Wilmington Whiteface Bike Festival
Wilmington, NY
June 6-7 2015
It’s hard to believe it has already been a year since my first experience at the Wilmington Whiteface 100k. The winter was long, but the lead up and training for the peak season ahead has been pretty good with all things considered. Although 6 hours at Burlingame a month ago was also a repeat race for me I felt that Whiteface is an even better measuring stick. The course is fast, and as far as endurance mountain bike races go it is tailored pretty well to road riders as well. It is this fact that brings so many people to Wilmington to try their luck on the Adirondack hillsides. In truth, I very much enjoyed my time at Wilmington last year. After all, when the race was said and done I felt as it I rode more consistently, and finished stronger than I ever have before in a 100k, so the decision to return was an easy one to make. Sometime in the early spring I also convinced myself to sign up for the Whiteface uphill climb. Maybe it was the 24 hours of great glen effect where I learned I could do more on short rest. Maybe I just wanted a new challenge. I have set my race goals pretty high for 2015 and the opportunity to not only race in my first road race, but to make it a tough uphill climb back to back with an 8,000+ foot 100k seemed like a good test and an even better opportunity for training heading towards my return to a 24 hour race. I am not one to go back on my word, and have developed a mentality taken from the great Hunter S. Thompson, “Buy the ticket, take the ride.” So with my entry assured, I was really looking forward to a return to Wilmington to better my 100k time, with the catch being I would also complete the hill climb the day before. I am not sure if I have ever been more excited for an opportunity to put myself through hours of pain, but in hindsight the decision was a good one and it sure was fun!
The drive to Wilmington although beautiful, is not very enjoyable. Two hours of boring highway, one hour of winding green mountain roads and gorgeous farmland, and one more hour of very boring New York scenery all make up the trek to Whiteface. Because I had planned on competing in both the uphill and the 100k I decided that rather than pay the steep NY campground fees (almost $40 a night), I’d spend a little more for 2 nights with a roof over my head. Luckily, I made this decision sooner rather than later because the motel I chose sold out three months in advance of the race (along with everything else in Wilmington). My lodging was a stone’s throw from the start of the whiteface auto road and only 3 miles from the Whiteface ski mountain which is the base camp and starting point for both races. I arrived around 6:00 pm on Friday night which enabled me to settle into my room, eat dinner, and make my way to the ski lodge to check in for both races before heading to bed.
WHITEFACE UPHILL ROAD RACE
"Now I should be up there in around an hour... will those clouds be??"
The uphill race started on Saturday morning at 8:00. It was a little brisk, and the three mile flat/downhill roll to the base of the auto road was fast and fun riding with a couple hundred other people spun out in top gear. The pace was sure to slow once we made the turn on to the auto road where the grueling 8 mile continuous uphill would begin. I can’t be certain on the actual grade because the course is posted as averaging 8% (I’m sure the 3 mile start is included in that) so I would put the climb between 8-10%. The difficulty in this climb is not in the steepness, as any cyclist shouldn’t have a problem pedaling up an 8-10% grade, it’s the fact that the grade is consistent for 8 long miles. You have to simply find your rhythm, and stick to it. Too much to early, and your toast. The thought of the following day’s 100k was in my head the whole lead up. My plan was to find a tempo in my lower gears and stay there, hopefully as I was nearing the finish I could put a little more juice into the legs and finish strong. My weapon of choice was my older 2001 Trek 2000 which sports a 30:26 gear ratio. This would enable me to have more of a range of gears to use if I wanted to stay low and spin my legs to the top. Because of the fact this was my first road race my confidence in road climbing just isn’t where I would like it to be (is it ever…?)So I was happy to settle on my older bike to have the extra gears to use.
Sure enough, as we made the left hand turn on to the auto road all friendly conversation between riders ceased and the only sounds that could soon be heard was steady breathing, and the sound of gears dropping lower into position. This was the beginning of the steady hour (+-) climb to the top of Whiteface Mountain, which is often compared to one of the tougher ascents of the Tour De France, the fabled Alpe D’Huez because of its similar distance and gradient. It was a beautiful morning, at around 50 degrees, with all the early morning clouds burned off and the summit basked in sunshine. We were also very fortunate that this spring the 8 mile ascent up Whiteface was resurfaced, so we were sure to have a smooth freshly paved bed of asphalt to grind up. You simply couldn’t have asked for better conditions as a cyclist.
