Woke at 6:30 to the pitter patter of rain. Got the coffee going and grabbed a long sleeve jersey and rain gear. The rest of the gear and kit was already in the car from the night before. Checked out weather.com and such while sipping coffee and then proceeded to hit the road. Stopped at the new 7-11 on Rte 1 in Elkridge for a few bottles of Gatorade and a nasty sausage egg and cheese croissant. Drove out of the 7-11 lot and realized nasty sandwich was ice cold so I returned for a 45 second microwaving.
Google directions had me going up through Westminster so I headed for 95 north. As I turned onto 95 I remembered that I forgot to put a bigger cog on for this race. D'oh, I'll just ride it with my Avalon gearing!
Arrived at about 9, just in time to see the 40 milers pull their Le Mans start thru the parking lot. Located Ebae, registered, and then kitted up. It was raining pretty good and chilly. I couldn't find the long sleeve jersey, "What the heck?" so I called Jen and she assured me that I had dropped it in the driveway. Oh well, short sleeve AFC jersey it is then. The 20 mile race started about 10:15 or so and as soon as I got halfway thru the Le Mans run I was glad I didn't have the long sleeves;-) Running on rocky trails in bike shoes is so much fun, by the way. They should call this race The AnkleTwister! I only noticed 2 other single speeders in the 20 miler field at the start. Conditions were moist. Some mud but not bad. Moist rocks and roots and rocks and logs and rocks and moss and rocks and lichens and rocks and ferns and rocks. Did I mention rocks? Passed a handful of riders on the first uphill..."Coming up on you quick! Only got 3 speeds (sit, stand, and walk)!" There was a fast mile-long mud-in-your-eyes double track downhill around mile 4. Then there was a short hike a bike section that would have been quite ridable with gears;-( Most people were hiking though cause it was kinda loosey-rocky and woulda taken lotsa energy to ride...no need to blow your whole wad at mile 5. After that hike it leveled out and was twisty rocky single track for a while. Passed another bunch of guys and gals thru here. Mile 7 through 10 was the best. An all out giggle-like-a-school-girl fun kinda trail. Loamy singletrack with off camber sidehills and technical rock mini gardens and a few downed logs. I was still feeling fresh and the rigid single speed was tearing it up. Then around mile 9 I went down on my right big toe and shin pretty hard on a rock garden trip up. Heard the bike frame hit rock too. Hematoma the size of a fried egg yolk popped up on shin instantly (pix below show still swollen 6 hours later--caution: don't stare directly at my legs without safety goggles;-). No broken bone or broken bike thankfully so I pressed on. Passed a few guys in this area...some with flats;-(
Then came a water stop at mile 12 and back into woods for more rocky singletrack. It was becoming abundantly clear that the first 14 miles had overall been mostly downhill. I wondered how bad the climb payback was going to be. Mile 14 began the totally sick sections that I'd love to come back with a group of friends and take our time playing and attempting to clean...one after the other. Crazy roots, chutes, rocks, logs, hairpins all in a 50 foot section of slight uphill followed up with another one just as gnarly 100 feet later. Mile 15 was the beginning of the payback, a very technical (not impossible with the benefit of gears-but highly improbable) switchback climb section. Hiked alot thru here. Then there was a schweet long technical downhill section. Doubletrack loose rock creek bed feel to it. Not so much fun with a rigid fork but the guy behind me didn't even get close to catching and passing so that was reassuring. Then miles 18 to 20 were pretty steady overgrown fire road climbing with a hike a bike section or 2 thrown in for good measure. Mile 19 was a tease. You can hear the crowd and see the cars in the parking lot at the end of the double track uphill trail you're on, but then 100 yards shy of the end, the arrows point you left onto winding singletrack. Ugh! And then you even start to go back downhill for a bit. Double ugh! But then it's all good with an easy enough climb into a twisty finish. Ahhhhh! http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/48787932
Ebae had finished a few minutes before me and saw me pull in. I was stoked because I finished in under 3 hours. That was my goal for the day;-) Ebae and I got cleaned up and changed and regrouped for some half decent race grub and almost-cold Coors Light on tap. When the 20 miler results were announced there was a schwag table that Gettysburg Cycles filled with parts, clothes, etc. Ebae got 1st in the Series for 20 mile Vet class. He got 4th in today's race for 20 mile vet.
I never win anything unless I race coed with my secret-weapon-wife, but today I placed 5th and love that Michaux lets you visit the schwag table five places deep. Woo hoo!!! When they post the results online I won't be surprised if there were only 5 single speeders in my race, but either way I felt pretty pleased. I picked up a cyclo computer for my nephew, thanked the sponsors, bade farewell to Ebae, and hit the road. Home before 5:00 was the promise I had to keep.
I love Michaux and have thoughts about Iron Cross 2010 and the 2011 Endurance Series. But I totally don't get the inside joke on the race t-shirt?!?!?!
Here's a few shots of the Michaux mud I brought home with me.
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