Whiskey On the Rocks, Please

When I starting racing mountain bikes two years ago the Epic Rides Whiskey 50 Offroad was one of the first races I heard about. I signed up for the 2018 edition but was unable to attend due to scheduling conflicts with our move to Sioux Falls. So when it was decided that the Whiskey 50 was going to be the official launch for the Athletes in Action – Pro Mountain Bike ministry I was stoked.

Leading up to the Epic Rides Whiskey 50 I knew my athletic preparation was less than ideal. This was our first winter in South Dakota which meant four months of strictly indoor training. We also began fostering at the beginning of the year and it turns out caring for two kids takes up much more time than I anticipated. I’ve also be juggling my full-time engineering job, part-time bike shop job, and volunteer staff position with Athletes in Action. So between parenting responsibilities and managing all of my jobs, I’ve been challenged to be more intentional with my time. I no longer have 15+ flexible hours each week to dedicate towards on-the-bike training; instead I carve out exactly 10 hours a week and make every single minute count. On top of all of that, I didn’t even own a mountain bike until days before the event. Talk about chaos!

Normally all of this “less-than-ideal” preparation would have led to stress, anxiety, and panic. However, despite heading into a race with more fatigue and less preparation than ever before I felt a complete sense of calmness and peace. From the moment I began my travels Thursday morning to Arizona I could feel something was different; I was embarking on a mission and my purpose stretched far beyond my personal race results.

As some of you know, this year I have embraced the calling from God to use my position within the sport as a platform to bring pro sports ministry, Athletes in Action, to professional mountain bike and cyclocross racing. Our vision is to serve, support, and mentor pro cyclists on a physical, mental, social, and spiritual level. So for me the Whiskey 50 was less about personal performance and more geared towards pursuing Gods calling.

Day 1 (Thursday): Travel

My travels to Prescott were smooth sailing. We got to town with enough time to build our bikes and get out for a golden hour spin on the first 8mi of the course. Good thing too because I was coming into the weekend with just one ride on the new (for me) bike and only a handful of outdoor rides. I knew it would take some time to figure out the handling and regain trail riding skills so luckily there would be ample opportunities to get out on the trails before Sunday’s main event. Chipotle for dinner and then it was straight to sleep after a long day of traveling.

Day 2 (Friday): Fat Tire Crit

Given Arizona was on Pacific Time, we all woke up extra early which made for the perfect opportunity to enjoy some front porch serenity. After some coffee, breakfast, and good discussions we kitted up to head out for the first AIA-hosted group ride. Another coffee and a few more conversations later and we were off to preview more of the course.

The afternoon was pretty light with our only pre-race obligation being a mandatory pro riders meeting. We also had the chance to listen to our friend, Rose Grant, talk about her testimony in front of a whole crowd of people which was really awesome. Then it was time for some last minute race preparations at the house before the official season opener.

For those who aren’t familiar, a unique aspect of our ministry is having the opportunity to race alongside the pro athletes we’re supporting. So Friday night my 2019 bike racing season kicked off by toeing the start line with 99 other pro/ elite athletes for the El Yucateco Fat Tire Crit. These races consist of riding the EXACT same mountain bike (with option to change tires to 1.5” slicks) we plan to race with during Sunday’s 50mi back country mountain bike race for 20-25min around a 2km paved circuit. Talk about chaos!

The course started with a short, super steep climb followed by a ripping descent and a few sweeping corners back to the start/ finish. Right from the gun the pace was blistering fast after they announced a 1st lap prime ($200 prize for the first to cross the line). I had a good starting position in the second row but unfortunately my bars got tied up with another rider and quickly fell back to mid-pack before the first climb even began. By the end of the first lap riders were getting spit out the back left and right, everyone (or at least me) going full-gas just to hang on. I rode hard and held on as long as I could but after fifteen minutes the officials finally (and thankfully) decided my race was finished and I was pulled off the course. My lungs were burning so bad that I coughed profusely on the side of the road until finally I came down from the intense effort. Whoofta! Nothing like a swift kick in the teeth to start off your season. Fortunately I was able to watch the final lap from the sidelines as Keegan Swenson tore the legs off Payson McElveen and Russell Finsterwald the last time up the climb to solo for the win. After the race our AIA crew went out for some of Prescott’s finest Mexican food and then retreated back to our Airbnb for the night.

Day 3 (Saturday): Off-day/ Fellowship

After the hard effort from the previous nights crit I woke up feeling super refreshed, having finally gotten a solid nights sleep for what felt like the first time in forever. Coffee, breakfast, porch time, and then we were out the door on our way to the second AIA-hosted group ride. This time we decided to forego the long, tedious climb up to the trailhead and all piled into our rental pickup truck for a shuttle ride to the top. We got to ride another 10mi or so of the course and then descended the looong paved road back to the finish line area. Finally I started to feel like my legs and skills were coming back around and I was amped for the big race on Sunday.

After finishing the morning pre-ride it was time to turn the focus away from self and back on supporting the other pro riders and bringing glory to God. That afternoon we hosted a time of fellowship at the Athletes in Action Airbnb. We invited any and all of the pro athletes we connected with during the first few days to come over for snacks, drinks, camaraderie, worship, and most importantly a safe place to have intentional dialogue with no outside pressures or distractions. The main topic of discussion, centered around the biblical story of Mary and Martha, was about finding fulfillment in sport beyond race results and all of the minute distractions that can seemingly hinder performance. For me it was a good reminder to look at the grander picture and I reflected on why I was out there and who I was racing for.

Saturday night after fellowship we (mostly Kyle) cooked a big carb and protein loaded meal and had a family-style dinner on our back patio which was the perfect way to cap off an awesome day and refuel the system for what was to come the next morning.

Day 4 (Sunday): 50 Proof Pro Backcountry Race

Sunday mornings wake up call was surprisingly welcomed. Normally I have a hard time sleeping the night before a big race but that wasn’t an issue this time around. I got up, poured a cup of cold-brew coffee, and began making my usual breakfast meal. Two eggs, avocado, and peanut butter all on a bagel with half a banana on the side.

We then made plans for our nutrition support. Brian’s amazing wife offered to drive around with a cooler full of bottles and food to meet us at two of the three aid stations. For me this was the first time I’d had on-course support during a long race (other than Leadville) so I didn’t really know how to balance the nutrition I would carry with me for the start and how I planned to restock on the course. I opted to start the race with only one 20oz bottle of Clif hydration mix and three Clif gels (2 vanilla, 1 double espresso), anticipating I would grab another bottle from Lisa at the first aid station and a couple gels along with it. At the second aid I would (hopefully) get a neutral bottle and cherry pick any nutrition I needed from what they had to offer. Then for the third and final aid I would just grab water to get through the final few miles of singletrack and onto the long paved descent to the finish. A sound game plan on paper, however, we all know things never go as planned. More to come on that later.

Once everyone was geared up we huddled together out front for a quick time of prayer and encouragement before rolling over to the course as one big family. On the start line I looked around to figure out who I wanted to line up behind. The field was completely stacked with all of the country’s heaviest hitters present so I knew I had to position myself well early to avoid blowing up during the initial 6mi paved climb.

I lined up behind former pro road cyclist and friend, Bryan Lewis, hoping he would tow me through the field. Sure enough, when the gun went off my plan worked and I quickly found myself at the front of the group. I held my position for the first few miles until things really started to pitch upwards where I slowly began to sag my way back through the field not wanting to burn too many matches before the singletrack.

I entered the trail somewhere in the back third of the field which I was content with. It was game on from that point with riders jockeying for position whenever possible. I was feeling decent through the technical sections with only one steep, chunky area giving me issues where I washed out my front end and gave up a few positions in the process. Overall I was feeling surprisingly good and I was climbing really well.

Coming into the first aid station I assessed my nutrition supply state and decided to grab just one bottle of hydration mix, thinking my single gel and one bottle would suffice in getting me to the top of the next climb to aid two. Big mistake. The 6mi climb was extremely exposed and the sun was beating down. I also overlooked the fact that I was already slightly behind on calorie intake so the one gel I had left was not enough to keep me feeling good. Halfway through the climb I had already eaten my gel and downed the last of my bottle, at which point I knew I was not in a good place fuel wise. Luckily there were a few other riders around me also suffering like dogs and there seemed to be a mutual acceptance that we were more so “surviving” than racing at that point. “Just a few more miles”, I thought as I longed for food and water.

