| 1999 Race Reports |
 |  |  |
Fosterburg, Illinois
Marietta, Illinois
Park Hills, Missouri
Marietta, Illinois
Park Hills, Missouri
May 2, 1999
Fosterburg, Illinois
3rd of 3 in Open B
Sometimes the drive to a race can be a good indication of how it's all going to turn
out. My buddy Rob Rogers came along to watch the race and take some pictures,
and we got lost trying to find Fosterburg. We pulled into a gas station near Alton and
asked the teenager behind the counter for directions. His reply: "Yeah, Fosterburg.
Duuuude...I used to hang out up there with my boys." I knew we were screwed. His
directions were completely worthless (a little too much "alone time" with the bong, I
presume). We finally found the place and pulled in 30 minutes before the start.
I usually finish my races, but one mistake cost me what might have been my first
win. There were only 3 guys in Open B, and after the first lap I was in first place.
That never happened before. The course was typical Illinois riding with tight woods
and some mud. On the second lap I tried to go around a messy little stream
crossing and ended up getting stuck deep in the mud. The back wheel was buried
in slop that would have made a hog farmer proud. I spent about an hour trying to dig
myself out and finally did, but it was too late. On my third lap, the radiator started
spitting out all of its coolant. I stopped and filled it back up with the water in my
drinking bottle, and then cut out of the race just before it was over. Rob didn't end up
seeing much of me.
Damage Report: Huge dent in pipe
May 16, 1999
Marietta, Illinois
DNF
We'll call this the race from hell. It was my first enduro of the year, and I decided to
make the long drive up. I usually enjoy enduros because they are long (60+ miles),
you rarely ride the same trail twice, and I feel like I'm getting my money's worth. The
surrounding area got pounded with a couple inches of rain the day before, so
everything was wet. I ended up starting on the very last row, which turned out to be
an unlucky position. All the prior riders used up what little traction there was to begin
with and created some huge ruts to negotiate.
An enduro is different from the hare scrambles I typically race in. The focus is on
maintaining an average speed, rather than finishing fastest. The riders leave every
minute, about 3 or 4 at a time. You get checked at several points along the route
(usually the checkpoint locations are unknown) and have points added to your score
if you're early or late. This race was supposed to be about 60 miles long, but I could
only do 7. The hills were just about impossible to get up. Like Cuba, I pushed the
bike as much as I rode it. There was a water crossing that was almost as high as
my seat! At one point I just couldn't get the bike to turn left. It was driving me crazy. I
finally stopped and found that the steering adjustment bolt had worked its way loose
and was severely limiting the turning radius. Nothing like making a bad race worse.
After nearly 2 hours of torture I packed it up and went home. The poor bike got
abused pretty bad but didn't let me down. One rule for enduros is that if you reach a
checkpoint one hour or more later than scheduled, then you're done (called "houring
out"). I houred out in the first 5 miles!! Needless to say, this was a race to forget. To
add further insult, somebody ran their truck over the end of my bike stand.
May 23, 1999
St. Joe State Park
Park Hills, Missouri
This was the longest race I have ever done. I normally ride the C class in enduros,
but the C class loop was only about 40 miles. I figured I might as well get my
money's worth and ride the longer B loop. If I had known... As usual I was
completely rushed in getting prepared for the enduro, but more so this time because
I thought the race started at 10:00. I knew something was wrong when I pulled in to
the staging area and people were already leaving the starting line. Bad sign, very
bad. The fortunate thing about enduros is that it's not a mass start. About 4-5
people leave the starting line every minute, so the start of the event occurs over a
period of an hour or so. The race started at 8:00; I got there about 8:10. I ran to the
sign-up area and saw that there were about 55 rows, meaning that with riders
leaving each minute, it would take 55 minutes for all of the riders to depart. I chose
one of the last rows, which meant my start time wouldn't be until about 8:50. That
gave me about half an hour to set up, which really isn't much time. Especially when
it usually takes me about 20 minutes to get my roll chart set up to match the route
sheets that are provided. A roll chart helps you keep track of what mile you should
be on at a given time in the race. Fortunately they were selling the roll charts at the
sign-up, so I bought one and didn't have to use my computer-generated roll chart.
