2013 12 Hours of Zombie Apocalypse

Note the message on my number plate.

Some friends of mine like to talk about being struck down by the "cycling gods" on certain days or events. It's our version of karma. Although I don't believe in karma or luck or any other superstitions it's fun to banter back and forth about the rotten things that go wrong in cycling and mountain biking. My recent posts about the Fort Yargo 6 Hr mountain bike mud bowl and the glorious Gran Fondo New York that could have been are supreme examples of cycling god smite.
But not this post. This race follows the path laid out the weekend before by the Jackson Brevet. It happened in perfect weather and with the best of friends. It was yet another great time on a bike.











The 12 Hours of Zombie Apocalypse is the brain child race of Chainbuster Racing's Kenny Griffin. Backed by his sponsor and friends at Nite Rider lighting systems he put on a night race from 9PM Saturday night until 9AM Sunday morning. Just shy of crazy. And to make it that much more fun he called it the Zombie Apocalypse and had a zombie contest and a zombie zone on the course so the undead could spook the riders. My girls loved it!

They were also upset that I didn't bring our tent so they could spend all night being crazy. We'll do that next year for sure. Kenny also had a food truck there from Smiley's serving great food for dinner and breakfast. Add to all that the fact that the moon was full and the closest it would be to the earth all year and you've got the potential for fun that can not be beat!

Randy Hemphill still having fun at 2AM.

Racing on my team of four were David Shabat, Randy Hemphill and Trent Smith. These guys were pumped and ready for action. At least three of us knew exactly what we were in for because we'd done the 24 Hours of Georgia together. Randy was happily ignorant about what 3AM in a mountain bike race means on the miserablility scale.

Our tactics were simple; have fun and don't leave your team mate looking for you in transition. We do well if we eliminate the simple things that cost valuable seconds. Randy was all about being focused and having fun. I like him.

The Start was AWESOME!

I've started many mountain bike races. I've felt the butterflies of nervousness, the excited adrenaline, the focused determination and once I even puked. I don't get nervous anymore, just focused determination but this start was all together different. At this starting line I felt like a super hero! I could hear my family and my team mates yelling my name! Once we turned our lights on we became rock stars! We launched from the smoke at the starting horn to the cheers of the crowd. It was awesome! Looking at the pictures I can see why folks were so excited.

The photos were taken by H&H Multimedia. Great job!

I rode away from the start with a small group of guys but we were all chasing some 95 pound kid I've never seen before. He took off like a rocket but I wasn't about to chase him because he started looking back. Looking back is a tell. It tells me you're tired. But tired or not he hammered far enough away that when we finally made the single track I couldn't see him anymore. I moved past the two guys in front of me and ended up dropping them. So I was alone and chasing the kid. Right up until I crashed. On the first downhill section at the power lines I came into the turn back into the woods too hot and slid down. It would've been ok accept that my chain was off and twisted. By the time I got it back on I'd been passed by 5 people. And evidently a link was twisted badly enough that with each pedal stroke it would catch on the cog above. It created a skip in my pedal stroke that would've really angered a lesser man. All I could do was finish as fast as possible.

I came through the transition area second and handed off to Randy. The girls were over at the Zombie Zone which is where the zombies gathered until midnight to stagger toward the racers as they pass. They were having a blast. I ate and drank and filmed the transition of Randy to David.

I want to say a special thank you to Todd Fisher. He didn't come to race, he actually came to support Dustin Mealor's solo effort with all his tools and a bike stand and positive energy. They set up a tent right next to us and Todd handed Dustin bottles all night.
When I returned from my first lap I started telling the tale and Todd grabbed my bike when he heard about the chain. Before I knew it he had removed the bad link and put it back together. After that I didn't have another problem shifting or pedaling all night. Many thanks Todd!!