I dropped my cassette into the lowest 3 gears and did my best to find my tempo. As usual, the legs burned early on as muscle memory was slow to rise along with the terrain. The first three miles are probably the steepest of the climb, which once again at 10% tops isn’t too bad. It is in this time frame that cycling psychology must come into effect. “Relax, find your pace, breathe easy, don’t look to far ahead, just keep moving”. It is in these early moments on a tough climb I like to put a song in my head, focus on the music and the words, and let it lull your consciousness to sleep because your legs will do the rest. The miles began to tick away as the sweat began to drip. I was slowly picking people off ahead of me in a steady rhythm of seated and standing efforts, while maintaining a single pace of breathing and rpms. This was such a great feeling; I was actually REALLY enjoying this ride! As we climbed higher and higher a gentle breeze picked up which was more than welcomed. Steam was rising off each and every rider I slowly passed by. Although this was a race, at my position in the field we were all in this together. We are not pros, we are not paid to do this (in fact we pay sometimes too much ourselves…). Everyone just wants to test themselves and do their best and this is a great feeling to have as you pass people, or are passed by yourself. A simple “good job” or “almost there” can be so encouraging from someone going through the same thing as you are at that moment. It is my fear that as I get faster and better at all around riding this mentality will be lost on me and those around me. I certainly hope not because in the end this is just a healthy hobby. An expensive, obsessive, and sometimes self-indulging hobby, which we are all so lucky to be able to partake in. I believe Roosevelt said it best, “…It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat…”
I must have watched a half a dozen different go pro videos of this climb to recognize some of the switchbacks that bring you closer to the summit. Add that to the fact that at around just past the halfway point you can see the castle at the top of the mountain you know you are getting closer to finishing. The 2nd to last switchback from the summit is a hairpin left turn that is about a mile from the finish line. Shortly before making this turn it was go time for me, time to drain the tank for the day. I shifted up and set my sights on the final switchback a couple hundred yards ahead. My pace quickened and I passed a handful of riders before making the final turn before the last push to the finish. I crossed the line with a time of 1 hour and 12 minutes, which put me in 108th position out of 263. I was satisfied with my finish as it was my first hill climb on a road bike on a tough course. I certainly discovered things I could have done better, one being starting the race higher up in the field which would have sped up my 3 mile lead out time as well as put me closer to faster riders who may have pushed my pace a little more as opposed to me in a position where I am passing people the majority of the race. My hill climbing physically could also be improved. Keeping the same tempo but in a higher gear would get me up the mountain faster, and that will come as my fitness improves so I have high hopes if I return next year (which I plan to). The summit was beautiful on an absolutely perfect day. I climbed up to the top of the castle and took many pictures before getting ready to make the 11 mile ride back down to the lodge. I can’t confirm the temperature but I was told it was a balmy 37 degrees at the summit, which was not noticeable until I began the descent. I am not sure I have ever been so cold on a bike…. An hour of sweating followed by cooling down and a descent in sub 40 degree weather in bike shorts and open fingered gloves was not to smart. Thankfully I did have my team jacket waiting for me at the finish, if not for that I may have hit the bottom looking like Jack Nicholson at the end of the shining.
My Descent....
With race #1 completed for the weekend it was time to rest up for the 100k on Sunday. It’s just another 60+ miles and 8,000+ feet of climbing right??
Holy Sh*t, that was one hell of a climb!
WILMINGTON WHITEFACE 100K
Time for day number two! Thankfully I awoke Sunday morning with my legs feeling good with minimal soreness from the climb on the day prior (So thankful once again that I had a roof over my head with everything I needed rather than camping). I arrived at the base of the mountain about 45 minutes before the start of the race to get a quick warm-up in. the good thing about this race is the first couple of miles are very fast on open road before hitting the first climb. So a complete warm up isn’t necessary as 15-20 minutes of waking your legs up should suffice. With that said, people lined up at the start gate so much earlier than I would have liked. Almost 20 minutes before the gun went off and the start line was already at least 200 people deep. In a field of over 400 total I ended up squeezing in around the 300 spot at the line which was regrettable. By the time the leaders are hundreds of feet into the race you are just crossing the start line in this case. Then you must work your way forward quickly before you reach the climbs.
