2004 SMSC Tour de Flatiron Race Series

Unofficial Race #2: Wednesday, July 21^st - First Flatiron

The second event in this series happened last night. Defending champion Buzz Burrell was on hand, but a host of worthy challengers were as well. First time speed scramblers Dave Mackey and Galen Burrell were the wild cards. These two were the class of the field when it came to pure running ability and pure aerobic capacity, but how fast they could scramble was the unknown quality.

Photo 1: The race course!

Kre and Joseffa, the lone female entrants, dropped out of the race due to rain, lightning, and overall threatening weather. In fact, because of these conditions, the race was designated as unofficial and a make-up race will be held. Despite this, a big group did complete the course.

Martin LeRoux made the trek up to the saddle to fix a rappel line, but wasn’t able to fix the line before the racers hit the top and I don’t think anyone used the line. Thanks for your efforts anyway, Martin!

At the starting gun, Chad Greedy fired off the front of the group. This position is usually reserved for Jon Sargent and Chad either overestimated his fitness of the length of the approach, for he fell well back by the base of the rock. As expected, Galen led the group to the base of the rock with Dave Mackey only about 20 seconds back. Buzz and Jon Sargent hit the base next. Once on the rock, the racers are in the domain of Buzz – the fastest scrambler around, despite being 50 years old. He’s a genetic freak and soon distanced himself from Jon, passed Galen and started to close on Dave. Mackey is an outstanding, 5.12 rock climber and the reigning national 50-mile trail running champion. He’s a unique blend of incredible athletic gifts, but this was his first time in a scrambling race and Buzz owns the First Flatiron.

Buzz took the lead about halfway up the face and never looked back. He sped to the top, down the Southwest Face to the ground and sped down the trail to finish in 35:50. This isn’t a record, but it might be only the second time he’s broken 36 minutes. No one else has broken 37 minutes for this course and it didn’t happen today either. Dave Mackey came in second, jogging down the trail casually and almost being caught by Stefan, who was flying! Jon Sargent wasn’t far behind. He was caught and passed by Stefan on the downclimb. Stefan did the downclimb in a PR time of just over two minutes. Jon PRed on this course, so he was happy.

Photo 2: The racers at the start. They are (l to r): Dan Mottinger on the far left with the visor, a ranger, Bill Briggs on crutches in the back, Buzz, Jon, Tony (white shirt), Galen (messing with watch), unknown (in back and facing away), Alan, David, Dave, Chad, Stefan, and Ben.

Christian Griffith showed up late and started about seven minutes after the group. He timed himself and finished with a super fast time of 38:22. Tony Bubb decided conditions were a bit too iffy and opted to just run up to the saddle and back. David Stewart, a fast runner who arrived at the base of the slab with Stefan, took things really carefully and finished in 50:42. A few more racers did the course, but they didn’t report their times or names and were just hiking it in.

I’ll reschedule this race for the series, but anyone that cannot make the official race can use their time in this event to place themselves for the overall title – hence, you don’t have to do this race twice. Date to be determined, but likely

Table 1: Results from Unofficial First Flatiron Race

Place	Scrambler	Time
1	Buzz Burrell	35:50
2	Dave Mackey	38:19
3	Christian Griffith	38:22
4	Stefan Griebel	38:29
5	Jon Sargent	38:48
6	Galen Burrell	43:48
7	Chad Greedy	44:14
8	Ben Hoyt	44:38
9	David Stewart	50:42
10	Alan Doak	1:00:48
11	Tony Bubb	Just ran: 44:28
12	Kre	Just ran
13	Joseffa	Just ran

Stefan’s Race Report:

Last year, Bill Wright organized the inaugural and hugely popular 1st

Flatiron Time Trial event based on the enthusiasm and large turnout for his

already popular annual 3rd Flatiron Time Trial. This year, Bill went even

further and created a whole series of Flatiron Time Trial Races, and even

got some sponsors to donate shwag for the winners of the series! The first

time trial race this year was from the Cragmoor trailhead to the top of the

Slab and back. The 1st Flatiron was the second race of the 5 race series:

http://www.wwwright.com/climbing/minions/2004RaceSchedule.htm

Unfortunately, just over a week ago, Bill was seriously injured in a

terrible road biking crash. He suffered a broken collar bone, a concussion,

and from the looks of him yesterday, a lot of scrapes, bruises, twists and

sprains. As soon has he was able to type with one finger, I got an email

from him saying the Flatiron Time Trial race series was still on, and he was

now the "official timer and head cheerleader". Man, this guy is the

motivation in my scrambling life! I can't imagine getting so beat up and

still being pysched enough to keep the race series going and keep everyone

else so motivated! We all owe you a huge Thank You, Bill! This trip report

is a thank you of sorts since you weren't able to participate and give us a

blow-by-blow account of the race, and hopefully it will save you some

painstaking typing too.

I arrived at Chautauqua with Alan Doak, and many of the participants were

already present. Tony Bubb, David Stewart, Galen Burrell, Dave Mackey and

Buzz Burrell. A fast group, and this would be Dave Mackey's and Galen's

first 1st Flatiron Time Trial. I was also stunned to see Bill Briggs there

- not because he was there, but because he had a big 'ol cast on his foot

from a broken heel! Then Tony walks up and says, "Man, it's been a hard

year on the Bills!" Then we see some lightning and hear the clouds rumble.

The race was off to a great start!

In a minute or so, my friend Andy Wellman drives in with a carload of strong

climbers - Ben Hoyt, Dakota Soiffer, and Chad Greedy. Every one

of them is enjoying a pre-race Odell's 90 Schilling. Turns out that just

Ben and Chad are going to do the race, which is too bad since Andy is an

aerobic monster and still super fit from climbing in Peru for a month. Even

after sofa-surfing in Minnesota for a week, he would have been sub-40

minutes. I don't know about Dakota's running, but he boulders harder than

anyone else I know. Another few minutes go by and Jon Sargent shows up.

