Over the past three years I had heard stories about an epic mountain bike race in Dalton, Georgia. The tales of long climbs, ice cold river crossings, massive rock gardens and frozen drive trains stuck in my memory each time a different experience was shared by those who stood up to the challenge. Those same individuals also wore a coveted belt buckle earned at the conclusion of the third and final 34 mile event of the series. I was intrigued by their experiences and wanted the opportunity to complete the series for myself. The thought of making it to all three events seemed like an impossible dream due to my work schedule, college courses and family responsibilities. Discussions started to take place on Facebook regarding registrations for the 2016 series. I read the initial post and instantly noticed there was change from three races down to two. I believed with proper planning and support from my spouse, this was an achievable event. We discussed the requirements for the event and she agreed to support my request. In no time at all I registered for the Snake Creek Gap Time Trial series.
Personally, I need a regimented plan and measureable goals to work toward. Otherwise, I find myself constantly questioning the effectiveness of time spent training. Am I working hard enough? Am I training too hard and risking an overuse injury? Should I be doing cardio or strength training? All of these questions started to come to mind. I had not ridden seriously during 2015 and my stamina was not at the level I needed. I had returned to college, started a new job and my daughter entered elementary school. My life was busy and cycling had slipped way down on the priority list. I needed to make changes in order to elevate my fitness higher on the list; not only to prepare for the Snake, but to lose the “freshman 15” gained over the summer. It was November and the days were getting shorter. The only time available to train was early in the morning. The window of 4 AM through 6 AM offered the best opportunity for this time crunched cyclist, father, husband, student, and slave to corporate America. I quickly started looking at my training options. I could have ridden outside with my lights or invest in the necessary equipment to train indoors. I opted to add another hour or two each day in my home office with the latter choice.
My preference to train indoors led me to several options. I am a firm believer of positive reinforcement from those around me. I knew that it was possible to get the needed support and motivation from others through an online social media/training tool such as Strava. I had seen others following various structured plans and uploading their data and gains to show progress. This knowledge led to the discovery of TrainerRoad. An application used by many other friends and team mates to improve their cycling abilities. I wanted to couple this tool with a state of the art cycling smart trainer to get the most out of the time spent on my bike. After applying my motto of “buy nice or buy twice,” a second hand Wahoo Kickr was purchased to act as my resistance and power measurement tool in conjunction with my road bike. I believe the combined functionality of a smart trainer and proven training software provides a good foundation for efficient training. Consistent use of the trainer has allowed me to steadily increase my Functional Threshold Power (FTP) over the past 4 months. Not all of my requisite training was done indoors. Facing the outdoor elements and ascending realistic gradients was necessary to build additional endurance to prepare for this event.
I have to say outdoor social rides were the most enjoyable part of all my training. Between the months of November and January, several weekend group rides were organized with members of KSD and FMBR to build our base fitness up to prepare for the first event in January. While each ride was challenging, they were also jovial, due to the antics of a select few, you know who you are, that made us smile when all we wanted to do was get off the bikes. The support from each and every person helped push me to improve. Ride after ride, my endurance returned and I felt able to maintain a faster pace without feeling my heart beat in my ears after a long sustained climb. Before I knew it, January 8th had arrived and it was time to make the trip down south.
Personally, I need a regimented plan and measureable goals to work toward. Otherwise, I find myself constantly questioning the effectiveness of time spent training. Am I working hard enough? Am I training too hard and risking an overuse injury? Should I be doing cardio or strength training? All of these questions started to come to mind. I had not ridden seriously during 2015 and my stamina was not at the level I needed. I had returned to college, started a new job and my daughter entered elementary school. My life was busy and cycling had slipped way down on the priority list. I needed to make changes in order to elevate my fitness higher on the list; not only to prepare for the Snake, but to lose the “freshman 15” gained over the summer. It was November and the days were getting shorter. The only time available to train was early in the morning. The window of 4 AM through 6 AM offered the best opportunity for this time crunched cyclist, father, husband, student, and slave to corporate America. I quickly started looking at my training options. I could have ridden outside with my lights or invest in the necessary equipment to train indoors. I opted to add another hour or two each day in my home office with the latter choice.
