News & Observer | newsobserver.com | 2008 NCAA Men's Bracket

There are two ways to put this, both accurate. I could say I've reached the podium in both of my last two endurance mountain bike races. I could also say I've come in last.

"Don't put that on your resume," chastised long-time Raleigh endurance racer Tammy Kaufman shortly before last night's awards ceremony at the Curse at the Crab, a six-hour endurance ride at Lake Crabtree.

Three and a half years ago, at the now-defunct Six at San Lee, Branson Kimball and I took first place in our duo category. I can't recall what that category was — one tall guy, one short guy? — but we were the only ones in it. Victory! (And two bottles of wine.)

Yesterday, I went to register for the Curse at the Crab, a six-hour endurance race at Lake Crabtree. "Faster Master?" the woman at the scoring table suggested.

"Do you have a Slower Master category?" I asked. They didn't, so I signed up for the Not-So-Newbie category. It sounded like another "older" category.

At the start, lined up by category, I noticed I was next to some very fast-looking people. People with club uniforms. People who hadn't spent the week fretting over their 401ks. People with BMIs in the low 20s. That's when it occurred to me that "Not-So-Newbie" might mean not so new to the race scene.

"Joe Miller!" someone yelled as I was contemplating my apparent misinterpretation. It was race director/organizer/official starter Sean Callihan. "I created a category just for you and you didn't sign up for it." (Earlier in this space, during the Leith BMW Triangle MTB XC Race Series, a four-race series sponsored by TORC, I had complained — "complained"? commented — that the abundance of older riders, those over 45, were forced to compete with the 35-and-up crowd; Next race, there was a seniors category.)

I explained my "Faster Master" interpretation. "That was just a ... a saying," Sean said.

At the end of my first lap, when I clocked in at the scorer's table, I asked if I could change categories. Done.

Saturday's Curse of the Crab was part of a day-long celebration of mountain biking at Lake Crabtree that began at 9 a.m. with Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day, continued at 11 with the annual Fat Tire Festival (including Pixie Cross Race, Trials Riding and a bunch of other stuff, and concluded with the Curse from 3-9 .m.

Didn't get a chance to sample the Festival, but the Curse was one fun ride. Started with temperatures around 80, little humidity, bright fall sky. Probably dipped into the 50s by race's end. And such a fine crowd of folks to race with, a determination I make based on how courteous my fellow riders are when they pass me.
Steve Levine, owner of Cycling Spoken Here when he passed: "Thanks so much for letting me by." (With a follow-up thanks at the transition area.)
Tammy Kaufman, veteran of 24-hour endurance races — solo, when I pulled over to let her pass: "Thanks! Are you OK?"
Jill Whitfield, who won the Women's Expert category of the summer XC series: "Thanks!"

I can't tell you many words of thanks I heard from the litany of folks who flew past me on the tight single-track trail.

Around 8:20, I pulled up on three halogen-lit racers stopped on the trail. "Got a chain tool?" one asked. One of the riders had broken his chain. I didn't have one, but since I knew I was on my last lap and didn't think I had anything at stake, I stuck around and helped flag down riders to see if they had such a device. (It's always easier to accept rejection when you're begging on behalf of someone else.) Finally, fellow Faster Master Steve Rogers rolled in with one.

"Er, what lap are you on?" I asked. Not for competitive reasons — Steve is a much faster master than I. I was just curious. "Seven," he said. "I'm not going to make the cutoff for eight." That was mainly due to a physical malady that had plagued him the last couple of laps.

I was on lap six, which I knew would be my last. Chain fixed, I happily enjoyed the rest of my night ride. I'd just spent about six hours on a mountain bike, covering 42 miles — who wouldn't be happy? I rolled across the finish about 8:50.

"Hey, you came in third," Sean said looking at the Faster Masters' scorer sheet. I was mildly elated. Then I glanced at the sheet: there were only three names listed.

"Stick around for the awards ceremony," Sean said. "We'll do the Faster Master category first. We know you guys need to get home and get to bed."

For the record, I was up almost until 11.