Rattling MTB Marathon '24 (was '23) - M.A.S.S.

Norm said:
How well stocked? I'm with Jeremy, just going with 2 bottles and re-upping at the aid stations.
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I went with (2) 22oz bottles last year, passed at mile 8 and refilled at mile 18.

Unless something has changed this year, in my experience, Transylvania Productions aid stations have been stocked the same for a few years.

In the past, hydration was water, Coke and Heed. Snacks: M&Ms, PBJ, Pringles, Fig Newtons, Pretzels, etc. Maybe some gels and Endurolytes.
 
JDurk said:
I went with (2) 22oz bottles last year, passed at mile 8 and refilled at mile 18.

Unless something has changed this year, in my experience, Transylvania Productions aid stations have been stocked the same for a few years.

In the past, hydration was water, Coke and Heed. Snacks: M&Ms, PBJ, Pringles, Fig Newtons, Pretzels, etc. Maybe some gels and Endurolytes.
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Email from Rattling MTB promoter this morning. Check your inbox. And looks like the option of drop bags is available as well.
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Great day yesterday. Saw many familiar faces. @Dave Taylor @jShort @Kirt @Norm @Stef Met @rottin' for the first time. Saw a few other ladies in MTBNJ jerseys.

As usual, this place is always a nice challenge. Rocks on top of rocks. With race registration limited to 300 and sold out in Nov '23, many no shows across all classes. Around 75. Sucks for all those on the waitlist that would have raced. Promoter still gets paid.

Was a bit chilly at the race start. Trail conditions were pretty good. The sloppy sections were pretty sloppy. Ran 32x20 last year, tried a similar ratio 34x21 this year. As expected, still had to walk a few climbs. Finished with a P8/10 in SS (20 were pre-reg). Bettered my time from last year by 2 min.

Fair Hill is up next on Sunday, 4/28. https://www.bikereg.com/springxc
 
JDurk said:
As usual, this place is always a nice challenge. Rocks on top of rocks.
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Yeah that's pretty accurate 😂

Didn't exactly have a chance to do introductions but think I was passed by @Norm a couple of times and followed @Stef for a bit before I completely blew up. Felt pretty bad all day for whatever reason but was pacing around where I'd hoped, then the wheels came off around mile 25 and that last rocky section of trail before the final descent just destroyed me. Well done to everyone, that's a pretty tough event and I'm really impressed by the overall strength of the field that was there.
 
ebarker9 said:
Yeah that's pretty accurate 😂

Didn't exactly have a chance to do introductions but think I was passed by @Norm a couple of times and followed @Stef for a bit before I completely blew up. Felt pretty bad all day for whatever reason but was pacing around where I'd hoped, then the wheels came off around mile 25 and that last rocky section of trail before the final descent just destroyed me. Well done to everyone, that's a pretty tough event and I'm really impressed by the overall strength of the field that was there.
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You must be the guy in the EPS jersey? If so, yeah we sort of went back & forth all day but around that 25 mile mark, you did look like you were about to walk off into the woods and dump honey on your head then start looking for bears.
 
ebarker9 said:
Yeah that's pretty accurate 😂

Didn't exactly have a chance to do introductions but think I was passed by @Norm a couple of times and followed @Stef for a bit before I completely blew up. Felt pretty bad all day for whatever reason but was pacing around where I'd hoped, then the wheels came off around mile 25 and that last rocky section of trail before the final descent just destroyed me. Well done to everyone, that's a pretty tough event and I'm really impressed by the overall strength of the field that was there.
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Rocks Ridge Trail is a very fitting name.
 
JDurk said:
Rocks Ridge Trail is a very fitting name.
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I had been warned a lot about this course ending so I was mentally prepared for a rough ending. It lived up to the name between mile 28 and 28.5, then it dialed back to a reasonable amount of rocks. The way @jShort had described it was pretty accurate. There was a brutal set of rocks, then you think it's over, then there's more. After that you get a solid 1.5 miles of decent chatter but nothing like that half mile of gut-punch after 28 miles.

I see on TF there is a black trail that you could take downhill to end the race. I totally understand why they do not do this. However, that last 2 miles is the biggest waste of elevation ever. 750 feet straight down on a woods road...
 
Norm said:
I had been warned a lot about this course ending so I was mentally prepared for a rough ending. It lived up to the name between mile 28 and 28.5, then it dialed back to a reasonable amount of rocks. The way @jShort had described it was pretty accurate. There was a brutal set of rocks, then you think it's over, then there's more. After that you get a solid 1.5 miles of decent chatter but nothing like that half mile of gut-punch after 28 miles.

I see on TF there is a black trail that you could take downhill to end the race. I totally understand why they do not do this. However, that last 2 miles is the biggest waste of elevation ever. 750 feet straight down on a woods road...
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The race has evolved over the years. My first time there in 2015, we climbed up yesterday's DH finish and went across Rocks Ridge 1st, then came back to do it again at the end, but we turned onto Wolf Pond, which is probably the black trail you mentioned. It was brand new at that time and was told, follow the little flags on the ground. So we were basically riding in that trail.
www.strava.com

04/11/2015 Rattling Epic 40 - John D's 40.6 mi mountain bike ride

Halifax, Pennsylvania Kicked my ass.
www.strava.com www.strava.com
 
Norm said:
You must be the guy in the EPS jersey? If so, yeah we sort of went back & forth all day but around that 25 mile mark, you did look like you were about to walk off into the woods and dump honey on your head then start looking for bears.
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Not me but I probably saw that guy as well. I was in a plain grey jersey. At some point I asked if you wanted to get by, you said "not really" and I said " well you're going to regardless" and moved out of the way.

The rocky tech stuff looked cool to ride on a normal outing but there were a couple where I had no idea where the trail went. It was more of the unrelenting smaller rocks that destroyed me.
 
ebarker9 said:
Not me but I probably saw that guy as well. I was in a plain grey jersey. At some point I asked if you wanted to get by, you said "not really" and I said " well you're going to regardless" and moved out of the way.
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Ok yeah I remember exactly who you were...are. We rode in a train of maybe 7 people for quite a while and I think pretty much everyone else blew up, not just you. That spot in the race started taking people out left & right.
 
JDurk said:
The race has evolved over the years. My first time there in 2015, we climbed up yesterday's DH finish and went across Rocks Ridge 1st, then came back to do it again at the end, but we turned onto Wolf Pond, which is probably the black trail you mentioned. It was brand new at that time and was told, follow the little flags on the ground. So we were basically riding in that trail.
www.strava.com

04/11/2015 Rattling Epic 40 - John D's 40.6 mi mountain bike ride

Halifax, Pennsylvania Kicked my ass.
www.strava.com www.strava.com
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That starting climb was brutal and pretty much decided the race results. Didn't they do a neutral roll up it to start up top in years following?
 
KenS said:
That starting climb was brutal and pretty much decided the race results. Didn't they do a neutral roll up it to start up top in years following?
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Not this year. Stand around with 199 of your best friends, then go uphill for 2 miles. It's a hell of a way to start the day.
 
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