When I finally created the top of the climb I was actually starting to have a bit of a second wind and found myself riding girly hard. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t last long because I made big mistake number two of the day. In the midst of all the suffering, chaos, and cheering crowd I somehow blew right by the neutral aid station, not realizing so until it was too late. “Oh crap” I repeated in my head knowing I was now facing another 15mi (over an hour) of singletrack before I would arrive at the final aid. Oh well, all I could do was just keep chugging along.

Then the cramps started kicking in. Bad. Full on leg seizing cramps that forced me off the bike for almost ten minutes as I jogged up a steep climb waiting for an opportunity to hop back on the bike and spin my legs out. After finally reaching the top I remounted in agony, soft pedaling the trailing descent just hoping my legs would come around. I began asking every spectator and bystander I passed for food and water. One hiked responded with “hah I’m good I’ve got food and water.” I laughed and pulled over to the side, thinking “sweet Jesus this guy is my saving grace right now” and told him that I was desperate for water or food, stat. He offered me a few swigs from his Camelback and broke off a chunk of his Clif bar, then I was back on my way feeling rejuvenated by his generosity.

Sometime between this point and the third aid station I was caught by the lead moto for the women’s field. By then my race result was long gone so I decided to just enjoy the surviving experience and support any of the lead women who came up on me. Man was it inspiring to watch the likes of Kate Courtney and Erin Huck rip by me when I was feeling completely depleted. “Just keep moving” was my mantra as I again was facing grimacing cramps.

Finally I came up on the third aid station and saw Lisa waiting there with food and water in hand. I told her how happy I was to see her, chugged an entire bottle of water, grabbed a handful of Clif gels and downed some Sport Legs to hopefully take the cramping edge off, then took off with a full bottle of hydration ready to take on the final 12 miles to the finish. There was only one more hard section of trail left between me and the paved descent called “Happy Ending,” which was a “Pro only” line through some rocky features and a giant rock roll that was lined with spectators. When previewing this section the day before I opted for the “bailout” line to avoid the rock roll but with all of the spectators encouraging each rider to send it I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to give them something to cheer about. I sent it with no problem and was flooded with adrenal as I soaked up all of the energy from the crowd cheering.

I suffered my face off for the remaining 6 miles of singletrack before finally popping out onto the pavement for the descent back into town. I passed a handful of riders coming down and sprinted across the line for a very humbling 75th place finish out of 100 starting riders with a time of 4:15. My goal coming in was sub-4hrs and to finish in the top half but by the time I got to the end I was just glad to have completed the race. I was greeted at the line by all of my friends and found some relief from the sun inside the Orange Seal team tent. What a day!

While I didn’t get the result I came in hoping for I left feeling completely fulfilled and encouraged. Overall the Whiskey 50 weekend was an awesome experience and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to kick off the season. Looking ahead I will be attending the rest of the Epic Rides Backcountry Series, supporting the pro athletes at each stop through Athletes in Action. If you’ll be at any of the remaining Backcountry events let us know, we’d love to connect with you and support you in any way possible.

For now it’s back to training in preparation for the next event coming up in just a few weeks. Thanks for reading, hope to see y’all in Grand Junction!

Rugged Growler 2018 – Living Up To The Name!

 

 

Leading up to the Rugged Growler, my preparation was much more procrastinated than usual. The race took place on a Sunday and I picked up my new bike, a 2018 Trek Crockett 5, from Spoke-n-Sport Brookings just 5 days earlier. Luckily it came mostly assembled, however, I needed to swap a few critical components which turned out to be more time consuming than hoped. That, combined with an insanely busy work week and a full blown training schedule in the days leading up to the race left me scrambling to complete the bike build until after midnight Friday night. Needless to say, I’d only ridden my new Crockett for a quick 15mi bike path ride with Ali and her uncle the day before the race which was just enough time on it to get the fit mostly dialed. Not ideal but I was stoked and ready to put some big miles on my new whip! Another violation to the “don’t try new things on race day” rule of thumb was using a new bike computer that I hadn’t even installed on my bike until the night before. My friend/ co-worker/ teammate lended me a Wahoo Elemnt Bolt to test out during the race for it’s improved navigation interface over my Garmin Edge 500. This turned out to be a critical piece of gear to help get me to the finish line, so thanks Alonzo! Now to race day.

 

Trek Crockett 5 maiden voyage (Contact Spoke-n-Sport Brookings about getting one of your own!). PC: MEEE

 

Sunday morning’s wake up call came all too early but my energy was high. I ate my usual breakfast, a bagel with butter, honey, and some Untapped Maple Syrup. I packed a strawberry Pop-tart for the ride down as well to keep the solid food intake up early on. I decided to ride down to the race from home which turned out to be a perfect 1hr warmup and got me to the venue about 35min before race start. I filled up the H2O bottle I’d drank on the way down and hung out with other racers before it was time to toe the “line.”

The race started promptly at 9am with a big group which stayed together until the first climb through Newton Hills. Alonzo went to the front because he knew the route the best. About 3/4 the way up I overtook so I could pick my own lines through the steeper sections. The decision to run 42×11-42 turned out to be key through these sections. After the climb the group was down to 4-5 of us. I stayed in front through the next descending section knowing I was a more confident descender (especially with the new Crockett!) and ended up blowing by a turn, having to back track to get back to the route. During that time, Peter and Alonzo passed me but I caught back on up the Newton Hills road climb. The three of us stayed together through the second lap around Newton Hills all the way through the super gnarly over-head grass hike-a-bike section (see image below).

Main group which stayed together until the Newton Hills horse trails. PC: Phil Melmer

This was after the roughest part which was way over our heads. The whole section was about a mile in length and took over 15min. PC: Alonzo Christensen

 

After the hike-a-bike we latched onto another group of riders who missed some turns early on and ended up ahead of us so we stayed together for a while. This made for some fun interactions as we rolled through the first “feed zone” where the race coordinator, Jamie Kolvek and a few others had ice cold beer hand ups ripe for the taking. I snagged one and took a few sips before handing it over to the other riders in the group (#crossiscoming folks!). One rider was still out front so we decided to form a paceline to catch him on some of the Southbound gravel sections into the headwind. After catching the rider out front we came to a stretch of no-maintenance road that had some technical descending sections. I went to the front for this section to choose my lines and open up a brief gap which allowed me some brief recovery.

 

Crew members stocking the “feed zone”.  PC: Phil Melmer

 

Getting my beer handup practice on. PC: Phil Melmer

Small group of 5 that formed consisting of 4 Spoke-n-Sport employees and 4 Parallel 44 p/b Sanford Power teammates (kits coming). PC: Alonzo Christensen

 

Before splitting. PC: Alonzo Christensen

 

Shortly after this stretch of B-road, Peter and I began to form a gap on the rest of the group and decided to carry onward with just us two. Peter and I stayed together all the way to Newton Hills, trading pulls and just having a good time. Having only brought 4 bottles and estimating a finish time of around 4 hours, I was getting concerned about my hydration after being out in the open sun through all of the gravel sections. Thankfully, we passed a Church around mile 40 which gave me the opportunity to refill my bottles. Wanting to be quick I only filled 3, hoping that would be enough fluids to take me to the finish. Peter was courteous enough to sit up while I made my pit stop, not having to make on of his own since he opted for a Camelbak instead. By this point we knew we were putting enough time in on the rest of the field that we shouldn’t have a problem staying away once we reached Newton Hills.

 

Peter and I leading through the “feed zone” on the way in. PC: Phil Melmer

By this point we both bypassed the beer handups. PC: Phil Melmer

Onward to the thick stuff. PC: Phil Melmer

 

Upon entering the park, we were to complete two paved  loops around the park, each of which ended with a 3/4mi climb that pitched upwards of 20%. The first time through the park we stayed together but Peter mentioned some cramping on the  the climb. During the final climb of the second road loop I was feeling good still so I opened a gap and was able to attack over the top heading into the final road descent. Knowing I had slightly larger gearing than Peter I pushed hard through the road descent into the final section of single track through Newton Hills.

My legs were feeling great so I ate my second to last gel then put in a hard effort up the first dirt climb and I knew Peter was suffering cramping so I felt confident with my lead at this point. I then ripped the techy descents, having so much fun pushing my new Crockett to the limit. Riding a solid tempo up the final dirt climb in Newton Hills I was feeling great and knew I just needed to make it through the last singletrack descent in one piece then it would be smooth sailing to the finish. Coming out of Newton Hills I downed my last gel and finished off the rest of my chews to prevent any bonking heading to the finish. One more road climb then a few miles of gravel later I reached the finish with a comfortable lead over Peter, claiming this years Rugged Growler title!

