrome/

The next singletrack section (#2) is even more fun than the previous one. Less rocks, more flow, and more creek crossings keep me and the 'bird on our toes. I pass my buddies Aaron and Jim here. I'm actually looking forward to the Jeff Yielding Staircase of Pain because it will give my feet some circulation and hopefully they will warm up. It does help a little but they're still pretty frigid. They stay that way even through singletrack section #3, otherwise known as "the Rutherford Bridge climb", otherwise known as "this part WILL suck". There are some volunteers to meet us just before the bridge and I say hi to Team Virtus friend Christina as she hands me a bottle of water and a donut!!! Amazing!!! Rutherford Bridge is really cool, and the climb afterwards does kinda suck because all of the mud makes parts unrideable. But the Warbird is easy to push too, so pretty soon I'm at the top and cruising along. A few miles later, I link up with another rider, Rob, on a singlespeed rigid Niner for the last few miles before the drop bag checkpoint at mile 47. We chat a little and just generally pass the time as the miles progress. Just a short distance out from the checkpoint, we meet up with my friend Dave from the CAC! We are actually on the same road we used at the CAC so it's very familiar territory.

As we roll into the checkpoint, I am greeted with the news that I'm first female! Actually other people had told me that earlier today but I never really believed them until the news was corroborated several times over. I dig my drop bag out of the truck and get to work refilling bottles and pockets. I have more food than I plan on needing but I take it all with me anyways. Team Fohty is there with the beer bus so I also have some beer to try and help my feet warm up. It definitely helps. I rally some of the guys that are hanging around the checkpoint and we roll out as a group of 4.

LEG 2: 47-87 MILES

Leg #2: From the Drop Bags at mile 47 to the Katy at mile 87.

Very quickly after we leave the drop bags, our group of 4 becomes a group of 3 as one guy zooms away, leaving me, Rob (SS rigid Niner guy) and Keaton (SS Schwinn guy). We ride along in a loose pack, usually with me at the back but I catch up the the guys when they have to stop to check the cue sheet. I have mine conveniently mounted on my bars (practicing for DK).

100 mph bike!
http://www.bikeradar.com/gallery/article/bespoked-bristol-2013-huge-gallery-37017/1

Now, I need to tell you about Keaton's Schwinn. It's pretty ridiculous, but Keaton turned out to be a strong, eternally optimistic riding buddy whom I very much appreciated  in the final miles of the ride. But his bike. Ohhhh his bike. It's an old Schwinn, vintage, if you will. It's also a singlespeed, and his gearing is something crazy like 48x22. Dear readers, that is HUGE for a 10-hour gravel ride. Most guys out there are riding something like 36x17, 36x15, or in one strong dude's case, 40x18. So for Keaton to be geared at 48xanything is basically like riding the 100mph track bike with the 108-tooth crank seen above. And then there are his pedals - they are platforms. He's wearing worn-out skateboarding shoes. And Banana Republic khakis. He looks so anti-bike racer that Rob mistook him for a casual bike commuter for the first 47 miles, and only after we rolled out of the Drop Bag stop together did he realize that Keaton was actually doing the Cedar Cross. It's always humbling to be riding with (or being passed by) people on non-traditional bike setups, much like the guy on the Walmart hybrid that crushed 1.5 loops of Tour of Hermann faster than me. It reminds me that equipment isn't the biggest part of the speed puzzle..your own fitness and mental attitude are. Bikes are cool, but brains and blood are better. Basically.

So I spend the next several miles chatting with Rob and Keaton about everything and nothing, all while making steady progress along the course. Around mile 63, we are just rolling through the countryside when we see a tent set up in someone's front yard. There are 2 guys standing there, and a bike, and a Red Wheel Bike Shop banner strung up on the tent. Obviously that means they must be friends of the Cedar Cross, so we stop to check things out. Turns out, one of the guys there is Nick who owns Red Wheel. The other guy is his dad! And Nick's dad is grilling hot dogs...for Cedar Cross riders! How awesome! We all stop for a snack and chat. Nick's dad also has a hose in his front yard which I use to clean the worst of the mud off of the Warbird's drivetrain. We hang out for a little bit, getting updates on the front pack (who passed through 2 hours ago without stopping for hot dogs), and generally taking a break. But pretty soon I get a little antsy so then the 4 of us (me, Rob, Keaton, and Nick) roll out to crush the remaining 50ish miles.

The nuclear reactor with awesome clouds. Photo: Michael Raine Kauk

Not 2 miles after leaving Nick's dad's house, we hear a bad noise from Rob's bike. He suddenly loses momentum and we learn his chain has broken. Too much power, Rob!! He has a couple extra links in his saddle bag, and Nick tells me and Keaton that he will stay with Rob to help him with the repair. I am really grateful for Nick's generosity since I am starting to feel anxious about finishing. We still have a long way to go, and I've spent a lot of time (for me) not making forward progress. So Keaton and I pedal onwards, agreeing to make the stop at Ham's Prairie Gas Station at mile 72 as short as possible - meaning NO HARD SALAMI SANDWICH. We'll be nice and leave some for Luke to enjoy. We are pretty efficient about the stop and continue on our way to the nuclear reactor about mile 80. From there it's a totally badass downhill and then we are on the Katy!

LEG 3: THE KATY, 87-112 MILES

The last 30ish miles. All flat. 

ATTENTION future Cedar Cross riders: this part of the course is extremely challenging. You've just crushed almost 90 miles of gravel, pavement, and singletrack. You've ripped down a huge hill, and are now looking forward to a few easy, flat miles to finish out this ride. WRONG. At this point, you still have ALMOST 30 MILES TO GO. You are barely over 75% done, but your mind wants to think that it's just a short hop, skip, and jump to the finish line. Be warned: it is not any of those things.

