Race Day - Part Drei

So, where were we? Oh, that's right..........exhausted and weary! At least we weren't lost. We faced a big decision at checkpoint 4. Trek for 26 miles or get back on the bikes and pedal 15 more miles to the next checkpoint on the "short course". As unappealing as the idea of getting back on the bikes was, humping 26 miles up and down hill, with one team member nursing a sprained ankle, was even less appealing. Begrudgingly, we decided to subject our sore backsides to 15 more miles in the saddle. After a quick meal and rest, we filtered water and headed out for checkpoint 9, following winding back roads. Some time around 4:00 a.m. I began to fear that I might fall asleep while riding my bike and either go burning into the woods, or take out one of my team mates riding near me. Neither would be good or remotely beneficial. We pulled into a church parking lot and made ourselves cozy, right there on the asphalt, using our packs as pillows. By this time in the morning, it actually began to feel a bit chilly, so the asphalt felt great. We managed to sleep for about 45 minutes before getting up and finishing the ride to checkpoint 9. The sleep was very good and very necessary. As we checked in at checkpoint 9, we changed into our regular shoes and pulled the map out to plot our way to the next checkpoints. While we were doing this, we witnessed two of the three teams that would eventually finish officially run into the checkpoint and exit just as quickly, leaving us all feeling just a tad demoralized. It's also probably safe to say that those "Premier Teams" didn't stop and take a 45 minute nap on the course. The morning sky was just beginning to show signs of daylight breaking as we stared at the map and tried to figure out how we were going to bushwhack 10 plus miles to the next two checkpoints by the 7:30 a.m. cutoff for the canoe leg. As we were pondering this dilemma, we noticed another team, who was down to three members after dropping one man in the middle of the night, sitting there. They told us that they had already gone out on foot in search of checkpoint 10, bushwhacked up and down hill, got lost and decided to return to 9, where they threw in the towel. As the four of us stood there with the knowledge that we could find ourselves in the same boat, possibly out of food and water, exhausted beyond belief, and lost in the woods, we made the ego crushing decision to hand in our passport and remove ourselves from the race. Our race was over. As we all stood there, looking at each other for a long while, we finally agreed that our decision was sound and right. None of us are "quitters" by nature. We wouldn't have been there together in the first place, putting our minds and bodies to that sort of test if that were the case. DNF are three letters that none of us are accustomed to seeing on race results. Considering the difficulty of the terrain, the crazy heat and the fact that only three teams of thirty six officially finished, we're actually okay with that. The whole experience only made us better and stronger, and we will no doubt return next year. I will finish this post by saying that I have nothing but respect and admiration for my three fellow team mates. Great job guys! "Thrive Outside"

Race Day - Part Deux

After Gary read yesterday's post, he reminded me that I had overlooked the fact that our team had to cross a calf-deep stream with our bikes, less than a half mile into the race. The stream crossing was easy and unremarkable, for the most part. The down side to the crossing is the fact that your bike shoes get soaked, increasing the chance of hot spots (blisters), early in a very long race. Fortunately, that never became an issue for us, and that certainly would not be the last time our feet got wet during the hours to come. As we made our way down the ridge with checkpoint 2 in our sights, Gary limping and Steve bleeding, the realization of how difficult this race would be began to sink in for all of us. We paused briefly so I could tape Gary's ankle and clean Steve's shin digger. After picking up checkpoint 2 at 4 p.m., we were off on a winding, single track, downhill descent toward the small town of New Castle. At this point, we had all pretty much depleted our personal water supplies and the creeks near the bottom of the descent were looking very refreshing. A quick stop to filter and refill a couple bottles and we were off for the short trip into town, where we found a small convenience store. We all downed Coca Colas and water, and scarfed down Fig Newtons, Slim Jims and bags of chips. For anyone reading this who may be appalled by our junk food intake, trust me, nutrition goes out the window when your body is burning up calories like that. The sugar in the Coke and salt in the Slim Jims and chips was just what the Doctor ordered for us at that point. We also carried an assortment of Pro Bars, Clif Bars, etc., but the immediate satisfaction from the junk food was pure wind in our proverbial sails. While at the little store, we also purchased 4 gallons of water and topped off our reservoirs and bottles for the long haul to checkpoint 3. Just as we left town, another quick pit stop was in order to repair a flat on Gary's bike. Luckily, that would be the only mechanical issue we would face for the entire race. Once back on the bikes, we began the long grind on secondary and gravel roads toward checkpoint 3. In order to get to 3, we had to pass through checkpoint 4 on the way, finally arriving there around 10:30 p.m. Checkpoint 4 was one of a couple manned checkpoints and the volunteers there advised us to filter water, if we needed it, because it would be a long, tough haul to 3 before turning around and returning before the 2 a.m. cut off. Since we were all still good on water, we headed off toward checkpoint 3, up a steep Jeep trail that climbed relentlessly to the ridge. Of the 4 miles or so up to checkpoint 3, we probably pushed our bikes for 3 1/2 of them. At 12:25 a.m. I punched our passport at checkpoint 3 and we turned around to head back to 4. We arrived back at checkpoint 4 at 1:35 a.m., the last team to make it by the official 2 a.m. cutoff, feeling exhausted and a little weary. Over 12 hours spent on the bike saddle was starting to take it's toll on all of us, and we were eager to transition to the trekking phase of the race, until we realized that we had approximately 26 miles on foot ahead of us, before reaching the transition to the canoes. Decision time. To be continued.......again. "Thrive Outside"