What an awesome event and one of my favorite days ever on the bike. Huge thanks to everyone who helped put on the Rugged Growler, Remedy Brewing for providing the growler prizes, Spoke-n-Sport Bikes for getting me on my new bike, Tifosi Optics for keeping my eyes shaded and protected, Pearl Izumi for the softgoods support, Giro for keeping my brain safe and feet comfortable, and UnTapped Maple and Skratch Labs for keeping me fueled for 4 hours on the bike. Stoked to land another top step for Roots Racing and looking forward to next years event already!

 

Thanks Remedy! PC: Jamie Kolvek

P44 p/b Sanford Power top step sweep. PC: Jamie Kolvek

P44 p/b Sanford Power top step sweep. PC: Jamie Kolvek

 

I sure put my new steed through the ringer during this one. PC: MEEE

Bike Setup:
Frame: Trek Crockett 5 54cm
Drivetrain: SRAM Rival 1 Mechanical Disc
Chainring/ Cassette: 42T x 11-42
Wheels: Roval Control Carbon
Tires: Maxxis Rambler 38mm (35F, 36R)
Saddle: Fabric Scoop Flat 142
Computer: Wahoo Elemnt (thanks Alonzo)
Weight: 21.4lbs

Gear:
Kit: Roots Racing Pearl Izumi Team Kit
Helmet: Giro Synthe
Shoes: Giro Empire VR90
Sunglasses: Tifosi Aliant (Best Sunglasses EVER)
Saddle bag: 1 20-25mm tube (for weight and size), 1 CO2/ valve, 1 tire lever, chain breaker, 11s powerlink

Fuel:
Food: 1 caffeinated Untapped waffle, 4 gels (1 caffeinated), 2 packs of high sodium chews (plus 1 bar and 1 pop tart on ride down, 1 bar after race, and 1 bar and pop tart on ride home)

Drink: Carried 4 bottles to start and drank one bottle of H2O on ride down. Started race with 3 bottles Skratch (2 frozen), 1 bottle H2O, refilled 3 bottles H2O at Church @ mile 40 of race (2:45min in), refilled 3 bottles H2O for ride home

 

As Jackson Long says “Do Epic Shit!” PC: MEEE

 

 

Epic Rides Grand Junction Off-road

Epic Rides Grand Junction Off-road: what a hoot

My weekend kicked off Thursday morning as I loaded up our Toyota Corolla with everything I could possibly need for a weekend of racing bikes halfway across the country. This list includes: my somewhat-trusty mountain bike (a 2013 Specialized Stumpjumper HT Carbon Marathon kitted with SRAM GX/ XO1 Eagle and Specialized Roval Control carbon wheels wrapped in Maxxis Ardent Race 2.20 tires filled with Finish Line’s newest sealant), a spare set of wheels, HV floor pump, a toolbox filled with only the essential tools, a sleeping bag and pad, a box of spare parts, two Giro helmets, my race-day Giro Empire VR90 shoes, a backup pair of Pearl Izumi X-Project PRO shoes, four pairs of Tifosi sunglasses, five kits including my Roots Racing race suit by Pearl Izumi for race day, a few pairs of Pearl Izumi gloves, plenty of socks from Ridge Supply, a bag full of off-the-bike clothes, toiletries, six water bottles, and a big box of all sorts of nutrition for the both driving and riding. I’m sure I’m missing a few things but you get the idea – I come prepared. Or at least I try to! Car packed and on the road for the ten hour drive west back to my home away from home, Colorado!

Ten(ish) hours and at least 12 bathroom stops later (what, I like to stay hydrated!) I arrived at my first destination, Pearl Izumi HQ in Louisville, CO. A quick stop to pickup some swag for my host family and chat with my friend, Josh, then I was on my way to my crash pad for the night, the Boulder Bubble. I arrived at my friend Austin’s place around 5pm and quickly kitted up to head out for a short leg opener around the area. A few miles of dirt at Marshall Mesa, some flat road/ bike path back into town, then a not-so-quick lap up NCAR just to remind myself what riding my bike uphill for more than a minute was like. Apres-ride consisted of good times catching up with my friend, grabbing the absolute best pre-race weekend meal at none other than Chipotle Mexican Grill, and an episode of Parks and Rec before hitting the hay early, fully exhausted.

An early morning wake-up call came all too quickly but the stoke was high and I was on the road in no time. Four more hours of driving then I’d finally be in the good ol’ desert of Grand Junction. The drive on I70 from Denver to the Western Slope is one of my favorites which made those final four hours fly by and I even made it with enough time to swing by my host house to drop off a few things and introduce myself. I didn’t have much time before I had to be at the riders meeting but I did learn my host mom was from Costa Rica which immediately brought back memories from when Ali and I had visited two years ago. Pura vida! (I’m such a gringo)

The riders meeting took place at a hotel downtown and presented an opportunity to size up the competition for the racing ahead. The field was stacked and I felt pretty intimidated but stoked to be there. After the meeting I met a few guys who wanted to get onto the course for a pre-ride before the fat tire crit so I headed back to the car to kit up. We decided to ride the opening and closing 5mi of the course

Everyone I talked to in the weeks leading up to the Grand Junction Off-road told me that the course was “stupid hard.” I was encouraged to bring a full suspension bike, with a dropper seat post, and tires with extra sidewalk protection for the most optimal setup. Oh and to make sure and pre-ride all of the course, or at least the most technically demanding section called Butterknife Trail. Their advice was good but my execution wasn’t.

Epic Rides has been putting on mountain bike events since the early 2000s and their “Backcountry Series” events feature single loop courses that take riders away from civilization by linking trails all around the featured town (Grand Junction in the case of this weekend) and each event has its own unique set of challenges to showcase. For this weekends event, the Grand Junction Offroad course was packed full of rocky, technical climbing and descending. There was single track, double track, Jeep roads, and everything in between with countless patches of sharp rocks just waiting to slash sidewalls, steep and tight rock drops, punchy climbs that repeatedly attacked your legs, and no shade to block the radiating sunlight that was beating down on us all day. Needless to say, just coming to the race with good fitness was simply not enough. You need good form on the bike combined with proper strength conditioning, fine-tuned race nutrition, a healthy dose of mental focus and grit, along with the right tool for the job to take on a race like this. Unfortunately, I only had about half of those covered.

Each Off-Road series weekend kicks off with a Pro Men’s and Women’s Fat Tire Crit Friday night. The GJO crit course was a flat and fast with eight 90deg corners, each wide enough that pedaling through was not a problem (for most). Having just come off a 90min pre-ride of the start/ finishing miles of Sunday’s course I didn’t need too much of a warmup before toeing the line so I noodles around the course while the women raced to recon the hot lines through each corner. Once the women finished, we all got on course for a few hot laps to turn the legs over and I decided to stop at the portajay one last time before race start. Unfortunately that didn’t pay off because by the time I got to the line I was the last one to stage. Oh well. The gun went off and the pace was hot from the gate, everyone fighting for position knowing the field would get strung out quick with the early corners and the race only being 20 minutes long. I quickly made my way up a few rows in the pack only to get stuck behind a huge pileup in the second corner. Luckily I kept it upright but a large gap was already created and only a small group was left to catch back on. Then, in the next corner after not even 20 seconds had passed another crash happened ahead opening up even more of a gap. I worked together with a couple guys trying to catch back on for the next ten minutes but we eventually got gapped and pulled, left to watch the final laps from the sideline. From the starting line I had a feeling Stephen Hyde would be a wheel to follow and sure enough he took the W after taking the inside line through the final corner and out-sprinting everyone to the line.

After the race I went back to my host house to clean up after a few hours of riding in the sun and to my surprise there was a delicious meal waiting for me when I got there. My host family couldn’t have been more accommodating from the moment I got to town and I cannot express my gratitude enough for their hospitality.

Saturday was our day off which I decided to use to pre-ride more of the course. I made plans with a new friend to meet at our turnaround from the day before and make our way out towards the Butterknife Trail, a section that everyone advised riding before race day. Unfortunately while we were riding the trails to Butterknife, Jeremy wrecked pretty hard and tacoed his front wheel. Knowing he wouldn’t be able to ride back to town I turned around and rode back to get my car while he walked his bike back to the trailhead. Since I’d driven Ali’s Corolla and didn’t bring a bike rack, we couldn’t fit both bikes in the car so I let Jeremy drive back to town while I hopped back on my bike. I didn’t make it all the way out to Butterknife but I did see a few more sections of trail. Good enough, I hoped.

