W

hen I saw Sam ahead of me I knew that it was time to attack. Glory was at hand. Sam was the strongest rider amongst the group of friends I was racing the 2010 Julian Death March with and if I finished ahead of him, I would be first among my friends. It was Go-Time.

The Julian Death March is an 86-mile mountain bike race that gains 14,000 feet of elevation on everything from clean pavement to hike-a-bike jeep trails. I first raced the JDM last year and completed the first 62-mile loop in about 7 hours before calling it quits. Not being able to complete the full course last year left a sour taste in my mouth and I was back for redemption. I would do everything to finish the full Death March this year.

The race started at 8:00am from Frank Lane Park in Julian which is really just a dirt parking lot. About 80 riders rolled out of town on pavement with a police escort. We turned left onto a rolling country road making our way into the hills. I was in a group just behind the leaders, watching them quickly spin away. Placing high up in the JDM was out of the question; my goal was to simply survive the race. In order to survive, I needed to keep an easy pace early on and let the leaders go. My friend Sam was in that front group – he’s a serious hardman.

Mickey and I looking fresh before the race.

The gap was widening when a rider flashed out of our group, sprinting to join the leaders. She was going all out to chase them down and I seriously wondered if she knew this was an 86-mile race. If it was so important to stay with the leaders, she should have been with them from the start. Chasing at full power in the first half hour of the race can’t be good.

The leaders disappeared and soon we were flying down the 8-mile descent along Eagle Peak Road. Down, down, down we went on gravel roads. It’s eerie losing 2,500 feet of elevation all at once because you know you’re going to have to get it back soon enough. After 20 minutes in free-fall, the fun was over and we made the left had turn onto Cedar Creek and began climbing rugged jeep trails.

Great fisheye perspective on the initial 2,500 foot descent.

I kept an easy pace and focused on proper nutrition – it was going to be a really long day. The jeep trails gave into gravel roads and then quickly into smooth pavement as I began the climb up Engineers. I was feeling much better than I did racing last year and made quick progress to the top.

I was racing with several friends. My friend Sam was with the leaders. Dr. Hodges was somewhere ahead, not sure how far ahead. And my friend Mickey was somewhere behind, taking a slightly easier pace to finish the day. So, I considered myself 3rd among friends, which isn’t bad – it’s at least on the podium, right?

Sam, Dr. Hodges, Mickey and I.

After a quick stop to refill bottles, I began my descent down Chariot Canyon. I was feeling great and kept a quick pace as I turned down Rodriguez Canyon to the base of the infamous Oriflamme climb. Oriflamme is an absolute beast climbing 1,600 feet in just 3.5 miles over a rutted and rocky jeep trail. It was in the early steepness of Oriflamme that I discovered that my lowest gear was worn out, the chain skipping whenever I tried applying high torque. I walked a lot more than normal telling myself I was preparing for the hike-a-bike sections of the Leadville 100.

At one point I was passed by two women racers. They looked super strong and were climbing fast. I remembered passing them earlier and said “Hello” as they rolled past me walking. I caught them up near the top as they apparently stopped to pee. We would spend the rest of the race leap-frogging each other. The only reason I ever caught them was when they stopped to pee. Funny.

Back at the top of Chariot Canyon I felt déjà vu descending again. But, instead of turning towards Rodriguez this time, I kept left headed for the base of Banner Grade. I found Dr. Hodges at the Aid Station at the bottom of Banner Grade and we left together in search of the new section of the JDM nicknamed “Wayne’s Trail”.

Headed to Chariot Canyon after Fages Monument.

The trail turned out to be little more than a goat path through the rocks and weeds. With my lowest gear out of commission, I was forced to walk a lot and got frustrated and a bit bonky. I was not prepared for the climb back into Julian to be this difficult and I suffered as I watched Dr. Hodges go off the front.

The Girls passed me at some point then another woman racer passed me that I recognized as the one who’d sprinted to join the leaders early on. How the heck did she get behind me? She must have gotten lost along the way. She climbed ahead of me and then dropped down another trail to the left and began to accelerate away. I didn’t think there was a descent here so I stopped and consulted my Garmin to find out she’d just gone off trail again. She was headed back for the bottom of the climb. I shouted “Wrong way!” to no avail. I remember seeing her wearing earbuds…

On Hwy 79 speeding towards Soapstone Grade.

I finished the remaining bits of the climb and headed back into Julian, the first 62-miles of the race complete. This is when I had quit last year, too exhausted to go for the final 22-mile section. When I had checked in last year they asked me if I was headed back out and I had answered, “Heck no!” This year, when I checked in I told them I was headed back out before being asked. I wanted to commit to going back out.

Dr. Hodges was just finishing up refilling his bottles when I arrived. We decided to head out for the second section together. As I was mixing Perpetuem I saw Brent Prenzlow (race winner) who said “Hello”. We chatted a bit and it dawned on me that he’d won the entire race 20 minutes faster than it took me to complete the first 62 miles. Damn, that’s fast.

Dr. Hodges and I heading into the Santa Ysabel Preserve.

Within minutes, Dr. Hodges and I were speeding towards the Santa Ysabel Preserve and the final miles of the race. I was feeling good and optimistic about a strong finish. We hit the initial sections of dirt in a strong clip and Dr. Hodges admitted to feeling a bit knackered and suggested I go on ahead. He couldn’t follow any strong pushes now. I thought about it but decided to finish with him. I had nothing to gain by being a few minutes ahead of him so we continued on. We caught the Girls (peeing again, I believe) and descended to the bottom of the hill. They caught us up on the climb and everyone was friendly about it. They were getting to be old friends at this point. They must have stopped again for some reason because we caught them just as it started to flatten out in a faster section of the course. I spotted Sam ahead just after passing them.

I accelerated up to Sam to see what happened and could tell immediately that he was struggling with The Bonk. He said something about being surprised we had caught him then mentioned he probably hadn’t eaten enough. He looked confused and pale and his eyes were almost rolling in their sockets. I offered him a GU which he accepted and then I was off the front, hammering to put some distance between us.

I don’t know who this guy is, but he sure is having fun!