Check out the sky. THE SKY. Photo: Michael Raine Kauk

Keaton and I are still riding together and as we start this last section, we comment on this exact fact. We probably have at least 2.5 more hours of riding to go, when it feels like we should be done already. But there's no choice other than to keep making forward progress, so we just ride. We take a few brief stops here and there to fill bottles, and I discover I am completely confused about the cue sheet directions. Never fear though, because I have my Garmin (a 310XT) loaded with the route so I switch over to that screen for this section. It's a lifesaver.

The Garmin directs us off the Katy and onto some flood plain farm roads. These are absolutely stunning. The sun is streaming through gaps in the clouds, there are wildflowers in the fields, the whole area is just rich and vibrant with spring. It's really pleasant, and combined with our easy pace, just a very relaxing way to finish out the ride. 

The final miles. Photo: Michael Raine Kauk

Finally, FINALLY, we can see the Capitol Building on our left, and Highway 54 straight ahead. We have a little bit more confusion with the cue sheet but again the Garmin saves us, reminding me that when Bob Jenkins says "immediate", he really does mean IMMEDIATE LIKE RIGHT NOW DO NOT PEDAL ONE MORE METER. The route ends with a really short, cool section on a muddy service road which takes us under Highway 54 and has me smiling at Bob's determination to get our bikes as dirty as possible. We roll back into the finish line to the cheering of a bunch of folks who already finished!! Oh yeah!!

POST-RACE (10:04 total time)

The Thunderchicken after 112 miles. Love this bike.

I'm really happy with how the Cedar Cross went for me. I kept my effort steady and manageable the whole day, giving me confidence that I will have some legs for next weekend's MISSION 18hr adventure race. I spent some time solo, which I like, and also some time with a buddy, Keaton, who kept a great pace and cheerful conversation. And I also was the first female finisher! I wasn't really chasing that but it's cool that it happened. Bob also found $100 somewhere in his race budget to award as a prize for 1st place female. But my AR teammate Jeff told me that the male winners donated their prize to Team Noah Foundation, so I played copy-cat and did that too. Bettina from Team Noah sent me a pair of socks as a thank-you present. I will wear them proudly! Congrats to all of the Cedar Cross riders out there, that course is NOT EASY!! Also thanks to Bob for terrific organization, including my favorite post-race meal of all time...baked potatoes and beer. Nothing better. See you in 2014!

Me after 112 miles! I was really excited for beer! Photo: Christina L.

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Race Report: 2013 MNOC AR Tune-Up

I finished up Saturday's Boonecrusher in bad shape. My legs were absolutely fried from a long day of adventure racing. Normally they don't feel quite that bad after a 12hr, but I think racing in my unrecovered-from-OGRE state, it was just a lot to ask of my body. But there was no time to dwell on the past, Sunday was race #2 of my double-header weekend and it would be a serious effort as well.

Me and Biz prepping his bike.

My buddy Andrei came up with the awesome idea for me to race Boonecrusher in Iowa on Saturday, then race the MNOC AR Tune-Up in Minnesota on Sunday. I thought he was crazy but in a good way; it never hurts to improve your race-time-to-drive-time ratio! There was some teammate shuffling a few weeks before the race and I landed on a team with the original WEDALIan, Mr. Biz himself. This was going to be awesomely painful. And I do mean awesome, our team name was Awesome-O-Possum.

Biz playing possum?

I slept pretty well on Saturday night but Sunday morning was another story - legs were already in the hurt locker and all I did was walk down a flight of stairs! But pre-race routines soon took over and, after a few poop stories shared loudly in the hotel breakfast room with Biz, Tom, and Kelly, we knew the day would be fun if nothing else. We dropped bikes at Lake Byllesby where the lovely Mo would guard them fiercely until our return. We were barely on-time to the pre-race meeting at Camp Phillipo, but managed to get our crap together in time to hear race director Mike's final instructions. As I was looking around at all of the other racers, it dawned on me that I was in shorts and everyone else was in pants. Hmmmm, I frantically ran back to my car and put on some tall socks, hoping to keep the inevitable briars from drawing too much blood. Mike distributes maps and gives us all 15 minutes to route plan and strategize. Every CP must be taken in order until the final trek which will be a score-o.

TREK 1 (1mi, 0:09:41)

Go! 

Mike sends us off and we have a few short-n-sweet CPs to punch before leaving Camp Phillipo. We dash around like a sprint orienteering race and are in close with Tom/Kelly and Andrei/Sveta. There's nothing much to this section besides pack separation and me being really slow operating the manual punches, I'm sure we lost a few seconds at each CP! A couple things to note here: the night before we decided that Biz would take a pack with enough water for both of us, and I would race packless. We chose this to lighten the load on my sore legs (not that Biz's hurt any less, he raced (and won!) Boonecrusher yesterday also, he is just an amazing teammate). Biz was also carrying his bike map board on this trek (you can see in picture above) for the simple reason that we forgot to put it on at the bike drop earlier that morning. So he carried it for this first part of the race. We were also both wearing PFDs because the next leg would be the paddle!

PADDLE 1 (2.5mi, 0:20:55)

Starting the paddle.

We arrive at the put-in in 3rd place but there's only a 10-second gap or so to the leaders, Tom and Kelly, aka The Powersnoobs. We both grab the race paddles ("SHORT!") and jump in a boat. The paddle leg was shortened for safety reasons (water temp is very very cold and a capsize would be very dangerous) so we just take a direct line across Lake Byllesby to the bike drop. We work on high cadence, good technique, and Biz keeps us on a terrific line, briefly gaining the lead before being passed at the last minute by the extremely talented paddlers of The Beautiful People.