We raced past midnight and bounced between 2nd and 3rd. Then at one point we actually moved into 1st place. We thought our averages and our strategy would win the day... or night... as it were. I went to the timing table to inquire about our competition and here's what I learned. The team in 1st was a father, a son, an uncle and a friend. So they thought. The only thing they knew for sure was the father/son part. The son was their ringer. He's the kid I chased at the start. Probably weighs less than 100 pounds and is fast as lighting. They would put this kid out there for two laps at a time and then each of them would do one. So the kid would put them back into 1st every time he went out. His name was Jake Morman. They were very smart to work him the way they did.

Around 3:00AM things began to deteriorate. Our bodies were starting to get tired and our minds played tricks on us. The best quotes came from David. He was convinced of the presence of Unicorns. If you hear him saying weird things in the videos don't worry... it all makes sense to him.

I realized then that we had been violating one of our rules, have fun, by worrying over the opportunity to get 1st. I expressed my desire to stop talking strategy and start talking nonsense and pick on each other. The guys were all about it and so in the waning hours before daylight we settled into a campfire and friends sort of mood.

Finally the dawn. The morning always brings a sense of relief and anticipation. All the family members who slept in tents and campers started coming out to see how the race was going. And to get something for breakfast from the Smiley's truck. There was a heavy dew on everything that wasn't directly under a tent. The air was heavy with humidity but the temperature was nice and 60 degrees.

This video shows "the kid" waiting next to David. He's going to leave and do two laps before turning it over to a team mate for one final lap. At this point our only hope was if they had a mechanical. So we just rode hard and hoped for the worst... for them.

It all came down to the final lap I would be making. We already knew that I couldn't possibly make up the minutes we were down but there was always the possibility of a mechanical or crash on their part so I got jacked up for one more round of mash hysteria.
Before I went to transition I ate two mustard packs (for cramping) and a double caffeine gel. It would be daylight the whole time so I didn't need lights. Trent came flying in and off I went to see what the cycling gods had in store.
The course was much different in the daylight. You could see the lines you should take. You could negotiate the bridges better and avoid the poop mud. It was my best lap of the race. I beat their guy by 2 minutes but that didn't put a dent in their overall lead. That kid single handedly whipped our tails.

A fine 2nd Place in the 12 Hours of Zombie Apocalypse!

 After the fun of the awards we packed up and went our separate ways. David and I went to Cracker Barrel for some "mama's" and coffee. We talked about the race and our great families and how stinking tired we were. We enjoyed the stares from folks looking at our freaky Zombie shirts. People listened intently as we answered our waitresses questions about what we'd been doing. Both of us knew that in the days after this we'd look back on the 12 Hours of Zombie Apocalypse and be grateful for the fun and competition provided by mountain bike racing. We both agreed that Chainbuster Racing must do this race again next year. Can you hear me Kenny!

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Now I give you the short and sweet tale of woe from Dustin Mealor who despite being as under trained as I've ever seen him in recent years signed up for the Solo Expert Category. Hmm. Whatever dude. Dustin lasted half the night. His tale begins now:


It's interesting to notice things in races.  I can honestly say that I had no idea how bad I would perform this weekend due to just not being mentally ready to race all night.  Had this race been a day-time affair I honestly can't say things would have turned out differently, but I was shocked at my inability to soldier on like the "me" of the past.  I ate poop mud hard on the first lap.  It was one of those slower crashes, which always seem to be the worse.  I tried to go up and over a rock formation and caught the lip just right.  Threw me up and over the bars and flat on my face, which had the blow lessened by my hand which I, in a newbie-like fashion, reached out to stop my fall.  After that the rest of my lap was fine.

The second lap I ended up behind the dude that went to the hospital.  Seriously, this dude passes me at the top of the climb and I think to myself "man I hope this guy is a fast downhill".  Not that I'm a bomber on the descents, but I can hold my own (thanks to the teachings of Craig Tinsley).  No sooner do I think this to myself than crashes in spectacular fashion and I end up ditching via a slide to not bulldog his face with my front tire.  In a not-so-me fashion I ditch my bike and run over to him to make sure he's fine.  I stayed with him for probably 2-3 minutes until he convinced me to get back on the bike and go.  I found out later that he went to the hospital with a separated shoulder.

