WOW

The end of the season brought me to my last two races.  The SM 100 and the Terror of Teaberry.  Both tough in their own way.

The SM 100 turned out to be a solid ride for me, but not a stellar ride.  That day I felt really tired and was unable to push my high limits. Although I did finish well ahead of my personal time goal, it was short of winning the day.  That also meant that the NUE title was out of my grasp.  I ended up second in the NUE series for the year. 

Terror of teaberry started with much terror due to the dumping of rain the night prior and the morning of the event.  Ugghhh, not another nasty muddy race.  I was looking so forward to a beautiful day on my most favorite trails of all.  Surprisingly, as go time crept upon me I began to feel excited to tackle Teaberry.  Sure enough the promoters needed to further stick it to us with a running start to our bikes.  With the terror being lifted from the humor of the start we got underway.  Once on the trails I was pleasantly surprised with the condition of the trails.  It had been so dry that the rain soaked into the trails and they were not too sloppy.  Yes the rocks were a bit slippery, but not completely unrideable.  The gray of the day, the black soil and the glowing green of the forest made for some awesome trail sights.  It was quite magical.  During this race I really found my legs and top end again.  It felt great and I was loving it.  It started out on a tight single track and then opened up on a double track where I was able to pick off riders and get in good position for the tough techy trail ahead.  I had high hopes of keeping up with some local pals to keep me in good lines, but some of the rocky sections took me off my bike and I lost contact.  Once the trail again chilled out I caught back on, but only to be shelled again once we hit the next batch of rocky puzzles.  As the day went on the rocks did get more slippery and frustration did set in a bit.  I kept it at bay and continued to push my self knowing it was to be the last push of 2010.  I was very pleased with my performance and turned in a solid time to place 13th overall and 1st among the women.   

Wow is really the best way to sum up my 2010 season.  I wasn't even sure that racing at an elite level was still in my guts.  However, after being signed on with Team CF, I found the inspiration and motivation to push myself beyond what I thought possible.  Being an ambassador for the CF cause changed my focus from my own glory into a focus to bring awareness to others regarding the disease.  It was this focus that pushed me harder than I have ever gone in my life.  My hope is that my efforts inspired those with and without CF to find their way to an improved life quality through bike riding or other exercise.

Shenandoah 100, open men, 1st place

My wife and I decided to make the Shenandoah 100 race a mini family trip. For the first time, we ventured to keep our 2 year old child entertained in the car for 10 hours of driving. The trip actually took us 13 hours for adequate rest time especially for the young one. I was very glad that my wife and son were able to join me. Although phone contacts are great, it does not come even close as being together even if it is confined in a closed space for 10 hours.

At the start line, I could not wait for the race promoter to give us the "go" as the chilly morning had many of us shivering. This is certainly why Chris Beck and Jeremiah Bishop went to the front and opened a small gap one minute into the race.

Jeff Schalk and I were at the lead of the main group gradually increasing the pace to join back to them. The group reformed causing a slower pace. I was pleased to follow this moderate pace for awhile but I felt that I could spin the legs a little bit faster. I eventually went to the front and increased the speed. I did not want to reach the single track downhill in a large group.

Shortly before the top, Jeff relayed me at the front. I took this opportunity to look behind. The group had shrunk to 6 riders: Jeff Schalk, Brandon Draugelis, Sam Koerber, Jeremiah Bishop, Chris Beck and I.

Right at the start of the downhill, Jeremiah pulled off the side. He just had a flat tire. The remaining of the downhill was pretty uneventful as we all followed each other closely under Jeff's direction. Once we reached the dirt road that brings us to the second major climb, we organized a good paceline where everybody did his fair amount of effort at the front.

Reaching to the single track climb, I was right behind Jeff. It is not a secret, I like climbs but this one is my favorite: it is in a nice part of the forest, it is steep, it is long and it is all rideable at the exception of a 10 yards stretch.

Jeff bobbled on some rocks putting me to the lead. I slowly started to pull away from everybody and thought it was not the greatest idea as I am not the best descender. I backed off the pace a tiny bit and when I reached the top, Brandon followed by Jeff were only 15 yards behind. I pulled on the side and let them go by.

The downhill was just fun and this year my tires held really good. After a short stretch on the dirt roads, our group of five reformed and we resumed our paceline. While Chris Beck was in the front and I in second position, a black bear crossed the dirt road about 100 yards in front of us. It was first time I witnessed a bear in the wild and while it was cool, 100 yards away is the closest I'd like to observe one.

The downhill of the third major mountain was once more a lot of fun especially closer to the bottom where the trail features some good size water bars.

It was now time to climb the fourth mountain which proved to be too much for Sam Koerber. As we reached the aid station #4, Jeff and I did not stop, Chris had a speedy pit stop but Brandon took a little longer. There, we reformed a three men paceline.

Few miles later, Chris let Jeff and I set the pace at the front; as he guessed that we would pull away anyway as the grade will increase in the fifth mountain. This is exactly what happened. As Jeff and I reached aid #5, we had a neutral stop. Shortly after, Jeff placed an attack but I managed to stay right behind his wheel. The trail is a succession of downhills and uphills before the long way down to aid station #6.

I could tell by now, that I had a little more in the tank than Jeff. Indeed, his normally smooth and efficient pedal strokes appeared to be more labored. Knowing my limits in the downhill discouraged me of placing an attack of my own. Why commit to an important effort if it is to be caught back immediately in the long downhill?

However, I did not have to ask myself what to do anymore. Jeff's chain dropped from the chain ring causing him to get off his bike. I took the lead, I thought I could take it easy for awhile and pull on the side when Jeff will come flying down the trail.