TREK 2 (2mi, 0:20:46)
Once we have the boat out of the water, we take a few extra seconds to attach Biz's map board to his bike and I get the maps sorted. This trek is on an aerial map, something that is always a bit dicey for navigators. The first CP goes well but we are stumped, along with a few other teams, about the next one. The veg boundaries and trails don't seem to match the map. We spend at least a minute tromping through the sparse fir trees and finally find the flag. Then it's back to our sprint orienteering pace as we try to make up that time for the remaining 3 or 4 CPs. Highlights include a swamp crossing and then me tripping over my feet as we run through a field. Smart!! We make it back to the TA just barely behind The Powersnoobs and get ready to bike!

BIKE 1 (7.5mi, 0:36:28)
It's here that we get to unveil/test our secret race strategy...platform pedals. With the race being so short and with so many transitions, Biz suggested that we use platform pedals to cut down on transition time (and less weight without having to carry bike shoes). I actually remembered to bring pedals this time so we only have to put helmets on and we're GONE. We are chasing The Powersnoobs and are being chased by the rest of the field. We link up with the 'snoobs and then ride the rest of this leg together. There is even time for friendly chat and it's hard to remember that we are supposed to be competing! Biz and I get a short gap on the downhill into Miesville Ravine County Park and are able to punch into the TA first.

TREK 3 (5mi, 1:04:00)
We perform another super-speedy TA courtesy of our platform pedals and run along a doubletrack trail towards the first CP. We know The Powersnoobs' foot speed is superior to ours so we try to push the pace on this flat trail as much as possible. We punch the first CP in front, but only by a few meters. Tom and Kelly catch us on the next climb and we travel together for the next few CPs. The vegetation is THICK and even my tall socks can't stop the raspberries and briars from cutting up my legs. Biz and I turn into bloody messes trying to move quickly through the woods. We trade places here and there with Tom and Kelly, and we are still together at about the half-way point of this trek when we cross the creek that runs through the middle of the park. From there, we all pick our way up a very rocky/bouldery reentrant, but Biz takes a slightly higher route and I follow, where Tom and Kelly stay down low. In an instant, we have lost visual contact, and Biz starts to push the pace up the remainder of the climb. I'm frantically trying to keep up, all the while fighting with the thorns and sharp pokey plants that are growing everywhere. We reach the top of the spur and Biz gives me a quick pep talk, basically saying that this separation could be the crux of the whole race and we NEED TO GO. NOW.

So we take off across the field and it's an all-out effort. Despite carrying the team pack and having raced the same race yesterday, Biz is still fastest so he pushes me while we run across the field. It's a huge help and we are quickly in and out of the next CP. As we leave, again sprinting across the field, we glance over our shoulders and spot The Powersnoobs behind us. Our gap is maybe 30 seconds, and they've probably spotted us and will turn on their very powerful jets any second. TENSE!! I dig deep for another sprint across the field, and Biz pushes me again to keep team speed as high as possible. It's very painful but also exhilarating. We have a mercifully downhill trail back to the TA where we speed pee (me: 8 seconds!) before getting back on the bikes. There is no sign of the 'snoobs as we race out of TA.

BIKE 2 (16mi, 1:17:30)

Biz finishing up the last biking section (I'm directly behind him)

The last biking leg takes us the long way back to Camp Phillipo, and we are fighting a fierce headwind almost the whole way. Or I should say Biz is fighting a fierce headwind and I am hiding in his draft to keep up. I am on tow too. We focus on finishing our bottles and just doing work. The gravel is not easy but we are getting it done. At the top of every hill we check over our shoulders - no sign of Tom and Kelly. After several of these backward glances, we realize that our gap created in the fields has stuck and now we need to shift more attention to eliminating all errors. Standing to pedal the bike is almost impossible for me at this point - my legs can't create a smooth pedal stroke so I am resigned to sitting for the remainder of the ride. As Biz punches the last CP he instructs me to eat something and I shove down the last 200 calories I have with me - a Honey Stinger bar. We are now in the home stretch and it's a good feeling to finally see the entrance to Camp Phillipo!

TREK 4 (3.5mi, 0:51:46)

Biz and I preparing to embark on Trek 4.

We roll into the TA in the lead and it's time for one final push for the last trekking section. As we are transitioning, I hear a few cheers of "Go Emily!" and I look around - it's my parents! They drove down from Duluth to spectate (as well as anyone can spectate an AR) and are snapping photos as we transition. It's really cool to see them, if only for a few seconds, and then we're back in race mode and running off into the woods. The map for this trek is really tricky; it's just a black-and-white copy of the camp map with contour lines, but Mike the race director told everyone that the trails marked are unreliable so we just have to use the topo information. Biz does a great job adjusting to it and the first part of the trek goes really well. My legs are on their last lives but I just focus on quick cadence to keep me moving through the woods. My main priority is to keep turnover high, which naturally lends itself to more agile movements through the brush, downed branches, and rocks. And thorns. There are still plenty of them waiting to draw blood.

The highlight of the trek was descending a spur down to the lake level, and being greeted by a small inlet. We could have run around it, sure, but I'm up for a swim and so is Biz. We find a narrower place to cross and we are able to wade the whole way - the water is only about my belly button level, and it's COLD. Deliciously cold. As we emerge on the other side, my legs feel amazing and I liken the sensation to external Coke. Wheeeeee! We only have a few more CPs at this point, and we still haven't seen any other teams, so I think we're golden. Biz keeps the nav so fresh and so clean clean and soon we have the finish line in our sights.

POST-RACE (4:41:06 final time)

Post-race, legs up!