The rest of the race was just weird.  It's weird in that I was on the bike and I was racing, but I made so many small mistakes everything just seemed to run together.  I know better than to take breaks in these races.  In the expert class every lap and every minute matters.  Yet, I seemed to stop almost every lap to grab bottles that I had not laid out for myself and food that I just had piled up and not planned well.  I really thank Todd Fisher for being there and supporting me, but this race just didn't happen for me.  I never could quite get into a groove.  After five laps I just got tired of being on the bike.  I think at that point I just mentally said "forget this" and gave up.  Really not my style, but if you're not feeling it you're not feeling it.  Next year will be different...

Dustin Mealor

So there you have it. Another great adventure with friends and family. The next few months will be primarily road racing so not as much fun. But we'll do our best and not take ourselves too seriously. It is just a hobby after all.

Can't wait to see you all out there!!

Chad Hayes

2012 Chainbuster Granite Grinder Mountain Bike Race

The Georgia International Horse Park is a favorite venue for all kinds of great events. Fortunately for me both of my favorite series have events there, Chainbuster Racing and Dirty Spokes. This weekend they were both out there putting on separate events. Dirty Spokes Productions is run by a great guy named Tim who did a trail run at 8AM. Then Kenny and his Chainbuster Racing series put on a mountain bike race that was a classic.

Racers prepare for a great day of racing.

On the way there I drove through some rain and starting thinking about whether I had the right stuff for racing in it. But that wouldn't matter because we didn't get a drop all day. The course was packed and fast but that wouldn't matter either because it was tough. Lots of rooty climbs and some nasty soup mud. And then the heat took everyone by surprise. It was 85 degrees and humid.

Bill Mashburn get ready for the 6 Hour Solo Beginner Race

After the kids race I began my pre-race routine. A warm up on the first two or three miles of the race course and a last "nature" break before the gun went off. By then my team mates had arrived. David Shabat and Clint Sanders agreed to have some fun and do the 3 Person 6 Hr Race with me. The course would be 8 miles of single track pain.

 We started in the middle of a field in the grand tradition of mass chaos. The usual suspects were there including Wild Bill Lanzillota who has shaved since last year. That fact alone kept him from being recognized right away in conversations at the starting line. Down the hill to my left were team mates Rob Butler and Dustin Mealor (2 Person Male Category). And behind them was Bill Mashburn (Solo 6 Hr Beginner Category). Rob is young, lite and strong. He'll prove it during this race.

The start was a perfect example of why it's important to pre-ride the first few miles. And it's the reason I always get with Kenny on how the start will be. The trick about the start was that it drops you onto a gravel road that you can't see from up on the field. What happens is the start is so wide with riders and when they top the hill and see where they have to squeeze into it becomes a problem for those on the outskirts as they try to figure out what to do. Unfortunately for Bill a rider lost his mind and plowed into him from the side. He consequently started his race in last place. You can see the aftermath in the video.

Clint Sanders

I however was very fortunate to get with the lead group of riders and entered the trail without stopping. I was blissfully unaware of the bottle neck that occurred behind us. The first few miles of climbing really busted the lungs after that start but it didn't seem to effect Rob. He took the opportunity to pass us all and lead the group over the top. He was killing it!

Rob did the courses first lap in 30 minutes and 9 seconds. That's after making a wrong turn in the parking lot and having to cross back over a ditch to get back on course. My first lap took more than 60 seconds longer. I handed the timing chip off to my good friend David and he blasted off. I started telling Clint about the courses climbs and pitfalls. He looked...unsure. He doesn't ride single track and would be riding his new Cannondale Flash 29er Hardtail for the first time in competition. I was excited for him.