Race Day!

Okay, so it took me more than a day to get this post up..............My previous post talked about the day and night before the 24 hour adventure race. The morning of the race we were all stirring from our tents around 6:30 a.m. Race packet pick up (where you get the course maps) was scheduled from 8 - 10 a.m. Fortunately, we were on the early end of the packet pick up because the line grew long rapidly. After securing the maps, we headed back to our base camp, plotted our course and made final gear checks. A final race briefing began at 10:30 and lasted over an hour, giving us just a few minutes to assemble our gear and bikes at the start line. The race begins with a mass start and in order to spread the field out some, there was a prologue, which consisted of a two mile trail run. The temperature at noon was already approaching 100 degrees and Ronny Angell (Race Director) warned us all to take the first few hours easy and closely monitor our water intake. To quote Ronny: "You won't win this race in the first six hours, but you can certainly lose it". That comment, along with the "old school" Odyssey course comment, followed by the assertion that less than half the field would even finish the race stuck in my head for the first six hours. The four of us managed to stick near the front third of the pack for the trail run. Considering that there were close to 200 people starting the race (Sprint and 24 hour racers) we felt like we were off to a pretty good start. A couple of times I actually asked Kris to slow down, because we were so close to the front. At one point on the run, Steve shouted out that we only had 23 hours and 45 minutes left! We made our way back to the bikes, mounted up and headed out to checkpoint 1. After a couple miles on back roads, we were climbing steadily up a curvy mountain road, in search of the first checkpoint. The heat was already oppressive and only getting hotter by the minute! I should point out that this race is unsupported, which means you carry all your food and water for the entire race. We all had 200 oz. reservoirs filled with water, in addition to extra bottles on the bike or in our packs. After plotting our course earlier, we realized that we would need to stop and filter water from a stream after passing checkpoint 2, high on a ridge. After bagging checkpoint 1, we were off to track down checkpoint 2. Here is where it starts to get ugly! A fairly easy going ride on an overgrown fire road led us in the right direction, parallel to a ridge that we would eventually have to make our way toward. Another check of the map and we made the decision to start bushwhacking uphill toward the ridge. The grade of the mountain was obnoxious and covered in a tangled mess of undergrowth, making what would prove to be one of the toughest parts of the bike leg. After what seemed like forever, we made it to the overgrown ridge trail, soaked with sweat and legs and shoulders burning. We paused for a few minutes on the ridge to eat, drink and conduct minor bike maintenance before heading off down the ridge, still in search of checkpoint 2. The ridge was an unpleasant mix of semi-riding and pushing our bikes, while getting intimate with thorns, vines, rocks and spoke busting sticks. Somewhere along the ridge I heard Gary scream out in pain. He had just twisted his ankle pretty badly. We were less than three hours into the race. Just a few minutes later, Steve took a dive into the pedal of his bike and picked up a nice, deep gash to his shin. The real fun was about to begin in earnest. To be continued....... "Thrive Outside"

