Gooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaalllllllll... s

The 14th annual Shenandoah Mountain 100 is Sunday. This will be my seventh in a row. I have set my goals.

Primary Goal:

Win.. at all costs (within reason and budgeted allowances).

Not a likely goal by any means, but not all goals are meant to be achieved. Pat Blair, Gerry "The Pflug" Pflug, Matt "Hammerless Pants" Ferrari, Justin Pokrivka, and a slew of common mortals stand in my way. Even the Shenandoah Mountain 100 race brief puts me as a long shot.

"Can Rich Dillen (Team Dicky) put together a solid ride on this off camber course? It’s been a long time since the blog master has done so here at the Shenandoah. One could use this comparison to illustrate the chances Rich taking the victory - If Matt Ferrari is the bridesmaid that would make Rich Dillen the flower girl."

In 2007 I did manage to be the SS winner Jason Morgan's Maid of Honor, but then I slid back to a heartbeat away from the MoH position in 2008. Then it went all to hell from there. A "Dicky Deep" podium in 2009 at 12th, a sad 18th in 2010, and then a semi-respectable 10th last year. Don't call it a comeback.



I've been here for years.

Secondary goal:

Top ten. Not out of the question, but not a certainty as '09 and '10 have taught me. I gotta work for it and hope others don't work harder.

Tertiary Goal:

Set a PR. That would be something faster than 8:43. Doesn't sound untouchable. May not be reasonable given my quinary goal.

Quarternary Goal:

Sub nine hours. I'd take that, given my quinary goal.

Quinary Goal: No drop bags, strictly living off the land. Drop bags always mean stumbling around in the dark hours after the race is over and many beers into a good night looking for my one gallon zip-loc bags that look just like everyone else's zip loc bags in an enormous pile only aided by the dim light of one smart person's iPhone.

Fuck that.

Pringles, pizza, brownies, cookies, gel flasks, whatever beverage that might be available in a neutral manner. I didn't develop the constitution of a billly goat for nothing.

Gel flasks mean no Club Pride wear. Gotta have a pocket to stick the flask in. Shove it down my bibs and the female aid station workers might be set into a frenzy. Especially after having their libidos disappointed by the likes of Ferrari and "The Pflug."

No drop bags means carrying lotsa extra gear. Multiple tubes and CO2 since I won't be caching any on the course.

Fortunately the 2013 Backcountry Research product line got dropped on my porch yesterday.

The new and improved 2013 Race Strap.

2012 on the left, 2013 on the right

How is it improved? By Monday the Backcountry Research website should be chock full of info and product. I see little things, but who knows if I'm seeing all the changes.

To run a second tube, I might just go with this:

Meant for a tube and not a whole lot else. For those racer folks who are apt to tape secondary tubes all over their bike or a primary tube sans CO2 like famous racer girl, Georgia Gould.

Unfortunately, I did not get an El Borracho Strap.

The SM 100 will be a sober affair... at least the racing portion. I guess I can wait nine or hopefully less hours.

Might be a wet one.

I've never done SM100 in the rain. Don't want to either... but then again, I would rather ride around in the rain for nine hours so long as it doesn't encroach on the nine hours of standing around drinking in the campground later.

Goals. Gotta have 'em.