I’m in.

For the third year in a row, I’ve won the Leadville lottery and the opportunity to race the Leadville 100 MTB race this August.

Ok, they don’t send cards out like this anymore – it was more of a “Yippee!” email.

In 2009, I raced my heart out, finishing after 11 hours and 24 minutes on the grueling course. I returned last year with one of my best friends, Marcos, for my second buckle – it was not to be. Marcos earned his buckle, but I bailed at the bottom of Powerline (inbound) after 8 ½ hours and 80 miles of racing.

So, here we go. On this crazy adventure to race my bike above 10,000 feet in the Colorado Rockies, just to see if I can.

Stay tuned for lots more adventure…

I was in trouble. Something wasn’t right. I was a little over 40 miles into the Leadville 100, on the early slopes of the Columbine climb and I was feeling sick. The first waves of nausea hit me a few miles before the Twin Lakes Aid Station and at first I had attributed the feelings to overeating in preparation of the Columbine climb. The Columbine mine sits on a spectacular ridgeline at 12,600′ and I’ve had trouble eating properly above 11,000′ in the past. The strategy I’ve developed to deal with this is to overeat a little down low then cruise up.

So I cut back on eating and slowed my pace waiting for the inevitable recovery that never came. I felt worse and worse as I climbed and started alternating walking and riding my bike slowly much much lower than I ever have on Columbine. Nausea gave way to the shakes as I started to Bonk from not eating. I could eat only if I stopped and let my heart rate settle to normal.

This was not good at all.

Marcos and I had started the race in fine form. We’d laid down our bikes on 6th Avenue at 5:00am only about 400 places back which put us in great position. The shotgun blast and initial rollout was emotional for me as hundreds cheered us on. The initial fire roads were blazingly fast and I was barely working in a 6 across peloton. We hit St. Kevins in a clump and experienced the normal log jam which was actually a great way to stay on tempo pace. By the time I got to the top of Carter Summit, I was already 15 minutes ahead of last year’s time.

We flew down Turquiose Lake road and I made sure to eat a lot to stay on my nutrition plan. I was worried about the Sugarloaf climb which I had bonked on last year. I settled into a steady rhythm, feeling good and surprised at how good I felt. Marcos caught me and we climbed steadily together to the top of Hagerman Pass.

We fist-bumped as the trail tipped downward and began the long exciting descent down the Powerline. We were in a good group and absolutely flew down – the fastest I had ever gone down the Powerline. We got to the bottom, negotiated the creek crossing via the mostly unknown jump-over and hammered towards the Pipeline Aid Station.

I was feeling great. I was right on schedule with my eating and was generating more watts than I’d expected. By the time we hammered through the aid station and onto the Pipeline, I was 25 minutes ahead of last year and only a few minutes off my sub-10 time. The idea that I could finish the Leadville 100 under 10 hours was intoxicating. If I could stay within 30 minutes of the sub-10 schedule I had a chance. I always finish strong and would gain time in the last 10-12 miles of the course.

Now, climbing Columbine was like a bad dream. I was bonking because I had stopped eating. But eating made me want to puke. I was walking a LOT more than I ever had here. My dream of finishing in under 10 hours was out the window. I was losing ground fast and was about to lose my goal of finishing an hour faster than last year. All I could think about was getting to the top and back down, confident that I’d feel better at lower altitudes and after a rest on the descent. My mind was in a haze as I finally summited and began the descent. I had lost my lead over last year’s time, but it was possible for me to still get my sub-12 hour buckle.

I ate on the descent to stop The Bonk and initially felt better. But once the trail flattened and went over The Stooges back to Twin Lakes, my nausea was back and my power and speed went out the window. I crawled my way back to the Aid Station, refueled my nutrition, kissed my family and headed back up the Pipeline. My plan was to finish sub-12 and get my buckle.

Riders streamed by me on the shallow climb out of Twin Lakes. I was going way slower than I wanted to. I was falling off the 12-hour schedule and not feeling any better. I’ve bonked and had nausea on rides before but I’d always recovered. Not this day.

The singletrack was a blur. I rolled through Pipeline and got back on the pavement. I tried to draft a tandem couple and couldn’t generate enough power to stay with them. I started calculating my finish time and realized at my current pace I was on the bubble for 13 hours. I thought about the climbs ahead. The Powerline was the most significant. It’s the ‘Monster’ at 78 miles. Given my current state, I was sure I would have to walk the whole distance. Usually, I just have to walk the lower steep sections. The road climb back to Hagerman is smooth and fast on a good day. I was sure I’d have to stop and rest several times. The short climbs back to the top of St. Kevins would be hike-a-bikes too. Last year I had hammered the fire roads back into town, there would be no more hammering this year.

I was not going to buckle and was courting having to be swept from the course. I also wasn’t feeling any better and getting dangerously dehydrated. I stopped at the bottom of Powerline and called my crew for a pickup.

Ken says something like this at the race briefing, “When you get home, everyone is going to ask you if you finished. If you don’t quit, you can answer with one word – yes. If you do quit, you’ll have to spend 20 minutes explaining why you were such a crybaby.” He’s right.

ps: Marcos went on to finish in 11:35, earning his first Silver Buckle and saying this race was the hardest thing he’s ever done. Congrats Marcos!

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.

It was raining lightly as I dove into the sharp right hand turn under an overpass at mile 113. My tires struggled vainly to maintain purchase with the slick pavement and when they finally let go it was sudden and violent. I slammed into the pavement and began a long slide, finally coming to a halt 10 meters later.

My primary concern as I lay there on the ground was that Mickey was going to catch me and take the “Stage Win”. I had dropped him just minutes earlier on the run-in from Vail Pass where I somehow got max KOM points.

I was riding the Triple Bypass as hard as I could because I had something to prove. With the Leadville Trail 100 MTB race just over a month away it was time to give my fitness a real test. A 120-mile road ride to 11,000’ over three gigantic Rocky Mountain Passes seemed like just the thing.

Note: The Triple Bypass is a 120-mile road ride through the Colorado Rockies over three distinct mountain passes; Juniper Pass (11,140’), Loveland Pass (11,990’) and Vail Pass (10,560’). In total there is well over 10,000’ of climbing for the day at some serious altitude.

To be honest, coming into the Triple Bypass I was freaking out a little bit. I desperately needed to know I was on track – I needed to know that the innumerable hours and miles I was putting in on the bike were paying off. For the last several weeks my power levels had been off target. I had been struggling to achieve basic intervals and self-doubt was getting hard to control – was everything ok? Do I have the legs to even finish Leadville this year? What was going on?

DMoz, Marcos, Mickey, Arlyn, Ajay and Karydes from Team Climb On! Missing are Cecil and Erik.

The “race” began right at Kilometer Zero as my buddy Mickey separated from our group of eight friends to draft on a slightly faster rider. I knew that if I didn’t follow him, I’d never see him again so I went too. I was putting in exactly the right effort as rider number three in our group and we began the first climb over Juniper Pass to Echo Lake.

Gaining just 2,585’ over 13 miles meant I could spin easily upward as the altimeter quickly approached 11,000’. Within a few miles, Mickey and his lead-out man picked up the pace and I let them go, wary of blowing up to soon. As I watched them pace out of sight, I figured I wouldn’t see him again until the finish line. It was hard to think straight above 10,000’ and my power dropped by at least 10%. I focused on setting an even rhythm and eating on schedule to avoid The Bonk.

At some point, DMoz passed me. This guy is skinny enough for concern and just completed Ride the Rockies in great form. Combine that with the fact he lives at elevation and now you’ll understand how frustrating it is to have him pass you chatting the whole way. I watched him go figuring I’d never see him again either. He managed to beat Mickey to the top taking max KOM points for himself.

Some lake on the Triple Bypass course – sorry, I wasn’t paying much attention!

Skipping the Aid Station at Echo Lake, I tipped my bike over and began speeding downhill towards Idaho Springs at 50mph in some sections. The speed and roads were exhilarating, the inexperienced descenders were not. I warily passed many cyclists who need someone to show them how to keep a line through a corner.

Marcos caught me on the outskirts of Georgetown, at the base of the second pass where I was planning to stop at the Aid Station. We stopped together and chatted while we filled up bottles. I was a bit nervous because he looked strong and I really wanted to maintain my current 3rd place among the team. I mean, a podium is a podium, right?