Not following anybody but riding at my own pace, I surprised myself how quickly I was riding. I was climbing a good 1 mph faster. I told myself that it did not really matter as I was convinced that Jeff will easily bridge back in the long downhill.

The only opportunities I have to ride that kind of terrain (technical downhill) are during races. I could not gauge how I fair against others. Anyway, I was certain to lose time but before I noticed I was almost at the bottom.

I came to an almost dry-out creek bed and heard the large stone contact the front rim. Wow! I should be more careful or I could get a flat tire... I slowed down a little for the remaining two times the trail crossed the creek only to realize that I did get a flat tire.

Lucky enough, I was right by the aid station #6. Another fortunate fact, I was in the lead and received the entire support of the volunteers. We pumped more air to the tire to see if the sealant would stop the leak. It proved to be inefficient and carried on with the repair by putting a tube. By the time we were attaching the wheel to the fork, Jeff rolled by. I was surprised that I could almost complete the entire repair before he came by. I must have had a good 2-3 minutes gap. Maybe I am not that slow in the downhill after all.

Quickly before the last climb I reached back to Jeff. He wondered if I got lost since he did not see me fixing my tire at the aid station as all the volunteers hided me.

On the early slopes of the climb, we tested each other's legs. A couple of accelerations later, Jeff gave me a tap in the back, telling me that I could go alone now. And so I did. I maintained the fast pace to the top of the hill but slowed down a little on the way down. I did not want to risk another flat with my compromised tire.

 When I reached the double track leading to the campground, I had flashbacks from last year, where Jeremiah was performing a time trial beating me for the win for a mere 22 seconds after 7 hours of racing. It was not going to happen this time. I performed the best time trial I could until I reached the campground. 

This time I had it! I raised my arms in the air while crossing finish line. It felt great! After a series of second places, I am pleased to finish the last NUE event of the year with a bang.

I finally reached the best time of the year. This is where I have good fitness but don't need to train anymore. It is just fun to enjoy the trails without any other goals but to have fun. A million thanks to my teammates for the encouragements and tips all season long. Many thanks go to my team: Team CF provided me with great support such that I could perform at my best. And without my wife's sacrifices, it would not have been possible to manage between family, work and training.  The end of racing season probably comes as a bigger relief for her than for me!

It was like a big party after the race. My family got to meet all my racing friends/competitors and the members of Team CF. As a family man myself, it was encouraging to see Chris Beck and Chris Etough with their families.

Christian

That’s a Wrap

What an end to a great season. Took a little side trip to the Mt. Washington Hill Climb, where I captured 3^rd place woman overall and won my age division. Then a couple of weeks later traveled to Seven Springs 24 Hour Champion Series with Rob Lichtenwalner, where we won our division (and missed beating the men’s duo team by 1 second!). With that win, I wrapped up the Mid Atlantic Super Series in first place for the season. Team CF also took the top position in the small team field! What a year! Can’t wait to see what 2011 holds.

Which hat today?!

Well folks its better late than never!  Since I last updated I was off to Bend Or.  That was a great trip!  I had never been to Oregon before and Bend was a great place to visit.  The race had awesome single track for close to 80 miles, however the 10 in between miles weren't much fun due to thick moondusty trails.  I felt great that day and battled it out with Sue Butler who hails from the area.  She took the top honors and I placed a proud 2nd.  Sometimes it is how you feel that day and not if you win or lose. 

After Bend I had a weekend off and did some local rides in Michaux that were great fun.  The 6 races in a row took a toll on me and it was good to be staying put at home.  I missed it. 

The next week found me traveling to Dahlonega GA for another NUE event.  The fool's gold.  I really wasn't myself prior to the race and it proved to be a rotten day for me.  The weather was foul, the conditions horrible, so horrible in fact that the race was called at 50 miles.  I unfortunately did not finish the 50 miles due to a mistake in course direction and then finding that my bike was unsafe due to brake failure.  The brake failure happened because of the horrible conditions of mud and water during the race.  YUCK.  A day I really don't want to remember.  It is the first 100 miler and if my memory is correct the only race I have ever had to DNF.  It was not a good feeling.  My only reprieve from being completely bummed out is that if that is the worst for this season, for all my 17 100 milers, let alone my entire career than so be it.  I am lucky! 

Ok, I'm over it!  On to new and different things.  Like hats.  I am referring to my change of lifestyle this time of year.  The Monday after GA I went back to work as a School Counselor.  Yes I have that same feeling the kids have.  Oh no summer is over dread :(  along with each year brings something new excitement:).  It also meant that as a mom my role is also more demanding with the school schedule, soccer practice/games, helping with homework and just plain family time.  I don't mind this change in lifestyle and actually look forward to it.  However there is always an adjustment period and the overlap of my biking gig for the first three weeks adds to the adjustment.  It becomes difficult to fit it all in and there is little time for rest.  The balancing act gets a bit overwhelmed and some pieces start to slip.  Actually it is not so much that they slip, it is more that my priorities shift.

Which leads me to this weekend and the next.  SM100 and the final Michaux race.  Two big races.  Two great fun events shared with great people.  I really want to go and do my best and I  plan on it!  I hope I can hold the pieces together for two more weekends.  After that I can let go!

Fool's Gold 100, open men, 2nd place, Christian Tanguy

The 13 hour drive from Michigan to Georgia was one more time quite tiring. I set to go early to bed and rest as much as possible in order to be ready the next morning. In the middle of the night, the down pour woke me up. It was quite a sight as the parking lot of the hotel was transformed into a swimming pool. I returned to my bed and turned on the alarm twenty minutes earlier such I could change tires to ready the bike for the mud.