Back at my host house there was a small get together of some friends and family, some of which had just raced that day. I grabbed some food, drank my weight in water, and met a bunch of really cool people. I got some good pointers for sections of the course I hadn’t ridden yet and had a blast talking all things bikes and traveling related. Before sun went down I went out front to clean and prep my bike, running it through the final check to make sure everything was setup and ready for action. Wanting to get some good rest I hit the hay pretty early but man was it hard to fall asleep. Being an over thinker, I continued to run through the course and analyze what I had seen the past two days. The course was heavy for an “XC” race and I was honestly quite worried about my hardtail holding up through the chunky, technical sections but I had no choice but to stay positive and prepare for my mind for the day ahead. Finally, I dozed off with about 6hrs until my wake up call which came all too quickly.

Having already packed my bag the night before, I didn’t have too much to prepare before heading to the race. I woke up with enough time to eat and digest a bagel, bowl of oatmeal, and cup of chai tea, my normal morning ritual, then I packed up my car and headed to town. I arrived about an hour before start time which left enough time to lace up my shoes (Giro Empires FTW), inflate my tires to desired pressure, and get a 25min spin in before lining up in the starting grid. All the “big hitters” got to start in the front row while the rest of us filed in anywhere we could. Eighty guys toed the line, all revved up and ready for action. Gun went off and out we went, ripping through the town corners in a tightly packed unit.

The race start with 3mi “neutral” rollout on pavement to the trailhead escorted by local law enforcement (huge thanks to the GJPD for their support all weekend). The pace was high from the gun and only turned up as we turned onto Monument Rd towards the final paved stretch before the trail began. I found myself about mid-pack at this point which was not close enough to the front to avoid a major bottleneck early on in the trail. A couple mistakes on the first few technical climbing sections left me towards the back leading into the “widow maker” hike-a-bike section. Not the start that I was hoping for. Unable to get my heart rate below 180bpm for the first 40mins of the race, along with bike mechanical #1 of the day (bent derailleur hanger) meant that I was going to be in for a long day of suffering and playing catch-up. Onward I pressed.

After the first climb I took a moment to down some fuel and a few swigs of water then I set up for the fast and flowy descent. Insert bike mechanical #2 of the day (rear brake failure). Luckily I had ridden this section in pre-ride so I knew what to expect and was able to let loose despite not having full stopping power. I passed a couple riders before coming into the all famous “Butterknife trail” that everyone warned about. Having not seen this section in pre-ride I was hesitant about continuing without my rear brake but I had come too far to back out now. The entirety of the long techy descent I was completely enamored with how fun this section of trail was. Being on a 90mm hardtail without a rear brake, I was forced to take it slower than I wanted to but I rode really clean lines and was amped by how good the trail was riding. By far the best part of the course.

A quick pass through the first aid station to refill bottles and away I went up the second major climb of the day, Windmill Rd. Hardly a road at all, Windmill is a 4×4 road that varies from smooth and sandy to steep and chunky sections with no rest or breaks from the shade. About 5min into the climb I was caught by the women’s leader, Katerina Nash who was absolutely crushing. We rode together for a bit to provide some moral support until I bobbled going up a tricky ledge section and was forced off my bike for a few hundred meters of which Katerina rode flawlessly and pulled away before I could get back on my bike. I rode the next 30mins alone, getting smothered with fierce sun exposure and wishing I’d brought a third bottle with me as I had already downed my two refilled bottles from 45mins earlier. Then came a miracle!

Someone had stashed a few jugs of water underneath a bush so I stopped to refill my bottles. Moments after hopping back on my bike, the second place women’s rider latched onto my wheel. Knowing my race was already over I asked if she needed anything. “Water, please water.” I handed her one of my bottles and carried on. At some point she came around me eager to catch the Katerina and I watched her slowly pull away in discouragement while I desperately battled cramping issues.

I reached the second (and final) aid station severely dehydrated and lacking calories so I planned to stop to fill my bottles and grab some nutrition for the final 15mi but once I got there I found out they only had water, drink mix, and some pretzels or something. No gels, chews, or bars to be seen. Luckily I had thrown a couple extra Untapped gels into my pocket before the race but I knew it was going to be a struggle not having nutrition support the rest of the way in.

I rode hard but I was paying severely for under hydrating and eating early in the race so the cramps never faded. Then came mechanical number three of the day when I heard a loud snap and a fast ticking noise from the back of my bike (broken spoke in my rear wheel which rattled my frame with every revolution). I quickly pulled over and hopped off to analyze the damage which put me off the bike for a few minutes while I finagled my spoke in a way that would at least keep it out of the way. My wheel now had a big wobble but fortunately it wasn’t enough for my tire to rub the frame so I carried on. Less than ten miles to go, just needed my bike to hold up so I could finish.

I passed through a section of the trail where there were a bunch of spectators watching and I was enamored to hear my host family cheering me on. They must’ve seen the defeat in my body language but their encouragement lit me up on the inside and motivated me to get to the finish. I ripped the final descent, letting lose and having a blast while also praying my bike wouldn’t completely explode. Upon reaching the pavement a huge sigh of relief came over me as I knew I would at least be crossing the finish line even if I was over an hour behind Howard Grotts, the eventual winner. I pedaled hard through the streets, bunny hopping my way through every curb and bank, and even ripped the double staircase down the overpass just to make sure my bike had a real beating. I finally entered the finished stretch and rode across the finish line with a smile on my face and an extreme urge to eat and drink everything in sight. Water, drink mix, pretzels, oranges, cookies, you name it I took it. “What a crazy day that was” I thought as I rode my way through the crowd and found a spot on the curb to sit down. Wanting to get back to Boulder at a reasonable time I didn’t stick around too long but I did get to see a few friends and find out I wasn’t the only one who had a hard day on the bike. That course was brutal and we all felt it. I jetted back to my host house, took a quick shower and ate some leftovers, said goodbye to the nicest host family one could ever ask for, then hit the highway back to “the bubble.”

I topped off an epic weekend with a leisurely bike commute to have dinner with some friends but only after stopping to get the biggest cupcakes I could find at Lucky’s Market. We ate and talked about everything from bike racing to Jesus moments then capped off the night by slamming down some giant, triple chocolate cupcakes. The perfect end to an awesome day.

As my first big race up against all of the top XC racers in the country, the Epic Rides Grand Junction Pro Backcountry might have been an overzealous choice but like they say, go big or go home.

Before signing off I have to give a huge shout out to all the folks behind the scenes of Epic Rides. Todd Sadow and his whole crew have something seriously special going with these “Off-road Series” events and the amount of effort, planning, and passion that goes into each and every event is absolutely amazing so thank you for all you guys do. Second, a most gracious thank you to my host family for the entire weekend. It was such a blessing and as a self-supported athlete having the privilege to bunk up in a cozy home with great meals provided meant the world to me. For anyone out there considering offering up a spare room for racers or athletes competing at events in your area please do so. It helps Athlete’s more than you can imagine and makes our experience so much more lasting. Third, thanks to all of my supporters for making big events like this possible. If it weren’t for my wife, Ali, who whole heatedly supports my passions and stayed back with our silly pup all weekend along with all the product support I’ve generously received this year (Roots Racing, Pearl Izumi, Untapped Maple, Tifosi Optics, Finish Line) racing my bike at major events like the Epic Rides Off-road series wouldn’t be possible.

See you next year Grand Junction!

~A

And so the 2018 race season begins – Lewis and Clark Crusher Recap

Lewis and Clark Crusher – XC Marathon Podium – PC Michael Dixon

Well, it’s been some time since I’ve written anything on this blog and I’ve decided it’s about time I bring it back to life. This first post is a race report from my first mountain bike race of the season, the Lewis and Clark Crusher p/b Psycowpath Race Series. Here goes!

Being my first XC race of the season and my first time attending the new (for me) “local” XC series, the Psycowpath Race Series, I made sure to show up with plenty of time to get sorted. One hour and forty minutes to be exact. I found the race venue without problems, checked in and got my number plate, met and talked with one of the race directors about what to expect (thanks, Mark!), then went back to my car to chillax and stay warm. With about 30mins until race time, I kitted up in my Roots Racing race suit, pulled my bike out from the back of my 4Runner, inflated my tires to 19f/20r psi, then began my pre-race noodling to warm up (literally, it was kind of chilly).  After 15mins of pedaling, I hit the bathroom, rode back to my truck to drop off my leg warmers, took my feed bag to the feed zone, and then rolled down to the start line to get in place.

