sticking with my plan to keep things short this year i signed up for the 100k. it took me a little while to get going, the breakfast i ate not too long ago was sitting funny and i didnt want to push it and chance puking. soon enough i felt better and started to ride hard, about 10-12 miles in my front derailleur started acting up and wouldn't shift into the big ring so i stopped and made some adjustments and got back on the bike.
just as i caught up to the guys i was in front of before my derailleur problems, i flatted...(i half expected to flat since i forgot to check my tire pressure at camp and about 2 min before the race started i gave them a little squeeze and they felt low) so i threw in a new tube and got going again. somewhere on the road i got in with three single speeders two soup can guys and gunnar shogren. me being on a geared bike i felt i should be faster on the road but they hung with me for miles, it was almost frustrating. gunnar was passing me on the descents! they stuck with me until we got on the wilderness trail.
by this time my legs were starting to feel it, they still felt good but i had to drink lots of water to keep from cramping. i stopped at the 3rd aid station and filled up on liquids while my bike was getting washed and lubed (thanks jeff) the 2nd and third aid stations are always great at this race.
just as im leaving the aid station i pass tim mould's dad and he says im in 5th, not bad considering all the time i spent fixing my bike, i'd be happy being in the top five. so i look back to make sure no one else is coming and sure enough there is a guy 50 ft behind and closing. he catches me and we ride down wally road together side by side introducing ourselves and talking about the race. we turn left and head up a monster hill that i think i walked up the first time i did this race. anyway we stayed side by side the whole climb, i felt i might have been able to drop him on the climb but there were still some tough miles to go and i didnt want to do anything just yet.
just as im leaving the aid station i pass tim mould's dad and he says im in 5th, not bad considering all the time i spent fixing my bike, i'd be happy being in the top five. so i look back to make sure no one else is coming and sure enough there is a guy 50 ft behind and closing. he catches me and we ride down wally road together side by side introducing ourselves and talking about the race. we turn left and head up a monster hill that i think i walked up the first time i did this race. anyway we stayed side by side the whole climb, i felt i might have been able to drop him on the climb but there were still some tough miles to go and i didnt want to do anything just yet.
we topped out and marty started riding strong on the flats, i stayed on his wheel refusing to let him go. a few times he started to slip away but i got back on and would take my pulls when he slowed. we came up to aid station 5 and i rode past hoping he would need to stop... he didnt.
i was in front as we hit the single track with marty right on my wheel for about a quarter mile then my right leg locked up, marty passed me as i got off my bike and tried to get my leg to stop cramping, both my hamstring and quad were cramped up bad. i drank my water and rubbed my leg out.
as soon as it eased up i was riding again. i was pushing as hard as i could with sore tired legs listening for martys bike and after a few miles i heard it! then a minute later i saw him. oh snap! this is going to be close.
i caught him just after we started descending with about a mile of single track left "chip is that you?" yeah "did you cramp up back there?" yeah "nice recovery man!" ha ha thanks marty
i was faster on the descents but had no room to pass so i waited until we popped out onto the double track and made my move.
i wasn't sure exactly how the race finished but i figured it had to be close, so i got in front of him and put a little gap on him, then we started heading away from the finish and i got a little nervous, my legs were not going to last much longer and here we are riding away from the finish. i looked back and marty was right behind me...ahh this sucks! then we turn right and i see how it finishes just another 30 seconds or so. so i give it all i have and put a tiny gap on him and hold him off through the finish.
marty came over to shake my hand and we congratulate each other on the fun finish.
i finished 5th in 6 hrs a few seconds. congratulations to brad wilhelm for his first place finish.
next weekend were heading up to wisconsin to do the wors subaru cup for my second national race.
