Cohutta 100

The U.S. National Ultra Endurance (NUE) series kicked off in Tennessee last weekend with the Cohutta 100.  Last year I did not attend, but in 2008 I had.  I remembered that although this race is considered the easiest of the NUE races due to it having less singletrack and more roads, it still packed a punch with 12,000 feet of relentless climbing.  It was not going to be a picnic.  As usual racing 100 miles is always a great idea until the night before.  The idea turns even darker when forcasts call for severe thunder storms and rain.  Regardless the show must go on.  And it sure did at the Cohutta 100. 

My start to the race was not my best and it took a bit for me to fall into my normal pace.  Once I did I felt much better and began to make some time on the course.   Despite my optimism that we lucked out with the 20% chance that there would be no rain or thunderstorms, the winds picked up , the sky rumbled and the rain fell.  This slowed things a little bit and made it quite the sufferfest.  Fortunately for me I prevailed and was able to come from a 4th place position into a second place win for the day.  My Gary Fisher Superfly 100 was superb in the mud and yuck.  It sailed through the last 10 miles of muddy single track as though it were on auto pilot.

Again I am humbled by the number of people our team is touching.  At each event I am approached by others who are thankful for our efforts.  I am proud to be a part of Team CF and take pride in performing to make a difference in the lives of those affected by CF.