Snake TT #1 Part 1

I was meeting D-Wayne and his buddy Mike down in Dalton since I had to work Friday. As I was leaving school my garmins led me to believe I would arrive at 7:15 - with stops for gas I knew it would be a little later, but that sounded pretty good to me!  Two accidents within a mile or so of each other had something to say about that ETA so Dwayne was kind enough to pick up my number for me.

As I was getting settled in discussions turned to what to wear. First thing first, I had my new team kit in my hands (for a second).  Due to the temps, no one see it anyway, but the kit is going back for a few minor adjustments. That being said, the thing is SICK!  Seriously, I may enter races (or maybe just show up and just hang out) to show this thing off!  If your team (or even just YOU) need a new design hit up Dwayne. The guy is super easy to work with, lightening fast with responses and works tirelessly to get you what you want. Oh yeah, and he's a mountain biker - can't get much better than that, now can you?  (He also races cx and rides the roads, so you folks will feel equally at home working with Dwayne). Seriously, if you have a need or even just an idea please consider talking/emailing Dwayne, you won't regret it. 

So before I had to give the kit back I of course took some creepy hotel bathroom selfies.

The rest of the night was filled with going back and forth with wardrobe thoughts. When I left for GA it looked like it was going to be in the 30s by race time. When I got to GA it looked like mid 20s for the start, that didn't sound fun at all. But, it did make my choice easier. With temperatures staying that low I felt confident that I would be able to wear my jacket the entire time and not have to worry about needing to shed it with huger temps. In the end I went with my jacket and a short sleeve jersey - it was perfect. By the end of the first half I did have the jacket unzipped half way. 

The plan was that Dwayne and I would be racing the full 34 miles while Mike was riding the 17 (he had ridden it before and said all the fun stuff was in the second half anyway).  As we got down to the snake pit to load our bikes and shuttle to the start Dwayne throws his bike in the 17 miler trailer... the hell?  In the minute from the hotel to the parking lot he changed his mind, looked like I'd be going it alone. Turns out it was probably a really good idea for him as he ended his race feeling pretty damn ill. 

I placed my bike with the other 34 milers and waited to get moving. A couple things going through my head while we were transporting: Damnit, I should have brought my bottles with me on the bus - they are probably going to freeze on the way to the start (they didn't, but that was a scary risk - I was thinking if ways to heat them up the whole ride to the start). It was getting warm in the bus, so much so that I had to shed my gloves as my hands were sweating. Yet my feet were cold!  My feet are always cold. ALWAYS. Even with thin wool socks and DeFeet Woolie Boolies on my feet were cold on a warm bus.

The other thought battling my potential water bottle issue, what to do about the creek crossing. My main plan was to strip cleats and socks and walk across. I had extra socks (mostly to use to dry my feet) and really didn't like the idea of risking wet feet in suck cold weather - especially with my naturally cold feet!  When we arrived I had to wait for the trailer with my bike to show for a few minutes. By the time it was all said and done I was starting around 10:00 and the temperature forecast didn't look so bad. 

I've always been good with temps over 30, so I felt good with what I had on - although still a little conserve end with the possibility of overhearing. In all I had one two pairs of wool socks, leg warmers, bibs with baggies over them (last minute decision to also wear boxers - didn't want any chance of my junk freezing over the 34 miles), short sleeve jersey, and bike jacket (rated for I think 60, but worthless to me unless it's at least under 40), my cyclone winter gloves with the inserts of my snowboarding gloves, and a balaclava (helmet, cleats, glasses of course). 

I planned out nutrition for 5 hours with individual Osmo packets for bottle refills at the aid station (had 2 bottles) and packets of mustard if the cramps came to play. 

By the time I was starting there weren't many of us left (I'll be sure to get to the snake pit earlier in February) so it was go when you were ready - I had heard it was a 5 at a time start. I started alone, which was great as it removed any temptation to destroy myself off the start. I did try to keep things up on the fire roads to the creek to get my legs going.  I think my legs had gotten out of the car and decided to walk the rest of the way as I say in traffic in Greenville, unfortunately they didn't make it for the start of the race. All day I had burst of great performance out if them, and then bouts of childish protesting from them. I never knew which I would face each time I came to a climb - it was a fun little game they were playing with me. 

The creek crossing.  My feet were frozen as they hit the ground before I even got to the water, which made the water not so bad really...  The only thing that saved my feet for the rest of the race was the fact that the race promoters gave us a goodie bag that had in it those packet hand warmers... when I put my socks back on I slide on in - my feet were not cold the rest of the race (or at least I didn't notice).  

After the creek it was straight to business with a climb.  It was a doubletrack climb that I grinded away on.  There was a singlespeed rider up ahead of me so he was my carrot the entire climb.  I caught him as we entered singletrack toward the top as he stopped.  I pressed on for a short time until I stopped myself to drink something.  Throughout the first half of the race anytime I "stopped" I tried to at least be walking.  The trail in the first half was "nice."  Nothing, trail wise, challenging - but there wasn't much relief from an upward tread, so it wore on me.  There were times (when my legs weren't cooperating) when I started thinking about the possibility of throwing in the towel at the halfway mark... if I was struggling this much now how would I make the rest of it?  But then... then I would hit bursts where my legs felt right on and I powered through climbs.  Toward the end the trail starting turning down - the end was near.... signs appeared to check your speed - and of course in this "dangerous" speed trap the camera guy was posted up... he had a good spot - a nice hump to allow riders to air it out - not sure that I really got off the ground - I was more interested in enjoying the downward ride than grabbing a great picture.  Up ahead... the road.  And the pit stop.

