Thunderdown in the Underdown

This last Saturday was the WEMS race at Thunderdown in the Underdown. Representing for the Mad FORCs were myself, Samantha, and Deb. It was just the right number of purple jerseys to confuse the competition and the course marshalls. I think they thought there was one super fast gal out riding!

I was signed up for team "Mad Smokers" -- a 6 hour duo with Dave. I think Dave was a bit nervous about how much he'd have to ride because of my strained muscle in my neck. However, after a painful session with my massage therapist on Thursday I was pretty sure I would be able to do my laps (although I'm going to have to see her again this week to redo her work).

The 6 Hour Duo had a total of 4 teams registered and we were the only coed team. However, I thought we had a chance of getting on the podium (if Dave rode hard!). Dave went out on the first lap for our team and he did his first lap in about 54 minutes just 10 seconds back from the 1st place team. I didn't think I would be able to ride faster than the team in front of us so I just wanted to put in a solid ride with no crashes that would keep us in front of or not far behind 3rd.

Now the no crashes part was going to prove difficult as this course was not some easy roadie course. The best description I can really give it was that it was relentless. The first 3/4 mile was double track and then it was almost non-stop singletrack. Now I don't want to give the impression that the singletrack wasn't fun as it was. I was really impressed with the trails they have built. Dave and I raced here in 1991 and it is completely different. However, the singletrack required total concentration as it wound up and down and around and then up and up and down and around. The whole time I just kept telling myself to focus and to ride within my ability level as my neck and back were not up to handling any big crashes.

I kept looking at my watch . . . 16 minutes gone by. Holy crap, it's only been 16 minutes? I tell myself to just keep going. I'm doing fine. Look at watch again . . . 36 minutes. Okay, that has to be about half way I tell myself. You're doing good. Just keep going. Look at watch again . . . 1 hour. Okay, I'm getting close. Probably only about 15 minutes. You're doing good and not a lot of mistakes.

Get into the finish area in 1 hour and 14 minutes and do not get passed by the 3rd place team. Dave heads out and I stretch, change clothes, eat, apply Biofreeze and take ibuprofen. In a very short period of time I have to once again get the bike clothes back on to await Dave's arrival. Feeling good because the 3rd and 4th place teams are far enough behind that we appear to have a lock on 2nd place. The 1st place team has almost 15 minutes on us so it looks like the finishing places have been set so there is no need to kill myself on the next lap.

Dave comes in and I head back out. After a little while I catch up with Deb who is cranking out her 3rd lap and riding like a superstar. (At this point I feel really glad to be on a duo so I get a break in between my laps and only have to do 2). After a little bit further I catch up to former FORC Susie who is rocking along on her singlespeed. She lets me by and about 30 seconds later . . . . BAM . . . I go down right in front of her when my wheel doesn't clear a root on a short steep uphill section. I jump up and apologize profusely. Susie being the nice person she is tells me it's fine because she was spinning out anyway. It's always nice to crash immediately after passing someone!

I jump back on and ride with Susie on my wheel for a bit before I get to a climbing section and get a gap on her (she was a little overgeared for the climbing or she probably would have stayed with me). I keep riding along just keeping my eyes focused down the trail and listening for anyone from behind so I can get out of their way. I get to the tree crossing (a tree sawed in half that you have to ride over). I contemplate it riding it this lap then jump off and walk across for fear of careening off (which a UW team guy I know did and had a black eye/fat lip for the effort). Then lots of winding in and out of the trees, tons of short steep ups with roots, some longer ups, some downs. Mostly pretty rideable although lots and lots of places to screw up and dab.

Finally get to the road crossing where the 3 hour course rejoins the 6/12 hour course. The women at the road crossing give me a big cheer and I start climbing up the winding singletrack climb. Just as my legs start to think about revolting I reach the top and keep winding my way through some very sweet flowing singletrack. Up ahead I see a guy stopped with a mechanical. As I get closer I realize that it is the 1st place duo team. Holy crap he has a broken chain. I say "bummer" and keep on riding (what else is there to say really!). Suddenly I've moved into first place and I can't believe it.

I try to clear any thoughts of potentially winning from my head as I realize that this guy rides at least 10 minutes per lap faster than me. I tell myself he'll probably catch back up to me but at the very least I can suprise Dave by arriving right behind him. I get a little surge of energy from this thought but tell myself not to take any risks. Just stay focused.

After a little bit Chainsmoker Dirk catches up to me. After a little bit I find a good spot for him to pass (no pulling over and stopping for people now as I'm dreaming of flying into the finish area in first). I stay with Dirk for a little bit but then screw up a short climb and lose momentum and he pulls ahead. I just try to stay focused on the task at hand and ride a good lap.

Finally I reach the gravel road that you do both directions which is the sign you're getting close to the finish. Into some last singletrack with a couple of tight switchbacks, lots of trees and winding around and finally I pop out into the last doubletrack towards the finish. I ride in and I yell at Dave that we're in first because the other team's guy broke his chain. Dave is, of course, suprised to see me as I have come in first and I have finished that lap in 1 hour 12 mintues.

Dave sets off at full tilt wtih no idea how hard he needs to ride. He knows that the guy he is up against was 2 minutes faster per lap than him on their 2nd lap. So much for a nice relaxing last lap! I wait and I watch and it looks like we're going to win. I find out that after the guy finally fixed his chain that he rode about 10 feet and it snapped again and he was walking it in. After he comes in I chat with him a bit and I feel bad for him as it always sucks to have a mechanical and lose a placing. However, I can't help but secretly be thrilled that the only coed team is going to win (girl power and all!).

Dave comes in and there isn't enough time for another lap and I tell him that he actually didn't have to ride so hard after all. Of course he wishes he had known that before he went out and killed himself and kept expecting the other team to catch him. (Good training for him though!).

All in all it was a great day at the races for both the Mad FORCs and the Chainsmokers. Samantha took 1st in the 3 hour solo. Deb took 2nd in the 6 hour solo. And for the Chainsmokers Dirk took 4th in the 3 hour solo and their 12 Hour Duo team took 1st. Samantha also won a prize for the fastest women's lap of the 3 hour course and I won a prize for the fastest women's lap on the 6/12 hour course.

And what did we win? Well, all the first place (and fast lap winners) received a growler of beer from Hereford & Hops Brew Pub in Wausau. People had a good laugh at our group. Sam, Dirk, Dave and I were all staying together and between us we had 5 growlers. Luckily we were too tired to drive to Wausau to fill them all up. I think we'll have to pace ourselves and just fill one up every time we take a ski trip up north this winter!