I was ahead of the Girls, Sam and Dr. Hodges. I was the first of my friends on the course – in my mind it became a Stage Win that I was after. I doubled-down on GUs and sucked at Perpetuem to keep myself from bonking and forced my legs to go harder. I spotted a rider ahead of me and made it my goal to catch him on the next hill. I did that and then spotted another rider and another.

I caught a rider just as we were leaving the Preserve and dirt trails for good. The only thing ahead of us was the 3 or 4 miles of pavement back to the Start/Finish line. We had to dismount to get through the gate and I made sure to use a cyclocross move to get going again faster than him. He said something like, “Well, I hope you’re good on the road” and I thought to myself, “Actually, yes, I rather do enjoy the pave…” I hammered it hard to keep a gap to him, but never really looked back either.

Completely wiped out, but very happy after the race.

My legs were searing, on the verge of cramping up. I was dead tired. Salt encrusted, sticky from GU and Perpetuem, I had been on the bike for NINE solid hours. I was scared shitless that a revived Sam would chase me down in these last miles so I kept the pressure on, not believing that I could stay away. And that’s when it hit me…

I absolutely love this shit.

I got pretty emotional at this point. After all the hard work, long hours and endless miles of training. All the energy and preparation, it was really worth it. I was doing something that was extraordinarily hard and I was doing it well.

I wiped the tears away and continued to hammer back to Julian. I finished the Julian Death March in 9:27:10 in 18th place overall, 7th place in my age group. Of the 80 riders who began the day, only 28 would finish the entire course.

Good night, Julian. Thanks for a great race!

When the shotgun goes off this Saturday morning signaling the start of the Leadville 100, I’ll roll out all alone in a sea of 1,500 other racers. I will pedal the fifty miles to the top of Columbine Mine and the fifty miles back all by myself. No one but me will push my bike up the Powerline. No one but me will turn those pedals over to get me to the finish line. It’s easy to think I’m in this alone, but really, that’s just an illusion.

I do not ride alone.

Karydes got the ball rolling way back in 2006 by inviting me to train for and ride our first century together, the MS 150. The team we organized for that ride (Team Climb On!) has raised over $50,000 in the fight against MS since then. Oh, and we completed the ride in style…

In 2007 alone, Team Climb On! raised over $22,000 for the National MS Society.

Dr. Hodges, Alpha Dave and the rest of the Mighty Descenders showed me what riding hard was really all about. Getting invited to their Monster Climbs trip in 2008 was a breakthrough experience. Suddenly, I could pedal all day, up mountains and down.

Horseshoe Meadow Road climbs 5,000 feet out of Lone Pine. Amazing.

The Mighty Descenders at Monster Climbs II

Marcos kicked it up a notch by suggesting that I race – “You should race, you’ll do great.” Suddenly it was all possible and we began cycling at a whole new level. Later he’d remark that we should, “Mix it up a bit to keep it fresh, maybe do some MTB rides.” That would be how I started MTB racing and entered my name into the 2009 Leadville lottery.

Marcos and Dr. Hodges racing the 2009 Julian Death March.

After winning last year’s Leadville lottery, I was terrified – what had I gotten myself into?!?! Having DMoz crew for me and Bazza and Daphne join me at the race made it all possible. Their support and encouragement sped me along my race and helped me finish strong. I’m very much looking forward to sharing this beautiful race with my wife and kids this year.

Bazza took this photo of me racing inbound on the new singletrack at last year’s Leadville 100.

Racing Julian Death March this year was crucial to my Leadville training plan. Riding alongside guys like Mickey, Dr. Hodges and Sam taught me what “Never quit!” really means. I’ll never forget watching Sam struggle against The Bonk without giving in and how Mickey finished his JDM within minutes of the final cutoff because he just wouldn’t quit – no matter what. I could not have done as well as I did without these guys.

Sam, Dr. Hodges, Mickey and I at this year’s Julian Death March. I’ll never forget this day!

Having training partners, nah… having Dirt Bros like Marcos, Mickey and Karydes have allowed me to take ultra-endurance cycling to a new level. Heading out into the pouring rain for a 40-mile MTB ride with 5,000 feet of climbing is a great way to get strong. I can always count on a hard ride and “never give up attitude” every weekend. The way we encourage each other to go hard and push our boundaries makes us all stronger.

The Dirt Bros make their way down a cold and snowy trail to climb the infamous Oriflamme Canyon.

Two of my Dirt Bros, Mickey and Marcos enjoying a recovery bevvie in Cuyamaca.

And of course, the Family… Always there, supporting me to ride countless hours even to the point of organizing our vacation calendar around cycling events. Putting up with stinky kit hanging from the banister and a sore, sleepy Dad every Saturday afternoon.

My Girls cheering me on!

When I finally roll back onto 6th Avenue, at mile 103.5 on Saturday, I’ll be thinking about all the people who helped make this day happen. Thank you.

The 2009 Leadville 100 gets underway on a shotgun blast. By Bazza.

I finished the 2009 Leadville Trail 100 mountain bike race in 11 hours and 24 minutes, and I have to say I am rather proud of that. This 100-mile MTB race is aptly nicknamed “Race Across the Sky” for starting above 10,000’ and topping out well over 12,000’. It took everything I had to finish under the cutoff and earn my Silver Buckle.

My 2009 Leadville 100 Silver Buckle wants a little brother. I’ll do my best to deliver.

This year, I want to go faster. I’ve thought long and hard about what I want to accomplish this year, and since I’m one of those “you gotta say it to create it” kind of guys, here it is…

I will finish the 2010 Leadville 100 an hour faster than last year.

Yes, finding 60 minutes on the Leadville course will be difficult. And, just saying so doesn’t make it happen, but I do have a secret plan. And since my plan is secret I’ll share it with you here. Just don’t tell anyone else, especially Lance – ok?

A Year’s Training

After winning the race lottery last year, I hired a coach to help me train. We had just enough time to work together for me to fully understand the benefit of coaching. This year I have a whole additional season of training under my belt and I have data to prove that I’m faster and stronger this year.

I’m confident that training with CTS helped me earn my Silver Buckle last year.

