Barnburner 50k '25: The Homma Tawk Steak Year

Dr Mike probably had a brilliant idea when he decided we should stay in a hotel closer to the start than our houses in Charlotte to avoid a 4:30am alarm.

Probably.

Mebbe a hotel that's across from a brewery and there's a hotel bar on the first floor and your room happens to be on the first floor also isn't the best choice for those that might be apt to YOLO themselves. 

So it all started off well enough around 9:03pm when we got back from the brewery, but then a few hotel drinks an Dr Mike was pretty sure he was witnessing an ICE'ing in the parking lot close to midnight, misplaced his phone, woke Türd and I up, the hunt was on...

and Türd saved the day.

The 6:00am alarm is a rude wake up call in the most literal sense.  We roll out of the parking lot a little later than anticipated, thus I'm already 90% geared up on the drive over, and I head out to the pavement to warm up to the thought of using a 32X16 for at least a couple few hours.

I miss my chance to line up proper a couple rows back where I feel like I belong, so I do the jerk move kinda lining up alongside the actual corral as I'm anticipating I'm not going to be able to go too slow up the initial climb on my dumb gear.

All race images: Icon Media Asheville

We start and hit the climb and there's not too many people ahead... I assume some fast single speeders are up there, and a yute on a Spot Rocker comes cranking by me so mebbe today is not my day.  I'm still feeling outta sorts from last night's shenanigans, and at mile ten or so, Türd makes his way around me on his Vassago Radimus.

"I'M BEATING DICKLES!"

Dammit.

I start to feel normal thirteen miles in, but my back is having all the feels of pushing a tall (for me) gear in cold'ish weather.  I further settle into my dark place when Bruce (who bested me two weeks ago at the K&Q of the Watershed) passes and immediately leaves me for dead, although I'm sure he thought "bless his little heart" when he went by.  I can feel my previous best of three fourth places in a row at Barnburner slipping from my weak grasp.

I hit the long paved bit that connects to two trail segments, and I can see Türd's neon beer light of a jersey up ahead.  Time trial mode up the climb, and close down the gap when he gets caught up behind a couple slower geared riders on the Wolf Pit Trail.  Staying on top of my stupid gear on the pitchy bits meant I needed to get around, so pass Türd and the others... with Türd making the pass on them as well.

We cross the road to the final bit of trail, which although I've ridden it multiple times now, I'm still fuzzy on the exact deets.

Türd closes the gap on the first descent, he being a better descender and on a much more aggressive bike than my turgid and now dated 2017 Vertigo Meatplow V.7.  I pull off and let him around.  

"Are we mebbe on the podium?"

I assure Türd that we most definitely can not be.  I know at least two (Bruce and the yute) are ahead, and there has to be more than one single speeder who had a better start than me.

The trail pitches back up, and I now start to member that although this trail starts higher than the finish, it sill offers up many kick-in-the-dick climbs.  I make my way back around Türd and go all in to the end.

"Hey, Dicky.  You got third single speed."

Well, shit in my hat.

I don't know if I'm more bummed that I let a defeatist attitude crawl into my brain so early, or that my fourth place "winning" streak is over, or that Türd was soooooo close to a podium too that I'm sure he could taste it.

Climb on to the boxes once again with Bruce above me, making him still the fastest, oldest single speeder for the second time in two weeks, and also the yute who is only 22 years old... meaning I'd already been racing mountain bikes for eleven years before he was born and I was also 22 years old then... ?

Still couldn't get the crowd to chant "WE HATE BRUCE."  I'll keep trying.

Shit birds.

Once again, stoked that I can make my 56 year old body race at an average heart rate of 174 (with a max of 188bpm) for over two hours, which is 100% better than being ded.  I don't do any other event all year long that let's me stress test this meatbag any better, so... I'll probably be back next year.

But I'll be in bed (and stay there) by 10:00pm next time.

Don't be surprised if I don't post up for a week.  I might.  Mebbe not tho.

Bonus Dr Mike photo for proof of life.