Race Report from Brooks Gant
Snake Creek Gap Race Report: February 2, 2008
Well, yesterday morning started at 4:22 am for me. This was the earliest I think have woken up in a very, very long time. Luckily I got to bed at a relative decent time and woke up ready to tackle the infamous Snake Creek Gap Time Trial #2. Ed Hamilton arrived at my house about 5 am and we headed out for the 3+ hour trip to Dalton, GA. Once we arrived, the place was swarming with racers. Ed had about 30-40 minutes to get all his gear on, get his bike loaded on the shuttle and find room in a van for the 34 miler. I, on the other hand, figured I had another hour before the 17 milers would head out. That was the first mistake of many for me that morning.
A few minutes after Ed left, I moved my truck, and hung out for a bit clearing my head, trying to find a game plan for something that I had only read and heard about. I figured I needed to get my gear and be ready for the first shuttle so I could go ahead and get this thing over with. A few minutes later, I look out in the parking lot and I see a van leaving with a trailer full of bikes. I thought nothing of it, figuring they were some late 34 milers. But I decided to ask the guy from Bear Creek Cycles when the 17 milers were planning to leave. He said, “well, it looks like they are leaving right now,” pointing out at the parking lot as the white church van left the parking lot.
Oh, CRAP, I thought!!! I just drove 3 hours and I just missed the whole freakin race!!!! So I run over to the registration and was assured another shuttle would be back. So me and about 5 other riders sat around for almost an hour till the next shuttle arrived. It actually worked out well though cause it was a cool group of people and we had a lot of fun on the ride to the starting point.
Once we arrived at the 17 miler starting point, it became apparent, with the mountains looming over head, this was NOT Swayback. This was not Oak Mountain. And I was definitely not as well prepared as I should have been! I walk over and take a look at the trail head and I have to strain my head upwards to follow its path. With 3 of the riders from our group having already hit the trail, I decided it was my turn and away I went, at 4 mph. L It was about 2 miles of relentless climbing. The first mile I spent trying to keep my heart rate in check and keep a steady pace. I knew if I could get through the first few miles without blowing myself up, I would be able to finish this thing. The climbing never seemed to end but after a few miles I was feeling amazingly well and I began fooling myself into thinking I had tamed the 17 mile version of this beast.
Once we hit the fire road climb, I starting seeing people in the distance and my pace was steady and I picked off a couple of riders and was feeling strong. Not sure of the distance but I think once I turned off the fire road climb, I was around the halfway point. I knew I had about 2 miles before the infamous “last five miles.” I was feeling decent but I was pacing myself a little faster than I should have been trailing behind a guy that had been on the van with me. I was able to take him on the climbs but he was getting me on the rocky technical sections and the extremely rare flat sections. We eventually made it the section where we descended down some of the nastiest, rockiest, craziest, deadly boulder infested trail I have ever ridden. This stuff made Blood Rock at Oak Mountain look like paved sidewalk! I knew at any moment my body could take a very nasty change of shape if I were to eat it. It was absolutely the scariest stuff I have ever ridden. But I noticed I was putting time on the guy behind me so I kept pushing it. There were a couple of times where my right foot was unclipped and I was just floating through a couple of sections, just hanging on for dear life. The rocks were killing me, my forearms were starting to burn but I was still in a good place mentally. My frame of mind was good and I was just happy I had not had a flat.
It wasn’t too long before the race pretty much came to a screeching halt. The Snake had been waiting for me, taunting me with these sections I thought I was defeating. I believe it was around 13 miles in that the trail bit back. Heart rate was out the roof, walking up one climb that was sending my legs into fits. The only positive thing I could get out of it were the holes in the side of the hill where numerous other riders had dug the toes of their shoes in before me doing their best to get up the hill. After that it is hard to put it into words. I have seen pictures of this 2 mile section of the trail and they don’t even come close to showing the magnitude of difficulty. I would ride for 20 feet, walk 50, ride 10, walk 40, ride 4, walk 20. It never ended. It went on and on like this for over an hour. I had found myself in the middle of the “last 5 miles” and it was a dark place to be. My hamstrings were killing me, my riding had gone to complete crap. There were no skills, it was all about survival at this point. I was beat but still pushing myself as hard as I could possibly go. Riding everything I could, running when I had the energy, walking when I had no other option.
About 15 miles in, the Snake showed its fangs and I finally ate it. Trying to pass over some crazy rocks, my front wheel caught the left side of one of the rocks and I went down hard on my right side, my head hitting first. My right leg was still clipped in and I just layed there until the stars went away. Except for a few scratches, a sore neck and a cracked helmet, I was good to go, but it was slow goings from then on.
About a ½ mile before the radio tower, both my hamstrings locked up and sent me straight off my bike in pain. I have never had my hamstrings lock up like that before and I knew it was not looking good. Luckily I was only about a mile from the finish. I had been drinking and methodically taking my Hammer Gels every hour but I knew what was causing the issue. When I was getting ready before the race, I noticed my CamelBak lid was not all the way tight and had leaked out over half the bladder of my Heed energy drink in the bed of my truck. So I scrambled round the truck looking for water bottles and filled the CamelBak up with some of Ed’s water. So I was essentially running the race on water and gels. I just hadn’t gotten in enough calories for this type of effort.
Once I hit the fire road down the mountain, I did my best just to keep from cramping up anymore. I hit the paved road down to the finish and pushed it as hard as I could doing 40+ mph to make up any time I had lost. I turned into the parking lot and that slight incline set my hamstrings on fire! I couldn’t even pedal and hardly made it up the hill to the entrance to the gravel parking lot. Once I crossed the finish line, I just stood there over my bike.
This is by far the hardest race I have ever done by myself. I researched everything I could about this trail and as I look back, it was wasted energy. Nothing can describe it. For all the guys/gals that stepped it for the 34 miler, I have the utmost respect. I remember when I was in the “last 5 miles,” the leader of the 34 mile group came flying by me. I just stood there and watched in disbelief as he powered over those rocks at a speed that blew my mind. This race hurt more than any other mtb race I have ever done and left me feeling the same way after my first triathlon… wasted but wanting more!
I can’t wait for the March race. There are a lot of things I am going to change to hopefully beat my time. Overall, I didn’t do real well, but I am very satisfied with my race. But I know I can do better! The next 4 weeks will be all about “The Snake!” J
Length: 17 miles
Overall time: 2 Hours and 50 minutes
Average Heart Rate: 175
Max Heart Rate: 189
Average Speed: 6.7
Max Speed: 42
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