As we approach the finish banner, we see Tom and Kelly already there. They look relaxed and not at all in race mode. Because we started the last trek before them, and didn't see them in the woods at all, Biz and I are simultaneously confused and humbled that the pulled out such a stellar final trek. I punch the last e-punch to stop our time and then jog over to Kelly to congratulate her and ask how they did it. As it turns out, they are looking so relaxed because they decided to take the final biking leg easy and then not do the final trek. Boonecrusher was weighing heavy on Crusher's legs and she's got some major goals planned for the future. So Awesome-O-Possum is indeed in first place!

Awesome-O-Possum!

My parents have been patiently waiting for us to finish and as we collapse in the shade, my mom unwraps some bars to share, and they are delicious. Thanks Mom! I think they're slightly horrified at the scratches on my legs, but I'm actually pretty proud. I've seen countless orienteers and adventure racers come out of the woods with legs completely bloodied, and (masochistically) I've always wondered what that actually feels like. And now I know. It hurts.

We spend a few more hours just unwinding at the finish line. Someone's got a grill fired up and it's great to see teams who are still racing and teams who are finishing. Minnesota's got a really wonderful AR scene and it's fun to participate in it. Everyone is in really great spirits and appreciative of Mike and Julia's hard work at putting on a really good event. Even though I've already finished a few adventure races this year, I do indeed feel more tuned up than I was before this race! Also, racing with Biz is such an adventure in itself. I feel like I learn so much every time, mostly about the depths to which good teammates will go to help each other. Biz, thanks for being an awesome-o-possum teammate!

Post lunch selfies! My mom took this one. She is way more tech proficient than I am.

And thanks to my parents for making the trip south to hang out with me! After the race, we had lunch in nearby Northfield before we both hit the highway in opposite directions. I know adventure racing is a complex sport, and really hard to spectate, but my parents have always been so supportive, and I am really thankful for that. Love you Mom and Dad!

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Race Report: 2013 Boonecrusher 12hr AR

Way back in January, I had a panic attack. As I was looking at my 2013 race calendar, there were no adventure races popping up. As I've come to realize that adventure racing is just about my favorite sport in the entire world, this worried me. However, you need a team to compete in adventure races and I didn't have one. So I sent an email to a bunch of people I've raced with before, asking if they would be needing a girl for any of their races in the future.

Dave answered. He was looking at racing the Boonecrusher 12hr in Iowa with his Gnome Hunters teammates. I responded with a gleeful "Yes!" and was happy to have at least one race on my calendar. Then, Carrie from Alpine Shop got hurt, and all of a sudden I had several more races on the schedule. But I didn't mind, I love adventure racing! Here's the story of my 12 hours as a Gnome Hunter.

PRE-RACE
I drive up to Boone, IA on Friday afternoon and, after a couple of delays, finally meet my teammates for pre-race pizza at Belluci Pizza House in Boone. Despite my late arrival, the boys were able to pick up maps for tomorrow and get this...they are already DONE plotting and route-planning! So efficient! They give me the scoop on how the race will unfold and we start strategizing about water and paddles. The pizza at Belluci's is really, really good and it's a great omen for the race tomorrow.

The Boonecrusher II: Go for broke or be broken!

We return to the hotel and I start messing with my tires - there is only minimal singletrack tomorrow and I think that I can get by with cx tires (700x35) on my mtb wheels. So I mount the front one up and have a hard time getting it to seat on my Stan's Crest rims. The more I look at it, the more it looks just too skinny, even for gravel, so I switch back to my regular AR mtb tires, after patching several sidewall cuts and discovering the tube I had in there originally won't re-inflate. Hrmph. I use up my spare mtb tube but I only brought 1 (my bad for being unprepared) so tomorrow I'll have a 700c tube as my spare. Not ideal, but hopefully we'll manage. Then we get our gear sorted and I get a Gnome Hunters nickname..."Gear Snuggler"...love it! Every piece of gear needs a good snuggle now and then. Bedtime is 11p which is super early for an AR. Things are looking good! Race morning is way easy with coffee in the hotel and my normal pre-race breaky ready to go. We drive over to Seven Oaks Recreation Center and get everything sorted for the start. The race organizers, 41 North, have got a fantastic number of teams for both their 8hr and 12hr races and Seven Oaks is abuzz with activity.

TREK 1 (13.5k, 1:11)

Point A is the start. Point B is the first CP. 3.6 miles in between. Ouch.

We take off just after 0600 on a 7 mile out-n-back road run. Not the most inspiring of starts to an adventure race, but you've got to break up the field somehow, and running on pavement will do just that. Predictably, our buddies from WEDALI (Biz, Erl, Tom, Kelly) take off in front and then there are a few teams back to us. It's always interesting racing with new teammates, but we seem to all have the same idea about what a reasonable effort is for this first section. This is a great sign. As we approach the turnaround, however, my legs start talking to me. Despite a ridiculously easy week of training/recovery after the OGRE, they just don't have the same snap I'm used to while adventure racing, and I start to get worried about being able to contribute to my team for the entire race. Uh oh. Best I can do for now is keep eating and race on.

A good mantra for just about any endurance event.

We complete the out-and-back and quickly collect 2 more CPs near Seven Oaks before returning to the TA. Before we transition to bikes, we stop at Dave's truck where we've staged full hydration bladders. We knew we wouldn't need much water early in the race and running a road 10k with an extra 6.6 pounds of water weight didn't sound very appealing either. So we carried empty bladders/bottles to satisfy the mandatory gear requirements and are now switching to our full ones for the rest of the race. I think Pete came up with this idea last night and it just shows how experienced the Gnome Hunters are - they are looking for every small advantage to make the race easier and faster for the team.

We are transitioning in the background - look for Pete and Dave's orange packs.

