Author: Bill

Yeah, major setback: my race bike broke down, and then I discovered my bike rack was stolen. Overcoming those obstacles, I headed out on my old Leader for some RMVQ scouting. Opted to try a new section dubbed “Alp De Turah” by my friend Ed, hoping to bypass the dreaded Clinton Express usually encountered around 3 AM.

The climb out of Turah was a steep 3,000 feet. Past the initial dramatic ascent, the route mellowed, making me question if the Hollowmens saddle section was worth keeping. Eventually, I hit a complex crossroads typical of the backcountry, right where the RMVQ passes through.

The new route proved successful, so I pushed to finish the rest of the RMVQ. Descending into a gulch on Miller Peak’s north side, I encountered a snake. Despite my usual aversion, this little guy seemed…cute? Clearly, it’s time to find a riding buddy if I’m befriending snakes.

Completing the RMVQ and pausing atop University Mountain to soak up the evening sun, I felt a surge of strength. Recovering well from back-to-back long rides, I feel primed for the Butte 100. Celebrated with a pint of Cardamom ice cream at Big Dipper. What a ride!

I went to Butte yesterday with my friend Ross to pre ride the last 50 miles of the Butte 100. I had a secondary goal of providing Bob (Triple Ring Productions) with a complete GPS track of the Butte 50.

I gave Ross final instructions on how the course crossed the road about 3 or 4 miles from where we were standing under a shade tree. It was getting hot and I hade a zone 3 day planned on the hardest part of the course, the last 50.

It all went down as expected climb, climb, climb, I felt like it was like 100 degrees as I started up and around the loop. As the day wore on  felt better and unexpectedly was having a great time. I worked hard on the climbs and bombed the descents. I felt like my momentum was building as I zipped across the meadows just below the Highland Range. Then I started to hear a bad sound from my rear wheel.

I took off the rear wheel and saw that the cassette was “wiggly”. I thought, “darn, I should of checked the lock ring”. I grasped it with my fingers but it was solid. Darn, the entire free hub body was loose. To make things worse I was 25 miles out.

I tried to call or text … no service. I put it all back together and decided to ride it until it finally gave way.

I did the 8 miles of hell, Limekiln, The new section down and up Toll Canyon, and then down to the road where the last checkpoint would be. Just as I figured I was home free and about to enjoy the last ten miles the back end gave way. The rear hub had exploded and I was left with a 0 Speed. And single speeders think they are tough.

I ran it to a waiting friend Ross and we skedaddled home. I am still trying to figure out what I will do for training today as well as the race in two weeks. At least don’t need my bike rack now … which was just stolen. Ripped right from my car yesterday or last night.

Anyone for a hike?

Yesterday after work I took a rest day and headed into the pain lab for a core tune-up. Shortly after Paul, Niko, and I headed out to the Winery by the airport exit to watch my good friend Ed play the drums in a couple sets of some of the best jazz I have heard. OK, so I haven’t been to to many jazz sessions, maybe once in Plattsburgh NY. I am bad with names but the folks accompanying Ed were all great characters.

Today is a stark opposite as I prepare to destroy myself on the Butte 100 course.  Climb until it hurts…o/o

Don’t you hate it when your eating something so tasty that you loose yourself in a sub reality of taste bud heaven only to awake suddenly because that what you were shoving into your mouth is suddenly missing. You look around for clues but the investigation comes to one of two conclusions. One is that you could have ate the entire thing but you have no recollection of that. Two is that the matrix had a glitch and rather then reconstruction a corrupt piece of data it deleted your breakfast sandwich when you were not looking. I am hoping that I don’t do the same thing with visiting friends

Yesterday was a rest day so I spent about 30 minutes in the pain lab doing tie bo which I may add, has done wonders for my recovery. Then I jetted down to the Green Hangar to throw a load of laundry in and wait to meet up with Paul, Lucy, Niko, and Willow. These people are my friends and family from the EAL upstate of New York in Plattsburgh.

We enjoyed a slice at a little known place called THE BRIDGE … I mean where else? We caught up and planned to meet up today.  My plan is to do pain lab at lunch so I can have the evening for a little social recovery. Oh yea, and put my friends bike back together.

The weekend is over and I have tallied up the damage.  I only accomplished a modest 147 off road miles but the 21,500 feet of vertical gain for the week says it all. With the help of friends I put in three huge single track days in the last four days to push up my week’s saddle time to 26 hours. First it was the Missoula Thursday Night Ride and then it was Dave’s idea to do the Sheep Mountain Loop. Yesterday it was to meet up with friends to ride the Butte 50 (last half of the Butte 100). Map!

