Wilderness 101 Race Report

xc62701

Well-Known Member
Hey guys and gals. Here's my short race recap. You can read the whole story on my blog. The day started out chilly and the weather was perfect yet hot all day long. I went out towards the front of the race and pretty hot with a nice strong group. I went too hard too quickly. I then suffered on the early climbs as a result and recovered a little later. I regained some energy and was doing well climbing and regaining positions and then I forgot to eat. This resulted in a not so happy bonk for a few miles. I really could tell as I was trying to stand and sprint and my HR was only 130 bpm. I was not doing well. I ate and hydrated a lot and then felt much better and pushed knowing the end was coming up(still about 25 miles or so).

I had forgotten how rocky and harsh this course is. I was so battered by the rocks on my hardtail I was glad to see it be over. I really need an FS for this next year. Those dudes on rigids - holy sh*t! Towards the end I had some energy so I killed the last climb and jumped on the railroad bed pretty hard and cruised towards the finish. I had a guy latch on and was using me to pull him to the finish which was fine. Towards the end though he tried to jump and get away from me and I let him go for a little bit. I saw him look back twice and then after the second look I charged with all I had. Around the final corner I moved up and closed the 200' gap quickly and got him by 2 secs at the line.

9 hours and 51 minutes was the official finish time.
91st of 294 Overall
59th of 192 in Open Men

I cut 45 minutes off of my time from last year. I'm happy with that!
 
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xc62701

Well-Known Member
Now that sounds like a race, 9 hours! You should be proud just to have made it, killer dude good job.

Thx guys! Yea the short races are fun but these offer WAY more suffering. :drooling: It's my 4th one and I'll be back for more. Next up --- Shenandoah 100.
 

Nimrod

New Member
Way to go. :)

Anybody that finishes the 101 deserves a Merit badge, let alone in the 9 hours = excellent!!
 
D

dzm3

Guest
Congrats Ryan on achieving your goal of sneaking under 10 hours. Good job, and that with bonking! Wow

I was way behind you by almost 2 hours!

This was one rocky course, even with about 70% of gravel/fire/paved roads, still, those 30% of singletrack let themselves known!

dz
 

xc62701

Well-Known Member
Congrats Ryan on achieving your goal of sneaking under 10 hours. Good job, and that with bonking! Wow

I was way behind you by almost 2 hours!

This was one rocky course, even with about 70% of gravel/fire/paved roads, still, those 30% of singletrack let themselves known!

dz

Good work on your finish! Yea I was in a bad place for quite a few miles but thankfully I worked out of it. It was SOOOO rocky. I couldn't stand it. My shoulders and back are still whining from the course. How'd you like that one really loose steep downhill section? That was so much fun pushing the edge of control. Big wheels are fun!
 

xc62701

Well-Known Member
nice job!!!!

bring on shen!

Yikes...I don't even want to look at a bike right now. I'm not liking the thought of having to go do a recovery ride today. Shenandoah is looming in the distance and I'm going to do some training to hopefully do even better in that. I might just go down a couple weeks before and ride some of the course.
 

maddawg

Member
sweet!

very tempted to run shen. i'm 50/50 right now. guess i should make up my mind. we'll see.

have you done shen before?
 

xc62701

Well-Known Member
Nope... It'll be a first for me. The Wilderness is the only one I have done before. Just do it. I'll be there for some motivatioin :D
 

Steve Vai

Endurance Guy: Tolerates most of us.
You is crazy Ryan!! Get a few more of these under your belt and you'll be kicking Eatough's ass:getsome:

Just so you get some extra training in, you should show up at the Campmor races and ride in every category:hmmm:

-Jim.
 
D

dzm3

Guest
Good work on your finish! Yea I was in a bad place for quite a few miles but thankfully I worked out of it. It was SOOOO rocky. I couldn't stand it. My shoulders and back are still whining from the course. How'd you like that one really loose steep downhill section? That was so much fun pushing the edge of control. Big wheels are fun!

hehe, and I was one of the stupid RIGID SSers... ;)

That loose downhill was part of Stoopid 50, 'cept... In Stoopid 50 that was an UPHILL hike-a-bike section!!!! It was interesting.

I liked the other long rocky narrow loose downhill before #4, it was chalenging in good way, I kept wondering how crazy and sketchy it must've been for the front runners actually pushing the limits on that one... :hmmm:

Don't worry about SM100, it will be easier. Less rocky, more climbing, but different not as steep, so it's more climable. And more very sweet fun singletrack, very flowy, more level.

