2nd Place Wausau 24! (Formerly 24hrs of Nine Mile)

Here we go! Long story coming up - some background on my 24hr race mindset - better grab your coffee or Red Bull!

February of 2007 - I was sitting at JFK International airport with Dr. Flores, one of my college economics professors, after presenting my senior thesis at the Eastern Economics Association Conference in New York City

the day before. I was reading an inspiring article in this issue of Mountain Bike Magazine about a ridiculously ambitious 24 hour mountain bike racer - Pua Mata. I told my professor "I want to do this someday...race a 24 hour mountain bike race." After sharing parts of the story with him he confirmed that I should make reservations at a mental institution BUT agreed it would be a huge accomplishment if completed- physically and mentally. At the time it was just a great article about a pro rider overcoming a potentially career ending crash...AND to come back and attempt a 24 hour race only a couple months after?!?! pretty awesome! It inspired me to kick up the training...I really wanted to do this ultra-endurance racing!

I had only begun mountain bike racing the previous season (at 28 years old) and had quickly moved to the CAT 2 category racing the entire Mountain States Cup XC series. On and off again training put me behind for the start of the 2007 season...and on June 28th I crashed and broke my right fibula. I stayed motivated doing several things, one of them was re-reading this article. And two months later...I entered a race which sparked an active recovery and I was feeling great!

Well...two years later almost to the day, I broke my left fibula. I had just started working with TJ again making huge gains in performance and accomplishing what I originally set out to achieve with my cycling - and I nearly quit this time. But the mountain biking bug bite is an amazingly strong one. This time though it took seven months to get back on the saddle (for more reasons than just recovery - a big move out of state contributed). Again, one of my many ways to get motivated was to include a re-read of this article...AND then to see online current results that show her drive has made her faster than ever. I still wanted to race a 24 hour event someday.

2012 has been full of change for me all around, including the mountain bike racing category- new style of bike and more "training" and than racing - which has been awesome. The views you get while out on a mountain bike are amazing and on some training rides I've been getting some photos and stopping to take more of it in...riding intense!!...but relaxed. I LOVE the competition but hadn't realized how much it was consuming me. If it weren't for TJ's comments and understanding when schedules were tough fitting in with full time career schedules I would have exploded and hung it up completely; 'cause honestly missed workouts were pissing me off really bad...and it was affecting the workouts I WAS getting in- yeah counter-productive on all fronts!

So again this past June...I reread this article (yup still have it nearly six years later)...knew two friends racing the Lutsen 99er in a couple weeks...sure! Why not? Wait I have a singlespeed...meh...sure, why not!? :) I signed up, didn't think about the training or lack-thereof, started the race with a clear head and did pretty well! With that success, going in not worrying about the competitive part, and just doing it - riding MY race, I felt good again and impulse purchased the solo singlespeed registration to the Wausau24 later that week. Yeah...not something usually done on a whim, but it felt right and I had about four weeks to prepare. I'm finally gonna do this.

So...here's the chapter of my first attempt at a solo 24 hour race:

It's amazing what the human body can do...the Wausau 24 was a pretty awesome experience! At 10AM Saturday morning we started the race with a nice 1/4 mile Le Mans start to the bikes

and we were off. Thanks to John Reinan and his girlfriend Melissa, I had quick stops for fueling and bottle hand-ups. I do rememeber telling John at about 8 hours in that I was "starting to realize what I was trying to attempt here" :) Darkness set in and the lights were on (handlebar mounted lights are KEY) and I was going strong and relatively steady riding third in SS and around 10-11th overall...until about 3:30am.

My plan was a kit change every six hours...I hadn't changed shorts but changed tops a couple times. I was just putting more chamois cream on and I felt good to go- however, after it got dark my brain simply forgot to get me to reapply in my normal interval and I started to get saddle sores...BAD. I started standing more and moving around more when in the saddle...which then of course took out the rest of what my lower back had left.

After I completed that lap I pulled off and had serious doubts about finishing, but figured I'd make the best of it

and John got me some coffee AND a Red Bull and made a turkey burger while I went and changed my kit and of course finally reapplied cream. After about 30 mins of stretching, fueling, and changing I went out for another lap. My saddle sores were even worse feeling...the new kit I put on was a different brand and I think some of the seams were rubbing right on top of the sores that had developed. Apparently by that time I should have just stayed with those shorts and used twice as much cream.

