Showing posts with label Athlete. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Athlete. Show all posts

Friday, July 30, 2021

2021 Wausau 6-hour Race Report


Extreme Photography Unlimited — xtrphoto.com


On the eve of race day, I stated, "I feel like a fattened pig going to the slaughter house."  Obviously, I was being a bit hyperbolic, and gave a grime snapshot of my mental state at the time.  By race morning my mental state turned to, "LET'S GO CHAMP!!!"

There were a couple of omens that it was going to be an interesting day.  My weight was exactly 166.6.   When I received my race plate, it was 13.   I took these as signs of luck.  Perhaps signs that my inner demons would be released and exorcised in my pursuit during a hard day on the bike.   It certainly felt like I was residing where demons would live — in hell.  It rained on my drive to Nine Mile Forest and the forecast called for another hot day.  Forget feeling like a fattened pig.  In reality, I felt more like a pig in a sous vide.  Slowly cooking in the wet forest by humidity and heat.

The race started with a "Le Mans" start, aka you run to your bike.  I hate "Le Mans" starts.  It certainly wasn't a sprint to my bike, but I wasn't too far back when I reached my bike either.  Once on my bike, THEN it was a sprint to the singletrack.  I got in a good pack of strong racers and spent the first half of the lap picking them off.  During the second half of the first lap, a super strong racer passed me who was much smoother on the Midwestern trails.  He used to live in Golden, CO!  Yet another omen.  Long ago when I still lived in IL, I used to be smooth as butter on the tight & twisty Midwest singletrack.  However, even after spending some time riding the trails here these past few weeks, I am not as accustomed to the riding style.  Regardless, if I really concentrate I can still pick a pretty damn good line.  Riding behind this fast chap until the end of the first lap helped progress my skills I needed for the day.  Lap #1 took 1:03:28. Thus, in a six hour race format it meant I was looking at 6 laps.

Lap #2 I didn't back off, and kept the pace high.  It's hard to know where you stand in a race with 6-hour, 12-hour, 24-hour, teams, and duos formats all racing at the same time.  However, I felt like lap #1 went well so my spirits were high.  Also high was my heart rate.  It averaged just under zone 5 that lap.   As I crossed the line at 1:04:11, the announcer stated that I was sitting 2nd place.

I was pretty happy that I was sitting in 2nd entering lap #3, and still was feeling good.  However, I knew I couldn't keep up the same pace.  In addition, the temperature was rising and I had already ran out of water at the end of lap #2 before refilling at the end of that lap.  I was only able to fill up one bottle because I missed the official aid station.  Instead, I asked a nice fellow running aid for his team if I could get water.  I didn't want to take any more water away from his team racers, so I only asked him to fill one.  That water was the coldest water I would have the whole day, and I drank it within minutes.  Once again, I was out of water.  As a result, I could feel cramping coming on in my left leg and arm about halfway into lap #3.  Luckily, there was an aid station about 3/4 into the lap that would be my refill spot for every lap afterwards.  I chugged one bottle, then filled my two bottles back up.  From that point on I would drink two water bottles an hour.  Typically, I only drink one per hour.  This left me feeling bloated.  I started having GI issues from the excess water and heat.  I completed lap #3 in 1:08:03.

By lap #4, things were not going as smoothly.  At some point, someone had passed me as the announcer stated I was sitting 3rd.  I was feeling gassed, and pukey.   I wasn't taking in enough calories because of the nausea.  Thus, I needed to slow down the pass in hopes to feel good enough to eat.  Puking would mean instant dehydration, and not eating would mean bonking.  Both "game over" events.  Luckily, I was able to get to the point that I could sip on some Flow Formulas before feeling pukey again.  I feel very fortunate I had Flow Formulas in my bottle because it's so easy on the GI system.  Without it, there would have been zero chance of completing the race.  At the end of lap #4, I grabbed a banana from the aid station which helped as I entered Lap #5.  I completed lap #4 in 1:12:26.

Lap #5 was even more of a show.  The theme was, "just don't puke" as I snailed my way through the lap.  Plus, I knew I still had another lap to go.  That is if I could complete the lap under 6 hours.  In a 6-hour format, you can't go for another lap once you crossed the line over 6 hours.  Therefore, I couldn't slow down too much.  I crossed the line at 5:43:58 for a lap time of 1:15:48.  My slowest by far.

Finally, the final lap — lap #6.  My GI system was feeling a little better, but my legs were rubber.  Regardless, I gave it my all.  I stumbled over technical sections, gritted my way up every hill, and did my best to concentrate on good lines.  I made it to the aid station 3/4 into the lap and knew I was almost there.  Suddenly, I felt a burst of energy.  From then on I was able to push the pace to the finish line.  Sprinting hills, and flowing through the singletrack.  I ended with a sprint to the line!

The announcer didn't state what place I finished. I feared that I lost my spot on the podium, but at that point I was just happy to be done.  I felt like complete garbage, so my first priority was to not puke in front of everyone.   It took a couple minutes being keeled over my bike, heavy breathing, before I could start walking towards the bike wash area.  I cleaned off my bike the best I could, then checked the results.  I was happily surprised I finished 3rd!  Complete race time was 6:59:43.  Mark that as one of the tightest days on a bike!  Although my body does not like racing in this Midwest humidity, I am very proud I was able to endure.  The podium spot was just icing on the cake.  