Because I wanted to take pictures I wasn't much help during their exchange. David traded the chip and gave Clint a push. Now we're having fun!

During all of this Bill Mashburn was putting forth a great solo effort and we did our best to support him. His knee was bloody and he was dehydrating but kept plugging away.

Since the laps were only taking less than 40 minutes we rotated really quickly. Once we looked at the standings we knew our efforts were paying off because we had a sizable lead. But I could tell the heat would start taking a toll if I didn't keep the fluid and Hammer Enduralytes coming. And the box of Honey Stinger Waffles from Sanders Drugs helped too. I love these races. They test you in so many ways. Just ask Dustin Mealor...

The Crash Master, Dustin Mealor

Dustin flipped into a pool of soup mud and horse poop. Well...it smelled like it anyway. And that started his pain filled trip into crampville. He sat in my chair and when he got up it was soaked with sewage sweat. But he still had some humor left in him as you can see.

David Shabat rubbing out cramps...and smiling.

David was too happy. He's always too happy. I can't understand how he can trash himself and still remain so... happy. I like David.
Because of our great spot at the finish line we randomly picked people to cheer for when they came through. I had the cow bell for full effect.

In case your wondering about my shoes...it was St. Patrick's Day! Lisa bought me some green duct tape. She loves me that much. We also taped up our helmets but that wasn't as cool looking.

Bill Mashburn finishes 7th 6Hr Solo Beginner

I'm most impressed with Bill's finishing 7th out of 34 racers after such a crappy start. What a great performance. David's last lap featured a splash of horse poop mud in the eye. After getting Clint on course he quickly flushed it with water. As we sat around debating the medical complications of this, Dustin delivered his expert opinion..."you're going to get the flesh eating disease".     Nice.

Rob Butler brings it home.

With our race well in hand (we were leading by 15 minutes) we focused our attention on the heated competition in the 2 Person Male Category. Dustin and Rob had been in 1st all day but Dustin's misfortunes and cramping gave the lead to the Gault Innovations Team of Shu Elam and Brent Clymer. And Rob was going to have to do the last two laps. When he came through after his first one he was only behind by about 40 seconds. But the other team had changed riders. They had fresh legs. We didn't give him much chance but Dustin tried to encourage him by letting him know how close he was.
As the time came close Dustin and I stood at the finish line watching to see how it would unfold. Riders came flying out of the woods and down by the fence. We examined each one to see if we could tell who it was. Then Rob came tearing out onto the field. We started screaming and yelling at him. The other rider was nowhere. He was going to win it for them! As he rounded the last corner and ran through the finish line he looked exhausted. He was done. But what a great finish!

Taking in some well deserved oxygen.

It turns out that their competition broke his chain. An unfortunate happening that is as they say "racing". Rob experienced this very thing in a race called Tumbling Creek last year. The guy still managed to finish within less than 7 minutes of Rob's time. A great effort also. Congrats to them for a great race!

Rob Butler and Dustin Mealor, 2 Person Male 6 Hr

Clint Sanders, Chad Hayes, David Shabat - 3 Person 6 Hr Podium

So we had a blast. As usual. And to celebrate we went to Cracker Barrel and had breakfast! Oh yeah! When I finally made it back home, there's no easy way from Conyers, I found my beautiful wife cutting grass. Can you believe that! It's a spoiled life I lead. The Pattillo's were hanging out with us and we just took it easy the rest of the day. After a great morning at church on Sunday we enjoyed the sun and some burgers with friends including the Pattillo's (of course) and the Peck's. Good Times!!

Star Bridges and Robert Loomis raced in the Upstate Cycling Classic this weekend in South Carolina. Star was kind enough to share the tale of Woe with me...and now you. Enjoy!

This past weekend myself and young Robert Loomis went to contest the Upstate Cycling Classic in Pendleton, SC.  Pendleton is a sleeping little hamlet right next to Clemson University, but you'd never know it.  It looked like any other small, old southern downtown district with a few blocks and a even fewer red brick commercial buildings.  It was complete with a square that was home to confederate war memorials.  Just like any other town around here.

