Fair Hill



Ass Hole and Jack Ass

It's been a REALLY long time since I could say that I did two xc races a week apart. Years probably. It's no secret that I've become a little complacent lately and a little too comfortable in my endurance pace. I'm kinda in a lull . I don't think I actually honestly thought I would be able to attain my hundred goal and now I'm kinda thinking, "Now what?" I still have a couple/few hundreds left. My goal at the beginning was just to finish and I've been happy with that. I need to challenge myself even more and attempt to go faster. Yes, it's a little late in the season maybe, but I've at least gotta try. I get my prescribed pain from Charlie and I do them, but intervals are not the same as an xc race. A lot of the time I miss my interval sessions because the body is really not ready and willing and I'm relegated to an easy ride. That's just the way it is. I recover like an 80 year old.

Fair Hill or "Fair Hell" has become one of my favorite places to race. I used to dread racing there. Now I look forward to it. It's fast, there aren't many places to rest and the fields are always good sized. I decided to NOT pace myself. Something that is very out of character for me. Just suffer as much as possible. I mean I knew I would finish. I finish hundreds, right? Ha! Little did I know.


Pre-Implosion

 There's a long road start at the beginning which is not fun on a single. I hung on for dear life as long as I could. I got to the singletrack and I knew this is where I could push and start catching people. I did and it worked. I was grooving and suffering like hell on a 34/18. I actually was feeling pretty strong even though I was in the pain cave. I had a little burping rear tire issue. Too much speed + rooty uphill corner + fat ass on saddle =  BURP. Second issue of the day was when I couldn't get my left cleat in the pedal. I kept trying to stand on it and ram it in and bang out anything that was in there while riding. It got to a point where I had to stop. I had to get my left foot in the damn effing pedal. I looked and there was a rock wedged between the cleat and tread. I took a stick and rock and tried to get it out. It was in there. It was not budging. I'm sure I made matters worse by repeatedly trying to jam it in my pedal. I then did the next logical think and took my shoe off and sat on the side of the trail with my tire lever and violently attacked it. I've never had anything wedged in there like that. Crisis averted and I got back on. I felt fine for a little while longer and then it hit me. Or I hit it. The wall. Holy shit. I haven't cracked like that in years. I got dizzy, felt nauseated and my legs and arms were Jell-O. I thought I was going to fall off my bike at one point. I didn't know if I was going to pass out or throw up. I stood by the side of the trail hunched over my bike. I couldn't even walk. I felt cold and clammy. Hundreds have made me really good at being able to drag my bike and body forward. I couldn't move. All I could do was stand in a heap on the side of the trail before I could even walk. I started to move forward. I walked the flats. I walked the uphills. I walked a downhill or two because I felt so dizzy. Girls started passing me and asked me if I was okay. I don't even think I could speak at that point. My friend Stacey ("Ass Hole") passed me and slowed and told me I looked like shit (that's how we roll). She asked if there was anything she could do. I grunted for her to go on and to send a search party if I'm not back by dark. There were only 2 miles left and I felt like it was insurmountable. I walked what felt like a mile of it. My delirium decreased to a manageable level and I got back on the bike. I just wanted to see the line. It felt worse than finishing a hundred had ever felt. The volunteer at the end told me I had just over  a 1/2 mile to go and I thought I was going to have a break down. Over a 1/2 mile? Really? I wanted to hit him. I've heard 46 Mile, 65 miles, etc. at hundreds and that did not feel nearly as daunting.

Post-Implosion

Mission accomplished. I'll take it as a victory. Although, it may not look like it in the results, it's the best race I've had in a long time. Sometimes you need to absolutely and completely implode in order to get over the hump and move forward. That's my theory and I'm sticking to it.