2014 Wilderness 101 Race Report

This year’s Wilderness 101 was a tough one for me, but still loads of adventure.

 

For me, there seem to be 3 stages to any 100 miler.

“Stage 1”

Leaving early from work and racing from Richmond to Coburn. Getting registered, setting up camp, once over bike and drop bag prep, chow down, drink a couple of beers and tell questionable jokes. Whew, then try to settle down and sleep.

That evening, a few of our group chats about the forecast. Rain percentages for various times of the day are debated.One of my race buddies says I should run the 13 plate upside down, but I decide to mount it the way it's set up and not wory about superstition.

“Stage 2”

In the morning the next race starts. Get up just a bit before everyone else to eat, drink coffee, and bring systems online.

For me, I affectionately refer to it as the potty race. Yeah, that's right, the race to poop. 200+ people and maybe 12 porta potties... do the math. Now I'm not complaining, it's just a constrained resource, plain and simple. So if you can get it over with before demand exceeds supply, you are in good shape.

“Stage 3, the main event”

Ahemmm, with that out of the way, it's time to put on some kit, make sure the drop bags are complete, and well, dropped off. There has also been a light rain all morning and it’s chilly. I debate a base layer, but decide on arm warmers. I figured they gave me more thermal options.

Now onto the bike and check the tire pressure and last minute tweaks. As soon as Garth sees my number plate, he lends some sage advice in the soft way he often expresses himself... "Plassman, you got to run that shit upside down!" I don't have more zip ties, and don't want to mess with it so I defy cycling tradition and run it like I brung it.

The drizzling rain had pretty much stopped and we rolled out of the park onto the main road through town. Almost instantly, the real wetness for the day started as the peleton headed out of dodge on a soaked road with small standing puddles. It was like the road was rain up on us. Weird.

This year, I had decided to put in better effort on the 1st gravel climb and kept with the lead group for the 1st 2/3 of the climb and then just managed to keep them in sight for a while after. Following the initial climb, I put in a few hard efforts to settle in with the second main group. I worked toward the front and was trying to put some pulls in. 2 or 3 guys were pushing the pace fast, putting in hard pulls. I worked up to the front to contribute, and found it tough to pull hard enough to keep the hand full of riders setting the pace happy and got repassed. I'm not sure they realized the pace was intense enough to make it hard to get up there and take a turn. Oh well, I did manage to put in a few modest pulls, cranking near my limit.

We went under a tunnel to connect to more gravel and I was surprised to see us catching the A group. We had really been pushing a good pace. As our second group merged into the Peloton, we slowed to match the pace. I seized a rare opportunity to say hi to some folks I usually don't see after the first few miles.

Gordon asked me where my GoPro was and then I wished I had remembered to get it all set up before the race. Joe Fish said the pace was unusually chill and I agreed. I heard bits and pieces of a conversation about a bad crash that had occurred on the gravel a little while earlier.

When we hit Aid 1 I got a water hand up and was super stoked to hear that we were about 2 minutes back from the race leaders. Personally, I've never heard that in an NUE race before. It felt nice.

We hit the double track grass climb and I faded off the back of the main group. I was climbing the grass more aggressively than I normally do, but it was just not enough to keep them in sight. Still, I took out that climb faster than I think I have before and then bombed the downhill sections of double track, spun out in my 38/11 combo.

Eventually, the day's 1st single track was reached. I really liked this section because it's a nice mixture of flowing trail with some rocks and skinny bridges thrown in for fun. The morning's rain had for the most part left it nice and tacky. As always, Bob Popovich was on hand to grab some awesome photos of the racers on the last bridge before a pretty large rock garden.

Next up was what I consider the 'middle hump' part of this race. There are two combos of longish gravel climb + fall line descent. Sort of like the humps in a camel’s back. I could tell I had burned 1 too many matches on the first big climb and then discovered, my tire pressure was a bit high on the 1st descent. I made my way pass a few riders, but was having trouble really pinning it. I felt like I was getting knocked around a bit. Later I noticed my fork was only using about 60 of its 100mm. I stopped at the base of the next gravel climb and let some air out of both tires.