Surprisingly, the start finish area was not in such a bad shape considering the amount of rain we had the night before. The grassy field was "spongy" and water would come out as you walked on the grass but there was no monster water puddle and the grass field was not transformed into a swamp area. The race promoter gave us the usual advices and started the count down for the 2 laps of 50 miles.

The lap starts by a long and steady dirt road climb; I don't know what stung Jeff Schalk but he set up an incredible tempo right from the beginning. For a moment, I thought that he just wanted to get his legs and heart in gear but after a minute of this high speed pace, there was no slow down. One by one, I watched Jeff's followers losing ground as I was reaching from the back. When I finally made the lead group, Jeff was about 50 yards ahead by himself.

Nobody in the group wanted to stay at that speed since there was still 98 miles to go. Maybe Jeff wanted to set up the longest run away of any 100 mile race? Anyway, I had good legs too and decided to bridge back. Knowing the course from the year prior, I knew I had plenty of time to reach back. I did it very gradually and in a very controlled manner without having to red line the legs or the heart. Jeff and I were now 20 minutes into the race when the first rain drops started to fall around us. 30 seconds later, it was a strong rain.

The Cohutta and Mohican races came back to memory. Will the weather at this year Fool's Gold race be worse? At least, it was a good start as the sky let see no indication that the rain would stop anytime soon.

The steep and long downhill from aid station #1 got me to blink every 5 seconds; the road was just a blurry brownish stripe in front of me. The trail at the bottom was a running creek and I could hear the discs already chewing apart the brake pads. By now, Jeff set up in a much more comfortable pace but yet I got sometimes distanced because I could not distinguish the trail anymore from all the dirt on my glasses.

As we arrived at aid station#2 (also aid station #3), I could have used a short stop to grab a fresh bottle but nothing was set up yet: no tent, no bags, no volunteers. Jeff was a little disoriented as arrows were pointing in several directions. Since I raced there last year and knowing that the loop between aid #2 and aid #3 was run in the opposite direction, I quickly guided us to the proper path.

As we entered a steeper single track, my chain became to get jammed between the chain rings and the chain stay. The first few times, I bridged back to Jeff but the chain suck became worse causing me to chase for longer durations. However, it is in the downhill that I let Jeff go alone. Once more, my vision was impeded by the dirt on the glasses. So far, I have been cleaning quite successfully my glasses while riding but the increased speeds in the downhill caused an increased amount of dirt on the glasses.... in addition, my rear break gave its last hurray in the downhill to aid #3.

I finally reached the aid station and this time it was ready. I grabbed my bottles and took that opportunity to clean my glasses once more. What a difference clean glasses make! Literally day and night!

The chain sucks became more and more frequent and where it used to happen only on the small ring while riding uphill sections, it was now occurring on the large chain ring on flats... Anyway I was still moving forward, at least for the moment.

By now, I started to notice a lot of riders ahead of me. In fact, the weather conditions took its toll on men and machines and many racers were not able to continue racing and were on their way to return to the start finish. On a flat dirt road I met one of them. He jumped out of his bike to help me with yet another chain suck. We rapidly got the chain untangled but it required a tremendous effort to spin the cranks such that we thought the chain was still stuck somewhere. We double checked everything: the chain line was fine and diagnosed the problem. The free wheel was locked. After a few power pedal strokes out of the saddle, the free wheel started to spin somewhat freely...

Before aid station #4, Harlan Price bridged back; he was doing extremely well in the uphill sections and rode several trails on his single speed that I ended-up pushing due to bike problem.

Chain sucks and reduced visibility were my excuses to let Harlan go. Finally, I reached a steep downhill. I remembered this trail to be tricky and made sure I did not entered it with speed as it would be even harder to slow down with my fading front brake. Unfortunately, Harlan did not have the same knowledge of the trail and crashed at speed. His bike was upside down in a tree and the content of his jersey's back pockets scattered all over the trail. As soon as I could see him I crushed the brake lever. Where normally I would have been catapulted over the bar, the bike was gently slowing down; I think this was the last time my front brake somewhat worked.

Harlan was on his feet which was a good thing. After awhile, Harlan sent me on my way, confirming that he was bruised but okay.

The rest of the course was just a blurry mess. Both brakes now completely out, I was really cautious in the downhill trails. In one of the uphill forest road, I saw glimpse of Jeff before he finally disappeared for good in the following downhill. Few times, while reaching approx. 12 miles an hour, I would dismount the bike and start running to reduce my speed. It was really scary at times.

I was relieved when Eddie (race promoter) stopped the race at one lap. I had replacement brake pads in my car and could have changed them for the second lap... or maybe not... Now back home, after cleaning the bike, I noticed that the brake pad was completely gone, not just the brake compound but also the supporting plate. The piston was able to move so far out, that the hydraulic oil was gone. Looking back, changing the brake pads will have been no use.

Anyway, it was an interesting race for sure; worth remembering.

Ore to Shore, Christian Tanguy, open men, 7th place

I spent another weekend away from home to participate to the Ore to Shore XC race. The weather was ideal and the long drive (8 hours) was completed without any troubles. At the registration, talking to friends, I was trying to understand what was ahead of me. They mentioned some hike a bike, water puddles???

Since it was my first participation at this race, I did not qualify for one of the 75 "preferred start" positions. Consequently, I would be staged with the remaining 600 competitors. When I arrived at the start location, I immediately placed my bike on the ground to reserve a spot as close to the front as possible. The 2 front lines behind the preferred start area were already full, so I left my bike on the 3^rd line and went back to the car to relax.