START

Saturday was the Road Race which took place on a 11-mile loop from the start/finish in downtown to way out in the countryside.  Rolling to flat is what I'd call it.  There were 2-3 good size hills that burned the legs and made some selection in the race.  Robert and I entered the Cat 4 race with @ 30 other participants.  Every thing held together until the 3rd of 4 laps.  Four strong riders got away and were quickly advancing their gap.  I read this to be the winning move and quickly got Robert on my wheel near the back of the pack, on the yellow line.  I signaled him with my hand covertly to be ready and after a few seconds, the left side opened up.  I jumped with Robert on my wheel and buried it to try and get him across to the Break.  I only made it 1/3 the way and pulled off, shouting encouragement to him to "GET ACROSS!"  Robert nearly made it but fell back after burning out.  He was excited and determined now that he realized the danger in letting the break get away so only after a moments rest at the front of the peloton, Robert jumped again hard as we crossed a bridge at the bottom of a hill, going probably 40mph.  Then the catastrophe happened.  Robert had received from my secret Chinese supplier a new set of 50mm carbon tubular wheels just that very morning.  I had glued the tires for him two days earlier but we threw on his new wheels without properly testing the gearing alignment.  The result:   Just as Robert stood up at 40mph to launch himself across to the Break....his chain slipped.  Robert was throwing everything he had into the pedal-stroke and it slipped...BAD.  From my view at the back of the peloton, I saw Robert stand, take 2-3 quick hard strokes, then he went over the handlebars.  I will never forget the look of surprise on his face, upside-down, in FRONT of his front tire looking back at me. Catastrophic is how I would describe it.  Robert tumbled and several riders directly behind him went down without a chance to avoid him.  I went left and saw as I past the carnage, Robert quickly leaping to his feet and reaching to untangle his bike.  I continued on with the diminished pack for about two minutes but couldn't really see the reason for finishing the final lap.  I kept thinking of Robert's girlfriend, Amber who would be very distraught seeing only me come through the start/finish on the last lap.  The money was up the road, as they say, so I slowed and turned back to check on Robert.  I found him on the side of the road with a few other unfortunates, bleeding but more concerned about his bike than anything else.  His rear derailleur was trashed, the handlebars crooked but otherwise it looked okay.  There was some cracked paint on the top-tube but I didn't pay much attention to it due to it had nothing to do with the functionality of the machine.  I straightened (read, bent) the twisted components and got him riding again.  His knees were bloodied with Road Rash but otherwise he was okay.  Young people tend to bounce well.

We got back to the start and as predicted, Robert's girl didn't handle it well.  Bless her heart.  She really loves that boy.  Robert finally convinced her he didn't need a Medivac helicopter and we all walked back to the van.  I cleaned him up some with what first-aid I had but the guy had nothing but optimism about the whole thing.  The bike was his main concern.  The derailleur was gone but the new wheels took it well and only the front needed truing.  Later he reported that Nathan O'Neal at Baxter's took a look at the frame closely and pronounced it cracked.  BUMMER.  Cervelo has a replacement policy but it can take up to 4 months to get a frame back.  Nathan though lent him an old Cannondale Supersix of his to keep riding.  What a Guy!  The report I got from Robert this evening (Tuesday) was that his knees are healing nicely and Amber has agreed to allow him to race again one day.  Yay!

Sunday saw me solo in Pendleton lining up for the 45+ Masters Criterium.  I should have known it was a bad idea when the guy who just won the 35+ race, comes back to the line to race again.  Oh Boy.  Then I see there's this guy in a team kit with little American flags ringing each sleeve at the bottom.  George Hincapie has these on his jersey.  They show that the individual was a previous NATIONAL CHAMPION in some cycling discipline.  Great.  As I expected, these two guys put on a clinic.  They jousted back and forth for the 45 minutes we raced as the other 15-20 of us desperately tried to hold on.  I'm surprised they never got away.  They probably didn't really try to.  Turn 3 had a man hole cover 2 feet off the curb and was the fastest corner by far.  You had to thread the needle every lap between the curb and the cover.  It was unnerving.  Surprisingly nobody crashed in that corner.  The National Champ and the Old Pro went 1-2 (no surprise) and I held in for 7th.  I had nothing left at the end.