There was a nice rolling gravel section with some periods of pavement through a very scenic park. A large group of Amish were enjoying a nice Saturday morning. I caught a glimpse of all their horses and carriages in a grove of trees. That was a pretty cool alternate scene of transportation in this age of packed parking lots in the city.

As I made it to the top of the second climb, it was nice to enter the trail after dowsing my head with a water splash hand up. Whoever you were up there... Thanks!

This descent was a good bit steeper, but I felt the trail had a more agreeable soil to rock ratio. Plus, my tires were now tracking much better. Too bad my motor was still playing catch-up.

Aid 3 was a welcome sight and I got some much needed hand ups from my drop bag. Onto the next big climb!

At the top of the climb, I was all alone as I rolled into the rocky mountain top single track that for me marks the point where this race gets really fun. At first I was struggling a bit to keep my momentum, so I dropped my seat post an inch to force myself into a more attack focused position and started charging out of the saddle. Things were picking up and I was pleased to be riding all the rock features with a bit of grace and a lot of mojo. My core was starting to get tired just as the warp speed downhill section started.

Then after zooming down the fire road that followed, I turned left onto the rolling double track section. I was motoring along when all of a sudden my drive train just seized. Damn! I surveyed the damage and cursed loudly when I saw the two foot branch section with one end jammed into my cassette by the upper part of the derailleur, the other end of the stick was stuck between my big chain ring and chain. WTF? It took all the strength I had to pull it out of the cassette. Luckily it shifted halfway decent. Amazing, but quite annoying to have wasted 5 minutes.

I hammered my way to my favorite single track in the race. The fern floored forest trail is second to none and a welcome contrast to the rock fest from the top of the mountain. I rolled through this section well and had just passed a rider when I found myself Tarzanning off my bike and grabbing a tree with my left arm just in time to stop my fall from grace. It still hurts pretty go to launch off your bike and hug a tree. I guess I'm an aggressive tree hugger.

Following that awesome trail section is a pretty moderate gravel climb to the last long rocky trail. The flattish rock strewn single track that leads to the descent was beating me up more than usual and I finally realized I had all my bike’s squish locked out. Duh! Freshman move Plassman. I caught a rider on the descent, but was glad to slow down a touch because it's some damn rocky. Nearing the end, I eagerly anticipated the gravel/pavement section that leads to Aid 4, the last stop I usually make.

Once again the awesome force of aid station volunteers hooked me up and helped me on my way to the last major climb of the day.

At the base of this climb, there is a house just off the road that always seems to be burning trash when we ride by it. The climb is very long, has a rough road surface, and just when you think it's over... keeps on going. But at the top awaits a short section of sandy trail on the aptly named Sand Mountain. In the parking lot I spied a local rider laying on his back beside his car. I assumed he was taking in a nice relaxing break after his ride. I was so jealous!

Now, I knew there was my least favorite part of the race coming up. Panther mother fucking road. It starts out fine enough, but just gets progressively steeper and rockier as it wears on. Unlike an actual Panther, this predator slowly beats you into submission. I always find myself cussing this descent quite loudly. Panther run and I have a hate/hate relationship. You might as well hate the Panther road, because trust me...Panther Run Road already hates you.

The gravel road up to and past aid 5 is a blessing after the Panther. Even the goat path hiking is not as bad because it's over with pretty soon and turns into a really cool section of single track that leads to the infamous Fisherman's path.

The key to the fisherman's path is to know it. Here is where a pre-ride of this section comes in handy. It shows you where you can get back on your bike so you don't get lured into re-mounting to soon. The other key is to get your bike off the ground and just power hike through it. Not so easy with 95 miles or so on the body!

Once on the rails to trail, I spun out in the 38/11 combo and got passed by a rider just before the final narrow trestle bridge and tunnel. If you know the line to take in the old abandoned tunnel, it's cake. Again, this is a key pre-ride spot. I exited the tunnel with no dramatics and decided not to chase the other rider too much, though I did look over my shoulder more than once as I raced to the finish line.