Data is a big part of my training regimen and all indicators are up. My long-term endurance power is higher and much longer. My short burst power is also higher and I’m able to recover and go again faster and more often than last year.

I’ve also raced a few key endurance events this year that point to success. I finished the 86-mile, 12,000’ Julian Death March this year when last year I bailed at mile 62. I also finished this years’ Triple Bypass an hour faster than last year.

After crunching all these numbers, I am confident that my training this year will take 23 minutes off my Leadville time.

Pacing and Experience

Hey, I’ve “been there and done that.” Experience is a huge advantage and even though I was able to preview the course last year, nothing could prepare me for racing over 11 hours in the Rocky Mountains. And previewing the course again this year was a great opportunity to refine my ideas and approach to racing Leadville.

One of the biggest breakthroughs that came from my preview trip last month was about how to properly pace the two hardest climbs, Columbine and Powerline. Instead of trying to hammer these climbs (and then explode), I’m going to set a reasonable pace to stay moving and feeling good. I’ll spin over the top quietly instead of trying to “stamp my authority” on these vicious climbs.

The infamous Powerline.

Between my experience on course and new approach to pacing and nutrition, I’m sure I can steal back 19 minutes over last years’ time.

My Racing Machine

Last year I raced a 2007 Santa Cruz Blur LT which is a very sturdy and capable all-mountain bike. With an aluminum frame and up to 160mm of travel, it was a solid and totally inappropriate racing platform for Leadville. My Santa Cruz was for sale within hours of finishing Leadville.

Searching for a new bike to race Leadville, I looked no further than the winner’s bike. Sure, I considered a lot options, but in the end, the Trek Top Fuel won out for being super light and rigid with a gruppo made for XC racing. I love the fact that it’s a 10-speed double instead of a 9-speed triple. And being an easy 6 pounds lighter than my Santa Cruz, it is super responsive and climbs like a goat.

My Trek Top Fuel 9.9 SSL doing what it does best – looking good.

Many say that a full-travel bike is not the way to go at Leadville, but I really appreciate the ability to climb smoothly while sitting and being able to hammer the bumps without hovering over the saddle wasting my legs. I firmly believe that modern suspension systems have effectively minimized power loss from the “bounce” and more than make up for it with better traction, handling and more comfortable ride.

I’m confident that my new racing machine will save me 12 minutes this year.

Friends and Family

I had a fantastic support crew last year headed by my longtime friend DMoz. Having a dedicated crew chief at the start and Twin Lakes gave me the support, confidence and encouragement I needed to finish the race last year. I also traveled to Leadville with my dear friends Bazza and Daphne who roamed the race course shooting some really great photos of me and the event. It made all the difference in the world to have such great friends supporting me in the days before and during the race.

The great news this year is that they are coming back with me to Leadville to help me race again. And as a bonus, my wife and kids will be there as well. It’s going to be a huge boost to have my family with me, both in motivation to do well and excitement to share this beautiful race. I’m looking forward to seeing my family at the finish line – and how cool would it be to pull off what Wiens did last year – cross the finish line with my kids? Outstanding!

Dave Wiens finishing the 2009 Leadville 100 with his boys. Photo courtesy DavidWiens.com & Kurt Hoy/singletrack.com.

How much faster will I go having the best support crew in the world and my family by my side? I’m convinced exactly 6 minutes faster.

My Secret Plan

So that’s the secret plan I’ve been developing all year long. I’ve shaved exactly 60 minutes off my Leadville time. All that’s left to do now is race. See you in Leadville, look out for #126!

I was not going to preview the Leadville 100 course this year. I mean, I previewed it last July and raced it in August so I thought I had a pretty good grasp of what to expect. But when Marcos finally got his “Yippee!” card, it became a must-do event. Since we were already scheduled to ride the Triple Bypass in July, it made sense to head to Leadville and extend that trip a couple of days.

Mickey, Cecil, Marcos and Arlyn at Zichittella’s in Leadville.

Getting an idea of what to expect on race day will be a huge advantage for Marcos and I went along if just to share my experiences and maybe have the most epic bike trip ever with my Dirt Bros. I accomplished all that and still got something very valuable.

The Leadville Trail 100 MTB race is really hard.

The human mind has a funny way of forgetting the suffering and focusing on the glory. Over the past year, the Leadville course (in my mind) has gotten easier and easier, almost to the point of becoming “just a tough day in the saddle.” Our trip to Leadville two weeks ago was a much needed wake-up call.

Leadville is hard, not just because of the distance (103.4 miles) and not just because of the climbing (10,938’ by my Garmin). It’s hard because of the distance and the climbing and most importantly, because of the elevation. It’s hard to explain what it’s like to ride hard above 10,000’, especially for a flatlander like me – I can smell the ocean from my house!

I did not arrive in Leadville with the freshest legs, having ridden the Triple Bypass as hard as I could the day before. We started out early the next morning to ride the first and last 25 miles of the course, from 6th and Harrison to the bottom of the Powerline and back. The idea was to get as much of the 50 miles and 5,500’ of climbing in before the inevitable afternoon thunderstorm attacked. It can get pretty crazy at 11,000’ in the Rockies during a thunderstorm, even in July.

Mickey and Marcos approaching the St Kevins climb.

My legs felt pretty good as we rolled down 6th Avenue, from the race’s Start/Finish line. We took it easy on the early dirt roads and I pointed out where the cows were in the opening scenes of “Race Across the Sky”. We settled into a steady rhythm up St. Kevins where a pattern emerged that would often repeat itself on the two-day course preview. Mickey goes off the front with Marcos hanging on for as long as he can while I sit up and let them go. We’d arrive at the top, not far from each other, but almost always in that 1-2-3 order.

The course on Kevins was in really good condition. I remembered it being a lot more cut up last July. It should be super smooth by race day next month after hundreds more riders preview the course. We rounded the big left on St. Kevins and waited a few minutes for Cecil who was struggling with the impact of cycling at high altitude. We were already well above 10,000’.

We descended Turquoise Lake Road and the climb to Sugarloaf Pass went easily in the same 1-2-3 pattern. I was content with being third and had joked earlier that we would be awarding reverse-KOM points for the trip. You get more points for being last than first. It was my goal to get that reverse polka-dot jersey.

