A boy and his dog: Appalachian Classic WVMBA #5

Welp fan, if you were not one of thousand adoring fans lining the course this weekend at the Appalachian Classic (WVMBA#5) you certainly missed out. A time trail, bike polo, short track followed up on Sunday with a wicked hard yet super duper fun cross country race. A cornucopia of cycling pleasure by-golly.

I was feeling a little tired from the 24Hours of Big Bear and perhaps a little not-so-mid-season-yet-mid-season fatigue so I decided to skip the TT and just do the short track Saturday. It was a blast with a mix of fast SS and geared guys duking it out. It aint racing unless you are rubbing ya know and that is what short track is all bout’, yes sir. I rode ok, had a Kool-aid-grin ear to ear underneath that drool and ended up fifth. Short track racing is hard especially when you are lacking some of that top end gitty-up, which I am.

The Shogren’s headed up the Lumberjack in Michigan so I was running solo this weekend minus the company of BFF Jackie. She and I had a sweet little camping spot all nice, quiet and to ourselves. The solitude of the forest allowed for some nice Chrissy yoga and meditation, Buddha would be smiling. And BFF Jackie had many critters to smell and cool holes to dig. We were happy, it was a good day!

Sunday’s cross country went well. I was a little concerned 'bout my legs or lack of them, as it seemed as though I left them last weekend at Big Bear. I hit the woods around 6th overall and 1st SS. Scott Root, a master on a SS, and Morgan Miller (2nd SS) were breathing down my neck as the gear’d fellars started to pull away. Scott and I took turns at the front eventually gapping youngster Morgan. Scott and I duked it out in what was quite the nail-biter from my point of view. He was kicking my ass on the climbs both pedaling and running while I was stronger on the flats and on the technical stuff. By the start of lap 3 he had gapped me pretty good. Ugh!! But ahh yeh, I spotted him on the long road climb and buried myself to bridge up . DROOL!!! Shoot, he hit the woods about 10 seconds ahead of me so I let it all hang out through the stream bed—rock garden. Alas the last muddy hike-a-bike…Scott is walking so I begin a hard run. He glances back, does an incredulous double-take, and begins to run too. He crested and hopped on his bike while I still had a few more running strides to go…eekk…Morgan is at the bottom of the climb too. A 1 ½ -2 mile drag race ensues. Drool and lactate acid is ah-plentiful. Scott gets me by 10 seconds and the corrupted Night Club youngster Morgan came in less then a minute behind. Good work guys--it was a fun battle. And I do believe I am finally seeing last years fitness showing, about time!!!

The Appalachian Classic is the kind racing event that brought most of us into this sweet lifestyle. Boat loads of hard racing that is topped by boat loads more of fun. Grassroots and pretty dang sweet. Thanks JR!!!

The team is parting ways again this weekend. The Shogren’s are hitting Road Natz while JR and I will be meeting up with Bi-atch-at-large MikeyY in Pa. for a VisitPa.com 9 hour racing epic. See ya out there fan.

WEEKEND ROUND UP
Chrissy 1st SS and 6th Pro/ex, yippee….win #3 for the season and time to retire.
Betsy 1st at the Lumberjack (almost beat Gunnar again)
Gunnar 5th SS and more shitty luck (and almost got beat by Bunny again)

"May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face" and may your wheels always find it safely back to the ground.
PEACE Chris