I was a little disappointed with my 8:46 finish, but I was glad I could ride my bike all day!

2012 Wilderness 101

This year’s 101 used the same updated course as the 2011 race. Temps were not too hot, but the humidity was very high. I was drenched all day with an unpleasant amount of perspiration as my body attempted to get some evaporative cooling. Rain showers were a constant threat, but the weather held out for me until the last few miles.

W101 - Quick Stats for Plassman

Time: 8:44
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Hydro: 12 bottles consumed - about 2.1 gallons
Fuel: 9 scoops of magic go power, 1 cliff block pack, 2 gels, 10ozs coke
Electrolytes: 1 gel flask of pickle juice and about 12 enduralyte capsules
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Crashes: 1 (silly fall on small rock)
Mechanicals: 0
Cramping: minimal
Tunnels: 2
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Curses lobbed at Panther Run Jeep Trail: 10+ F-bombs
Equestrians encountered: 2
Little girls scared: 2 (not on purpose)

Ride the lightning

In a pre-race email, there was mention of the last section of rail to trail having been marked off with “no trespassing" signs as well as being blocked by some felled trees and such. The email also mentioned that the owner of this property would help make it clear for registered racers only.

My team mates and I ran into the owner while we pre-rode the final section of rail to trail and the last rock filled train tunnel. He was a serious looking man surrounded by serious tools and equipment. We probably looked silly to him in our race clothes as he worked to collect the freshly slaughtered remnants of the trail blockade. We asked if we could lend a hand. He gazed at us in a solemn, serious stare and paused slightly, almost dramatically, and said: “Shouldn’t you be worried about the lightning?”

It was such a sublime and effective statement that we all just basically said thanks and proceeded to turn around and ride back though the tunnel. Then, as if on queue from the property owner himself, a loud crack of thunder rang out and the wind kicked up ominously. We finished our pre-ride in a tempest brought on by a pop up thunderstorm. We all now had wet shoes for race morning.

Race Day

I was finally able to get a good night’s sleep before race day. I suspect that it was due in part to getting a lift to the race and not having to drive. The cold I had sensed developing in my sinuses was still present, but had not made it into my throat or lungs.

A sleepy and damp morning greeted us all with a thin fog. The race's road sections were a good start and I found a few pace-lines to settle in and knock out much of the early gravel. Soon, I got to enjoy the first real single track section and had a lot of fun dicing up the rock infested single track and fern lined trails. There was nice flow on this section and I did my best to look cool for Bob Popovich who is always on hand to make us look good in his photos. Unfortunately, my GoPro got fogged up a bunch due to the humidity, and I did not get a lot of usable footage.

The rest of the race went well. I tried out my pickle juice flask at aid #2 as my legs threatened to cramp. After aid #3 I got a good position into the single track and rode most of it in loc step with a single speeder who possessed good technical skills. During the rest of the technical sections I was able to make a lot of passes and regained many of the positions I gave up on the climb to aid #3. By the time I got to aid #4 I was rallying out of the slump of exhaustion that usually hits me between miles 40-50ish. Lots of technical rocky sections re-affirmed my love for my Anthem X 29er and stiff I-9 wheel set.

After getting completely rattled by the near cobblestone jeep trail called “Panther Run”, I passed aid #5 and got on the gas heading into the rails to trail sections. There are 2 tunnels in this race and the first tunnel is always long, absurdly dark, and super spooky to ride because all you can see in the middle is the tombstone of light at the other end… This time it was also full of people and 2 way traffic! Fortunately, someone had LED lights and lit the tunnel up. That was awesome! Next year I will bring a small light for sure.