The Dirt Bros on Turquoise Lake Road.

I was riding a bike rented from the guys at Cycles of Life which I have to say might be the coolest bike shop ever. Brian was super helpful outfitting us and I was excited to try the hardtail 29’er I rented. Many people claim that a hardtail 29’er is the best riding platform for the Leadville 100 and I’ve been wondering if I could go faster on one. I quickly learned that the answer was a definite, “No.” Sure the hardtail was stiffer on climbs, which might translate to a small amount of additional power transfer, but it also required a LOT more control, even on relatively smooth sections. Getting bumped out of the saddle is not good on a long climb. And the descents are terrible compared to my full-travel bike. Maybe I just don’t have the proper bike-handling skills, but descending on a hardtail takes a lot more energy and focus. My legs got sore from holding myself off the saddle – on my Trek I can recover, sitting on the saddle as I descend. It was good to discover all this before buying a hardtail and regretting it later…

Looking up the Powerline with Marcos and Mickey walking.

We started down the Powerline and I remembered cold rain, buzzing transformers and acrid smell of brake pads from the race last year. We were lucky to be descending in warm sunshine. Even though I was careful on the descent, I still got “rutted out”, having to stop and walk my bike laterally to a new line. It was a good reminder to take my time and parse the trail for the best line. I certainly won’t win Leadville on this descent, but I sure could lose it by endo’ing into one of these caverns.

We stopped at the bottom to discuss race-day bridge strategies for the creek. Last year, a lot of fans shouted at racers to try and ride the creek, I just don’t think it’s a good idea to rinse your drivetrain and risk falling in the water at mile 25 of a 100 mile race. I showed Marcos the “alternate” bridge in case there is a backup on the planked crossing then we turned around to go back up the Powerline.

On race day last year, I had been exuberant at the bottom of the Powerline and charged up the lower sections only to blow up when it got steep and then freak out cause I was going so slow in the hike-a-bike section. Once the grade settled, I pushed too hard and blew up again on the upper parts because I hadn’t eaten properly. This year, I settled into a steady pace and walked the hike-a-bike at a normal clip. Again I let Mickey and Marcos go up the trail ahead of me. As a result, I climbed faster than race day and felt much, much better at the top. Last year, I was blown at the top of the Powerline and didn’t fully recover until the final Aid Station on St. Kevins. This year, I felt great and set a much faster pace back up Turquoise Lake Road, gaining time. I’d learned a valuable lesson – pacing and proper nutrition make the day.

At the bottom of the Powerline. The hard part is still ahead.

Soon we were back on St. Kevins again and I remembered hammering these final miles of the race last year. I was really wishing I had my Trek with me instead of the lumpy hardtail as I picked my way down. I caught up with Marcos and Mickey on the fire roads and I guided them to the Boulevard climb – that final kick in the ass at mile 100 when you’re still over three miles from the finish. It seemed a lot easier this year, but still fairly loose and rocky. Last year, I rode past many who were walking their bike and I vowed ride it this year again.

The final gravel roads back into Leadville are much longer than you’d expect and I had trouble holding Mickey back. That kid is on terrific form. Finally, we made the last right turn onto the pavement of 6th Avenue and rolled together to the finish line. I could see in my mind the hundreds of fans and the cheers from the crowds from last year’s race – I really can’t wait to be on that last half mile again this year.

Enjoying a delicious High Mountain Pie.

After an evening of focused recovery that included a delicious High Mountain Pie, some vino and a few beers, I found myself staring at the Fruit Loops in the breakfast room of the Super 8 – ah, what the heck. After kitting up, we drove out to Twin Lakes at the base of the Columbine climb and discussed feed zone strategy before saddling up and heading towards the high country again.

Letting Marcos and Mickey go up the road to Columbine Mine.

Based on what I had learned on the Powerline, I refined my strategy for the penultimate climb on the Leadville course. I will not attack Columbine, I will sneak by. It won’t even know I was there. I paced myself evenly, letting Mickey and Marcos go up the road, focusing on eating at regular intervals and not over-exerting on the steeper sections. I walked the steep, loose sections without worrying about losing time or falling back. The higher I climbed, the better I felt instead of bonking and needing to rest like last year. I ignored the voice in my head that said I was going too slow and instead slowly ate a GU and kept my hydration on track. In the end I climbed Columbine 5 minutes faster this year AND felt much better. All this after two really hard days in the mountains.

The view from Columbine Mine.

Miraculously, I arrived at the high point of 12,600’ on the Leadville course first. I came to a stop and turned back to see where Mickey and Marcos were. Small, colored dots in the distance told me they had taken the bonus spur on the GPS course I had loaned them to a spectacular overlook of Twin Lakes over 3,500 feet below. I waited a few minutes while their dots grew back into life-sized mountain bikers and then we rolled down to the turnaround point of the Leadville 100 MTB course together.

Dirt Bros on Columbine.

After rolling into the Columbine Mine turnaround point, Marcos, Mickey and I all stopped and got off our bikes. Marcos’ comment summed it up, “That was really hard.” Yeah, got it.

Ok, ok, I got a helmet cam. I really thought long and hard about whether this was a good idea. I’m not the most technically astute mountain-bike racer so I worried at first that the desire to make good-looking movies would outweigh my desire to be safe. And frankly, after the fourth movie, would I ever pick it up again?

In any case, here is a sample of some movies I’ve made. Have to say I’m rather proud of them. Note: If you’re viewing on an iPhone, click the links to see the videos.

The first one is my favorite section of the Northside trail in Rancho Penasquitos Regional Park.

This next one is the amazing descent of Lopez Canyon which is also a great technical climb…

I rode Sycamore Canyon with my DirtBro Andrew last Saturday.

And this is just a bit of local singletrack right outside my front door. Ahh, the zen…

Note: As a general rule, telling your competitors how good you feel before a ride and how much you’d like to kick their asses is a bad idea.

After a week and a half resting after my dismal performance at Monster Climbs IV, I foreshadowed my improving form with this simple tweet.

