Top of the World

It still hasn't sunk in.....what happened this weekend? I have raced solo for 6 years now at the famous "Burnin' at the Bluff" Mesa puts on at Council Bluff Lake. How cool to think back to that first year,2004 when myself along with Dwayne, Breslin, DD and many others thought it might be cool to try a 12 hour, solo. We had no idea what we were doing. We ate goofy stuff thinking it would get us through more hours than any of us had ever ridden. We, I drank like 5 protein shakes and ate a pound of beef jerky. I had never even thought about electrolyte replacement and cramped hard because of my ignorance. The studs that year did 8 laps, I did 6. We were hooked, or at least Dwayne and I were. Breslin won that year even with a myriad of mechanical issues.

Mesa's awesome trophies are creations of Jim and Judy Butler, some friends that now reside in Buena Vista, CO. For me, one of the major forces driving me to lust after the pain of 12 hours. Pics are hi-res, so click for better look. They do nice work!


The next year we had a little more prep time and knowledge. Breslin won again, this time completing 9 laps, unheard of! Not sure of his finishing time, but I thought it was around 9:30pm. I rode my single speed as it was the only bike I had and managed 7 laps while having a whole lot more fun than the previous year.



The 3rd year, and if you notice from the 2006 trophy, the only true "Burnin" year, Chris Ploch made this race his mission. He changed the way it was raced, going out hard and taking no real breaks. He finished 9 laps in less than 12 hours. With time to proceed on with #10 he was talked down by Adrienne. "No one will ever come close", she said. I had crashed less than two weeks before riding with Tom Albert and had a fractured rib. I went out and made 7 laps again finishing with Chris just before 9pm.





















The 4th year Breslin was gunning for it, Dwayne was riding like a freak and I was feeling better. Dave went out hard with Dwayne nipping at his heals only to have mechanical issues and drop out. Dwayne went on to win and I finally got my 8 laps, but just barely. Almost impailed myself on the way home on this one. Mesa rented a semi to travel with these things, they're huge!





















#5 was a fun year and it sucked. Zach Brace had been a strong contender but had issues that kept him from finishing what he started, until this year. I felt good until my 3rd lap when my quick link failed on my chain. When it separated it caught my der cage ripping it clean off my bike. I ran with my bike until another racer gave me a chain tool. Long story short it was a long lap and my next lap was long as I tried to recover. I still managed 8 laps in far less time than last year riding a back up bike. Now for the real race. Dwayne had the lead until lap 8, I think. He hit a wall and Zach took over. Zach flatted on the last lap but still had time and won with 9 laps in just over 13 hours.



Enter 2009. Perfect conditions as of Wednesday-not too dry, cool temps. Then the rain came. Nearly 48 hours of rain ending Friday night, less than 15 hours before race time. This was the first year for really adverse conditions. The cold I can deal with, the water I can deal with. Now it was cold and wet, very wet. CB drains well and all in all the trail wasn't that bad. It was the wet feet and clothes that I was worried about. How long can your body work to keep warm while riding your mtb and not shut down? I had visions of changing clothes and shoes, but it made no sense as they too would be soaked in the first 10 minutes. I tried to dress light for the start hoping to not over heat in the day and not freeze in the night hours. Man that water was cold the first time through! Several hub deep creek crossings made staying dry just not an option.

I started the run with a trot, knowing that unless you were in the front it mattered not where you started. Just go out easy and socialize. Avg heart rate was 13 beats lower after the 1st lap than last year. I did two laps on the single speed hoping to have a "fresh" bike for the improving conditions that I was praying for. They did improve, a little. I passed Zach on the 1st lap just before the half way point, this meant nothing, it was going to be a long day. Now on my geared bike, I caught Dwayne at the end of my 3rd lap. We rode together for about a minute and then he dropped me on the final climb. He pitted and I did not, so now I was out in front. I just cruised and he caught and passed me on the first long climb. We yo yoed back and forth until again he rode away on the final climb. I needed food, so I headed for my campsite and filled my pockets. I bombed down the asphalt starting lap 5. Right when I jumped back in the woods a bike came out from no where from my right. "Heads up", I yelled. It was Dwayne, cool. We just rode and talked for a while. Soon I started to pull away. This time when I got to that 1st long climb, I wasn't overtaken. I just kept riding. Finished the lap by myself and at the top of the final climb I looked back, no Dwayne. I had enough food and time for two more laps before I would need lights, or so I hoped.

