Thats The Way The Cupcake Crumbles...

One week after officially opening my racing season with an XTERRA humbling, I headed up to the 2010 Michaux Maximus Endurance MTB Race in the mountains north of Gettysburg, PA. Jes Stith of Gettysburg Bicycle and the Michaux Productions crew put on an amazing 3 race series considered one of the most challenging in the USA. This year's race definitely did not disappoint!

With summer racing weather conditions and sporting a new Specialized Epic 29er bicycle and Gettysburg Bicycle colors I was really excited to get started. Mary and I had one of the worst weeks imaginable after returning home from Vegas; we had to say goodbye to our friend and dog Tyler. Mary had him since he was a pup at the pound, and I had the pleasure of being with him since 2001. I wanted to have a nice day on the bike and get out in the woods and get feeling better knowing that Ty was in a better place.

With our snowy winter I didn't spend any time on the MTB, but this new machine made my riding the best it could be. When I ride my MX bike, a KTM 450 SX-F I feel like I am not able to use its potential; I feel the same way when I am riding my new bike! After a good start (for me) I settled into a good pace and tried to enjoy the terrain. Things were going pretty well, and I was feeling like I could hold my current tempo for the duration of the race. The hard thing to do with an event like this is to know when to exert yourself. With the demands of rocky, rooty, sometimes swampy terrain there is always an opportunity to put too much effort into a section and pay for it later. There are times when I will get off and walk a climb, or a log or rock section to keep my exertion level more even. Michaux is notorious for amazingly technical, exciting, and demanding sections of rock gardens and singletrack, then sections of fire roads and climbs that allow you to recover and work on your nutrition. I was trying my best to stay on my schedule of 1 gel every 20-30 minutes; and drinking my hydration sports drink. This worked great for the first 18 miles!

Going up a climb getting to the aid station at mile 20 I started getting cramps in my thighs! It was humid in the mid 80's, and the week of stress and heat was starting to take its toll. Luckily when I came through for water my friends were running the feed zone. Suddenly I hear "look at Chris representing the Cupcakes!" There is a friendly competition between the Michaux/Gettysburg Crew and the Shenandoah Bike Co. in Harrisonburg, VA over who has the best riding. Gettysburg riders are referred to as Cupcakes... I have never been a part of either being like Switzerland remaining neutral between the 2 riding destinations and formerly considering Frederick/Gambrill as my home turf. Now I was a Cupcake! Jake grabbed my bottle and filled it, and with a few snickers bites I was on my way to the 2nd part of the course.

I was not familiar with the 2nd half of the race having missed the pre ride the week prior being out of town. Riding mile after mile of awesome terrain listening to a playlist of Jeff Healey, Metallica, Rob Zombie, Coldplay, and Jack Johnson I felt like there was no other place I would want to be. On a particularly secluded ridge trail I began to feel much better about losing my friend a few days back. Coldplay was playing:

All Winter

We got carried

Oh way over on the rooftops

Lets get married

All Summer we just hurried

So come over

Just be patient and don't worry

And don't worry

All of the sudden I felt much better. I was out doing what I loved on a great day, pushing myself and getting back to feeling like an athlete again. That lasted a few more miles...

Before the race I had decided that I could use the aid stations for my needs and started the day with a 70 ounce pack and a 24 oz. waterbottle. I thought there was a water station every 10 miles (my mistake..), but at mile 24 I finished my pack. After a few more minutes I had no water left in my bottle either, but figured I would refuel soon. Then the fear began to set in... I thought I was headed towards a very demanding 3 Mile Trail without water! 3 Mile Trail is famous... it has been the unravelling of many racers myself included because of its location in the race, and its physical and technical demands. Every fire road I climbed I was fearing the left turn into the pain. I started having more dehydration symptoms, but still managed to push on. Finally I looked and my computer said 34 miles and suddenly I realized I approaching Rt 233 which meant only 1 long climb left! I passed 2 racers and descended and crossed the road and by that time gave up on water at the last stop. It was just then when I started to get a puncture in my front tire.... As the Stan's solution shot out I started hoping it would seal... SEAL...SEAL.. SEAL! With about 10 pounds of pressure it finally stopped.... now I had a choice... stop and change it and lose the last 3 or 4 positions I had gained, or risk it? I decided to keep it going...