This was going to be a fast field!

We were hanging out deciding whether to do the race since it was raining

slightly when Kre and Joseffa come down the trail. They were also doing the

time trial, but had started early to get a head start on the boys. They

ended up turning around at the base, and Kre said the rock was soaked.

Martin LeRoux was already up there setting up one rope,

but the thundery conditions didn't look too good from the parking lot.

Another huge round of thanks to Martin for really going out of their

way to do this for us! We postponed the start for 15 minutes or so, and at

Buzz's urging, made this an "unofficial" race, meaning "we'll have another,

so if you're not comfortable with the conditions on the rock, don't do it!"

This was an excellent idea.

We congregated around the trailhead, and Bill Wright starts his watch and

says, "Go!" Immediately, Chad sprints way out ahead of the group followed

closely by Jon, Dave M. and Galen. I'm thinking to myself, holy smokes,

there's no way I'm sprinting in front of those guys. They are freakin'

running power-houses! I followed just behind Buzz, side by side with Dave

S. Chad's break away didn't last too long, and we reeled him in just after

the top of the first steep hill. Dave S. and I jogged by Chad and kept on

Buzz's heels until the first trail junction where it starts to get rocky.

As usual, Buzz kept cranking and started pulling ahead of us here. I slowly

pulled ahead of Dave S., and Jon, Galen and Dave M. were so far ahead that I

never even saw them on the trail. Somewhere behind me were Ben, Chad, Tony

and Alan.

I arrived at the base around 12m30s, and I could see Buzz and Jon about 50'

or so up the first pitch, and Dave M. and Galen way above that. There was a

big streak of water running down the gully-like section here, and it was

extremely humid out. Just then, I hear Jon's foot slip and scrape on the

rock and I hear him say, "I'm not sure if this is a good idea!" Yikes! I

was in total agreement. I got onto the rock to find it not too wet, but

definitely not in prime, dry, fast conditions, and I took the bottom pitches

very slowly and carefully. Once above the 1st tree, the rock seemed to get

dryer and dryer and things sped up. Dave S. and Tony got to the base at

13m30s, followed by Chad at 13m40s. Dave S. stood at the stairs debating

for a few minutes whether to even do it. He had also seen and heard Jon's

comment. Eventually, he chose to go for it and was just super careful, like

the rest of us, on the bottom section. Tony had a brand new pair of shoes

on, and ended up deciding against doing the climb in those conditions.

Instead, he headed up the trail to do the 1st Flatiron Trail Time Trial.

After my slow and focused ascent of the first pitch, Jon and Buzz and Dave

M. were out of site. Galen was just above me and was navigating a difficult

section off to the right. The thing about scrambling, for me at least, is

that speed is inversely proportional to the square of the grade. In other

words, soloing 5.6 probably takes me 4 times longer than soloing 5.4. This

seemed to be the same predicament Galen was in, and I was able to pass him

on slightly easier rock on the left. After that, I was alone to the summit

block.

I emerged onto the summit at 26m13s in a light rain. A smiling and cheerful

Martin says hi. I think Dave M. was the only one who even wore a harness,

and I felt kind of bad that Martin went out of his way to set up the rappel

for us, and then to have no one use it. I wanted to tell him so, but I'm

not that great at talking when my heart rate is 180.

I started the down climb and saw Jon just below. We exchanged "Good Jobs!"

and I remembered how Bill and I did the same thing at the same place last

year. One great thing I've learned from Bill is that it's OK to be

competitive and encouraging at the same time. That's what makes these races

so much more exciting and enjoyable than the official "pay your money and

run" races where people take everything so seriously that there's no

camaraderie. Jon's much faster than me on the uphill, and we're pretty

evenly matched on the downhill, so this was my only chance to pass him. I

took a slightly higher route and hit the ground 15 seconds or so in front of

him. I had done the downclimb in 2m05s which was a huge PR for me. It

usually takes me upwards of 3 minutes.

I could hear Jon right behind me the whole way down the switchbacks, and I

was working hard to stay in front. All it takes is a 1 second lapse of

concentration to break an ankle in that terrain, and I forced myself to not

look back and just focus on moving my feet quickly. Once I hit the smooth

trail, I knew I wouldn't be limping home so I strided it out to the finish.

Andy and Dakota where watching from the top of the first steep hill, and I

tried to give them a "hang loose" hand wave, but I don't think I was

successful. I could see Dave M. not too far in front of me, but too far

ahead to catch. Buzz had been finished for 2 minutes already, and was

walking up the trail with words and high fives of encouragement. I ended up

doing the downhill in 10m10s (another PR!), but I didn't get a PR for the

entire race. My uphill/scrambling times were just way too slow. I ended up

finishing in 38m28s, 20 seconds behind Dave M, and 2.5 minutes behind Buzz.

20 seconds later, Jon Sargent finished for a sub-39 PR.

The next finisher was, what the heck?! Christian Griffith? Where did he

come from? He started late, and ended up bumping me out of 3rd place by

just a few seconds. We hung out recovering and chatting as the rest of the

scramblers finished up for another successful 1st Flatiron Time Trial. We

sure missed you on the rock, Bill! Here's to a speedy recovery, and like I

said before, anytime you're ready to go for a mellow hike to start breathing

hard again - I'm your man!

Cheers,

Stefan

PS. Bill, under the GNU public license, this is a copyright free document.

You are allowed to modify it, add links and/or pictures, and use it in any

way you see fit.