Thursday, June 24, 2021

2021 Bailey Hundo Race Report


It was a solid day on the bike last Saturday at the Bailey Hundo.  Despite working non-stop on preparing our house to be gone for six weeks, I luckily still had some energy for the race.  After a neutral start, the pace of the front group of 15-20 racers got hot right at the first climb.  I pushed hard for the first 30 minutes to keep up with this group the best I could.  Alas, the front group pulled away from me as I pulled away from anyone behind me.  Only a couple more racers passed me once we hit the singletrack 13km in, and I was racing alone for the rest of the day.

The kitty litter that is the trail in this area was as loose as ever.  I'm not particularly good on kitty litter, but I progressed as the race went on.  After a hard start, I settled into my own pace to climb Baldy/Miller Gulch in the sweet spot between zone 3 and 4.  After the climb, I knew I couldn't let up on the descents since my descending has become degraded through the years of riding with a trailer on the road.  I stayed low, and was surprised how quickly I reached the dirt road at the bottom.

After a refill at the aid station, it was time for the big climb up Nice Kitty/Buffalo Burn.  I hit it hard and zoomed past the next aid station before Little Scraggy.  I didn't realize there was a longer distance than previous years to the next aid.

I continued up Little Scraggy pushing the climbs.  The trail got busy as I neared the top of the climb, and I passed a lot of riders out for a summer day ride.  Everyone was very nice about allowing me to pass, and there were lots of words of encouragement when they saw I was a racer.  By the time I reached the top of Little Scraggy, the group of riders thinned out.  I was out of water as I started the descent, and already dreaming of the next aid station.

My thirst for water kept my pace as quick as possible down the long descent to Buffalo Creek Rd.  Once at the road, I didn't let up on the gradual climb.  I kept my head down and chugged along to what I thought was the next aid.  My head was still down as I turned into the parking lot to the aid that had reliably been there several years in the past.  I was in a panic when the aid station was not there!  I turned around to see that an arrow pointed to continue up Buffalo Creek Rd.  It was another long 10 minutes climb before getting to the next aid after an hour of being out of water.  I drank a bottle of water at the aid, then refilled two bottles before heading out to the last climb.  Round 2 up Baldy/Miller Gulch.

At this point, the tail end of the 50km racers were on the same course as the front racers of 100km.  I was determined to empty my tank all the way to the finish line.  On the climb up Baldy, every couple of seconds I was shouting, "mind if I pass!?... okay, on your left..."  99% of racers were very friendly about letting me pass.  Only one racer made it difficult for me and I had to ram through a bush that cut open my left arm.  Nothing like a little 🩸 to add to the motivation!

My vision was getting fuzzy as I reached the top of Miller Gulch.  Regardless, I wasn't done yet.  I ripped the dirt road descents, and stood on the pedals on the remaining climbs.  I continued to pass A LOT of 50km racers along the way who encouraged me to keep pushing.  I hit the last small climb and really pushed the watts to the max all the way to the finish.  I saw the finish and sprinted to the line!  It wasn't until they handed me a paper printout with my results that I realized I had grabbed a 🥈 in 30-39! 

I pushed the pace all day, rode my own race, and never got discouraged even after seeing the lead group pull away at the beginning.  The result was a spot on the podium.  Nevertheless, with or without the podium spot I was proud of my output for the day.  However, it does feel good to be rewarded for my effort. 😁

Monday, May 17, 2021

Presumptive Positive — my personal battle with COVID-19

I remember it vividly.  On March 12th 2020, there was a buzz about a new virus called Coronavirus (later called COVID-19) in the news.  I was sitting in a seat at my doctor's office for my annual blood work.  No mask on as this was far before the warnings we needed them.  My nurse was complaining about her own mask and readjusting it couple of times.  It was early morning and I was her first patient for the day.  It was also the first day the office implemented a policy that all nurses must wear masks while working.  We joked about this new "scary" virus and how it's just another case of the flu.  Talk about eating our words.  That very next Monday is when the USA locked down to flatten the curve. Things become very real for myself along with the whole world.

Round one of Coronavirus

That same day of getting my blood drawn, around noon, I went for a mountain bike ride.  I made it halfway up the mountain and just wasn't feeling right.  I figured that getting blood drawn and riding in the same day was a bad choice. With this in mind, I didn't give it two thoughts while making my way back home.

That night, things got worse.  It all started with aches, pains, headache, and a low grade fever all night long.  Luckily, this lasted less then twelve hours.  Nevertheless, the next day I still wasn't 100%.  The fever was gone, but there was a slight pressure in my chest along with a mild dry cough.  The dry cough was so mild that I could have easily mistaken it for my occasional, typical cough from riding and living in a dry climate.  The pressure in my chest was also very mild.  Honestly, if I wasn't an athlete so in tone with my body, I might have not even noticed symptoms at all.

There was one thing that made my breathing more labored that first day.  Watching a podcast with an epidemiologist talking about Coronavirus and wondering if I had it!  Freaking out was yet another reason for my labored breathing that day from mini panic attacks listening to that podcast.  Bad idea!