My preference to train indoors led me to several options. I am a firm believer of positive reinforcement from those around me. I knew that it was possible to get the needed support and motivation from others through an online social media/training tool such as Strava. I had seen others following various structured plans and uploading their data and gains to show progress. This knowledge led to the discovery of TrainerRoad. An application used by many other friends and team mates to improve their cycling abilities. I wanted to couple this tool with a state of the art cycling smart trainer to get the most out of the time spent on my bike. After applying my motto of “buy nice or buy twice,” a second hand Wahoo Kickr was purchased to act as my resistance and power measurement tool in conjunction with my road bike. I believe the combined functionality of a smart trainer and proven training software provides a good foundation for efficient training. Consistent use of the trainer has allowed me to steadily increase my Functional Threshold Power (FTP) over the past 4 months. Not all of my requisite training was done indoors. Facing the outdoor elements and ascending realistic gradients was necessary to build additional endurance to prepare for this event.
I have to say outdoor social rides were the most enjoyable part of all my training. Between the months of November and January, several weekend group rides were organized with members of KSD and FMBR to build our base fitness up to prepare for the first event in January. While each ride was challenging, they were also jovial, due to the antics of a select few, you know who you are, that made us smile when all we wanted to do was get off the bikes. The support from each and every person helped push me to improve. Ride after ride, my endurance returned and I felt able to maintain a faster pace without feeling my heart beat in my ears after a long sustained climb. Before I knew it, January 8th had arrived and it was time to make the trip down south.
Car pooling for the road trip down to Georgia allowed me to connect with new people. Of course, I had cycled with most of the group in the past, but I had not taken the time to learn as much as I could during an eight hour car ride from the same people. I was pleasantly surprised to learn just how genuine and caring the people were that I was fortunate to be in the same company with. I would have to say that being social is not one of my strongest traits; however in cycling, we usually have similar goals and expectations. Taking the time to get to know people is just as rewarding as completing a long and arduous ride. I am very thankful for the opportunity to be associated with such considerate and likeminded individuals. We were all headed toward the same challenge.
Once we arrived in Dalton, we went through the check in process at the Snake Pit. We got our race packets and shirts with the event logos on them and headed back to the hotel to start preparing for race day. It was a bit unsettling not having all my tools available to tweak my bike as I would if I were back in Ohio. I made sure to pack a small bag of essentials for the second trip. Who would have thought that not having some snips to cut off number plate zip ties could be so stressful? Thankfully, other members of the group had the forethought to bring the right equipment. It seems like it is always better to have than have not.
Leading up to race day, the weather was extremely uncertain. I brought enough clothing to support weather conditions from the 60s down to sub zero temperatures. However, the looming concern was the rain, which weighed heaviest on everyone’s minds. Were we going to have to deal with being soaked for the entire 34 mile course? Fortunately, the rain held off and the trail conditions were far better than expected. Comparatively speaking, the trail reminded me a lot of a frequented trail at Mohican State Park. The climbs were challenging and the downhill sections were fast. I have to admit that the downhill sections were not as pleasant as they were on the second trip. I had not adjusted the pressure in my front shock since I had lost quite a bit of weight. It felt as if I had been riding a fully rigid fork. I corrected the pressure prior to my second run and the downhill sections on the course became a play ground.
The most memorable challenge of the course was found in the rock gardens. My experience with rock gardens was minimal. Heading into unfamiliar terrain with tired legs weighed heavily on my mind. The last thing I wanted to happen was to go down hard, with my feet clipped in, and risk an injury that would not allow me to finish the race. I had no choice but to get off my bike and walk while in situations that my safety was at risk. What I learned from this experience is that you need to have the proper speed and ability to see the lines of least resistance. During the second trip, the lines seemed to present themselves more clearly. It also helped to follow other locals who knew the most efficient paths to take. What a difference it made riding someone’s rear wheel that knew where they were going.
The course leads to a pair of self supported tower structures on the final mountain ridge. These structures are faintly visible from time to time while traversing the remaining miles of the single track. A euphoric feeling and sense of finality enters your mind once they are in view. After transitioning onto the remaining gravel road, relief sets in and the final few miles are downhill to the finish. Crossing the finish line and claiming my prized inscribed belt buckle made all of the effort worthwhile. I had achieved my goal to complete both 34 mile events.
This journey was not completely about earning a buckle or riding my mountain bike in a different state. It was about stepping out of my comfort zone and doing something that I would not normally do. It took a goal of this magnitude to force me to remain focused through all of the challenges that led to this point, and proves that we can do whatever we set our minds to. Effectively communicating, reprioritizing, planning and working extremely hard yields dividends on so many different levels. I’m extremely thankful for all of the support and new friendships formed throughout this experience. I’m looking forward to doing it all over again next year in the 50 mile event.
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