Bushwacka: It would have been funny but "Pap and kids" did not beat "Off Constantly"

This story starts last year. I raced the 24 hours of Seven Springs as a "ringer" on very much under prepared corparate team. Our 8 person team went to a 5 person team prior to start. I was made captain that day. Sweet make the youngest guy the captain I am really good at bossing around 50 year old guys.....not. Frustrating and not what I was going for. I had some of the faster lap times and learned what not to do. Like let teammates go out with no tubes/pump. Some guy did that to us.... and had 4 flats on 3 seperate laps in 2009. No amount of weight weenieness is an excuse for losing 3 hours on course.

Fast forward to spring of 2010, I am more committed to riding than ever. With goals of doing well at some 50 milers this year in prep for 100 mile races in 2011. A couple of my friends asks me about doing a 24 hour team. Sure why not cant be worse than last year. I am not fast enough for an expert team, and me running sport would surely lead to a protest. Basically I am in no mans land between expert fast guys and sport. I find 4 people really fast and decide to do a 5 person open team. Lucky enough we are all young and with the right person we can do 0-124 age group, noone raced this class last year. The fifth came when I had friend call me and ask if I was doing the Shenandoah Mountain 100. My answer was no as it was on the same day as 24 hours of Springs, but do you want to do springs with me? Yes, sweet Kelsi is in.

Being that I would rather approach anything with a carefree attitude, than serious mister type a racer stuff. My buddies being simpson fans dubs us "Off Constantly". We should have strong team against anyone else in our age group despite having 2 females. the 2 female are 2 off the most bad ass young girl riders in the area and can be faster than some 'fast' guys. So the team was going to be me, Kent Douglas, Mike Ambrocik, Erika Kopanic,and Kelsi Randall.

One week prior to the event Erika develops a strong allegri to the ground with a dislocated elbow, she was clearly the second fastest on the team after me. bummer. Jason Berardinelli will replace her and I have no idea how good of a MTB he is. turn out he is pretty damn good.

The race for those have you that havent done any 24 hours racing. You should. Its just about as much as turning fast laps as it as about hanging out with friends.(BTW Jon Pratt and Ben stepthens get almost all the photo credit here). Upon arriving its damn cold. Its freaking freezing at 3000 foot high in the mountains of Pa.

I am so glad I brought ski socks, a thermals for the night along with all my cold weather riding gear.

kelsi tells me on the ride up she actually wants to do the run. I hate le mans style starts and the idea of passing nearly the entire field on the second lap will sure boost me ego. So she leads off. The starters get ready for a torture device know to Mountain bikers as a Le-mans style start.

The crowd gathers to watch.

Kelsi lead off with a strong lap and got some sweet pics in the rock gardens as well.

The 650Bs are easier in the rocks.

Next came my turn.. My first move though was a washed out turn on to my knee on the VERY first turn. Whats really funny about this is I warned everyone about this turn on how lose it was. I then spent a minute or 2 fixing my crooked handlebars. Then off I was on what would be a really good lap, despite the crash and bike fix would my teams fastest. The entire lap my new 29er was awesome, it has changed how I ride in technical terrain. Rock gardens are downright easy now...typical race course trail

and I could pass on less than ideal passing lanes. Passing is something I did alot of I easily passed 30-40 people on this lap. the 32-19 gear felt good except going up the dreaded ski slope fireroad climb where I was chugging along struggling just to keep going. Nice thing about a SS is that you may sometimes suffer going up, your suffering at a faster speed than geared riders.

Pratt got this photo of me topping out the climb. Painface.

i finished strong passing people although the lap. turned in a 1:10(should have been 1:06 without messing with my handlebars). Next came our ringer aka Jason.

Jason turned it what would be the second fastest time on our team at 1:16. He was happy, we all were happy. We also learned that we had competion in our class in the form of "pap and kids" which is exactly what it sounds like. it was a grandpap with his 4 teenage grandchildren. they were already an hour back at this time. Unless we did something stupid we would easily beat them. the new goal was to beat our camping neighbors "8 balls and a pocket" and whoever else we could.

After some eating and hanging out at 9:01 it was second lap time. Mike and Kent turned in good efforts and we are doing ok overall. My real competion is to stay ahead of my teammate. I love night laps!! I feel at night with proper lights you can see better than during the day. I was rocking a 900 lumen Slickrock, 500 Lumens MOAB, and 100 lumen Stella pointed at the ground. I charged hard and was hoping I had enough power for the dreaded climb on my one speed. I got caught up in traffic on the climb and lost traction and ended up walking the last section. I passed some geared guys riding as I walked.:). pass alot of people on this lap and felt fast with a 1:16:45 on this lap. 3rd fastest on my team.

Jason turned out a fast 1:19 at night and kept up his fast lap streak. Jason's night time post climb pain face.

Mike and Kent both turned in solid 1:45ish laps at night. I couldnt sleep due to the wind howling all night and blowing my tent around. Kelsi and me got the coldest time to go. Lows dropped into the 30s for a couple hours that morning. Kelsi was admittly alittle slower than I expected and I got frozen waiting for her. Next time warmer clothes.

I left my 3rd laps really cold. I wasnt really warming up riding my bike either despite my winter clothes either. I hit the 3rd climb and local semi pro roadie Stevo passed me on the first major climb. I accelerated and held his wheel for about 3 pedal stroke till he pushed on faster. He was the fastest guy all weekend with a 58 minutes lap around the course.

Then my hell lap started. I had a rock go straight though my rear ignitor as I pedaled. I could here the stans spurting out every turn of the wheel. I stopped and filled it up and tried to plug the leak with leafs to give the stans sometime to bind against. The 4nm hole was to much. I had to stop and put a tube in it. UGH do I hate tubes in wheels. I could instantly feel how heavy and bouncy the now tubed tire was. On the final rock garden prior to the climb I hear a hissing noise. Pinch flat rear tire. the tube lasted about 3 miles. Yep tubes officially suck.

I spennt another 10 minutes patching the tube, the only good out of it was I know had enough energy to make the big ski slope climb. even at that I want to finish with out stopping again so I was really carefull in the last miles rock gardens.. I was slow, embarrassing slow. 1:55. yuck.

I get back frustrated enough that I have a mind to go out on my lighter Jamis 26er SS and try to redeem myself. PBR and my parents fresh breakfast won out though.

PBR its so good it won a blue ribbon good enough for 8am.