Whatever...anyway, the next lap was REALLY fast...by design. During my long stop John told me I HAD moved into second place in SS and 7th or 8th overall but now fell to 3rd and 10th, but others lap were beginning to suffer as well...I knew they were watching my lap times too so to send a message I went a ripped off a lap only 10 minutes slower than my fastest 22 hours earlier to hopefully get the point across to them that I'm still in it! ...and hopefully they'll back off even more haha >)

With two hours to go I stopped right before the check in area (and finish line) to check the

results to see if it would be worth it yet to do one more lap based on others positions...turns out it would but the saddle sores and back problems were coming back strong and I HAD to take another break. Without knowing it the guy that was in 3rd SS passed me in the pit area about 5 mins before I went out again and about 1hr 30mins before the finish (10am). John told me this, and I was a little annoyed that I missed him. I went out and caught him 4 miles into the lap on the one longer and steeper singletrack climb which at this point most solo riders were walking. I ran up next to him, we kinda smirked, nodded back and forth- we knew who each other was- and I jumped on my bike and muscled up the rest of the climb. I looked back when I reached the top and he was slumped over the bars still pushing about 50 yards back...but then started running. I rode the rest of the lap super smooth and pretty fast and got to the finish area with about 13 minutes until 10am. About 30 other riders sitting there waiting for the clock to strike 10- we had to finish a lap after 10am in order to not be a DNF. Where I was at in the standings one more lap woud not have gained me any more spots in SS or the overall so I stayed there.

I kept looking back up the trail to see if he was going to come- he never did. One group of

riders came up to the line just as the clock turned over 10am...one was the guy right behind me in the overall and ignoring the etiquette page that everyone else was on, just rode by the line of riders and took 8th from me so I was scored with 9th overall. Not a big deal really but whatever. The other SS I passed to take second finished his lap about 2 minutes after 10am...so basically in the last 6 miles of the race I gained about 15 minutes on him - that felt pretty sweet to finish that strong! Full results HERE

It was pretty awsome to be 2nd on the podium in my first 24 hr race even though it was only the SS and not the GC podium. I had passed the rider that got 5th overall about 5 miles before I had the saddle sore/back issues. That problem cost me at least two laps overall which wuld have gotten me that 5th place. So! lessons...if I'm going to change shorts...stick to the plan or else kep the same and reapply using more than normal amounts. Fueling...I had some gut rot in the late afternoon by eating too many different things and caused me to have some slower lap times- next time (yeah...I'm thinking I need to do this again ;) I'm going straight up

water, GU Roctane energy drink mix and GU Roctane gels only (with occasional 8oz can of coke and red bull). I'll keep other stuff on the side just in case but when I was on that part of the routine I felt the best. At no time did I get any leg cramps or that feeling of just generally "tired". Pacing was perfect- I kind of used the strategy that TJ helped me put together for Leadville last year- ease into it.

Anyway...in the end it was awesome and I recovered much quicker than I thought in the days after...back on the bike after the Monday off to catch up on sleep...and eating...could not stop eating every couple hours!

With third place finisher

"Transition Area" for team riders...those couches looked comfy! This was packed once the race started.

Streeeeeeetching...

More stretching!

Lutsen 99er

With all the rain in the region I was curious how no changes to the course had been announced. Upon arrival and check-in on Friday at Lutsen Mountains we were greeted with course maps showing very significant changes to the 99er course. After mentioning to Peter Spencer that I’m on a singlespeed and geared for the old course he quick smiled and said "you’re going to want to switch a harder gear." Being my first year ever racing a singlespeed, and 99 miles on one gear at that, I was already on edge and had to change again- singlespeeding is not exactly "simplistic".

7:30 AM starting by the main chalet, over 400 riders for the 39er and 99er rolled out down the mountain behind a fire truck holding us steady at around 20 mph before we turned onto Hwy 61 and

the race was on! ...although it really didn’t feel like it. I was sitting comfortably in the top 20 or 30 with my two teammates, John Reinan and Jon Sigerud, all the way up the first, and longest, climb up Caribou Trail- a paved CAT 3 climb. I glanced back a couple times and this strung out the rest of field for miles, but I was still holding steady in the top 30 pushing the heavier 34x15 gear. We ducked off into some tough and rough, but FUN, ski and snowmobile trail combinations around mile 12 for about four miles before we were back out on the road. Then...any hopes for a singlespeed podium went out the window.

