The 11-mile course took me 1 hour, 06 minutes, 41 seconds. I have heard that the course was 12 miles and 10 miles but no one seems to know how long it was really. My wife Renee did the running portion of the duathlon at 5 miles on the Dwelling loop.
I felt good heading out of the gate, confident and calm. Not nervous, just ready to do well. Took 4 days off prior to the race to rest up. Blanket’s is my back yard trail so I was extremely familiar with the course. Earlier this year I had finished the Van Michael, Dwelling, and South Loop in 1 hour 18 minutes. There is little time to get warm and in the groove before getting to some steep climbs on Van Michael. This trail is a cardio beast but has nice,rewarding downhill. It is fast, flowy and not overly technical (rocky or rooty). One aspect I couldn't have predicted were the amount of racers on the trail in front of me. I figured most everyone would be off the course. It was an exercise in bike handling, confidence, and communication. I must have passed 30 racers all told. I called out “on your left” or “racer coming up” to just about everyone. I was also courteous to most riders. When climbing up “Hurl Hill” there was someone pushing the bike up so I had to skirt around him on the right while maintaining momentum and still made it up the hill. This was not the normal line I take to get up Hurl Hill. (I imagine some of these racers had just finished the running portion so no grudges on them.) Hurl Hill is so punishing because it’s at the end of about a 30-yard climb, then guess what, more climbing! Gets fast as hell after Hurl Hill and is a nice break for the legs. There’s some nice rollercoaster stomach-drops through there. Passing someone every 45 seconds it seems. “I’m going to pass on your left...Thanks.”
Coming up to Kevorkian Pass ( a narrow,bumpy bit of trail with 10-foot drop off) and see EMTs and Bike Patrol I think sitting down at the bottom. Apparently someone had went over the cliff and took down some of the protective barrier. I had to skirt between 2 stopped racers. Apparently they needed to walk down the cliff. Staying focused and breathing. Deep breath in through mouth, then out slowly through nose. I’m in good shape half-way through Van Michael. Really warmed up now and hammering through a steady climb up to the Mardi Gras beads. Slight rest then to the climb that always punishes me, I call it Death Valley. Climbing out of the saddle now mashing middle rings and cog. In fact, I stayed in middle rings the whole race in an effort to prepare myself for singlespeed. Almost done with Van Michael after probably 24 minutes or so. More passing. Transitioning in to Dwelling and get behind a line of 5 racers heading up to Dwelling. This was a good time to take a drink of water.
Now on to Dwelling, which was a nice break from Van Michael. Dwelling starts off with some decent climbing then quickly gets fast and somewhat technical. Dwelling is a blur. I just remember passing people and then getting stuck in a line of racers. Getting a little tired and wanting to save some energy. In the climb heading up to the 2nd bench, came to a dead stop when trying to pass a racer. This track was really narrow and I probably should’ve waited but the racer didn’t make much of an effort to get over. Oh well, that’s racing. Still passing more people, some didn’t want to be passed apparently because they weren’t yielding! Railed through berms heading in to the turn off to South Loop.
Another drink of water before South Loop. I mention this because it’s a concentrated effort to pull one’s water bottle from back of jersey while keeping one hand on handlebars through bumpy terrain. I actually practiced that! South Loop is the rockiest,rootiest trail out there and is usually the one most riders loathe. I don’t mind it so much but it can be a real grind sometimes. Got behind a line of 7 racers and stayed behind them for several minutes through tight singletrack twisting through pines. No place to pass! I finally passed most of them in the clearing then the rest on a double root step up. 2 racers got caught up in the gnarl and I just willed my bike through. I have crashed at this spot a few times before. I was having a great ride. Continuing to plow through South, legs starting to ache a bit. Came up on a racer on the South Loop cliff right next to Lake Allatoona. I think I just about ran said racer off the cliff. My bad. Someone sitting next to this rock jump on down the trail a bit said I made the jump look easy ! Me and my 29er were becoming a beautiful human/metal machine. I passed the downhill area where I broke my hand 2 years ago with decent speed and slight care. More rocks, roots and grinding. My courage surged when I saw that probably 2 miles of South Loop had been cut off due to a race reroute. In my opinion, they cut out some of the toughest terrain. In a strange way, I was let down. South Loop was actually going to be somewhat palatable, not cringe-inducing as I’m so accustomed. Came up on another racer that just stopped dead between two trees. Normally it’s just a matter of pulling the front wheel up over and pedaling through. Another dismount and clock is ticking. Strong final climb then exhilarating downhill in to pines. Off South Loop heading back to finish line and sprinting as hard as I can. I see 2 more racers far ahead down the stretch and feel that I can catch them. Put my head down and pedal like there’s no tomorrow. End up passing each racer who were obviously tired and sprint to finish line.
