Cross Florida Individual Time Trial
Cross Florida Individual Time Trial
Well, I've finally gotten around to writing this recap of my 2019 Cross Florida Individual Time Trial (CFITT) presented by Karlos Rodriguez aka Single Track Samurai. I did this race with Michael Rasch last year, with a 10 hour overnight stop at a hotel around the halfway mark, and wanted to go back this year and actually race it straight through without sleeping. It is 296 miles of multi-surface terrain, including paved bike paths, single track, service roads, two track, sugar sand roads, and a little paved road. I was planning to shoot for a top 3 finish, maybe around 26'ish hours being the goal. However, life had other plans for me.
The weekend prior to CFITT was Mainx24, which just so happens to be my favorite day of the year. This is a 24 hour celebration of the rejuvenation of Chattanooga's Southside Historic District. To put it briefly, a close friend of mine threw his 7th annual Mainx24 onesie kickoff party and things got out of hand. He lives on Jefferson Street where the parade starts so about 50-75 people convene, clad in holiday onesies and other festive attire, start drinking about 8am, and throw jello shots to the parade people. Lets just say I ran my immune system into the ground and as my two-day hangover was resolving on Monday, I started noticing that maybe it wasn't all hangover and was actually some body aches and a scratchy throat coming on. I grabbed some steroids and vitmain C but to no avail. But it remained mild for most of the week, until Friday morning.
A good friend and teammate, Joseph Kruger, drove down from Indiana on Thursday to stay at my house and we were planning to head out at 4am Friday morning. We piddled with our bikes all night, making last minute (but actually initial) adjustments to bags tires and what not. So we go to bed around midnight but I never fell asleep; I just got worse and worse with chills and fever starting. The 4am alarm went off and woof, I was miserable. Joseph was nice enough to drive us for a while. I almost pulled the plug an hour in to the drive but decided to just keep going and hope for the best.
With tylenol and ibuprofen having me feeling a little better, we arrived in Inglis, FL around 12:30pm to leave our cars at the finish line and catch the Karlos shuttle across the state to the start line. Unload the bikes, rear tire is flat. Probably wasn't the best idea to re-tape my rear wheel the night before, was it? Meh. Got it fixed up, arrived in New Smyrna Beach, grabbed some food, went to the riders meeting, and then tried to get some sleep. It was awesome to catch up with some good friends at the riders meeting, including but not limited to Michael Rasch, Graham Skardon, Andy Roberts, Joe Wharton, Ray Egan, Nicholas Christopher, and Jonathan Hicks.
Our six o'clock alarm went off the next morning. We packed our things up, ate some food and had some coffee, and then pushed the bikes outside towards the start line, which was on the beach right behind the hotel. I had popped some more meds around 5am while I was staring at the ceiling, wetting the sheets with sweat, waiting for my alarm to go off. I felt decent. The start time was 7:11am, which was official sunrise. We sat under the overhang of the hotel, with a lot of other racers, including another teammate and friend, Michael Kavanaugh, awaiting a perfectly timed line of thunder storms. They hit at 7 and stopped 5 minutes later. We rolled down to the beach just in time to get a picture of our wheel dip in the ocean, saddle up, and take off.
We all funneled into and out of the tiny soft sandy path at the back corner of our hotel, hit the streets, and we were off. Almost immediately, we crossed a huge bridge, which might just be the biggest hill on the course! The recent thunderstorms left water logged streets and the tire spray was real. I was happy I was wearing some clear lenses. We zigged and zagged through some neighborhoods and an apartment complex, making our way to a paved bike path, which is a large portion of the first 40 or 50 miles. It's fast because it's paved and flat. We were running between 17 and 20mph most of the time. Kav, Kruger, and I just chatted and pedaled and the miles were ticking away. We joined up with Rasch and his buddy Chad for a bit. We passed Joe, who was on the side of the path with a flat. He didn't need anything so we kept rolling. I thought, "How can you get a flat on a paved bike path on a mountain bike?". About 10 miles later, my rear tire was punctured and spraying sealant everywhere. Well, that's how. I stopped and turned the hole to the bottom and the sealant did it's job. Didn't even need to add air.
We eventually caught up with the front group and rode with them for a while. The sun was out and it was 70 degrees; what a PERFECT day! We hit some wildlife preserves, parks with twisty paths, a few trails, and some grass double track. Around 50 or 60 miles, I was feeling pretty bad and stopped to lay down in the trail for a bit and take some more ty-buprofen. I whined and moped and Kruger yelled at me to get up and go. Another conundrum that I had was a lack of appetite from being sick. I had been drinking fluids but not taking in near enough calories; if I forced it, it just made me nauseated. Oh well, I did my best and we kept going. And Kruger refused to share any of his Luna Bars. He loves those things.
A few more miles ticked away and we were at the first single track section, called Chuck Lennon Park, in DeLeon Springs. It was about 73 miles in. We snaked our way through all the confusing twists and turns, having to correct our selves several times. We ran into Shane Hagerman, John Schwab, and Joe in Chuck Lennon. After 30 or 45 minutes, we emerged from the single track. I had to lay down again.
A good friend and teammate, Joseph Kruger, drove down from Indiana on Thursday to stay at my house and we were planning to head out at 4am Friday morning. We piddled with our bikes all night, making last minute (but actually initial) adjustments to bags tires and what not. So we go to bed around midnight but I never fell asleep; I just got worse and worse with chills and fever starting. The 4am alarm went off and woof, I was miserable. Joseph was nice enough to drive us for a while. I almost pulled the plug an hour in to the drive but decided to just keep going and hope for the best.
With tylenol and ibuprofen having me feeling a little better, we arrived in Inglis, FL around 12:30pm to leave our cars at the finish line and catch the Karlos shuttle across the state to the start line. Unload the bikes, rear tire is flat. Probably wasn't the best idea to re-tape my rear wheel the night before, was it? Meh. Got it fixed up, arrived in New Smyrna Beach, grabbed some food, went to the riders meeting, and then tried to get some sleep. It was awesome to catch up with some good friends at the riders meeting, including but not limited to Michael Rasch, Graham Skardon, Andy Roberts, Joe Wharton, Ray Egan, Nicholas Christopher, and Jonathan Hicks.
Our six o'clock alarm went off the next morning. We packed our things up, ate some food and had some coffee, and then pushed the bikes outside towards the start line, which was on the beach right behind the hotel. I had popped some more meds around 5am while I was staring at the ceiling, wetting the sheets with sweat, waiting for my alarm to go off. I felt decent. The start time was 7:11am, which was official sunrise. We sat under the overhang of the hotel, with a lot of other racers, including another teammate and friend, Michael Kavanaugh, awaiting a perfectly timed line of thunder storms. They hit at 7 and stopped 5 minutes later. We rolled down to the beach just in time to get a picture of our wheel dip in the ocean, saddle up, and take off.
We all funneled into and out of the tiny soft sandy path at the back corner of our hotel, hit the streets, and we were off. Almost immediately, we crossed a huge bridge, which might just be the biggest hill on the course! The recent thunderstorms left water logged streets and the tire spray was real. I was happy I was wearing some clear lenses. We zigged and zagged through some neighborhoods and an apartment complex, making our way to a paved bike path, which is a large portion of the first 40 or 50 miles. It's fast because it's paved and flat. We were running between 17 and 20mph most of the time. Kav, Kruger, and I just chatted and pedaled and the miles were ticking away. We joined up with Rasch and his buddy Chad for a bit. We passed Joe, who was on the side of the path with a flat. He didn't need anything so we kept rolling. I thought, "How can you get a flat on a paved bike path on a mountain bike?". About 10 miles later, my rear tire was punctured and spraying sealant everywhere. Well, that's how. I stopped and turned the hole to the bottom and the sealant did it's job. Didn't even need to add air.
We eventually caught up with the front group and rode with them for a while. The sun was out and it was 70 degrees; what a PERFECT day! We hit some wildlife preserves, parks with twisty paths, a few trails, and some grass double track. Around 50 or 60 miles, I was feeling pretty bad and stopped to lay down in the trail for a bit and take some more ty-buprofen. I whined and moped and Kruger yelled at me to get up and go. Another conundrum that I had was a lack of appetite from being sick. I had been drinking fluids but not taking in near enough calories; if I forced it, it just made me nauseated. Oh well, I did my best and we kept going. And Kruger refused to share any of his Luna Bars. He loves those things.