I was in the middle of a group of about 10-12 that turned left a few miles before the first aid station. We get about two miles down that path and the leaders of this group stopped and realized we're not supposed to be on this section of the course yet! I had my head down and was focusing on staying with the geared bikes I was with so I had no idea! We turned around and blasted back to the road where indeed the arrows were misread – the course was marked very well, just needed to pay attention and not second guess the direction! Who knows how many spots I’d dropped now- it was disheartening and frustrating being so early in the race and had been holding such a good position.

Then, it was obvious by mile marker 30 (34 for some of us) that I had pushed too hard to get back on track as I already had to battle my first leg cramps! I stopped at the next pass through the aid station (we all passed through this one three times with the new course layout) and I nearly pulled myself out. But, without telling them my mental battles at the moment, Jon Sigerud’s wife and three kids: Renee, Caiden, Katie, and Cody gave words of encouragement and handed over the next round of bottles. Without thinking I headed out for the second lap of this loop and just see what happens. I started pedaling the bike in different positions and paying more attention to my efforts as some sections had me riding for several minutes at a time in a 30-40 cadence going uphill - my legs were so pissed! However, I was able to stave off the cramps for that lap and pass several riders so I blew by the aid station for the third time (mile 59 of the race) and headed out to finish and make the best of this!

Luckily I did…up until mile 95 the race course was perfectly manageable while changing up some riding styles and my gear choice paid off big here. Mostly FAST but rough and rolling backwoods four wheeler and logging trails, dirt roads, lots of (all rideable-but deep!) mud-water holes- some nice little climbs mixed in there too!

Passing the mile 95 marker gave a boost of energy knowing I was almost done...but, did not know some of the hardest (and most fun for me ;) ) riding was yet to come! The singletrack of Lutsen was up and it was raw, rooty, muddy, and just some of the gnarliest stuff I’ve ridden since the Sawtooth Challenge race in Grand Marais last August. It was a blast to ride and made up three more spots in the mile or two of it. Then the last test- the last climb from the very bottom up to the chalet...which also was probably the toughest climb of the day…regardless of whether it was at mile 98 or mile 10.

My legs went into full on cramp mode and forced me off the bike for a few sections of it. One foot in front of the other walking, attempting to run- screaming "go-go gadget legs" and starting to run didn’t even work- in fact I almost fell over and died- I had spent everything.

I hopped on the bike for the last time getting towards the top and seeing the spectators lined up along the course and over the bridge we cross under...I heard someone say "look he’s on a singlespeed!" – then a few extra cheers! Yes! Thank you- that was the little bit more motivation I needed to muscle my way up riding the bike the last 2-300 yards to cross the line under the banner. I got some "congrats" and was handed a medal- but my legs couldn’t move anymore, ha! I sat there for about five minutes before my legs settled a little and I was able to move without any severe muscle cramp.

I met up with my friend John Reinan who finished about 11 minutes earlier and we headed back to our basecamp in Grand Marais. Muddy, totally exhausted, the bike was making all kinds of funny sounds...so was I for that matter- it was a full and fun day on the bike and I felt accomplished. I had almost forgotten the frustrations early in the race. The feeling of finishing races like this that are truly a battle to the end can only be understood by those that have experienced it…not necessarily 100 miles- but just a true battle with other riders and yourself- that part of your brain that says at some point "Okay we’ve done enough, it’s not going the way you wanted, lets pull off and go another day." This was one of those days and in the end is why I love mountain bike racing. I finished with a time of 7:44:13 - 51st out of about 240 that started the race, and 5th out of about 20 that started in the singlespeed class! Just finishing was great but to get those results after a four mile detour with indecision efforts there I was pleasantly surprised- the race had some strong riders!

