Stage 3 they said would be easier than Stage 2 just due to the fact that we didn't have the muddy single track finish, todays distance was a bit longer but it had 8000 ft of climbing just like yesterday. They mentioned snow at the top of the first climb, no worries the first 100 riders would pack it down and the rest of you will have no problems, we'll see about that. Got up at my usual 6am, didn't sleep real well last night, nerves, aching legs, aching body, you name it, but I got up ate my breakfast and got ready. My cousins camper has been awesome, her and her husband have been way awesome, they make me feel like a pro, after each stage he has cleaned my bike, she has washed my clothes they have everything ready for me, all I do is eat, sleep and race! I cant say enough about the two of them. I headed over to the start line for todays stage, right from the get go we had an over 4000 ft climb ahead of us, then another 2500 ft climb at the end, I had no idea how my body would respond today, you really dont know, you hope your recovered to have a good day. We all lined up in downtown Kirchberg, again each stage has started in a downtown, these are some of the most beautiful towns in Germany and Austria. My start corral is the last one, I have no problem with that, I'm here for a good time not to win, again as in the past two days the starter counted and down away we went, today there were no stop and starts, I think we have lost quit a few riders yesterday, my class went from 140 to 121. We rode pavement for about 6 miles pretty flat for the most part, then we turned into a cow pasture and it started up, I started spinning and my legs were feeling pretty good, I kept going until we got to the first hike a bike, a steep nasty pitch you used rocks as a stairway and carried your bike up.
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| Part of todays climb you can see the trail |
After getting up and over the the hike a bike, you could see the top of a rim but with 2000 ft to go I know it wasn't the top, I got back on the bike and kept spinning, thats when i started to notice a small amount of snow, they said we would have snow so I figured ok this is it. Boy was I wrong, the trail began to get muddy and as I crested this rim there it was snow all the way to the summit, deep, wet snow, no way to ride it, I could see riders walking the whole way up.
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| Snow got deeper and deeper! Me in the front |
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| This is the good part of the snow trail |
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| The line of people in the snowy muck |
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| Getting close to the top |
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| It was a long cold day!! |
As we got closer to the top there was two trails, one to walk in and one for the bike, finally I made to the summit , I was freezing cold, my feet were wet and oh did I mention that I have blisters on each heel, so I've been hiking with my heels outside of the shoe, at one point my shoe came off when it got stuck in the snow, another rider held my bike while I dug it out. I was happy to summit, I think it was right around 4200 ft and my legs were feeling pretty good. Time to descent, I thought it might be easier but until we got clear of the snow it was still a mess, you have to remember that the snow is melting so its a wet muddy mess, but as we got lower it got drier. Of course they had to throw in some more single track at the bottom, but nothing to bad, well I rode it, I watched the guy in front of me crash 4 times before he would let me pass, then I got passed by what looked like a grandma, wtf! but I watched her and she had skills. Finally I made it up and over back to some town, not sure what it was, but now I knew the worst was behind me. The next 25 miles was all in the valley and mostly downhill or flat, I started to hammer as my legs were feeling awesome, I was really enjoying myself, I wish I could have taken more time to enjoy my surroundings, I know at one point we went around a castle. Much of this part of the race had a headwind and the riders I encountered were not feeling as good as me as I passed allot of people here, must have been all the Paint Creek training. After 5 hours I get to Kaprun, wow awesome one more climb and I'm golden, as I ride up this two track a woman waves me into a field, I look up and crap, thereno trail its just an f'ing field that goes straight up, back to hike a bike for me with my gearing no way was I gonna ride it. I get to the top and there is the second aid station, and I know have 5500 ft of climbing. After a gel and bottle fill I take off again, its starts out as a paved road and then turns to forest road, I just kept my spin and again I was passing people, but now I had another problem, I couldn't sit to long without my ass hurting so I would get off and walk a bit them back on and ride. Here I encounter a german guy walking up the hill, he says to me I thought I paid to ride my bike, not walk all the time, I replied yah this morning sucked and passed by him. Finally I get to the summit, I kept counting down the feet climbing, when I got close to 8000 ft I knew I was there, awesome!! The descent started out on a ridge road, don't make the turn and your 500 ft further down, scary but cool. I fly down this part and of course there it is that dreaded European single track ughh its all so damn steep they dont build anything side ways, it all goes straight down, I head into it and its dry and I was feeling confident, I rode it all the way to the bottom, it had these damn wheel catcher dips in it, I was happy to be on a 29'er, pretty sure those things would have eaten a 26 inch wheel. Oh did I mention that there were 4 stream crossings on that single track, ughh wet feet again, and that snow melt water is cold. Finally I get dumped out on a paved road and its mostly downhill now to downtown Kaprun, I did say mostly as they did throw in a couple smaller climbs. I round a corner and it says 500 meters, then the next 300 meters, then all of the sudden there's this huge tunnel and its pitch black, at the point I was thinking that If I hit something and crash, I can walk the rest of the way even with one leg. I get thru the tunnel and there is the finish line, day 3 all done, wow I was so happy! Today for me was 90% mental, you really had to push yourself and keep moving forward, there were several instances where I could hear Pat telling me to keep going, you can do it just like she did in Leadville 2010, I never wanted to quit, but you question what the hell your doing at the top of a mountain in snow with a mountain bike?? My answer, living life to the fullest, I'm not here to win, I'm here to push myself to see if I could do it and right now it looks promising with 3 stages done, this was a 50th birthday present for myself, and its been a heck of an adventure, one more day 40 miles and I'll be a Bike 4 Peaks finisher a dream I had last december when I registered. I'm tired, my body is beat up, but I feel great! Hopefully if everything goes well, tomorrow there will be a picture of me with my finisher jersey, and if for some reason that doesn't happen, thats ok to because I've had the time of my life!!
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