2016 Funk Bottoms Gravel

 

This was the 6th edition of the Funk Bottoms Gravel race.  Along with PW and Potenza I was one of the founders of FBG in 2011.  What started out as a training ride  for Gravel Worlds has turned into a growing event, with this year having our largest starting field. Starting over the winter I scout out new sections of gravel roads in the area to make the course slightly different each year.

 

2016 Funk Bottoms

 

This years route was the most challenging yet with lots of long gravel climbs and descents.  Due to several factors my riding this year has been way below my standards. With 7,500 feet of climbing I knew it was going to be a long day. This was the first year I did the 100K and not the 200K.  By doing the 100K it was easier for my finish line volunteers to record times and places.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pre-race final instructions Photo: Katie Eno

 

Start of neutral rollout Photo: Katie Eno

 

The race started with a 2 mile neutral rollout until the first hill and then it was game on for everyone. Last year with good fitness I was able to finish second in the 200K, this year was another story.  I had suffered from some heart problems over the winter and have been helping take care of family members with serious health issues. I was more in the taking a scenic ride through rural Ohio than racing mode. The first part of the race to Killbuck was nice and easy rolling along with a few other riders.  When we pulled into Killbuck I suggested the other rides get water since it was hot and a long 33 miles to Glenmont with next water.  I had gone through one bottle of my favorite mixture of Hammer Nutrition Orange-Vanilla Perpetuem and Lemon-Lime HEED 

 

Even though my fitness was lacking knowing the course would be a big help. Hammer Nutrition once again sponsored the race with all riders getting some Hammer Gels and Endurolytes before the race.   Since I designed the course this year I knew on advance where the secret checkpoint would be along the way. The secret checkpoint would be between Killbuck and Glenmont and would have plenty of water and Hammer HEED.

 

Around mile 30 on the TWP 324 climb a fellow racer was walking his bike with a flat.  He had suffered from multiple flats and was out of tubes, so I stopped gave him on my spare tubes and pump.  This gave me a nice 5 minute break before continuing with the second half of the race.  This year the secret checkpoint was around mile 40 staffed from volunteers from the PCL-Ohio Chapter.

 

Stopping for a few minutes for water at the checkpoint did my legs in.  I started to get dead legs and cramps on the next climb. After slamming a bottle of water and a few endurolytes I felt better. The afternoon heat had kicked in and my day had become a just keep moving slowly and not stop affair.  I ended up finishing in 5:52 about an hour slower  than I would have like but not bad considering my lack of fitness this year.

 

Finished 66.7 miles in 5:52 Photo: Katie Eno

 

 

 

 

2015 GRAVEL WORLDS

The Pirate Cycling League once again hosted this years Gravel World's the ride started out as The Good Life Gravel Adventure and in 2010 became the Gravel World's.  This was my 6th time doing the race so I at least had some idea of what I was getting myself into. Fellow 765 Racing team member Potenza was making his 5th trip to Gravel World's.  The PCL changes the course a little bit each year by adding a few new roads and keeping some of the crowd pleasing favorites. This year the race started on the North side of Lincoln in the Fallbrook neighborhood outside the Schilling Bridge Microbrewery.

 

The route was a giant counter-clockwise loop of Lincoln.  There was over 11,000 feet of climbing all of which was on never ending rolling hills.

 

Early miles Photo: Sunflower outdoor

 

 

Having finished the race the last 5 years I knew the pacing and nutrition are very important. The course and cue sheets were released on Tuesday before the race.  The first oasis would be 30 miles into the race and the last checkpoint would be 30 miles to the finish.  The weather forecast for the race was temperatures in the 90's with a strong 25-30 mph wind out of the south all day. I was having flashbacks to the 2013 Gravel Worlds and the Nebraska blast furnace of that year. 

 

B road outside of Valparaiso Photo: Lisa Janssen

 

My Fueling plan would be to use Hammer Nutrition products that I use during all of my training and in racing.  I carried my usual mix of Perpetuem and HEED in my bottles and several plastic bags premixed to refill my bottles.  I also carried several flavors of the Hammer Gel and Hammer Bar to have when I stopped at an oasis.

 

The first 30 miles to Valparaiso was overcast and rather uneventful which is a good way to start out a 150 mile race.

Photo: Lisa Janssen

 

 



After we purchased our Power Ball tickets in Malcom it was a grind into the wind for the next 2 1/2 hours.  The Denton wall this year had lots of deep soft gravel near the bottom combined with the headwind I was moving at a blistering 3 mph on the climb.

