Carl Sanders's Blog (63)

Driving under towering redwoods early Saturday morning, down a long dusty washer board road into the heart of Jackson State Demonstration Forest, just inland on the northern CA coast, I finally rolled to a stop in front of a rustic cabin behind an aged Mendocino Woodlands Association Sign. I had arrived for my next challenge.  

With Marathon Nationals in Bend, Oregon only a couple weeks…

2011 -- 2:20, 11th place, one week after Terrible Two; tired at the start line, cramped hard at mile 20, rolled in totally spent...

2012 -- 2:21, 12th place, feeling fresh all day, a 'B' race en route to Nationals, 80 - 90% effort, felt solid, in control, ready for another lap at the finish...

This is a course Jim and Shiloh would excel on -- fast start into the park, rocks everywhere, punchy climbs, bumpy descents and elbow to elbow competition onto the best…

Just a week out from the 12 hour suffer-fest in Humbolt, I found myself on the start line in the dark at 5 AM for the Mt. Tam Double. I wasn't there to race I told myself. This was simply one more double event on my way toward my 50X50 goal: completing 50 double centuries by the time I complete fifty laps around the Sun.

Unlike many doubles that aren't timed and times are kept personal, this event started under a banner with a over-sized digital clock and went off with a race director…

Somewhere past 8 hours, not able to read or figure out the split time board posted near the finish, I finally asked the time station where I sat against other 12 hour riders.  '15 minutes off..' 'she said. 'Back or ahead?' I asked. 'Behind...' she replied. I took off in hot pursuit after Justin Graves, who I thought held the lead position.

Early in the race, I held a strong lead for the first 5 hrs, enjoying the day and my brisk pace. Unlike the trying conditions at Tahoe Sierra, the…

Good ‘old timey’  mountain bike racing is what Jim the promoter promised. Still not quite sure what he meant. The course would cover 102 miles, point to point, climb nearly 16,000’ and descend close to 18,000’, following most of the Western States Trail route used during the equestrian Tevis Cup and foot endurance races. Shiloh and I would drive up two vehicles, leaving mine at the finish in Auburn and driving his and our bikes up to the start at Soda Springs, just off Donner…

Bad math?

198 miles + 20,300' worth of climbing + 8 High Sierra passes = FUN.

On the backside of Monitor Pass, somewhere into hour twelve, blasting down the smoothest wide open descent on the planet, clocking just over 50 mph, my bike began to wobble un-controllably. Squeezing the top tube between my thighs and pulsing the brakes couldn't stop the increasing oscillations from one end of the bike to the other. First thought: flat? Second: wheel tension gone? No matter. Stay…

Riding solo over the steep and shadeless climbs of Skaggs, heading out toward the coast at mile 125, the Garmin displayed 106 degrees just after noon. 

I had rode strong all the way over Trinity Grade, got into a brisk pace line with familiar SRCC and Grasshopper riders up the Silverado Trail. Held with the top ten into the Calistoga aid station. Cranked over the double summits of Geysers to the next aid at mile 84. Temps were climbing into the upper 90s by 10 AM. Doused the body with…

Well into Zone 5 on the first set of dirt grinders off the pavement, I knew that this would be another desperate, hypoxic day of suffering chasing the local talent around Lake Sonoma.

Sure enough, not even eight miles into the course, while hanging tight with a strong group of Experts and Pros, a rider in front of me goes down on a deeply rutted drop, forcing me to take a bad line trying to get around him.  My front wheel washes out and down I go, tearing up flesh on my right leg.…

Two years ago, this was to be the longest ride that I'd ever attempted. Not knowing any better, I registered after seeing that the SRCC website listed the ride as a '5 C/D, 130 miles, w/ 15,000 in climbing'.

