Last Sunday I took part in what has become one of Virginia's best known cycling events: the
Shenandoah Mountain 100, a hundred-mile mountain bike race held in Stokesville, about a half hour west of Harrisonburg in the wild mountains of the George Washington National Forest. I knew going in that this would be my longest ever day in the saddle, and indeed it was. But more importantly, it was an impressively well-organized and well-run event, whose volunteers and staff outdid themselves at every turn. This turned a physically grueling event into a day that was, quite simply, a great day to be me.
The race was held at the beautiful Stokesville campground, home of the
Stokesville Observatory. Most of the racers, more than 500 in all, camped out the night before in order to be ready for the start at daybreak. My day began shortly after five a.m., when an air-horn sounded wake the campers. Hundreds of folks on mountain bikes of all shapes and sizes gathered at 6:15, and promptly departed at 6:30. We squeezed onto a fire road, down from the campground, across an iron bridge, and into the wilderness.
My goal was simply to survive, to ride and enjoy the course, and to arrive safely at the finish before dark. More concretely, I was hoping to finish in less than twelve hours. Throughout the day I struck up conversations with other riders, most of whom had ambitions similar to my own. While it is a race, and a big one at that (it's on the
Dirt Rag World Tour and is event 7 of 8 in the
NUE Series), for most riders it is an intensely personal experience with individual goals.
At registration each racer is given two gallon-size zip-lock bags. One must contain lights, the other can contain any supplies you like. These are deposited at aid stations on the course, and provide nice treats (such as clean, dry clothing, or food) along the way. The lights are deposited at an aid station at mile 75, and riders who pass through that station after 4:20 p.m. are required to ride the last 25 miles carrying lights, just in case.
My day couldn't have been better. There are six mountain climbs on the course (a total of 14,000 vertical feet of climbing), and the first two of these were crowded with riders. But after that things sorted out, and the ride was serene. The key, I decided, to an endurance event such as this (aside from preparation and basic fitness) is hydration and nutrition. Keep yourself well watered and well fed and things will work out. I also made a conscious effort to keep enough electrolytes and minerals in my system to account for all that sweat and keep the muscle cramps at bay. It all seemed to work. By mile 60 my confidence was increasing, and I ramped up my pace and began treating the event more like the race it was supposed to be. I arrived at the aid station at mile 75 at 3:40. This meant I would not have to tote my lights over the remaining miles. This station, at the top of the biggest climb of the race, was also stocked with pizza and soda in addition to the standard PBJ sandwiches, fruit, and energy drinks. That may have been the most enjoyable piece of pizza I've ever eaten!
The last 25 miles were a blur of mud, screaming rocky descents, stunning scenery, river crossings, enthusiastic fans, and tired legs. I hit a hard pace on the last climb, passing several riders, then rode the final ridge trail, gunning up a few steep rocky hills past people walking their bikes, and down the last descent, a singletrack that opened into a screaming fast fire road. Suddenly, I dropped into the final turns, which opened up into a field, the Stokesville campground, to cheers at the finsh. I made my goal with eight minutes to spare: eleven hours, fifty two minutes. I was the 276th rider to cross the line.
This was the 10th year of this event, and the logistics and organization were simply incredible. The volunteers at the six rest stations were tops. They took my bike as I entered and lubed my chain and filled my camelbak as I ate and drank and stretched my back. At the campground there was a great dinner the night before the race, and another the night after. There was beer, courtesy of Dominion Brewing Company, and volunteers everywhere to make sure that all racers were well cared for. It was, quite simply, an awesome experience.
That said, I'm not at all certain I'll ever put myself through anything like a twelve hour day of riding again. I certainly can't say I recommend it. But I wanted to do it this once just to see if I could, just to know that I had the mettle. To finish, feeling not too much worse for the wear, is an incredible feeling. What a day it was.
Complete results and race coverage are posted at
Cycling News. A nice summary article with lots more photos is posted at
Dirt Rag.