The race started with a minute long road climb to the single track. I slotted in second wheel, not knowing any of the trail but still wanting to put myself in good position. I sat patiently at second wheel the entire first lap until we got to the finishing climb (~1min steep) where I attacked and put in about 10s before crossing the line first heading into lap 2. Still not comfortable with the trails I rode the descents somewhat conservatively and the climbs hard to make up time. I had Chris on my wheel the entire second lap, holding him off through the finish to stay in first heading into lap 3. Chris passed and dropped me on the opening descent, putting in about 5s which forced me to ride hard when I had the chance. Unfortunately for him his bottle cage came lose, forcing him to pull off to fix it, so I took advantage of the opportunity to build a gap and pressed on. Coming across the line in first again, I realized I hadn’t eaten anything yet which would turn out to be a big mistake. I stopped at my feed bag between the finish line and trailhead to wolf down an UnTapped maple waffle and gel packet, replace my bottles, then back to the trail I went (~90s stop).

The fourth lap I was starting to get the hang of the trails, smoothing out the descents and switchbacks while riding smart and conserving energy when possible. I knew Chris had me beat on the techy sections so I tried to save as much energy as I could for the climbing sections. I came through the line with the lead for the fourth straight lap, this time needing to stop again to grab some more food (~45s stop). Right after leaving the feed zone, Chris caught back up to me and again passed me on the opening descent. I stayed within reach of him for the first few minutes of the 5th lap but he slowly pulled away from me through descents. I still rode hard but began feeling the fatigue setting in. No longer able to grind my way through the climbs, I found myself spinning quickly in the granny gear to avoid over extending myself. The finish line came quick and I heard I was almost a minute back. Feeling underfed, I again stopped for a quick feed (not many chances to eat on the trail) and had to refill my bottles. Luckily I thought to pack a full nalgene right before leaving the house or else I’d have been out of liquids. Originally planning for 1 bottle and hour, I was already through those 4 bottles just over 2hrs in. I quickly got back on my bike (after ~120s stop) and raced into the single track to begin lap 6. I estimated at least 3 more laps to finish, hopefully 4 if I could stay on the gas.

Over the next two laps I focused on keeping things smooth. I knew the course well by then but I was really starting to feel the loss of power on the climbs. Somewhere towards the end of lap 7 (~3hrs in) the cramps starting to set in. Having been in that position multiple times over the last year of racing MTB I knew I had no choice but to pull over and cram as much food and water into me as possible. 1 waffles, 1 caffeinated gel, and half a bottle later I was able to get back on my bike and keep rolling, careful not to over do it. I finished the lap and knew I was on track for 2 more. A quick restock of supplies (a few gels and a bar), 4oz of Coke, and topping off my bottle with the last of my rations (~90s stop) I hit the trail hard with the goal of fending off the guy in third. Smooth, steady, conservative, smart. That was my mantra for lap 8. I made it back to the start with ~2min gap still on third. One more quick stop as a last-ditch effort to keep my head above water.

I poured the rest of my coke into my “hydration mix” bottle, downed a PB ball (courtesy of my wife, Ali) and quickly was back on the trail (~60s stop). Knowing this was my last lap and feeling confident with my gap on third I decided to make this lap all about having fun. I carried momentum down the descents, rode the climbs as hard as my legs would allow, which wasn’t very hard at all, and thanked/ high fived every volunteer or spectator I passed on the course. I finished the race off with a solid effort up the finishing climb and rode my way into a second overall finish in the Open Marathon category. Just over 4 hrs of riding, 9 full laps, lots of fun descending, short/ punchy climbing, and a whole lot of fun. I’m thankful for the awesome first experience at the Psycowpath XC Race Series and look forward to coming back for more!

PS – Thanks to all of our sponsors who are supporting the Roots Racing crew this season – Pearl Izumi (clothing), UnTapped Maple (nutrition), Tifosi (sunglasses), Vecchio’s (coolest bike shop in Boulder, CO), Boulder Property Network @ RE/MAX of Boulder.

~ A

Lookout for WBR

When the idea of riding Lookout Mountain hill climb repeats to raise money for World Bicycle Relief first came to mind, I became fixated on the number 10. Something about doing 10 laps of Lookout Mountain seemed to stick in my mind, so that became my goal. I had set my ride time at 9 hours based on my goal for completing the Leadville Trail 100 MTB race in under 9 hours (good enough to receive the BIG finishers belt buckle). I was anticipating about 30 minutes of ride time to reach the summit, 5 minutes to refill water bottles at the top, and 10-15 minutes to ride back down. To finish ten laps I would need to average 54 minute intervals so I knew I would need to stay moving as much as possible throughout that time duration to reach my goal.

From the time I started up the first climb I knew I was in for a long day. Something felt way off physically because the RPE (rate of perceived exertion) vs. the observed effort I was putting out were not aligning with my typical efforts. In my mind I was expecting to take each of the climbs relatively “easy” to conserve energy for the later climbs but right from the gun I realized that was not going to be the case. So I did the only thing I could do, I pushed forward. The first climb up was very enjoyable, the excitement and energy level for what the day was going to bring kept me moving upward and the summit seemed to present itself much quicker than expected (even though my time didn’t reflect that!). I stopped to take a quick photo to mark the start of the day and then proceeded to fly back down the climb to start all over again.

After the second climb I decided to throw on some music to keep my mind off the task at hand and by the 4th climb the mental fatigue was starting to set in. After reaching the summit for a 5th time I had listened to countless songs, 4 podcasts, eaten one Clif Bar, one Clif Bar Gel Shot, one turkey sandwich, and drank 8 bottles of H20 and homemade hydration mix. It was as hot as I’ve ever felt on Lookout Mountain with little to no shade to guard the blistering sun and I was sweating off more than I could keep up with. Suddenly that goal of riding 10 laps seemed insurmountable, but I kept on.

Luckily, while descending for the 5th time I ran into my good friend, Austin, who agreed to come out and ride a lap with me and play the role of domestique so I could get a little “break” going up. He also brought me a Coke and Twix Bar, just what I needed to pull me out of the bonked state of mind I was slipping into! We enjoyed some good conversations while riding lap number six and he even showed me the “sticky bottle” trick, where your domestique/ support car catapults you up the road after the attempted bottle exchange seemingly got stuck. We also got on Facebook Live for a few minutes to give viewers some POV perspective of the climb and motivation behind doing the ride (https://www.facebook.com/austin.stephens.509/videos/1613841308634162/?autoplay_reason=gatekeeper&video_container_type=56&video_creator_product_type=0&app_id=6628568379&live_video_guests=0). After cruising back down Lookout again, Austin went on his way back to Boulder and I took a 10 minute break before getting back on the climb. Only four more to go to reach my goal.

Climbs 7-9 seemed to all blend together, listening to podcasts on the way up and Sylvan Esso’s “Coffee” on the way down (the theme song of the day – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qr5AIKRPIHo). When I began the ninth descent, things started to get a bit dicey. Clouds were turning much darker, the temperature dropped at least 20 degrees (which was much appreciated) and the wind picked up to an almost-too-windy-to-ride speed. Halfway down I stopped to take a quick photo of the storm that was quickly closing in and by the time I reached the bottom it had started to rain. I considered throwing in the towel, not wanting to risk the dangers of climbing and descending the steep and windy road in unsafe conditions but I just couldn’t shake the thought of not reaching the summit for a 10th time. I looked down at my computer and realized I had 30 minutes until my 9 hour time limit was up so I made the quick decision to just go for it. I put the headphones away so I could remain extra alert of the storm cell forming around me and kept my mind focused on one thing — reaching the summit. By the time I reached the halfway point things were only getting worse. Even with my rain coat on I was chilly and again I considered calling it. Maybe 9.5 laps was good enough to consider my efforts a success. I looked up the road and could see the summit looming back at me, I had to finish what I started. So up I went. As the finish was closing in the sun miraculously started to poke through the clouds. The wind started to let up and the rain had stopped completely. I reached the summit and gave a little fist pump to express my satisfaction for what I had just done.

Ninety-seven miles and ten laps up Lookout Mountain to raise money and awareness for World Bicycle Relief. I felt so much gratitude for everything that took place to allow me to complete each and every one of those laps and when I looked out from the overlook the sight was stunning. A picturesque sunset over the peaks to the West, just in time for me to snap a photo commemorating the end of my day. Well, at least the climbing portion. As quickly as the break in the storm came, it vanished and I was forced to descent in a frigid, windy, wet fashion but I didn’t care one bit because I had the satisfaction of knowing I didn’t quit when the going got tough. I took my time and reached the base safely, throwing all of my wet gear in the car and heading straight to Woody’s Pizza in town to celebrate.

