The Terror

To say that there are hike a bike sections at Michaux is a major understatement. If you hate getting off of your bike and walking/scrambling/hiking minutes at a clip because of the gnarl, this is not the place for you. It's no cupcake ride.This is most likely the reason the Michaux series does not pull a lot of riders. It's hard as hell and can be/is somewhat demoralizing at times. There are no weak riders. I know the drill. I've been there before. The start list is always full of endurance racing vets and those that ride Michaux. There are no middle of the packers to hide in. The Terror of Teaberry was billed as the most technical of the three. I chose to ride the SS. I knew it was not going to be easy.

I actually had to buy a spinny gear. I bought a 21 on Friday. This is the easiest gear we've ever had in our arsenal. I ran a 34/21. Should have changed to a 32/21. As I was sitting at the start line I was checking the other ss men's gears. Shit. There were a lot of 32/20s and 32/21s. Long day ahead.

At the second aid station I needed water in my Camel Back. The volunteer insisted on helping me take it off, filling it and assisting me in putting it back on. I'm always grateful and love the help. However, I was hesitant and a little embarrassed. I knew it was nasty. I could smell the funk. When it's making you sick while you're riding you know it's bad. He took it from me and I hesitated, telling him it was nasty and I could do it. He waved me off and told me he had been touching the sweaty backpacks all day. I told him it was really ripe. No really. While he was filling it he looked at me and I think his eyes were tearing up and his face was starting to melt, "You're right, This is the nastiest one I've touched all day. Oh my God. And a chick." Ripest Camel Back award. I've won something. There's that.

The gear was too much for me to ride on some of the rock gardens. Well, the whole course was pretty much a rock garden on top of a big rock with loam in between. I kept getting caught up and losing forward motion. The trails were loamy and soft and it sapped the legs. It's twisty and technical as hell so forget about momentum. At around mile 20 my legs were on strike. Couldn't stand and pedal. Couldn't sit and pedal.The promoter is serious with his cut-off points. He has to have markings down and the course cleared by a certain time. There were a few of us together at the end. Some had already dropped off at the second aid station and called it a day. The motos were following us and as we would pass an arrow they would rip it off the tree. This did not make me feel better about myself. I technically could have made the last cut-off. However, I knew that the last 3 miles would be the longest of my life. I was done. The guys on the motorcycle got two people I was riding with to turn off and ride the road back. I kept buying more time and riding the course. "We'll see how this section goes and then I'll decide". They were trying to be cool but I knew they wanted me to ride back on the road. The one guy looked at me at my point of waving the white flag and realized I was on an SS and said "Fuck. You were on an SS all day? That's ballsy as hell for a chick. Nice work out there." It didn't make me feel better. I was pissed but I finally conceded. I rode back to the truck and I had a small tantrum and ripped my shoes and helmet off and yelled at Mike. I was a maniac for about 5 minutes. I finally took an Ike break and became somewhat normal again.

I should have known it was going to be a long day...

The good news is that (and this may sound odd to most) I finally truly know the feeling of cumulative fatigue. I've never been able to get here because I've gotten sick and have always had to take a few steps back. I know what it feels like when I'm flared up and not right. It's a hot, painful, burning fatigue and weakness. That I know intimately. This time it was a numbness in my legs. No jump. No pain. It felt like I had some else's legs. They just wouldn't listen. I was way too excited to describe this new feeling to Mike and Gordon at dinner. They both looked at me and said, "You're cooked. You've ridden more in the past month and a half than you did the last two summers. You've done over 250 miles of mtb racing/events in the last month and a half. Plus rides." Well, when I look at it like that it makes me feel like I've accomplished something. Yay!! Cooked without being at the doctor's office or in the hospital (knock on wood). I've finally made it. I'm aware that it could all change tomorrow, but it's been a good run.