Cohutta 100 race report will be soon.
-peat
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Some prizes from True Grit Epic and Ouachita
Almost forgot about this stuff. These were some of my finisher and winning prizes from True Grit Epic and Ouachita Challenge.
Cohutta 100 race report will be soon.
-peat
Cohutta 100 race report will be soon.
-peat
Party song of the day. More Human Than Human
While wrenching on bikes today, on the radio came the song More Human Than Human by White Zombie. It was then that it occurred to me that I've been hearing that song for 20 years. The fact is that even though it was kind categorized in the sub genre of "grunge" and kind of a popular song for the day... I still love it! Or at least not sick of it even now. On days that I've had to much caffiene or I'm racing and have a moment to get inside my head and throttle it this song always come to mind. I still think White Zombie's both musical style and fashion are totally sick!
So here is the get inside Peat's Head party song of the day. Enjoy!
-Peat
So here is the get inside Peat's Head party song of the day. Enjoy!
-Peat
Monday, April 27, 2015
Come to think of it, on hindsight, the weekend was brutal. Hermann Gravel Challenge(part 3)
Hello! I first want to apologize for it now being 2 weeks after Hermann and now finishing up the race report. I have good excuses, but yes they are excuses. A. I've been busy. Work at the Trek Store has been very much. B. I don't have internet access at my place. Come to think of it, I don't even have a computer. So all posts have to be done at work after hours. C. I don't have a fancy dangfangled computer phone that can be used to take pictures with. Only a neglected undesired budget digital camera(that Annette kinda made fun of) purchased by my work in 2008, but deemed too crappy to use even for a paper weight. There is potential, however, said Olympus camera could be used to ignite a campfire due to its sparking. So pictures I take have to be uploaded the old fashioned way, by cord and plug ins.
This isn't a sob story, just explanation as to why blorgging takes me FOREVER! Man can you imagine how slow blorgging must have took in 2000. Geez. Moving on. Hermann DAY 2 (part 3). I'm gonna try to keep this post short-ish.
I decide to sleep in til an hour before start time. I do not get Hardees and even got to the start line late just as the ride was starting and pull a 180 skid stop in front of every one cutting them off, thus falling into place with the front group. If you go to the Hermann Gravel Challenge FB, you may still be able to find a video posted by my team mate Adam Clarke of the Sunday start. My skid is at the beginning, haha.
The whole start until about 2 miles on the Katy was not nearly as cut throat as the morning before. As in totally chill. About 8 or so dudes road off the front, but wasn't a real ish. Slow and steady was my rule for the day. Things were all cool and dandy in the pace line until about 6-7 miles out when my boy Benji tagged the wheel of the dude in front of him and got hella sketch at 21mph. Oh, and with about 40 other riders behind him, and me on Benji's wheel. I some how pulled a quick skid and then hard pedal off to his left and pulled out of that pace line with a quickness that only a good catholic boy could do. While doing so, I caught a glimpse of sheer terror in his face as Benji had to of been clenching his poop hole so tight that one would be hard pressed to squeeze a toothpick up it. Just sayin'. All was regained and fast pace continued.
Next we came up on a huge fallen tree across the trail. From all the mtb races I've done, one of the important lessons I've learned was this. Don't get caught up in the bottleneck! I was about 8 guys back when the group began slowing to the natural barrier, so, I do the opposite and sprint my ass off around them through the grass to be the first to get there and over. I pull a flawless cx dismount to shouldering of my bike to jump on the first branch. Then do a balancing act of dancing on the branches one after the other until I got back to the Katy Trail on the other side of this fallen giant tree. Then followed by a perfect cx remount. By the time I looked back I was 40 feet down the trail and the first guy was just getting over. It was sick. I immediately used this time for recovery and spun at a manageable speed knowing full well there'd be no way of me actually dropping a group of geared riders on a flat gravel rail trail.
To my surprise though, there was the lead group just down the trail aways. It looked like Jesse had some sort of mechanical, but everybody else was just lingering around so I just kept a moving. Up the Katy further was Wes on his ss. We decided to just keep rollin' and wasn't long before everybody rolled up from behind and swallowed us up. We both then held in the pace line for the next 8 miles. Always to spun out to actually be sustainable, but not willing to loose the draft. I was just border line seeing stars when the group began to slow for a exit off the Katy trail.
We still had a impressive amount of dudes hanging with the lead group as we exited into Portland, Mo onto hwy 94. Luckily we had a mile long sneaker of a climb that helped shake some folks out. One of those climbs that ordinarily wouldn't be a issue, but after spinning yer legs off at 120 rpm for 18 miles of flat, proved to be quite the contrast and took some mental override to not show weakness to the the other SSers. So I kinda just drilled it to the top, with hope there would be no repercussion. There wasn't!
The lead group then widdled down to about 14 I remember counting. The pace also totally slowed to a very manageable happy, hey we are on a Sunday pleasure ride, speed. It was super enjoyable for the next 25 miles and super easy to keep tabs on everybody in the group. I was even able to write and sing a monkey/banana song to Nate Means about monkeys and banana's. Yep! He seemed indifferent, thats ok Nate. Wes, Tyler from Walts, and me were the only SSers left. At some point though we lost Tyler. Them's the breaks though. Around this time I also noticed that one of the geared riders that was still with us had legit road tires on his cx bike, haha. It was awesome! Carlos Matias Mendigochea, that was rad, cuz we were flying down some of those gravel descents and you were right there with us. You also probably thought my tires were way overkill, which they were, if only I could have told you my reason. Anyways, nice work dude.
The last 4 miles of the first loop was half Katy trail and half pavement back over the bridge into Hermann. I was feeling kinda shelled with a bit of a bike ride hangover from the day before, and with the expectation of the rest of the geared riders to most likely drill it for the road section. I confided in Wes that I'd probably crack. Well they hit it hard for about a mile as I fluttered off the back. I was just about to fall off the tale end when I just wound my legs up and got up into the group. I some how found a little niche where one would expect the cross wind to hit them, but for some reason I was just blocked enough by the dude in front of me and held in there, whew!
Rolling into the park I pulled up right to my van on the driveway and dumped bottles for new ones grabbed Clif bars and decided last minute to drop some clothes off. I also took a little potty break next to van(where nobody could see me) knowing there hadn't been a group pee yet and should get everything out while stopped. Then a hustle over to the check-in pavillion and then over to meet back with the group. They were taking too long so my best interest was to keep the legs warm and start pedalin' out the 2nd loop.
I once again had the expectation of the group immediately catching me, but strangely took 'em longer than expected. It was also at this moment about 2 miles out that I realized I forgot to put my Clif bars in my pockets and left them lying in the van. My response to this was "let's see just how long this will last." They finally rolled up on me and by the first climb they all agreed on a group pee break. Figures. So I carry on allowing them to catch me, and not me wait and then try to hold on and burn matches.
Soon they catch up and I do a head count and are down to 6 of us. To be able to hold on this long on the second day of Hermann is in my mind incredible, and still wasn't sure how I was doing it? I did a inventory of what foodies/liquids I had for the remainder of the ride and it was one Hammer gel and two bottles, one half full of Accelerade. Once again I tell myself " Well lets just see how long before I crack?" knowing it was eminent.
By this time we were 70 miles out of 105 into the ride. Who was left was Lawrence, Jesse M., Turbo, Brian Bradley, Wes, and Me. The pace began to pick up again and I actually fell off the back to were I was almost just out of sight of those guys. There was something strange about the rollers we were on. The descents were just mello enough for pedaling to be useless, but not enough to coast at the same speed as the others. The turns were also just shallow enough that they didn't have to brake, so they slowly put kind of a crazy gap on me. I was almost about to call it and just settle into my "just finish the ride" pace when I started thinking about AJ, my friend from the NUE Series that had just passed away. Kind of a flood of emotions engulfed me and I just all of a sudden felt like I had strength again. To be honest, it almost felt like he was there giving me just a gentle push. When I was almost back up to them I remembered that I had the Hammer gel so knowing without food the pace was not sustainable I swallowed that dumb thing down, and floated up to those dudes wheels.
It seemed only moments after I caught back on that Lawrence started throwing in attacks on the rest of us to shake us up, even though he denies it. Don't worry dude, I actually thought it was awesome and love when people do that. Makes things interesting. Brian and Jesse got a little jostled around and started to fall off the back, but then snagged back on. We then hit a few more climbs that were beginning to wear on me. It was right at 80miles in. I looked over at Wes and commented on how crazy it is that we were able to do what we were doing on one speed bikes. Its a thought that always comes to mind during that time of a long race/ride. Its something that still honestly to this day blows my mind. That the human body can adapt and push that far into strength and endurance. It was also at this moment that I truly had given all that I had and knew there was no longer any way I could counter any of the attacks and accelerated pace, so I detached and watched them roll away.
I had no food left and about half a bottle to get me 25 miles. Had I tried to hang on major bonkville would have crippled me. Either way you look at it though, I finally got pooped out the back. So survival mode kicked in, and sally fourth I did. Those dudes mustn't have really been too far ahead of me though, cuz after a few miles I came out of the woods and into a open pasture and across the way I saw one of the riders cruising up the gravel just after a turn. Moments later I roll up on Brian Bradley from Dirty Dogs Race Pack, and he had just remedied some weird rear derailleur problem. He was back on his bike and from that point on we rode the rest of the ride together. We were 85miles in and just a spit away from cashed out. Him on gears me on ss. We just decided it was best to roll in together and have the company and good company it was.
Just a few miles down the road is when it began. The sky began to open up and rain on us. Later on we found out that the park in Hermann got crazy stormed on and everything there was trashed. We just got cold and wet. Which for me was bad because it then just incinerated what was left of any nutrition I had left in my system, and yep the super bonk was on the horizon. I tried to fight it, but to no avail. I had no water left and no foods, but carry on I did. You see when I bonk, I start to just slow down and down and down. I mentioned to Brian at about 95 miles how I was slowing down and had no food and he could move right along if my pace was to slow for him and he said " no dude, this is still good enough. do you need something to eat?" I politely declined his offer telling him I wanted to see just how far I could push. Well, apparently its about 2 miles. We were at the base of the last gravel climb before descending to the road section back to Hermann park when I gratefully accepted his offer on some Cliff shot gummies. Within minutes I was good enough to at least stay on his wheel for the remaining 6 miles in of pavement. It made life much more enjoyable. I promised him a fancy beer when we got back and he replied with me not owing him anything. Thanks Brian!
We made it in to the park, I'd say two notches away from deathmarch status. Maybe one notch. Our arrival was by no means with power, but we also were not damning the world. Brian insisted that I go through the check-in first, but I insisted he go first cuz of him pulling me in the last 6 miles and giving me food. He then strongly insisted again that I go first. I ask "Are you sure? Positive? Really Positive?" He said "yes". I said "OK".
We got in at 6hrs 17min if I remember right, and
.JPG)
about 105 miles. I got 5th and Brian got 6th for the day. I ended up with 5th for the overall for both days. finishing both days like I did left me feeling super confident and at least physically ready to crush Cohutta.
My friend Wes Boyce got 1st for both days. Way to destroy it man! Your gonna tear DK a new one. Wes also ended up finishing up with Turbo and Lawrence with a time of 5hrs 50mins on Sunday. Crazy awesome to all three of you dudes! Unfortunately Jesse was also, like Brian and I, pooped out from the leaders.
So now on a side note, I no longer ever want to hear anybody tell me again how SS's are inferior in any way. Wes and I proved it, by crushing many a soul at Hermann. All it takes is skillz, saddle time, and high pain threshold. Period.
So moving on I will now post pictures of post ride hang out sessions and stuffs. And, what I hope to be the first of my mini interviews . Enjoy!
Annette from the Walts Crew. Also, I
know the glasses are dumb. I'm getting
new ones without the stupid transition
filament in it, and my nose was stuffy
from all the gravel dust.
And lastly, when I got back to St Louis, I had a insatiable urge for cheap china food. So I stopped at New China right by my house. Its usually pretty good for what it is and super family owned. One of the ladies had a baby and sometimes I see him running around the restaurant. So I like to support.
