So, I am up for a michaux time right now. Don't make it here as much as I'd like, but in the mood for the trip, the course, & dealing with the somewhat $$$pricey$$$ entry fee these days!!!
It rained a lot, so we chose a hotel vs camp. The start was dry though, as we busted through the lemans start. The women in the 40 mile line up that I knew would be competetive were:
-cheryl s., sue m, janelle, ryanne p.-there were a few others I didn't know & it was kind of hard to tell who was doing the 20 or 40 miler (lots of DNF today, but those names are not listed in results?). In terms of the course, I had NO idea what is coming up, I don't check out elevation profiles or routes ahead of time. All I know is it's rocky here, expect to hike a little, and it looks more and more like some bad weather is approaching.
Starting with a rolling DH, I just try not to get run over, in less than 10 minutes of trail we start to hit some shorter, steeper and not really smooth sections. A few in a row, then a few more. As I come up on peeps, hhhmmm....lots are walking already?? Bust a move....get through these, they were all rideable for me, which I think helps because it keeps my legs moving and limits that time jumping back on at the top. It also got my heartrate and adrenalin into high gear....a pace that was fast for me but thought I could do for just about the full course. Cheryl and Sue were already out of site, thru the climbs I passed Ryanne and Janelle. Cheryl is gone, Sue I hoped to get a glimpse of, Janelle & Ryanne I knew would be on my tail asap!!!
On it goes, rocky as expected, a busted open bees nest where I get stung early on but just keep moving, back and forth with some SSers until we spread out a bit more. It starts warming up....humidy hot(i wish for rain, about an hour later I am deeply regretting that wish!!!). Hitting a dirt road section/water check is a straight away, no sign of Sue....this is about 15 miles in so I know her pace is moving that I probably won't see her today:-( A quick glance behind, no Janelle or Ryanne??
I get through the road asap as to keep out of sight of the peeps coming behind, duck in the woods & continue through whatever comes up. A few short hike a bikes, etc. It's all good, a short field section where I glance back again.....still no Janelle or Ryanne?? I start to wonder if something happened?
The 20/40 split, a lot of peeps leave the course, the trail is quieter now & I have to force myself to remember it's a RACE even if I don't see anyone else!! Soon I reach the 30ish mile check, but just as I do the sky goes BLACK. Seconds later hail & wind start, lightening bolts are flashing....damn I have a gravel stretch on top of a hill to get thru before the next trail. It is hail/rain SO hard I can't see as I start down the road. The wind is almost blowing me off my bike....geez, I can only hope in the woods it's better!! I see a familar purple shirt coming towards me.....what? Am I off course?? NO! it's just Dr. Don with his ever plagued flats. I toss him my tube & say fix it, catch up, follow me, & if I flat give it back. He agrees. A few more feet I get into the trail, but so does the lightening!!!! Everything goes BLUE, I can't hear for a second, I can't see in the blue...it's like time stopped....holy shit.....am I dead, hurt, am I struck by lightening??? why doesn't it hurt??? Suddenly back to normal, the blue is gone, sounds are back.....huge crashing sounds....no idea where/what they are but I see in front of me is the trail with nothing impeding my way so I figure all I can do is just keep moving towards the end and I pedal as well as I can through the now forming inches of water. I think briefly of Don on the road.....hoping he is ok. I learn later that just feet behind me lightening had stuck a big tree at the base & it had fallen, only seconds from where I had just been!! Wow....THAT was close!!
In the meantime, Dr. Don fixes the flat, sees the tree fall, counts himself lucky & he too wonders if I am perhaps....dead! A bit later he catches up to me and we both say 'wow, i am glad to see you!'...he fills me in on the tree he saw fall. I tell him, no worries on the tube it can't be much further, just go and if I'm not there in 30 minutes send a rescue squad!! I wonder if there is anyone on the course yet behind me...knowing the end was near I could keep going, but I knew the front runners had been done before the storm & anyone behind me was probably getting more of it.
Finally the finish, where everyone was snuggled under one easy up. A weak attempt to get cleaned up/dressed & eat and then to check results & hear what happened to everyone else. A LOT of DNF...even before the storm, some peeps just were not up for the 40 miler of this course. I find out Janelle DNF off course, but Ryanne was still out! Worried, I knew she wanted to finish a long race, but this day had been nasty, I hoped she was doing ok. Shortly she came in, all smiles.....& not one bit of whining!!! Yes:-)
thanks MBM, Gettysburg Bikes, etc. for the event. Great course!!
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