Odyssey One Day Adventure Race

The race we have been preparing for since early Spring came calling for us this past weekend. The 21st edition of the Odyssey 24 hour adventure race took place in Craig County, near New Castle, Virginia. The exceptionally rugged and unforgiving terrain of Jefferson National Forest was our constant companion and often times, our nemesis. Race director and Adventure Racer extraordinaire, Ronny Angell, described this particular course (which he set up) as "old school" Odyssey. That comment made me cringe a bit because Odyssey has long held a reputation for races that only the most elite and fit of teams could come close to completing. The last few years Odyssey had eased up a little and made the races more "doable". Go figure that we'd pick this one as our inaugural race together and Ronny would decide to go "old school" on us. Of the 36 teams who started the race, 3 finished in 24 hours or less. We were not one of those teams. Since there is so much information to cover about this race, I have decided to make two posts. My second post will cover the actual details of the race. Kris and Steve drove together from Northern Virginia and Gary and myself drove together from Luray. We caught up with them on I-81 and blazed a path together into base camp like a mini caravan, complete with bikes, gear, food, drink and copious amounts of testosterone. Record breaking heat was forecast for race day and the day before (our arrival day) was apparently on the prowl for it's own record. After a quick check in, we were off to set up our micro "tent city" and make final preparations for the next day. Kris broke out the Dutch Oven, cut up various vegetables, added some sirloin and kielbasa and proceeded to serve us up massive helpings of stew worthy of a King! As if that were not cool enough, he followed the meal with a blueberry cobbler that he also made in the Dutch Oven. Needless to say, he secured his place as the "team chef" for all future events. We washed all that gourmet food down with a couple beers and headed off to our tents for a good nights sleep. The sweat soaked details of the actual race will follow tomorrow.
"Thrive Outside"

Adventure Race Gear Shake Down

Two weeks until team "Appalachian Outdoors Adventures" competes in the Odyssey 24 hour adventure race in south western Virginia. The team consists of Gary Drum, Kristopher Hayne, Steve Lindsey and myself. Because Kris and Steve live and work in northern Virginia, training together on a regular basis has been difficult. The required gear list for the race is fairly extensive and we all realize the importance of making sure we show up prepared. A decision was made for the four of us to meet at our shop and head out to the George Washington National Forest for a night mountain bike ride. In addition to the night ride through rock gardens and across ridges, we would be checking our light systems (mine failed in the end!) and taking note of other items we may or may not want to bring. Our ride began while the sun was still up and we made pretty good time on the Massanutten trail, navigating our way through rocks and crossing the occasional creek. Three miles in the trail intersects with Peach Orchard Gap, where we pushed and carried our bikes a half mile uphill to the Duncan Knob trail. It's safe to say that the "least favorite" part of the ride was the uphill "hike a bike". No pain compares to whacking your shin on your clip-less pedal, while pushing the bike uphill, swatting gnats that are incessantly dive bombing your eyeballs and simultaneously removing thorny vines that reach out and grab at your flesh from the side of the trail. After the "barrel of laughs" we all had climbing up to Duncan Hollow, we made the pleasant side trip up to the top of Duncan Knob, where the breeze rapidly cooled our upper bodies, still clad in sweat soaked jerseys. After removing the wet jerseys and hanging them in various surrounding trees to dry out, we all relaxed on the warm rocks and entertained ourselves with stories that only four guys in the middle of a remote forest, on a mountain top, completely removed from polite company would have or even begin to appreciate. After the sun fell completely behind the distant ridges of West Virginia, we began our rock scramble descent back to the mountain bikes and mounted up. The majority of the ride back out is either flat or downhill, so we made great time through the darkness, bombing downhill at points and ultimately back to our starting point. The best part is that there were no injuries and no major gear malfunctions (other than my bike light). Time seems to be flying by and in less than two weeks we will be spending 24 hours together, testing our bodies, minds and equipment under less than optimal conditions. Nothing makes us happier! "Thrive Outside"

MTB Ride Big Gem Park

Since Gary and I both had the day off, we decided to give the trails at Big Gem Park in Shenandoah a try. We already had a nice swim and were looking forward to a ride. As we packed up the bikes and headed south from Luray, the rain started.................and only intensified as we continued down the road. Determined to get a ride in, we pressed on. The rain actually stopped by the time we hit Stanley. The first thing we noticed as we entered Big Gem Park was the lack of any signage pointing the way to mountain bike trails. Even after a thorough walk through inspection on foot, no signs or even distinct trail heads were to be found. As we unloaded the bikes from the truck, it began to rain lightly. We proceeded down a freshly cut fire road in search of the trails. Light rain turned into steady rain, which turned into heavy rain. Finally we found a small section of berms, banked turns and log crossing obstacles. As we continued on the fire road, we encountered what looked to be single track trails. At this point the rain was pouring down and the trails were getting very muddy and slick. We both know that it's just poor etiquette to ride on soggy, wet trails because it tends to leave ruts that can be dangerous when they finally dry, so we decided to bag the ride after 20 minutes or so of slogging through mud. Last week we heard a representative from the town of Shenandoah mention that some of the trails were open to mountain biking, but good luck finding them if you decide to go. Another trip to the park will be made when the weather is better and we can spend time exploring. Despite the sogginess and minimal trail time, we still had fun. "Thrive Outside"

