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Surprise Winner, Record Times!
The Adirondack 540 (2006)
by Kevin Kaiser
Ultracycling Cup Competition for ultra riders of the season
John Ceceri is a good race director, but what he's really got to his credit is a large piece of heaven in his backyard. Mountains, lakes, and wildlife seem to go on without end in the largest park in the contiguous United States. The area attracts thousands of outdoor enthusiasts each weekend in the form of hikers, kayakers, fly-fishermen, and cyclists. Hand cyclist Bill Schwarz was even spotted getting ready for the Adirondack marathon, which starts in the same area and travels around Lake Schroon. It's hard to really suffer in a place like this.
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The race begins in Ticonderoga, NY and travels northwest toward the midpoint in Lake Placid, which is the highest point on the course and a nice sideshow during the race. Though the snow is still a month or two away, the 120-foot Olympic Ski Jumps along the route stir up visions of skiers speeding down the ramps and then soaring hundreds of feet through the sky. Two- to four-mile climbs are common throughout the loop. Though there isn't a single steep mountain, the cumulative effect of the climbing takes its toll. Typically less than half of the RAAM hopefuls make it to the finish.
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For this year's edition of the Adirondack 540 race, 23 cyclists gathered on Friday, September 15 at the rustic, log-cabin style Super 8 in Ticonderoga. A front was pushing through the area, which left a light rain and fog at the start of the race, but dry and mild conditions were promised for the weekend. For the cyclist, most of the roads have wide shoulders and smooth surfaces. The route contains only five turns to speak of. For anyone who hates to be encumbered, it's entirely possible to memorize the route ahead of time to avoid carrying a cue sheet. Truck traffic is extremely light, perhaps because there are no large destinations requiring transit through the park. Visitors to the park, in general, seem to get caught up in the outdoor experience and tend to be very respectful of cyclists.
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Riders worked through the opening miles trying to establish a sustainable pace, but as usual things started off a little quickly. Brett Walker was off the front early. Not recognizing his name, the competing cyclists may have decided to let him go expecting he was starting out too strong. Not so. Though this would be his longest race to date, Walker is a veteran of a couple 24-hour mountain bike races, and had trained for months specifically to peak for this ride. His preparations included back-to-back double centuries, and he had no intention of stopping at night for sleep. The only rider able to keep him on his toes was Mark Pattinson, a strong cyclist from Knoxville, TN, who blew away most other riders this year at the Heart of the South. The competition could have been fierce, but Pattinson had opted to race the Silver Sojourn (two-loop option). He set a course record of 15:57.
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Mountain bike racing also appeared to benefit Jennifer Krebs. She has enough speed to reach the Cat-3 level of road racing, but credits the 24-hour mountain bike races for learning how to handle sleep deprivation.
Not too far back at the first checkpoint was John Fuoco, who had to be considered one of the pre-race favorites. Fuoco logged 406 miles at the UMCA 24-hour race two weeks prior to this race, and he finished a close second in this race in 2005. Fuoco's knee began to give him trouble near the end of the UMCA 24-hour, and despite his best efforts to remedy it on the bike, it ultimately led to his withdrawal before the end of the first loop.
A variation of standard RAAM qualifier rules for this race encourages riders to have follow crews but allows riders to travel unsupported if necessary. Though lacking a crew, riders like Craig Martek would have access to food, supplies, and a clean hotel room at the start of each loop and in Wilmington near the 60-mile mark. Challenges for Martek revolved around having the right type of clothing to match the changing conditions and having the proper lights and reflective gear when necessary. At one point, Martek's 30-hour light gave out early, leaving him stranded and risking disqualification if he continued. Fortunately, his wife was close enough to remedy the situation, and Martek went on to become one of only a handful of 540-mile finishers.
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Other riders had crews of varying sizes. Walker got by with one crew member (his wife) on the early loop, but switched to two crew members to handle the evening loop. Krebs had never met her crew before the race, but landed an experienced crew containing John Kinnicutt and Rich Kondzielaski (lots of ADK 540 and RAAM experience). Doug Levy had the expert guidance of Lew Meyer. Tony Goodnight and David Bundrick, both veterans of QuadZilla and BMB, helped to complete the Kaiser crew.
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Riders at all levels appeared to be elated by their finishes and the way this event was run. Bronze Blast rider Kurt Higgins didn't meet his goal of eight hours, but beat his time from the previous year and finished the 136 mile loop in third despite a late start. Peter Grant of Ottawa won the Bronze Blast in 8:26. Lloyd Barry commented “This was my first event and I was very pleased with the ways things were run, the people involved and the professionalism of everyone at all levels of participation.”
In the RAAM qualifier, Jennifer Krebs set a course record for women finishing in 49:29, and Doug Levy set an age 50 and over course record of 37:40. Brett Walker began the season looking to RAAM qualify at this race, but by the time the race began he was intent on setting the course record. His finish this year in 32:16 was 42 minutes faster than the previous record of Rainer Klaus (which stood for six years). Walker and his wife have already purchased a motor home, and we can expect to see him in the 2007 edition of RAAM.
More information: Adirondack 540 website.
John Blaszczak's photos
Results
| RAAM 544 Qualifier | Miles |
Time |
| Men's Open | ||
| Brett Walker, Salisbury, NH | 32:16, RAAM Qual, Course Record | |
| Kevin Kaiser, Evans, GA | 36:05, Prev RAAM Qual | |
| Craig Martek, Dillsburg, PA | 50:55 | |
| Honorable Mention | ||
| James Scheller, Orlando, FL | 333.0 |
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| Bernie Comeau, Olympia, WA | 333.0 |
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| Women's Open | ||
| Jennifer Krebs, Reston, VA | 49:29, RAAM Qual, Course Record | |
| Men Over 50 | ||
| Doug Levy, Willow Grove, PA | 37:40, Course Record | |
| Honorable Mention | ||
| Vytas Janusauskas, Nepean, ON, Can | 443.0 |
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| Marc Talsma, Grand Rapids, MI | 144.0 |
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| John Fuoco, Lewistown, PA | 70.0 |
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| Golden Gallop – 408 Miles – Men | ||
| Honorable Mention | ||
| John Blaszczak, Virginia Beach, VA | 197.0 |
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| Silver Sojourn – 272 Miles – Men | ||
| Mark Pattinson, Knoxville, TN | 15:57, Course Record | |
| Honorable Mention | ||
| Gregory Kolaske, Oceanside, CA | 136.1 |
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| Bronze Blast – 136 Miles – Men | ||
| Peter Grant, Ottawa, ON, Can | 08:26 | |
| Michael Flartey, Mine Hill, NJ | 08:42 | |
| Kurt Higgins, Gansevoort, NY | 08:56 | |
| Lloyd Barry, Vanier, ON, Can | 11:30 | |
| Alex Bekkerman, New York, NY | 11:45 | |
| Art Crowley, Spring Lake, NJ | 11:45 | |
| Roger Byrom, New York, NY | 11:55 | |
| Luke Wiaczek, Milford, NY | 11:55 | |
| Honorable Mention | ||
| David Mateer, Poughkeepsie, NY | 121.0 |