How I spent my Labour day weekend - by Sam Thompson

It was the usual sticky hot summer afternoon last Friday when Sara, Katie and I jumped into the Audi with 3 bikes on the roof headed for the Valley for the Labour day weekend. We each had different plans for the weekend, Sara was planning on visiting friends in Richmond while i was planning to visit some friends and suffer with them for many hours on the mtn bike.

SM100: This was my third time doing the Shenandoah Mountain 100, the two previous times i finished at about 10-1/2 hours. The funny thing was, each race seemed so different (pain in different spots, trouble on other spots) but i got the same time. My goal this year was to get into the nines. I was vague about this goal, I said in the nines, but in my heart i was hoping 9-1/2. I didn't really make any special effort to train for this above my normal training. I have been riding my mountain bike more this year than previous years, and most of the races i have done were around the 30 mile mark. I figured i'm a little faster than i was two years ago, i should be able to improve my time. On the plus side i did break into the nines, 9:59:20 was my official time i believe. But inside i'm a little dissappointed, i wanted to do it faster. I should feel good about it though, i was dead tired at the end and everything hurt. IF i do it again, i will train a little harder.
RACE PREP: Rule # 1 don't mess with stuff like your shock pressure the night before the race, Especially if you descend like a little girl!!!!! I added some air to my F100R the night before cause it felt soft when i was riding my bike around on the road. (WHAT AN IDIOT!!) the front end seemed really stiff and just shook the hell out of my arms. I've been riding this bike for a few months and i feel like i can descend better on it...with the softer air setting.
THE RACE: Mr. Russell was nice enough to ferry me out to the race early sunday. We arrived about 6 so we had a few minutes to hang around before the start. We did learn that if you want to dress as a baboon for halloween, you can wear your PI shorts inside out so the red pad is showing....It's a good look. (good show Bill) The race went off at 6:30 the usual mad dash of crazys that think that the .25 mile gravel road from the campground will make or break their race. Once out on the road i started to pick up the pace to try and beat the traffic on the first single track. There was still a good bit of fire road and climbing before we got there, but the fewer in front the better. I saw Kevin from Tri-power on the road, and Bill from tri-power just past with water crossing with the first flat of the day. As i was moving through the crowds on the dirt road, i saw a few other folks i know, had a few brief words. That was about all of the fun for the day, soon it was up the grind to the radio tower, down narrow back, pace line down tilman and up the road to the dam. Lynn was like a long slow conga line. I walked most of it, since i was able to keep on the wheel of the person in front of me and if they bobbled, i didn't have to worry about falling. I shot down Wolf in my usual pokey fashion (is that smoke coming from my brakes????) Hit tilman, blew through aid station 2 and over the paved climb and up hankey. I was also slow going down Dowells. (i'm sensing a theme here) Filled everything at aid station 3 and headed out to 250. I passed Floyd Landis coming out of Braleys....at that point he was about 1.5-2 hours up on me...kind of sucks. After the mountain house/braleys loop, i started the death climb, which i actually did okay on this year. I was tired, but i stuck on a guys wheel and let him pull me up. It was nice to see Mark (the lube man) at aid station 5, and the cola hit the spot. The climb after Aid station 5 sucks....I can't say this enough...it is just mean for people to tell others that it is rolling....it is a climb...plain and simple. Once at the top i knew what was left, i just focused on getting through the last two climbs. At the bottom of the last descent, my watch said i had 10 minutes to finish, i hamered that fire road and the single track through the campground and just barely made it.
All in all it was fun. Thanks to the Tri-power folks and support crew for letting me linger around. Thanks to Mark for transport and support. I'm glad that race is over....sheesh.