The bummer part was that the food was very meh. It ended up being more than what I wanted and should have spent, and was served from plastic togo container with a styrofoam plate. I was also coming down off the high of a crazy fun weekend. Along with thinking about AJ again since the news was still fresh. I will admit I started to get kinda bummed out. Sorry folks to be a wet blanket for a minute, but it gets better.
I wasn't given a fortune cookie so as I was asking for a top for my togo container, I also asked for a cookie.
The young lady was on the phone taking a order and just pointed to the box of cookies on the backside of the counter, so I grab one.
Its always tradition for me to eat the cookie entirely before reading my fortune. I also know that fortune cookies are a totally made up American thing. Which is funny. So upon breaking my cookie its already obvious that I was granted with 2 freaking fortunes! TWO, T-W-O, TWO fortunes!
I smash down that cookie like the Cookie Monster and get reading. Lets just say it was at that moment that I knew things are going to be hella rad, and I need to just jump in with blind faith and continue doing what ever it is that I'm doing. Even though I'm not really even sure myself sometimes what that is.
Maybe I just look into things too deeply sometimes, or maybe its others that don't look deep enough.
Thanks again Jeff for putting on a great ride, and thanks everbody else for hanging out and riding bikes.And and my apologies for not keeping it short-ish. My bad, oops!
-peat
This isn't a sob story, just explanation as to why blorgging takes me FOREVER! Man can you imagine how slow blorgging must have took in 2000. Geez. Moving on. Hermann DAY 2 (part 3). I'm gonna try to keep this post short-ish.
I decide to sleep in til an hour before start time. I do not get Hardees and even got to the start line late just as the ride was starting and pull a 180 skid stop in front of every one cutting them off, thus falling into place with the front group. If you go to the Hermann Gravel Challenge FB, you may still be able to find a video posted by my team mate Adam Clarke of the Sunday start. My skid is at the beginning, haha.
The whole start until about 2 miles on the Katy was not nearly as cut throat as the morning before. As in totally chill. About 8 or so dudes road off the front, but wasn't a real ish. Slow and steady was my rule for the day. Things were all cool and dandy in the pace line until about 6-7 miles out when my boy Benji tagged the wheel of the dude in front of him and got hella sketch at 21mph. Oh, and with about 40 other riders behind him, and me on Benji's wheel. I some how pulled a quick skid and then hard pedal off to his left and pulled out of that pace line with a quickness that only a good catholic boy could do. While doing so, I caught a glimpse of sheer terror in his face as Benji had to of been clenching his poop hole so tight that one would be hard pressed to squeeze a toothpick up it. Just sayin'. All was regained and fast pace continued.
Next we came up on a huge fallen tree across the trail. From all the mtb races I've done, one of the important lessons I've learned was this. Don't get caught up in the bottleneck! I was about 8 guys back when the group began slowing to the natural barrier, so, I do the opposite and sprint my ass off around them through the grass to be the first to get there and over. I pull a flawless cx dismount to shouldering of my bike to jump on the first branch. Then do a balancing act of dancing on the branches one after the other until I got back to the Katy Trail on the other side of this fallen giant tree. Then followed by a perfect cx remount. By the time I looked back I was 40 feet down the trail and the first guy was just getting over. It was sick. I immediately used this time for recovery and spun at a manageable speed knowing full well there'd be no way of me actually dropping a group of geared riders on a flat gravel rail trail.
To my surprise though, there was the lead group just down the trail aways. It looked like Jesse had some sort of mechanical, but everybody else was just lingering around so I just kept a moving. Up the Katy further was Wes on his ss. We decided to just keep rollin' and wasn't long before everybody rolled up from behind and swallowed us up. We both then held in the pace line for the next 8 miles. Always to spun out to actually be sustainable, but not willing to loose the draft. I was just border line seeing stars when the group began to slow for a exit off the Katy trail.
We still had a impressive amount of dudes hanging with the lead group as we exited into Portland, Mo onto hwy 94. Luckily we had a mile long sneaker of a climb that helped shake some folks out. One of those climbs that ordinarily wouldn't be a issue, but after spinning yer legs off at 120 rpm for 18 miles of flat, proved to be quite the contrast and took some mental override to not show weakness to the the other SSers. So I kinda just drilled it to the top, with hope there would be no repercussion. There wasn't!
The lead group then widdled down to about 14 I remember counting. The pace also totally slowed to a very manageable happy, hey we are on a Sunday pleasure ride, speed. It was super enjoyable for the next 25 miles and super easy to keep tabs on everybody in the group. I was even able to write and sing a monkey/banana song to Nate Means about monkeys and banana's. Yep! He seemed indifferent, thats ok Nate. Wes, Tyler from Walts, and me were the only SSers left. At some point though we lost Tyler. Them's the breaks though. Around this time I also noticed that one of the geared riders that was still with us had legit road tires on his cx bike, haha. It was awesome! Carlos Matias Mendigochea, that was rad, cuz we were flying down some of those gravel descents and you were right there with us. You also probably thought my tires were way overkill, which they were, if only I could have told you my reason. Anyways, nice work dude.
The last 4 miles of the first loop was half Katy trail and half pavement back over the bridge into Hermann. I was feeling kinda shelled with a bit of a bike ride hangover from the day before, and with the expectation of the rest of the geared riders to most likely drill it for the road section. I confided in Wes that I'd probably crack. Well they hit it hard for about a mile as I fluttered off the back. I was just about to fall off the tale end when I just wound my legs up and got up into the group. I some how found a little niche where one would expect the cross wind to hit them, but for some reason I was just blocked enough by the dude in front of me and held in there, whew!
Rolling into the park I pulled up right to my van on the driveway and dumped bottles for new ones grabbed Clif bars and decided last minute to drop some clothes off. I also took a little potty break next to van(where nobody could see me) knowing there hadn't been a group pee yet and should get everything out while stopped. Then a hustle over to the check-in pavillion and then over to meet back with the group. They were taking too long so my best interest was to keep the legs warm and start pedalin' out the 2nd loop.
I once again had the expectation of the group immediately catching me, but strangely took 'em longer than expected. It was also at this moment about 2 miles out that I realized I forgot to put my Clif bars in my pockets and left them lying in the van. My response to this was "let's see just how long this will last." They finally rolled up on me and by the first climb they all agreed on a group pee break. Figures. So I carry on allowing them to catch me, and not me wait and then try to hold on and burn matches.
Soon they catch up and I do a head count and are down to 6 of us. To be able to hold on this long on the second day of Hermann is in my mind incredible, and still wasn't sure how I was doing it? I did a inventory of what foodies/liquids I had for the remainder of the ride and it was one Hammer gel and two bottles, one half full of Accelerade. Once again I tell myself " Well lets just see how long before I crack?" knowing it was eminent.
By this time we were 70 miles out of 105 into the ride. Who was left was Lawrence, Jesse M., Turbo, Brian Bradley, Wes, and Me. The pace began to pick up again and I actually fell off the back to were I was almost just out of sight of those guys. There was something strange about the rollers we were on. The descents were just mello enough for pedaling to be useless, but not enough to coast at the same speed as the others. The turns were also just shallow enough that they didn't have to brake, so they slowly put kind of a crazy gap on me. I was almost about to call it and just settle into my "just finish the ride" pace when I started thinking about AJ, my friend from the NUE Series that had just passed away. Kind of a flood of emotions engulfed me and I just all of a sudden felt like I had strength again. To be honest, it almost felt like he was there giving me just a gentle push. When I was almost back up to them I remembered that I had the Hammer gel so knowing without food the pace was not sustainable I swallowed that dumb thing down, and floated up to those dudes wheels.
It seemed only moments after I caught back on that Lawrence started throwing in attacks on the rest of us to shake us up, even though he denies it. Don't worry dude, I actually thought it was awesome and love when people do that. Makes things interesting. Brian and Jesse got a little jostled around and started to fall off the back, but then snagged back on. We then hit a few more climbs that were beginning to wear on me. It was right at 80miles in. I looked over at Wes and commented on how crazy it is that we were able to do what we were doing on one speed bikes. Its a thought that always comes to mind during that time of a long race/ride. Its something that still honestly to this day blows my mind. That the human body can adapt and push that far into strength and endurance. It was also at this moment that I truly had given all that I had and knew there was no longer any way I could counter any of the attacks and accelerated pace, so I detached and watched them roll away.
I had no food left and about half a bottle to get me 25 miles. Had I tried to hang on major bonkville would have crippled me. Either way you look at it though, I finally got pooped out the back. So survival mode kicked in, and sally fourth I did. Those dudes mustn't have really been too far ahead of me though, cuz after a few miles I came out of the woods and into a open pasture and across the way I saw one of the riders cruising up the gravel just after a turn. Moments later I roll up on Brian Bradley from Dirty Dogs Race Pack, and he had just remedied some weird rear derailleur problem. He was back on his bike and from that point on we rode the rest of the ride together. We were 85miles in and just a spit away from cashed out. Him on gears me on ss. We just decided it was best to roll in together and have the company and good company it was.
Just a few miles down the road is when it began. The sky began to open up and rain on us. Later on we found out that the park in Hermann got crazy stormed on and everything there was trashed. We just got cold and wet. Which for me was bad because it then just incinerated what was left of any nutrition I had left in my system, and yep the super bonk was on the horizon. I tried to fight it, but to no avail. I had no water left and no foods, but carry on I did. You see when I bonk, I start to just slow down and down and down. I mentioned to Brian at about 95 miles how I was slowing down and had no food and he could move right along if my pace was to slow for him and he said " no dude, this is still good enough. do you need something to eat?" I politely declined his offer telling him I wanted to see just how far I could push. Well, apparently its about 2 miles. We were at the base of the last gravel climb before descending to the road section back to Hermann park when I gratefully accepted his offer on some Cliff shot gummies. Within minutes I was good enough to at least stay on his wheel for the remaining 6 miles in of pavement. It made life much more enjoyable. I promised him a fancy beer when we got back and he replied with me not owing him anything. Thanks Brian!
We made it in to the park, I'd say two notches away from deathmarch status. Maybe one notch. Our arrival was by no means with power, but we also were not damning the world. Brian insisted that I go through the check-in first, but I insisted he go first cuz of him pulling me in the last 6 miles and giving me food. He then strongly insisted again that I go first. I ask "Are you sure? Positive? Really Positive?" He said "yes". I said "OK".
We got in at 6hrs 17min if I remember right, and
My friend Wes Boyce got 1st for both days. Way to destroy it man! Your gonna tear DK a new one. Wes also ended up finishing up with Turbo and Lawrence with a time of 5hrs 50mins on Sunday. Crazy awesome to all three of you dudes! Unfortunately Jesse was also, like Brian and I, pooped out from the leaders.
So now on a side note, I no longer ever want to hear anybody tell me again how SS's are inferior in any way. Wes and I proved it, by crushing many a soul at Hermann. All it takes is skillz, saddle time, and high pain threshold. Period.
So moving on I will now post pictures of post ride hang out sessions and stuffs. And, what I hope to be the first of my mini interviews . Enjoy!
 |
| Dan Singer, Photo Mastor! |
.JPG) |
| Me being wrecked hanging with the Walts Crew |
 | ||||
| Wrecked Lawrence |
 | ||||
| Wrecked Benji |
 |
| Aero rockin' the mic |
 |
pig and banana |
know the glasses are dumb. I'm getting
new ones without the stupid transition
filament in it, and my nose was stuffy
from all the gravel dust.
.JPG) | |||
| My spoils, Wine, Gravel jar, Trophy. |
 |
| Regular |
.JPG) |
| Holy |
And lastly, when I got back to St Louis, I had a insatiable urge for cheap china food. So I stopped at New China right by my house. Its usually pretty good for what it is and super family owned. One of the ladies had a baby and sometimes I see him running around the restaurant. So I like to support.