The route makes a counter-clockwise loop north out of Lake Sonoma onto HWY 128, up to Boontville, out to Point Arena, south along HWY 1 then back inland over Skaggs via Annapolis. This time, I knew a bit more about endurance riding and wouldn't start the ride four days after an…

Last year we were expecting the 'The End of Days' at the conclusion of this classic CA double; it was predicted that the world would come to some cataclysmic end before some riders even had a chance to finish the course. A precisely 6 PM, the predicted demise of all civilization, I was still rolling across an overpass 15 miles from the finish...

The world still intact, I registered again this year, needing one last double dose of suffering prior to the Terrible Two. For this round, I…

The SRCC club ride promised 129 miles, 15K of climbing out and back over Sonoma County's biggest peaks.  Looked to be a fun day.

We'd start at Alexander Valley School, just east of Healdsburg on Hwy 128. The route would take us first north up and over Geysers, down the backside, then up Pine Mtn., where would turn around for a return trip back and over Geysers again to our starting point.

Some riders got out early, just after 6 AM. I ended up with the ride leader Marc Moons and…

Somewhere past hour six, mid-way into my eighth lap, bouncing down a loose rock-strewn single track left, I heard and felt stuff falling off my bike. No time to look or stop, bike still functioning and rolling fast, heading toward the fire road below, I chose to roll it out and deal with it later. There was no way I wanted to give up the 15 minute lead  that I’d made by lap six over my competition.

This was to be my third round of Boggs, back to defend my…

Never quite know what or who to expect when one shows up to a local Grasshopper. On this day the route called for us to roll out of Santa Rosa bent for new territory east of town that promised a few steep climbs, a number of rough roads and one dirt descent over the course of 70 plus miles. Fat 25cc tires on the Madone would prove to be good gear for this mixed road terrain.

Amidst the assembling 100 or so riders in the grammar school parking lot at the edge of…

3:17:24 -- 12th position across the line. Two short of the my objective.

First blood when taken down by a volunteer accidently catching my bars at the aid station while attempting a bottle hand-up at mile 10!

Second blood on the second lap, mile 29, when my front wheel washed out down a loose rutted section. Determined to finish the course this year, I banged the seat into line, re-set the chain and jumped back into the game.

Not an entirely pleasant experience out there…

The stage was set for a good race day: our new kit, a full team photo before the start, perfect sunny weather, tacky trail conditions and a deep field of talented local racers amassed for battle. My fitness was in-line for later season peaks at Boggs and Terrible Two.  This was to be my early season perfromance test.

Expecting the high intensity of a relatively short XC race, I psyched up for the fast start; attempting to explode up the first climb, I charged ahead, pulling a clean…

CORRECTION: With an open start time, the official results now show me 9th overall. A hand full of riders appeared to have started after I did and roll across the finish later then myself with shorter times. Still quite respectable.

 At the third aid station at mile 113, my friend Karl insisted that I eat quickly and so that we could ride out with the 'fast group of guys' getting ready to roll back on the course.  

The first hundred or so mile was a blast, carried along…

Opening day for the XC race season. Cool usually delivers a fast and often muddy course. 

Light rain in the forecast. Three months of putting in the volume and month of starting to work the high end. A good place to gauge my fitness. 

Out of the gate, I got bunched up with a group of bumbling riders. Immediately, I was back 20 plus places. My typical less-than-stellar start.

As expected, the legs had the go but the heart rate lagged and my breathing was labored. Just…

Sometimes the best made plans, fail to produce the expected results.

This was to be my last race of the season. A final jump into the big pond at Marathon Nationals in Bend, Oregon. My fitness from a full season of training and racing seemed on on par with the the level of competition that I would expect at this venue. I had to give it a go to see what I had in me. The objectives were straightforward: show up, pay attention and engage the event.

A week prior, by chance…

That one cost me.

I cracked. Found my edge. Left more than I cared to by the side of the trail. 

Despite taking a wrong turn in the first 10 miles that cost me 15 minutes, back-tracking up to the course, I was holding on to 7th position past the Mad Cat Aid Station at mile 64. I was confident that I could catch a few more riders for a top five finish.

Then my gut began to rumble on the first single track section of the Western States Trail that we would now follow for…