BIKE 1A (7mi)

We hop on the bikes and get rolling onto the singletrack at Seven Oaks. Right away we're faced with a switchbacky climb up and over a very steep ridge, and then another switchbacky descent down its backside. These trails aren't especially rooty/rocky like we have in MO, but they are tight, twisty, and filled with tiny kicker climbs that force you out of the saddle. There is some residual dew/moisture on the dirt so it's almost impossible to get good rear wheel traction while trying to clear these. As a team, we struggle here. It's always hard to ride singletrack with new teammates, and we have a variety of different bikes and comfort levels to adjust to. That, plus the CP numbers aren't exactly making sense so we are a little hesitant in the middle of this section. We catch WEDALI as they are changing a flat, but they soon ride away from us, and we are in the mix with several other 12hr and 8hr teams. Near the end of the trail, Brian endos pretty hard and we all ratchet back the pace to help him recover. We finally pop out of the woods where the trail is covered by erosion/backfill and are a little unsure of where to go next. I look back to see if there are teams on our tails and just happen to spot the last CP flag hanging at the trail exit. That was close! We get the passport punched and then get to ride down the grassy ski hill, thoroughly enjoying the free speed.

I really love it when race photographers catch me walking.

BIKE 1B (10mi, 2:27 total Bike 1A+1B)

I'm not exactly sure of the route, but this is close.

Now it's time to hit the roads for a mixture of pavement and gravel on the way to the next trek. I shove down a ABJ sammy and we organize into a towing paceline to keep team speed high. We have one CP on this leg which requires a tiny bit of trekking. We see WEDALI ahead of us changing another flat, which is a big bummer. We encourage/heckle them a little bit before dashing into the woods for the CP. We find the string but not the flag/punch, so it's clear it must have been stolen. Bummer! We make note of the CP number and hustle back to our bikes. Not 200 meters after starting to ride again, I'm next to Dave when I hear a small explosion. It's the sort of sound you never want to hear when riding a bike, and he immediately stops to check out what the heck just happened. It's not good - his rear derailleur has completely sheared off and is in pieces on the gravel road. Oh boy. I've heard about this happening in races but never actually experienced it. But, from those stories, I know that the only thing we can do is turn Dave's bike into a singlespeed. So, we get to work: break chain, remove RD, check chainring/cog alignment for proper gear selection, measure chain, shorten chain, re-connect chain. If we've done everything right, Dave will now have a functional singlespeed that won't skip gears. We pedal. It seems to work. I am really proud of the team here - this is a major mechanical setback but we just solved it without fuss or drama. And, as it turns out, the gear ratio we were forced into isn't all that bad for riding gravel. In fact, Dave's such a strong cyclist that he continues doing work at the front of our paceline. Stud. We are now well back from the lead in 4th place but as we pull into the next TA, we are ready to get back to racing.

TREK 2 (10k, 2:48)

Obviously the route inside Ledges is way off - I don't really remember where we went.
The yellow sections are where the guys carried my pack.

We tell our tale of woe to the TA staff (hi Emma!) and get set to trek. The first few k's are sandwiched between the Des Moines river and some steep earthen bluffs. The going is wet and sloppy and the mud even sucks my shoe off at one point. But we soldier through and eventually pop out onto a park road in Ledges State Park. We have another 2k or so of road running to the next CP and as we pick up the pace, my legs just refuse. I have no idea what's happened to them but it's not good. The guys notice my slow speed and ask how I'm doing. I admit that I'm hurting and Dave insists on taking my pack. I start to rationalize how I'll be okay, I'll fight through, but he lays down the law, "GIVE IT." That is the right thing to say and I sheepishly hand over the offending pack. And...I feel better. Not great, but able to at least jog on this easy road section and we can keep the team moving. We collect the outermost CP and as we head into the woods I feel refreshed enough to take my pack back. As we move through the woods, I seem to have legs enough for the slower speeds of bushwhacking, but any open running spots I'm clearly lagging. This is very frustrating for me - I wanted to be a contributor to this team and not someone that needed babysitting. But the guys are very understanding and we keep moving. Pete's doing a phenomenal job with the nav, making ZERO mistakes, and Dave and Brian are sharing the load of the passport. We make excellent progress through the woods and I'm determined to enjoy the day, at whatever pace my legs allow. We collect all of the CPs on this section and are then faced with another 2k road run back to the TA. Brian takes my pack this time and carries it kangaroo style as we make our way down the dusty gravel road. Pete decides it's time to share the Legend of the Gnome Hunters and it's a really, really good story - but you'll have to race with Gnome Hunters to hear it!

PADDLE 1 (9mi, 1:43)

Approximately 9 miles of paddling downriver (south).

Thanks to our excellent navigation and teamwork over the trek, we are now very close to 3rd place (Wild Hares) as we start the paddle. It takes a few minutes to organize our bikes in the boats, but we are soon shoving off and heading downriver. We opted to use the race-provided single-blade paddles here, which are not as fast as the kayak paddles that Wild Hares are using. But I try to use a higher cadence to move the boat along and it seems to go fine. We have some sections where there is a strong headwind but overall  the riverbanks do a good job of shielding us from the worst of it. Towards the end of the paddle, I get into a really low spot. I've eaten all my accessible food (there are still about 300 calories on my bike but they're tough to get to). The constant sun exposure has started to wear on me and I'm feeling a bit bonky. Fortunately, the take-out bridge comes into sight and once I have a visible goal, I can more effectively push myself to the take-out.

Gnome Hunters setting out on the paddle...me, Dave, Brian, Pete.

