After a year of not riding as much as I should and getting slower and slower, this year needed to be different than last. I’d still be slow, just not slower. When a good friend called and asked if I was interested in doing a two race series in North Georgia in the early season I didn’t jump at the offer, but decided if a change was in order , The Snake Gap Time Trail was a place to start. Entry was reasonable and I signed up without reading any of the race rules, and really, who does? Well, a lot of people, but not me.
Race One was 9 January and weather reports early in the week were great, 55 and sunny. What more could one ask for? 65 and sunny maybe, but that’s not what happened. Prior to the race the weather got progressively worse and worse. Biblical rain storms, wind speeds of epic proportions and my desire to race waned rapidly. Fortunately, Chris my friend, kept saying how fun it would be to race and convinced me that if the weather was too bad, I could do a shorter race option. Also, the weather forecast for Missouri was far worse, so off I went for a nine hour drive to Dalton GA to ride a brand new trail in a race for the first time, ever. As always, a good plan.
One of the things about the race that is a bit unusual is it is point to point, meaning that all the elevation I’d climb I wouldn’t get back descending. But as 0800 on race day arrived and the weather threatened, the racers lined up and headed out one by one with about ten seconds between racers onto the trail.
The trail that we began on were fast fun and flowing, very fun. 17 miles of fun followed and having started in the middle of the racers helped give me people to chase and turned me into a rabbit for some. Riding with a group of people helped push me a little beyond my comfort zone, it was good. We then crossed a creek and who knows what happened, I can’t actually recall everything. In hindsight, after the creek there was a climb, stupid fun descents, some good steady somewhat rocky climbs, more stupid fun descending, then to the drop bag aid station.
After the aid station my race went off the rails, well, not right after, but after the climb out of the aid station. To recount what followed is pointless, sufficed to say, the climb was long, much longer than expected and I was looking at the sky and fearful of the oncoming rain, which began literally just a few minutes after I’d finished. So instead of being smart and taking my time and riding within my level of comfort (and lack of fitness) I pushed myself up to Dug Gap Mountain as fast as I could.
Knowing I had about six miles of rock gardens and two of road to the finish I skipped the last aid station Yeah, I’m smart like that, skip food and water because walking 6 miles isn’t all that bad, right? Well it was terrible. I bled so much time on the six miles of rock gardens, my hope of getting a sixish hour finish just faded away. By 25 or so minutes. The rock garden was actually really fun, and had I not ridden 40 or so mile prior to getting to them the trail would have been really fun. And even with the lack of energy, skills and bonking a bit, the Dug Gap trail was my favorite part of the race,
6:23 was the time for race one, third place (Clydesdale category) not real people place. Fun was had and I was looking forward to race two and 6:20ish was the goal as keeping a consistent time would secure me third (Clydesdale) not real category overall. I should have read the rules.
Race two on the 13th of February and all of the above applies other than it was COLD for Georgia and leaving a bit later in the group of racers gave me far fewer folks to chase. Riding my single speed in this race instead of my full suspension bike was a decision I’d made as I only wanted to maintain my finishing time in the race, not really improve and I really just wanted to have a fun day on the bike. I did, until Dug Gap rock gardens of death, doom and personal demons that convinced me if I lay down they will eventually realize I’m missing and send EMS for me.
Reaching the Aid station at Dug Gap feeling pretty good I skipped it again, stupidly. Learning from my mistakes takes awhile to sink in to my thick skull. Riding like a man with no skills and the fitness of a little girl on a pink bike with training wheels I just ran out of energy and started walking. Then walking, followed by more walking and then tried to ride and did, then walked some more. Another mistake was forgetting there was food in my pack and therefor not eating anything until, in desperation, I stuck my hand in my pouch on my pack and found a Snickers bar! My life was saved, or at least I had some food and after eating the Snickers almost instantly I felt better. To say I hopped on the bike and finished strong would be not exactly true, but at least focusing on the trail was easier, and I knew I wouldn’t lay down and wait for EMS but would finish.
Finishing at 6:41 or so, after a flat and a couple of other minor mechanical issues made me happy. I would still be in third overall (clydesdale (I should have read the rules)) and was super happy. But that is not how this series works. The places are given for the best performance of the series on either given day, not overall. Was I upset? No. I should have read the rules. Had I read them could I have done better in the second race, absolutely, but finishing fifth on the day (Clydesdale) and having had a great time, aside from the death bonk, I was really happy.
The Snake Gap Time Trail is a fun race and kept me motivated throughout the beautiful, but not really, Missouri winter and if racing it next year transpires there are several things I would do differently and it would still be a great way to spend a couple Saturdays early in the year. Oh, and riding it on a Single Speed is so much more fun. Ed