What really made it obvious that something was not right was when I tried to ride my bike.  There was a clear lack of energy. I just felt like I didn't have a second gear, and trying to go any harder than an easy pace (zone 2) would cause coughing.  Obviously, not a good idea in a pandemic!  This lasted fourteen days.

In mid-March 2020, they were telling young healthy people to not brother getting tested.  Over a phone call, my doctor confirmed the same.  Thus, I knew I had something that quaked like a Coronavirus duck, looked like a Coronavirus duck, but for all I knew it could have been a Cold/Flu goose since I could not confirm with a test.  Therefore, I just went along as presumptive positive and acted accordingly.  Although I still rode, I spent that time wearing a face covering, picking times of the day that were less busy, and routes with zero other people.  Many of those times I was more at risk of being hit by a car than dying of the virus, but it was a risk I was willing to take to stay away from other people.



Round one of Coronavirus — TKO!

After fourteen days of mild Coronavirus symptoms, I finally felt better!  However, that feeling only lasted for a five whole days.  Then, just like exiting the eye of hurricane, the storm returned.  And it returned with a fiery!

Round two of  Coronavirus was a complete TKO!  Just like round one, it all started with a mild grade fever through the night that lasted less than twelve hours.  That night was a little worse then round one, but not too bad.

This time after waking up from a fever filled night, symptoms were far more pronounced.  A very prominent, very scary, severe shortness of breath.  It felt like I was standing in high elevation.  And I'm talking standing on top of Mt Everest elevation, not just a Colorado 14er!

Luckily, this severe shortness of breath only lasted a couple of days.  You know, just a couple of days of the scariest days of my life!  Afterwards, I was far from being out of the water.  My energy was completely knocked out!  Making it up the stairs was a challenge, let alone biking that first week.  During week two, I managed to get some riding in, but they were very short sessions on my rollers on my back patio.

Me riding during Coronavirus round two

Round two lasted fifteen more days.  After thirty-five days from start to finish, my battle with Coronavirus symptoms ended April 15th 2020.  But my battler with the aftermath of the virus was just beginning.

Cancellations and disappointments 

Even after having the virus, I was hopeful to still race in the summer of 2020.  The first couple of weeks after the virus were filled with failure.  I couldn't even perform a tempo ride let alone anything harder.  Nonetheless, that didn't stop me from trying.  Even with the failures, each week was getting better.

Race cancellations in late Spring were a blessing to me as it gave me more time to train.  But even after weeks of attempts to get my performance back up, I still didn't have it in my to do the Salida Big Friggin Loop in mid-June.  Unbeknownst to me at the time, that was the only race that would go down for awhile that summer.  I then spent weeks resetting my training as each race was cancelled, and I hoped the next would happen.  Once again though, races being cancelled was a blessing in disguise to me as you will soon find out.

Running on a low battery 

Finally, in August 2020 I got the opportunity to race that year.  I always knew the Monarch Mind Bender is an absolute beast and one I had been avoiding.  A race that beastly in August never appealed to me years prior.  Although this may be true, it was the only circus in town, and this clown wanted in!  Besides, at that point I had more riding hours in me than any other year I've been racing.

My Instagram post from that race day best describes the carnage:

Absolutely the toughest day I've ever had on the bike! The Monarch Mind Bender was a challenge beyond challenges. This wasn't a race, it was a spiritual awakening for me! There had to have been a higher power on my shoulder that day, because I'm still not sure how I made it through. Right off the bat, I knew I didn't have the lungs to be entering such a tall order. Without going into details, I'll just say it's been a long and challenging year for this athlete — which hell, it's been so for all of us! 

Regardless, with this being the first and only race I would enter for 2020, I was determined to make it through. Although I have to admit I considered bailing multiple times during the ride. The first major time I considered quitting is about 5 hours into the ride. I had already ridden 75km (46 mi), and I could have easily hopped on hwy 285 to my vehicle. Instead, I started my journey up Marshall Pass Road into the wind that was pushing in a rain cloud my direction. I did so knowing I was only halfway done with the ride. I prayed the rain would pass over and miss me. It did not. It started raining when I had about 2km left on the climb, and the temp dropped to 39°F (3.8°C). Even with arm warmers, knee warmers, and a wind jacket I was freezing cold. I then prayed it was pass over — that prayer was heard! Not before waiting out the rain for about 25 mins at the aid station at the top of Marshall pass with my teammate Scott who was in the same freezing position.

At that point I was kicking myself for not quitting on hwy 285, and convinced that I was going to find the quickest way to my warm SUV. To do so, we needed to head down the mountain one way or another. The quickest option was down a dirt road to Marshall Pass Road back to hwy 285. The other option was to climb a little more, then down singletrack which followed the race course, and then down Marshall Pass Road. Scott convinced me to do the singletrack and kindly stuck by my side as I was in worse freezing condition then him. He endured my slow legs, and me fixing a flat (tire plugs FTW!) on the descent. I'm extremely thankful to have such an awesome teammate!

Once we reached the bottom of the singletrack, the sun had been out for awhile during the descent. Consequently, we were both dry and warm. We had the choice to continue with our plan of bailing, or make our why back up to the aid station along the race course. We both decided to keep going, and I released Scott from his anchor that was my slow 🍑.