TREK 3 (5k, 0:55)

As we are in the process of unloading the boats and preparing for this trek, the race staff informs us of something we don't usually think about: a cutoff. Racing with a team this experienced and fit, you'd think we wouldn't be in danger of missing cutoffs in a 12hr race. But, here we are, with only 75 minutes to complete a 5k trek. Normally, this wouldn't be an issue, but I'm not operating at 100% speediness, plus the day is getting rather warm. Thankfully, it doesn't look like the nav is too terribly difficult. As we're running out of TA, we see WEDALI returning from the same trek we're starting. They are having trouble changing another flat and we offer them one of our tubes. They tell us that the trek took about an hour so we know we have to hustle to make it back in time.

It's one of those "shut up legs" moments as we try to run as much as possible. I'm positive the guys took my pack for stretches here too but I can't remember where exactly. The bridge we're trekking over is extremely cool - you should go check it out sometime - but at the moment the concrete path is absolute torture to my knees and hips. Due to our elevated vantage point, we're able to see the 2nd place (NSPIRE) and 3rd place (Wild Hares) teams as they return to the TA. I feel like we're in Primal Quest, filming from a helicopter or something. It's really, really cool. Pete continues to rock the maps and we have no troubles punching each CP. Then it's back to the TA a comfortable 21 minutes before the cutoff. Sweet. This gives the team a big morale boost as we hop on bikes to knock out the last three sections of the race.

BIKE 2 (12.5mi, 1:08)

We now have a mostly northbound bike with a few CPs on the way to a 4H camp. Dave continues to rock his singlespeed and I am feeling good enough to take the passport for a few CPs. We focus on keeping a steady pace and are gradually gaining on Wild Hares as we progress through the Iowa countryside. We are all running low on food so we share whatever we've got left to get us to the end of the race.

TREK 4 BIKE 2B (2mi)
We roll into the 4H camp ready to transition to a short trek, but the race staff informs us that this last trek has been changed to a bike, in order to speed teams up. Evidently everyone is taking longer than the race organizers thought. It's not just us! This news is really, really good for me. It means I'm (mostly) done trekking, where I've been the weakest, and can focus on biking where I'm feeling a bit stronger. Plus, I just love riding the SegSlayer. So after filling water bottles, we launch off to collect 3 CPs on the bike. The first one is very auspicious - we spot Wild Hares' bikes, but their team is trekking in the wrong direction. We quickly punch and leave the area, gleeful that we've just moved into 3rd place. On the next CP, we join up with Rib Mountain Racing, which is a conglomerate of the Blind Squirrels (friends from 2012 CPT Nats) and folks from the team formerly known as Green Paw. We work together to locate the CP, deep in a reentrant filled with downfall and boulders. Then we start the attack on the last CP at the camp before we can head for home.....when.....we have a flat. Dave's rear tire is the offending party and it requires a speedy change. However, we only have one 29" tube (mine) because we gave the other one away. And, to make matters worse, mine is a road tube since I had to use my 29" spare last night when I was switching wheels. So first we try to patch Dave's original tube; no dice. Then we try to use the road tube; something is wrong with the valve and it won't hold air. Then I think we tried a re-patched original tube, or maybe we didn't, I can't remember. But eventually we had to use Pete's 26" tube, carefully stretched around Dave's 29" wheel and inflated to rideable-but-still-very-squishy PSI. We spend a lot of time dealing with this debacle and have to ditch the final 2 CPs (one on this "trek" and one more on the impending bike to Seven Oaks). Finally we get ourselves back on the road with under an hour to cover 12 miles. Oooooooweeeee, it's gonna be close.

BIKE 3 (12.5mi, 1:42 total Bike 2B+3)

Now again, I know what you're thinking...12 mph is NOT THAT HARD. Seriously, why were we so worried? Well, in an adventure race, things are just slower than a typical training ride or run. Plus, we've got one teammate riding a bike that's macgyvered to within an inch of its useful life. One more mechanical mishap and we're doomed. So we all get on tow, pulling Dave who is standing to help relieve pressure on his rear wheel. Pete counts off miles. Brian counts off time. The estimates waver as we get passed by a few other teams. First we're good, then we need to pick up the pace, then we need to PICK UP THE PACE. Finally, finally, the driveway to Seven Oaks appears and we have 4 minutes to go. Can we make it? We all bomb down the hill and Dave shows exceptional bravery in letting his bike fly down the incline. I would be a nervous wreck with that tire! But we all make it and then hustle to the finish line. There is a crowd of people and we rush over to the race staff with our passport...did we make it??

The suspense!!

YES! We finish at 5:59pm officially, one minute before the dreaded final cutoff. We get to keep all of our 27 (out of 29) CPs and will be listed as official finishers. We all collapse into a pile on the lawn, exhausted from the final bike effort to make it here on time.

POST-RACE (11:59 total race time)
The post-race vibe at the Boonecrusher is awesome. There are tons of racers hanging out, sharing stories from the long day. The staff presents EACH racer with their OWN pizza, AND cookies, AND chex mix, AND beer or pop or water. These people really know how to welcome their racers home. The weather is pretty great too, and it feels wonderful to stretch out on the grassy lawn, stuff my face with pizza, and hear about how other teams' day went. The story of Dave's rear derailleur has already been making the rounds. It's great to catch up with our buddies from WEDALI who pulled off the overall win. Our final placement is 4th in the 4-person coed division and 4th overall, which puts us out of the running for any prizes. But somehow Erl scores an extra Boonecrusher visor which he gives to me. Thanks!

Pile o' Gnomes!

41 North did an excellent job with the race, especially for only their second year. All of the CPs were located exactly where the maps indicated, and the race used really interesting terrain (well, besides the opening road run). This part of Iowa is so beautiful and full of cool scenery and great woods. Seven Oaks is the perfect place to HQ a race - plenty of indoor space to keep racers comfy in bad weather (which we had none), lots of parking, good singletrack, and also there are SHOWERS!!! The field of teams in the 12hr race was also highly competitive and a great early season test. Kudos to 41 North for a challenging and well-run event!