By the time I started out with Colin and a few endurance folk I was feeling a bit over cooked from all the sun and exposure the day before. The only thing keeping me upright was my new TRP kit. I wanted to go with Team Muleterro but for some strange reason they decided to do the course backwards. The entire idea was to pre-ride the course right?

It wasn’t long before Colin’s group dropped me leaving me wondering if I could even do this 50 miles loop after an initial 50 during a race. I was slogging along at a turtles pace but there is a reason for that. The beginning of the Butte 50 course has a shit-ton of climbing. You climb for like the first 35 miles.

Along miseries path was beauty. We crossed numerous meadows with great wooden bridges over the wetlands. Still though, there was mud to be had in some forested sections. The course is really wet this year.

The day got way better for the last 20 or so miles. All downhill sections of the greatest single-track anywhere on this planet. Here is a simplified track. Skipped sections include the archery range (to avoid getting shot), a swampy section in the Highlands Rec Area, and a new additional climb section Bob just put in.

After the ride which took 6.5 hours we converged upon the Triple Ring Headquarters where we all enjoyed some snacks and lounged around talking about the course. I waited to long to begin my drive home and ended up getting back to Missoula around 11ish.

Today is drag ass dog day for me with only a dose of Pain Lab in the afternoon.

Details … Dave (his post) and I sat the the Big Dipper cooling our core temperature with some mocha milkshakes. Suddenly the truth came out. “I thought, wow. We might make Sheep without a mechanical”, Dave recalls thinking. Then it happened…

Just hours and 3000 feet worth of climbing we were at the Grind. This is where I finally put my foot down. DAB! It wasn’t the terrain but a pesky deer fly that ended my quest to ride sheep without putting down. Here Dave catches up as I explain my early exit.

After a passing thunder boomer and passing Garland on the trail I popped out on Wishard Ridge looking toward the ridge to Sheep.

Wishard Ridge.

Today it was like social hour up on the route. We met like a dozen riders along the way. Just one person was going our way, down the East Fork. Best of all, she was wearing a Big Dipper Jersey … we were focused now on the end result. Ice cream.

So what happened? Just as we got to the corridor Dave flatted. We struggled to save face with tubeless technology and waited for it to seal up. Finally after numerous attempts Dave made the decision to put a tub in it.

A mechanical. The Sheep legacy is still alive. Never has a group ride made the loop without mechanicals. Well … not any one that I have been on.

Tomorrow … Butte 50.

A balance between sanity and performance has to be struck. I just put on my Yerba Mate to brew and until I get that energy from the magical juice of exotica I cant strike anything let alone any real constructive thoughts. Lately it seems like I have been recovering from a concussion rather then a 24 hour bike race. The thought process is just not sharp and sanity takes a hit.

So yesterday I was mostly striking against the trails in Patte Canyon trying to feel a little performance. My fitness has come around and I feel ready to train again but I just didn’t feel comfortable on the bike and it seemed to struggle underneath me. I forced it to carry me along the paths. My form was just not there but I know it will come along.

It was nice to get out into the sun shine for once and gain a little sanity. The trails were finally dry and there were tons of people wondering about as if the sun and warm weather were something new. Everyone is delirious still after a spring of wet cold weather.

I did manage to come across the Dirt Girls frolicking in the woods. It is always nice to encounter a gang of females on mountain bikes in the woods. To some a fantasy but in Missoula it is normal. Yea, performance goes right out the window and sanity comes back into play. It was nice to see Lydia (skootch) leading the group though. She looked good in the leadership role.

Something didn’t feel right as I neared the end of my ride. Usually I find myself taking photos. Last night it seemed to be all about struggling to perform. Frustration overcame the desire to be creative which is a part of my sanctity.

I forced a photo by stopping at the edge of town and snapping off a evening scene.

Sanity did make a comeback as I quickly turned from training hard for the Butte 100 to a couch potato. I made some real tasty elk nachos and plopped down to watch a show on PBS called “Carriers”. I get so sucked into those history shows. So sanity took precedence over performance.

Now I wait for the Mate to take it’s hold and fear a encounter on the body composition device to see that eating like a pig before bedtime is not recommended for performance.

Today I am hoping my performance comes back and along with it a less scattered brain.  Good form is such an integral part of having a mentally good ride. But if that is not to be so then maybe a performance overload will bring it all back. Today is a Lynda W. patented double workout day. I got a hour in the pain lab doing core at lunch and then a 2 hour ride after work in which I will do a session of multiple 3 minute all out hill repeats. Yay!