Your time might be a hair longer, but you will feel less beat up afterward!

dz
 

Kmoodymz3

New Member
Nice job Ryan, 45 minutes off your time is huge! Congrats.

I too survived the 101. This was my first attempt. Yes, I was told it was rocky but, d@mn there a lot of rocks. I found that the single track, usually the reward for agonizing climbs of which there were plenty, was pretty brutal. That steep, sketchy section scared the cr@p out of me. But I survived it :D must have been the penny I found just before the start, I put it in my jersey pocket for good luck.

I too was in a bad place between 3 and 4 and was loosing a lot of time but once I got to 4 I got renewed energy and pushed all the way to the end.

I had a goal time of sub 12 hours and came in at 10:55:29 7th place for Women and 143rd overall. It was an excellent outcome for me I never expected to be in the top 10 and at aid station 4 I was looking at an 11:30 pace. I made up lots of time in the last 25 miles.

Shenandoah is on my calendar too. It will be my third time. After doing both 101 and SM100. I think the SM100 is a better course for me. The ST is sooooo sweet and flowy, not just a bomb down the mountain, that you get renewed energy for the next climb. It is a great course and while times tend to be a little longer for SM100 over W101 you do not get nearly as beat up. The rocks there are shale so they slide down the mountain with you instead of pounding you to death :D

Good Luck and see you there!
 

xc62701

Well-Known Member
You is crazy Ryan!! Get a few more of these under your belt and you'll be kicking Eatough's ass:getsome:

Just so you get some extra training in, you should show up at the Campmor races and ride in every category:hmmm:

-Jim.

How many more of these do I need to do to get 3 hrs faster...lol?

I've thought about doing the Campmor races and then doing another few laps just to get a nice training day in for the long stuff.
 

xc62701

Well-Known Member
Nice job Ryan, 45 minutes off your time is huge! Congrats.

I too survived the 101. This was my first attempt. Yes, I was told it was rocky but, d@mn there a lot of rocks. I found that the single track, usually the reward for agonizing climbs of which there were plenty, was pretty brutal. That steep, sketchy section scared the cr@p out of me. But I survived it :D must have been the penny I found just before the start, I put it in my jersey pocket for good luck.

I too was in a bad place between 3 and 4 and was loosing a lot of time but once I got to 4 I got renewed energy and pushed all the way to the end.

I had a goal time of sub 12 hours and came in at 10:55:29 7th place for Women and 143rd overall. It was an excellent outcome for me I never expected to be in the top 10 and at aid station 4 I was looking at an 11:30 pace. I made up lots of time in the last 25 miles.

Shenandoah is on my calendar too. It will be my third time. After doing both 101 and SM100. I think the SM100 is a better course for me. The ST is sooooo sweet and flowy, not just a bomb down the mountain, that you get renewed energy for the next climb. It is a great course and while times tend to be a little longer for SM100 over W101 you do not get nearly as beat up. The rocks there are shale so they slide down the mountain with you instead of pounding you to death :D

Good Luck and see you there!

Awesome ride! Way to go placing 7th! I rode at towards the front with Carey Lowery and Michelle Stopper for a while and they were killing it. I had no idea they would finish in 8 hrs!!! No wonder I fell off their pace about 25 miles in.

I'm hoping I'm going to be able to go into Shenandoah a little more rested and better prepared for some long hill climbs. I'm looking forward to a less brutal course as well. How much longer do times regularly run at Shen vs. the 101? I'm wondering if I can pull off a 9 hr finish.
 

Kmoodymz3

New Member
You will love Shenandoah I sent you a PM with more information in it.

No need to bore everyone else with our obsession with hundies :D
 

maddawg

Member
bore us with details. very on the fence on shen but it is sounding more and more like my kind of course!!
 

BlackBean

Member
Sh-101

I want to do the S-101 this year too. Anybody want to hook up to drive together. I figure driving back after the race will be pretty tough. I did the Jay Challenge in VT in '05 and have never done a 101 before. That's a kewl race, but was cancelled after '06. Plenty of 24hr races though. I just want to finish the thing. Hopefully I'll get El Zoller to join me next year??? :getsome:
 

Kmoodymz3

New Member
Shenandoah 100 is a sweet race not just for the course but for the whole weekend. The campsite is nice and private but has water at many of the sites and a real bathroom for those who don't like porta-a-johns. There is also a playground and and usually the observatory on site opens up Friday night for some cool star viewing. Kids love it. Dogs are welcome too.

The race is as noted in most forum posts, check MTBR, it isn't an easy course but the riding is in a beautiful part of the state and the single track is just soooo nice.
 
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