That was a good run.
-J
I felt good heading out of the gate, confident and calm. Not nervous, just ready to do well. Took 4 days off prior to the race to rest up. Blanket’s is my back yard trail so I was extremely familiar with the course. Earlier this year I had finished the Van Michael, Dwelling, and South Loop in 1 hour 18 minutes. There is little time to get warm and in the groove before getting to some steep climbs on Van Michael. This trail is a cardio beast but has nice,rewarding downhill. It is fast, flowy and not overly technical (rocky or rooty). One aspect I couldn't have predicted were the amount of racers on the trail in front of me. I figured most everyone would be off the course. It was an exercise in bike handling, confidence, and communication. I must have passed 30 racers all told. I called out “on your left” or “racer coming up” to just about everyone. I was also courteous to most riders. When climbing up “Hurl Hill” there was someone pushing the bike up so I had to skirt around him on the right while maintaining momentum and still made it up the hill. This was not the normal line I take to get up Hurl Hill. (I imagine some of these racers had just finished the running portion so no grudges on them.) Hurl Hill is so punishing because it’s at the end of about a 30-yard climb, then guess what, more climbing! Gets fast as hell after Hurl Hill and is a nice break for the legs. There’s some nice rollercoaster stomach-drops through there. Passing someone every 45 seconds it seems. “I’m going to pass on your left...Thanks.”
Coming up to Kevorkian Pass ( a narrow,bumpy bit of trail with 10-foot drop off) and see EMTs and Bike Patrol I think sitting down at the bottom. Apparently someone had went over the cliff and took down some of the protective barrier. I had to skirt between 2 stopped racers. Apparently they needed to walk down the cliff. Staying focused and breathing. Deep breath in through mouth, then out slowly through nose. I’m in good shape half-way through Van Michael. Really warmed up now and hammering through a steady climb up to the Mardi Gras beads. Slight rest then to the climb that always punishes me, I call it Death Valley. Climbing out of the saddle now mashing middle rings and cog. In fact, I stayed in middle rings the whole race in an effort to prepare myself for singlespeed. Almost done with Van Michael after probably 24 minutes or so. More passing. Transitioning in to Dwelling and get behind a line of 5 racers heading up to Dwelling. This was a good time to take a drink of water.
Now on to Dwelling, which was a nice break from Van Michael. Dwelling starts off with some decent climbing then quickly gets fast and somewhat technical. Dwelling is a blur. I just remember passing people and then getting stuck in a line of racers. Getting a little tired and wanting to save some energy. In the climb heading up to the 2nd bench, came to a dead stop when trying to pass a racer. This track was really narrow and I probably should’ve waited but the racer didn’t make much of an effort to get over. Oh well, that’s racing. Still passing more people, some didn’t want to be passed apparently because they weren’t yielding! Railed through berms heading in to the turn off to South Loop.
Another drink of water before South Loop. I mention this because it’s a concentrated effort to pull one’s water bottle from back of jersey while keeping one hand on handlebars through bumpy terrain. I actually practiced that! South Loop is the rockiest,rootiest trail out there and is usually the one most riders loathe. I don’t mind it so much but it can be a real grind sometimes. Got behind a line of 7 racers and stayed behind them for several minutes through tight singletrack twisting through pines. No place to pass! I finally passed most of them in the clearing then the rest on a double root step up. 2 racers got caught up in the gnarl and I just willed my bike through. I have crashed at this spot a few times before. I was having a great ride. Continuing to plow through South, legs starting to ache a bit. Came up on a racer on the South Loop cliff right next to Lake Allatoona. I think I just about ran said racer off the cliff. My bad. Someone sitting next to this rock jump on down the trail a bit said I made the jump look easy ! Me and my 29er were becoming a beautiful human/metal machine. I passed the downhill area where I broke my hand 2 years ago with decent speed and slight care. More rocks, roots and grinding. My courage surged when I saw that probably 2 miles of South Loop had been cut off due to a race reroute. In my opinion, they cut out some of the toughest terrain. In a strange way, I was let down. South Loop was actually going to be somewhat palatable, not cringe-inducing as I’m so accustomed. Came up on another racer that just stopped dead between two trees. Normally it’s just a matter of pulling the front wheel up over and pedaling through. Another dismount and clock is ticking. Strong final climb then exhilarating downhill in to pines. Off South Loop heading back to finish line and sprinting as hard as I can. I see 2 more racers far ahead down the stretch and feel that I can catch them. Put my head down and pedal like there’s no tomorrow. End up passing each racer who were obviously tired and sprint to finish line.
That was a good run.
-J