First Swim

Since my business/training partner Gary talked me into competing in the Luray Triathlon (International distance) in August, we decided to start swimming a couple days a week to prepare. Fortunately for us, our chosen training area also happens to be where the competition will take place; Lake Arrowhead. The air temperature was comfortable enough, but the humidity hung in the air like fog. The lake was warmer than the air as we eased into the water and moved away from shore. For as long as I have lived here in the valley, I have never actually been in the lake before. As you enter the water, you immediately feel the rocks under bare foot, followed by ankle deep mud, followed by grass growing from the bottom. The grass seems to grab at you as you make your way to deeper water. We took a couple strands to show post swim. It is my understanding that the town of Luray treats the water prior to the August event in order to reduce the aqua bound, grabby pasture. At this point, I'm not sure which I would prefer.......additional chemicals or grass. One thing is certain; I need to spend a lot more time in the water to prepare for the 1500 meter swim in August. We swam for about a half hour and my shoulders were aching by the end. Now we are off to ride the new mountain bike trails at Big Gem Park in the town of Shenandoah. More on that later. "Thrive Outside"

Massanutten Mountain Bike Ride

Kris, Juniper (Jelly Dog), Gary and I headed into George Washington National Forest for a mountain bike ride yesterday. The weather could not have been better for a ride/hike in the woods. This was Gary's first taste of "technical", rock garden mountain biking and he came away with the scrapes and bumps to prove it. Let me just say here and now that Gary more than held his own, considering the terrain and relative lack of experience on such rough trails. Our route took us up Gap Creek trail, which almost immediately greets you with plenty of rocks and a steady incline. It was the first section of the trail that Gary had a couple of falls on (see photos for the aftermath). Near the top of the mountain is the Massanutten trail (orange blaze), which connects to the Scothorn Gap trail. We decided to continue to the top for a side trip to Duncan Knob before heading south on the Massanutten trail. The side trip was well worth it and as always the views from Duncan Knob were incredible. Another one of my favorite features of Duncan Knob is the rock scramble near the top. After our short detour, we were bombing back downhill to catch the orange blazed Massanutten trail. This trail was pretty easy going compared to the climb in, with a few muddy spots from recent rain. Before we knew it, we were standing at the intersection with Scothorn Gap, preparing for a rocket ride downhill and back to the start point. First we stopped to take in the view near a pond and drink a beer that the ever resourceful Mr. Hayne was kind enough to bring along! Juniper Jelly Head took time to enjoy the pond too and chase minnows. It is literally all downhill from the pond back to the truck and for the most part we took it easy so Juniper could keep up. All in all it was a great ride and other than a few minor scrapes and scratches, we all made it out unscathed and will live to ride another day. "Thrive Outside"

Wednesday Road Ride - Rileyville Loop

Ominous looking gray clouds were swirling over head as Gary, Linda and I saddled up and headed out on our favorite short road loop to the little village of Rileyville. I had just spoken with Andy (who was prepping for a night shift) and she told me it was pouring rain in Rileyville (where we live). There were only light drops of rain as the three of us headed north. Sure enough, the roads in Rileyville were soaked and we could tell it had rained quite hard earlier and it was starting to drizzle a little. The light rain actually felt nice and we maintained a good pace for the entire ride. As is the case with trail running, we are all getting stronger on the bike. I always try to catch photos as riders crest the top of the hill on Vaughn Summit road and I managed to get Gary and Linda this time. Side note: I finally figured out how to make images come out properly (not reversed) so this will be the last time backward photos will be posted. We are always looking for new riders and runners to join us! Just check the store web site or our Facebook page for up-coming events. "Thrive Outside"

Sunday Road Ride - SRO & Back

Gary, Linda, Andy and I hopped aboard our road bikes and headed out to Shenandoah River Outfitters for a quick Sunday evening ride. This is a route that Gary and I rode a little earlier in the season, while the native Redbud trees were in full bloom. No photos were taken on this trip and the ride was fast, fun and most importantly, safe! That's my story and I'm sticking to it. "Thrive Outside"