Saved me valuable time, and it turned out my self-made chart wouldn't have worked
anyway because during the first 20 miles of the race they changed the average
speed requirement several times. All of the enduros I had done up to that point had
been a straight 24-mph average-just go 24 mph for the whole race and you don't
accumulate any points (like golf...lowest score wins). The roll chart I brought was
set up for 24 mph (no speed changes), so it was basically worthless for this race.
The guys with the programmable enduro computers don't have to worry about speed
changes-they just plug in the speed variations and the computer does the math. I
haven't made that $400 investment yet, so I keep track of my speed the old
fashioned way...roll chart and a couple of digital clocks duct-taped to my handlebars.
Anyway, I just barely got going in time to leave on my row. Only problem was the guy
at the sign-in gave me the wrong key time (the "master clock" that everyone sets their
own clocks to). My clock was set about two minutes different from key time, so that
messed up my timekeeping. I constantly had to compensate for the error and try to
do the math in my head to figure out what mileage I should be on. The speed
averages were kind of screwy at the beginning. There were some 18-mph sections,
and even a 12-mph section. There were some youth and women's classes that only
went about halfway through the first loop, so the promoters made the speeds easier
in the first part of the race so the slower riders wouldn't have really bad scores. I had
a hard time with it, though, because usually with a 24-mph average I can never keep
up so I just ride as fast as I can. But an 18-mph section is sometimes achievable
for me, and the penalties for being early to a checkpoint are much worse than for
being late. At times I actually had to slow it down to keep from being early. The race
was held at St. Joe State Park and used some of the trails there, along with other
areas outside the park. The trails are a little more open than those of the Illinois and
Indiana enduros I had done in the past, so the speeds were higher and the risks of
being early were greater. Being early to a checkpoint (called "burning a check") gets
you penalized way more than being late, so that's something I try never to do.
At the 20 mile marker was a gas stop, and I had sent one of my gas jugs on a truck
that was supposed to deliver it to that spot. It got delivered, along with about 200
jugs that looked exactly like mine. Apparently I was supposed to have put my row
number somewhere on the jug, so they could sort them. Mine ended up in a group
of unsorted jugs of people like me who missed the riders meeting and didn't get the
instructions. Fortunately I had put a distinguishing band of yellow duct tape around
the handle, and that narrowed my search to about 50 jugs (why in the hell is yellow
duct tape so popular?!?). I knew I had found the right one when I started pouring in
gas and the familiar leaky spout sent a steady trail of highly flammable liquid down
the side of my piping hot motorcycle.
After the gas stop the speed average was mostly 24-mph throughout the rest of the
loop. However, there were not any major resets (a point where the route sheet
instructs you to advance your odometer a certain number of miles forward; it's like
being magically transported into the future and gives you the opportunity to get back
on time if you're late like I always am), so I never did get a chance to stop and rest.
All the other enduros I've raced had sections of paved road linking the woods
sections. This enduro was entirely off-road, so there were no easy stretches to rest
and make up some time. From that point on, I was continually late for the rest of the
race. I had to stop once and tighten the rear brake pivot bolt, which was about the
first time I'd ever used the tools in my fanny pack for anything other than un-sticking
the bike from mud holes. Good thing, though, because the brake pedal would have
fallen off if I hadn't tightened it. This is important, because as most people know,
brakes sometimes (but not always) keep guys like me from smacking into trees on
a regular basis. A light rain came off and on, making the rocks extra slippery but
keeping me cool. The first loop ended where were started, about 40 miles in total. I
grabbed a quick snack, filled up the gas tank, and got back on the trail. I wasn't too
tired at that point, but in retrospect it would have been an ideal place to quit.
The rocks were taking their toll on my back. Ten miles into the second loop (50
miles overall) I was a hurtin' unit. At the gas stop (60 miles overall), I had serious
thoughts of cutting out early. Finally after 72 cruel miles the B-loop ended. The A
riders had to finish the whole loop, for a total of about 80 miles. I was never so glad
to get back to my truck and go home. My back was so sore that it hurt no matter what
position I tried to sit in. I didn't bother sticking around to see my results.