The bummer part was that the food was very meh. It ended up being more than what I wanted and should have spent, and was served from plastic togo container with a styrofoam plate. I was also coming down off the high of a crazy fun weekend. Along with thinking about AJ again since the news was still fresh. I will admit I started to get kinda bummed out. Sorry folks to be a wet blanket for a minute, but it gets better.
I wasn't given a fortune cookie so as I was asking for a top for my togo container, I also asked for a cookie.
The young lady was on the phone taking a order and just pointed to the box of cookies on the backside of the counter, so I grab one.
Its always tradition for me to eat the cookie entirely before reading my fortune. I also know that fortune cookies are a totally made up American thing. Which is funny. So upon breaking my cookie its already obvious that I was granted with 2 freaking fortunes! TWO, T-W-O, TWO fortunes!
I smash down that cookie like the Cookie Monster and get reading. Lets just say it was at that moment that I knew things are going to be hella rad, and I need to just jump in with blind faith and continue doing what ever it is that I'm doing. Even though I'm not really even sure myself sometimes what that is.
Maybe I just look into things too deeply sometimes, or maybe its others that don't look deep enough.
Thanks again Jeff for putting on a great ride, and thanks everbody else for hanging out and riding bikes.And and my apologies for not keeping it short-ish. My bad, oops!
-peat
Thursday, April 23, 2015
DON'T FORGET CEDARCROSS!!!!!!!
Oh check this out from Team Seagal's blorg about Cedar Cross, and why you should attend.
-peat
Co-HUUUU-Tah!
Cohutta 100 is Saturday. I wasn't feeling ready last night, but now I'm ramped up and destined to crush souls. Well, lets hope I crush souls. It is is racing isn't it?
I have two finisher mugs under my belt, Woohoo!
2012 I rolled down with Dwayne and got my butt handed to me. It was rad, took me 8.5 hrs. Then on the way home pounded a Colt 45 Blast,
and realized 3 hours into the drive home I had no clue what Dwayne was talking about anymore. So I told him "Dwayne, dude. I have no clue what your talking about anymore."
2013 was swell and and pretty much ended like this. It was a torrential down pour pretty much from 10pm the night before through the next day. I finished in about lets say 9.5 hrs. Steve Friedman and I then drove home that night once again in a torrential down pour.
2014 I broke my hip and got this stuff put in me.
I felt that the race would have been tolerable, but the drive to Ducktown, TN would have sucked.
So instead I only drove 2 hrs away to the Lake of the Ozarks to do a 150 mile gravel road race called The Ogre. I won SS and got 4th overall.
took me exactly 11hrs to finish. My friend Hunter(Henry) thought I was fucking with him the last 20 miles saying I had a flat. Well I did! I was nursing it for the last 35 miles, and finally road into the finish on a flat.
Now is 2015 Cohutta 100. I want to thank Dwayne G. for keeping on me through the fall of 2011 about this race. I learned alot from the two times I did it and now is no difference. Always good competition and long climbs that this Missouri boy just doesn't have a chance to regularly work into his schedule.
Cohutta 100 here I come, so lets party hard.
-peat
I have two finisher mugs under my belt, Woohoo!
and realized 3 hours into the drive home I had no clue what Dwayne was talking about anymore. So I told him "Dwayne, dude. I have no clue what your talking about anymore."2013 was swell and and pretty much ended like this. It was a torrential down pour pretty much from 10pm the night before through the next day. I finished in about lets say 9.5 hrs. Steve Friedman and I then drove home that night once again in a torrential down pour.
2014 I broke my hip and got this stuff put in me.
So instead I only drove 2 hrs away to the Lake of the Ozarks to do a 150 mile gravel road race called The Ogre. I won SS and got 4th overall.
took me exactly 11hrs to finish. My friend Hunter(Henry) thought I was fucking with him the last 20 miles saying I had a flat. Well I did! I was nursing it for the last 35 miles, and finally road into the finish on a flat.
Now is 2015 Cohutta 100. I want to thank Dwayne G. for keeping on me through the fall of 2011 about this race. I learned alot from the two times I did it and now is no difference. Always good competition and long climbs that this Missouri boy just doesn't have a chance to regularly work into his schedule.
Cohutta 100 here I come, so lets party hard.
-peat
Monday, April 20, 2015
Come to think of it, on hindsight, the weekend was brutal. Hermann Gravel Challenge(part 2)
Wakey wakey, Hardee's eggs n' bacee breakfast sandwiches! 7am time to get up. I got two hours before go time. I'm cold, the temp dropped last night and froze me out, and the daily temps were supposed to get hot so dumb dumb me didn't bring too many early cold morning clothes. I put on what I got. T-shirt, hoodie, 80's track pants, olive drab cutoff cargo pants over said 80's track pants. Oh it was style, everybody said so as I walked across the driveway to the start/finish pavillion to register. Heck man I was still freezing. I was so cold I was shaking so bad I could barely fill out the registration form. My handwriting probably looked like I was on the drugs. Which drugs, I don't know, all of 'em! Had some good chit chat with Jeff Yielding and others, but time was of the essence. Must get across the street for greasy Hardee's breakfast.
I finally pulled away from small talk with folk and pedaled over to the Hardee's gas station combo. Man I love this place. Jeff does a two day CX race at this same venue in the little city park, so I've had many a morning before Hermann races to get my Hardee's breakfast fix. In fact, for the most part its the only time I really eat fast food. Its just their Bacon, egg, and cheese biscuits are so good. Along with them being super calorie and salt dense its the perfect pre big ride meal.
Sorry, so i get my hustle on over to Hardee's and while standing in line decide I'm gonna try something. Get the breakfast meal for breakfast and a extra sandwitch for later in the day. Perfect! I order get food and head back over to the park. Where I see an old friend Christine Ford, and sit down by her and play catch up while shes getting ready for the ride. A few years back Christine was on a big mountain bike New Years Day group ride and a deer ran into her and knocked her silly. It was totally bogus and she suffered some lingering ailments from it for awhile there after. Then last year when she was finally able to safely start riding again she broke her foot. So now she is finally recovered enough from that and made it out to Hermann. Christine is bad ass, She also crushed me at the first Ouachita Challenge I did years ago in 2011. So catch up we did, and sandwich, coffee, and hash browns were consumed. The clock was counting down though so I wished Christine good luck on here first gravel event hustled to the van to get kitted up.
I talk too much sometimes. While getting my kit on I just kept getting distracted with chatting with folks I hadn't seen in for every. Which isn't a bad thing but I need to get my stuff together. Before heading to the start line I snapped this shot.
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My eyes are still abit sleepy and best of all, Patrick's face hiding just under my beard and Coach's half face. Cracks my shit up!
We then roll over to the start where I get a few more good pre-ride shots with Jeff Yielding and start line. Not bad.
There were 175 people at the start, not sure on the dnf rate. Later in the day I learned that most a lot of people only finished loop 1 and 2. Good for them, cuz loop 3 was brutal.
Ok so I really don't think that I'm that cool. I know the Tifosi's make me looook like a tool, but there is a story behind them. I got them in 2005 I think from a bike shop that doesn't exist anymore. It was when I was still kinda wearing contacts before my eyes started rejecting them. Now I found some contacts that don't totally destroy my eyes and well since I still have these shades I'm gonna wear 'em till I break or loose 'em. So hello sunglasses sponsors, I'm up for some shades if you wanna see me in them.
I line up next to Turbo(Bryce Hilton). He's the one up front in the red helmet and grey white black kit in the above photo. I've been racing with him like five years now since he was 18. As of recently he has been training under the wing of Drew Edsall's coaching. A good coach and a good student makes for a fast force to be reckoned with. Over the two days of the gravel challenge Turbo held on to the lead group. Its good to see the coaching worked.
So Jeff gets on the back of his truck makes some announcements and then leads us out with a neutral start through little Hermann to the bridge. I'm originally thinking that I'm just going to chill in the group and then destroy it after the first climb thats probably 8 miles out. With the exception of the slight pavement climb and then short decent down to the bridge within the first half mile its all flat. So what do I do, when we crest the hill I remember that you can draft the pace vehicle and god dammit my boy Josh (butthead) Johnson is already up on the bumper. Just a fyi, Josh is a cx/gravel institution. He's been around for along time and is always fast. So its never a bad thing to take a cue from him.
I'm in mid conversation with Turbo as we all crest this hill to head down to the bridge when I turn off talk and turn on attack. I freaking bolt up to that trucks bumper, and its just when we are getting to the bridge and Yielding guns it to drop our ass' and to say its go time. I immediately hop on Buttheads wheel and we are instantly up to 26mph. Then float around the 26, 27, 28mph range. Now I'm on the Bocomo. Its SS with a 38/19, and pushing 29-2.2 tires cuz i'm prepping for Cohutta 100 in two weeks. I'm spun out dooods! At first it wasn't bad then I start to get the blow up feeling. I hang on and just stay in his draft. I'm also positive the whole rest of the field is on my wheel. Well ends up they're not, haha. Just this dude Brian Bradley. Here is the three of us crossing the bridge. We have about 3 more miles of fast open pacelining. I know that where my fitness is this speed is unsustainable. I know because I'm starting to see stars. So I hold on longer. Whats the worst that will happen, I'll blow up and everbody will catch me. Well its not a race, just a competitive bike ride so what do I care plus this is training for Cohutta. Lets just see how ramped I can get my heart rate and still recover. I then begin to fade right about 3/4 of a mile from where we dump into the Katy Trail so I wave Brian on and him and Butthead creep away. Its cool, I've made my bed now time to sleep in it. I look over my shoulder and impressed with the gap we put on the rest of the field, but they are gaining so I get as aero tucked and I can and continue to drill it still holding about 22mph spun the "F" out. I get to the Katy Trail which is a "rails to trails" gravel path and just continue on knowing that my capture is eminent. At about a mile down the trail sure enough the rest of the pack gets me. Its no ish, I just fall into place and try to recover and hold a draft. Its cool, abunch of great folks catch me and we begin small talk. Wes Boyce another dude I've been racing with for years rolls up. He's SS too! We are all cruisin along for the next 8 miles and finally hit legit gravel roads. After a few rollers we hit the first climb that really helps thin the lead group. Its when I first get crazy dropped from the lead group. Also when I realize that big gears with slightly over inflated mtb tires are a bad combo for loose gravel. A real catch 22. The gear was just big enough that I couldn't stay seated on climbs to maintain traction so I'd spin out, but any easier and I couldn't keep up with the fast dooods on the flats and rollers. So heres me grinding up the first major climb after watching the fast guys ride away. Well time to just ride.
So now I just ride my ride and chill with some folks. At mile 17 we hit another decent climb and drop the folks I'm rollin win. I then ride pretty much by myself till I get to back on the Katy trail, when I see my friend Hunter whose last name is also Henry. I work my way up to him and we work together the remaining 8-9 miles back to Hermann park finishing up the first 30 mile loop in 1hr 41 min.
We had pretty much given up any hope that we would catch the lead group, but upon arriving into the park there they were soft pedaling out the driveway beginning the second 32 mile loop. Hot Damn, we got this shit. Hell I still hadn't even really touched my bottles yet and still had a cliff bar so I was good to go. Hunter agreed so we boogied to rejoin the lead group.
Leaving the park we make a few turns and immediately hit a gnarly beast of a paved climb. I start to get slightly boxed in by some of the geared riders which then messes with my natural kick up the hill. I decided to pull around and make a pass to get in front and drill it up to the top. It wasn't an attack, but reason to be the first to rest. The other SSer's were right behind me. Oh yeah there were 3 other SSer's in the lead group which was so rad. Everybody then swallowed me up again and then began a eyewatering super fast long paved decent. I think I was holding 44mph for awhile, when we then hit the next gravel road. Some of the faster geared riders tried to give a little shake out, but we all held on, and then it wasn't more than 5 miles into the second loop when everybody decided on a group potty break. I was good so felt it would be way better for me to just soft pedal until out of distance. Figuring there is no way I will drop them, but at least I won't have to try and hang on and get shelled on the steep gravel climbs again, yeah so I mosey along and let them play catch up.
These games are always fun. Looking behind you knowing its only a matter of time before you get caught, but also knowing that the group is working real well together and being ok with the capture. Cresting big climbs and catching a glimpse over your shoulder across valleys and seeing the group beginning the previous decent into the valley down the gravel road. Not attacking on them, but not soft pedaling either. It cool. After awhile they make their ground on me and I'm in the group again.
After another few climbs we shake out a few more riders. Turbo gets a flat, and says he's cool and will catch up. I don't doubt it. Then I get shook out, too. Man they are pushing a pace! And there are still two SSer's up there. Wes and the other guy. No prob just chill and things will work out. It wasn't long before I catch up to the other SSer who got pooped out not much longer after me. Dude, if you read this my apologies, but I can't remember your name. I do remember you were on a purple Nature Boy and had a little claim to fame by riding a Cannondale CAD9 or 10 or some roadbike last year for this ride, so kudos to that. This SSer and I cruise together for awhile when up comes Turbo, man that kids got power now, and he asks how much further up the lead group is. I guess and say about 5 mins. I then find it a good idea to use Turbo's motivation to cover some ground and almost instantly drop this other SSer with in a few rollers. Turbo then drops me, thats fine, and I fall back to my fast-ish pace.
Ok, so this is where Saturdays ride gets aggravating. After Turbo drops me I'm riding for about 10min by my self I make a turn and get a good view of the lead group about 25 seconds up the road. Awww Shit! Ends up they stopped for another pee break. Really? I proceed to KILL myself to catch 'em. Unfortunately, that 25 seconds then turns into 50second time gap and then they are just out of sight. Harumpff! Back to my pace I guess. So I kick out the remaining 5 or so miles till I get back to Hermann Park. Roll in with cashed out bottles, grab new ones and get none other than that extra bacon egg and cheese biscuit from the morning! In theory its awesome in reality its meh.
Second 32 mile loop is completed and its 3hrs 45 min and about 62 miles into the ride. Not bad i guess. Now is the true test of strength, though. I'm heading out for the last 32 mile loop starting with a 4-5 mile road section by myself spinning my tushy off trying to scarf down this cold dry breakfast sandwich, AND not knowing exactly where or how far up the lead group is? So what do we do? Eat Drink and Motor!
And motor I did all the way until mile 80 where I hit the wall. Not the figurative I bonked wall, but the 1 mile steep as hell climb that literally felt like riding up a wall. I make it about halfway when I begin to think "Walk or Ride?" I'm almost track standing going up this climb, but still going 1mph above walking. My decision was made specifically because of Cohutta once again. Peat, this is good training ripping your own arms off from tugging on the bars and all. So I sally forth, and just barely make it up to the top. Every back tire spin out temping fate on whether I will be forced to walk or not. Moments later I'm rolling with relative ease with only thick lactic acid in the legs to prevent much faster speed. I move forward at least.
Carrying on I begin to think and analyze the lead group and the soul crushing pace they were putting down and start to know that at this mileage is when they start to crack. So I start begging to nobody to please give me just somebody and it wasn't more than a mile later at about 85 miles in that I have my first mirage. It somebody standing next to their bike at the top of one of the last crippling climbs. Of course when I get there their is no one. So I continue on. With in another crippler with a very long straight view I see them, but can't make them out. They are walking their bikes, YES, thats good for me! I have suspicions, but give up on caring who. All that matters is that I have prey, and I am now the predator again. Heads down and I grind up this last beast climb.
After cresting the hill these two mystery riders are in and out of view. I know they are hurting bad though and on the run. They sense that I sense them some. I finally gain on them, and they are two Walt's riders. Petey and some other dude that I kept getting his name wrong so I'm not gonna try now. I make a brief look over on them and well decide to just go ahead and attack on them. I'm feeling good and we have about 4 miles with two really decent road climbs and then about 2 miles of roller down hills back to the park. I think and then know that I got this. I ended up putting such a hurt on those two that they weren't even in sight behind me when looking back on the longest of vantage points. I've got this in the bag, man. Spinning my butt off floating around 20 mph, I keep it a potential concern that they could catch me in these last 2 miles so I keep a watchful eye over my shoulder.
And what happens? I'm sure you can guess. They caught me with in a mile and a half of the finish. These two had gears and mostly down hill. I have a one speed and me with cashed out legs to work with, but I did give it one last valiant effort. Just before they caught me I wound my legs up and was holding 26 mph for until they passed me like I was on blocks. I yell "Where'd you guys get power from?" Petey just looks over at me and smiles, that jerk. There was noway I could hang with that for over a mile so I reigned it in, stayed aero, and kept my spin up. Petey and that other Walt's dude slowly road out of sight. It happens. I was destroying it all day so I wasn't mad, and Petey's young and getting fast so I'm psyched for him. He beat me on day one, but I can still hold it above his head that he didn't show up for day two where I would have crushed him, haha!
I roll into the finish at 5hrs 57 minute with 97 miles on my little 8 function Bontrager computer. I was actually really pumped on that time. Because with the 100 mile NUE mountain bike races I can usually tack on about 1 hr to my 100 mile gravel time. Hermann is not exactly a easy ride. Not saying it compares to Cohutta 100, but it gives me a reference point, anyway. So even if I tack on a hour and a half then my potential Cohutta time will be 7hr 30min. I'm not holding my breath, but it gives me a goal to shoot for.
Can't forget that I was totally wrecked for a little bit after the ride. I just laid in the van for about 20 minutes allowing my body to decompress. It was also then when the theme for the weekend became "There are fast guys, and the guys that can suffer. If the guys that can suffer can hold on for just long enough, then they can over take the fast guys." Now I didn't overtake the fast fast guys, but I was always nipping at their ankles, and thats ok with me for now. Also, remember that beginning of the race
pace line I talked about where I was seeing stars. My heart rate didn't recover from that until about the end of the first loop 30 miles in, haha. One hell of an effort for the start of a 97 mile ride I'd say. Its all fun though to see how the body and when the body will finally crack. And my body did pretty ok. It got me 9th finisher out of 175ish.
But things don't end there my friends.
After cleaning up I got ice for some beers that I had got on the way down. Pounded some Fireball whiskey with Don Daly and friends back at his truck. Then was invited to mexican food with the Dirty Dog Race Pack.
It was a rad time. Josh Schrock owner of Schrock Bikes & Brews in Mexico, MO straight up caught my bill and what was even funnier is that Don Daly ,mentioned before, started to fight over who was going to pay for my burrito! You guys are too good and much love to ya.
But with every good comes a bad. As every body was leaving and Josh and I finishing up and talking, I get the text from my friend Dwayne that I posted about 1 week ago. The text of our friend AJ Linnell dying in a plane crash. My heart was crippled. I didn't want to be a buzzkill on Josh, but had to mention it so he would understand my change in mood. He understood and had a good heart to heart about life and doing things while we still can and in general just LIVING and being awesome.
It was now night time and we drove back to the park to meet up and be social (or try to be). There was a good group hanging out that Josh and I joined. I had some relax tea that had been sun brewing while it was still day out, that I sipped on. Everybody else was pounding beers, but I just wasn't feeling that after hearing about AJ. I turned in about 10ish pm knowing tomorrow was going to be hard after all the efforts put in today.
So judge if you want, but its what I do. I've had alot of friends pass away on me so what I do is talk to them. I tell them how rad I thought they were in life and how I wish them the best where ever their soul may be now. If you think thats weird or too spiritual or hippie, then you can go suck an egg.
Also,its not that AJ and I were best friends, but I did think he was a super rad dude and felt he had a great positive energy. Well, Saturday night before I passed out I gave AJ a "Whats up man?" and apology for what happened to him. I told him that he will be missed and to not worry, that he's got a bunch of people that care about him. I also, asked him that if he can hear me to do me one favor. Tomorrow, during the Sunday ride, to give me a push every time he thought I needed it. And then wished him a farewell and tried to pass out for the night.
Trying to fall asleep after days like this is always hard. The body is still buzzing, but at some point I was out. One long hard day in the books. One more to go. Hermann Gravel Challenge day 2 is on its way with a quickness. How will it unfold?
-Peat
I finally pulled away from small talk with folk and pedaled over to the Hardee's gas station combo. Man I love this place. Jeff does a two day CX race at this same venue in the little city park, so I've had many a morning before Hermann races to get my Hardee's breakfast fix. In fact, for the most part its the only time I really eat fast food. Its just their Bacon, egg, and cheese biscuits are so good. Along with them being super calorie and salt dense its the perfect pre big ride meal.
Sorry, so i get my hustle on over to Hardee's and while standing in line decide I'm gonna try something. Get the breakfast meal for breakfast and a extra sandwitch for later in the day. Perfect! I order get food and head back over to the park. Where I see an old friend Christine Ford, and sit down by her and play catch up while shes getting ready for the ride. A few years back Christine was on a big mountain bike New Years Day group ride and a deer ran into her and knocked her silly. It was totally bogus and she suffered some lingering ailments from it for awhile there after. Then last year when she was finally able to safely start riding again she broke her foot. So now she is finally recovered enough from that and made it out to Hermann. Christine is bad ass, She also crushed me at the first Ouachita Challenge I did years ago in 2011. So catch up we did, and sandwich, coffee, and hash browns were consumed. The clock was counting down though so I wished Christine good luck on here first gravel event hustled to the van to get kitted up.
I talk too much sometimes. While getting my kit on I just kept getting distracted with chatting with folks I hadn't seen in for every. Which isn't a bad thing but I need to get my stuff together. Before heading to the start line I snapped this shot.
My eyes are still abit sleepy and best of all, Patrick's face hiding just under my beard and Coach's half face. Cracks my shit up!
We then roll over to the start where I get a few more good pre-ride shots with Jeff Yielding and start line. Not bad.
There were 175 people at the start, not sure on the dnf rate. Later in the day I learned that most a lot of people only finished loop 1 and 2. Good for them, cuz loop 3 was brutal.
Ok so I really don't think that I'm that cool. I know the Tifosi's make me looook like a tool, but there is a story behind them. I got them in 2005 I think from a bike shop that doesn't exist anymore. It was when I was still kinda wearing contacts before my eyes started rejecting them. Now I found some contacts that don't totally destroy my eyes and well since I still have these shades I'm gonna wear 'em till I break or loose 'em. So hello sunglasses sponsors, I'm up for some shades if you wanna see me in them.
I line up next to Turbo(Bryce Hilton). He's the one up front in the red helmet and grey white black kit in the above photo. I've been racing with him like five years now since he was 18. As of recently he has been training under the wing of Drew Edsall's coaching. A good coach and a good student makes for a fast force to be reckoned with. Over the two days of the gravel challenge Turbo held on to the lead group. Its good to see the coaching worked.
So Jeff gets on the back of his truck makes some announcements and then leads us out with a neutral start through little Hermann to the bridge. I'm originally thinking that I'm just going to chill in the group and then destroy it after the first climb thats probably 8 miles out. With the exception of the slight pavement climb and then short decent down to the bridge within the first half mile its all flat. So what do I do, when we crest the hill I remember that you can draft the pace vehicle and god dammit my boy Josh (butthead) Johnson is already up on the bumper. Just a fyi, Josh is a cx/gravel institution. He's been around for along time and is always fast. So its never a bad thing to take a cue from him.
I'm in mid conversation with Turbo as we all crest this hill to head down to the bridge when I turn off talk and turn on attack. I freaking bolt up to that trucks bumper, and its just when we are getting to the bridge and Yielding guns it to drop our ass' and to say its go time. I immediately hop on Buttheads wheel and we are instantly up to 26mph. Then float around the 26, 27, 28mph range. Now I'm on the Bocomo. Its SS with a 38/19, and pushing 29-2.2 tires cuz i'm prepping for Cohutta 100 in two weeks. I'm spun out dooods! At first it wasn't bad then I start to get the blow up feeling. I hang on and just stay in his draft. I'm also positive the whole rest of the field is on my wheel. Well ends up they're not, haha. Just this dude Brian Bradley. Here is the three of us crossing the bridge. We have about 3 more miles of fast open pacelining. I know that where my fitness is this speed is unsustainable. I know because I'm starting to see stars. So I hold on longer. Whats the worst that will happen, I'll blow up and everbody will catch me. Well its not a race, just a competitive bike ride so what do I care plus this is training for Cohutta. Lets just see how ramped I can get my heart rate and still recover. I then begin to fade right about 3/4 of a mile from where we dump into the Katy Trail so I wave Brian on and him and Butthead creep away. Its cool, I've made my bed now time to sleep in it. I look over my shoulder and impressed with the gap we put on the rest of the field, but they are gaining so I get as aero tucked and I can and continue to drill it still holding about 22mph spun the "F" out. I get to the Katy Trail which is a "rails to trails" gravel path and just continue on knowing that my capture is eminent. At about a mile down the trail sure enough the rest of the pack gets me. Its no ish, I just fall into place and try to recover and hold a draft. Its cool, abunch of great folks catch me and we begin small talk. Wes Boyce another dude I've been racing with for years rolls up. He's SS too! We are all cruisin along for the next 8 miles and finally hit legit gravel roads. After a few rollers we hit the first climb that really helps thin the lead group. Its when I first get crazy dropped from the lead group. Also when I realize that big gears with slightly over inflated mtb tires are a bad combo for loose gravel. A real catch 22. The gear was just big enough that I couldn't stay seated on climbs to maintain traction so I'd spin out, but any easier and I couldn't keep up with the fast dooods on the flats and rollers. So heres me grinding up the first major climb after watching the fast guys ride away. Well time to just ride.
So now I just ride my ride and chill with some folks. At mile 17 we hit another decent climb and drop the folks I'm rollin win. I then ride pretty much by myself till I get to back on the Katy trail, when I see my friend Hunter whose last name is also Henry. I work my way up to him and we work together the remaining 8-9 miles back to Hermann park finishing up the first 30 mile loop in 1hr 41 min.
We had pretty much given up any hope that we would catch the lead group, but upon arriving into the park there they were soft pedaling out the driveway beginning the second 32 mile loop. Hot Damn, we got this shit. Hell I still hadn't even really touched my bottles yet and still had a cliff bar so I was good to go. Hunter agreed so we boogied to rejoin the lead group.
Leaving the park we make a few turns and immediately hit a gnarly beast of a paved climb. I start to get slightly boxed in by some of the geared riders which then messes with my natural kick up the hill. I decided to pull around and make a pass to get in front and drill it up to the top. It wasn't an attack, but reason to be the first to rest. The other SSer's were right behind me. Oh yeah there were 3 other SSer's in the lead group which was so rad. Everybody then swallowed me up again and then began a eyewatering super fast long paved decent. I think I was holding 44mph for awhile, when we then hit the next gravel road. Some of the faster geared riders tried to give a little shake out, but we all held on, and then it wasn't more than 5 miles into the second loop when everybody decided on a group potty break. I was good so felt it would be way better for me to just soft pedal until out of distance. Figuring there is no way I will drop them, but at least I won't have to try and hang on and get shelled on the steep gravel climbs again, yeah so I mosey along and let them play catch up.
These games are always fun. Looking behind you knowing its only a matter of time before you get caught, but also knowing that the group is working real well together and being ok with the capture. Cresting big climbs and catching a glimpse over your shoulder across valleys and seeing the group beginning the previous decent into the valley down the gravel road. Not attacking on them, but not soft pedaling either. It cool. After awhile they make their ground on me and I'm in the group again.
After another few climbs we shake out a few more riders. Turbo gets a flat, and says he's cool and will catch up. I don't doubt it. Then I get shook out, too. Man they are pushing a pace! And there are still two SSer's up there. Wes and the other guy. No prob just chill and things will work out. It wasn't long before I catch up to the other SSer who got pooped out not much longer after me. Dude, if you read this my apologies, but I can't remember your name. I do remember you were on a purple Nature Boy and had a little claim to fame by riding a Cannondale CAD9 or 10 or some roadbike last year for this ride, so kudos to that. This SSer and I cruise together for awhile when up comes Turbo, man that kids got power now, and he asks how much further up the lead group is. I guess and say about 5 mins. I then find it a good idea to use Turbo's motivation to cover some ground and almost instantly drop this other SSer with in a few rollers. Turbo then drops me, thats fine, and I fall back to my fast-ish pace.
Ok, so this is where Saturdays ride gets aggravating. After Turbo drops me I'm riding for about 10min by my self I make a turn and get a good view of the lead group about 25 seconds up the road. Awww Shit! Ends up they stopped for another pee break. Really? I proceed to KILL myself to catch 'em. Unfortunately, that 25 seconds then turns into 50second time gap and then they are just out of sight. Harumpff! Back to my pace I guess. So I kick out the remaining 5 or so miles till I get back to Hermann Park. Roll in with cashed out bottles, grab new ones and get none other than that extra bacon egg and cheese biscuit from the morning! In theory its awesome in reality its meh.
Second 32 mile loop is completed and its 3hrs 45 min and about 62 miles into the ride. Not bad i guess. Now is the true test of strength, though. I'm heading out for the last 32 mile loop starting with a 4-5 mile road section by myself spinning my tushy off trying to scarf down this cold dry breakfast sandwich, AND not knowing exactly where or how far up the lead group is? So what do we do? Eat Drink and Motor!
And motor I did all the way until mile 80 where I hit the wall. Not the figurative I bonked wall, but the 1 mile steep as hell climb that literally felt like riding up a wall. I make it about halfway when I begin to think "Walk or Ride?" I'm almost track standing going up this climb, but still going 1mph above walking. My decision was made specifically because of Cohutta once again. Peat, this is good training ripping your own arms off from tugging on the bars and all. So I sally forth, and just barely make it up to the top. Every back tire spin out temping fate on whether I will be forced to walk or not. Moments later I'm rolling with relative ease with only thick lactic acid in the legs to prevent much faster speed. I move forward at least.
Carrying on I begin to think and analyze the lead group and the soul crushing pace they were putting down and start to know that at this mileage is when they start to crack. So I start begging to nobody to please give me just somebody and it wasn't more than a mile later at about 85 miles in that I have my first mirage. It somebody standing next to their bike at the top of one of the last crippling climbs. Of course when I get there their is no one. So I continue on. With in another crippler with a very long straight view I see them, but can't make them out. They are walking their bikes, YES, thats good for me! I have suspicions, but give up on caring who. All that matters is that I have prey, and I am now the predator again. Heads down and I grind up this last beast climb.
After cresting the hill these two mystery riders are in and out of view. I know they are hurting bad though and on the run. They sense that I sense them some. I finally gain on them, and they are two Walt's riders. Petey and some other dude that I kept getting his name wrong so I'm not gonna try now. I make a brief look over on them and well decide to just go ahead and attack on them. I'm feeling good and we have about 4 miles with two really decent road climbs and then about 2 miles of roller down hills back to the park. I think and then know that I got this. I ended up putting such a hurt on those two that they weren't even in sight behind me when looking back on the longest of vantage points. I've got this in the bag, man. Spinning my butt off floating around 20 mph, I keep it a potential concern that they could catch me in these last 2 miles so I keep a watchful eye over my shoulder.
And what happens? I'm sure you can guess. They caught me with in a mile and a half of the finish. These two had gears and mostly down hill. I have a one speed and me with cashed out legs to work with, but I did give it one last valiant effort. Just before they caught me I wound my legs up and was holding 26 mph for until they passed me like I was on blocks. I yell "Where'd you guys get power from?" Petey just looks over at me and smiles, that jerk. There was noway I could hang with that for over a mile so I reigned it in, stayed aero, and kept my spin up. Petey and that other Walt's dude slowly road out of sight. It happens. I was destroying it all day so I wasn't mad, and Petey's young and getting fast so I'm psyched for him. He beat me on day one, but I can still hold it above his head that he didn't show up for day two where I would have crushed him, haha!
I roll into the finish at 5hrs 57 minute with 97 miles on my little 8 function Bontrager computer. I was actually really pumped on that time. Because with the 100 mile NUE mountain bike races I can usually tack on about 1 hr to my 100 mile gravel time. Hermann is not exactly a easy ride. Not saying it compares to Cohutta 100, but it gives me a reference point, anyway. So even if I tack on a hour and a half then my potential Cohutta time will be 7hr 30min. I'm not holding my breath, but it gives me a goal to shoot for.
Can't forget that I was totally wrecked for a little bit after the ride. I just laid in the van for about 20 minutes allowing my body to decompress. It was also then when the theme for the weekend became "There are fast guys, and the guys that can suffer. If the guys that can suffer can hold on for just long enough, then they can over take the fast guys." Now I didn't overtake the fast fast guys, but I was always nipping at their ankles, and thats ok with me for now. Also, remember that beginning of the race
pace line I talked about where I was seeing stars. My heart rate didn't recover from that until about the end of the first loop 30 miles in, haha. One hell of an effort for the start of a 97 mile ride I'd say. Its all fun though to see how the body and when the body will finally crack. And my body did pretty ok. It got me 9th finisher out of 175ish.
But things don't end there my friends.
After cleaning up I got ice for some beers that I had got on the way down. Pounded some Fireball whiskey with Don Daly and friends back at his truck. Then was invited to mexican food with the Dirty Dog Race Pack.
But with every good comes a bad. As every body was leaving and Josh and I finishing up and talking, I get the text from my friend Dwayne that I posted about 1 week ago. The text of our friend AJ Linnell dying in a plane crash. My heart was crippled. I didn't want to be a buzzkill on Josh, but had to mention it so he would understand my change in mood. He understood and had a good heart to heart about life and doing things while we still can and in general just LIVING and being awesome.
So judge if you want, but its what I do. I've had alot of friends pass away on me so what I do is talk to them. I tell them how rad I thought they were in life and how I wish them the best where ever their soul may be now. If you think thats weird or too spiritual or hippie, then you can go suck an egg.
Also,its not that AJ and I were best friends, but I did think he was a super rad dude and felt he had a great positive energy. Well, Saturday night before I passed out I gave AJ a "Whats up man?" and apology for what happened to him. I told him that he will be missed and to not worry, that he's got a bunch of people that care about him. I also, asked him that if he can hear me to do me one favor. Tomorrow, during the Sunday ride, to give me a push every time he thought I needed it. And then wished him a farewell and tried to pass out for the night.
Trying to fall asleep after days like this is always hard. The body is still buzzing, but at some point I was out. One long hard day in the books. One more to go. Hermann Gravel Challenge day 2 is on its way with a quickness. How will it unfold?
-Peat
Just a little late, but still hella appreciated!
Two years ago I ran support for my friends Melly and Adam at a 150mile gravel race called The Ogre. The race was at the Lake of the Ozarks and is a super hilly course. During the day of me hanging out at one of the 3 aid station/checkpoints for Melly and Adam this dude Josh came through and needed serious shifting adjustments. Well unfortunately what he needed was new derailleur cable/housing, but I lubed what he had and got the shifting at least tolerable. Along with giving him some info as to what to expect out of his rear shifting.
Well for the last 2 years he's been telling me he had a postcard for me, but wasn't sure where to send it so finally just gave it to me at Hermann gravel.
Thanks Josh and nice work on survival that day at The Ogre.
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Also if your ever passing through Cuba, MO off of highway 44 and need a haircut. Josh owns a barber shop. Not sure the name (sorry Josh), but call around and ask for Josh Brown.
-Peat
Well for the last 2 years he's been telling me he had a postcard for me, but wasn't sure where to send it so finally just gave it to me at Hermann gravel.
Thanks Josh and nice work on survival that day at The Ogre.
-Peat
Friday, April 17, 2015
Help a brother out. Chad St Peters
Yo folks, Chad St Peters is a friend that I race against in the local St Louis race series. Some of you may know him, others may not. Last year he started getting back pain and then the doctors misdiagnosed the problem, allowing time for crazy amounts of infection. Surgery was needed among a list of other things. I'm not sure he's back to work and money is super tight for him and his family right now. I donated $50, which is alot for a bike mechanic coming out of the slow winter season. So if I can do that, then I'm asking for people, if they can, to donate $10 or $20 at the bare minimum. It will really help Chad out.