I made it.  I instantly knew I wasn't done - I could make it.  I think I pulled in at a little under 2.5 hours.  Slower than I had hoped, but considering how I was feeling it felt like I was "ok."  During the pit I ate the rest of my clif bar I had been trying to eat while riding (I was also downing gummy worms while riding), finished the remainder of my one remaining bottle, and then refilled both of them dumping in my single serving of Osmo, and downed two packets of mustard.  I wanted to do as much as I could to stay ahead of any cramping.  So far, so good.  My pace was a bit slow during the pit and I had to zip my jacket back up as I started getting cold.  I knew I should get going, but I couldn't seem to pick up the pace to get everything ready to go.

I did eventually get going... but we'll get into the second half tomorrow.

oh...Hello

Hey there.  So I slacked yesterday... and almost today.  Is it the weather, the lack of riding (due to the weather), the time of year (hibernation station), the fact that kids/parents are going nuts because it's midterm time, or some other strange phenomena?  Who knows.  But it was really hard to get myself to write today.

Maybe it's because I've got things I should have already talked about (some GREAT rides) and something big that I want to talk about so I'm pulled all over the place and don't know where to start.  Maybe I'll touch on a little bit of everything in a round about way.

I LOVE the mountains.  Well, the mountains of North Carolina to be specific.  I hit up some sweet ass Bent Creek with D-Wayne a little bit ago and it was super amazing fun times.  Got some good climbing in, and gave the rigid a true test - some good old rocky descents and I liked it! (I love the Glow Worm again)  Of course I picked my lines a bit more carefully then I would need to on the HiFi, but I was glad to have D-Wayne (with a bouncy fork) in front so it forced me to keep on the gas to keep up and force myself to take on the gnar full speed.  The lack of suspension did not bother me at all really... which is great!  Overall we pretty much did half (both in mileage and in elevation) of the Snake... so I guess that means I'm prepared... since I haven't been on the bike since then and the Snake will be here before I know it...  I'm excited?  For the Snake I will be racing for Team Glow Worm (of course) and I might even have a fancy kit.  I'll at least look competitive even if the Snake kicks my butt.

I'm patiently waiting (patiently waiting - refreshing "package tracker" incessantly.  Pondering aloud why progress has not been updated on said tracker.  Surely their shipping method must have arrived SOMEWHERE by now... just tell me where, I don't care where, I just want some answers.  Checking out product website to drool over incoming item.  Wishing pictures on website were in my possession and not in transit.  Planning use of new item(s).  Researching opportunities to enjoy said item(s) on the internerds.  Checking "package tracker" again...) for a package weighing... oh... about 26.8 lbs... to arrive at my house on Thursday.  In said package there will be a few things.  Some things will combine to make one thing.  Other items will match and make me faster.*   This aforementioned package is from some great new friends of mine.  Names and clarity of our relationship will remain purposefully foggy until said package is in my possession and I can properly reveal the big news.  Until then, continue to not care about my incoherent ramblings.  But know this... my vagueness will pay off and possibly even result in bike envy.

There, I've said too much.  Time to shut it down and refresh my "package tracker"

* results not guaranteed

Committed

2014 is already starting to take shape with events. So far I'm looking at events that will be pushing my limits. And by the looks of things, it won't just be my legs putting in the miles. I have 4 events (6 if you consider each Snake Creek Gap TT as a separate event, and I suppose I should since it covers three consecutive months!) in 4 different states!

First up, the Snake. And the Snake is coming fast!  January, February, and March I will be driving down to Georgia 5 1/2 hours each way/each time... yikes!  I think this is the first time I actually looked at how long it would take. That is a bear!  The positive: each race is on Saturday so I have Sunday to recover. I might have to look at taking the Friday before off so I'm not so tired at the start from driving down after work... We'll see. There is a belt buckle on the line after all!

Next up is the Dragon's Tale in Virginia. I just added this yesterday when D-Wayne invited me, so I know nothing about it. From talking with him it sounds like the area has trails right up my alley so I'm jumping in with blind faith, but I'll do more research soon. Just checked and it's 3 1/2 hours away. After I  told the facebooks that I was going Dicky posts up this gem. 

Great... what did I just get myself into?

Next up is SSUSA. I missed last year because school started around the weekend of the event so I couldn't take the time for the road trip, but this year I'm good to go!  Where is it this year?  Michigan. But not just "Michigan," Upper Peninsula Michigan... 19-20 hours away!!  D-Wayne has committed, TheMutt is doing the hokie pokie over there and hasn't officially put his foot in the ring here... but in any event this will be a road trip. It will be broken down with ride stops on the way there/back - so who knows how long/how many rides will be included in this adventure?  I just have to make sure I'm back for work on Tuesday August 12... hopefully we can manage that.