The gun went off at 7:00 and once again it was a brisk start. We hit the open roads at a very fast pace. I worked hard to assure that my gears were constantly spun out in order to move ahead as quick as I could. (Peddle, peddle, tuck, draft, pass, peddle, peddle X1000). I admit, this start to the course is fast and fun but it is also pretty anxious. Some people who were lined up ahead of me at the start line are more content to relax and coast at high speeds, this causes all sorts of personalities and styles to become apparent early on. It becomes a mess of a road race taking place on mountain bikes. I made my way forward as much as I could before we hit the first dirt climb up Bartlett road. The pace slows dramatically as the road heads upwards at a moderate grade. The race was still in a bunch at this point so it was hard to find any rhythm. My concern was to keep moving forward and making passes which I was able to. Once we crested the first climb it is a fast descent down towards rt 9N. In a race like this with so many road riders I feel like I do very well descending. Where a lot of people over use their brakes to check their speed, I am completely comfortable cruising down unsettled terrain at high speeds. Thankfully, I made many passes on this descent. The course turned left at the end of the dirt road and hit pavement before crossing over a small bridge and heading north on a paved rt 9N. This was the first point on the course where you begin to work with other riders in a single file column. The pace is quick and in order to use minimal energy in between the tough climbs you must fall in line. I settled in with a small group of riders and headed north towards our next tough ascent. The paved road soon turned right onto Styles Brook road, which is the steepest ascent of the day. Within a half a mile from the turn the grade turns upwards, first around 12%, then 15%, then 16%… (I know because the guy next to me was throwing out the numbers from his garmin as the grade increased) Before you know it you’re just breathing trying to find a rhythm once again. I threw my eyes to my front wheel and just settled in trying not to put to much effort into these early climbs while in my lowest gear (STILL love my 2x10 gearing!). This climb eventually turns to dirt before leveling off in a beautiful plateau surrounded by farmland with mountains on each side of you. This is truly one of the most scenic parts of the course and is meant to be enjoyed. This is also an area where you can make up time. Whereas many riders tend to coast and enjoy a leveling grade after the tough climb, in my second year here I’ve learned it is better to use your higher gears and pick up speed sooner than later, while you attempt to get some nutrition in. At this point, you are a good 45 minutes into the race and your glycogen stores are beginning to deplete so it is essential to keep pace with you bodies needs.
The dirt road then heads back down a slight grade for a distance before making a few left hand turns littered by support crews and family members making up a great cheering gauntlet. This is some much needed encouragement as the hell of Jay mountain lies ahead. The road turns right and soon heads up what is the 2nd longest climb of the day (the return trip is the longest) up Jay mountain. This is where gut check time begins. Keeping relaxed is essential here is a steady 6-7% grade continues upward for a couple miles. I did my best to stay relaxed, knowing a very long downhill was to follow the climb. It was important to me here to not lose any spots in my placing as I knew I could make up time on the downhill so I best not lose any here. The climb went fairly well and in a matter of time I was over the top and beginning the descent.
I was pleased to descend Jay mountain behind another rider who had a similar level of skill in descending loose trail as myself. Often, the riders I must pass become a danger as their lack of confidence puts them all over the trail and makes them an unpredictable obstacle to maneuver around. Thankfully, the guy I was following was picking good lines, at good speed. We passed many people on the very long descent, and by him leading the way he was able to call out to the riders ahead as to which side we were passing, which my following all the easier. In a matter of minutes we were off the most precarious part of Jay mountain and after a right hand turn we were blasting down an open dirt road towards the turnaround point a few miles ahead. I complimented the gentleman who lead the way down the mountain on his descent as I went by and I picked up the pace still feeling fresh. It was arounf this point where I caught up to State 9 team mate Mike Shields. Mike was able to get into starting position a good deal ahead of me at the start of the race so it was encouraging to reach him before the halfway point. We exchanged pleasantries and I rode ahead, knowing he would be close behind. It was instantly a nice relief to know that I had a team mate riding within range, as up until this point in the day I hadn’t encountered a single familiar face.