After 4 hours and 38 minutes of fun, cramps, emotions, rain, rocks, and mud I crossed the finish in 9th place. Thats the way this Cupcake crumbled....

I rode back to my car hearing Coldplay again:

No I don't wanna battle from beginning to end

I don't wanna cycle

Recycle revenge

I don't wanna follow

Death and all of His Friends

There is something about pushing past your limits that is cleansing; a trial by fire.... my crucible was the Michaux Maximus. I feel different now, and stronger in ways I can't explain. I hope to continue this new energy from now on. Its time to get out in the weather and enjoy... if you haven't competed yet this season get out as soon as you can. Adventure is right outside your door, all you have to do is let it find you.... thanks for reading!

There I Go... Turn The Page...

My 2010 season officially opened at the XTERRA West Championship in Las Vegas, Nevada on April 25th. After the worst winter in my lifetime here in Maryland with record snowfall, I was apprehensive about my form entering a new season a a Professional. 2009 was my worst year ever for racing only competing four times, and breaking my collarbone on the last day of August and missing my 2009 goal race Ironman Arizona. I had finally decided to get back to racing shorter distance events, and building back my intensity. Needless to day the winter was not very helpful!

The 2010 Las Vegas venue was one of the nicest I have ever seen at the Loews Resort 15 miles outside of the city. During my pre ride of the bike course I realized it was going to be HOT! The course was mostly hilly, sandy double track with a few fun sections of trail by the water. Unfortunately the swim course was closed to competitors which turned out to be my downfall. I had done one swim in my wetsuit since my injury which was really not smart on my part, and during the race I had some problems with spasms. I ended up having to take it very easy and my day was basically over before it really began. I did have an OK bike split, but by the end I was definitely not motivated. I had Metallica's cover of Turn The Page playing over and over in my head as I rode down the dusty, sandy trails. The run was uneventful, and I was poised to finish my opener on a low note. Then, while running across the ridge nearing the finish I had the best view of the lake and surrounding mountains under blue skies. Suddenly my thoughts drifted to better days ahead, and started hearing Colin Hay's Beautiful World playing in my head:

My my my its a beautiful world

I like swimming in the sea

I like to go out beyond the white breakers

Where a man can still be free

Or a woman if you are one

I like swimming in the sea...

After the event was over, and I thought about it a while I started to come up with a plan. The main way I deal with a disappointing finish is to map out a way to overcome my challenges. First I have to get my shoulder straight, then I have to spend more time on my MTB and trail running. Specificity is very important when it comes to XTERRA and MTB racing. The other thing I have learned is to put the race behind you; if you worry about a bad day all it will do is get in the way of your progress toward your season goals. Every athlete has bad days, and the key to being successful is to analyze what happened and come up with a plan and learn from your challenges. Most of the time the stresses of a bad day aren't from yourself at all, but of expectations of others. It is very easy to feel like you let someone down; your sponsors, your spouse and family, your friends... the truth is that the bad days actually make those good days that much better. Racing is a very personal thing, and if you try to remember the reasons you compete in the first place it usually makes it easier to move on. For now I will just remember that if racing was easy it wouldn't be exciting. There is always something to work on, improve, or sustain. I will just remember the experience and hope I can have better days ahead:

...And you don't feel much like ridin'

You just wish the trip was through

Here I am, on the road again,

There I am, up on the stage

There I go, playin' star again,

There I go, Turn The Page

Thanks for reading and I hope the 2010 season has started well for you! Thanks for reading!