I dug the hole even deeper, sealing my fate with this one.

Flash forward to 8:30am the next morning, a bright and sunny day in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. There was a lot of joking and “boys being boys” while Marcos, MickeyGow and I kitted up. We all agreed this was the best weather of the season so far and pedaled out into calm, cool sunshine.

As soon as we passed The Gate, MickeyGow was off the front. Where he was going? Didn’t he get the memo to neutralize the start so everyone could warm up? I chased with cold legs, the pain begging me to slow down, but I knew I had to keep him in sight. What if he doesn’t stop at the “Oak Tree” at the bottom of Soapstone as we always do? What if Mickey just keeps hammering up the singletrack to Sunrise Highway? I pedaled even faster to keep him in sight.

Mickey did not stop at The Oak Tree. I shouted out, probably louder than necessary, to hold up and choked down a GU and some Perpetuem while Marcos caught up. I tried to give Mickey a bad time, but all I got back was a smile and that twinkle in his eye telling me this was just the beginning.

He took off again before my heart rate settled and I cursed as I stuffed my half-eaten GU back into my pocket. I’m the one who’s supposed to be off the front today, what the hell is going on? I chased and chased to Sunrise Highway where Mickey mercifully stopped to wait. I had the urge to blast by, but I resolved to wait for Marcos who was just behind me.

Marcos called out, “Move out!” as he approached and I jumped on the front vowing to not let anyone pass on the downhill singletrack. The course was narrow and a little technical and Mickey could have gone faster, but screw that! He’d f’d up by not taking point, I wasn’t going to let anyone build a gap now. I didn’t stop when we got to Fages Monument either, just cranked up the watts a little.

A rider was behind me but the course ahead was too technical for me to look back. I figured it must be Mickey coming strong – his wheel was never more than five feet off mine. No matter how hard I pushed, I could not shake him. More than once, I overcooked a corner and had to go full power to get out of the bushes and maintain my lead. I hammered up the last bits to the top of Soapstone and found it was Marcos on my wheel. Where the heck was Mickey? Did they tag before trading off?

As soon as Mickey caught up, we were hammering down the wide sections to Hwy 79 and Middle Peak. Mickey passed me going balls out and barely in control on the sandy fire road. His grin was evident. He waited at the highway and I blew past to get whatever gap I could before the real climbing began. I got no more than 30 seconds.

I started up Middle Peak with Marcos on my wheel. And I mean “on my wheel”. Every so often he would buzz me, rubbing his front tire against my back, creating a ripping sound. If you asked him I’m sure he’d say it was accidental, but I’m certain it was on purpose – to show me how easy he was climbing. I was certainly not climbing easy. I was on the rivet, going as slow as I thought I could get away with. Mickey caught up and we became such a tight group that at one point I looked back and couldn’t tell who was who.

I heard the recognizable “ping!” of a spoke breaking followed by a “ding ding ding ding” of it spinning through the fork. I called back, “Broke a spoke?” and received a “Yeah” in reply. I asked if Marcos wanted to fix that and thankfully he did, giving me a moment’s rest, time to pee and choke down another GU. Far sooner than I’d have liked we started back up again.

I knew I was a goner and tried a little psychological warfare. “Just warming up, starting to feel good!” I said as positively as I could. “Almost halfway up!” I said at the three-quarters mark, trying to dishearten my chasers. I went wide on an inside corner near the top and Mickey saw his chance and took off. I could merely watch him go. Marcos hung back with me for a little longer then left me to the buzzards as well.

I was being schooled. Punished for bragging about my form. My plan was working perfectly.
I congratulated them at the top and then down we went through the maze of rocks and tangle of bushes that makes up “The Shortcut” off Middle Peak. I was glad that Marcos was behind me in case I crashed and broke something.

At the Hollow Oak Tree we regrouped and then began hammering up Azalea Springs fire road. MickeyGow went to the front and I chased desperately, knowing that I couldn’t let him gap me before the big descent of the day. Ahead was a five mile rocky downhill and as the best descender I’ve ever seen, MickeyGow could create quite the gap here. There was no sense in giving him more time.

We tipped over the crest and I watched Mickey zoom down. I passed Marcos to stay on Mickey’s wheel and down we went, me focusing on staying loose and light. For some reason, I was staying with Mickey instead of him going quickly out of sight. I focused on holding as much momentum as possible through each turn. I flew through sections where I used to come to almost a complete stop. My line was a blur and I was beaten mercilessly by the bushes and trees on either side of the trail. I was going faster than ever.

We came to a slight incline and I saw that Mickey was just cruising up it. I hammered full power, closing down the gap completely. As we crested, I tried desperately to buzz his back wheel and let him know I was “right there.” The trail tipped down and again we were at the mercy of gravity but this time Mickey started to pull away. I hammered all the flats and dead spots, but could not keep him in sight. My bike slid, rattled, jumped and jinked underneath me like a mechanical bull, to no avail.

Finally, I arrived at the singletrack; the last 2 miles of trail before beers under the trees. I hammered as best I could and once got a glimpse of Mickey through the trees, but I never caught him. I was about a minute behind at the end, not counting all the other times he waited for me.

After just 2 and a half hours of cycling, I’d had my butt thoroughly kicked. Very little zero-time, lots of desperate chasing and being chased. My plan had unfolded perfectly.

Idea: Before your next buddy ride, tell all your friends you’re going to kick their asses and see what happens…

Thirty-six hours before I was to board my flight to Colorado to race the Leadville 100 I was riding peacefully in my backyard canyon, trying to keep my legs loose. That’s when I felt a terrible “ker-chunck!” from somewhere and felt my bike sag depressingly towards the ground. Shiny metal fragments flew off my bike as I skidded to a halt. Oh, this can’t be good, I’m screwed…

Have you ever seen someone with a broken arm? You know how it just looks so strange for their arm to be hanging off at that strange angle? That’s how my bike looked – it took me a minute to figure out that my rear suspension had basically exploded.

This is how my rear suspension should look – the part that broke was the pin at the base of the shock. Everything in that joint needed replacing.