 

Photo: Lisa Janssen

 

 

The heat and the wind had taken its toll on me by mile 100 in Hickman and my legs were dead.  Luckily we headed north and with the strong tailwind was able to keep moving at decent pace.

 

After eating pickles at the Brown Family farm oasis mile 112. Photo: Sydney Brown

 

Around mile 130 Photo: Lisa Janssen

 

Photo: Lisa Janssen

 

 

I was pleased to have finished the race for the sixth time with my second fastest time of 10:47 which was good enough for 42nd overall and 29th Men's Open.  765 racing had a good showing with Potenza coming in at 10:35 for his forth finish 40th overall and 27th in Men's Open.

 

Potenza!



 

 

 

 





 



 





2015 Amish Country Roubiax 100K - DNF

Sunday April 19th was the second Amish Country Roubaix in Millersburg, OH.  I missed the inaugural race in 2013 due to a camping trip with the Scouts.  Last year the race was canceled due to spring flooding and washed out roads.  Since the race is held in Holmes County and uses some of the same roads as the Funk Bottoms Gravel 200K I was looking forward to this race.

My plan was to put the race on my 2015 schedule to build up for Gravel Worlds this year. I started racing in February with the 42 mile Road Apple Roubaix gravel race, the 100K ACR was next on the list followed by 100 Mile HellKaat Hundie, the 200K at Funk Bottoms and topping off with the 155 miles for Gravel Worlds.

Photo: Paul Hamad

 

 

My training for the race was going well and felt I was going to have a good race.  The day before I did an easy 2 hours on cross bike with a few hard efforts and legs felt good. By Saturday afternoon all that had changed.  I had come down with the flu big time.  I was laying on the couch shivering covered in blankets with a fever.  That itself is not good the day before a race then the upset stomach kicked in and I starting vomiting and could not eat or dink anything.  Sunday morning after sleeping on the couch for 12 hours I had a wicked headache when I woke up.  Somehow even though I did not eat Saturday night I still had diarrhea Sunday morning along with the chills and body aches.

 

I was able to dink some Hammer Nutrition HEED and keep it down. After eating a little bit of food Sunday morning and drinking the HEED I felt about the same. Being the glutton for punishment that I am fellow 765 Racing teammate Paul Hamad drove down to the race.

 

For the 100K there was an aid station at mile 28 where you could drop off stuff for second lap.  I made up 4 bottles (2 for each lap) of my favorite mix of Hammer Nutrition Perpetuem and HEED. Since it was 3 miles from the start to the aid station it seemed like a good warm up to spin my legs and see how I felt. I had no energy and should have just dropped from race then. When all the racers were lining up at the start I contemplated switching to the 50K but my biggest pre-race decision was to vomit or shit my pants. Luckily neither happened but somehow I did manage to get one lap done.  I stopped at the aid station grabbed my bottles of Perpetuem and HEED that I left earlier and decided to bail on second lap.

 

 

 



 





Photo: ACR

2014 Gravel Worlds

I made my 5th trip to Lincoln Nebraska for the Gravel Worlds again hosted by the Pirate Cycling League. The course normally is a giant loop around Lincoln with a few minor changes each year to keep it interesting.  The big change to this years course was it would be run clockwise this year for the first time. After last year's blast furnace I was not looking forward to the last 35 miles being into the normal afternoon winds. This year the race started and finished near Denton for the second year at the Reinkordt farm.

 

 

To keep track of riders along the course there normally are 3 stops for Powerball tickets and secret checkpoints. For the first time the PCL had the checkpoints on the cue sheets which helped determine how much food and water to carry between stops. Racers need to be self supported and must purchase water or whatever else they need in the small towns. The racers need to stop in small town gas stations and general stores to purchase Powerball tickets to prove they made the stops in order.   The day before I prepared several plastic bags mixed with Hammer Nutrition Perpetuem and HEED for each bottle I would need. I mixed up 6 bags of mix along with the 2 bottles I started with and hoped it would be enough for 153 miles.

 

 

Potenza getting bike ready before start.  Photo courtesy of Stephen Lam

 

Racers lined up at the start

 

 

 

The PCL delayed the start of the race 15 minutes due to some road construction on Denton Road 5 miles into the race.  There was some culverts being replaced and 30 foot drop-offs on side of road which would be hard to determine where the road ends in the dark.