A few more miles ticked away and we were at the first single track section, called Chuck Lennon Park, in DeLeon Springs. It was about 73 miles in. We snaked our way through all the confusing twists and turns, having to correct our selves several times. We ran into Shane Hagerman, John Schwab, and Joe in Chuck Lennon. After 30 or 45 minutes, we emerged from the single track. I had to lay down again.
At this point, I knew that I would not be finishing the race. Not only was it not smart health-wise, I doubt I could have physically done it. My goal was to make it to Palatka at mile 150, which was where I stayed the previous year.
We continued on our way, hitting a long road section which took us to some gravel, snaking under the cypress and oak trees draped with wispy Spanish moss, and eventually arrived at the infamous Truck Trail 2. I think it's 3-5 miles long and can have a whole different array of conditions. This year, it had been freshly graded; when this happens, it is usually very soft sandy dirt that you sink in and it sucks your energy. Luckily, the rain from the previous days had hardened it up a little and the vehicles had packed it down some. It was still soft, but no where near as bad as it could have been. At the end of this, we hit a gas station that was slightly off route at mile 87; I needed some calories! I had a refrigerated pre-packaged ham and cheese sandwich that was, uhm, sub par, to say the least. After I took a few bites, I noticed a stark difference in the color of the meat. Nastyyyy. But I still finished it, Carey Lowery. Chugged a coke. Back on the bike.
We continued on our way, hitting a long road section which took us to some gravel, snaking under the cypress and oak trees draped with wispy Spanish moss, and eventually arrived at the infamous Truck Trail 2. I think it's 3-5 miles long and can have a whole different array of conditions. This year, it had been freshly graded; when this happens, it is usually very soft sandy dirt that you sink in and it sucks your energy. Luckily, the rain from the previous days had hardened it up a little and the vehicles had packed it down some. It was still soft, but no where near as bad as it could have been. At the end of this, we hit a gas station that was slightly off route at mile 87; I needed some calories! I had a refrigerated pre-packaged ham and cheese sandwich that was, uhm, sub par, to say the least. After I took a few bites, I noticed a stark difference in the color of the meat. Nastyyyy. But I still finished it, Carey Lowery. Chugged a coke. Back on the bike.
Darkness started to set in. We got our lights situated and kept rolling. We hit some more grass service roads and single track. We passed the Fort Gates Ferry. We passed through the small backwoods towns of Fruitland, Welaka, Satsuma, San Mateo, and eventually arrived in Palatka around 7pm. I opted to get a room where Kav and his girlfriend, Jackie, were staying. Kruger stayed too. We ordered a pizza and brownies and crushed it! Luckily, Kav's girlfriend was going to be picking him up at the finish so she was going to take me (and bike) back to my car. Thank you SO MUCH Jackie! Life saver! Kruger and Kav rolled out at 7am the next morning for a long push to the finish. Kruger asked me if Jackie had room for one more. "Nah, I asked her already and she said no", I quickly replied. I had no idea, I lied to him. I knew he would thank me later for making him finish the race. 💀
Jackie graciously drove me to my car the next morning, and even let me sleep in. I sweated all night again. I was so worried she might get sick. I coughed into my buff and breathed with my head turned away from her. Once back in Inglis, I just hung out. I was parked under the highway next to the Cross Florida Barge Canal, which was never finished. You should read about it. I got my sleeping pad and a pillow out of my car and just laid in the grass, enjoying the weather. I was right next to the bike path that the race finishes on, but they have to go another 4-5 miles to the gulf to dip their front wheel. I saw a couple of friends come through, including Graham, Andy, and Jason Vance. Great job guys!! Jason had actually ridden his bike from the finish to the start during the night right before the race. So he rode 180 miles to get to the start, arrived around 4:30am, and then did the race with little to no sleep as well. Around 480 miles. Well done, Jason!
I finally talked to Kruger that evening and he let me know they had full intentions of finishing. This let me know I could go get a hotel and not worry about needing to go pick him up on route somewhere. It had taken us around 18 hours to do the last 140ish miles last year, so I knew it was going to be at least another 8 hours or so before they finished. And I was watching them on trackleaders website so I could keep a close estimate on their finish time. The second half has Ocala National Forest with lots of sand that you have to walk, and Santos Trail System which is 35 miles of single track, and some more sand towards the end. So I napped on and off in the room and finally drug myself out the door to go pick him up around 2am. Jackie was there waiting too. Kruger and Kav rolled in around 3am and they were completely exhausted but so happy to have finished. It was a 20 hour day for them and around 44 hours total for the race. Once in the room, I'm pretty sure I noticed Kruger a little disoriented and not making complete sense a couple of times, hahaha! Worn out!