Two miles from my car, I tried pedaling it in. I was sagging so low that my pedals hit even small rocks protruding from the trail. I kept pedaling and started weighing my options.

OPTION ONE – Get it fixed? There was *NO* way I was going to get my bike repaired – this wasn’t a flat tire, my suspension had fallen completely OFF!

OPTION TWO – Borrow a bike? Unfortunately, I’m the only 6’4” mountain bike racer I know. All my friends ride size Medium. That won’t work…

OPTION THREE – Best excuse for a new bike! I was going to have to buy a new bike – screw it, I’ll go in debt. I have to race. I will not be stopped.

But… Buying a new bike the day before the race would be VERY risky. My chances for a race-ending mechanical issue on a 100-mile mountain bike race with a brand new bike were very high.

Racing a 100-mile mountain bike race requires rock solid equipment. I had been vetting my bike and it’s configuration for months, carefully tuning it to be as ready as me on August 15th. Too many Leadville racers have their races ended by stupid mechanical errors.

Ok, so buying a new bike was actually my second choice. Best choice was a repair, no matter how slim the chances. I decided to call Morgan at Bicycle Warehouse to verify I was screwed then head straight to the Trek Store and their 1-year, no interest financing.

I sat sweating in my car listening to the phone ring at Bicycle Warehouse. Morgan picked up and I explained that some pin sheared off in my suspension. You know what he said? “I have three of those right here, come on down.” My head almost exploded with joy. I threw my bike in the back of the car and raced to the shop, still wearing my kit, covered in dirt and mud.

We hung my Santa Cruz in the bike stand and Morgan started shaking his head, “No, no, no – you said you just broke the pin. I have a pin. This thing is completely fragged.” He was right. I was twice as screwed as I first thought.

Morgan is disassembling my bike to get a better look. So far, it doesn’t look very good.

What initially broke way back in June was the pin that connects my rear shock to the rear triangle. A squeak developed in my Santa Cruz – the classic Santa Cruz squeak – so I ignored it. Since a broken pin wobbles ever so slightly, by the time it finally fell out it had ruined the joint bearings, bent the connectors and ovalized all the spacers. I needed more than a new pin, I needed a whole new… everything – which, of course, no bike shop carries.

Morgan came out from the back room carrying a small cardboard box of assorted parts. Then, like a magician, he fished out first one bearing and then another. Those were the only parts that couldn’t be re-machined. He quietly went to work rebuilding my bike’s suspension. Parts that were bent got un-bent, torn parts got smoothed. I waited quietly, knowing I was watching a miracle. After a time, Morgan finished, looked up and said, “You can race this Saturday, and it will hold, but then we’re going to re-order all these parts and rebuild it new. This is just temporary.”

Nice! Then Morgan went to re-attach the rear shock and stopped. There was a big gash on the shock’s piston – the gash would burp air into shock, rendering it useless. I said, “So, sell me a new shock”, and he explained that there are too many size variations among mountain bikes; none of the stores stock them. They just order them one at a time, as needed. I tried to suggest that they sell me one off of a new bike, but Santa Cruz had changed their design specs for 2009, it was different and wouldn’t work. I was triple-screwed.

The divots on the shock arm may be hard to see, but they’re big enough to burp air into the shock.

So, I got on the phone and started dialing bike shops around San Diego – maybe I’d get lucky. I got a lot of sympathy everywhere I inquired – the guy who’s racing Leadville and needs a rear shock is a good story, but still no shock was found. I stared at the Maps app on my iPhone, I had called all the bike shops – now what? What about JensonUSA? I order a lot of bike parts from them online and they have super quick shipping. Maybe, just maybe…

I called JensonUSA and the rep casually said he had one in stock – no way! I don’t think he really understood why I was so excited. The shock was about 2 ½ hours away and rather than risk shipping it, I decided to drive up and pick it up personally the next morning.

Less than 24 hours after my bike exploded, I was packing it carefully for my race, thanks to Morgan and Bicycle Warehouse. And after 103.5 miles of racing, my only mechanical issue was a minor adjustment to my front derailleur. Rock solid gear and rock solid service. Thanks guys!

ps: Morgan contacted Santa Cruz who decided this was a warranty failure. They sent all new parts gratis which Morgan installed just today. Nice…

Standing in front of the Leadville Courthouse at 5:54pm on August 15th, it occurred to me that for the first time in a long while, I had nothing to do. I did need a shower pretty badly, but besides that, my schedule was completely empty. Wow, what a strange feeling…

I started preparing for Leadville as I filled out my application back in January. After finally receiving my “Yippee!” card, I dedicated everything to the race. I hired a coach, religiously executed a training plan and devoted every training experience to optimize my performance in August. Everything I did was about Leadville. Everything.

Fun rides like the Triple Bypass became fitness and nutrition tests – ways for me to test how I would react to altitude. A week’s vacation in July became my High Altitude Training Camp. I routinely bailed on rides with friends, giving the excuse, “Sorry, my training plan says I need to…”

But all that came to an end as I rolled down the red carpet and across that glorious finish line in Leadville.

So… What’s next?

I think some people (maybe myself include) expected me to quit cycling after Leadville… Oh, I thought about it, sure. You spend 6 days a week on a bike for 7 or 8 months and see where you end up mentally. But deep down I know I’m not done with it yet. Rolling down that red carpet felt so good. Punching the air as I crossed the line was a declaration! It was just the beginning, really.

If I’m to figure out where I’m headed next, I needed to first decide where I’m at already. I’ve done quite a bit of introspection since the race and here’s what I know so far – The reason I raced Leadville was to learn something about myself, to see if I had what it takes to do something that hard. I think cycling still has a lot of challenges left for me and I guess I’ll keep pedaling till I’m done learning.

Whatever it is, it’ll find me – not the other way around. It always happens that way with me.

If you ride a mountain bike with any regularity, you already know what this is about. If not, you may be surprised to learn that you are going to crash if you ride a mountain bike, so just expect it.

Sometimes crashing happens in predictable ways. Like, you know you shouldn’t have bombed that section quite so fast – right? But sometimes the crash comes completely out of left field, where even later you can’t really say what happened.