 

 

After riding this section on Friday I was glad the PCL kept rider safety in mind for the delayed start.  The section was only a mile and not that difficult to ride with another rider, but would be more challenging with 150+ other riders around. I looked at my Garmin when I finished the section and it was 6:40 and sunrise was at 6:37.

 

 

The weather was a cool 70 and foggy in the morning and no wind.  This was a rare treat for the start of the race.  The fog lasted until after the first Powerball stop at mile 34.  With all the moisture on my glasses and the low light in the morning  had a difficult time reading my cue sheet a few times but did not get lost. After the fog lifted it stayed overcast and no wind until almost noon.

 

 





Pulling a group around mile 30 Photo courtesy of Lisa Janssen

 

The early miles seemed to go by rather uneventful with my plan of going out easy and trying to ride an even pace.  My Garmin kept beeping my splits every 5 miles and they stayed very even throughout the day.

 

Split	Time	Moving Time	Distance	Elevation Gain	Elevation Loss	Avg Speed	Avg Moving Speed	Max Speed	Avg HR	Max HR
1	19:20.2	19:16	5	446	371	15.5	15.6	29.4	150	184
2	19:44.9	19:39	5	486	430	15.2	15.3	33.8	150	175
3	18:25.7	18:13	5	121	141	16.3	16.5	27.3	137	167
4	17:48.6	17:49	5	105	92	16.8	16.8	22.6	140	156
5	19:24.1	19:18	5	121	62	15.5	15.5	23.2	146	172
6	17:31.1	17:30	5	164	148	17.1	17.1	26.7	154	170
7	23:57.3	18:10	5	125	161	12.5	16.5	23.6	138	171
8	19:13.3	18:21	5	331	299	15.6	16.3	32.1	149	175
9	19:12.6	19:04	5	528	443	15.6	15.7	30.4	159	175
10	17:49.8	17:40	5	112	82	16.8	17	23.5	159	170
11	19:26.0	18:44	5	161	272	15.4	16	31.1	145	168
12	18:43.9	18:44	5	476	482	16	16	31.5	152	173
13	17:13.7	17:12	5	525	620	17.4	17.4	35.4	160	180
14	25:11.7	19:19	5	344	433	11.9	15.5	28.1	154	174
15	19:16.5	19:09	5	262	217	15.6	15.7	27.8	164	176
16	21:10.0	19:38	5	446	571	14.2	15.3	29	160	174
17	19:48.0	19:48	5	423	466	15.2	15.2	26.1	160	175
18	17:24.4	17:07	5	210	190	17.2	17.5	25.8	155	176
19	20:22.8	20:16	5	338	282	14.7	14.8	25.1	154	174
20	20:08.2	20:10	5	394	269	14.9	14.9	25.9	155	172
21	27:32.8	19:12	5	285	410	10.9	15.6	25.6	145	166
22	20:16.6	20:16	5	427	430	14.8	14.8	28.3	151	164
23	26:14.2	22:01	5	430	384	11.4	13.6	30.2	148	168
24	21:25.4	21:15	5	423	348	14	14.1	27.1	151	166
25	17:12.1	17:12	5	305	358	17.4	17.4	28.8	154	167
26	22:32.7	18:01	5	266	305	13.3	16.7	28.9	149	165
27	19:30.5	19:28	5	397	305	15.4	15.4	29.1	153	164
28	18:52.8	18:52	5	282	299	15.9	15.9	28	156	167
29	20:11.3	18:38	5	295	341	14.9	16.1	28	158	170
30	18:53.6	18:49	5	374	449	15.9	15.9	30.5	161	171
31	11:29.1	11:26	3.25	243	157	17	17	26.6	169	178
Total	15:24.0	40:17.0	153.25	9,846	9,816	14.9	15.8	35.4	152	184

 

Around mile 65 outside of Malcom Photo courtesy of Lisa Janssen

 

 

 

The beautiful rolling hills along NW 168th Street 

 

Outside Garland

 

 

 



Checkpoint 3 was at Schmidty's  Aunt and Uncle's house who have hosted a checkpoint\ oasis every year. There were a few other racers at the checkpoint when I left by myself.  I figured they group would catch me in a few miles.  I ended up riding the last 53 miles alone.  Thankfully the temperature and winds stayed favorable for the entire day.




I ended up with a finish time of 10:15 which was good for 22nd overall and 15th in Men's Open. With just over 4 minutes spent at each stop including waiting in line to purchase my Powerball tickets my 33 minutes of not moving was kept to a minimum.