That's the story.  Robert has immense potential and incredible enthusiasm.  He's just had some bad luck lately and I bet he'll be killing it later this Spring.  He might be our Guy for the State Champ Crit.  With a leadout he could be unbeatable.

Star

Thanks for reading! Enjoy the pollen!

Chad Hayes

2012 Chainbuster 6/9 Hour MTB at Tribble Mill

Holy uphill all the way Batman! Tribble Mill trail raced backwards is a tough one! I'm sitting here on the couch after eating a really bad for me Philly Cheeseburger at Cheeseburger Bobby's and thinking about those poor 9 hour riders who ended up finishing in the rain. It was a hurtful race for me so I can't imagine racing that long and then having to deal with being cold and wet. Blah!

For the Chainbuster 6 Hour racers it was however a great weather day. When I arrived at the park it was 8:00am and 49 degrees. No wind. No rain. Even the clouds gave way to some morning sun for a while. During the race it warmed up to 58 degrees which is a perfect racing temperature. For me anyway. Not long after I got my canopy tent set up Bill, Jill and Parker (age 7) Mashburn arrived. Parker was all set for the Kids Race. He was decked out in his BPBC Cycling Jersey and even had a name for his team of one... "Team Make It Happen". Cool.

Kid's Race

The Kids Race (sponsored by Hayes Automotive) started promptly at 8:30am with 9 kids. They gathered at the starting line and quickly began making friends... OK not really. They all looked very nervous. Accept Parker who was trying to decide how he should interact with a little blond girl on a Barbie bike talking to him like they were best friends.

Here the Kid's Race Video!

I lead the kids race which is the highlight of my day. They are making memories and it's fun to watch. The course we selected had some tough little hills in it. I was pretty sure the single gear WalMart bikes would not last past the first hill but I underestimated a child's ability to adapt. Right away on the first hill one of them jumped off the bike and started running and pushing it. The rest followed her lead. Since I only knew Parker, I always kept an eye on how he was doing. He never got off his bike. He just kept a steady pace and after the hills were done and all the other kids began wondering why their parents thought this was fun, he passed everyone and finished first. Team Make It Happen brings it home!

Parker Mashburn displays his winnings.

Every kid got a cool water bottle filled with stuff and a memory. Whether good or bad. But I'm sure the memories were all good for their parents.
And then it was time to race. I went out to pre-ride the first few miles and learned a little about how bad I would be feeling this evening. The trail itself was in great shape. It had rained two days earlier so the dirt was packed and fast. The morning dew was heavy on the pine straw which made it good and sticky. But what good is all that if you're climbing and hopping roots the whole time? Trust me...it isn't.

I got back for the pre-race meeting and learned we'd be starting at the bottom of a hill just down from the Start/Finish line. Great.

The Start at Tribble Mill

 So I immediately rode down and placed my bike at the front. As the start got closer I have to tell you I was nervous. First race of the season jitters. I looked around and saw only super fast riders talking smack. Even though I know you can't tell a thing about a guys fitness by the way he looks I started feeling like I was starting my first race ever.

But the nervous energy helped me get a good start. As Kenny counted down 10 seconds to start, the guy next to me actually clipped both feet in and started bouncing. Now that won't distract you at all! But he did it. The gun went off and he started. But he must have been in the wrong gear because I thankfully clipped right in and took off. I went into the woods in second. With the world on my tail. I let one rider past me only to watch him catch his handle bar on a tree and wipe out just before we dipped down into the famous "Taco Stand". It wasn't long after the first set of hills that my body said "You must slow down!" I knew if I kept up the pace I was on I'd be useless in six hours so I slowed down just a little. I was soon caught and passed by three or more riders. I was at my limit so I couldn't do a thing about it. They were flying and out of sight in no time.