Check out this picture my buddy Mark sent me – can you figure out what happened? Neither can I, the message was something about how he fell off a cliff and into this tree.

Not sure what happened, but the story is that Mark went flying off a cliff and landed in the tree. Epic… Courtesy my buddy Andrew

I’ve crashed a few times this season – I figured I’d share my favorites so far.

Honorable Mention – “Watch out for that tree!”

Just last weekend, Andy and I were out for a fun ride in the canyon. Almost back to the car, coming down a really fast piece of single track, I overcooked a corner which was really no problem since there wasn’t any kind of drop off. I veered off the trail and into this field – the only obstacle was a single bushy tree.

For some reason, however, I couldn’t avoid the tree. I thought about going farther right, but nothing happened – I turned my head and closed my eyes as I horked the brakes and crunched into the bush/tree. Of course, it’s August here in San Diego (read: the desert) which means that bushes are really collections of thorny pungi sticks.

Picking myself up off the ground, I could feel my face was wet and salty but couldn’t tell if it was blood or sweat. I asked Andy if I was bleeding and he asked me about my “antennae”. I wasn’t bleeding, but I did have two good sized branches stuck in my helmet – including one that apparently bounced off my sunglasses.

2nd Place – “Do you think I should go to the ER?”

At mile 2 of a 50+ mile day, I came to a complete stop trying to negotiate a tight switchback in loose, rocky conditions. My bike slowly tipped to the right and I put out my hand to catch the fall – no biggie. Mark was behind me and quickly asked if I was ok. I responded, “Yeah, no problem”, I mean I just tipped over uphill. It was nothing.

Then I looked down at my shin which had been neatly sliced open by a scalpel shaped rock fin jutting out of the soft dirt. The rock fin now glistened with my, well, juice… My shin was cut so deeply I could see underneath my skin at globs of subcutaneous fat. Eewww! I got dizzy and almost passed out.

Is that my liver in there? This view into my leg gave me little comfort.

We bandaged up my wound and continued an abridged version of the ride, of course. 10 hours later when Mrs. Adventures took a look at my wound, she sort of lost it and forced me to go to the ER. Three weeks later, the gash was still deep enough to whistle if I rode faster than 17mph…

My Favorite Crash (so far!) – “When I grow up, I want to be Superman!”

Andy and I were making our way back to Cuyamaca from a fun day getting lost in the Laguna Mountains. I could almost taste the Stone Pale Ale as I hammered my way down a beautiful narrow single track through oak trees and grassy meadows…

And then I was flying through the air, seriously, with the greatest of ease. I tucked, landed hard on my left shoulder and tried to make myself into a ball. I figured my 25lb bike was also flying through the air and I was hoping it wouldn’t land on me. I was spared as it crashed down heavily beside me.

It was later determined that I had hit an immovable rock at between 15 and 20mph which catapulted me into the air. I flew at least 15 feet before landing in a nice rock garden. How I managed to pedal away with only the slimmest of injuries amazes me still.

The Moral of the Story?

So get out there this weekend and ride your mountain bike. You’ll have a great time and you’ll probably crash too. Embrace the crashing, it’s all good.

The series of thunderstorms that passed through California last week, giving San Diego such strange May weather wreaked havoc on our Monster Climbs plans. Instead of radiant sunshine and azure skies in the Eastern Sierras, it looked like we’d be in for rain, snow, wind and 35f temps in the high-altitude passes. To save the trip, Voris (trip captain) re-organized everything to base out of Death Valley instead of Bishop. That’s where I chickened out and bailed.

Instead, I planned my own little 3-day Monster Climbs adventure here in San Diego. I missed being with the team, but was glad for the company of my Dirt Bros and enjoyed recovering at home instead of at a motel.

Day 1 – South Grade of Palomar

The South Grade of Palomar Mountain is often compared to Alpe d’Huez, a legendary climb in the Tour de France. Having climbed both on a bike a couple of times, I can confirm the similarity with the exception that the 21 corners of L’Alpe are almost flat, making the ramps steeper when you consider the average gradient. Palomar is almost perfectly the same gradient throughout.

Mark and I parked at the casino at the bottom and headed straight up. The idea was to use the 6,000 feet of climbing Palomar as a warm up for the weekend. I was hoping to pootle to the top, but Mark set a nasty pace right away. Knowing I could only hold that pace for a few more minutes, I went to the front to slow it down. I got lucky in that Mark decided to sit in rather than drop me right then and there. He’s nice that way.

Up and up we pedaled, each lost in our own iPod playlists. It was nice and quiet – I guess the Moto-GP guys don’t get Friday’s off. About halfway up, I was feeling ok and began to plan my attack. I thought Mark might have some weakness near the top so I resolved to attack as we passed the 5,000 foot sign, about a mile from the top.

With 5,000 feet of climbing in 21 switchbacks, Palomar is very similar to Alpe d’Huez

Mark beat me to the punch, launching a voracious attack with several miles to go. I went with him and was able to keep his wheel. I prayed that he’d have to slow down soon and he did. Hoping that he was spent from the attack, I counter-attacked, but Mark kept my wheel. Still convinced he was on his last gas, I pushed hard one more time, but it turned out that I was the one on the edge and I imploded. Mark went right around me. I still got about 1:30 for the South Grade which is not a personal record, but not bad either.

Mark pedals the final meters to the Palomar Observatory

We moseyed up to the high point and did a lap to the Observatory before heading back down the grade to the car. All in all, we got 6,147 feet of climbing in just 38 miles over 3:06. Nice warm up.

Day 2 – Epic Mountain Bike Adventure

I love Saturday morning epic mountain bike adventures with Mark and Andy and last Saturday did not disappoint. As we headed out to Cuyamaca under blustery skies, my thoughts were with the Descenders. If we were getting weather this far south, I wondered what it must be like in Death Valley – hopefully no wind or rain.

The Dirt Bros at one of our (glorious) rest stops

Mark, Andy and I headed east on new trails, bound for Indian Creek and the famous Noble Canyon descent. We stopped along the way to chat with and get directions from other riders. I was very happy for the stops as Mark was continuing to push a hard pace – when does that kid slow down?

