2017 Funk Bottoms Gravel 100K

 

 

This was the 7th year for the Funk Bottoms Gravel a race that I helped start back in 2011. As in the past years I spend the fall winter scouting out the route.  Each year when setting up the route I try and make it easy for the racers to be self supported.  The route changes a little bit each year, and at 68.6 miles this was the longest. 



 

This years course was 68 miles and 7,000 feet of climbing and still wasn't the most climbing per mile.  The course made up for the lack of climbing compared to past years by being the most technical. The "easy" section of the course was from Danville to Greer which had several small rollers but you paid for it once you hit Beam Road.

 

My goal for the race was to have 100 people sign up this year. When online registration ended on Thursday we had 99 pre-registered.  Figuring a few people would drop out plus the few who show up on race day we had our goal of 100 racers.  We tell the racers they have to be self supported and the course is not marked. Once again my sponsor Hammer Nutrition provided HEED, Endurolytes, and Hammer Gel for all the racers. We had water and HEED at the start, the secret checkpoint and the hidden oasis. Friday my father-in-law, Potenza and myself drove the course and marked all the turns.  While we marked the course Friday morning and into the afternoon there was heavy rain.  I started getting text messages and emails from racers questioning the course.  Many were concerned about the hike a bike section. The rains stopped late Friday afternoon and the forecast for Saturday was sunny and a high of 80. Once the sun came out Saturday morning the roads dried quickly and the moisture from the rain kept the dust to a minimum.

 

The race starts out with a neutral rollout for the first mile, once we get to the first hill it time to start racing.

Photo: Potenza

 

Hammering out in the morning sun. Photo: Dan Nolan

 

 

The first few miles are relatively easy with a few short steep climbs and mostly rollers.  I took the opportunity to talk with several riders as we did the easy first few miles.

Alex and Zach Valigosky racing single speed.

 

Around mile 10 just past the common core corner there was a fellow rider with a flat.  I gave him my pump and took a few minutes drink some of my favorite mixture of Orange-Vanilla Perpetuem and Lemon-Lime HEED.  Alex and Zach rode past and I knew I would catch up with them on the climb out of Glenmont. 

 

 

 

 

This year parts of the course were done in different order.  Glenmont was early in the race around mile 13.  Instead of coming down Twp Rd 29 we had the fun of climbing up.

 



Twp 29

 

Just as we started the 2 mile grind to the top I saw the flying Valigosky brothers walking their single speeds up the hill.  I couldn't help but tell them they are "Almost to the top" That was the last I saw of them for the rest of the day.  Once we got to the top of the Twp 29 climb we went down Twp 34 which was just graded the week before when we scouted the route.  It was soft from the rain the day before and had fresh gravel down.

 

 

Up next was the Twp 28 followed by the hike a bike section. Yes it was muddy and I had to walk part of it, but it was only a mile of the 68 mile race.  The course continued with its fast descents and long steep climbs for the next few miles.  There were some amazing views along the way.

 

 

Photo: Adam McNiel

 

 

 

 

During my scouting of the course I found a park that was not on any maps.  With a few emails to the Tiverton Twp officials I had the place for the secret checkpoint.  The checkpoint was manned by members of the PCL-Ohio chapter and stocked with plenty of Hammer Nutrition HEED and Hammer Gels.

 

 

It wouldn't be the Funk if there wasn't a down tree across the road.

 

 

Around mile 40 when we rode through Danville we jumped on the Mohican Valley Trail between dodging buggies and road apples I had time to take a selfie.

 

 

 



 

 

 

I finished 26th  with a time of 5:37.

 



2017 Black Fork Gravel Grind: Just not my day

Have you ever had one of those days where nothing went as you had hoped?  Well for me that was this years Black Fork Gravel Grind. Last year the race was 30 miles and I finished second overall.  This year they added a 23 and 48 mile route, naturally I was planning on doing the 48.  Since I was very familiar with the roads and had done some training over the winter on them while scouting out the Funk Bottoms Gravel course which this year travels on a few of the same roads.

My mileage and training have been low this year compared to Mr. BigRing normal standards, but somehow I had managed to get my mileage goal for the month of April. Along with a few runs I felt like my fitness was coming along slowly for the spring but still headed in the right direction. I did one last quick spin on some of the course on Friday, the roads were in great shape and I even set a Strava KOM.

The weather forecast for race day did not look good with heavy thunderstorms starting Friday and continuing through Saturday night. Friday night there was heavy rain but it had stopped and it seemed like we should be able to start dry but get into some rain later. I did my usual race day routine of getting my bottles ready with bottle of my favorite mixture of Hammer Nutrition Orange-Vanilla Perpetuem and Lemon-Lime HEED . Since the race starts 5 miles from the cabin I figured that would make a great warm and easy spin in the morning.  I got dressed and finished my bottle of Fully Charged grabbed my bike and head down the stairs  to the race.

When I say head down the stairs I literally meant head down the stairs. Walking across the wet wood deck with my Sidi shoes on I slipped and somehow did something resembling an Irish Jig falling down the stairs before it turned into rolling down the stairs.  In the process I had twisted my left ankle bad and smashed my left shin into the stairs.  I'm not sure which pain was worse my leg which felt like it was broken or my ankle. I walked it off for a few minutes and hopped on my bike for the ride to the start.  Normal riding didn't bother my ankle too bad but putting pressure while climbing increased the pain.

Moments before the big fall.



The Start

 



The Black Fork Gravel Grind starts out at the Mohican Wilderness (same place as Mohican 100 Aid Station 4.5) with an easy 1 mile on a gravel road before the first climb on Valley Stream Rd. its a long step climb with some pitches at 20%. 

Valley Stream

 



This is where my day went from bad to worse. I felt a pop in my seat on the climb and my saddle started to move around and I thought I had broken seat bolt. I made it to the top of the climb and found out my seat rail had broken and popped out of the top.  I smacked it back in place which seemed to work for about a quarter mile.  The heavy rains and lightning which we had hoped would hold off until later had just started.  I stopped again and grabbed my multi-tool and tried to loosen and retighten a few screws on the bottom.  My tool only had a slotted and not Phillip's bit. I tried to pound the seat back in place but it still kept flopping around. A little bit up the road I saw fellow PCL Ohio Chapter member and asked to borrow his Phillip's screwdriver.  That fix lasted about another quarter mile. Bombing down the hills gravel roads at 30+ mph with a saddle that's flopping around is not very fun.

Paul and I road together since miserly loves company. We got to the bottom of Bill Hill Road about 5 miles in and I had debated about dropping out.

Busting out the walk on Bill Hill Rd.

 

 

 



We started riding down Beam in a heavy downpour and neither one of had brakes that seemed to work. Sprained ankle, broken seat, no brakes and we were only 8 miles into a 48 mile race.  We got back to Wally Rd and I decided it would be best to drop out.

 

 

 



 

We road the 2 miles back to the start to let them know we had dropped out.  The good news is were the first of many DNF's for the day.

Paul with a much "earned" beer

 

Not a fun way to ride

 

 

 

 

That night my ankle was swollen and black and blue.  I had done RICE and was off the bike for 3 weeks.  A month after I had hurt my ankle its still slightly swollen and sore. I can at least ride without pain now, although it has a constant dull ache.  Occasionally it does feel like someone is driving a large nail into my ankle.  I would like to thank Hammer Nutrition for supporting me, and Jay and Matt for putting on a great event.

Next race Funk Bottoms Gravel on June 24th.