5 minutes prior to the start, I arrived to the starting line – what a crowd! Everybody was ready to take off. I hurried up to try to find my bike in the crowd. Fortunately, the bike was right where I left it. I was now hoping that the start will be somewhat conservative to allow my legs to warm up slowly.

The gun went off and the train left the station at great speed. Well no quite the descent warm-up I was hoping for... My legs felt sore from the violent effort. I pressed on and 2 to 3 miles in I was in the top 20, right where I wanted to be; next to last year's 2^nd place finisher (Mike Anderson).

The little hill called Lucy's hill, sorted things a little more before a relaxed pace on the downhill / flat trails allowed racers to join back to the front group. Everything was new to me and my goal was just to stay in the front before the "power house" racers will crush me on the fast rolling trails and dirt roads.

We rode thru some sandy portions, along side a railroad, etc. until a reached a creek; I carefully carried my bike using the bridge (to avoid dirt in the drive train); but was probably too careful and had to close a 50 yard gap. It was all for nothing as we reached a very long water puddle which was quite deep in spots. I lost some ground in the mucky waters, forcing me to a hard chase to close the gap.

Finally, we reached a double track trail underneath some power lines. Mike A. was slowly letting a gap being created and by the time I realized it and went around him, the front group was already 100 yards away. I closed the gap by an all-out effort.

One mile later or so, I screwed up one of the tricky steep climb and end-up having to close the gap one more time. When we finally reached the hike a bike section called "Misery Hill" I was dropped again. Each time, I performed a mini time trial to get back to the front; each time it was taking me more time....

At the half way point, we were 7 riders: Mike Simonson, Derek Graham, Brian Matter, Tristan Schouten, TJ Woodruff, Nathan Guerra and me. Prior to the race, I gave myself a 50% chance to be with the front group at that point so it was already a victory of some sort.

By now, there were mad accelerations followed by really easy pedaling. Yes, it was just a road race only we were on mountain bikes.

Blurry several miles of hard efforts later, we were still the 7 of us, 3 miles from the finish. I was struggling for a while and in a small steep incline, I lost contact. This time there was no bridging back. When I finally moved my body over the short climb, the leaders were already at top speed. Amazing how fast they were pulling away!

The racers behind me could not be too far; I maintained a good pace to the finish line and arrived in 7^th place. It is a very satisfying result not so much for the overall position but rather by my riding. For the first time, I could ride with the lead group on a race course which does not hit on my strength. I also noticed severe lack in some skills which I need to improve if I am going to be a contender for the win like: dismount, run, remount or ride 2 feet behind the preceding rider rather than 5 yards behind....

Time now to rest for the Fool's Gold 100 in GA.

Pontiac Lake XC, Elite Men, 1st place, 1h51m17s

Pontiac Lake Recreational State Area is one of the most preferred places to ride in the Detroit area. The place has some hills, rough sections, fast transition trails, etc. Plus, one lap is about 10 miles long, so we don't feel like a hamster in its cage. However, Pontiac Lake is a little too far from home and the last time I was there was three years ago for the cross-country race. I just hoped that I was going to remember the tricky spots.

The starting line was stocked with all the racers chasing for the championship points. As the front runners for the championship were called to the line, we squeezed in to leave a spot for Mike Simonson as Pontiac is his home trail and he is incredibly fast.

As expected, Mike Simonson took the hole shot, closely followed by Steve Dempsey (overall point leader) and myself. Mike put the pedal to the metal and after half a lap; Mike and myself distanced ourselves from the field.

In some turns, the visibility was limited and I probably used the brakes a little more than I could have. On the other hand, Mike's knowledge of the trails enabled him to keep the pace at the maximum speed such that he opened small gaps. Of course, I worked extra hard in the climbs and open areas just to reach back to him.

I was glad when we completed the first lap out of three. I had a little breather when Mike picked up a fresh bottle and actually this short slow down was sufficient to trade positions. I was not feeling so fresh anymore but pressed on each time the trail went up. Surprisingly, two or three miles later, I had a small gap.

Like usual, I kept pedaling as hard as I could but it would have been nice to know the time gaps. Starting the third lap, I was getting sloppy in the tight trails. Thankfully, the tires held strong and the suspension of the Trek Top Fuel saved the day when I deviated to the worst line possible. Apparently everybody was about a minute slower between the 2^nd and the 3^rd lap.

When I finally crossed the finish line, I was really tired. However, I was very pleased to put Team CF at the top of the podium. Next race will be the Ore to Shore in the Upper Peninsula in Michigan. Although the terrain should not favor me, as it is mostly flat or slightly downhill on open trails, I will give my best effort to stay close to the front. 

Long time gone

It has been a long time since I have reported.  Sorry.  It has been a whirl wind on my end.  One extreme to the next.  It all started back in early July with a 2 1/2 week trip to Colorado.  I competed in three events during my trip.  Firecracker 50, Winter Park point to point, and then the Breck 100.  Altitude definitely does not favor me, but my time was well spent on new experiences and good training.  At the firecracker I placed 9th, Winter Park 4th and then 3rd in the Breck 100.

From there I directly traveled to Corolla NC for a fun family beach fest.  At the end of that week I then high tailed it home for my favorite race of the Michaux endurance series.  The Curse of Dark Hollow can definitely live up to its name, but I still managed to place 1st amongst the women.

So if you have been keeping track that makes four races in a row, but we aren't done yet.  Just last weekend I competed in another NUE race The Wilderness 101.  I was very nervous for this race, but the day proved to be a great one for me.  I placed first among the women with a time of 8:06.  Now I am off to Bend OR for another NUE race.  That will make it six in a row.  I'll let you know how it goes:)

Wilderness 101, Christian Tanguy, open men, 2nd place

It was my third trip to the Wilderness 101. This year, Chris Eatough and Josh Tostado were missing but Jeremiah Bishop and Nick Waite were there to animate the front of the race. The weather was going to be excellent and all conditions seemed to be gathered to break the race record.