Chads surgery fund is here at GoFundMe. There is a better summery of whats going on there.
Last year I broke my hip and was given so much support. Had I not had that things would have worked out, but been tough. Well, Chad could use the helping hand, and has much more at stake. Who knows, you may need the helping hand some day.
-Peat
Chads surgery fund is here at GoFundMe. There is a better summery of whats going on there.
Last year I broke my hip and was given so much support. Had I not had that things would have worked out, but been tough. Well, Chad could use the helping hand, and has much more at stake. Who knows, you may need the helping hand some day.
-Peat
Come to think of it, on hindsight, the weekend was brutal. Hermann Gravel Challenge (part1)
Friday April 10th, I'm wrenchin' on bikes at the shop mentally prepping for the THE weekend. The weekend of personal strength and weakness, cunning attrition, soul crushings, stylish delivery, and delicious Hardee's(Carls Jr for the west coasters) breakfast sandwiches. The weekend that is Tour of Hermann Gravel Challenge!
Tour of Hermann Gravel Challenge starts and finishes in crazy small Hermann, MO. It used to be a two day road stage race for a number of years. It was put on by the great Jeff Yielding. I'm not sure on the 'deets, but about 3 years ago he changed from a road format to a mostly gravel "bike ride" that is very difficult and very competitive. Its NOT a race though, I must add! Now its sort of a stage ride with 5 total loops to complete. 3 on Saturday and 2 on Sunday. Finish all 5 and you get a jar of gravel and crap ton of bragging rights. Finish with the lead group or damn near, and you basically get run of the town. Just kidding, but it is cool to be fast on this thing and leaves a soul feeling rather accomplished!
So the bike was set up and not dialed. I had just put the drop bars back on the Bocomo for the year and needed to give it a shake out since its the bike I'll be rockin' at Cohutta 100 which is 2 weeks from Hermann weekend. Oh and yes a 29er off-road bike, one speed, rigid, drop bars and fat tires for a gravel ride. I was trying some new bars on the Bocomo, going from 42cm Salsa Cowbells to 44cm Bontrager RXL crabon drop bars. I picked up the crabon bonty bars last year for what was within my willingness to spend, but just barely. Lets say affordable for crabon bars. I ran them on my CX bike last year for cross then pulled 'em off when base miles began. I liked 'em on the CX bike alot, not so much on the Bocomo though.
I also run TRP Spyre mechanical pull road disc brakes. They're rad, not specifically designated for mountain bike use, and I forgot how to get the rear brake to have power since its a cable actuated brake. So my rear brake was almost non existent. Whatev's, I got some ideas, plus I've finished races way shorter with a broken frames and NO rear brake which made this hardly comparable.
The tires were overkill for the terrain. My tires of choice are Bontrager Team Issue XR2 and XR1 for legit off roading, which was not this event. But hey man, I said earlier this was a shake out for Cohutta right.
Ok, so enuff bike dumbness, my plan was to leave St Louis early-ish Friday night as to get to Hermann city park/campground in time to hang out eat and do last minute prep to the bike. I ended up not leaving work til close. I needed to then get camping grocies and hustle my butt to Hermann an hour and half away. Dang 8:30 rolls around quick, but at least I'm on the highway. Thankfully the 2005 Dodge Caravan I purchased February 1st has a cassette player in it! Public Enemy it is, Bring tha Noize for my listening pleasure!
So time flies when you got P.E. blasting the subs. Ended up making to Hermann in just over a hour. So rad. I get to the park/campground and find myself a nice spot on the main driveway which also doubles as part of the course which little did I know helps me out later. I get out and go for a walk to see who had shown up. The pickin's were slim. Most peeps seemed asleep already or not there. I knew team mate Adam Clarke and Byron were planning to ride from St Louis 95miles to Hermann that day, and presumed they hadn't arrived yet?. When wallah, there they were walking from the bathrooms to get camp set up.
They had had a long day rumor has it. Loaded down cross bikes with "not" touring gears and lots of headwind. When they arrived to town they stopped immediately at the brewery for well beer and pizza. Nice work fellas. Then took full advantage of the prison style pull chain, warm, showers.
After a quick catch up I decided to call it a night and retreated back to the van to set up for slumber.
The best part and one of the main reasons for trading in my lil' danger ranger for the mini-van was this. I named this image Slumber Party.
So rest was next, Saturday morning rolls around quick. Knowing the approximate 95 miles and hills of day 1 my prime objective was to sleep sleep sleep. It was 10:30pm and didn't need to rise till 7am. I'm cool with that.
Now good night and catch ya on Part 2.
-peat
Tour of Hermann Gravel Challenge starts and finishes in crazy small Hermann, MO. It used to be a two day road stage race for a number of years. It was put on by the great Jeff Yielding. I'm not sure on the 'deets, but about 3 years ago he changed from a road format to a mostly gravel "bike ride" that is very difficult and very competitive. Its NOT a race though, I must add! Now its sort of a stage ride with 5 total loops to complete. 3 on Saturday and 2 on Sunday. Finish all 5 and you get a jar of gravel and crap ton of bragging rights. Finish with the lead group or damn near, and you basically get run of the town. Just kidding, but it is cool to be fast on this thing and leaves a soul feeling rather accomplished!
So the bike was set up and not dialed. I had just put the drop bars back on the Bocomo for the year and needed to give it a shake out since its the bike I'll be rockin' at Cohutta 100 which is 2 weeks from Hermann weekend. Oh and yes a 29er off-road bike, one speed, rigid, drop bars and fat tires for a gravel ride. I was trying some new bars on the Bocomo, going from 42cm Salsa Cowbells to 44cm Bontrager RXL crabon drop bars. I picked up the crabon bonty bars last year for what was within my willingness to spend, but just barely. Lets say affordable for crabon bars. I ran them on my CX bike last year for cross then pulled 'em off when base miles began. I liked 'em on the CX bike alot, not so much on the Bocomo though.
I also run TRP Spyre mechanical pull road disc brakes. They're rad, not specifically designated for mountain bike use, and I forgot how to get the rear brake to have power since its a cable actuated brake. So my rear brake was almost non existent. Whatev's, I got some ideas, plus I've finished races way shorter with a broken frames and NO rear brake which made this hardly comparable.
The tires were overkill for the terrain. My tires of choice are Bontrager Team Issue XR2 and XR1 for legit off roading, which was not this event. But hey man, I said earlier this was a shake out for Cohutta right.
They had had a long day rumor has it. Loaded down cross bikes with "not" touring gears and lots of headwind. When they arrived to town they stopped immediately at the brewery for well beer and pizza. Nice work fellas. Then took full advantage of the prison style pull chain, warm, showers.
After a quick catch up I decided to call it a night and retreated back to the van to set up for slumber.
The best part and one of the main reasons for trading in my lil' danger ranger for the mini-van was this. I named this image Slumber Party.So rest was next, Saturday morning rolls around quick. Knowing the approximate 95 miles and hills of day 1 my prime objective was to sleep sleep sleep. It was 10:30pm and didn't need to rise till 7am. I'm cool with that.
Now good night and catch ya on Part 2.
-peat
Thursday, April 16, 2015
National Hi5 Day sucka's
Happy National Hi5 day everybody! Celebrate by doing the obvious. Giving Hi5's!
-Peat
-Peat
Monday, April 13, 2015
In rememberence of a fellow asskicker and fun lover, AJ Linnell
Saturday night I was given tragic news. My team mate and friend Dwayne Goscinski sent me a txt reading "In case you didn't hear, AJ died in a plane crash yesterday. I just thought you would want to know."
For anybody that doesn't know, I've been racing in the National Ultra Endurance 100 miler series for the last three years. Well someone of that series that I looked up to was AJ Linnell one of the fastest of the single speed category. He often times duked it out with Gerry Pflug and Gordon Wadsworth. He was a true force to be reckoned with, and always left a wake of snapped wrists.
He wasn't just a hella fast tuff as nails off road bike racer. He was a husband. He loved to live and be awesome. He lived in Victor Idaho which sits at 6400ft and surrounded by mountains. He skied, snowboarded, climbed, hiked, and biked. He also was a engineer for a solar power provider Creative Energies. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a crazy amount of other stuff he was also involved in like crochet circles and little boats in a bottle making.
After the races he always had a smile on his face even if he wasn't on top of the podium, and was never cocky or arrogant like many "fast doods" are. Another thing that was so special about him is how he always gave credit where credit was due to the winners.
AJ always gave 110%(probably more) but made it look easy. It was awesome!
AJ man, it goes with out saying that me and a gnarly amount of others will miss your presence, but we will for damn sure honor your passing. And as silly as it may be, I'm glad I told you how great of a smile you had while we were warming up before True Grit Epic a month ago, and at the very least happy I was able to cross paths with you in life.
AJ's blog
News story
AJ in the green. Look at that smile!
Descending into something huge.
I'll miss ya man.
-Peat
For anybody that doesn't know, I've been racing in the National Ultra Endurance 100 miler series for the last three years. Well someone of that series that I looked up to was AJ Linnell one of the fastest of the single speed category. He often times duked it out with Gerry Pflug and Gordon Wadsworth. He was a true force to be reckoned with, and always left a wake of snapped wrists.
He wasn't just a hella fast tuff as nails off road bike racer. He was a husband. He loved to live and be awesome. He lived in Victor Idaho which sits at 6400ft and surrounded by mountains. He skied, snowboarded, climbed, hiked, and biked. He also was a engineer for a solar power provider Creative Energies. I wouldn't be surprised if there was a crazy amount of other stuff he was also involved in like crochet circles and little boats in a bottle making.
After the races he always had a smile on his face even if he wasn't on top of the podium, and was never cocky or arrogant like many "fast doods" are. Another thing that was so special about him is how he always gave credit where credit was due to the winners.
AJ always gave 110%(probably more) but made it look easy. It was awesome!
AJ man, it goes with out saying that me and a gnarly amount of others will miss your presence, but we will for damn sure honor your passing. And as silly as it may be, I'm glad I told you how great of a smile you had while we were warming up before True Grit Epic a month ago, and at the very least happy I was able to cross paths with you in life.
AJ's blog
News story
I'll miss ya man.
-Peat
Friday, April 10, 2015
A bunch of stuff going on this weekend
First off, for anybody that didn't know, I work at Trek Bike Store, Ballwin. For anybody thats interested we are having a big sale on both bikes and accessories. Its all weekend long until April 13. Mention that you heard about the sale from my blog and well you will probably just get a "Peat has a blog?" I don't carry much weight around here, but at least then ask for a hi5.
Don't expect for me to be there cuz I will be in Hermann Missouri for... Bom ba bom bommmmm!
Herman Gravel Challenge, presented to you by Jeff Yieldings. Its a two day crush fest of some of the tuffest gravel Missouri has to offer. Saturday is about 96miles and Sundays ride is 104miles I think. The best part is, that its only $40 for both days! Or $25 for one. I know its last minute, but check it out if your free this weekend. Its sure to DESTROY!
Third, my good friends The Flannigans are opening up a bike shop at the corner of Clarkson and Clayton rd. Trailhead Bicycles is what to look for and its on the southwest corner in the back plaza. They promise to give hi5's to anybody who mentions that they heard about the grand opening from my blog so take advantage.
Ok, so I'm hella busy and gotta boogey out to Hermann to camp and meet up with friends so time to jet.
Have a blast this weekend, and party hardy!
-Peat
Don't expect for me to be there cuz I will be in Hermann Missouri for... Bom ba bom bommmmm!
Herman Gravel Challenge, presented to you by Jeff Yieldings. Its a two day crush fest of some of the tuffest gravel Missouri has to offer. Saturday is about 96miles and Sundays ride is 104miles I think. The best part is, that its only $40 for both days! Or $25 for one. I know its last minute, but check it out if your free this weekend. Its sure to DESTROY!