Gotta love Cuyamaca – the weather made it even more beautiful

Awesome singletrack trails led us to Deer Park fire road and the start of the Indian Creek trail that would lead us to the top of Noble Canyon. A narrow swath of rocky singletrack lead ominously uphill into the scrub. Up and up that trail went, like the rocky spine of some ancient dragon. Mark and Andy have much better skills than I and motored ahead while I was forced to stop and negotiate several obstacles on foot. This was by far, the most technical climbing I’ve ever done. Absolutely relentless as well – it took me 35 minutes to travel just 1.8 miles up that hill.

Don’t try this with 50psi, that’s for sure

Taking a picture of this switchback was the perfect excuse for a break

Finally at the top, we decided to bomb down Noble Canyon, a legendary singletrack descent with sections named “Stairway to Hell”, “Barney Rubble” and “The Widow Maker”. Yeah, right… Mark and Andy sped off with their “mad descending skills”, leaving me to pick my way down in quiet solitude. Honestly, 95% of Noble Canyon is super-fun twisty-turny singletrack running through oak and pine forest, opening to chaparral and scrub at the bottom. It’s the 5% that makes the trail treacherous and kept me on my toes. Go flying around a sharp corner to find a 6-foot rocky dropoff – oh, is that stump actually used as a ramp? Wow.

Near the bottom, I found Mark and Andy waiting at a creek crossing. Mark had an owie from one of the obstacles and you could tell that the fun had worn off. We continued down the canyon and took the early exit to start making our way back to Cuyamaca.

Mine is the orange one

Deer Park Road is paved until you get to the “Big Oak Tree” with sections as steep as 15-20% and is a nice way to warm up the legs after the Noble downhill (not!). We picked our way west back to Cuyamaca, the car and all that cold beer. I was feeling good and there was no good reason not to leave it all on the trail so I attacked right off the front. It felt really good to be hammering so I kept it up, all the way to the top of the ridge. I looked back and realized I was finally putting the hurt on Mark so I let out some kind of rebel yell, I was almost at the point of laughing – funny how after 5 hard hours on the bike you can feel so good. Mark caught me on the descent into Cuyamaca, which is expected. He’s ballsier than I am.

What a beautiful day

We re-grouped at the highway and took the singletrack back towards the car, passing several runners participating in the San Diego 100 Mile Endurance Run – seriously – 100 miles?!? They were at mile 46 or so and some looked fresh and others looked to be struggling. The winner finished in a little over 18 hours so everyone planned on running all night. Yeah, that’s just crazy…

The trails that connect Laguna and Cuyamaca are awesome

We continued toward the car, being careful to give the runners the right of way. Still feeling good, I waited patiently for another opportunity to hammer and got it when we turned off the runner’s course and onto the last 2-mile stretch of singletrack leading to the parking lot. I gave it everything I had, feeling really good again. Mostly flat with lots of twists, this section is one of my favorites. Splashed through the creek, gingerly negotiated the switchbacks and zoomed the final turns.

Mmm, Levitation Ale and a handmade BLT with turkey

Cold beer and an awesome lunch awaited (thanks Tami!). Does it get better? Day 2 totals: 35.5 miles and 5,945 feet climbed in 6:08.

Day 3 – Pie Run to Julian

I love riding to Julian and I always suffer on the way home. I couldn’t find anyone to join me, but was looking forward to the six hours of solitude on the bike.

I got ALL the town signs

After 10 solid hours of sleep and a leisurely morning, I set out to Pie Town. I kept the pace moderate, knowing it’s all about getting home and the last 2,000 feet of climbing. I was hoping that my new nutrition plan would keep me feeling good all day. If I am to survive Leadville, I’ll need to be able to ride for up to 12 hours and I’ve always had trouble around hour 5. Today would be a test.

There’s something about this tree…

The miles drifted along and soon I was climbing out of the Ramona basin toward Santa Ysabel. I chatted with another rider for awhile who turned out to be Tony Ellsworth of Ellsworth Bikes. He’s a heck of a nice guy, I’m going to have to check out his MTB line. It’s cool to have a bike manufacturer in town.
I didn’t set any records to the top of Old Julian Highway, but that’s ok. I kept rolling on to Santa Ysabel and was still good on water so I decided not to stop and just roll up the grade to Julian. Left turn on Wynola Road for the bonus miles and to avoid some traffic. Wynola is one of my favorite roads – it’s so picturesque. Very nice to climb and descending is very exciting.

Favorite town sign of the day

Rolled into downtown Julian a little after 3 hours, sent a text to the fam, turned around and headed for home. I don’t really take the time to eat the pie anymore, the break seizes my legs up and the pie is good, but not what I need to get home.

Every time I head to Julian I tell myself that I can get bonus miles by coming home via Highland Valley Road. But every time I get to the HVR turnoff on the way home, I’m feeling so horrid all I want to do is crawl into ditch for a nap. So, I never take the bonus miles. Last Sunday, I felt great and turned onto Highland Valley; one of San Diego’s best cycling roads. Twisty, steep and in the middle of almost nowhere, it’s majestic. Lucky to be climbing the shallow side, I enjoyed the exciting 40mph descent, even powering up several of the “attack ramps” – places where the road briefly turns uphill during the descent where you can gain time on others by hammering.

Wynola Road is one of my all-time favorite roads

Finally deposited on Pomerado Road, I began the final 10-mile push home. I passed a tandem going uphill at about mile 85 and they passed me on the downhill. Weariness was finally working into my legs and I was happy to jump on their wheel for the draft. They turned off at the bottom of the final 350-foot climb up Pomerado Road. At mile 92, this hill causes me to re-think the decision to buy the house I did. The houses at the bottom of the hill are just as nice…

Still felt good going uphill so I pushed it and found some reasonable power. Very nice. Totals for day were 93 miles and 7,831 feet climbed in 6:38.

In The End…

I got some emails and photos from the Descenders saying how great their Death Valley trip turned out. Awesome, I’m really glad it worked out. And I’m really stoked to have gotten in 159 miles with 19,926 feet of climbing over almost 16 hours of saddle time.

Perfect training for Leadville.