Leading to the race, my training was on track and the day before the race I felt good. After a good night resting, I hoped I would be ready to survive 101 miles of mountain bike racing against some of the toughest racers in the country.

For once, the start was pretty mild on the first climb of the day. That provided a good warm-up for the legs and before we realized, we were already by the aid station #1. On the slopes of the next mountain, the front group was slowly getting smaller and as we started our descent to aid station #2, the group was counting 7 riders: Jeff Schalk, Jeremiah Bishop, Mike Simonson, Brandon Draugelis, Nick Waite, Robert Lichtenwalner and myself.

We completed most of the downhill and I was holding my own. Could it be that I finally reach aid station #2 with the lead group? That was my third attempt at it, and this year was just like the previous ones. The chain got jammed into the cranks and chain rings. It all happened in a fraction of a second such that I was still pedaling. The chain was completely twisted; the links will be oriented vertically by the chain rings but be horizontally oriented by the cassette.

Frustration and adrenaline helping, I pulled like a mad man on the chain and finally got it into an acceptable shape. Before I jumped on my bike, Chris Beck came flying down; I already lost quite some time. I exited the single track downhill and was now on a smooth dirt road. At every other rotation of the cranks, the chain will skip on the cassette. It was impossible to produce any kind of effort. It was clear that if there wasn't a mechanic with a 10-speed chain at the aid station, I would have been forced to quit the race.

It was my lucky day! The mechanic had a brand new chain. Of course, the few minutes I spent standing aside the bike appeared to last hours especially when watching other racers coming and leaving the aid station. The mechanic told me that my rear derailleur had a weak spring which was probably the cause of the chain getting jammed into the cranks in the first place.

Before taking off from the aid station, all the volunteers gave me a great cheer; especially Brandon's mom who convinced me that I was still in range for a descent finish. Indeed, the last 2 years, I was in the same kind of position and each time I arrived in the top 5.

The bike was ride able again but the tired derailleur spring along with a slightly too long new chain; caused the chain to skip every 20 seconds or so. For the remainder of the race (60 miles), I constantly adjusted the cable tension in order to minimize the chain skipping with various successes depending on the gear.

I always welcomed the long dirt road climb right after the aid station #2. I consider it like a launch pad of some sort. My regained motivation was fueling me and instead of "cooling down" two thirds up the mountain like the previous years, this time I kept the throttle fully opened to the very top. In the span of one climb, I gained back 5 places and was already spotting Chris Beck.

I had really good legs and by the aid station #3 I was back in 6^th place. On the rocky single track ascend, I had a nice talk with my bike: "Either die or work properly!" as the chain skipped nonstop causing me to push the bike for a while. Apparently, it elected for the latter choice. Mid way between aid #3 and aid #4, I caught up to Brandon Draugelis. My close competitors were also suffering from mechanical problems so I passed Mike Simonson and Jeremiah Bishop while they were repairing their bikes. Nick Waite was with Jeremiah as I was riding by.

Incredibly, rolling in to aid station #4, I caught everybody but Jeff Schalk. Brandon's mom was again cheering me on and of course had to tell me: "I told you so!" The hardest part was still ahead of me. How do you contain a pro-road racer (Nick Waite) and a pro mountain biker (Jeremiah Bishop) from bridging back? And let's not forget Brandon Draugelis, always well placed. Simple! I rode like a dog: hammered the climbs, crossed my fingers on the rocky descents for the tires to hold up.

By aid station #5, nobody bridged back. It actually made me more nervous as it is easier to deal with an apparent danger rather than with a latent one. Anyway, I crushed the pedals for the last climb of the day. I surprised myself wishing for the mountain to be taller such that I could use my advantage in the climbs a little longer.

The bike gave me a last reminder that it needed some care when in the pitch black tunnel, one mile of the finish line, the chain dropped...  Oh well, this time shifting between the different chain rings did the trick and I carried enough speed to keep my balance.

I am delighted I could cross the line in 2^nd place behind Jeff. Except for the mechanical problem with the chain, everything went well. I need to thank one of our sponsor and friend Chris Eatough for the advice on the nutrition. Following his advice, I tried a new formulation of the Infinit product and it rocks!

Stony Creek, Time trial, Christian Tanguy, elite men, 1st place

 

How to pass on a race located at riding distance from my home? The time trial at Stony Creek is not part of the Michigan championship I am pursuing but the race is well organized, the course is fun and the competition is always stiff. 

The entire week the weather forecast called for no rain on race day, so I was a little surprise when I actually wake up hearing the rain drops hitting the roof. It was not a heavy rain by any mean and it stopped by 8:00am leaving two hours for the trails to dry up. 

Doing the full range of mountain bike racing from the time trial to the 100 miles format, I always have a problem settling to pace that is going to bring me to finish line the fastest. Furthermore, I was the first competitor to start and while I would have nobody that could hinder me on the tight single track trails, I would not be able to gage my speed. 

No matter, how often I ride there my legs are burning right from the get go as we are riding on the grass shoulder along side the road. Luckily, the first creek crossing is always welcome to cool them but more importantly, that signify that the single track trails are not too far away. 

My Bontrager XR1 tires were perfect, rolling extremely well on the double track but still maintaining sufficient grip to handle the humid turns in the single track. Being familiar with the trails and the race layout, I proceeded with extreme caution when approaching the greasy spots and the infamous wet wood bridge. 