Third, my good friends The Flannigans are opening up a bike shop at the corner of Clarkson and Clayton rd. Trailhead Bicycles is what to look for and its on the southwest corner in the back plaza. They promise to give hi5's to anybody who mentions that they heard about the grand opening from my blog so take advantage.
Ok, so I'm hella busy and gotta boogey out to Hermann to camp and meet up with friends so time to jet.
Have a blast this weekend, and party hardy!
-Peat
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Party song of the day Andrew WK "She Is Beautiful"
This goes out to all the awesome awesome ladies out there, and especially my bad ass lady. Enjoy
-peat
Drahppah Baws, its the new old.
So somebody who is crazy inspiring to me is Jacquie Phelan. She was a natural fun lovin soul crusher and held a bunch of titles from back in the day. She was doin what people look at me funny for today on 26er tube tired off road wheels back in the day. Jacquie I hope I meet you some day and give you the biggest Hi5!
And the BOCOMO
And me on Frankintank at the DirtCrits last year with the Drahppah Baws
Oh and Jacquie, imitation in this case IS the most sincerest form of flattery. Stay rad!
-peat
And the BOCOMO
And me on Frankintank at the DirtCrits last year with the Drahppah Baws
Oh and Jacquie, imitation in this case IS the most sincerest form of flattery. Stay rad!
-peat
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
A Hop with Balance, WHAAAAA???!!!??!
So I like beer, its gooood, but I feel toooo many breweries within the last few years have gone way over the line with hoppy as heck beers. As in trying to keep up with the Jones'. My lady loves IPAs. I don't. Too over powering in the hop department, yadda yadda yadda. I like my stouts n' porters, but earlier tonight, my pal Titty brought me some Sierra Nevada Beer Camp.
Like the disembodied hand?
I'm not a beer expert, I just know what I enjoy. Like a pizza, I know when its good. This beer I liked for a "hoppy lager". It wasn't overwhelming somehow. Which is funny because on the side of the 6pack it read " aggressive take on the indian pale lager". Whatev's, I'm not going to try and analyze it and just drink.
So give it a go, and party hardy
-Peat
I'm not a beer expert, I just know what I enjoy. Like a pizza, I know when its good. This beer I liked for a "hoppy lager". It wasn't overwhelming somehow. Which is funny because on the side of the 6pack it read " aggressive take on the indian pale lager". Whatev's, I'm not going to try and analyze it and just drink.
So give it a go, and party hardy
-Peat
Monday, April 6, 2015
Ouachita Challenge Was Excellente
So lets see, today is Monday. Yesterday was Sunday which was Easter. Ah yes, one week ago was Ouachita Challenge in modest little Oden Arkansas. Its a 60miler thats been going on since 26er wheels were the shit and way longer than I've been racing off road bikes. Its a serious contrast between super challenging trail riding and long self destructing road sections. So I guess this race stands the test of time. Oden Elementary School hosts a tour on Saturday and a race Sunday. I'll agree its a awesome weekend.
The race start line is about 45min-1hr southwest of Hot Springs. Me and Zoll rolled down Saturday morn. The poor dood ate something bad Friday night and was battling mild food poisoning for the whole ride down from St Louie. Which then lingered until night fall where we camped in the school parking lot.
Upon packet pick up we ran into some friendly faces from STL. Stevesie, Derek, Hunt, Matt, Maria, Mary, Laura, Rogo, and a handful of others. It was crazy the presence St Louis had at this race. The organizes use the school cafeteria for the pre-race meeting/prize raffle/spaghetti dinner. Many-o-dessert cookies were smashed into my face hole. I boogied on out early giving away my ticket to Big Red, and got ready for beddybed. Was in my sleeping bag by 8:30. It was raaaaaad.
Morning rolled around and I was ready to shred. I knew the long night was the ticket when I was my good ol fashioned early morning all rev'ed up annoying self. It was go time. Got some light breakfast and hit the start line.
Maria and Me!
There was a pace truck for the first 3miles so there wasn't any real action other than mildly dangerous skid stops when the front of the pack of off road bikes would slow down unexpectedly. What ev, but when the race was on it was freakin on. After that 3miles you got about another 5 of gravel road to double track that ungulates up to the single track that is Ouachita Trail.
A couple miles into the dbl track I roll up on Griffin Hamilton. Super strong rider from KC area who straight handed it to me at Berryman Epic last fall. He hopped on my wheel for a minute as we started to hit some uphill rollers thus pooping out geared riders. I got next to him and wanted to chit chat. I asked "Yo Griffin, whats up man? Its been awhile whats the word?" He must have been redlined, because his response with his head slightly down was "blelrljfaudufaldfks sljfoehahfafha. elafoiaehfaofa." I'm still not sure what he actually told me. So just decided to attack a little on him until the singletrack.
He must of been rockin a way easy gear cuz it was probably 10 min into the technical trail riding that is Ouachita Trail that Griffin was on my ass. And within a min of that he gives me the ol' "Can I get by, guy?" I'm no jerk and know were my strengths are and with the gear I was pushing with tech climbing and some steep punchy (sometimes long) uphills, I allowed his pass. Away he went. I made a brief half assed effort for all of maybe 30 seconds to keep him in sight, but decided there was plenty more race ahead of us. (So my assumption that Grif had a easier gear was wrong finding out in later conversation. It was sometime middle of last year when he told me, but was only as of now that have had the opp or memory to correct the matter. Sorry Griff, much love to ya! Fixed March 10th 2016 almost one year after we raced together, haha. )
And then WhamBam! Another SSer was there. Eric Leamon on a rigid Niner with a bluuuuue fork. Another natural born climber this young grasshopper, and away he went just like Griffin disappearing off behind the trees. I wasn't too worried about Eric though. The previous 3 times I did Ouachita was on a rigid fork, and knew it could crumble even a strong man. Hell, I still had on Old Reba from TrueGrit. I'm no dumbdumb. Its not selling out or lack of tuffnus, its wanting to go fast. Anyways, by the time I got through OT and halfway into the infamous Blowout Mtn I was within view of Eric. For the next handful of miles we would leap frog a bit for multiple reasons, but by the final downhill coming down off the last of the Ozark mountains I gave him the ol' heaveho and dropped him. The trail then dumps out on to gravel then pavement which then begins the 12mile road section through Sims and off to Highway 248 Aid station.
This is where I went sooo pro! Ya see the 2011 race I had no clue what I was in for. 2012 I was stronger and smarter. I decided to wrap the insides of my handlebars with road bar tape to pad it so I could get aero on my forearms. The move i have now used for years The Single Speed Aero Tuck or TSSAT. Its a move that Dan Fuhrmann loves to hate on, but he's also got insanely wide bars so thats my little dig back on him. So I get out onto the gravel. I'm in a rush, but have to pee crazy bad. I first try a move I just can't dial in for the life of me. The piss off the bike. I just end up tinkling on my right shoe and then almost dump myself over the bars cuz I tap the front brake. Wrong Peat! So I stop and pee for the longest time. I was almost able to recite all of Meat Loaf's Bat out of hell.
Yes I know all the lyrics, but haste makes waste. Two geared riders pass me on the gravel. I look back and can see somebody tear out of the singletrack onto the gravel with what looks like a BLUE NINER FORK. But, can't tell for certain so I boogy on out. Pound some food and water on the move and put my head down and drill it.
This is where I get pro. Since previously I always rode a Niner rigid fork, I couldn't use the fork crowns as resting points for my hands to get lower, but this time around in the great year of 2015 with my borrowed Reba I could! It was rad and sad. TSSAT was now perfected. All the Dan Fuhrmann's of the world could point and laugh, but HAHA victory was mine. The head wind was crippling and I slowly road away from that distant rider behind me. I also made ground on the two geared riders annnnnd passed them. However, they did hop on my wheel and tried holding it. As we rolled through Sims on the pavement I never broke form and just continued to drill it while dropping one of the geared riders. Pussy, you can't hold a SSers wheel. I looked back once and saw that I was destroying the chump who was still on my wheel. It was kinda funny and it probably sounds like I have major ego, but really now. Geared riders are supposed to pull SSers on road sections. I then got that dude to self destruct. The next time I glanced over my shoulder he was drifting like trash in the wind, poor soul.
I kept in TSSAT until the small section of singletrack that connected to 248 Aid station where they then dump you back onto gravel for 3ish miles to the start of the Womble. Hopping into the Womble Trail I began to think of Griffin and whether or not the road section crushed him.
FYI, I totally know this pic is hella cheez. This guys a cornball, but it gets the point across and the race website doesn't have pics up yet.
After about 20 mins or so, I start seeing riders up ahead of me. It takes another few mins to gain. I realize its my little buttercup Griffin and he's pacing some geared rider with a very neon kit.
I sit up and chill for a moment deciding to coast up to him saving some juice for later when all of a sudden I'm riding his wheel. The three of us dip through a few creek crossings and up some punchy climbs, when Griff pulls over and tries to wave me by. I politely decline saying he's got a good pace and hang behind him. I then start singing the "Hey Griffin yer so fine, yer so fine you blow my mind" song and his response is classic. "Aw no, you got toooo much energy!" Haha, thats when I had an inkling I had the race. Though its best not to get ones hopes up when theres still 15 miles left.
We chitchat for a minute. I mention how I was killing the road section, and he tells how the road section killed him. Hmmm. I then start to sing a gay(as in happy) song to the young geared rider and his response is more flighty. He drills it and drops our asses after doing nothing but granny gearing the previous climbs, that jerk. Griff then admits defeat and encourages me to go get that dude. I try, but the sections of gravel roads breaking up the last of the Womble made it hard. Didn't help that I was out of water and everything with 9miles to go. My drive though was from True Grit 2weeks prior of how actually thirsty I was riding through the desert. It sucked! So today in Arkansas when I was in the shade mostly and the temp was a cool 75 it was no ish. Whats 9miles with no water.
So drive it home I did. At 5 miles to go I hit the last gravel. I check the time on my 8 function Bontrager wireless computer and remember that the time is 1hr behind still on Utah time. Second, I'm not really sure what time the race official started the clock. And third I always set my clock just a few minutes fast. So WHAT THE HELL TIME WAS IT???? My guess was that my clock was about maybe 53mins behind, maybe? So when it was approaching 1pm, my clock said 11:53am. That gave me now 4.5miles in 7mins. Dang, well lets see what happens. And drill it I do. TSSAT and all, but then I hit the last monster gravel climb. I imagine myself lighting the rest of my matches at once watching 'em burn like a back country trash burn pile, but reality is different. I see that geared rider kid in the neon green yellow whatever, and try to make him my carrot. Works okay I gain from about 90ft to 20ft by the top of the climb when he is able to then begin the super fast decent back into Oden. He's got gears and full suspension. Perfect for long fast down hills. I on the other hand have one gear which even though 38/22 was big for the day, it was no match for that downhill. I crest the peak of the climb and check my time. Its almost 12 or 1 or whatever and i still have 3miles to go. Crunch time boys!
I've never broke 5hrs12mins for this race so my goal was to at least crush that by 5mins. If anything always try to trim some fat off of previous times. Today though I knew was special. Even though my clock was skrewwwd up and I wasn't sure when the timer started I had that weird feeling that I should kill myself to get to the finish line. If all was in my favor I may just make sub 5 hours, maybe.
CRUSH, KILL, DESTROY, CRUSH, KILL, DESTROY, CRUSH, KILL, DESTROY!!!!
Within the last 3 miles is a crazy long down hill, some rollers, then onto pavement with more rollers and one final fast downhill. Off to the left was a dude with a bottle of whiskey shouting "Whiskey, you can't drink this on school ground!" How'd he know I love whiskey, that jerk. But, my mission was set in stone, and haste makes waste. My clock now said 12:04. I was probably over the 5hr mark but I was sooo close. I then saw volunteers pointing to go left, then another to go right onto a brief stint of dbl track. The last two turns of the race before crossing hwy 88 and then up the last demoralizing grassy knoll climb to the finish. A left right combo I had done three times prior. Times like this it becomes a nostalgia thing in my heart. Don't let up, man, don't let up! I cross the hwy 88 and mash up the grassy hill. The cog on my rear wheel is crying under the torque of the chain. My tire is spinning out in the grass. I look up to the timer and can't quite see it yet. Head down and grind up. I mash to the undefined finish line and catch a glimpse of the timer and it says 4:58:21. Sub 5hours bitches! Goal commandeered. 1st in SS and 8th overall.
