2018 Filthiest 50 - The weather was the headline!

October 14, 2018

The 2018 Filthy 50 lived up to the name and then some!

This is a quick ride report, busy work week and getting ready for the next race: Gravel West.

We rolled out with flurries and temps right around freezing. And these conditions held through out the day, it was cold, wet, windy ride.

My goal for the last few year is to get on the podium for the men's fatbike division. I've been 4th place twice... so close. I was hoping 2018 would be the year, but the conditions made me very unsure.

At the start of the race, I was shocked to see the number of riders doubling-back to the start line. I heard somebody after the race say that he turned back because his toes were number by mile 5. 

I did my best to get in with a fast group and get some drafting. But drafting meant a face full of liquid limestone. It didn't take long for groups to splinter and end up riding with one or two people, more social riding than racing. 

Photo Credit Markman Outdoor Photography

The #catchthecrapper thing made me laugh but I didn't expect to stop, because I wanted a podium. However, when I got to the crapper in the middle of the gravel road, I'd given up thoughts of placing. So I stopped for my glamour shot: 

#CatchTheCrapper - "Dumb and Dumber" or "Austin Powers" ? 

There was free beer after the race, I wasn't going to pass that up! I shivered through one beer while talking with Ray, Kyle, and couple other riders. We were all sharing stories about how hard this ride was. I was happy to finish my beer and get to my car with the seat warmer and the heater set to 11. 

Tuesday morning I was in a hotel elevator in Chicago when I saw results were posted. I was floored to find out I was 2nd fastest fatbike! I thought I was so far down in the standings ... By the end of the ride I was just dragging my dumb butt in. 30 men registered for the fatbike division and three finished. I don't know how many started, but the start area was full of fatbikes. 3:45:21 felt so slow, that says a lot about the conditions on the day, that was fast enough to give me 71st place overall.

From Trenton: 533 people showed up to ride in the snow, wind and cold. 234 riders finished The Filthy 50. 47 riders finished The Pretty Filthy. 12 riders finished The Little Filthy. 240 riders who took the start, did not finish (DNF). Needless to say, it was a hard year to finish this thing.

Funny enough, that's my second podium finish, but both times there was no actual podium. 

End of ride selfie - it's gonna take weeks to get that sand out of all my clothes, my bike, my car ... 

x