I had a good, uneventful race, no flats, no mechanicals, no crashes, etc., but I'm not thrilled with my time of 10:55. I started in the very back and felt I stayed there, riding mostly alone until AS-3 or so when I finally started catching up to familiar faces like Frank and Harry. Funny how my mind works; last week in the blistering Curse, I told myself that the 101 would have to be easier. In the 101, I convinced myself that the SM 100 will be easier.
Looking back at those 01-02 results, I see that in the 2001 race, I was 17th overall at 9:17, interestingly, right behind Harry and Frank. I replaced my derailleur (with the spare I always carried) on the Fisherman's Path after ripping it off on the entrance rock. Would I have been sub-9? Seems absurd for me to say sub-9 anymore.... Jay Duffy won that race by more than 30 minutes with a 7:07. Kuhn-dog was 2nd, Jake von Gettier was 6th with an 8:15. Myracle Mark was 13th at 8:59.In 2002, I rode the race with my friend Steve Viers who would be my Trans Rockies teammate later that summer. We rolled in with BarryOM at 9:52. Keefer won it that year with a 7:32, nowhere near Duffy's blazin' time. Was Jay juicing the year before?? Harlan was 8th.
So, the course is maybe a bit slower now with some more trail added since the first installments. I'm certainly slower and older, and riding my cheater bike in a race that isn't as cheater-friendly as say, Fountainhead is. My time is about an hour slower than 2002. I guess it isn't all that bad, but I sure seemed slow out there and started asking the questions.... This time the questions were turning into actual discussions in my head. Yet another reason I like doing these with lots of friends around....., they keep you safe........ from yourself.
Rollin' in pedal-file-style with Barry. This was also his 3rd 101, and he and Buchness are also members of the short bus that have done every one of the Shenandoah 100s.
Happy campers, always fun to be around.
3 comments:
this explains your absence at the Liberty Jamboree
Oliver would have had a blast
adults showed up with bikes early
hung over riders and also families showed up later in the day
Lisa came out with the boys
we were the last guests to leave
my boys wanted to spend the night!
Hey Larry, Scott Hughey here. After looking over some of the pics on your blog I'm not sure I'm ready to ride with MBM but I'm looking to learn some trails in the area. Did a lot of riding in June and July so my fitness is better than it has been but my bike handling skills still need work. I'd appreciate any tips you have on good trails! I set a goal for next year to run Wilderness 101. We'll see.
Hello there Mr. Hughey,
Boy, you're in trouble now....., if you thought BMWs were addictive...
You and your boys may also enjoy the pump track we will build soon. Come to town and give us some help. Details will be on the MBM site as things happen.
Hope you enjoyed your ride today, though Old Forge can be a tough place to start..
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