I cannot thank each and every one of you who, supported this fundraiser in various ways, enough. Together we got to donate 14 (and counting) bikes to children and women in Zambia, Africa that will forever change their lives. Learn more about the impacts of your contributions here: https://worldbicyclerelief.org/en/.

Ride Details: https://www.strava.com/activities/1107216289

Relive Ride Video: https://www.relive.cc/view/1107216289

2017: A Year To Remember

Hey there everybody! Well, the cat is finally out of the bag and I’m excited to officially announce my 2017 race ambitions. After taking a hiatus from bike racing last year to pursue what lead to be a successful season amongst the world of multi-sport, I am excited to say that my focus has been rededicated to the sport sport I love most: cycling! This year I have been chosen to compete the infamous Leadville Trail 100 mountain bike race alongside a select group of athletes racing in support of World Bicycle Relief. The Leadville Trail 100 has been on my radar for the past few season, each year sending in a lottery bid only to be declined 3 years in a row. This year, things are different. I will get the chance to put my fitness and skills to the test, experience the unmatched event atmosphere Leadville is so famous for, and show the cycling world what I’m made of while supporting the amazing World Bicycle Relief organization I so passionately believe in. As a member of the 2017 World Bicycle Relief Leadville Team I will be fundraising for the next three months leading up to the event with a minimum commitment goal of raising enough funds to send 30 Buffalo Bicycles into the field. This will not only impact individual lives, these bicycles will collectively impact communities and improve their quality of life all through providing simple access to transportation with the Power of Bicycles: Check it out!

I’m asking you as a family member, friend, teammate, acquaintence, Facebook connection, etc. to please consider joining me on this amazing adventure. For $25 a replacement wheelset will be provided to resurrect overused bicycles, $50 will send all of the tools necessary to maintain and repair bicycles in the field, and for just $147 an entire Buffalo Bicycle will be gifted to a family in need, each one changing lives forever. So as they say, lace up your boots and hop on board because it’s going to be quite the ride and you won’t want to miss it! Stay tuned for more updates to come as the summer race season gets rolling with the first race scheduled for this weekend at the local Battle the Bear in my hometown of Lakewood, CO. Thank you in advance to everyone who pledges their support, any and all contribution levels are greatly appreciated and I assure that together we are changing the world One Bicycle at a Time.

For more information on how you can support: teamwbr.worldbicyclerelief.org/adamsaban6

~Adam

 

Weekly Race Recap #1

(Again, this is the detailed version. Condensed versions are posted on my Team World Bicycle Relief page: http://teamwbr.worldbicyclerelief.org/adamsaban6)

Last week was the “official” 2017 race season kick-off with two very different races taking place here in Colorado. I’ve been training away all winter/ spring, taking full advantage of the surprisingly warm year we’ve had so far and logging as many outdoor miles as my schedule will allow. After a tough decision to turn down an invitation to compete at ITU Worlds this fall in Rotterdam with Team USA, I have decided to re-dedicate my focus solely on the bike. While my running shoes haven’t seen much traction in the recent weeks I think this

transition has been good for me physically and mentally as I’ve more than made up for the lack of cross-training hours with plenty of added time on two wheels. It’s been a lot of fun to explore more of the Colorado Front Range via bike and watch my fitness come back around this spring. In December of last year I started using the TrainerRoad platform for all of my training and progression analysis which I am starting to really feel the benefits from. I’m excited for the race season to have arrived and to continue updating my followers as the year carries forth. Enjoy!

Race #1: This was the first race of the Karen Hornbostel Memorial TT Series which take place in Cherry Creek State Park. Since I’m not racing triathlon this year I have decided to sell the TT bike, yet I wanted to compete in this series for some early season training efforts so I signed up for the Mens Open Retro category. This category restricts any time trial equipment from being used, specifically no TT bikes, TT helmets, wheels deeper than 50mm, aero bars, TT hydration systems, etc. The only aero equipment allowed are skin suits and shoe covers (which I opted to

bypass). The course was 9.5mi long with mostly rolling terrain and no true climbing sections. There’s not much to be discussed as far as tactics go, the plan was to go out and ride as hard as I could sustain for ~25 minutes. I wanted to use this first race as a baseline for moving forward with the rest of the 7-week series so I only kept check on my HR and time during the effort. I warmed up on the rollers for about 15mins then headed to the start line to get into position. I went out of the gates pretty hot, wanting to establish a solid level of discomfort early and then settle in for the duration of the race. My effort felt strong but I know I left some energy out on the course which will be interesting to see this margin narrow in the upcoming weeks. Overall I was satisfied with my performance and the strong finish I had with the final uphill section. My official time was 23:32 which was good enough for the top spot in the Retro category! I’m looking forward to this week’s race and hoping to improve my time and output effort to keep the upward momentum going.

Race #2: The infamous Boulder Roubaix. A US spring classic. Going in I had done some research on the course terrain and gathered some insight from a friend who told me of the likely sections that would shake the field up. I was feeling confident and strong heading into race morning and was eager to

toe the line of my first road race in 2 years. I showed up to the race site a little behind schedule and having been too lazy to pre-reg I got stuck in a long line full of other day-of registration procrastinators. After waiting through the line and receiving my number/ timing chip I finally raced back to the car to pin up and squeeze in any bit of warmup I could. The race was only 40mi with a combination of paved/ unpaved road and with the warm temps/ dry roads I knew it would be fast rolling from the start. I noodled around the parking area for about 10 minutes before making my way to the start line to claim my spot in the 100 or so man wave that would be rolling out together. Usually I am writhing with nerves and impatience at the beginning of a race, anxiously awaiting for the starting whistle to blow. Surprisingly, I felt somewhat calm and collected this time around which may have been an indication of misconceiving what was to come. The whistle went off and the pace was immediately hot. The first few miles consisted of a rolling unpaved road with a slight false flat that brought the heart rate above threshold early on. My legs and fitness were feeling right on point and I was having no proble

m maintaining my position within the field, however, once the unpaved sections turned a bit bumpier my rusty pack riding skills surfaced and I slowly drifted toward the back of the field, struggling to confidently hold wheels and wasting precious energy. Not exactly what I had planned in my mind before the race. Quite the opposite come to think of it. Anyways, I stayed positive and worked my way back into position every chance I got on the paved sections starting to regain the pack-riding confidence I was lacking. Unfortunately, a couple poor positions on some later rough sections put me behind some crashes towards the end of the first lap which left me shelled off the back in no-mans-land. I attempted to formulate chase groups while passing other riders who were also dropped from the pack, urging them to hop on my wheel and work together to catch back on but I nothing was welding together. Eventually, with the help of a few other determined riders, a mini gruppetto of 6 riders developed and we started working together to chase down the main peloton but about halfway through the final lap it became questionable whether we were not going to make it back to the front. Some of the punchy climbs started to shatter our small group and three of the guys cracked hard. I found myself in a group with two others still working to make up time o

n the field. We pushed hard but there was no hope of making our way back to the front of the race. It turned into a fun training ride for each of us as we rode the final 5 miles with longer pulls and strong efforts up the climbs. With about 1km to go I shot off the front to try and chase down a guy who’d fallen off the back of the field to test my sprinting skills and finish in style. I caught him with 100m to go but was too gassed to overtake him. Finishing with a mid-pack result was slightly disappointing but it was a really fun day and great training so I left feeling content with the effort. Next year, Boulder Roubaix, I

‘m coming back with vengeance!

Overall, this first week of racing has me excited for what 2017 holds. It will be another fun year racing in support of World Bicycle Relief and working towards my goals on and off the bike to make the most of it. I will have some exciting World Bicycle Relief announcements to come soon full of big goals and fundraising opportunities for 2017. Thanks for r

eading, time to prepare to defend my Mens Retro title at this weeks KHMTT.

Cheers,

~Adam

 

 

Old Man Winter Rally Race Recap

(Just a heads up, this is a lengthy one. For a condensed version checkout my Team World Bicycle Relief page: http://teamwbr.worldbicyclerelief.org/adamsaban6)

About a month ago I stumbled upon an endurance event page that caught my attention. It was the Oskar Blues Old Man Winter Rally that takes place every year (well, 3 years running) starting from their restaurant and taproom in Lyons, CO and the event atmosphere sounded awesome. There are prizes to be won by picking up big snowflakes throughout the course, there’s free beer and music at the after party, they pull a huge field in all the categories (100K bike, 50K bike, 5.8mi run), and it just screams “come on out for a good ol’ time.” I asked my fiance if she’d mind if I signed up for the event (knowing she’d has some sacrifices to make with taking care of our new puppy while I was away for the day) and she graciously encouraged me to go for it. Then I just had to decide which category I wanted to race.