I was able to maintain the pace to the second and last creek crossing. I then put a harder gear for the last mile to the finish. I was delighted to hear I had the fastest time. Next race is the Wilderness 101 in Pennsylvania; quite an adjustment in race length.

Two Hot Races

The heat has been on high here in the Mid-Atlantic and I’ve been racing in it with varying degrees of success. The first enduro I’ve done since Trans-Sylvania, PAValleys.com Stage Race and Festival in Marysville, PA, was a stifling sufferfest. The race was staged on a partially wooded farm in Central PA and it was oppressively hot. I bungled my hydration early on and never got back on top, still pulling a very proud, very hard fought, 2^nd place for the day. 

A few weeks—and one 10 day vacation—later, things got better. I headed to the Fair Hill Classic in Elkton, Maryland for a 50 mile enduro. It was still hot—100 degree hot—but this time I was prepared. I packed two waterpacks with Infinit (our drink sponsor) endurance formula and forced myself to take in a steady stream. The heat still got to me once or twice, leaving me feeling weak and nauseous. But it didn’t last and midway through the race I felt absolutely fantastic, taking a happy 1^st place for the day.

Christian Tanguy, Boyne Marathon, Michigan, open men, 1st place

Exactly one week after the Stony Marathon, it was time to race yet another Marathon in Boyne ski resort in Michigan. This race is actually a little less lengthy than the Stony Creek one as we need to complete only 4 laps of 11.5 miles and it takes about 40 minutes less than Stony Creek to complete. However, Boyne is possibly one of the hilliest courses out in Michigan.



Once more it was hot and humid, but I almost had a heart stroke when I saw my competitors for the day. Indeed, Mike Simonson (currently in 2nd place for the NUE), Mike Anderson (Michigan's top finisher of the coveted Iceman race) and Chad Wells (recent winner of the race in Michigan) were waiting for me. We were only 4 riders in the Elite Men category but only very high competitive racers.

At the start, Mike Simonson wasted no time to go at the front and crush the pedals on the flat portion of the course. As it was to be expected, everybody matched Mike's effort as we were moving at great speed thru the trees.

Although each lap, we climbed to the top of the ski hill, it is not a single climb to the top but a succession of climbs and descents, just like an inclined edge of a wood saw. Mike S. and Chad were in great form and it was a challenge to follow the first one on the climbs and the second one on the descents as they were trading the lead.


On the last ascent, Mike S. and Chad were about 50 yards in the front, while I was behind Mike A. on the single track. Mike A. was really suffering from the heat and as soon as the single track ended into a paved road, I passed him and joined back to the lead.

Just like on the first lap, Mike S. led us on the flat portion, then I went to the front on the climbs. It was too much for Chad. Just like last year, It was going to be a showdown between Mike and myself.

At times, Mike and I had to be patient with the lapped traffic; but eventually we completed the 2nd lap together. At the start of the 3rd lap, I led us on the flat section and consequently I was ideally placed to increase the tempo as we reached the hillier portion of the course. Quite quickly, I had a sizeable gap. I kept the speed high but most importantly, I try to avoid a mistake in the downhill as we were still far away from the finish and consequently, there would be many opportunities to distance myself again if Mike was going to bridge back.

Of course, by lap 4, I was getting tired but I was confident that I kept the lap time pretty much the same. Finally, I reached the finish in first place; about 4 minutes ahead of Mike. Once more, the Boyne marathon has been a tough race but putting Team CF on the top spot was well worth my efforts.

Christian Tanguy, Stony Creek Marathon, Michigan, open men, 1st place

During the Independence Day weekend, the chase for points for the Michigan championship was on. The Stony Creek Marathon counts for double points depending on your position at the Brighton Stage Race. The trails there get ridden a lot and each year a new section of trail is added to let some worn out section heal. On the paper, the 6 laps of 10 miles do not look like much, in reality this is quite a challenge.




Due to the length of the event, the Elite Men category starts first at 10:00am, closely followed by all the remaining groups. At the start, it was already hot and humid. The trails were dusty from the lack of rain the previous week. For sure, the temperatures were going to rise up as the day went by.

A group of 5 riders was spun off in the fist mile. The pace was high enough that we had a gap on the pursuers but nobody was gasping for air. After all, there were still 5 more laps to go.

Prior to the start, I thought I would be waiting for the 3rd lap to increase the tempo before I try to shake things up. However, as I noticed that everybody seemed to be "too" relaxed, I decided to try everybody's legs (including mines) a lap earlier. I sped up in the little climb prior to the long single track section called the "rollercoaster". Immediately, the group reduced from 5 to 2 as only Greg Kuhn was able to stay on my wheel. In the following single track, Greg struggled a little bit and I was slowly pulling away from him. It was not a good thing since there were more than 40 miles to the finish and the second part of the lap has significant double track trails.

Drafting in the single track is inexistent, so I let Greg take the lead in the rollercoaster. Both he and I ride often the trails such that we could increase our gap while still saving some energy. Unfortunately, on the last turn, Greg washed out. We remounted our bikes and now I was back in the lead, pulling us on the double track. However, this little mishap was the opportunity needed by Steve Dempsey to bridge back.

On the third lap, I accelerated at the same location than on lap 2; but this time I managed to leave alone. I had a good rhythm, I felt strong both on the tight single track and the double tracks. The 3rd lap was completed quickly.

It was now noon and the sun was really pounding on us as soon as we were leaving the shaded wooded area. I could also notice that I was getting tired as I was not as smooth on the tight trails but the hardest for me was to find the motivation to complete another 30 miles as we were only half way.

The next 3 laps, I kept my speed as constant as possible, realizing that I was fading out anyway. I had no idea where everybody else was located. They could be right on my tail, minutes away or they could have left the race prematurely after an incident. It did not really matter and I kept pushing to the best of my ability to the finish.