At the finish line of a bikepacking/ultra endurance race, it's not what you're used to with a normal race. It's not all bells and whistles. There aren't huge crowds cheering and music playing and the smell of fresh food cooking. You hear the sound of crickets and the wind blowing and cars passing on the highway above. And maybe the voice of your friend or loved one that is there to pick you up and give you a hug. Or maybe just your hub ratchet rolling up to your car and then silence. You just sit down and relish in what you've accomplished. You think about how you've pushed your limits and learned about yourself and likely became a stronger person in the process. You are happy that you've beaten those lows when your brain tells you to just quit and it will be a lot easier. You've won, no matter how many people finished before or after you. One goal.
Congratulations to all the finishers! You all are awesome. I'll be back next year.
Unfortunately, Kruger started feeling sick and tested positive for the flu as soon as he got home. And Kav ended up in bed sick for 5 days as well. Jackie only got a cough, which is much better than the flu. Sorry for that guys!!
Thanks to Trek Store Chattanooga for taking great care of me and my bike. Thanks to Rescue Racing and all of our sponsors. If you are interested in pet adoption or making a donation to the humane society, please check out our Rescue Racing Website
Thank you all so much for reading! Constructive criticism is always welcome and valued. Cheers!
Jackie graciously drove me to my car the next morning, and even let me sleep in. I sweated all night again. I was so worried she might get sick. I coughed into my buff and breathed with my head turned away from her. Once back in Inglis, I just hung out. I was parked under the highway next to the Cross Florida Barge Canal, which was never finished. You should read about it. I got my sleeping pad and a pillow out of my car and just laid in the grass, enjoying the weather. I was right next to the bike path that the race finishes on, but they have to go another 4-5 miles to the gulf to dip their front wheel. I saw a couple of friends come through, including Graham, Andy, and Jason Vance. Great job guys!! Jason had actually ridden his bike from the finish to the start during the night right before the race. So he rode 180 miles to get to the start, arrived around 4:30am, and then did the race with little to no sleep as well. Around 480 miles. Well done, Jason!
I finally talked to Kruger that evening and he let me know they had full intentions of finishing. This let me know I could go get a hotel and not worry about needing to go pick him up on route somewhere. It had taken us around 18 hours to do the last 140ish miles last year, so I knew it was going to be at least another 8 hours or so before they finished. And I was watching them on trackleaders website so I could keep a close estimate on their finish time. The second half has Ocala National Forest with lots of sand that you have to walk, and Santos Trail System which is 35 miles of single track, and some more sand towards the end. So I napped on and off in the room and finally drug myself out the door to go pick him up around 2am. Jackie was there waiting too. Kruger and Kav rolled in around 3am and they were completely exhausted but so happy to have finished. It was a 20 hour day for them and around 44 hours total for the race. Once in the room, I'm pretty sure I noticed Kruger a little disoriented and not making complete sense a couple of times, hahaha! Worn out!
At the finish line of a bikepacking/ultra endurance race, it's not what you're used to with a normal race. It's not all bells and whistles. There aren't huge crowds cheering and music playing and the smell of fresh food cooking. You hear the sound of crickets and the wind blowing and cars passing on the highway above. And maybe the voice of your friend or loved one that is there to pick you up and give you a hug. Or maybe just your hub ratchet rolling up to your car and then silence. You just sit down and relish in what you've accomplished. You think about how you've pushed your limits and learned about yourself and likely became a stronger person in the process. You are happy that you've beaten those lows when your brain tells you to just quit and it will be a lot easier. You've won, no matter how many people finished before or after you. One goal.
Congratulations to all the finishers! You all are awesome. I'll be back next year.
Unfortunately, Kruger started feeling sick and tested positive for the flu as soon as he got home. And Kav ended up in bed sick for 5 days as well. Jackie only got a cough, which is much better than the flu. Sorry for that guys!!
Thanks to Trek Store Chattanooga for taking great care of me and my bike. Thanks to Rescue Racing and all of our sponsors. If you are interested in pet adoption or making a donation to the humane society, please check out our Rescue Racing Website
Thank you all so much for reading! Constructive criticism is always welcome and valued. Cheers!
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