Saturday Mountain Ride - SRSP 2

It seems that we just cannot get enough of that park on the river. This morning Gary and I headed out there to explore more of the single track trails. I have been riding a full suspension Cannondale Scalpel this season (which my friend and adventure race team-mate Kris has been letting me demo) I fell in love with this bike the first time I hopped on and it seems to fit me well. This is the first bike I have ridden that has tubeless tires. My buddy Kris has never had a flat on this fine, two wheeled machine. It should also be noted that maintaining proper tire pressure on this bike is VERY important. Why do I bring up these mundane details? Well...............the front tire on the bike was too low. As I rounded a corner, I hit a slight incline and caught a tiny bit of air...........as the front tire made c0ntact with the earth again, it rolled sideways.........and off the rim. A quick rush and release of air was the last thing I heard as I augured into the ground. My ride was over, unceremonious and fast. Without a tube (which is the quick way to fix a tubeless tire flat) you're pretty much in for a walk. Gary did get a slight kick out of my less than graceful dismount.........after he realized I wasn't injured, of course. The ride was short and we got to walk with our bikes for a mile or so. Still not a bad way to start the day in my book. I will also mention that taking the photo of multiple riders is way more difficult while riding single track trails. "Thrive Outside"

Friday Trail Run - Shenandoah River State Park 3

I guess I should open this entry by apologizing to the two or three people who read this blog for my regrettable slack in making my regular posts. The aforementioned slack has given me a lot to catch up on. Enough groveling. On with the adventure!

By the title you can already tell that we went back to the lovely park on the river...............again. The trails are just plain fun to run on and the views of the river cannot be beat! This time it was just four runners and three happy dogs. Gary, Linda, Andy (who came again straight from a 12 hour night shift!) and I hit the trail with the wonder mutts. The weather was picture perfect and the hour we spent on the rolling shale and clay covered trails flew by. Something else that makes the time slip by so quickly is the fact that we are all getting stronger. The intensity of the run is a nice reflection of everyone's confidence and strength. Truth be told, I would personally rather ride my bike than run............that's probably the case for Linda too. Of the group, it's safe to say that Gary and Andy are the strongest runners (when Bob S. is not present). Andy actually challenged Gary to a race on the Appalachian Trail and they plan to square off some time in mid June. That should be a good one! Andy managed to snap a few photos with her phone this time. "Thrive Outside"

Friday Trail Run - Jeremy's Run - Part Deux

The conditions for a trail run really don't get any better than what we had this morning. Blue skies and 48 degrees with low humidity as we took on Jeremy's Run for the second time this season. The usual Friday crowd was there, bright and early - Gary, Linda, Andy (who came straight from a 12 hour night shift), Bob and myself. We all missed Val this morning! As always, Athena, Lilly and Martha led the way. The creek crossings this time involved rock hopping as opposed to calf-deep traverses and the trail was clear of downed trees. Along with a few good photos, I managed to capture some video of the last down-hill on the way out. There are some pretty challenging climbs on this trail, but it still remains one of our favorites and I like the fact that the dogs can drink and cool off whenever they need to. Everyone seemed strong this morning and I bet we could have just kept on going, but duty calls and we have a very busy weekend ahead at the shop. Tomorrow is the 6th annual Festival of Spring in downtown Luray. Along with all kinds of great food and craft vendors, live entertainment, a beer garden and wine tasting area, there will be a dog frisbee competition. For the third year Appalachian Air Canines will put on this fun event out at Bulldog field at 1:00 P.M. I plan to enter my dog Lilly again this year and she's already excited! Come on out and see us at the shop, and while you are here, pick up a cup of the best coffee in town! "Thrive Outside"

Wednesday Road Ride - Thornton Gap

Five brave souls showed up at Ruffner Plaza in Luray Wednesday evening for a road bike ride. They were Gary, Linda, Bob, Andy and myself. Four of the five riders knew our destination (Thornton Gap) - a mere ten miles from the shop. Four of those miles are up-hill to the top of the mountain. Just about the time that we were riding by Brookside restaurant, Andy (unaware of the destination) finally figured out where we were headed. Okay.........so I did intentionally fail to mention the fact that we were in for some climbing. I figured that the burden of that knowledge before the ride would only serve to induce unnecessary worry and perhaps even a little panic. After a few choice words for me (which I won't repeat here) we were all climbing the winding road to the top. It really wasn't so bad. The climbing is steady for a solid four miles, but never really steep and I did manage a few shots from my phone. We all made it to the top in pretty good form and everyone was smiling. Or were those grimaces? After a 40 plus m.p.h. descent and a nice flat stretch back to Luray, four of us (five including CFM) headed out to a great local Mexican restaurant (Rancho Viejo) to celebrate cinco de Mayo. Later in the evening, Andy confessed to me that she would not have thought that she could make it to the top of that climb. She was proud that she did make it..............and I was proud of her too. "Thrive Outside"