It was another hour climb back to the same aid station. The sun felt so warm and inviting though that I didn't care about my stinging lungs and legs. Once at the aid station, I thanked them once again for letting me not die of hypothermia — after all, they let me sit in there van with the heater on! I was then on the last leg of the climb out. It was another hour going at a 🐢 pace up past tree line. In addition, I broke my chain and needed to fix it with only a couple meters of climbing to go. At that point I was laughing and smiling since a broken chain was just another challenge to over come. Anyway, the sky was blue and the sun was shining down so I was feeling grateful. After the fix, it was a short climb to the last descent. What a descent it was! My legs were shot, and it was now time for the rest of my body to follow suite. Rocks, roots, tech section after tech section. Every big rock hit my back ached. Every drop my abs muscles cramped. My hands seized over and over again. Every chance I got I stretched out my hands before entering another rough section to navigate. By the end it was a series of me grunting out loud and gritting my teeth waiting for it to be over. I have never been happier to see a dirt road in my life! Of course, the very last section of dirt road was wash boarded badly to give one last jab to a tough day. But dammit, I made it!

Ride time was about 10 hrs 20 mins (I accidentally hit pause on my bike computer while fixing my flat and didn't realize until the bottom of the descent so not 100% sure). Elapsed time was 11 hrs 49 mins. Compared to prior years, that time was garbage. Compared to my challenges in 2020, just completing the event was a blessing! Feeling very grateful and blessed (not to mention sore) today after that one!


Lung scarring

What I didn't mention in that post from the Monarch Mind Bender was my lungs weren't 100% because of lung scarring from the coronavirus from months prior.  I literally, quote, "didn't have the lungs to be entering such a tall order."  It got really scary that day on the last climb when my lungs felt like they did during the worse day of the virus.  I was fortunate to get to the end of that race, and hopeful I didn't cause more damage.

After that race is when I shut it all down.  All I could do was stay off the bike as long as possible and prayer my lungs came back.  Mostly, the only riding I did in September 2020 was riding Nolan to school.  Then I slowly started ramping it up in October 2020 to start off the 2021 training year.

Origins

It's hard to pinpoint exactly when I caught the virus, but I'm fairly confident it was on Friday, March 6th.  My family and I went to a jazz festival in downtown Denver.  Denver got hit pretty hard by the virus, so it makes sense I would have caught it there.  I was surrounded by a lot of people indoors.  Thus, the viral load I received could have been pretty high if several people had it, which is fairly likely at the time.  

The next day, I rode a big six hour ride to finish out a three week training block before a recovery week.  Therefore, my immune system was trashed.  The combination of the possibly high viral load and lower immune system from training would explain the severity of my symptoms.

Why now?

It has taken me a very long time to decide to go public with my experience with coronavirus.  Early on, when I first had the virus, there were so many unknowns.  As a result, I felt there was a strong stigma surrounding the virus and people who had it.  Still, as I write this, I don't feel fully comfortable telling my story.  If you had read between the lines in some of my Instagram posts during that time, you may have been able to tell what was going on.  I just couldn't come out and say it bluntly.  There were times I wanted to scream it from a building top.  Keeping it from the world has felt like keeping a dirty secret.  Telling my story feels like a weight lifted off my chest.  And I know a thing or two about pressure on my chest after that nasty virus!

Long term effects

If you're an athlete, here's the question you're dying to know.  What about the long term effects!?  Is getting COVID-19 an athlete's career ender?  Here's my personal experience.

After my time off in September, I came back at it in October slowly easing my way into it.  In November, I ramped things up and had a solid month of training.  By late November, I had one of my best performance field tests.  Since then, my training has be super solid, and my numbers are looking strong.  Although much of 2020 I was riding on limited lung capacity, I still put in a lot of riding hours.  Thus, my legs were getting stronger even though my lungs still were lagging.  The result seems to be that once my lungs came back into form, my power is better than ever.  If there are long term effects from COVID-19 past my original several months of lung scarring, I have not noticed them thus far.

With that being said, it all comes down to race day.  No training can test nor stress the system the way a races does.  We'll find out this coming weekend at the 2021 Gunnison Growler.

Gratefulness

Although my battle with Covid-19 has been long fought, I feel incredibly grateful it was not worse.  I often wonder what would have happened if I was not an athlete.  How much worse would it have effected me?  I would not wish upon anyone to have the same experience as I endured, and realize my experience is far better than the loved ones we have all lost.  RIP Uncle Mike.

Regardless, in a strange way I do not regret having the virus.  It gave me a different perspective during the pandemic knowing that I had already survived it.  I wasn't afraid of it for myself any longer.  I'm grateful that at the time of this writing that the vaccines are available for anyone that chooses to receive them.  Hopefully this means a return to normal, and return to racing shoulder to shoulder with friends.

Wednesday, December 16, 2020

Add resistance to aluminum bike roller




BIKE NERD POST! Do you have an old aluminum bike roller? Do you love the feel, but hate that you can't do any more than a tempo ride on it? Would you LOVE to be able to go from an easy zone 1 to "I'm gonna puke" watt output with a couple of gear changes!? I found a solution on the internetz!!!! FOR CHEAP!

Step 1) Buy yourself some Neodymium Bar Magnets for $10! The ones I found on the Amazon were a pack of 6, 33 LB Strength, 60mm x 10mm x 5 mm. I only needed 5 of them.