I caught up with my friend James Burris, and another rider I’ve met before, and we rode a nice pace line to the final climb where I got off the back by just about 15 seconds. I was able to reel them back in on the last descent.  Then I pulled a small gap as I rode out the last 25% of the super rocky “Fisherman’s Path” while the rain set in. A missed turn on the rail/trail cost me about 1 minute and I had to charge hard to try and catch James. In the last half mile of road, I looked back to see another rider working very hard to chase me down. I churned hard in my biggest gear combo to fend him off. Luckily, I managed to keep a small 2 second gap rolling into the finish with a time of 8:44

2012 Mohican 100

The 2012 Mohican started early as usual about 5:15 am. I was glad to be well rested from a good night’s sleep that normally eludes me the night before a hundred. The weather looked good and I got ready to race. As my Design Physics Racing teammates and I got ready to roll, David got some interesting news on his batphone... there was a race story contest for the Cohutta 100 that I had entered. Turns out I got second place and won a cool hitch rack. The top 3 stories, including my "Cohutta Remixed" story are posted online: http://www.trailheadoutdoors.org/newsevents/

Rolling into downtown Loudonville, it seemed we were almost late and lined up on the sideline near the front of the huge gathering preparing to ride out of town. Churning up the hill leading to the city limits was tough but I was pleased to be holding the wheel of my nearby competitors.

I entered the woods in a good position and began the 1^st part of the race through the Mohican forest single-track. I found myself surrounded by single speed riders and enjoyed the steady and quick pace we were rolling. I was regretting not having my clear lenses on my riding glasses. The woods were pretty dark in the tinted lenses and it made picking out the troublesome parallel roots strewn about the course a real challenge.

I skipped the 1^st aid station and spent the remaining single track holding my position and focusing on smooth riding to keep my lead on the rider I could hear negotiating the trail a few turns behind me. Soon there was a ripping section that ended in hard left and a serious wall of washed out fall line trail. After hiking up this monster, I rode through the horse trail sections of the race, thankful that it was not a soaked as the last time I rode here in 2010.

Finally the trail gave way to road and gravel and it was a nice relief so I tried to drain my last bottle and realized that this freebie bottle I got at some race was terrible, I could barely get anything out!

After a bit I passed under a ranch style entrance to a farm and soon was at aid 2. Volunteers hooked me up and I was on my way in a flash. Next there was some fun double track that connected back to the country roads. At one point I passed a sign for a castle, odd. Back on the open road there were some strong winds and a steep gravel climb just after a farm had some strong smells to boot.

The single track just before aid 3 was a lot of fun, but tough because my legs were shot. I enjoyed some of the short techy bits that took my mind off pedaling. There are two hills in that single track section and I remembered from previous racing here that you see aid 3 only to plunge back into the woods for one more section of trails. At least aid three had cold coke and great volunteers. Then, just after aid 3 there is a green monster of a climb. It was not as bad as it looked, but the singe track afterwards was more up than down.

Back on rolling road and gravel, my legs were shot. Some friends catch up to me and I tell them I am “in the pain cave”. I rolled with them for a bit and climbed up and rode along a park that had Frisbee golf and horse stables. It was followed by some very nice single track rolling out to the road. After passing large barn with “chew mail pouch tobacco” painted on it, I got started on the long rails to trail passage. I came across a strange wedding group on the bridge, and kept on rolling. My knees started to hurt bad and I battled this problem until I finally popped back out into a small town and aid 4 where I scored some Motrin.

Following some single track there was a long suspension bridge that was a bit scary to tide across. Later, while rolling along the Mohican river I saw white water rafters and I knew I was getting close.

Finally I popped back out on the road and back into the state park. It was time to get busy and enjoy the last section of single track. The trails re-invigorated me and I gained a position motoring through the trail. I was surprised to take a left turn into the Mohican campground and I knew I was so close.  I weaved through the campsites and rode the last bit of downhill and crossed through the RV park to the last 1/2 mile or so of paved access road. I looked back just in time to see the racer I had gapped in the single track making an attack, I had a pretty solid lead on him but shifted in afterburner just in case. There was a big crowd on bleachers and I pulled a nose wheelie as I crossed the finish and was surprised to be handed a growler, instead of a pint glass. Sweet! Then I saw more friends and soon hear the cheer of "Assman!!"

I had a tough day of racing and really fought through the pain on the rails to trail, but in the end, it is always worth it. I was pretty happy with my finish time of 8:48, almost 2 hours faster than my previous best here at Mohican.

I also made a video from my GoPro footage: