2011 Blogs
The Front Range 30-miler mountain bike race was on Saturday at Bear Creek Lake Park in Morrison, CO. It was one of the Front Ranges' hottest days so a 2pm start was a shock to the system. I would describe the course more of a desert bike race than mountain bike, as there are hardly any trees and you're riding a dusty and exposed loop. Nevertheless, no matter what the course, if there is a start line there will also be a finish line and once the gun fires a race will proceed. To quote a coach of mine "Finish lines are sweet."
One thing I love about Colorado is the number of amazing athletes who reside here. On any given weekend you can rock up to a race 20 miles from your bed and line up beside your competitors who you also see on the plane flying to national series races, World Cups, World Championships and maybe even Olympics. Indeed, as I rolled into the venue with Worlds Time Trialist silver medalist, Rebecca Much (now doing great things for World Bicycle Relief), we viewed our competition for the day and took a deep breath. We knew it would be a fast day when we saw Kelli Emmett. Then it slowly turned into a national series race as we saw Amanda Carey (this season focusing on 100-milers who proceeded to go tack on a couple-few hundred km after the sweltering race), Erin Huck (Boulderite who is crushing it this season...look out!), Caitlyn Vestal formerly of Trek-VW, and Erin Kummer, Ironman rockstar.
The women were staged after the Sport men which we weren't too stoked about, but riding out of the smooth track to pass can only make you stronger, right!? The pace started off fast as we rolled for about 1km on pavement and into a hard right turn onto the course. Kelli took off as soon as we tasted dirt and I tried to hold her wheel as she wove through men on the first climb. She and Erin quickly distanced themselves from Amanda, Caitlyn and myself. I tried to hold their wheels through this first lap but the heat was beating me like butter in the microwave. I suffered that first lap something wicked and I know that giddy feeling of love for my Mojo I have felt every ride since building the Dark Knight, was a couple miles up the trail from me, dangling like a carrot. Brian Dallas came to help me out for the race and he was able to hand a bottle of ice water off which I took a big swig of and doused myself with as I entered the 2nd 10 mile lap. Further along the trail was a neutral feed zone; grabbed a bottle here and again poured it over my roasting body...took a gulp and it was a sugary drink mix...lovely. Maybe all the dusty dirt will collect to me even more and create an insulating dust-vest so I don't catch the chills.
Feeling a bit cooled off from the sticky electrolytes on my skin I was craving one of Clif's double caffeinated chocolate cherry gels...like hitting the turbo button. Through the 2nd lap I was feeling a bit more in control of my body, able to make myself hurt s'more and some clouds moved in to cool the heat down. Toward the end of the lap the course is flat and fast with good rhythm. I put my head down and clicked into a perfect gear - one that I could roll over without grinding, keep the cadence high, and keep the legs and lungs humming. I rolled up on Amanda and we traded sucking wind a couple times to bridge up to Caitlyn. Though I don't miss being a full-time road racer, I do lick my chops when a mtb race contains drafting, tactics, and maybe even a bunch coming to the line together. The course was very mellow, in fact I think a 'cross bike would have sufficed. So I sat on the 2 for a while and when the opportunity arose surged to the front and opened a gap. With cooler temps and a 2nd caffeinated gel my legs were feeling pretty dern good. I wish there were lap splits because I would bet my final lap was my fastest; I had finally cooled down enough to warm up.
I kept the power on the pedals and was happy with my first race since Sea Otter. I never caught Kelli or Erin, but I moved from a distant 5th to 3rd. I had fun and finished giddy on my Mojo. I was even able to comment a guy I was overtaking on his new Black & Red Cobalts. Thanks to the Grip Shift my arm & wrist have had some respite and I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel as all the TLC I've been giving it pays off.