Step 2) Find yourself a scrap 1x2 (you know you have one) and cut it about 1-2mm longer than the length of the bars between your rollers (as shown in picture). Remember to start long!

Step 3) Loosen one of the bolts on the middle roller — also a good time to tighten everything else up too 😉. Bolt on outside is a 9/16 socket, bolt on inside is a 14mm wrench — you're welcome!

Step 4) Now, wedge the 1x2 between the bars, adjust, tighten the bolt, and test the fit. Make sure the wood scrap is tightly in place and the roller isn't loose. It may take a couple of cuts to get it perfect. Once everything fits well, take the 1x2 back out and it's time to mount the magnets!

Step 5) Before mounting, test each magnet on each other to see which side is the pull side ("pulls" to one another) and mark with a marker.

Step 6) Mount the magnets starting from the center. My magnets came with double sided tape, but you can use whatever. After the center is mounted, space the next two magnets from the center rest just outside the limits of pulling/pushing from adjacent magnet. You want the last magnet to be placed far enough from the end of 1x2 that the whole bar is over the aluminum roller and not the plastic end where the band lays.
UPDATE:  The doubled sided tape didn't work so hot when things got hot.  I added a layer duct tape around each magnet.  I met go back and use another type of adhesive if that doesn't hold.

Step 7) Wedge the 1x2 back between the roller bars and adjust the magnets about 2-3mm from the roller to start. The magnetic pull isn't strong enough to pull the magnet to the aluminum roller, nor is it even strong enough for the magnet to cling to it. Regardless, I can assure you it'll work. 😉

Step 8) Hop on the rollers with a bike and test out the resistance! What you just did was create an Eddy current! You can adjust the resistance by moving the 1x2 closer for harder, and farther for easier.

Step 9) Buy an Ant+ USB Stick ($20 on Amazon), download zwift, connect your gadgets, and enjoy the zwift 7-day trial. 😁

I was able to easily do VO2max intervals with my big ring and middle/lower cassette gears.

Enjoy the suffering!

Sunday, July 14, 2019

2019 Suntop Mountain Bike Race — Race Report


The NW Epic Series SunTop MTB Race was a success!  Walked away with a 🥈... er, more like wobbled away — OUCH!  This was an unexpected victory as I spent all the week leading up to the race with super sore legs.  Somehow though, I woke up with fresh meat sticks, and a 😀 on my face!

We started the race with only nine of us and I had a great time chatting with everyone at the start.  I would have loved to have chatted more with everyone on the first climb up, but a lone rider 🚀ed right from the start.  I turned to one of the guys I had been chatting with and said "well, I guess I better give chase".  He gave me an encouraging "go for it!", and that was the last I saw of the group all day.  For a good fifteen minutes I had the racer in my cross hairs, but eventually I had to find my own pace to not blow up later in the race.

This entire race consists of a short 14km loop with about 500 meters of climbing, followed by TWO 35km loops with a whooping 1220 meters of climbing — that's 4000 feet people!  Most of that climbing was on a long dirt road that gradually becomes steeper and steeper.  After making quick work of the short loop, I was on to the big climb.  But not before a super twisty, rocky, rooty, and moist section of singletrack.  I was flowing pretty well on this section, but did have one hiccup were I slipped on a rock.  I went sideways and heard a loud CREEEEKKKK!  It was the sound of my stem unwillingly twisting a couple degrees to the right off center.  I rode the rest of that singletrack section with my handlebars a little bit to the right before coming to the start of the big road climb.  While still riding, I grabbed my multi tool from my saddlebag, and unscrewed the upper bolt of the stem.  I stopped briefly to unscrew the bottom bolt, adjusted the stem, and tightened the bottom bolt back up.  I hopped back on the bike to tighten the upper bolt followed by evenly tightening each bolt.  Fixin' on the fly!

With my stem/handlebar back to center, the big task of climbing the monster dirt road was ahead of me!  Before going into the climb itself, a weird anomaly about myself I discovered last year racing in Maine.  When I race at sea level, my ❤ pumps WAY faster!  I had totally forgotten about this until I was climbing with my HR zone above 5!  For reference, HR zones go from 1 to 5, with 5 being "you're heart may explode, so you ain't holding this for long".  Well, I hold that zone for the duration of the climb!  Okay, back to the climb itself.  There were mile markers to the top of the climb, so I played a mental game with myself to break up the perceived effort.  I would concentrate on doing my best on each mile rather than focusing on the overwhelming climb as a whole.  It worked, and I blasted up the climb!  I was feeling pretty good up to the last mile, but hold it together to the top.  Once at the top, I was met by two wonderful volunteers at the aid station with encouraging words and a refill of water.  Thanks for that!  Next, it was time hit the singletrack!

The next section was a downhill with two more short singletrack climbs, each about 100 meters.  The short breaks from climbing after each descent was enough for me to recover and I once again blasted the uphills.  Then it was time for a LONG descent!  I started the long descent with two things in mind 1) don't kill yourself going too fast 2) don't do something stupid and get a flat.  I hold that promise, and conservatively descended to complete lap one.