New to the event this year was a “combo” category in which participants would do the 5.8mi run and the 50K bike back to back. While the bike wasn’t nearly as difficult as the 100K bike course, there was something about the challenge and variety of getting to complete both the run and bike disciplines that sounded intriguing and with my triathlon training from last year I’ve become quite familiar with the idea of cross-training so I decided to take on the combo. Now, since my triathlon season finished up last August I haven’t really been “cross-training” per se so I knew it was going to take adding some level of structured running into my training schedule, which has mainly consisted of cycling, if I wanted to get back up to race pace by the event. So about 2.5 weeks before the race it began. I started with a 2mi run at 7min/mi pace, easing my way back into it. I knew I didn’t have time to incorporate both endurance and speed work intervals so I just decided to run moderately hard with every run I did, gradually increasing the distance by about 10% each run, until I built up to 5mi 4 days before the race. That last run was a struggle but I knew the only thing left to do was recover and bring everything I had into race day.

I showed up to the race yesterday about 20minutes later than intended which left me scrambling to gather my race packet and numbers, gauge the weather to figure out how many layers to shed before the race (35F in Colorado feels a lot warmer than most other places), and decide which bike setup I was going to go with, more on that to come. I was finally ready to begin my warmup about 10 minutes before the race start only to realize I had forgotten my running gloves in the car. Good thing I parked near the start line so I was able to include a quick stop at the car into my 5 minute warmup, which it turns out wasn’t nearly enough. I toed the line in the second row behind what seemed to be the fast group and waited (im)patiently for the horn to go off. Errrrr!! We were off. It was very clear that there were some serious runners at the front of the race, guys I had no business trying to hang with, but my stubborn self attempted anyways. I stayed within a stones throw of the front of the race for the first .75mi when I looked at my watch to see we were holding about a 5:30min/mile and my heart rate well above where I was comfortable maintaining for 6 miles so I had no choice but to take it down a notch. I knew there were at least two guys ahead of me who were taking on the combo but my only chance at having a decent run AND bike was to settle into my “comfort zone” of about 170bpm. Then at the turnaround point the repercussions of going out too fast hit me hard, side stitches like no other. I learned my lesson that if one wants to hang with the big dogs one must prepare like the big dogs, not beginning training 2.5 weeks before and only warming up for 5mins. I ran the final 3 miles with my hands at my lower back, looking like a dang turkey, trying anything I could to release the built up tension all the while maintaining a pace that wouldn’t cause me to lose too much ground. I watched my position deteriorate from a solid top 10 to somewhere around 20th by the finish, but nonetheless I was quite satisfied with my performance given my preparations, or lack there of. I came in with a time of 36:37, a 6:18min/mi pace, which was good enough for 17th place out of 130 dudes. I knew I had some ground to make up on the bike though if I wanted to compete for a podium in the combo event (turns out there were 5 guys ahead of me after the run).

I had about 50 minutes between events to recoop, change, eat, and re-warmup. I also had to decide which bike I was going to race on, road bike with 25mm road tubulars or cross bike with 33mm cross tubulars. All of the fast guys in the 100K were on their cross rigs but I knew they had some tougher terrain to cover. I asked a few guys I knew racing the 50K what they’d be on and the general consensus was cross bikes would be the best “all-arounder.” I was hesitant but decided to go with the cross bike, a decision that I’m still contemplating while typing this recap because I know it cost me making my way into the break. Anyways, my transition period went mostly as planned. I changed into my World Bicycle Relief cycling kit, at half a Cliff bar and a few Cliff shot chews, downed some H2O, swapped my power meter to my cross bike, hit the rollers for 10mins, locked the car, and headed to the start line (with a bathroom stop on the way). I was feeling pretty good, ready to test my off-season training and get after any attacks that came about. The first 3 miles was a neutral roll-out on the pavement at about 15mph until we hit the first section of dirt road. I helf my position towards the front, ready for the pace to quickly pickup once we made that first turn and sure enough it did. Someone attempted a solo break right away with another guy jumping up to cover. We quickly swarmed up the second guy and I was sitting second or third bike at the time. I warned the guy to let the rider off the front go, knowing it wouldn’t last. When all of a sudden I looked left to see Alex Arman making a fast move up the outside and I knew that if there was anyone who could make a solo shot work it’d be him (pro triathlete from Chicago, transplanted in Colorado. He’s fast.). So I quickly yelled to the guy in front of me to cover this move, knowing it was going to result in a big gap. He bridged, I followed, and we caught Alex. I glanced back to see if anyone had followed, nope. We had about 20-30 seconds on field the but these guys were holding a pace I just couldn’t maintain. I slowly slipped off the back and watched these two workhorses take off. Had I been on the road bike I feel I could have hung but my 1×10 cross setup ran out of gearing at about 29mph @110rpm and the extra effort from the (relatively) low tire pressure left me pushing too hard, too early. But that’s beside the point so let’s move on. I looked back again to see a chase group making its way towards me so I decided to come off the gas and wait for them. We had 5 or 6 of us in this chase group and it seemed like a good mix of guys so I had high hopes of us catching the 2-man break. Unfortunately we could not make it happen but we did manage to form a solid gap on the main pack. We worked together pretty well and kept building on our gap for about 10 miles. For the most part we stayed as a unit only stringing out slightly after coming through the REEB ranch cyclocross section during which we made up serious time on Arman who was struggling on his road bike setup, when all of a sudden I found myself with dropped chain #1 of the day while we were on a long gravel descent. Enter bike choice mistake again: front derailleurs prevent dropped chains much more reliably than the narrow-wide 38T chain ring I was running, but enough with the excuses. I pulled to the side, worked my chain back on, fought hard for about a mile to catch back up but the group of 5 had me out-powered, they were gone. I stayed in no-mans-land for another mile or so hoping for another chase group to come my way so I’d have some other guys to work with. Unfortunately the next group down the road was the main pack of about 15 guys and I had no choice but to hop in. We rode together, rotating frequently, stringing out on the corners where some guys on road bikes slowed significantly (positive for cross bike choice), but ultimately we stayed together slowly making up ground on that chase group I had lost my position in. Then it happened again, this time on a railroad crossing. Dropped chain #2. I did the same routine, working my chain back on, hopping back onto my bike after a few running strides (thanks cross skills) and this time it only took about half a mile to catch up onto the group. Phew. We ended up catching the chase group after an unfortunate red light they caught (kind of unfair if you ask me but that’s how it went down) and all of a sudden we were rolling 20 deep with 3 miles of pavement left to the finish. The guys from the chase all looked too tired to make any moves and I sensed the same from the rest of the group. So I sat in, patiently. There was a solid cross/ head wind and I stayed in the second-wheel position for a good mile and a half as we approached the finishing stretch. Then there was a point in the road where the large shoulder dissipated and everyone would be forced to merge from 2-3 wide down to one. So I went, hard. I managed to put in a solid 30 second effort before looking back and seeing there were a handful of guys who’d gone with me. I signaled for a rotation and everyone resisted, no one was feeling it at this point. So we slowed back down and re-grouped with everyone about 3/4mi from the finish. Then the course route became unclear and no one knew where the turnoff into the finishing shoot was. Finally somebody called us into a left-hand right-hand hairpin turn which pushed me to the far outside leaving me no shot to contend a sprint finish. A few guys in position went for it and I followed their lead for a 7th place finish out of some 200 starters.A solid result again given the mechanical misfortunes and the missed opportunity for a spring position at the end.

Losing time to Arman in the bike I knew I had no chance at a top spot for the combo but I had no idea where the rest of my competitors were at in the bike race. As fate would have it I finished the combo category in 4th place out of 25 or so racers, missing the podium by one spot. Apparently the other guy in the break with Arman and the eventual bike race winner, was also in the combo field. So those two, along with another fella who finished in the main pack a few spots behind me squeezed me off the top steps. Oh well, it sure was a helluva time and I was quite satisfied with both of my results. The run course was really nice and the bike race was fun as ever, making me miss the adrenal rush of my road racing days. Not to mention there was free beer and music at the end to make any finisher a winner. Thanks, Oskar Blues Brewing, for putting on such an great event. I cannot wait until next year to redeem myself.