Meanwhile, Fred the race announcer is yelling "Hunter Henry,no Peat Henry?" "Is that Hunter or Peat?" Ends up at packet pick up they mixed up our names/numbers along with Hunter's brother, too. All was resolved in the end and I got a fat check and a sick crystal trophy thing.
The rest of the afternoon was spent eating delicious "School Pizza" and leftover donut holes from the cafeteria breakfast courtesy or Mt Ida Donut shop. Along with all the usual post race conversation and congratulations to one another on a day well earned for all.
It took awhile for Zoll to roll in, a long while. With being sick all the previous day and puking it didn't give a good set up to crush Ouachita. Its a tuff 60miler period, and going into already wrecked doesn't help. I give him props though. I know abunch of dudes that would tap out just because they weren't winning which is LAME! But Zoll sallyforthed even though he was dead to the world and was passed by, well, almost everbody. Nice work Titty, next year you shall have your retribution.
Ouachita Mountain Challenge Association I want to thank. You guys put on a sick race with an astounding amount of smiling volunteers. You guys are rad and hope to see ya next year.
Also, Mike Best, once again thanks for the Bocomo. It helped crush souls today.
Much love to ya all.
-Peat
The race start line is about 45min-1hr southwest of Hot Springs. Me and Zoll rolled down Saturday morn. The poor dood ate something bad Friday night and was battling mild food poisoning for the whole ride down from St Louie. Which then lingered until night fall where we camped in the school parking lot.
Upon packet pick up we ran into some friendly faces from STL. Stevesie, Derek, Hunt, Matt, Maria, Mary, Laura, Rogo, and a handful of others. It was crazy the presence St Louis had at this race. The organizes use the school cafeteria for the pre-race meeting/prize raffle/spaghetti dinner. Many-o-dessert cookies were smashed into my face hole. I boogied on out early giving away my ticket to Big Red, and got ready for beddybed. Was in my sleeping bag by 8:30. It was raaaaaad.
Morning rolled around and I was ready to shred. I knew the long night was the ticket when I was my good ol fashioned early morning all rev'ed up annoying self. It was go time. Got some light breakfast and hit the start line.
There was a pace truck for the first 3miles so there wasn't any real action other than mildly dangerous skid stops when the front of the pack of off road bikes would slow down unexpectedly. What ev, but when the race was on it was freakin on. After that 3miles you got about another 5 of gravel road to double track that ungulates up to the single track that is Ouachita Trail.
A couple miles into the dbl track I roll up on Griffin Hamilton. Super strong rider from KC area who straight handed it to me at Berryman Epic last fall. He hopped on my wheel for a minute as we started to hit some uphill rollers thus pooping out geared riders. I got next to him and wanted to chit chat. I asked "Yo Griffin, whats up man? Its been awhile whats the word?" He must have been redlined, because his response with his head slightly down was "blelrljfaudufaldfks sljfoehahfafha. elafoiaehfaofa." I'm still not sure what he actually told me. So just decided to attack a little on him until the singletrack.
He must of been rockin a way easy gear cuz it was probably 10 min into the technical trail riding that is Ouachita Trail that Griffin was on my ass. And within a min of that he gives me the ol' "Can I get by, guy?" I'm no jerk and know were my strengths are and with the gear I was pushing with tech climbing and some steep punchy (sometimes long) uphills, I allowed his pass. Away he went. I made a brief half assed effort for all of maybe 30 seconds to keep him in sight, but decided there was plenty more race ahead of us. (So my assumption that Grif had a easier gear was wrong finding out in later conversation. It was sometime middle of last year when he told me, but was only as of now that have had the opp or memory to correct the matter. Sorry Griff, much love to ya! Fixed March 10th 2016 almost one year after we raced together, haha. )
And then WhamBam! Another SSer was there. Eric Leamon on a rigid Niner with a bluuuuue fork. Another natural born climber this young grasshopper, and away he went just like Griffin disappearing off behind the trees. I wasn't too worried about Eric though. The previous 3 times I did Ouachita was on a rigid fork, and knew it could crumble even a strong man. Hell, I still had on Old Reba from TrueGrit. I'm no dumbdumb. Its not selling out or lack of tuffnus, its wanting to go fast. Anyways, by the time I got through OT and halfway into the infamous Blowout Mtn I was within view of Eric. For the next handful of miles we would leap frog a bit for multiple reasons, but by the final downhill coming down off the last of the Ozark mountains I gave him the ol' heaveho and dropped him. The trail then dumps out on to gravel then pavement which then begins the 12mile road section through Sims and off to Highway 248 Aid station.
This is where I went sooo pro! Ya see the 2011 race I had no clue what I was in for. 2012 I was stronger and smarter. I decided to wrap the insides of my handlebars with road bar tape to pad it so I could get aero on my forearms. The move i have now used for years The Single Speed Aero Tuck or TSSAT. Its a move that Dan Fuhrmann loves to hate on, but he's also got insanely wide bars so thats my little dig back on him. So I get out onto the gravel. I'm in a rush, but have to pee crazy bad. I first try a move I just can't dial in for the life of me. The piss off the bike. I just end up tinkling on my right shoe and then almost dump myself over the bars cuz I tap the front brake. Wrong Peat! So I stop and pee for the longest time. I was almost able to recite all of Meat Loaf's Bat out of hell.
This is where I get pro. Since previously I always rode a Niner rigid fork, I couldn't use the fork crowns as resting points for my hands to get lower, but this time around in the great year of 2015 with my borrowed Reba I could! It was rad and sad. TSSAT was now perfected. All the Dan Fuhrmann's of the world could point and laugh, but HAHA victory was mine. The head wind was crippling and I slowly road away from that distant rider behind me. I also made ground on the two geared riders annnnnd passed them. However, they did hop on my wheel and tried holding it. As we rolled through Sims on the pavement I never broke form and just continued to drill it while dropping one of the geared riders. Pussy, you can't hold a SSers wheel. I looked back once and saw that I was destroying the chump who was still on my wheel. It was kinda funny and it probably sounds like I have major ego, but really now. Geared riders are supposed to pull SSers on road sections. I then got that dude to self destruct. The next time I glanced over my shoulder he was drifting like trash in the wind, poor soul.
I kept in TSSAT until the small section of singletrack that connected to 248 Aid station where they then dump you back onto gravel for 3ish miles to the start of the Womble. Hopping into the Womble Trail I began to think of Griffin and whether or not the road section crushed him.
FYI, I totally know this pic is hella cheez. This guys a cornball, but it gets the point across and the race website doesn't have pics up yet.
After about 20 mins or so, I start seeing riders up ahead of me. It takes another few mins to gain. I realize its my little buttercup Griffin and he's pacing some geared rider with a very neon kit.
I sit up and chill for a moment deciding to coast up to him saving some juice for later when all of a sudden I'm riding his wheel. The three of us dip through a few creek crossings and up some punchy climbs, when Griff pulls over and tries to wave me by. I politely decline saying he's got a good pace and hang behind him. I then start singing the "Hey Griffin yer so fine, yer so fine you blow my mind" song and his response is classic. "Aw no, you got toooo much energy!" Haha, thats when I had an inkling I had the race. Though its best not to get ones hopes up when theres still 15 miles left.
We chitchat for a minute. I mention how I was killing the road section, and he tells how the road section killed him. Hmmm. I then start to sing a gay(as in happy) song to the young geared rider and his response is more flighty. He drills it and drops our asses after doing nothing but granny gearing the previous climbs, that jerk. Griff then admits defeat and encourages me to go get that dude. I try, but the sections of gravel roads breaking up the last of the Womble made it hard. Didn't help that I was out of water and everything with 9miles to go. My drive though was from True Grit 2weeks prior of how actually thirsty I was riding through the desert. It sucked! So today in Arkansas when I was in the shade mostly and the temp was a cool 75 it was no ish. Whats 9miles with no water.
So drive it home I did. At 5 miles to go I hit the last gravel. I check the time on my 8 function Bontrager wireless computer and remember that the time is 1hr behind still on Utah time. Second, I'm not really sure what time the race official started the clock. And third I always set my clock just a few minutes fast. So WHAT THE HELL TIME WAS IT???? My guess was that my clock was about maybe 53mins behind, maybe? So when it was approaching 1pm, my clock said 11:53am. That gave me now 4.5miles in 7mins. Dang, well lets see what happens. And drill it I do. TSSAT and all, but then I hit the last monster gravel climb. I imagine myself lighting the rest of my matches at once watching 'em burn like a back country trash burn pile, but reality is different. I see that geared rider kid in the neon green yellow whatever, and try to make him my carrot. Works okay I gain from about 90ft to 20ft by the top of the climb when he is able to then begin the super fast decent back into Oden. He's got gears and full suspension. Perfect for long fast down hills. I on the other hand have one gear which even though 38/22 was big for the day, it was no match for that downhill. I crest the peak of the climb and check my time. Its almost 12 or 1 or whatever and i still have 3miles to go. Crunch time boys!
I've never broke 5hrs12mins for this race so my goal was to at least crush that by 5mins. If anything always try to trim some fat off of previous times. Today though I knew was special. Even though my clock was skrewwwd up and I wasn't sure when the timer started I had that weird feeling that I should kill myself to get to the finish line. If all was in my favor I may just make sub 5 hours, maybe.
CRUSH, KILL, DESTROY, CRUSH, KILL, DESTROY, CRUSH, KILL, DESTROY!!!!
Within the last 3 miles is a crazy long down hill, some rollers, then onto pavement with more rollers and one final fast downhill. Off to the left was a dude with a bottle of whiskey shouting "Whiskey, you can't drink this on school ground!" How'd he know I love whiskey, that jerk. But, my mission was set in stone, and haste makes waste. My clock now said 12:04. I was probably over the 5hr mark but I was sooo close. I then saw volunteers pointing to go left, then another to go right onto a brief stint of dbl track. The last two turns of the race before crossing hwy 88 and then up the last demoralizing grassy knoll climb to the finish. A left right combo I had done three times prior. Times like this it becomes a nostalgia thing in my heart. Don't let up, man, don't let up! I cross the hwy 88 and mash up the grassy hill. The cog on my rear wheel is crying under the torque of the chain. My tire is spinning out in the grass. I look up to the timer and can't quite see it yet. Head down and grind up. I mash to the undefined finish line and catch a glimpse of the timer and it says 4:58:21. Sub 5hours bitches! Goal commandeered. 1st in SS and 8th overall.
Meanwhile, Fred the race announcer is yelling "Hunter Henry,no Peat Henry?" "Is that Hunter or Peat?" Ends up at packet pick up they mixed up our names/numbers along with Hunter's brother, too. All was resolved in the end and I got a fat check and a sick crystal trophy thing.
The rest of the afternoon was spent eating delicious "School Pizza" and leftover donut holes from the cafeteria breakfast courtesy or Mt Ida Donut shop. Along with all the usual post race conversation and congratulations to one another on a day well earned for all.
It took awhile for Zoll to roll in, a long while. With being sick all the previous day and puking it didn't give a good set up to crush Ouachita. Its a tuff 60miler period, and going into already wrecked doesn't help. I give him props though. I know abunch of dudes that would tap out just because they weren't winning which is LAME! But Zoll sallyforthed even though he was dead to the world and was passed by, well, almost everbody. Nice work Titty, next year you shall have your retribution.
Ouachita Mountain Challenge Association I want to thank. You guys put on a sick race with an astounding amount of smiling volunteers. You guys are rad and hope to see ya next year.
Also, Mike Best, once again thanks for the Bocomo. It helped crush souls today.
Much love to ya all.
-Peat
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