Those Who Seek Shall Find: Fools Gold 100...my first hundy

Leah Mitcham and Me before the start

Last year I decided to test the waters of endurance racing. It was my first season training with TotalCyclist coach, Luke Sagur. Anyone who knows Luke not only knows what an incredible cyclist he is himself, but they also know that he has a way of empowering people and making them believe they can conquer anything. After completing Jerdon Mountain Challenge and Fool's Gold 50 last year, I decided for 2014 I would go all out...Fool's Gold 100...my very first hundy. See, this is what happens when you're surrounded by cycling rock stars. You constantly push and challenge yourself to do more...to get stronger...to do better.

What's great about Fool's Gold is that the race venue is at Montaluce Winery and Estates in Dahlonega, GA, so the race course winds through the Blue Ridge Mountains of the Chattahoochee National Forest. There are the usual gravel road climbs, but the single track is amazing. The best part is the swimming pool at the start/finish.

Although we were unable to snag the Scorpion House we rented last year, we still managed to find a cool little cabin close to the race venue. The Scorpion House was where Leah Mitcham got stung four times the night before Fool's Gold 2013. Who knew there were scorpions in GA. They're everywhere there! This year's house was dubbed The House of Poo because of the lovely smell of poop coming from the water (which later dissipated...a little).

Met some cuties at packet pickup

I never sleep well the night before a big race...especially if I'm away from home. After rolling around, getting startled by gunshots in the middle of the night and then rolling around some more, I was glad to finally hear my alarm go off at 4:30 am. By 6 am, we rolled into Montaluce Winery. It was still dark, and I made a mental note to bring a headlamp or flashlight if I returned next year, which reminded me that I had made the same mental note the year before and had forgotten.

The 100's were scheduled to start at 7am and the 50's would go 30 minutes after. The butterflies had already started to gather in my tummy...the usual times 100! I saw my coach and got a big hug and a pep talk. Then I rolled over to the start. I parked myself somewhere in the middle and realized this was the first race where I didn't know a single sole around me. Just as real panic started to kick in, my teammate Chris rolled up and gave me a hug & wished me luck. Then we were off!

The goal was to stay steady and to make sure I kept up with my nutrition. Garmin indicated that I had been out for 1:30, and so far I was doing a stellar job with both. All the sudden I feel a pat on my back and hear hootin and hollerin going on behind me. It's my teammate Chris and my coach Luke...in a five man train of sheer speed and power...the lead group for the 50! All I saw was a blur of black and white with a bit of yellow (Chris' shoes) and hot pink (Luke's socks). I wasn't quite sure what just happened, but I was certain that was one of the coolest things I had ever seen! They had passed me like I was standing still!

I felt super strong for about 5 hours. I was relieved to know that the cold I had caught a couple of weeks earlier wasn't really dragging me down. My Infinit nutrition was doing its job, my bike was still functioning properly (thanks to the guys at Bicycle Sport) and I was listening to my jams. Hour 6 was when I noticed a drop in my energy level, and each hour after that I experienced a small decline. People told me it would happen, and I believed them. I was told that I would probably go to a dark dark place and to just keep fighting because it would pass. The problem was that this was the very first time I would experience such a feeling, and I had no idea exactly how dark this place was that I was heading towards...the dreaded unknown!

So there I was...hour 8. I had pedaled by ass to misery. Everything was hurting...most of all my hiney and my forearms (which felt like bloody nubs). While trying to stay on top of my nutrition, I may or may not have taken in too much. The once hard-core mountain biker that had sprouted wings had now morphed into a bloated billy goat. All I wanted to do was get off my bike, so I did.

I pushed my bike, for what seemed like an eternity, up some gravel. I went into deep thought about everything from chamois cream and how someone should add some kind of numbing agent into the ingredients to what kind of rat's nest my ponytail would be in when I was finished. That made me think about finishing and how I might not actually do it. I wished I could remember what the cutoff times were. Maybe I should have written those down somewhere. Maybe I should've worn a watch...hmmm bad idea...my road ID (which I wore in case I keeled over) was already rubbing a gnarly raw spot on my wrist. I was starting to accept that I might just have to quit early, which made my heart sink a little more.