Starting lap two, I once again entered the tricky singletrack hoping to not go sideways again! 😂 I did not, and also was given some race feedback  A ranger told me that I was about 10 minutes from the lead.  This put a 🔥 under me to give the upcoming dirt road climb everything I had in me!  Things definitely got blurrly out there climbing that monster again.  I would come in and out of focus at the task at hand, my mind wondering from the pain.  Each mile harder than the last, and feeling like eternity.    At the end, everything I had in me was about 10 minutes slower than my first attempt.  It wasn't enough to catch the first racer, but it did keep the third place racer at bay!  Not by much though.  I knew this because there is a section on the first singletrack descent near the top were you cross the dirt road.  I caught a glimpse of him climbing up, and estimated that he was probably only 5 minutes behind!

Knowing third place was hot on my heels, and first could potentially be close ahead, I was on a mission!  I dug DEEEEPPPP on the two short 100 meter singlerack climbs!  Pretty sure I scared a family hiking down the mountain with a horrifying pain face!  😂  I pedaled hard on any flat section I could which lead me to the last big descent.

Remember how I descended the long descent "conservatively" the first lap?  Well, that was out the window with me being closely sandwiched in 2nd place.  I needed to go to a place I don't like going.  I needed to release my inner "enduro racer".  I know this exists in me since I raced several enduro races in 2014.  It's a place were you stay low, get those knees & elbows out, and scare the living 💩 out of yourself.  It's incredibly dangerous, so I reserve it ONLY in extreme cases.  Welp, this was one of those cases!  My eyes watered, my adrenaline was high, but reached the bottom a full minute faster than my first attempt!  That's a lot on a long descent!

When I reached the bottom, first place was no where in sight, nor was third behind.  There was one last 2km flat section, and I wasn't taking chances!  I pushed hard to the last 1km, a flat forest road mostly smooth with occasional potholes.  This section was windy when I entered it, so I got low by putting my forearms on my handlebars/grips.  This position is aero, but super dangerous as your hands aren't on the bar.  I nearly hit the deck when I hit a hidden pothole in the road.  My bike took a hard right, and my right arm was somehow under the handlebar.  It was a miracle I kept it upright, and with an already pounding heart I sprinted to the finish!



I retained my 2nd place, and was greeted with beer, burgers, and a friendly group of people!  It was great day on the bike, and I'm grateful to Dana who hosted the NW Epic Series for putting on an incredible race!

Monday, September 10, 2018

2018 Cougar Slayer



It was a beautiful morning up in Nederland, CO to ride bikes; and I was happy to see friends at the start line.  Especially my buddy Ben Parman who I've seen come up as an elite racer since we met back in 2013.

The day started out at a relaxed pace which gave everyone a chance to chat and help each other navigate the confusing first part of the race.  At about a half hour into the race, Ben, Honey Stinger Bontrager teammate Scott, and myself started to pull away from the group.  After many wrong turns and some crashes, the three of us made it out of the labyrinth that was the first big loop.

Catching up, and up, and up

We all started up one of the biggest climbs of the day together, chatting and having a good time along the way.  The whole time, I knew Ben was holding back.  After a big descent, we started up another big climb on a dirt road.  This is where Ben started to show his abilities and pulled away.  Soon Ben was out of site up the mountain in front of me.  I followed chase, and Scott was soon out of site down the mountain behind me.  At the peak, I caught a glimpse of Ben leaving the aid station set up there.

After grabbing supplies, I continued the chase.  The next section was a rough, rolling 4wd road to a dirt road descent.  Somehow, I was able to pull Ben back in, and grabbed a Strava KOM for the section by doing so.  By the time we reached the next trail head I had caught up to him.  We started up yet another massive climb.  After a minute or two, Ben once again pulled away and that was the last I saw of him until the finish line.

Big climbing means big descending 

What seemed like a lifetime, I finally climbed to the top of the mountain which topped out at about 10,500ft.  There was no time to rest though since the next section was super technical.  It went from rolling terrain into the biggest descent of the day.  It was a crazy downhill navigating around a boulder filled trail.  Last year this section tormented me, but this year I was ready for it.  I was pretty proud of myself for clearing this treacherous terrain.

Into camel-mode

With the majority of the climbing out of the way, the descent ended to lend way to some more relaxing dirt road rolling.  It must of have been a little too relaxing because I blew by the last aid station.  By the time I noticed it, it was too late to turn around.  Luckily, I had packed an extra water bottle with me just in case.  Still, this was my only water bottle for next two hours (which I didn't know at the time).  Mother nature must of have been watching over me though because she provided me some cloud cover to cool things down.

Primal instincts to avoid carnage

Next on the plate after my aid station debacle was a primitive trail descent.  I haven't been so scared on a bike in a long time.  The trail was so steep that my saddle was on my chest — that's how so far behind I was on my bike.  I was certain my brakes were going to catch on fire at some point.  Amazingly, I avoided carnage, but missed a turn costing me a couple of minutes.

After a big descent, it was time for another big climb.  Although not nearly as long as others in the day, it was by far the steepest.  I still have no idea how I didn't put a foot down to hike up these beasts of climbs, but I was able to grind them out.  After a lot of cursing into the air, I embarked onto the last technical descent.  At this point, my hands/arms were about at their limits.  Perhaps the adrenaline gave me the extra grip I needed to complete the descent down to a canyon road.

