The U.S. National Ultra Endurance (NUE) series kicked off in Tennessee last weekend with the Cohutta 100. Last year I managed to post the fastest 100 mile MTB time on record, under ideal weather conditions with a course best of 6:23, making my second consecutive win at Cohutta. Much of this was due to the fact that the course is the gentlest on the circuit, which is a nice way to ease into the Ultra Endurance season. The singletrack is flowy and the fire roads are smooth and fast, so the overall toll on one’s body is much less than some of the other NUE races. But, this is in a relative manner, of course, since 100 miles of MTB racing with almost 12,000 feet of climbing is difficult to swallow no matter how gently it’s delivered to the palette.

 
On the way to the race, the forecast called for a deluge of rain, and I had the fateful thought that I haven’t had to race any of the 100’s in the rain in the last two years… “What a remarkable coincidence,” I thought. That thought proved to be dooming as my good luck came to a crashing halt.

We raced under cloudy (but dry) skies for the first four hours, only dealing with mud splatter and spray fallout from the overnight rain. The trails were wet, but not too saturated. Still, I did manage a spectacular crash on a wet bridge in the first hour, sliding across the deck on my ass, much like a slip-n-slide… except without the fun.

The relatively fast pace in the opening hour gradually whittled the pack down to seven. Then, five more were shed from the front as the climbing intensified into the Cohutta Mountains, leaving only Mike Simonson (29er Crew) and me by mile 50. Mike was looking strong and was threatening to go the distance with me, but he flatted at mile 55, and I was left all alone up front. I shifted into panicked mode and tucked down for a solo escape.

Then the skies opened up. It was just a light drizzle at first, but it gradually picked up. With 20 miles to go, the downpour reached a monsoon crescendo, accompanied by deafening thunder cracks. The trails turned to rivers, and the rain got so heavy at times that I could barely see – it felt indistinguishable from being in the shower with my head directly under the faucet... I was shivering by the time I reached the final descent and I was having trouble braking with my numbed fingers. But I held the lead to the finish. The conditions were miserable, possibly worse than any other race I can remember. But victory made it seem a little less terrible.

That makes three in a row for me at Cohutta. Not a bad start to the season. Thanks to Trek for putting me on the best all day trail bike around, the Top Fuel 9.9. And thanks to PowerBar for creating the fuel that keeps me going for hours and hours.

Coverage at Cyclingnews.com