We soon hit our first single track of the day which is a loop in the blueberry trail system. It is not the most pleasant single track at this point in a “fast” race but it is very similar to what I’m used to on my home trails. Rocks and roots slow you down, with a few small punchy climbs littered in. I made a few more passes here and made the decision to walk one of the steep sections which was a welcomed change for my lower back. Soon enough, we were thrown back out onto the dirt road which was followed by a left hand turn that was met with the biggest aid station of the day. This signaled the turnaround point. We were officially at the halfway point of the race. I stopped for a quick minute to fill my two water bottles and get a quick gel in me (at this point I had fallen slightly behind on my nutrition (NOOO!!). I also finally ditched the vest I was wearing up until this point, before heading back out on the road. My stop cost me 2-3 spots in placing but the water refill was more than worth it. Now we must head back almost exactly the way we came. This is a blessing and a curse as you know that every pedal stroke brings you closer to home, but every downhill you loved on the way out becomes an uphill you HATE on the way back. It wasn’t long before the continuous easy uphill was met by a left hand turn and we were headed back up the very long crawl of Jay mountain. It was about this time that Mike Shields was back on my wheel and we found ourselves leapfrogging each other every few minutes on the way up Jay mountain. I still felt pretty good but could surely feel my legs starting to falter. Mike was climbing pretty well here, as was one of the top female riders we had been leapfrogging all day. I don’t know her name, or where she was from, but she cure could climb. Her rhythm was relentless. Between following her cadence and trading back and fowarth positioning with Mike, we made our was up Jay mountain. After some time, we crested the big hill and made our way down the gradual descent towards the cheering section between Jay mountain and Styles brook.
Mike and I soon found ourselves in a group of 5-6 riders between mountains. We silently began to work together trading pulls like a well oiled machine. I am not an experienced road rider but I imagine this to be what the beautiful rhythm of a group on a road race to be like. You all want to beat each other, but its so much more efficient to work together in these sections. Nothing needs to be said, you just make it work. Using your energy up front, then peeling away and rejoining the group for a nice draft on the back. It really is an exciting feeling. We continued this group mentality up the back side of Styles brook back into the scenic farm area before beginning to drop into the steep paved section of Styles Brook rd. Once again, we were in my element, and man does my bike like to descend. Last year I had thought this was possibly the fastest I had ever ridden on a bike whether it be road or mountain, and I think I topped that speed this year. I made a handful of passes here, including a rider on a cross bike. I felt like I was losing energy quicker and quicker but this descent was an absolute bomb down an open paved country rd. I reached the bottom to find mike about 100 yards behind me and our previous group completely splintered apart. I took the left hand turn back to rt 9N and joined up with another rider. We discussed for a few moments whether or whether not to wait for our group to come back together for the quick flat section ahead. I was I had not debated on this as I should have just moved forward. I wanted to wait for Mike, but the group behind was not working together to reel us in and I feel like we just wasted time when the two of us could have done some work. It made no difference because in a matter of minutes we were taking a right hand turn back towards the Bartlett dirt rd climb and heading upward again.