I was a little bit surprised when I heard that I had almost 11 minutes over 2nd place. I really wished I knew before my last lap as I would have ease up the pace a bit. I crawled from the finish line to a picnic table where I laid down for several long minutes. My body was in much pain but I was very satisfied to have raced as hard as I could without holding back anything.

For the Michigan championship, it was a good operation as I come closer to Steve for the top spot. I am glad I could put Team CF in the spot light; another few races remains for the championship; I'll try to keep it up.

BC Bike Race 2010

First off I want to thank Brian and Margaret Benson for saving my bike and my race! When my race rig got held up in Canadian Customs, they were there to get the bike and I. Brain and Margaret are Team CF club members and Margaret is a CF butt kicker, with fresh lungs transplanted a few years ago. Go Margaret!

The reason for my trip to Canada was to report on the BC Bike Race for www.Cyclingdirt.org. I would be racing a seven day stage race through the wilds of British Colombia and shooting video along the way. I'd known about the race for years and had heard many great things about it. Being a stage race veteran I felt that I would pretty much know what to expect.
     British Colombia is a beautiful place. Surrounded by water, it is a rain forest with snow capped mountains in the distance. There were ferns chest high and cascading waterfalls. Trails were covered in moss that looked to be dosed with radiation. Big dark woods greeted us almost every day. For four of the five days we had to take ferries from one race start to another.
      Since I was there to report for CyclingDirt and they payed for a big part of my trip, I was obliged to make racing a secondary priority. I was looking at it as a training week for me and went with few expectations, except to have a good time and ride.
It ended up that I budded up with an old friend and now a good friend Ryan Lebar, who was reporting for Bike Magazine. We proceeded to act as if we had nothing to loose and stayed up late talking to people, writing and downloading pictures and videos every night. It was a great way to do the race without the normal early sleep schedule and tight recovery sechdule one would normally follow.
       I think one of the great things about the BCBR was that so much of the logisitcs were dialed by the promoters that we pretty much just had to take directions and could spend 7 days riding mindlessly. Tents, food and transportation were held under our noses every day. We slept on beaches, in the infield of track fields, city parks, bike hostels (cumberland!), soccer fields and resort hotels (Whistler). We ate in small restaurants, hockey rinks, community centers and every day it was good!  That's a terrible sentence.
       Anyways, I found myself contesting for a top ten spot and since it was there I tried hard enough to take it. It was fun riding with some really interesting and legendary people. I spent many days riding the wheel of current World Cup leader Catherine Pendrel and her duo partner and World Cup contender Geoff Kabush. I met free ride legend Darren Butler and after 6 days of trying to ride together fate found us kicking it on the last day. Check out the video for helmet cam highlights on day seven.
http://www.cyclingdirt.org/coverage/237274-2010-BC-Bike-Race/video/345789-Stage-7-BC-Bike-Race-Helmet-Cam-Highlights-

If you have the time check out the other videos.

If you ever get a chance and have the fitness, go do BCBR. I give it the highest recommendation, 10 chili peppered rattlesnakes!


Harlan
 

Kaitlyn's big day in the saddle

Kaitlyn’s first MTB bike went down this weekend. Kaitlyn had really never ridden a MTB bike until this winter. Her training got derailed when she crashed in April and fractured her arm. Kaitlyn picked up the training after she mended and targeted the MASS cross country race in NJ this weekend as her first race. Kaitlyn came out charging and held off a late surge from some of her competitors to get the win. Congrats!! Also thanks to Nikki and Kristin for their coaching and encouragement. Jim

TSE Recap: Kristin and Nikki   

This is your first stage race?  You girls will learn a lot!  

We kept asking ourselves, "what do they mean?"  and "why won't they just tell us?"   

But, in time we realized that these are lessons that truly need to be learned.     

After Stage 4  I treated myself to a teaberry custard which landed me in the hospital for two days with food poisoning.  Nikki missed stage 5 because she was hanging with me at the Mt. Nittany Hospital (a true best bud), but returned for stage 6 and represented!  After two days ofJell-o, Who's the Boss re-runs, watching the National Spelling Bee on ESPN, and a lot of sleeping (in a comfortable Hill-Rom bed - just wanted to make sure our sponsors got a shout-out!)  I returned to Boy Scout Camp to casually ride Stage 7 with everybody.    

Nikki and I drove home feeling slightly underwhelmed, it wasn't because the TSE was underwhelming.  It was an incredibly well planned race with beautiful routes and fun people.  We hope to return next year, with a few learned lessons in our pockets (like don't eat the teaberry custard).    

Lessons Learned:

1. Don't miss the arrows - pay attention!!
2. Bring a quick link  - ALWAYS
3. Leave a spare chain and parts at the support stops
4. Don't eat teaberry custard!  PERIOD THE END!
5. Our friendship is stronger than we had ever imagined!

So, why not return to State College again for another epic day of racing next week? 

Steady pedaling - Stoopid 50: Kristin and Nikki  

After arriving at the hotel in State College to find that Back to Future was on TV, we didn't think the weekend could get much better!    

We awoke to a muggy morning in which showers were lingering, fortunately the skies waited until the first 10 minutes of the 2010 Stoopid 50 to open up.  Nikki and I each struggled, each in our own ways.  I threw myself over the handlebars about 10 miles in (hitting a big rock with not enough speed) and tragically destroyed my Honka-horn.  Ray Adams helped me, brushed me off, and picked up the pieces of the horn - which represented the pieces of my soul.  I felt like I was just getting battered by the course and the wet.  But, I kept ticking away - what else was I to do?  