Cheers,

~A

Letting go

At some point in every ones life we all have a moment when the famous MLKJ quote echos through our minds, “I have a dream.” For as long as I can remember, that dream for me has been to one day become a professional athlete. Literally. One of the earliest recollections I have from childhood is the first time I was asked what I wanted to do when I grow, to which I responded with “I want to be a professional quarterback.” Ironically enough I would go on to never play a day of football in my life after receiving an early diagnosis of epilepsy as a child and strictly warned by my doctors not to play contact sports. I would go on to start playing competitive golf at the age of 8 and quickly set my sights on one day making it onto the PGA Tour with the likes of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. My parents took me to tournaments all over the country as a junior and all through high school, playing against the best competition I could find to continue fine tuning my skills. Every year I got better and better, making that far off dream feel more and more attainable. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that someday, after high school and college, I’d get my chance to play professional golf.

Fast forward to my junior year of high school when my counselor asked my that same question, “what are you going to do after school?”. My immediate response was “play professional golf, of course.” Apparently my counselor wasn’t so convinced because she forced me to seek out “alternative options” which is would ultimately lead me to blindly pursue an engineering degree (I had no clue was I was getting myself into but that’s a story for another day). I went on to play collegiate golf at the Colorado School of Mines where golf was quickly thrown on the back burners. Between school work and newly discovered passions I would eventually lose the drive to continue a post-college golf career and let go of my life-long dream and settle into looking for a “real job” (which I soon would pass on to attend graduate school at DePaul University).

While the drive to play professional golf had dwindled, my desire to continue competitive athletics was still as passionate as ever. My mind dreamed of full-time rock climbing, snowboarding, maybe even something new, anything to keep me from falling into the corporate desk-job lifestyle really. In came cycling, a total game changer. You see the thing that got me hooked immediately with cycling was the rather instantaneous results you can see from dedicated training. I began by riding a friends road bike around my hometown of Lockport, IL for an hour a day, keeping track of my distance and pace so I could see how my “fitness” (a new word for me at the time) was improving. I was working for a golf company at the time, Bettinardi Golf, yet everyday I could not wait to get off so I could head straight home to hop on that bike. 15mph, 16mph, 17mph, each ride getting a little bit longer and always becoming more fun. During that time span I came down with mono and it just so happened to be the same time the Tour de France was going on. I couldn’t stand watching those world class athletes rip all day on their bike while I was stuck on bed rest recovering from my sickness. I would sneak in a short ride each day just so I could feel the wind blowing and feel that burning sensation in my legs and lungs as I pedaled until my body told me no. And so it began.

I joined the cycling team when I got to DePaul University and quickly found out that I was very far from being anything remotely close to “in shape” from a competitive cycling stand point. I attended every workout I could, trying to gain as much knowledge about racing and training from the more experienced riders as I could and I still remember that feeling of getting dropped during the opening 2 miles of my first ever bike race. It was demoralizing on one hand yet I’d felt a drive deep down inside that I hadn’t felt in years since my early golf days. The drive to get good at something, really really good. I read books, I entered every race I could squeeze into my schedule, I taught myself bike maintenance and learned all about how the best equipment works and what the purpose was behind each of its features. I went from my only bike being an old 1980’s 10-speed Raleigh Capri to owning 3, 4, 5 bikes at a time, stashing them everywhere I could inside the small two-bedroom apartment I had in downtown Chicago. I experienced two years of collegiate road racing, slowly working my way up through the categories dreaming of one day becoming an elite. My life looked completely different than it had 5 years prior yet to me that burning drive to become the best I could be at something hadn’t changed one bit. In the words of Sir William Edward Hickson, “if at first you do not succeed; try, try, try try again.”

Since then I’ve spent the last few years dabbling in various endurance sports disciplines from cycling to running to triathlon, mixing up my focus along the way while trying to find my niche in this newly discovered endurance sports world. I’ve had the most success in cyclocross and triathlon, earning my CAT3 cross status last fall and racing as an elite triathlete all summer during my first year dedicated to the multi-sport discipline. Training and racing, marginal gains in fitness, form, and skills, equipment fine-tuning, results tracking, everything to do with the sport I’ve obsessed over during the past 3 years, hoping that someday I would get my second chance to pursue this life-long dream of professional athletics, yet here I am again feeling like it might be time to throw in the towel and give up on this fantasy of professional endurance sports. It’s been 3 years since my first race (almost to the day) yet I don’t have much to show for it other than a bunch of medals and a quiver of bikes and shoes and equipment. I want more, I want a chance to prove that I’m capable of achieving sticking my mind to something and reaching towards big goals but the question is how do I find exactly what I’m searching for? I want to be that guy who wakes up in the morning with passion and fire to go into the work office and perform the best he can at whatever his occupation is demanding of him but the only thing that has ever given me that passion has been athletics. No matter what the particular sport is at the time, from the time I wake up until I complete my practice/ training session, and even thereafter I eat, drink, sleep, live, and breathe sport. So here’s my proposal to myself.

Maybe, just maybe, the time has come for me to truly let go of the child-born dream of forever being a professional athlete and allow for a new passion to be engraved into my life. Be it family, friends, engineering, work in general, maybe it’s time to make room for that carried passion to be dispersed among other long-term life achievements that could someday open doors for something unexpected and amazing to waltz into my life. I would never discourage someone from pursuing their passions and following their dreams. I am in favor of creating some extra space and having a little faith that something greater will come along to fill that empty void. Until next time.

P.S. – This past weekend I got to watch one of my college teammates and good friends chase his dream as he played his first PGA Tour event. Proud of you buddy, thanks for being an inspiration!

Cheers,

~A

One of those days

In every sport, there are days that just reap the epitome of why you pursued it in the first place. And why you keep coming back, even when sometimes the days in between don’t quite seem to provide that same passionate fuel. I’ve experienced it many times over, with just about every sport I’ve ever devoted time to.There’s nothing like the feeling of excitement (or stoke for all my extreme sports fans) you get from one of these days. It’s addicting and uncontrollable, and it completely consumes your mind when that days comes to an end until you come across another one even better, which is bound to happen guaranteed.

In golf, it’s having a good day with the flat stick (putter) where every line seems to be explicitly drawn out for you and you just cannot seem to miss. Cycling, the days come in all varieties but sometimes it’s as simple as finding a new road or trail that brings you back to your roots of when everything was new and every turn of the pedal got you more and more hooked. Rock climbing, that’s an easy one. Every new move, new route, newly discovered location, it all keeps bringing you back for more. Running, road or trail, all it takes is finding that meditative stride and rhythm which allows you to forget about anything else and just soak in the moment. It’s totally euphoric no matter the activity.

Today, I got to experience one of those days. For the first time this season I made it up to the mountains for a totally epic morning of snowboarding fresh powder. It was a true “pow day” and I hadn’t even expected it. I’d been looking forward to today all week, ever since acquiring my newest outdoor toys and could not wait to use them. For Christmas, my fiance got me a pair of snowshoes and I couldn’t have been more stoked. In Colorado, many of the ski resorts allow patrons to use the hill (at their own discretion) during non-operational hours via uphill access. This means you can ski/ snowboard at the mountain anytime you’d like as long as you find your own way up the mountain (because the ski lifts are closed). The so-called “earn your turns” method. I’d always heard about people doing this but never experienced it myself. As soon as I got my Christmas present, I immediately decided it was time to see what all the hype was about.

I got to the Arapahoe Basin mountain parking lot a little after 7am, gear packed and ready for the uphill trek. By 7:30 I was at the mountain base beginning my journey upwards. Sometime between arriving in the lot and starting my ascent, they actually closed the uphill access due to high mountain avalanche control but I missed the memo. About 10 minutes into my hike up I was told about the closure but ski patrol let me continue upwards provided I stopped at mid-mountain. “No problem!” I said and proceeded on. I made it to mid-mountain in about 30 minutes and the stoke level was on high. I packed up my snowshoeing gear and swapped for my snowboard, strapped in, and started the descent. Two words described the thoughts running through my head at the time, “fresh pow!” I had the entire mountain to myself (thanks to my obliviousness to the uphill closure) and got fresh tracks the whole way down, everywhere I went. It was awesome.

I ended up getting in 4 more runs once the lift opened and completed my morning of powder turns by 10am, fully satisfied with what I’d just experienced. Unfortunately (or fortunately) the roads home were shut down due to several major accidents that had piled up due to the total white-out conditions so I ended up being stuck in Summit County for the rest of the day. But hey, who’s complaining! Sometimes a powder day comes at the expense of clear roads home. Luckily, I have some pretty awesome friends throughout Colorado and found a place to stay for the night so I can make the drive home on clear roads in the morning. In the meantime, I’ve been working from a great little coffee shop called The Red Buffalo and daydreaming about the morning of riding fresh snow. Today was a good day.

Cheers,

Adam