Fosterburg, Illinois
3rd of 3 in Open B
Sometimes the drive to a race can be a good indication of how it's all going to turn
out. My buddy Rob Rogers came along to watch the race and take some pictures,
and we got lost trying to find Fosterburg. We pulled into a gas station near Alton and
asked the teenager behind the counter for directions. His reply: "Yeah, Fosterburg.
Duuuude...I used to hang out up there with my boys." I knew we were screwed. His
directions were completely worthless (a little too much "alone time" with the bong, I
presume). We finally found the place and pulled in 30 minutes before the start.
I usually finish my races, but one mistake cost me what might have been my first
win. There were only 3 guys in Open B, and after the first lap I was in first place.
That never happened before. The course was typical Illinois riding with tight woods
and some mud. On the second lap I tried to go around a messy little stream
crossing and ended up getting stuck deep in the mud. The back wheel was buried
in slop that would have made a hog farmer proud. I spent about an hour trying to dig
myself out and finally did, but it was too late. On my third lap, the radiator started
spitting out all of its coolant. I stopped and filled it back up with the water in my
drinking bottle, and then cut out of the race just before it was over. Rob didn't end up
seeing much of me.
Damage Report: Huge dent in pipe
May 16, 1999
Marietta, Illinois
DNF
We'll call this the race from hell. It was my first enduro of the year, and I decided to
make the long drive up. I usually enjoy enduros because they are long (60+ miles),
you rarely ride the same trail twice, and I feel like I'm getting my money's worth. The
surrounding area got pounded with a couple inches of rain the day before, so
everything was wet. I ended up starting on the very last row, which turned out to be
an unlucky position. All the prior riders used up what little traction there was to begin
with and created some huge ruts to negotiate.
An enduro is different from the hare scrambles I typically race in. The focus is on
maintaining an average speed, rather than finishing fastest. The riders leave every
minute, about 3 or 4 at a time. You get checked at several points along the route
(usually the checkpoint locations are unknown) and have points added to your score
if you're early or late. This race was supposed to be about 60 miles long, but I could
only do 7. The hills were just about impossible to get up. Like Cuba, I pushed the
bike as much as I rode it. There was a water crossing that was almost as high as
my seat! At one point I just couldn't get the bike to turn left. It was driving me crazy. I
finally stopped and found that the steering adjustment bolt had worked its way loose
and was severely limiting the turning radius. Nothing like making a bad race worse.
After nearly 2 hours of torture I packed it up and went home. The poor bike got
abused pretty bad but didn't let me down. One rule for enduros is that if you reach a
checkpoint one hour or more later than scheduled, then you're done (called "houring
out"). I houred out in the first 5 miles!! Needless to say, this was a race to forget. To
add further insult, somebody ran their truck over the end of my bike stand.
May 23, 1999
St. Joe State Park
Park Hills, Missouri
This was the longest race I have ever done. I normally ride the C class in enduros,
but the C class loop was only about 40 miles. I figured I might as well get my
money's worth and ride the longer B loop. If I had known... As usual I was
completely rushed in getting prepared for the enduro, but more so this time because
I thought the race started at 10:00. I knew something was wrong when I pulled in to
the staging area and people were already leaving the starting line. Bad sign, very
bad. The fortunate thing about enduros is that it's not a mass start. About 4-5
people leave the starting line every minute, so the start of the event occurs over a
period of an hour or so. The race started at 8:00; I got there about 8:10. I ran to the
sign-up area and saw that there were about 55 rows, meaning that with riders
leaving each minute, it would take 55 minutes for all of the riders to depart. I chose
one of the last rows, which meant my start time wouldn't be until about 8:50. That
gave me about half an hour to set up, which really isn't much time. Especially when
it usually takes me about 20 minutes to get my roll chart set up to match the route
sheets that are provided. A roll chart helps you keep track of what mile you should
be on at a given time in the race. Fortunately they were selling the roll charts at the
sign-up, so I bought one and didn't have to use my computer-generated roll chart.
