I’m not sure if that title references that poor chipmunk who’s demise was sealed when he scampered into the paved road shortly before the half way mark of the O2S as Ryan Krayer, myself, Todd McFadden & Matt Colligan road past….. or what I felt like after that race was done.
Oh don’t get me wrong I feel bad for the chipmunk, in fact I believe McFadden later commented I had gotten him flatter than a pancake, quick death via Bontrager 29-1’s… there could be worse ways to go.
For a race I know & love very well, it had to be my hardest effort there.
With accommodations from Tom C. & Marie the evening before & a shortcut to the race start, it was looking like a good day – I don’t think I’ve ever got to a race 45minutes before the start. The warmup went smoothly, the preferred start area is large enough not to have to fight for position or get there too early. Seeing a great number of familiar faces it was go time in short order.
The first couple miles went pretty smooth, did see & avoid a crash. Just wanted to keep pushing towards the front. Did a modest job of being in the top 40 or so before things got squeezed into a tighter group, not ideal but something I figured I could work thru.
Up what’s referred to as the Luge hill, the heartrate maxes out but for the most part the body absorbs that effort well enough. Bummer part though when I got to the top a split to the top 13 or so had formed with two guy in front of me falling back. I had one of those I’d better put catch that kaboose efforts. I knew it was catchable the hard part was deciding to kill all those matches getting too it. Probably a half to 3/4’s of a mile later I was on it. And man, was it going on fast. I don’t remember the front group going that hard every opportunity they had. In fact at the 3 mile mark of the race… I’m like “shit, this might be a hard, hard day”. I think 6 or so had gapped off the front & so I was in 2nd group of 9.
The first fast guys I knew & recognized were Tyler Jenema & Kyle Sarasin from the U.P. Impressive as it’s course for power & generally kinder to the larger riders, but they were hauling really good. What I didn’t know was Todd McFadden was in that group & Tom Carpenter as well. Content to have held on I stayed at the back of group, moving up was tough, not impossible but I always felt I could move up if I had to.
Get to Ishpeming & the two group are still pretty close to each other & then it’s back through & around dirt 4 wheeler trails & over railroad tracks. Strange seeing guys wipe out in the weirdest sections. Tyler Jenema had an impressive flip of his bike when his crank arm stuck a rock or dirt mound. Not much later Kyle went down in the sand… funny thing, I’m looking at him while it happened & thinking bummer, guess I gotta be careful on that corner & it isn’t a second that I pass Kyle I’m down to, scrambling to get back on the bike. It was like some sand monster kicked the tires out from underneath the bikes.
Anyways, the three of us had to hoof it pretty hard over next to a long railroad grade to get back to that main group & work our way to the rocky power line sections of the course. Again gaps would seem to open & close as some riders would have the juice, go hard, then pay the price & have to slow down to recover as others were just recovering & then pushing hard. It was at this point another one or two riders joined from behind, but also I caught up to Tom Carpenter & saw he was staying determined but having a rough time of it. The guy was gritting it out pretty darn good though.
It’s always hard to remember the exact sequence of things with these races in the early stages. So I always reserve the right to have things alittle out of order in my story telling.
At some point for the second time in the race a significant gap opened up in that group of 9, probably 15 seconds or more. I was at the back, Tom C was there Matt Colligan too as I recall. It’s one of those calls you have to make to close it or conserve & roll with what you got. I usually opt for the close down when conditions are even remotely in my favor for doing it. This happened shortly before Misery Hill, which in hindsight, maybe I should have or not have tried to do it.
At Misery Hill everyone walks up a pretty steep climb for maybe a minute or more. It’s funny because the race goes into slow motion at that point. All these fast bikers all of sudden looking pokey & slow walking bikes up a hill, not running, walking – looks like it’s a coffee break. Now don’t get me wrong everyone’s hurting & it’s hard to do it’s just an observation.
I went up the hill fine as did everyone with me, only it’s still pretty nasty rocks & trails once your over the top. It’s important to get to the top of the hill still with decent energy & be able to work thru the technical riding that follows.