Maria from Missouri & Me about to cross the finish

Just as I crested the top of a hill and turned the corner, I saw someone else (Maria from Missouri) pushing her bike. I'm sure we both had the same miserable look on our faces...hers from having not eaten enough and mine from having eaten too much! What a pair! We decided to stick together for the remaining 30ish miles. It was so nice to have a buddy with me. Maria and I just barely made the time cutoffs and were so relieved to know that we would definitely finish all 100 miles. As we pedaled closer to the finish, we were greeted by my awesome friends who cheered us all the way up the hill. How sweet of them to have waited for me! I was so happy to see their smiling faces, and crossing the finish was such an incredible feeling of accomplishment. With a final pedal stroke, all the pain and fatigue was gone in an instant.

They say while practicing yoga you'll find yourself...that you learn things about yourself because it's just you and your mat. As one of my instructors once said, "it's you sitting in your own shit (figuratively of course) with no one else to blame". When you have to hold a posture for 90 seconds, you figure out really fast that the only way to get through it is to be present...to open your heart and your mind and find the calm and the stillness that will power you through. The same is true for racing 100 miles. It's just you and the bike. You find the power within yourself to get through each mile. I definitely found a lot more of myself out there. I found out that my body can do a whole lot more than my mind thinks it can. I found my chi on the mountain bike, and I certainly want to do it again...a few more times!

Terry Gleason and Me after the finish

Thank you to our awesome sponsors: TotalCyclist, Mark Kane (Kane Training), Bicycle Sport, Giordana, Infinit Nutrition, Meg Art, Carolina Realty Advisors and OTR. Also, a very special thank you to Luke Sagur (such a fantastic coach). I could not have done any of this without your help.

Terry Slifer

Terry Slifer holds a USAC Cat3 road race and a Cat 1 Mtn Bike race license.  

Race Bike:  Trek Superfly 100SL

Terry grew up traveling the world.  His father was a CIA Officer and Mother was a photojournalist. “I grew up mostly in third world countries in S.E. Asia, bikes were omnipresent and usually the main mode of transportation.  Bicycles where the one common thread that held the chaos of my childhood together.  Bikes where like a universal passport that could gain you entry and acceptance, regardless of the country I was dropped in, I could get on my bike and fit in”.  

An experienced and well-rounded athlete: Terry is an accomplished runner, skier and surfer; he has through hiked the Appalachian Trail (North Bound), and was a three-year letterman in lacrosse at Hobart College.  Terry ran competitively for many years and transitioned into triathlon until shoulder injuries and surgery turned his focus to the bike.  Terry began road racing in 2011 and mountain bike racing in 2012.   

Christa Thomas

Christa Thomas holds a USAC Cat 2 license and has been mountain biking for three years. 

Christa began mountain biking in 2008. It started off slow – lots of blood, bruises and scars, but for some reason that didn’t stop her.  She is a professional photographer covering the NASCAR series.  Christa is also pursuing a second bachelor’s degree in Health Promotion and plans to continue on and become a registered dietician.

2014 Race Bike:  Specialized StumpJumper

Best Mountain Bike Ride: “All of them! Last year, Jamie and I had a chance to ride in Sedona, AZ. We met amazing locals who took us on a tour of the trails. The riding is so different from North Carolina! It was beautiful and fun and I can’t wait to go back!”

Best Road Ride: “My favorite road ride to date has been in San Francisco. Being able to ride across the iconic Golden Gate Bridge, then climb Mt. Tam and see all of San Fran from high above was amazing.”

Jay Forgione

Jay holds a USAC Cat 2 racing license and has been racing off-road for three years.

2014 Race Bike:  Niner EMD

Favorite Race:   All of them. I always find something I like about every race.

Why Race? "I like the challenge, physically and mentally."

Rob Corbett

Rob Corbett holds a USAC Cat 1 license and has been racing for two years.