DMoz caught up to us while we were stopped causing a brief moment of confusion. We thought he was ahead of us. I guess we rocketed downhill past him. Unfortunately, 140lb guys just don’t go downhill as fast at 195lb guys… He took off a few minutes ahead of us and again I figured that would be the last time I saw him.
After a 14-minute stop, we were off again across a 2-mile stretch of gravel road. Many riders were unnerved by the rocks, gravel and potholes, but for some reason reveled in it. After a little while I no longer heard Marcos behind me and figured he had slowed up to do his own pace. Smart. On a ride like the Triple Bypass, you have to ride your own pace. 120 miles is a loooong way to go.

The road tilted upwards, but never very sharply as we climbed towards Loveland Pass. At 11,990‘, this would be the high point of the day. Again, the extreme elevation took its toll on me and I began to dream/hallucinate the strangest things. I forced myself to eat and set an easy, steady pace as I got higher and higher. At some point on US-6, above 11,000’, I decided that it was more comfortable to pedal with my eyes closed. Of course, as I was passing a cyclist every few minutes, this was a bit of a hazard. Somehow I worked it out.

My trick to achieving long climbs is to watch my altimeter. If I know where the top is, I can have a little party in my head every 100 feet – “Yeah! Only 2,300 feet to go! Heck, it’s actually even LESS THAN 2,300 feet now!”

Karydes and Ajay on the Continental Divide at Loveland Pass

Eventually I reached Loveland Pass and rather than stop to shoot a photo of the sign, I bombed the descent directly. Again, speeds near 50mph were the order of the day as I shot down to warmer and slightly thicker air. Along the way I saw and passed DMoz again. This time I shouted as I went past. Technically, I was in second place – I thought he’d catch me on the final climb over Vail Pass, but it began to seem likely for me to catch him on the final descent into Avon. The second step of the podium sure seemed nicer than the third…

DMoz and I stopped at the school in Frisco and refilled bottles, chatting about our experiences so far. He left first as I searched for the porta-potties.

The elevation at the Aid Station was around 9,000’ and with Vail Pass only 10,500’, I knew this would be a relatively shallow climb over 12 miles. I was feeling really good as I left the Aid Station and decided to up my tempo a bit to see what was in the tank. If I blew up on the last climb, no problem.

I quickly caught DMoz on the lower parts of the climb. He started grumbling about my quicker pace and fell off a bit. We started to get sprinkled on and he passed me when I stopped to put on my vest, but I passed him back when he did the same.
I was going up and up on the bike trail now, passing other riders at a healthy clip. It was a bit dodgy as the trail was only really wide enough for three across (both directions) and there was a lot of blind turns. For some reason, many riders rode the centerline, making it dangerous to pass them. Maybe they were entranced by the yellow line or something, but it was a bit annoying.

One woman I passed had a radio blaring music in her jersey pocket. She stepped up her pace and passed me back, with “The Love Shack” going the whole time. I got perturbed and passed her again, but she hung onto my back wheel with some other top-40 drivel blasting out. I think they invented earbuds just for her. Feeling quite good now, I picked up the pace even more until I could no longer hear her.

Colorado was in full beauty for the race – and the weather was near perfect!

Rounding some corners near the top of Vail Pass I sighted a rider I recognized. Could that be Mickey? He had stopped, but was getting back on and pedaling again. I furiously chased and yes, it was Mickey! Instantly, I saw how I would beat him to the top of Vail Pass and then hammer alone to the finish. There was a slim chance it would work. I slowed as I passed him and asked if everything was ok. I got an unintelligible reply and took off for the top of the Pass, just about a half mile up. Later I found out he had no real idea where the top was and was just following me up. It was a bit confusing at the top and I made the mistake of going through the parking lot instead of straight to the top. Suddenly, I saw Mickey in front of me, just meters from the top and had to all-out sprint to get there first. Mickey gave me a funny look and asked, “Is this the top?”

We began coasting downhill together toward the finish, just 25 miles away. I asked him if we would share the top step or fight it out. Mickey had that twinkle in his eyes but admitted he didn’t have the legs to chase now. He was going to let me do all the pulling. Fine and fine.

We rocketed down the initial steep sections of bike path like two fighter jets, Mickey right on my wheel. He later told me it was one of the best descents of his life and I have to agree. We flew down the curvy bike path cooking some corners a bit too hot and diving into holes between riders to pass.

I had racing fever as we hammered the final miles into Avon. We picked up another rider who was willing to work and I started trading 30-second pulls with him. While in the draft I calculated how fast we’d have to go for me to take an hour off of last years’ time of 9:20. It began to seem possible.

At some point Mickey came to the front and did a terrific pull. I was next and knew what would happen – he went right off the back after his amazing effort. I kept the watts up, not waiting. The top step of the podium would be mine alone. Sorry, buddy. Down and down we went, rocketing through the roundabouts in Vail while the State Police stopped traffic for us.

Back on the bike path, we traded a few more pulls. With my turn over, I rested, knowing I only had a few seconds until it was my turn again. I looked up and saw bike path bend into the tunnel and prepared for a hard turn.

And that’s how I found myself sliding across the pavement wondering how far back Mickey was.

My collarbone was not broken. My arms were not broken. I had almost no pain – the rash hurts later. I checked for blood and even the rash didn’t look so bad. Something was wrong with my bike, but I couldn’t figure out what. It didn’t go or something. I told my new friend to go on without me – I was fine. He cruised on and I got back on my bike trying to figure it out. I really didn’t want Mickey to catch me – how stupid would that be? But there was some kind of odd clicking sound – I shifted and it went away. Perfect!

I cranked it up again and caught my friend, explaining everything was fine now. We started trading pulls again and I made sure mine were long and fast. I had a bit of a deficit to make up in order to keep to my schedule of arriving an hour faster. Suddenly, the finish line loomed in front of us. We had both set new PRs for the Triple and congratulated each other.

I came to a halt all by myself in the midst of a huge crowd, breathing hard, sweat dripping off me, feeling the sting of the fresh road rash and ache in my legs after a 120-mile ride through the mountains and let it all sink in…

Leadville, here I come!

Team Climb On! Race Results

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…

I’m riding the Triple Bypass in Colorado next Saturday. It’s an amazing 120-mile journey over three high passes in the Rocky Mountains – the 3,500 rider event sold out in just a few hours. I’m riding with a big group of friends, many of whom I haven’t seen in a year. We’ve all been looking forward to this ride for months.

The LAST thing I want to happen is for a mechanical problem to keep me from having a great time. So, now is the time to check everything while I still have time to order parts and most importantly to get in a couple of test rides before the big event. Here’s my checklist:

Tires

Have your tires worn flat instead of being rounded like when new? Is the rubber cracking a little, especially at the rims? Might be time for new tires. The more worn your tires are, the easier it is to get a flat. My Continental GP 4000’s have a wear dimples, when they disappear, it’s time for a new tire.

Brakes

Diving into a hairpin corner at the top of a 5,000 foot descent is not the best time to find out your brake pads are worn out. Sometimes, when your brakes feel spongy you just tighten the cable a little, right? Well, you can do that only so many times before you run out of pad. Your pads should have wear marks on them – make sure you have plenty of pad left to slow you down.

Chain

Did you know your chain wears out? A worn chain is more likely to break on a ride and also increases wear on your cassette and chainrings. I’ve actually crashed when my chain broke; don’t let that happen to you.

I use this handy Park Tool Chain Wear Gauge to keep an eye on chain wear and end up replacing mine every 2,000 miles or so.

Cables

Does your bike shift properly? A lot of shifting problems come from too much friction in the cable housings. Especially problems shifting into higher gears in the back where the derailleur uses the spring to contract. If you ride in wet weather, that rear cable housing easily fills with gunk and rusts. You can test how much friction is in the system by disconnecting the cable from the derailleur and moving it by hand. It should slide easily from the shifter to the derailleur.

Even if everything is ok, it’s a good idea to change your cables every season. I once got up at dawn and drove over an hour to do an epic 100+mile ride only to have my derailleur cable snap in the parking lot.

Cleats

When was the last time you looked at the bottom of your shoes? Yeah, same here. It’s a good idea to check out your cleats and pedals to make sure everything is in working order before starting off on that epic ride. I’ve had cleat bolts shear off leaving me pedaling home somewhat awkwardly.

Repair Kit

What’s in your repair kit? Did you replace the CO2 cartridge the last time you got a flat? I’ve heard several stories of people replacing their tube only to find the spare also had a hole in it.

All I need is a spare tube, a CO2 cartridge and nozzle, a single tire spoon (you only need one…) and a good multi-tool. Make sure the tool has a chain-tool on it. I also throw in a piece of rubber to plug large tears in a tire sidewall and a quick-link that I need for my specific type of SRAM chain. Personally, I hate carrying a pump (but am usually glad that you do) and can’t stand messing with tire patches. If you like that stuff, go for it.

Ok, everything ready? Good. Now go ride…

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…