Record Heat, Power Outages, and Racing Mountain Bikes

If you haven't heard, an incredibly powerful inland hurricane blew though the mid-atlantic wreaking havoc on West Virginia, leaving a wake of destruction and power outages.  Record heat has plagued the region for over two weeks now, making it miserable to be outside, let alone hopping on a bicycle and racing.  But that's just was Consol Energy Racing did for the past two weekends.

First up was the Race to Lil' Moe's Place in Philippi, WV.  Lil' Moe's is part of the West Virginia Mountain Bike Association's cross-country series.  The course starts on the banks of the Tygart River and slowly climbs to the ridge overlooking the historic town then descends back down to the river on some rather steep technical trails.  Teammates Joe Sheets and Travis Olson braved the 95+ degree heat in another chase for the podium. 

Due to a storm that hit the area two days prior, the race promotor had to clear downed trees off the trail to prepare for the race at noon on Sunday.  There was also little ice to be found at local stores and gas stations to provide cool water to the racers, which added another level of difficulty to what was already going to be a hard day.

At  12:05, the whistle blew and the racers were off on the prologue loop of the course which was designed to thin out the pack before the racers entered the narrow trails in the woods.  Joe and Travis both had great starts, entering the woods in the top 10 and right on the back wheels of the leaders.  Soon though the trail headed upward and became more technical as the racers negotiated rock gardens and sharp turns.  As racers bobbled in the rocks, Joe and Travis pressed on and did there best to keep the pedals turning. 

The steep climbs and record heat began taking their toll on team CER as both Joe and Travis began to slow their pace, and the race soon became a test to just finish without suffering heat stroke.  As the course crested the ridge, there were volunteers ready with ice water ready to pour it over the racers or hand it out for a quick, cold drink.  After the ridge, the course begins the long descent back down to the river, but the trail down seemed even steeper, the turns tighter, and the rock gardens even more technical.  The downhill was anything but easy.

Joe and Travis had two laps in store for this race, so as they rode past the start, they set off for a second lap, which would prove harder than the first since the heat was building and the legs were fading.

In the end, Joe and Travis finished with only a couple crashes.  Travis finished in 2nd place, giving up 1st to a strong rider from Blackwater Bikes in Davis, WV.  Joe and Travis were happy to make it to the finish on their bikes and to take a well-deserved swim in the river.

Next up, was the Tomlinson Run MTB Challenge, race 2 in the ABRA Mountain Bike Series.  The forecast called for 100+ degree heat, so the decision to drive 2 hours to race was difficult.  Just hours before online registration closed, CER rider, Travis Olson, threw his hat in the ring for another day of abuse on hot, dusty trails.

Travis was also defending his first place win in the 1st race of the series at Wisp a month before.  The race was scheduled to start at noon, which would give plenty of time for heat to build and the sun to move directly overhead.  Travis picked up Chris Jones, who rides for Dynamic Physical Therapy Cycling, on the way up to the race.  The heat was in the mid 90s by the time the race started, and after the whistle blew at 12:05 it wasn't long before Travis's heart rate was pegged at 195 beats per minute climbing the first easy grade of the course.  This would be the theme of the day.  Travis started well, top 10 into the woods, but it didn't take long before the power started to fade in Travis's legs and it was a choice to keep up the hard pace, or back off significantly just to finish.  Travis was forced to choose the latter, geared down to keep the torque off his legs, and went into survival mode. 

The course was dry, relatively smooth, with no real technical sections except for a creek crossing at the end of each lap.  The climbs were not steep, nor terribly long, but the persistent crushing heat proved too much for Travis to overcome.  Near the end of the first lap, Travis's buddy and sometimes rival, Jeff shouted to Travis that he was in 3rd place which usually would have provided motivation and some extra incentive to pick up the pace, but there was nothing extra in the tank.  The second lap was less painful as Travis really slowed the pace to avoid a massive breakdown from the heat.  Travis began having cold-chills on the 2nd lap, which is never good on a hot day and waves of nausea as he struggled to finish.  But finish he did, holding on to third place in his category and happy the race was over without need of the medical staff.  Race promotor JR Petsko and his wife Gina did another outstanding job putting on the race under extreme conditions!

Next up - rest!

Here are some photos of the race courtesy of photographer Mike Briggs: