100-Mile Mixed-Terrain Enduro

I heard about this ride on the bayareacyclocross list, and figured it would make for some good base training in preparation for the cyclocross season. So I foolishly headed out to GGP Saturday morning on my cross bike with a bag of dry clothes in my backpack, ready to meet my maker... I knew this going to be a tough event - especially considering how little off-road riding I'd done recently, but it turned out to be a real back-breaker. Of the 30+ of us that lined up, only 8 finished! So I didn't feel so bad finishing second-to-last (or too bad that the only guy I beat was on a single speed!)...simply finishing seemed to be enough today. To sum it all up: 11,000 feet of climbing, lots of dirt, some boneshaking descents, a fair amount of walking on the steep climbs, 1 apple pastry, 1 gu, 7 barz, 2 mini donuts, some fig newtons and a handful of doritos, and 1 budweiser.

As we sat on the polo field bleachers talking about strategies and the dos and don'ts of the checkpoints and how to play nice with the horses and hikers we were sure to encounter, we were kindly reminded that this was NOT a race, but simply a RIDE. That didn't stop people from taking off in very race-like fashion as soon as they received their 1st map with 3 SF checkpoints. Luckily the three checkpoints were reasonably close together (though one did involve going down a long flight of stairs), and at the last one we were given detailed maps of the route through Marin with 8 more checkpoints conveniently located such that we were going to have to hit some loose dirt and some serious climbs.

Heading into the Presidio, I jumped on a Hans/Tim train going over the GG Bridge, but that didn't last long, cuz they were moving pretty good and I was barely warmed up and was thinking it was going to be a LONG day. I actually stopped in Sausalito to study the course maps and bought a camelback when I realized that I would likely be riding for several hours without access to water at some points along the course. It turned out to be a lifesaver...by the time I hit Mill Valley I was ready for a snack and some advice from the locals as to where the railroad grade trail was, so I stopped in Peet's for a pasty and some directions. Found railroad grade and started climbing with Jared and Jeremiah - after about 1/2 mile we realized we were on the wrong trail, and double-backed to find a group of about 7 just hitting the base of the right climb. Our pace wasn't anything more than steady, but the sun came out it got hot quick. I started to wonder how many riders were ahead of us - I was mostly just interested in surviving the day, but my competitive side was curious to know...

We reached the West Point Inn and stopped for a few minutes before blazing the mostly downhill section of trail toward Pantoll. The "officials" at the 1st checkpoint informed us that 17 riders had already come through - damn, we were lagging! I started to push the pace up the road from Pantoll to Ridgecrest, and again along the "7 Sisters" to the next checkpoint at the junction with Bolinas Fairfax Road, where the "officials" were kind enough to share their cooler of cold beer. As I began the next section of dirt (the Bolinas Ridge Trail), carnage began to appear...first Andreas came down the trail going the wrong way with a cracked frame. A few miles later I passed Tim from Roaring Mouse who had a broken derailleur hanger. The trail made me wish I had a suspension bike - the roots and rocks were giving me a beating. I tried my best to keep up with Jared, but his full suspension bike was a big advantage through the rough spots, and eventually I settled into my own rhythm and just tried not to lose too much ground. Unfortunately, I forgot to keep a close eye on the map, and missed the turn onto the Jewell Trail - I ended up riding all the way to the junction with Sir Francis Drake Boulevard just outside Olema. I wasn't the only one - Jared, Jeremiah, and I regrouped there and consulted the map, still not realizing that we had missed a turn. We knew the next checkpoint was in or near Samuel P. Taylor Park, so we took off down the road and onto the paved Cross-Marin Trail. We hit the next checkpoint just as the group who had been behind us came down the Jewell Trail and met us. At this point I mentally committed to keeping a closer eye on the map so I wouldn't continue to waste precious energy pedaling in the wrong direction!

After a few miles of much-needed flat paved terrain, we reached another checkpoint outside Lagunitas, and it was time for more dirt, and more climbing. Several riders decided to drop out at this point, and clearly they knew something that I didn't - the next section of the course was a series of fire roads that I had never ridden, and it was vicious. The climb up San Geronimo Ridge was steep, forcing me to walk my bike in some sections. Once at the top of the ridge, I was riding all alone for what felt like forever. The fire roads along the ridgetops around Mount Tam have a way of transporting you to another planet. Riding alone, it felt as if I might be hundreds of miles from civilization. If it weren't for the leaders having placed some primitive trail markers made of sticks indicating the turns, I probably would have gotten lost...the climbs were hard, but so were the descents - my shoulders, back, and arms actually hurt more than my legs by the time I reached the next checkpoint at Alpine Dam. What a relief to be back on pavement! The checkpoint crew offered up some tasty treats (if fig newtons and doritos count?), and when I learned that only 7 riders had come through so far, my motivation for pushing on to the finish was renewed. I climbed back up to Ridgecrest, probably slower than I ever have in my life, and then it was back across the "7 Sisters" (or as the organizers reminded us they would be on the 2nd go-around, the "7 Bitches").

Back down to Pantoll, and now it was decision time - this would be the last real place to bail out and ride the roads back to SF. The fog was rolling in, it was starting to get cold, and I was exhausted, but I couldn't stand the thought of not finishing, and with only 1 more checkpoint left, I decided to soldier on. So onto the Coastal Trail I went for some sweet singletrack down to Highway 1 and the Pelican Inn. This was the final checkpoint, and I never felt so relieved to know that I was about to ride 20 miles mostly in the cold and dark! The sun was dropping low over the ocean as I made my way up the last off-road portion of the course toward Tennessee Valley. In my delirious state, I managed to miss another trail junction, and ended up having to shoulder my bike and hike up a narrow trail for about 1/2 mile. Normally I would have been cursing my bad luck, but I think I was so tired that I simply couldn't expend the energy to be mad - I just put my head down and schlepped myself onward. The site of Tennessee Valley Road, and then Marin City, brought be back down to earth. By the time I was back on the Golden Gate Bridge, it was dark and downright freezing - but beautiful. I love riding across the bridge at night without the gaggles of tourists and packs of roadies out on training rides.

I arrived at the finish to find the party in full swing - the leaders had finished more than an hour ahead of me, and almost everyone had gathered for BBQ and beer. One of the toughest days I've ever had on a bike, but also one of the most fun. I've got to get a mountain bike.