Yesterday was a very different race from years past with a strong group emerging from the first trail section including; myself, Christian Tanguay, Jesse Jakomait, Sam Koerber and 2008 NUE champ Jeff Schalk. This year's event was also different because my injury five weeks ago had me coming in as an underdog not a favorite. In fact, I'd warned my wife Erin and her family that if they found me sitting in the grass at checkpoint 6 it would be because my back hurt too bad and I had to pull the plug!
Working together like clockwork on the paved sections and gravel roads, we sped past checkpoint after check point ahead of pace. We would break up on the single tracks some, but I encouraged the riders to stick together to avoid the "Columbine Climb effect." I knew we were about 7 minutes below the 7-hour pace for the first 50 miles.
I was stoked to see Jesse Jakomait (Cannondale Factory Racing) on the start line, knowing that having a teammate would encourage the others to pull through. It was neat being in a race with a Cannondale suspension engineer. You know someone that is strong and tough enough to finish this thing in the top-5 knows a thing or two about real mountain biking.
I had a cracking point where I almost got dropped about 75 miles in. Christian and Jeff were crushing the early rollers of a 15-mile climb. I was cramping and sure I would get dropped, I just I wasn't sure if it would be in two minutes or 20 minutes later. I somehow got a second wind and found the legs to hang to the finale. Jeff put pressure on the 8-mile section of rocky descending off the top. I was scared of crashing, so I kept to my speed. We regrouped at the bottom and then the race was on.
Christian attacked on a short paved climb, but Jeff and I chased him down. Then we hit the last major 3.5-mile climb. Christian attacked hard and I looked for Jeff to respond, but he let the gap open. I had to jump across.
On Christian's wheel I suffered immensely. Then he got some chain suck and it was just what I needed, time to take two breaths! The third time his chain stuck I decided to counter attack and take control. We topped out together despite being matched. I attacked after the final descent on the last two rolling climbs all out. I gained the 20 seconds I needed to win!
I feel very, very lucky right now, just five weeks after feeling very, very unlucky. I finished almost ten minutes below a longtime personal goal of breaking the 7-hour mark in the SM100, when I came in at ninety-percent fitness and just hoping to have fun!
What a day!
- Jeremiah
P.S. Power file to follow!
Labels: Endurance Racing, Viva le Burg
posted by Jeremiah Bishop # 12:52 PM 