Bryson Perry took the "W" with a fast time of 5:52:44 followed by Adam Froeming (6:04:57) and Michael Woell (6:14:16) for the men and Lynn Cecil (7:52:05), Danielle Coffield Ness (8:10:53), and Patti Schmidt (8:20:27) for the top three women. In the 39er, Patrick Sheedy brought home the win for men with a 2:20:40, followed closely by Stuart Benson only seven seconds back, and Nathan Mielke six minutes behind them. The women’s 39er top three: April Morgan (2:38:16), Kerrie Fabius (2:39:16), and Maria Benson (2:54:38)

As usual LifeTime Fitness put up a great event- anyone who has not participated in one of their events- you should. Everything worked so smooth from the packet pick-up to the assistance at the aid stations during the race. Peter Spencer and Adam Harju did a top notch job- especially having to deal with such major course changes of a 99 mile event literally the day before the event. I will race this one again.

Another course note...I was contemplating using a cyclocross bike for this hearing about all the gravel roads...thank you Adam Harju for talking me out of it- that would’ve definitely ruined my day- total mountain bike race for sure!

Racing LAST Year

The last part of 2011 was a blur. A blur with some ups and downs all around - mainly the racing as the ups. AS previously written the Leadville race opened a new perspective of racing to me. I came out of that with a lot of confidence. The rest of the year it didn't reall matter where I raced - I just wanted to race what I wanted to race without any regard to points or finish placing. The whole year I had been dialing into a pace that could get me through a 100+ mile race. After Leadville I felt like I could let loose and just race how I wanted- and I lined up 11 times after that...and each time I put in some more "appropriate efforts" for the length of race I was in (see also leg burning and lung searing).

Couple highlights:

Sawtooth Challenge, Grand Marais: This was a nice, low pressure race but super fun!! This is the first time in awhile (several years...too long!!) that I stayed in a tent while at a race event. And Grand Marais, MN in August??...what a place to do it! I fell asleep and woke up to the sounds of Lake Superior waves, sea gulls, and spinning freewheels?? Didn't know untl then that the family in the campsite next to mine were also there for the race- coming down from Thunder Bay.

The race started with a neutral roll out from Artist's Point- the pier downtown- through the town and up into the Pincushion Mountains where the race officially was under way. We went uphill for a mile or so before the singletrack turned into curvy ski trail and went up some more. It was here that the laps began- 3 for my group. Up the skirail then a screaming fast, and VERY rough long descent to where more singletrack came. This singletrack is why I love riding anything up north- it was RAW. Ungroomed..but fast- depending on how quickly your elbows and knees could react to the gnarly, rocky, log riddled, off-camber into hairpin before steep power climb. I loved this course. Had a great race result too as I pushed my myself much harder than before, knowing that this was going to be a race around 2hrs.

Chequamegon 40, Cable, WI: I didn't quite have my race plan nailed down for this one. I had a similar situation when I was at Leadville...starting in the very back. Of the ~1900 racers there at the start, I was literally lined up in about 1,850th. I heard the word "GO!" but didn't move for at least 5 minutes...and at that point it was verrrrry slllooowwww through the town until I got out on the highway leading to the ski trail. Lots of time lost at the beginning but I was feeling good and was passing riders 10 to 20 at a time for quite awhile...no joke. I have to say it was fun doing that- being as I knew I wouldn't have the result I really wanted I decided to turn it into a "see how many I can pass before the end" race...basically, a 40 mile time trial.

There was one hardpack track through the grass of the ski trail- I got none of it as I never could find a pace group- riding in the grass takes a ton of extra work! TJ and I layed out a plan to keep it

easy until Fire Tower Hill (~half way through) where the rest of the race was much hillier than the first half. I was on a great pace and did all I could but in the end the best I got was past about 1500 of the other riders- still not bad for a 2hr 45min race! The way I felt during and after though has me itching to get another crack at this race...and I will have my bike on the line WAY early. The guys on the front row were there at 5:30am...3 1/2 hours before start.

From here some of the highlights include my first take on cyclocross racing...next post...

Breaks over

Yeah I've been away from this for awhile...however not due to lack of riding or racing. A lot has gone on this fall at the mountain biking, work, and more personal levels.

There were races in August and September that I wanted to write about...but it's crazy how after each race, all of a sudden it felt like life fast forwarded through two more! Working 50-60hrs per week and still trying to keep up with training...including sleep and FOOD! gets things moving pretty fast! ...and now I just raced my first event of 2012, haha!

I'm reflecting back over 2011 now...and building a preliminary schedule for 2012. This will be a good year ;)