This climb was brutal. Any energy reserves I had left were quickly being spent. People all around were faltering. I was still making a few passes but not with the confidence I hoped for. Mike made the climb 10-15 seconds behind me and I was more than thankful to finally crest that hill as I knew it was the final open road climb of the day. Whatever else was left would be spent on the final few miles leading up to the mountain as well as whatever hell they had waiting for us on the slopes above the finish. I made my way down Bartlett and at the bottom I slowed and waited for Mike to catch up. I was in rough shape and was beginning to welcome any help I could get from anyone around. Mike and I had been riding together for so long that I had images of us finishing the race together, which would be a welcomed end to a long day. The course then took a right onto a paved road and headed out down Hardy road towards two beautiful single track sections. Mike and I continued to work together to reach this point and I lead the way into the first set of single track. I had remembered this trail from last year and it is one of the most enjoyable pieces of trail I have ever ridden. Very fast and flowing bermed up beautifully built trail is the only way I can describe it. Unfortunately it doesn’t last very long as you soon cross over Hardy road and head into another slightly longer section of single track which is a bit rockier and requires a little more effort to ride. It was here where my legs dropped out from under me. I let Mike go by and commented on how I had lost my legs in an instant. It was a truly weird feeling to be holding onto a pace one minute only to lose it all in an instant. I did my best to keep his wheel through this section but it was futile, I was toast. I knew how close we were to the end which was heartbreaking to watch him begin to slip away. By the time I came out of the single track back on to Hardy road Mike was probably 100 yards ahead of me. I pushed to keep pace and saw him look back once, and then again, and I knew he was slowing his pace for me. This was quite a gesture as he was willing to give up some time to help me reel myself back in. I pushed myself up to speed as best I could and slowly pulled myself back up to his wheel. We worked together (mostly him ahead) in the final few road miles back towards the ski mountain. I didn’t know what to expect once we hit the mountain as they had changed this portion of the course from last year. Once we hit RT 86 we took a quick right then a left onto the flume trail. This section would be no problem on any other day but what started as a flat section slowly climbed upward onto the ski trails above. I faltered, and then right before we crested onto a ski trail I had to dismount and wave Mike ahead. He had given me the mental and physical help to reel myself back in but with less than 2 miles to go I was burnt. He kept going, and I pushed the bike over the ski trail before remounting and headed towards the new section ahead.
I soon found myself caught by a group of 3-4 guys. One passed me, but I stayed ahead of the others. We turned right onto a new section of single track which went straight up the mountain and all hope for a quick finish faded with what the trail had in store. This was a rocky, rooty, muddy, bullshit of a trail to end a race. I found myself accepting the conditions because I myself was trashed, but the guy ahead was livid. The anger seething from him was almost comical. We had fought so hard to get to this point and this trail was the roughest most technical section on the entire course, plus it went straight up the mountain! To add insult to injury you were within earshot of the finish line announcer so you could hear the names of each finisher being called. It was like an insult to your labor to be so close but so far away. Everyone around me pushed their bikes through this section (some of it in ankle deep mud). Eventually the trail turned and we headed sideways on the mountain, but that didn’t last because we were soon headed up higher on a ski trail! This section truly sucked, and if I wasn’t already destroyed I may have hated it even more, so I just took it in painful stride as I wasn’t losing any position, just time on the clock. Soon enough the trail turned down onto single track which I remembered from last year. I picked up any energy I had left, made 2 more passes and pushed my way down to the finish with a time or 5 hours 19 minutes which was good for 115th out of 324 guys on course. I bettered my time from last year by 15 minutes (on a tougher course and a day after the uphill). I was pretty beat but am satisfied with my finish. If only I had another few miles in my legs I probably would have been 5-10 minutes faster, so Ill have that to live with for the next year. It was nice to work with a team mate and get some much needed help at the end, but its never good to finished so beat up in a 100k. I expect to be able to ride longer and faster than that so I will just have to keep working on my endurance, two days in a row or not, I should be able to do more.
The whole Wilmington Whiteface two race experience was a great one. I had A LOT of fun, in beautiful weather in the Adirondacks. I look forward to next year, and am hoping to do both races once again, as it carries is own individual challenge. The organizers are yet to post the combined king of the mountain two day results so I am very curious to see where my combined times stand overall. In comparing last years results with my times from this year I would have placed 3rd out of a total of only 9 people who competed in both races. That result in itself makes me feel pretty satisfied. My uphill time was below the top 45% of the men’s field and my 100k time was below the top 35% of the field. In all, with every race this season which have all been open level races I have been around the 25-45% top of the field and that is encouraging moving forward. I am only going to get stronger as I approach August and my return to Great Glen and the Hampshire 100, which has typically been the peak of my season…. Until then…
Buy The Ticket, Take The Ride!