About half way around the course there was a turn to the left where we were met immediately by a creek crossing. At the speed I was going it was impossible to "Go Left" as instructed by the volunteers standing near the crossing. The reason they didn't want me to Go Right is because there's a deep hole under the water on that side. It took me out. An under water endo. A first for me.
Once I got my chain back on I angrily began the climb that follows the creek crossing. Nothing like zig zagging up a mountain to get your focus back. I didn't count how many riders passed me while I worked on my bike but I only passed two of them back before the finish. I thought I'd lost us some serious places in the standings.

In the transition area I told Trace what happened and he just said, "Don't worry, it's a long race." He was right because three laps later we were in 3rd Place but only by around 1 minute to Team# 177. On my third lap I dropped my chain. It bounced off on a downhill and I pedaled through so it got twisted. I had to dismount and lay the bike down to fix it. Once I got going again I had a rider on my wheel. You guessed it...# 177.

I finished the lap with him so basically his partner and mine started the sixth lap together. Just to be clear, 3rd and 4rd places were racing head to head. (Sorry, Trace)
I loaded up with a double caffeine gel, 3 Endurolytes, drank some Hammer Perpetuem and waited for Trace. I started my usual mental pep talk and told myself that the only reason #177 caught me was because I had a mechanical. If Trace could give me a lead...I could hold it. So I waited.
The first place team of Hammond/Chen came through. I new it wouldn't be long.
Then I saw #177 come riding up and make the exchange. The rider then came over to me and told me that Trace was three miles back with a busted rear derailleur. He had dropped the guy on the first climb and was putting together his best lap of the day when it happened. I consulted with the timing folks and then headed down the trail to help him.

The Damage

We made it back and he gave me the timing chip for what would be our last lap because of time. We fell from 2nd to who knows where after loosing 18 mins. So I went as hard as I could to make up as much of it as I could.

Trace Nabors and Chad Hayes

We managed a respectable 5th Place on the day. It was a great result considering all the trouble we had. Trace and I smiled at each other. We've been pretty successful the past few years and were due for some trouble. When you combine my successes with team mate David Shabat last year...well...I'm just hoping we got all our misfortune out of the way early this season.

Bill Mashburn and Trent Smith

Bill Mashburn and Trent Smith had a great day and finished 8th Place out of 20 teams in our category. The old man and the young punk deliver for the Habersham Bicycles Team. Nicely done gentlemen!

Also noteworthy is the effort put out by Team Engine. That would be the unbeatable team of Matt Hammond and Dave Chin. It's hard to tell if they even like each other much but boy do they make a great team. Lite and fast. I like them because I think Matt is as old as I am. They took 2nd Place on the day. Beaten by youth. Great job guys!

Dave Chin

So we packed up and headed home. Trace morned the loss of his derailleur. Bill and Trent took the families to eat at Cracker Barrel. And I took the road home. Where my family waited for me to take them to dinner.

Now I'm here watching The Bodyguard and blogging. How millennial of me. And thinking of next weekend and the Hincapie Training Series. My brain can't wait but my legs are not so sure about it.

I'm driving up on Saturday morning to race the Master's 9:00AM race. Weather says it'll be in the 30's. But they said it would rain today too. I'll be hanging out with good friends Stephen Sisk, David Shabat, Star Bridges, Robert Loomis and many others. If you want to race or even just hang out give me a call. We've got rooms in Greenville for Saturday night and will be racing again Sunday morning. I need to hurry back on Sunday for the best part of my weekend and that's Daddy/Daughter Night at Blackshear Place. They are so excited about it. And so am I.

That's all for this episode folks! Have a blessed week!

Chad Hayes