Damn you Butte 100, I want my sanity back.

I finally put my feet on the ground around 10 in the morning. This is as late as I will ever wake up. I partied hard yesterday. After a big ride I melted into Bob’s sofa in the TRP cave for some Butte style porter. It was some good stuff. Thankfully Alden bypassed the delights so he could drive us home.

After some lengthy discussion on human performance we arrived and I went up to Alden’s house for some dinner. A few more brews and I was ready for bed.

On the way home I was inspired to stop and get some almond ice cream. I decided upon the praline pecan flavored variety and went home to lunge around with the cold delight. Some more calories from various other tasty things and I fell asleep knowing that today I had the entire day off.

So today is fully justified and now I can disclose that it is 8 in the evening and I blew a entire day doing nothing but blogging and catching up on some photos. These are from a hike I did earlier last week sometime as I was trying to recover by doing strolls through the North Hills.

I will take in a pain lab session and then sink into a hot tub. My eyes will be shut by 9 and tomorrow will be back to the grid.

I almost set off for a hike when Sten H. called, inviting me for a ride in Butte on the 4th of July. Still recovering from last weekend’s 24-hour race, I was hesitant. Sten promised a short, easy recovery ride.

After posting about the ride on Twitter and Facebook, Alden W. called, interested in joining. I assured him it’d be an easy ride, and we agreed to meet at 8:30 am at Triple Ring Productions headquarters (Bob W’s house).

Despite my initial reluctance to push hard, the day was perfect for a ride. We watched some European bike race at the headquarters before deciding on a 20-mile loop. I hoped for a slow pace to make the ride manageable.

We set out from Butte, following the old Highland Classic race course, passing through tunnels and trestles. Decked out in my GrizzlyMan Adventure shirt, while the others wore team gear, we even practiced our ambush technique for the upcoming Butte 100.

The weather was clear, and from a bridge, I could see our entire route, covering sections of the Butte 50 and 100. Alden confirmed my guess of “lupine” for the trailside flowers. The trails were in excellent condition and lushly green.

Though the pace was gentle, the ride stretched to over three hours. A bit too long for my recovery plan, which now needs another two days’ adjustment. But no regrets – it was a fantastic day.

I don’t know when I started thinking and realizing that maybe I should blog about last weekend’s bike race. I have great support, Triple Ring Productions for paying my way to the 24 Hours of Rapelje, and Carbo Rocket for setting me up with enough juice to rip off 235 miles in 24 hours. Yes, 235 miles and this is how I did it.

11:01 AM Lap 1 (1:03 lap/2 sec pit)

You couldn’t call it running but maybe the work lofting would describe it best. I ran in the grass beside the road and calmly found Ed who was holding my bike for me. He had a bewildered look on his face. I leaped onto my bike an joined the mob heading West with the Crazy Mountain Range in the distance.

I took the lead because in Rapelje there was no way to tell the soloists apart from the teams riders because the organizers don’t supply us with rear plates. the only way to tell is to ride to the front and look back as people try and pass to see if their number plate is of the 100 series.

The first one to pass was Aaron and it looked like he was adapting to mountain bike racing well. He was driving hard so I let up and he started to build a lead on the rest of us.

Suddenly Sten passed me and I was wondering if he was going to go out too hard. I set in behind him since he was in the Solo category. Then Andrew spazing out  passed me and then waited until a ditch crossing to pass Sten. He crashed into the ditch and actually had a interlude with Rich as he went down. Sten said, “someone’s trying to pass in the wrong place”, or something like that.

Aaron was riding very well and I was feeling so proud of him but eventually Andrew finally obtained the lead and I grabbed his wheel. He insisted on hammering the pace so I let him go out into the sage brush alone thrashing the hills and costing the rest on his single speed. I kept him in sight but when I took the “rock section” the field got a bit ahead of me.

Just before the race started the race organizer took out our favorite rock section because he learned that last year some riders missed the turn and gained a little advantage.

Near the end of the lap there is a open cattle grazing field. The field followed the flags marking the course until they ran out. we all stopped and wondered where the course went. We rode across the field to the West until we retained the flag trail. Apparently the organizers were marking the course and didn’t meet up in one section.

A the end of the lap I regained the lead as Andrew had the disadvantage on the downhill to the pit area.

12:04 PM Lap 2 (1:01 lap/1.5 min pit)

I settled into a great steady race pace and the lap went pretty well. I was under way and happy to be finally going for 200 miles. The dust had settled and I was feeling good. At the end where we got lost, near a windmill I call “winds of change”, the route had been marked well so there was no getting lost. The GPS track shows the different routes back to thee start area.

Andrew was still riding aggressively but I was also feeling my oats so I put in a strong lap, that is until near the end on the last farm road climb along a fence line. A huge storm rolled in and lightening was crashing to my right. Then the hail hit and was beating me into a pulp. I winced and made my way the best I could.

I entered thee road to the finish and in that last section got extremely muddy and started to fear that the race would be canceled for the second year. I rolled into the pits yelling for any status on the race. I wanted to get out on another lap before they canceled.

Andrew came rolling in erasing my lead. I knew I had to keep him in close check because if they canceled the winner of the next lap would win the race.

1:08 PM Lap 3(1:17 lap/5 min pit): Trying to avoid the mud  was easy at first but some sections was coating me from head to toe with mud. This made my progression slow but I didn’t want to wear out my bike before the race even began. The name of the game is protecting the equipment. Andrew caught me pretty easy with his stomp it into the mud attaching style. This is the beauty of single speed, no gears and extra equipment to protect.

As we passed the windmill “winds of change” and entered the fields to the finish we were suddenly stopped by gumbo mud. I could see in the distance numerous racers stuck with 4 wheelers trying to pull them out. I knew we would have to run our bikes.

A guy on a 4 wheeler drove us like cattle across the field and had us jump the fence. I followed Andrew close because I figured this was our last lap. The course was being re routed once again.

As Andrew drove hard and pushed the pace I had no option to stick with my heart rate plan. I drove hard through the mud as well.  It was going to be delightful to watch him die later on.

The pit was total chaos. I scrambled to put on a rain jacket under my helmet and over the rest of my mud laden quivering body as Ben takes my bike to the hose and quickly cleans the drive train off. The bike was still a mess so I opted to take out my Leader hard tail. I was ripping apart my pit area looking for my fender as Andrew went out for another lap. I had to go, I couldn’t let him go. This could be the last lap.

Ben cleans bike but it is till too muddy. Putting on rain coat as Andrew heads out while I am looking for my fender.

2:30 PM Lap 4 (1:12 lap/1.5 min pit):

While Ben was back in my pit area cleaning my race bike the hard tail I was on was absolutely brutalizing my body and I was afraid the frame would break. The Rapelje course is one of the roughest around with its cow hoof holes.

Andrew was not riding as aggressively this lap and it was pretty easy to keep him in check.  Near the end and again a different route past the “winds of change” we passed a rider and suddenly Andrew started to slow down. I thought great, the next couple laps I get to watch him unravel from all the aggressive riding. He informed me that he just lapped his competition. He slowed even more and I rode on thinking that would be the last I would have a riding partner.

3:44 PM Lap 5 (1:11 lap/4.5 min pit)

I rode a lap alone to find Andrew in the pits. Apparently he had broken his crank. I offered up my hard tail and he looked as though he was out for the duration. He had a plate of food and was starting to party. I left my competition and walked to the transition area. Apparently the next person down was Rich and Sten with another ride in close chase.

4:59 PM Lap 6 (1:11 lap/1 min pit)

Another lap down in the books I was riding steady, relaxed, and in first position by almost 30 minutes. I was having a hard time reading the spread sheets in the transition area so I couldn’t tell exactly if I was putti
ng time into my competition or not. It did look like Rich and Steen had a lap up on me  but I knew that couldn’t be the case as I never saw them pass me.

6:12 PM Lap 7 (1:12 lap/ 1 min pit)

I cruised through the pit and thanks to all the TNR folks I had fresh water bottles of Carbo Rocket 350 ready. I cruised to a 100 miles at 7:15 pm at last road climb (just past the “winds of change”) to the finish. It was 8:15 into the race and I was wishing that I could do the Butte 100 that fast.

7:25 PM Lap 8 (1:09 lap/7 min pit)

I started this lap by catching up to Ed Stalling. At this point I was also neck and neck with my TNR friends (team). I quickly realized that I could keep his pace and retain my heart rate goals. I had to let him go but not before he graciously rode with me for a while. What finally lit a fire under his chamois was when a 3 person team rider passed us. I said, “are you going to just let him go? Its your competition”. Ed took off like a bolt about 10 minutes later.

I was on the downside of my 200 mile quest when I caught up to Sten and Rich and finished another quick lap. I was now a lap up on second and third place. It was nice to get some sort of perspective on where everyone was at and also to see my buds riding together.

8:41 PM Lap 9 (1:10 lap/6.5 min pit)

I kept the pace stead but being up so far on first place was making me complacent and actually a little lonely (mentally bored). It would be a while to catch Rich and Sten so I wondered when the TNR trio would catch me. I rolled into pit row to discover Rich and Sten lounging and eating like it was a neiborhood bbq.

“Rich, let go out for another lap”, I yelled.

“OK, I just need a moment”.

I mulled around and wanted to get going.

“Are you coming or what”, as I walked around to their pit area.

“Rich you don’t need to go out of you don’t feel like it”, mentioned Sten.

This was a lost cause so I headed out for another lap.

9:58 PM Lap 10 (1:16 lap/1.5 min pit)

Now I was getting real complacent and slow due to the fact I was now 2 laps up. I know know that I had extra help from other volunteers to fill my water bottles. Thinking back this must of been when that happened because I remember my Carbo Rocket tasting a little funny … almost no taste. I was getting regular Carbo Rocket (110 calories) instead of my 350 calorie Carbo Rocket that was in a cooler. I was stopping at the aid station to get extra water and wondering why I was fatiguing a little.

11:15 PM Lap 11 (1:16 lap/16 min pit)

Back to the CR350 I started to feel better but then my stomach starts to feel alien.  I wasn’t having stomach problems it was just feeling a little lonely like I was feeling. I wasn’t hungry just wished I had some Bridge Pizza. It was dark now and the distant lights is all I had to keep me company. I kept tabs on the stars to make sure another storm wasn’t rolling in. In the pits I succumb to lonely stomach syndrome by eating a small piece of fish. My friend Ross had caught these lake trout a week before and smoked them for me. It was DELISH!

Out on this lap I brought Marcy’s ashes. I selected a nice tree and spread her ashes on the course on the far side near the only pine tree section. I also posted a photo of her so that the ones that knew me could say hi as they passed. It was a good lap.

12:47 AM Lap 12 (1:20 lap/11 min pit)

I was thinking of that yummy fish that I only had a tid-bit of at the pit when I hit the 175 mile mark. It was looking like the record would be easy. At the pits I started to party by having some more fish, yum. I expanded my itinerary to a pot pie. I set it in a pan of a little water to heat up while I was on my next lap. I put the flame of the stove at lowest possible.

2:18 AM Lap 13 (1:21 lap/24 min pit)

I put in another dark lap and the lights were working great. I would put the battery on charge in the pits and grab the charged one. I kept noticing two and sometimes three headlamps in the distance at the halfway part of the course. I was thinking it was Rich and Sten and it looked like they were holding their own. I was hoping to run into someone by now. I was close to my record and needing company. I was now at 190 miles at 3:40 AM ,  one lap to 200.

I rolled into the pits to a pot pie in the first stages of catching fire. The pan had run out of water and started burning the pan and it’s contents. I ate what I could which was about two or three jerkyized pieces of turkey and hard potato chunks. The crust tasted pretty good but I wondered if I would be affected by the tinges of carbon front he burnt sections.

I decided to try pot pie #2 but with way more water this time. Lucky for me Larry was heading out for his lap soon. I waited so I could ride with him and share the 200 mile moment.

4:03 AM Lap 14 (1:26 lap/12 min pit)

Larry and I rode mostly in silence concentrating on a nice sunrise lap. Larry seemed to start out exhausted but soon near the end was re-energized by the morning sun as it crested the horizon. I reached 200 miles at 5:09 AM, 18:09 into the race at the windmill (“winds of change”).

5:41 AM Lap 15 (1:23 lap/3 min pit)

I decided to rip off a insurance lap and enjoy the morning sun.

7:45 AM Lap 16 (1:22 lap/8 min pit)

It was over at 5 in the morning but I did one more lap to celebrate Rich and Sten’s 200 mile. I cant believe these tow did it, what a great job. In the end it was 1 – 2 – 3 team Muleterro.

My lap sheet in the transition area with a few comments from others. Who was keeping track of my time? I call them love notes.

Missoula Thursday Night Ride members. 1st Solo and 1st Three man team (Aaron, Ed, Larry).

My second 24 Hours of Rapelje trophy and this one was earned. My first race completion!

Team Muleterro. Myself 1st solo, Sten and Rich in 2nd and 3rd solo, The woman’s team first and the men’s team first. Total domination.

Missoula Montana Racers. 1st both Women and Men Solo. 1st Three man team. Total domination.