After about 2 hours and a Snickers bar, I started to get my mojo back, but it wasn't until 4 hours and 53 minutes that I finally closed in on the leader.  Having never been in this position (closing in on  the leader nearly 5 hours into a race - unsure of how far the finish was) I tried to be strategic: I ate, I drank, I rode steady until I settled in behind her, recovered, then put in a hard effort on a long, stiff climb.  Then, rode like I was being chased!  I was able to find a rider that had the mileage to find that I was about 1 mile from the finish - a very technical mile.    

In a time of 5 hours and 17 minutes I managed to finish first - a very hard win!  

Nikki  also struggled, mostly with her inner-demons for the first 8-10 miles of the race –often wondering what she was thinking returning to race 50 miles one week after the TSE and wondering if she could call it quits at the first checkpoint.  As she approached the first checkpoint, she encountered fellow racer Janel Demeter, who reminded her that r acing a bike was supposed to be fun and that it was a beautiful day to do so.  Nikki used this to find her happy place and turn the engines on.  By the time she reached the second checkpoint, she’d brought a 29 minute gap down to about 19 minutes.  News of this plus a great course was fuel enough to keep Nikki working hard and  close the gap between she and second place to about 9 minutes, finishing third for the day!

Marysville 3-Day Relay: Team Kristin and Zach  

Mike Kuhn is a cruel cruel man!   I mentioned this to his father at the TSE and his father copied down my race number and "reported me".  But I am telling you, this man creates courses that destroy!  

Friday night I set up camp with the Trestle Bridge Folks (how fun!) before Zach and I took off on the night team time trial.  Feeling like I was working the cob webs off - the first 10 minutes were tough, but we boogied nonetheless!    

Saturday morning at 10:00 am the 8 hour relay began.  Zach went HARD out of the blocks - winning the lap, recording the fastest lap of the day, and sending me out on to the course FIRST!  This was fun when 8 minutes into the lap fast men started picking me off one after the next.  BUT - did set me up for one of the highlights of the day.  I asked the rider back if they wanted to pass and the response I got was, "you're okay, you're riding well like you usually do," only to find that it was Chris Beck.  WHAT AN ABSOLUTE COMPLIMENT!  

Lap one felt hard, as I am sure it did for Zach.  My second lap felt great - I rode clean, hard, and steady, knowing full well that there were many more laps to come.  At this point we were in the lead for co-ed duo's, but this didn't last long as the fastest couple on the east coast was ticking away and closing in.  Sometime in the middle of the day Ron Harding passed Zach, and Zach temporarily disappeared.  When he emerged we learned that he had torn off his rear derailleur (a condition I believe I am the primary carrier for and it's contagious) and cracked his frame.  He picked up Ron's rigid singlespeed to finish out the day.    

After over 8 hours of racing, and 5 laps each, Zach and I finished second in the co-ed duo category.  It was the hardest day of racing I had experienced all year!  But, nothing big s'mores couldn't take care of…  

Sunday was nothing but fun!  After critical thinking and strategizing, I failed miserably at the "huck a huffy" competition - but I think it helped me get my energy back for the 1 hour relay short track we were about to embark on.  I actually think they should call this funtrack, not short track!    

Zach's face captures the fun of the short track - as does Rob L.'s commentary, "animal house".   After 52 minutes of turning out sub-4:00 minute laps we finished 4 overall duo, 2 co-ed duo (again to the fast as heck Hardings!).  It was this 52 minutes of racing that reminded me why I race bikes and how fun cyclocross season is - going fast is fun!  

So, it's July, I'm absolutely wrecked, a new homeowner and balancing two jobs, developing Gearing Up www.gearing-up.org and managing the bicycle ambassadors with the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia.    I'm not sure what the rest of July has in store for me - other than continuing to ride with Kaitlyn (did someone say animal house) in preparation of her first race at the Summer Sizzler, working hard, and preparing to turn my endurance legs in to something fast….  

June 27th 2010, Big-M XC (Michigan), Open Men, 1st place

This weekend, we were back in action in the National Forest inWellston, MI. It was strange to return to this location only one week after having raced there for the Lumberjack 100. When I pre-registered few days prior to the venue, the weather forecast called for 30% of rain.

Around 5:00am it was a down pour followed by sustained rain. I knowthe course does not get muddy but the idea of using my fingers aswiper blades got me to wish for the rain to stop.

Apparently, I got my wish answered as by 9:30am, the rain stopped. The sandy terrain was packed down and at the exception of some slippery corners the trail was perfect for fast rolling tires. The line was
stacked with the contenders for the Michigan Championship and a hard race was to be expected. Today's program was to complete 5 laps of approximately 6 miles.

At the start, I was in 3rd wheel. The first couple of miles are flat and it was perfect to draft and gradually warm-up the legs. At the start of the first gradual climb, I upped the pace and after few minutes, only Steve Dempsey (Bell's Beer) was able to stay with me. I hammered the climbs one after the other and yet Steve was still on my wheel until the last steep pitch at the end of the lap. The hardest part still ahead of me: stay in the front until the end.

From time to time, we were ridding thru the clouds and with all the moisture in the air, my glasses were never really fog free. Anyway, I
carefully went down the sandy hill and tried to keep constant lap
times.

The clouds seemed to get darker; this was another incentive to maintain the pace high before the next rain shower. Finally, the
finish line! I could maintain my time advantage to the end. Luckily
enough, the elite race has been a dry one. It was not the case for the
sport and beginner classes that had to compete under the rain.

Once more I could place Team CF at the top; I also move closer to
first place for the Michigan championship. Next race is July 3rd;
everybody will fight for the points...