Fun in the Mud!

Boone 3, 6, 9 MTB Party

Badge of honor for the day!

Well it is about time to get some of my past write up done.  The Boone 9hr. was set to be run on a great looking morning outside of Boone, IA at the Seven Oaks ski area.  Over the years I have come to appreciate these trails as a real gem in Central Iowa that offer awesome singletrack with plenty of climbing and ripping downhills that flows and flows and flows.  Ever since one of my first races at Boone where I rode through a crap ton of soggy, soggy clay to the point that my wheels no longer would turn in the frame, I have always been skittish when it came to riding in the rain.  After that race in which I walked out of the woods, swearing at then ex-friend Kyle Sedore, I knew that i would end up in that same place with the same conditions!!! This would be the year!

Took off from Decorah bright and early at 5 a.m. to head down to a 10 a.m. start.  I was signed up for the 9hr. as I was looking to put in around 100 miles if I was able to run my normal pace from the past weekends. Arrived at the started to a great looking overcast morning and trails that were just a little squishy, but tacky enough for some fun on these quick trails.  The course was around 6 miles in length with no fun downhill and uphill out of the lodge area due to a wedding.

Start

Pushing through a slick lap!

Well showed up to the line with about 10 other crazies and we were off and rolling.  Now normally a race takes off like a bat out of hell trying to fit to get into the singletrack first.  This may have been my favorite start of all time as we rolled down the gravel lane, at an unbelievably leisurely pace.  We were chatting and having a grand old time.  I felt as though it had been determined I would lead into the singletrack and I didn't mind this a bit.  This would be the last time I would see anybody really behind me.

The opening lap went really well for me. I was able to put around 3-4 minutes into second on this lap as I cooked around the course with a smile on my face. I settled into a grove and continued onto my second lap with no real problem. It was here that I started to catch up to some of the riders as I began to lap my own race. Over the next couple of laps I would catch and move on past many of the riders and finally had lapped the entire field somewhere around the 4-5 lap.

Feeling good as I rolled around, my motivation for this race started to dwindle around the 4 hour mark. I like to race but rolling with no one charging hard behind me, I struggled to find the urge to push really hard and my lap time showed. Also because of the lack of pushing, I made some mental mistakes and found myself on the wrong side of my bike. I did my best upside-down turtle impression after I bounced off of a root and when trying to catch myself with my right foot, flipped upside down under my bike in a 5-6 foot deep ravine.  This was fun to get out of as I spent around the next 3-5 minutes trying to wiggle out of my peddles, keep from sliding further down the ravine and also trying to climb the slick mud in the ravine due to the small stream of water coming down it!! This actually helped my motivation to come back and I was back to rocking the singletrack. And Then.......

RAIN, RAIN, RAIN
This is where the race really got fun again, as the sky's opened up and the rain began to fall.  The course quickly went from tacky to slip and slide in a matter of a lap around the course.  Many of the climbs that were no problem, were now nearly impossible to get up even when walking.  Lap 8 was ok as I was still able to ride most everything and still was having a blast.  Lap 9 was where things got really interesting as I was still able to ride but I was coming up on alot of other riders struggling to get by.  This is also the lap where I had to get creative with how I passed and how I climbed hills as often I couldn't just walk up the hills but rather had to throw my bike into the woods and bushwhack my way up the hills.  I was able to get by most people no problem as I was still on the bike and they were struggling to stay upright walking.

Happy Finish to a Muddy Day!

Lap 10 may have been when I had my most fun. Between cleaning out my bottom bracket area of the clogging clay and the occasional fun of trying to walk up hills, I had a great workout on some of the slickest trails I have ever experienced and yet the most fun as the challenge was amazing and ever growing excitement when I cleaned a hill or technical section on the ice!!!  This mad me happy and also though ready to be done.

Rolling in on Lap 10 I asked if everyone else had stopped. They told me yes and also made sure to point out that I could have stopped two laps ago and still won the thing.  Overall I felt great during the race and it was a great event again at Boone put on by Singletrack Promotions. Over the years I am glad that I finally started talking to Kyle Sedore as the races and the events that he has gotten me into have made my biking career that much better with some great friends and fellows over the years!!  Well 1st 9hr, 60 miles in around 6:45.  Not a bad day on the bike.  That is about it.  Out!!

Boone 3, 6, 9 MTB Party Garmin File