Legs, don't fail me now

I was down to the last couple of miles, and one last short climb.  This is when the navigation file loaded onto my bike computer decided to act up.  After nearly five minutes of confusion, I finally found my way again.  Frustrated, I was determined to give the last climb every ounce I had left.  Let me tell you, it took every ounce too.  The last part was so steep I was seeing double.  Coming to the crest of that hill was extremely gratifying.

Still shaking from the cougar attack

After a long, fast, pavement descent I was almost done.  The last section was an easy dirt path ride away from the finish.  Nobody was in sight behind me, but that didn’t stop me from gassing it to the finish.  I like to say I was smiling at the end but being dehydrated while still shaking from the brutalizing trail I embarked on didn’t leave me in a happy place.  However, it only took a sip of Jagged Mountain Brewery’s special Cougar Slayer Blackberry Saison to put a smile back on my face!  Hands down, the Cougar Slayer was the toughest 69 miles and 9,505 ft of climbing (including all the missed turns) I’ve ridden!



The cougar is slayed!

I once again slayed the cougar, but not without a couple of scratches.  After a long battle on the bike, I came out alive with a 2nd place!  Seeing Ben come up through the years as such a strong racer, it’s an honor be second behind him.  I’m extremely proud to have earned the prestigious Cougar Slayer belt buckle!




Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Race Report: 2018 Desert RATS Classic


Often in racing, the hardest part isn’t the race itself, but the week coming up to the race.  Especially true for the first race of the season.  Early the week, nerves where high.  But by Friday, nerves turned to excitement.  When race morning finally came around, I was ready to race!


Too early for a fast start

I have done the Desert RATS Classic once before the year prior.  In 2017, the roll out was moderately paced — not too fast, not too slow.  I was hoping for the same this year, but no such luck.  Immediately, a pack of about six of us where off to the races at a crazy fast pace.  This pack included my friend Caleb Reese, a young fast cat of Pedal Pushers Racing.  Soon, the pack divided into two.  In front, a group of three.  Behind, me, Caleb, and another racer.
In this scenario, what usually happens is a fast group of racers start out too hot and fizzle by the end.  However, after the first thirty minutes of the lead group still pulling hard, I didn’t want to leave “fizzle” to chance.  It was time to start pulling them back in and close the gap.  Caleb and I took turns taking pulls to catch up, narrowing our group down to just us.
The goal was to catch up before the first big climb of Zion Curtain trail.  This trail is a particularly nasty one with a technical up and down.  Since the race is an out of back, you do it both ways as well.  As we entered Zion Curtain, we caught a glimpse of the lead group starting up the mountain.  We almost hit our goal, but not quite — our chase continued uphill.  Caleb was riding strong and started to pull away.  Nonetheless, I hold my pace because A) I knew I had it play it smart this early in the race B) there was no way I was holding the young’uns pace.  By this time, we were only an hour into a long day.

Get’em on the down

Barely keeping Caleb in site, we swiftly climbed the first big one of the day.  It wasn’t until near the top that I finally caught up.  As I passed, I told him that we needed to descend like mad men if we wanted rake them in.  I took the lead and hold on tight to rip the descent — with a big smile on my face of course.  It was time for me to pull away from Caleb.  In his defense, he was on a hardtail.  In addition, my Trek Top Fuel 9.8 excels on the downhills like an all mountain bike.  By the time we reached the bottom, the lead group was still nowhere in sight.  Thus, the hunt continued.

Dirt Road Flyin’

After round one of Zion Curtain, it was onto a long rough dirt road section.  First up was a steep climb, which at that point I was riding solo and feeling good.  Once on top, the trail continues upward, but only with a slight grade.  This is where Caleb came out of nowhere and we rode together until the next down descent.  Once again, I pull away flying down the mountain.  Nearing the midway turnaround point, I kept my eyes open for the top three to calculate the time gap.  The first-place racer was riding super strong with a big gap in front — chances were slim to none to catch him.  Quite some time past until before I saw second place roll by, and he was only two minutes ahead!  Third place soon came by with only a minute gap!  I hit the turn-around point ready to climb my way back into top three.  It was time to rock ‘n roll!

Zion, Round Two

After chewing up and spitting out the dirt road section going the opposite direction, my competition was still just out of sight.  I knew it was going to take a hard effort back up Zion Curtain, and this way was more brutal.  I settled into my pain cave, and up I went.  Although my physical sight was blurred with pain, my eyes remained on the prize.
Once at the top, still no site of anyone!  Although frustrated, this just fueled my determination even more.  I had one last chance to catch up by cooking the uber rough Zion Curtain downhill!  The key to going fast on the descents is staying low.  I kept repeating, “stay low”, to myself as I flew down the mountain.  I also repeated, “don’t die” a couple of times for good measure.  Near the bottom, after nearly four hours of chasing, I finally saw one of my competitors!  We finished Zions Curtain entering the last leg of race riding neck to neck.

The last miles

Within the last hour of the race, it was a cat and mouse game between the two of us.  I pulled away on the first section of flats and descents for a while, but he caught me on the last big climb.  I knew the race ended with one last descent to another flat section, so all I could do was hold on.  I kept him in site, and pushed like hell.  Within the last couple of miles, I began to slowly close in my competition.  It came down to the last feet and inches as I continued to close the gap.  Unfortunately, I still needed a couple of more inches to fully rake him back in.  It was only by a mere two seconds that my competition grabbed the top three from my grasp.  Second place only had 1:12 on me as well.