Grabbed a bottle and took off on 6. All was going great, I felt awesome! Hard to believe that I was done with 6 before 5pm, over 4 hours left. Plenty of light left, I rolled out for #7. Jeremy Bock had finished 3rd in the 6 hour and was there when I left. I let him know that I was planning on eating and getting my lights next lap. He had some soup warm and ready for me,mmmmmm soup! A soooper quick pit and I was out on 8. Didn't need the lights right away but it was getting dark. By the time I hit the Enough boat ramp the leds were raging and about 5 minutes later my Garmin battery was not, I didn't give it a thought. My how your priorities change when actually racing to win! I love riding at night and soon had a huge smile on my face. Maybe it's contagious! I found the best line through the rock garden on this lap, what the hell? This is when the head games begin. EVERY light I could see was without question, Dwayne. Ahead, behind, across the lake and even the light pole at the boat ramp, all Dwayne chasing me down.

I made my way up the last climb and was told I had 7 minutes at the start of the previous lap. One last bottle, no way to check time and some cold ass feet, I took off in the dark. I was now looking for each and every mile marker. 1 comes fast because of the asphalt start. 2 took forever, or so I thought. I was still riding every inch of the trail almost as well as my 1st lap. I even rode up the step at the 5 mile mark onto the rail less foot bridge. Crossing the creek that came just after and telling myself "Self, that's the last time you have to go through that", was nice. No one at the aid station anymore I felt lonely, until I saw Matt Ochs just inside the woods. He was just hangin out, made sure he was OK, "see ya", I said. Crossed the dam and then the spillway I was soon approaching the beach. I came around the corner and saw another rider, a Mesa rider. It was Zach! I was worried he and Dwayne were back there hammering it out, running the pace up, but no more. By I went, back into the woods clearing the bastard creek and roots that followed one last time. Soon I was at the base of the final climb. I had no idea what time it was so I just rode on. I got up to what I called the halfway point where the trail turns left and then soon makes a hard right around a switchback where Tom Albert's emergency toilet had been located. When I made the left I looked down, there was a rider coming fast. I knew it was Dwayne! No way was I going to loose this now. I reached down and locked out my fork. I shifted to my middle ring and stood up. I climbed the remainder of the hill this way, knowing that if I could make it to the final turn, I would have it. Looked back down at the top and saw no one. I had gapped who ever it was. Just a few more seconds left and I was done! Turned out to be a "Wicked Fast" rider, Ryan Pirtle and Dwayne was never that close. He ended up having some shifting issues on his 9th lap. We rode a fast race, all of us. Dwayne's time was 23 minutes faster than last year's winning time and 13 minutes faster than his winning time from two years ago. I never would have guessed that with those conditions that I could finish 11 minutes past the 12 hour mark on that 9th lap that I had never ridden before! Only 11 minutes and I COULD have gone out for #10, not sure I WOULD have.

Jeremy helped me out a ton and had a raging fire going when I finished which saved me. I got really cold after I finished and stood around for a while. ICCC gave me a freakin awesome bowl of meatball pasta, best I've ever had. They had good cookies too. It took a long time to get over that chill, but a few hours in front of the fire did the trick. Sad to say I have to box up the Jet 9 to send it back and won't get another for quite a while.

45 laps...585 miles later, I may be off a little on my commentary, but right now I'm on Top of the World! Thanks Mesa.

Lots of pics here.

*EDIT* Finally cleaning up after a busy week, I picked up the bike I raced last Saturday. Holy Crap! It seemed heavy. So I weighed it, exactly how I raced it, minus all the mud and dirt.