I didn’t jump back on the bike fast enough, forgetting that the trail over the hill is nasty & the two guys in front of me got a good gap & rejoined the 5 in front. The trail got worse & my movement through it wasn’t doing me any favors to close the ground. Once you’re through it, it’s back to flatter faster stuff, but the gap as I counted down was like 15 seconds. I had only Matt C. my tail & no one else that I saw. Hoping we could work together I asked him to come thru to pull & help but he kept saying he was at his limit & couldn’t help.
There’s some 22-25 miles or more left still at this point I think – & not I’m isolated & the guy I’m with isn’t willing or can’t really share any of the work load. Sitting in 20th. Ugh. The last money spot & trying to hold off whatever group big or small might be chasing from behind.
We down swoop down on Nate Guerra as he falls back from that front group that we keep within site at times. But the poor guy looks like he’s hit the Mother of All Walls & had nothing left in his tank.
We get out to pavement again, Matt comes through to pull alittle but just doesn’t feel he can put out the juice we need. Eventually from behind we have Ryan Krayer latch on, he recovery for a bit & then goes to the front & does a big share of the pulling, trading off with me. Eventually we bear down on another guy… low & behold it’s Todd McFadden… only with a low & wobbly rear tire!
Not much later that chipmunk episode occurs… I think at least we all got a much needed laugh & “Oooowww, got him!” at that point.
At 21 miles to go the course move to new pavement & some longer climbs, Ryan & I trade off a bit until roaring from behind comes Mr.-I-could-ride-my-bike-a-million-miles-a-day-&-still-love-it Chris Peariso. Go figure, I’d last seen him drop of the pace 10 miles previously, but with his 100miler racing background if you slow down at all, there’s a good chance he’ll be back.
Chris pulls us up some hills & does some really great work. I think I said on one hill “Gee, Chris must be nice being 139lbs climbing this hill!”
Just before that last pavement climb, I led into it at the bottom & didn’t have the effort left me to hang with Ryan, Chris & Matt to the top & let them go. Todd had stopped to air up & was no where in sight & so started the final 17-18 mile march likely solo to the finish.
Keep thinking stay steady & in control & hopefully a big train of riders won’t catch up before the end. With 13 miles or less to go the along comes a guy I hadn’t seen in years Tom Bender back from out west, he along with 2 others. I thought to try & ride with them but it was still more of pace that I could handle.
Finally finally with 8 miles towards the top of rolling climb, yet just after I passed a Kyle Sarisan who was taking his sweet time changing a flat tire. I heard from behind Todd McFadden, Adam Swank & 3 other guys. With some encouragement from Todd & Adam I gave it another effort to stick with them & fortunately it worked I was able to hang on & later after the final water hand off from Kate & the kids, pull the 6 of us into the “sand dunes” & just before the last significant steep pitch in the course, Kurbie’s climb or woodchip hill. 5 of us made it up the climb, but over the top Adam, Todd & one other guy were able to surge ahead, another guy slipped, fell over & cramped. It left me & a bigger tattooed guy in pink bibs shorts (interesting combo) to finish out the ride. He must have been over the limit as I was at the front the entire time & he held my wheel when he could until we hit the pavement & the final 1+mile to the finish. I quickly put on 20 yd gap & by the finish no one was around me. Todd & Adam had caught a fading Tyler Jenema.
Done, finished, well worked over in that race, coming 30th overall. Not the smartest race from a tactical standpoint for me -- having been both too much at the front of a group at times & too much of the time at the back. Maybe Matt C. had it right, knowing what he couldn’t do & just drafting the final 20+ miles It worked for him riding tails to a 22nd place finish.
With more & more riders these days working with power meters – one might wonder or try to translate.. what kinda power does it possibly take to finish in the top 30 at O2S hard rock 48 mile race. Well, just so happens that I raced with my Cycleops Powertap & I’ll be posting up some numbers & breaking them down…. if you’re interested stay tuned…. more to come.