Saved me valuable time, and it turned out my self-made chart wouldn't have worked
anyway because during the first 20 miles of the race they changed the average
speed requirement several times. All of the enduros I had done up to that point had
been a straight 24-mph average-just go 24 mph for the whole race and you don't
accumulate any points (like golf...lowest score wins). The roll chart I brought was
set up for 24 mph (no speed changes), so it was basically worthless for this race.
The guys with the programmable enduro computers don't have to worry about speed
changes-they just plug in the speed variations and the computer does the math. I
haven't made that $400 investment yet, so I keep track of my speed the old
fashioned way...roll chart and a couple of digital clocks duct-taped to my handlebars.
Anyway, I just barely got going in time to leave on my row. Only problem was the guy
at the sign-in gave me the wrong key time (the "master clock" that everyone sets their
own clocks to). My clock was set about two minutes different from key time, so that
messed up my timekeeping. I constantly had to compensate for the error and try to
do the math in my head to figure out what mileage I should be on. The speed
averages were kind of screwy at the beginning. There were some 18-mph sections,
and even a 12-mph section. There were some youth and women's classes that only
went about halfway through the first loop, so the promoters made the speeds easier
in the first part of the race so the slower riders wouldn't have really bad scores. I had
a hard time with it, though, because usually with a 24-mph average I can never keep
up so I just ride as fast as I can. But an 18-mph section is sometimes achievable
for me, and the penalties for being early to a checkpoint are much worse than for
being late. At times I actually had to slow it down to keep from being early. The race
was held at St. Joe State Park and used some of the trails there, along with other
areas outside the park. The trails are a little more open than those of the Illinois and
Indiana enduros I had done in the past, so the speeds were higher and the risks of
being early were greater. Being early to a checkpoint (called "burning a check") gets
you penalized way more than being late, so that's something I try never to do.
At the 20 mile marker was a gas stop, and I had sent one of my gas jugs on a truck
that was supposed to deliver it to that spot. It got delivered, along with about 200
jugs that looked exactly like mine. Apparently I was supposed to have put my row
number somewhere on the jug, so they could sort them. Mine ended up in a group
of unsorted jugs of people like me who missed the riders meeting and didn't get the
instructions. Fortunately I had put a distinguishing band of yellow duct tape around
the handle, and that narrowed my search to about 50 jugs (why in the hell is yellow
duct tape so popular?!?). I knew I had found the right one when I started pouring in
gas and the familiar leaky spout sent a steady trail of highly flammable liquid down
the side of my piping hot motorcycle.
After the gas stop the speed average was mostly 24-mph throughout the rest of the
loop. However, there were not any major resets (a point where the route sheet
instructs you to advance your odometer a certain number of miles forward; it's like
being magically transported into the future and gives you the opportunity to get back
on time if you're late like I always am), so I never did get a chance to stop and rest.
All the other enduros I've raced had sections of paved road linking the woods
sections. This enduro was entirely off-road, so there were no easy stretches to rest
and make up some time. From that point on, I was continually late for the rest of the
race. I had to stop once and tighten the rear brake pivot bolt, which was about the
first time I'd ever used the tools in my fanny pack for anything other than un-sticking
the bike from mud holes. Good thing, though, because the brake pedal would have
fallen off if I hadn't tightened it. This is important, because as most people know,
brakes sometimes (but not always) keep guys like me from smacking into trees on
a regular basis. A light rain came off and on, making the rocks extra slippery but
keeping me cool. The first loop ended where were started, about 40 miles in total. I
grabbed a quick snack, filled up the gas tank, and got back on the trail. I wasn't too
tired at that point, but in retrospect it would have been an ideal place to quit.
The rocks were taking their toll on my back. Ten miles into the second loop (50
miles overall) I was a hurtin' unit. At the gas stop (60 miles overall), I had serious
thoughts of cutting out early. Finally after 72 cruel miles the B-loop ended. The A
riders had to finish the whole loop, for a total of about 80 miles. I was never so glad
to get back to my truck and go home. My back was so sore that it hurt no matter what
position I tried to sit in. I didn't bother sticking around to see my results.