Finally, thank you to Dave and Pete and Brian for being superb teammates. I was frustrated I couldn't be more of an asset to the team, but they absorbed all of my weakness and kept everyone happy and moving forward. There is a certain language that experienced adventure racers speak, and I could tell they were extremely fluent right away at Friday night dinner. I am proud to say I have Hunted the Gnome alongside some awesome dudes! Pin It

Race Report: 2013 Bonk Hard OGRE 154mi gravel ride

When Bonk Hard Racing first announced the OGRE, I thought they were crazy. Who would really want to ride 150 miles on a bike without getting to run or paddle? Not me. Definitely not me. But, long story short, I wound up registering for the race with my Alpine Shop teammate Jeff, who graciously surrendered his "Masters 50+" age category status to race with 29-year-old me in the Coed Open Team division. His dad Leonard and his wife Carrie would be our support crew, and our Alpine Shop teammate David would also be racing as a solo. Cool. Sounds doable.

PRE-RACE
The week before the race was filled with typical activities like buying junk food from Trader Joe's and planning bottles. To add to the fun, my buddy Zoll needed a support crew too, so we threw him into the mix and hoped he wouldn't freak the first time Jeff played the Quark Song. The boys and I met up at our favorite commuter lot and loaded the Sona van for some Ozark gravel crushing. On the way to the Lake, we ate a lot of Mexican food and visited Jeff's boyhood home, where we picked up Leonard. Carrie was traveling for work and was giving us reports of seriously delayed flights. Oh dear. But she had a game plan which involved driving through the night with three teenage girls to make it to the hotel just about the time we would be waking up to begin our race morning routines. Woman on a mission, she is.

Race check-in was at Oz Cycles and instead of packets, Bonk Hard greeted us with OGRE-approved burlap bags. Seriously the cutest things ever. We saw a route overview posted on the wall, but Gary mentioned that we might have some detours due to high water. Duly noted. We had pizza for dinner at Shawnee Bluff Winery...and honestly it wasn't that great. But it was calories and we left feeling stuffed. Then we went back to Tan-Tar-A for pre-race meeting (short-n-sweet) and gear-sorting (longer). Carrie and the girls arrived right on time, and they crashed into bed while Leonard drove us four racers to the start line at Big Surf Waterpark. I was a little slow getting all my crap together before the start, but managed with about 30 seconds left and was ready to take whatever the OGRE threw at me and Jeff.

LEG 1 (50 miles)

Don't think I know any of these riders but check out that sunrise!!! Beautiful day to be on a bike!

It's barely light out and barely above freezing (35F) as about 100 gravel bikes stream out of the parking lot. We have a few miles of downhill pavement to start, and the high speed combined with cold temperatures instantly freeze my hands despite the double-layer of gloves. Jeff's and my goal for this leg is to finish it without feeling like we put any work in, so every hill we sit and just spin our way up. Jeff is on his AR bike, a carbon Superfly 100 with a 3x9 mtb drivetrain, and I'm on my beloved battlefinch with a 2x10 mtb drivetrain. Our easy gearing makes spinning a reality and we watch with secret satisfaction as other riders stand and crank uphill. Despite this easy perceived effort, my heartrate is pretty high, but I just attribute that to race day excitement combined with an easy "taper" week. I am also using the tow frequently; it's a great tool for keeping team effort equalized (aka....Jeff is a seriously strong cyclist and helps me go faster).

Profile for Leg #1. Somehow the mind-bending climb into Pit Stop #1 is not showing.

As the sun rises, the beauty of the countryside is revealed. The more I've ridden gravel, the more I love the open views, tons of livestock, forests, everything about riding through rural areas just agrees with my soul.  We cruise into CP#1 at mile 37 (no crew access here, just an intermediate time check) in great spirits and I recognize the church from the 2012 Bonk Hard Chill, CP25. We just check in with race staff and continue on our merry way. About mile 45, we start seeing riders come back towards us. They look like the leaders of the race, but according to Friday's course map overview, that would put them about 20 miles ahead of us. Sure, we are riding slowly, but not that slowly. We are confused and scared for a few miles until we see David and Zoll fly past, as well as another guy still eating a donut. These clues tell us that the course must have been re-routed (probably due to high water) and we are on an out-and-back. Our fears are calmed. We crush the hill into the Pit Stop and are greeted by race staff and crews. Carrie and Leonard are quick to direct us to the Sona-van, where we refuel get race updates: we are the first team, and both David and Zoll are feeling good. We arrange our maps for the second leg and get ready to tackle the gnarly hills in reverse.

Hill into Pit Stop #1.

We made it!! I release Jeff's tow as we arrive at Pit Stop #1.

LEG 2 (37 miles)

Me and Jeff rolling out of Pit Stop #1

Back, back, back it up!!!

Profile for Leg #2

Armed with new bottles, new bladders, and bellies full of donuts, we roll out to crush Leg #2. Again, we are just aiming to ride steady here, staying well fed and hydrated and not pushing too hard on the climbs. We ride back to Decaturville Church for CP#3 (again, no crew assistance, just time check) and then head south along Hwy 5. I am very tempted to hammer these few rolling miles of pavement but Jeff keeps us firmly in check. After crossing the highway, we have a few worries about navigation when the maps don't seem to match up with road signs, but after a few minutes everything clicks back into place and we know we are still on the correct course. Around mile 75, I think that we are half-way done with the race, but then I remember it's actually one hundred and fifty-FOUR miles. So I wait until mile 77 for a celebratory turkey-and-cheese sandwich. Jeff and I have been chatting basically non-stop all day, but about this time we both go through a quiet spell. We are both starting to feel the effects of a long day on the bike, and I unknowingly slip into a low patch. We stop to pee and check the map, and the brief break from the bike saddle does wonders for my mood - I'm back to my normal happy self. A few miles out from Pit Stop #2, we spot a familiar single speeder up ahead - it's Zoll, and he does not look happy. We roll up to him and immediately start asking what's wrong. We bombard him with food options we have waiting at the Pit Stop - chocolate milk, coke, mountain dew, donuts, turkey jerky, chocolate covered espresso beans, bananas, the list goes on. This is classic adventure racing behavior - if a teammate is feeling bad, you start pelting them with calorie options to get them thinking about how to fix their energy lull. Even though we're not on an actual team with Zoll, he's part of the STL crew and we want him to have a good race. So we ride as a trio into Pit Stop #2 and get to work refueling. Leonard lubes everyone's chains and Carrie takes care of restocking calories and liquids. Peat comes over and helps us all too. It's beyond cool to see him there and it makes me really motivated to ride strong. We get word that David is having a good day ahead of us. Jeff and I are ready to go before Zoll, but we are confident that our crew can get him back on the road in good spirits so we take off on the third leg.

Jeff riding into Pit Stop #2.

Zoll into Pit Stop #2.

Me into Pit Stop #2. I love my bike.

LEG 3 (41 miles)
I've finally ditched my knee warmers, and the day has warmed up into absolutely perfect temperatures for riding. Again, Jeff and I focus on constant forward progress at a steady pace...no sprinting, keep eating, keep peeing, it's all good. We've encountered low water crossings all day, but I think it's here where we have the longest one, about 20 feet wide. And, there's a car parked in the middle. Ummm...what? We notice there are two people standing outside the car. At first we think it's stalled, but then we notice they have buckets. And they are pouring creek water on the car. No big deal...it's just an Ozark car wash. People, you absolutely cannot see these things unless you are riding gravel. GETCHASUM.

Profile for Leg #3.

Checkpoint #5 is at a gas station around mile 108 and as we ride into it, there are three guys talking to the race volunteer. Where did they come from? We haven't seen anyone in front of us for this entire leg and now there are three people? Just as we are rolling in, the riders depart, but we spend a few minutes with the REALLY COOL volunteer who offers us water and snacks. I can't really describe it, it's not like either Jeff or I was in a low spot coming into this checkpoint, but we left it with way higher spirits than when we came in. Thanks, awesome race volunteer guy. There's not much else to report on this leg I guess, other than clicking over 100 miles (century), and then 112 (ironman distance), and then 120, putting me firmly into longest-bike-ride-ever territory. Cool!

We ride into Pit Stop #3 and we get great news - David is still ahead of us and feeling good, despite going off course for a few miles. Zoll has regrouped and ridden out of Pit Stop #2 in a superior state of mind. And now we only have 26 miles left of this beastly ride! Carrie and Leonard have some fries from the gas station and I stuff a bunch in my mouth as I'm swapping bottles...they are goooooood. Peat is there too and cheers us on with a traffic cone. Jeff and I are totally ready to get 'er done!

LEG 4 (26 miles)

Profile for Leg #4.

There is another guy leaving Pit Stop #3 at the same time so we form a trio for the last leg. His name is Don and I met him at Tour of Hermann last weekend - he's a strong dude! We all chat until we come upon mile 131 - it's the only place on the course where Bonk Hard has warned us to GO SLOW because of a treacherous low water crossing. All three of us are decent bike handlers but the crossing is indeed tricky - no one makes it across cleanly and that water is DEEP!! Thankfully we still have plenty of daylight and we continue riding along. Soon after the tricky crossing, Don gets a flat (his second of the day) and insists that Jeff and I keep riding; he has everything he needs to fix it. What a cool guy. So Jeff and I are alone again and at this late stage in the race, it's unlikely that we'll see anyone else. No worries though, we both have plenty of calories and are feeling great, but my wrists are starting to get a little sore.

There are still a couple monster hills to be climbed, and I am patting myself on the back for the Warbird's smart gearing. Even at the end of a 13-hour day, my legs can still push a 28/36 so we ride everything. Jeff's tow helps too, although I'm trying to only use it on the well-packed climbs. It's not as beneficial on the looser gravel so there's no reason to unnecessarily fatigue my awesome teammate there. We enjoy a really nice, long downhill into the last check point, CP#7, which is manned by another really cool guy. He spots our numbers from way out and then waves us through onto a short section of private-property doubletrack. This is awesome! We get a little bit of bike-handling practice and then a very steep "run-up" which of course we walk. Then it's only 2.5 miles of pavement back to the finish line at Oz Cycles. We hear the signature Bonk Hard cowbells from the bottom of the hill and are really excited to finish as the first team and in 17th place overall! What a great day!

OGRE FINISHERS!!

POST-RACE
Jeff and I are really happy with how our day unfolded. We never pushed the pace, just rode steady and smart all day long, kept eating, kept drinking, and kept peeing (trust me, we had a lot of pee breaks...but at least they were synchronized!). We worked as a team to keep each other happy and moving forward. Our bikes were perfect with no mechanicals and no flats. The course was marked extremely well (apart from only one tampered sign), and combined with our cue sheets/maps we stayed on course all day. General consensus on course data seems to be 154 miles and about 12,000 feet of climb. Our crew was INCREDIBLE - special thanks to Carrie and Leonard for being prepared and sooooo helpful at all of the Pit Stops. Bonk Hard Racing and Oz Cycles again put on a first-class event, and I can't wait for next year!!

Jeff, Leonard, Carrie, and me at the finish line. Oh yeah!!!

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