Well, now I can say that I've ridden in the Ozark's! Syllamos Revenge 125k is 75 miles of singletrack treat! If you like riding on marbles and glass (slick glass and broken glass), then these trails are for you! If I lived in or around Mountain View, Arkansas, I would ride those trails every week, and become a super bike handler. It really is something to have that much singletrack at your fingertips. The rock is mostly limestone, which breaks easily and leaves sharp edges exposed. There were so many flats!! I don't think I've ever seen so many people having tire issues! Out of our group of 8 people, Robin had 5 flats, Mike had 3, Lee had one, and I had one. I had a huge hole puncture in my rear tire, and I was able to plug it McIver-style, add some glue, add some air, and it carried me to the finish 55 miles later. I descended much more cautiously on that plug, picking out the smoothest line possible where normally I would just plow straight down. I also stopped every so often just to feel my pressure to make sure I wasn't loosing air. I really did not want to have to put a tube in. Last week when we were riding Snake, I flatted on my other bike and Tim used that as a "seminar opportunity" in hopes of making me a faster flat-fixer. I'm still slower than average when it come to putting a tube in the rear wheel, and I would have lost precious time, not that I'm anywhere near podium potential, but that would have meant sitting there while all the people I just passed, passed me right back. That is the most frustrating thing about dealing with a mechanical.
There were sections of loose slate-rock gardens, then there were larger limestone tabletops (not always flat) that you are climbing on and off, and I am told all of that was pretty slick last year when it was wet. Thankfully, conditions were much drier yesterday. When you weren't climbing up and over rocks you were ripping through briars and poison ivy where the next 10 feet was a surprise because you couldn't see it. There were switchbacks, beautiful views, and fun flowing downhill sections that you were able to gear up and peddle all the way through. The course was marked well which was a great thing for me since I went into this race rather blindly. Since it was just 75 miles, I guess I took it a little less-seriously than a 100-miler. I normally study the course and elevation map, read past reviews, memorize Robin Oscar's notes from the previous year, interview the Simrils, and know what's coming before I get there. I didn't really do that this race, so every descent, climb, and technical section was a surprise and if I did take a wrong turn, I would have been LOST!
At mile 50 you either took a right turn to go to the finish line (for the shorter kiddie race), or you went straight to complete LAP 2. Just starting a "LAP 2" was just completely demoralizing at that point. I was kind of hoping Tim would be waiting there to escort me down to the finish...he wasn't, so I went straight and searched for a better attitude. I found one and the race mentality returned! I caught up to my friend Lorenda, who I had yo-yo'ed with earlier which ended when she passed me while I was fixing my flat. Seeing her revived me and we rode strong together for awhile, passing guys that weren't looking so hot. I left her on a climb thinking for sure I'd see her again since she is such a strong descender, but later she said her legs were just "done" at that point. So, back to riding by myself.
The aid stations were super helpful, especially in the beginning (at aid 3 I had one guy filling my camelbak with ice & water while another was putting ice down my back), but in the later part of the day you could tell their excitement had long worn off. We had to get 4 different color bracelets from certain checkpoints and when I came in for my last bracelets, the aid workers were MIA, tending to the 15 racers sprawled out in the chairs that had dnf'ed for one reason or another. I yelled, "bracelets, who has the bracelets?" Finally a guy came running, and while he apologized he slide that last little yellow charm on my wrist. I had just 12 more miles to go. At this point my legs felt ok, it was my shoulders and hands that were killing me. I also had a headache, and it was mostly from the jarring my body had received all day from the rocky terrain. The heat was also an issue, every cloud that gave us respite was welcome.
My new bike was fabulous!! Shifting was flawless, love the 2 x 10 setup, the stiff thru axle was noticed, and she was rearing to go the entire race, even through creeks and sandpits. Isla was a star! She got many stares as well, I think many were jealous of her beauty!
The results are in! 56 out of 157 racers finished! That just shows how brutal it was out there; Syllamo showed no mercy on anyone! I finished in 10:03, 6th out of 9 open women. It was a long day. An adventure, and that's why I do these distances. What doesn't kill you only makes you stronger. Next on the books is Mohican 100 in 2 weeks...stay tuned!
No comments:
Post a Comment