And my final event on the docket so far... the Brunswick Brawl. I got to see how my body handled a 6 hour event and had a blast doing it this year, so of course I'll be back!  I'm looking forward to improving my performance and enjoying those fun trails again!  So far it's my only race right here in North Carolina and it's only 3 1/2 hours away.... 

Good lord the pterodactyl will be pilling on the miles this year!

Double check

Sunday's planned ride out in the mountains didn't happen because D-Wayne had the sniffles. In all honesty, no one wants to be out on the bike for hours with a whole bunch of nonsense going on in their head*, so I completely understand. But me being me, I took the lazy man's way out and did a bunch of nothing all day... Kind of a bummer actually.

I did get to ride some over the holiday, but I of course should have ridden more. I did however notice that I had been incorrect in my assumption that I had set my garmins to track data every second. I swear I had set it that way long ago, but after my ride on Friday I decided to check for shits and giggles (and because I had been thoroughly mileage fucked again) and of course I found that it was not tracking every second... sooooo I corrected that. 

We shall see what this does to improve things in the mileage department.  Thanks goes out to Mark for commenting about the setting, causing me to double check things.

* I constantly have nonsense going on in my head... but that is along the lines of random thoughts and things that would only crack me up

Fashion Fridays?

I myself haven't been riding much, so I feel no pressure to find an inspiring clip to urge all you out there to ride this weekend - you are already WAY ahead of me.

Instead, look what I got in the mail yesterday!

Yup, a sweet ass Southern Wheelworks t-shirt. It's casual Friday, so I'm wearing it to work today!  Honestly, I haven't put it on yet, but it feels super comfortable so I'm excited about it. 

In somewhat related news, designs on the Team Glow Worm kit are coming along nicely!  D-Wayne is killing it!  I won't share the proofs yet, but trust me - once you see the finished product you may just want to join me and sport the worm! 

How is that at all related to Southern Wheelworks?  Well, I'm putting 3 sponsors on the jersey. And by "sponsors" I mean: people I believe in. 

Dustin is not only a great wheel builder (solid wheels, easy process that he'll guide you through to make sure you get exactly what you want out of the build) but he's also just a great guy. 

D-Wayne is of course getting his company on the jersey. Another great and talented guy!  Not only is he good at what he does, but he has jumped into this project with genuine excitement (sometimes I think he's even more excited about it than I am!). 

And finally, Dild's Grill. Got to pay homage to where this thing all started. Originally I was going to do two kits, one being the Glow Worm and one was going to be a clean, classic designed Dild's Grill jersey - but I've shifted to full investment in Team Glow Worm with "sponsorship" from Dild's Grill since the other half of Dild's Grill is out of commission until his bionic hip replacement is complete. 

So yeah, go ahead and ride this weekend if you must. I hope to be out there if I can shake whatever has been keeping me ill this week. 

* I've since put on the t-shirt since I had to finish the post at work... feels great and looks even better.  I even did a little dance in it - you can ask Annie about it.

Gravel roads in the hills

Sunday I drove out to Wilson Creek to meet up, and ride, with D-Wayne. Since the Glow Worm was in the shop (and D-Wayne suggested gears anyway) I was on the HiFi. Yes, a full suspension was a bit overkill, but it's what I had. I even got to lock out the fork for the first time, wasn't even sure I could!  D-Wayne was riding his hard tail with skinny tires. And his lovely wife was on her cross bike.

We took off and before we knew it, we were climbing. Even though we were riding dirt/gravel roads through the mountain it was fun!  Beautiful area, so there was plenty to take in. Oh, and climbing, I like climbing!

I didn't camp out, but the facilities that we started/ended at looked great - and $10 a night. Super great deal (bathroom/shower) right in the middle of things. I will certainly be back. 

Since there isn't much to describe as far as the ride went (up, down, little pavement, up, up, flattish briefly, dooooowwwn, flattish) I'll let you enjoy these pictures. 

As far as we could tell, there was no name for this fall (at least posted here) so we decree it
"Dwayne"

...which would make this "Dwayne's hole?"

gorgeous clear water with some big ass fish down there

working progress

Ok... so Team Dild's Grill has been kicking around the idea of putting a kit together for a while now.  We started designing a while back, but let things drop by the wayside.  Details such as cost and minimum order kinda put the damper on things.

Somewhat recently I met the man, the myth, the legend - D-Wayne.  He happens to do jerseys (amongst other things).  The Dild's Grill kit might have some life left in it.

To that end, I've been playing around with kit ideas.  D-Wayne, I will be in contact with you shortly about this.

If might want in, or want your name/company/product on our kit, get in contact with me.  Here are the first (VERY) rough sketches of Team Dild's Grill.

 
I'm also thinking of putting together a "special" kit just for the Glow Worm.

I already have plans for one "unofficial" sponsor - Southern Wheelworks.  Not so much as a sponsor, as I just support what Dustin is doing - and enjoying the wheels he built for me.