Soggy Spirits

Soggy Spirits
Heavy Rain. 100%. These words are repeated hourly across the forecast today through Wednesday morning. My sunny disposition towards tomorrow's race start has dampened as dramatically as the weather. I was in denial when I awoke this morning to the pattering on the roof of our little cottage. I was even a little optimistic when Phil and I started out on a spin in what seemed like a lightening of the sky from gray to white. However, as we stood under an awning outside the CVS Pharmacy as the sky opened up, I started to think seriously about the trail conditions in the mountains surrounding us and about how I was going to approach stage 1. I know wet and muddy trails. I've rode them. I've raced them. But tomorrow's 39 miles and 6,200 feet of elevation gain on rugged single track and grueling climbs seems a little daunting.

Spring Singletrack
Vermont’s lackluster snow season had an upside. The riding season started early with warm temperatures allowing trail networks to opening earlier than usual. Phil and I took Austin and Carson riding at Sunny Hollow in Colchester in March. Mountain bikers reunioned at trailheads in April and the stretch of fair weather lasted all season long. Although I’ve put in time on the saddle consistently this year, it wasn’t as intentional an effort as last year in training for the BC Bike Race. I felt a certain amount of assurance that I was “ready” at that race’s start line in early July because I had put in 200 hours on my bike (with one week at 18 hours)! This year’s riding was more opportunistic or more about riding with our 8-year old boys. We took family trips to the Kingdom Trails. We raced weeknights at the Catamount Outdoor Center and Millstone. We drove to Canada to ride in Coaticook and East Hereford, where machine-built trails meet boreal forest and the best creemie in the world can be found. We raced the 12 hours of Millstone as a family team and our boys came off the course after 3 hours (some of it in the rain!) exhilarated and only disappointed that they couldn’t go for more. I’ve had a blast riding with the women of Mountain Moxie, Vermont’s women’s mountain bike team and the girls of Moxie Sparks that the team has sponsored this year, so they can experience mountain biking and get a taste for racing. These experiences are coupled with the rides I love to do by myself, so I can soak in the solitude in the woods and the time away from my to-do list or email. So, even though I didn’t follow a training “plan”, do weekly intervals or even ride in the rain (why, when it's been so dry?), I can say to myself at tomorrow’s start line that I’ve averaged about 10 hours a week beginning in April. I guess that gets me to over 200 hours, too, although not many of them have been over 3 hours long. All I can do is hope that is enough for the challenge ahead!

Sealed in Ziplocs
After gathering out gear (packing our tools in ziplock bags!), Phil and I headed out to dinner at the Brevard Music Center. We chatted with a couple from Tampa, Florida, met several sets of Canadians that had traveled farther than we had, and connected with the race videographer, Tom, who Phil has raced with at the Vermont 50. The race director opened his course overview by telling us that we were in the oldest mountain range of the world, that it is considered a temperate rainforest and that we should expect 2-3 inches of rain tonight. “The race will go on,” he said, “but if you have a fender [for your bike], or the means to make one, you might want to.” He went on to describe each day’s stage and logistics, including tomorrow’s Squirrel Gap trail, which is locally known as “half track” (instead of singletrack). Way smaller than the BC Bike Race (or even the Vermont 50), there will be 75 racers at the Black Mountain Trailhead in the morning, including only 3 women (and a few more in duo teams). Although surprised and disappointed at the lack of female camaraderie, there is always a buoying racer spirit at these events and I expect the Pisgah Stage Race to be no different. I think I hear thunder. Better gets some sleep! More tomorrow…