2014 Race Bike:  Cannondale Flash 1

Favorite race:  Snake Creek Gap time trials in GA

Why I ride:  "I ride to challenge myself physically and mentally. Riding mountain bikes gives me clarity and clears my mind from the everyday challenges of life and brings me back to a simpler time.  Regardless of race results at the end of the day I am an adult riding a bicycle with a smile on my face."

Christy Blakely

Christy Blakely holds a USAC Cat 2 license and this is her first year racing as a mountain biker.

2014 Race Bike:  Eriksen 650B hardtail

Why race?   " I have traditionally been a road rider and raced aggressively on the road during the 2008, 2009, and 2010 seasons, primarily focusing on criterium racing.  I took a few years off racing to take advantage of career opportunities and to let a severe pinched nerve in my neck heal.  I have been married for 4 years to my long-time friend and riding companion, John Koury.  My husband has encouraged my discovery of mountain biking and we have increasingly enjoyed trail riding together.  In 2014, I look forward to advancing my mtb technical skills and challenging myself in cross country races and team relay/duo endurance events."

 

To "INFINIT-ty" and Beyond

In 2012, I began mountain bike racing only after a year of riding.  There was still so much to learn about riding, but I just jumped in anyways.  Late in the season, I decided to take a road trip with my teammate Bonnie Kleffman and accompany her at the South Eastern Regional Championship race in Fort Payne, Alabama.   So we could race at the same time and be back on the road to make the 6-hour journey home I upgraded to Cat 2 Sport Women.   I was already considering upgrading category to Sport Women for the following year.  However, the only races under my belt were 9-12 miles in length and the Sport category races 18-22 miles! I was aware that the competition would be fierce for this series, and I was not exactly conditioned for this length of race. 

At this point in my racing career, I only carried water in my camelback and kept a gel on me just in case I needed it.  Racing in the Beginner class, I could get by on minimum hydration and fuel since it was a shorter race.  However, I learned very quickly I was running on fumes after an hour of riding.  Around the 9^th mile of the 18-mile race, I hit a wall.   I felt exhausted and on top of that, I was getting light headed.  My vision was starting to blur, and I was finding it difficult to focus.  The last thing you want to happen while on a mountain bike is to lose concentration.  I finished the race, but it took a toll on me mentally and physically. 

Last fall I was asked to join the TotalCyclist mountain bike racing team.  I soon discovered that one of our sponsors was, Infinit Nutrition.  I had never heard of them, but my teammates kept raving about their products.  One day on a long training ride, I mentioned to my teammate, Chris Wieczorek about the wall I hit on every ride.  He told me he used to have the same issues with hydration and the constant struggle with balancing electrolytes and getting enough fuel.  Chris said Infinit was a game changer for him.  I made the call to Infinit, and they asked me a series of questions to learn about my training.  They created a customized formula for me based on my weight, the length of my typical races and training, and how much I perspire.  The fact that I get all crusty around my face after a ride was apparently important information for them to make my blend with the right amount of electrolytes.   Not everyone perspires at the same rate nor does everyone need the same caloric intake depending on his or her racing habits.  The cool part about Infinit products is you can pick your flavor and the intensity of the taste.  You can adjust the taste so if you like a lighter or heavier tasting drink.   

I fell in love with Infinit after my first few rides of using it.  I was able to stay mentally focused for training and races.  In order to compete in the Sport Women class, I had to start doing some serious base training with my Coach Chad Andrews at TotalCyclist.  I never imagined after only two years of riding I would be able to ride continuous for 3-4 hours!  I no longer had to fumble around with gels anymore because all my caloric needs were met with a camelback filled with my customized Infinit solution. 

Infinit helps me stay mentally sharp and physically supplies my body with the fuel it needs while under pressure.  It supplies glucose for rapid energy, is perfectly isotonic, and it is made with 100% natural ingredients!  It blends together three different carbohydrate sources (maltodextrine, glucose, and sucrose) and enables your body to process calories 30% more efficiently.  For me, it is very easy to digest and I never get any cramping.  Another cool fact is that it contains an exclusive electrolyte blend of Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium gluconate, and Calcium gluconal.  I do not have to supplement with any electrolyte tablets.  

I would highly recommend anyone to call or email an Infinit representative and try this amazing solution!  Infinit Nutrition