Mohican Digested

Well, not really- I still haven't stopped eating since the race...

It had been four years since I last tried a 100 mile mountain bike race and I was a little nervous about how it would turn out. The other ones I have done (Brian Head Epic and E-100) left me so sick to my stomach at the end that I could barely ride and couldn't eat or drink. I think I laid on the ground for at least two hours after the E-100 feeling so sick. I remember thinking "this sucks" and deciding to focus on shorter events. How soon we forget- I guess it took a few years but I was back on the line for my 4th 100 on Saturday in Loudonville, Ohio.

Random musings...

- Overall it was an awesome trip/experience. The race course was brutally hard but really cool and we rode some amazing single track through some beautiful country. Parts went through rural Amish country and we saw a horse & buggy.

- I can't believe how hard we rode for 7 hours. I didn't think that was possible!

- Great company in a little a-frame cabin with Bryan, Tinker, Jeremiah, Bart and Matt.

- Alders and I made Velonews! Claim to fame right here!!

- Jeremiah won and we put 4 riders in the top 10!

- Bart, Bryan and I were with a group of 8 chasing the 6 leaders about 1 minute behind after 25 miles when we followed a veteran Mohican racer off course and lost 10 minutes. That was unbelievably frustrating for a while. I was feeling good and we were in a really good position. Two lessons here:
1) Even if you are following someone who you think knows where they are going you still need to look for course markings
2) It would have been worth the extra little effort in the first 10 minutes to join the lead group. The pace wasn't too high or anything, we just chose to be conservative, maybe a little too much so.

- We worked really hard on the road to get back and when Bart, Harlan Price and I caught back up to Chris Eatough I was stoked. When I bonked 5 miles later on a 10 mile flat canal path and lost contact with our group I was not stoked.

- Due to my past stomach problems I had decided to try to do the race with sports drink, gels and Gu Chomps rather than bowls of pasta, sandwiches, etc like I had done before. This seemed like a general consensus as the right strategy. This might work for some but I bonked hard at mile 60. I was seeing little Elvis on the side of the trail.. I ate some Little Debbie's Swiss Rolls and animal crackers at Aid station 4 and those lit me on fire! Oh well, now I know I need some solid food out there.

- I was pleased with my race overall. Two setbacks in 100 miles ain't too bad. I guess it wouldn't be a 100 miler if you didn't take a wrong turn and bonk at least once. I felt good after and was eating right away and walking around.

- I woke up with a bit of a sore throat on Friday and it was still with me on Sat. Nothing like destroying yourself while fighting a cold... I guess its that kind of stuff that makes us stronger overall. Yesterday I felt like ass but today I feel a little better. I for sure have a little cold though.

- I'm stoked to do another 100. That was fun!