Eric Burke, Gabe, Kelly and I made an FM showing at this year's Ft Yargo 9/6hr race in Winder. Like the weekend before at Cohutta, the heat was on and the 10am start wasn't helping. By lap two I was certainly playing catch-up, fighting against dehydration and general heat fatigue. But for me, the bike and gear played particularly important roles this race...

I had hoped that by procrastinating long enough someone else would write this race report but it didn’t work. Last Saturday Clay, Kelly, Gabriel and myself each did the 6 hour solo race at Ft. Yargo held by DirtySpokes. There were also a couple forum regulars at the race http://fastermustache.org/node/7686 .

First off I gotta give a shout out and thanks to Mr. Nicoletti for lending what I reckon to be the very jersey he wore to a 3rd place SS finish in last years race. This was my first race for FM and it felt good to rock the red and black!

It was also my first time racing the Cohutta 100, though by no means my first NUE pain cave experience. I knew there was a lot of climbing to be had, but initially I was hoping to set a personal best 100 mile time, considering all the fire road. I sort of underestimated the climbing...and the heat.

This year marked the 10th anniversary of the Pisgah Mountain Bike Adventure Race (PMBAR). Unlike other adventure races where there is typically a running or paddling segment, this race was all bike. Nico had originally teamed up with Alex for the event, but after an unfortunate encounter with some traffic furniture Alex was out and Nico needed a new partner.

I feel like such a Boob, for not having written this race report sooner after the event, when the pain is still fresh in my mind. Myself, Zac, Kurt, and Gwyn along with a few hundred other pain seekers lined up around 10am on April 7th. This would be my 4th time doing this event and my 3rd time racing SS. I had high hopes; I've been training my ass off(quite literally). I've placed 3rd the two other time I've raced, so I really wanted this one!!! "It's a dry heat" I've heard this all too many times in any venture out west.

Having never mountain biked at GIHP (yeah, yeah) I decided to head over yesterday for my first XC race of the season. My son was also going to do his first bike race so we packed up the car and left way too early in the morning. Got there around 8am and signed us both up. His race started at 8:30 and they were doing one big lap around the field with a small cut through in the woods. I rode with him around the course because he's 4 and would probably get lost or just start playing with sticks if I wasn't there to keep him focused.

Duckworth and I managed to pack the subaru up with 2 bikes on top and 2 bikes in the back. We were heading up to Johnson City, Tennessee for one of only two chances to qualify for DH nationals in the southwest.

Gwyn and I paired up once again for the New Belgium Urban Assault Ride (Charlotte Edition) last weekend. We got second place last year so I was dead set on winning this year. I practiced the route a couple times during the week and felt really good about it. The premise is like a tamed down, shorter version of the FM:24 hour race. You have five checkpoints to hit throughout the city, +1 secret location, in any order you wish.

Aaron and I made it out to Conyers last weekend for the 6/9 hour race put on by Chainbusters. It was my first race of the season, so there was no way I was ready fo the 9 hour. Aaron thought likewise. Aaron was signed up for the expert cat, while I was rocking to singlespeed. Paul Foster, one of the DM regulars, was in for 9.

On Sunday, March 18th I ran the Publix Georgia Half Marathon. This huge event used to be the ING but I suppose times and sponsors change and with the recession they got going on these days, ING is probably pinching their pennies.