No podium, but a huge victory nonetheless

Although I just missed the podium, there wasn’t room for any disappointment.  I still beat my personal record by a huge twenty-nine minutes margin!  Plus, I couldn’t have been beaten by a nicer guy!  Great meeting you Cameron.


Major progression

To make this kind of progress in one year is a feat I’m still trying to grasp.  On paper, I averaged twenty-eight watts higher than the previous year!  For reference, my biggest gain over a year of training has only been ten watts in the past.  I have made drastic changes in my training and life during 2018, unsure how it would play out.  This first race proved that everything I’ve done thus far has been a massive success!  What can I say other than damn, I feel so Pro!

Sunday, January 7, 2018

Acceptance onto a Pro level team — my lifelong pursuit

It is with great honor that I announce my acceptance onto the pro level team, Honey Stinger-Bontrager Off Road!  This is the highest honor I could ever image to attain as a mountain bike endurance athlete.  I also bring with me the expertise of Coach Lynda Wallenfels, LWCoaching.  In addition, I will continue to support XX2i Optics.  It’s been a long journey with humble beginnings to reach this accomplishment.

Overly humble beginnings


I grew up in the Quad Cities, IL as a chubby kid who was painfully shy, and had zero self-esteem.  To attribute to my non-existence self-esteem, I was held back in the first grade with a reading disability and put into special education.  Although after fourth grade I was no longer in special education and obtained solid grades thereafter, it didn’t matter.  Knowing that I would always be a year behind my first-grade class loomed over me. Thus, the crushing feeling of inadequacy tarnished my confidence as a youth.

Athletics early in my life


The only thing that gave me even a sliver of confidence was athletics.  In elementary school, my father put me and my brother on a ski team at a small local ski “valley” not far from where we lived.  From fourth to eighth grade, we spent our winter weekends racing mostly in Wisconsin.  I attribute much of my leg strength I have today to my ski racing days.

Credit to Ed Epperson for photo
Also introduced in my elementary years, I played football starting with flag in fourth grade, and then tackle fifth grade all the way to graduating from high school.  I started as center (I told you I was chubby) from fourth grade to freshmen year of high school.  I finally started to thin out after my freshmen year, and soon I wasn’t as big as the other linemen anymore.  Although I wasn’t as big, I was still ranked top three in squat among the team thanks to my ski racing days.  However, I struggled to get my bench press up.  Furthermore, I wasn’t fast compared to other non-linemen positions on the team who were more naturally athletic.  Thereafter my freshmen year I was never strong enough, big enough, or fast enough to be a starter again.

Even though I didn’t start, I still enjoyed staying athletic and being on a team so I stayed on.  I’m glad I did because I went on to learn an invaluable lesson from the football coaching staff.  They forever instilled in me that the body can be pushed far past the limits of the mind.  As an endurance athlete, this mindset is the strongest trait one can possess.  Very happy to have been taught that before entering the realm of endurance racing years later.

Finding my confidence


After high school, I stayed athletic with various athletic endeavors including power lifting and running short road races.  While pursuing my under-graduate degree in Springfield, IL; I found the most athletic success racing short (sprint) triathlons in the surrounding area.  As a college aged tri-athlete, I raced road triathlons on a 1999 Trek 6500zx mountain bike I lovingly called the green machine.  It seems fitting that I started on a Trek, and now will be proudly racing a Trek for Honey Stinger-Bontrager.  I bought the green machine brand new in high school from money I saved from being a lifeguard.  It wasn’t the best bike for road triathlons, but it still allowed me to discover my strength as a rider.

A later iteration of the green machine
Also during this time, I found success academically as I was close to graduating college with honors (cum laude).  Finally, being held back early in my education would no longer matter.  I should note that if my parents hadn’t made the decision to hold me back in first grade, I most likely would never have graduated from college.  Regardless, not having the notion of feeling behind loom over me anymore was a huge relief.  As a result, my self-esteem slowly started to build.

I wasn’t bursting with confidence, but I had enough to not be completely saddled with shyness anymore.  Around that time, I was introduced to a young flight attendant based in Chicago.  Her name was Megan, and I knew the second I met her I wanted to marry her.  I had no idea how drastically she would forever change my life.

Discovering my passion for mountain biking


After graduating college in 2006, I moved back to my home town of Rock Island, IL and was introduced to a small mountain biking club called FORC (Friends of Off Road Cycling). They had just opened a new trail system not far from where I lived, Sunderbruch Park. From the time I first rode singletrack, I instantly fell in love with mountain biking.  Around the same time, I found success in the corporate world and landed a job in my field of study.  Good thing too, because I needed the money for all the beers and bikes.

It wasn’t the love for mountain biking alone that drew me so close to riding trails.  I also fell in love with a bunch of dirty, beer drinking folks that were the mountains bikers of FORC.  As you can image, being painfully shy most your life doesn’t serve well for having many friends.  Then transitioning from being shy to never shutting up — well, that can produce a lot of awkwardness.   This small community accepted me with all that awkwardness anyway.  To this day, I still consider many in FORC as family — you know who you are, and I love you all.  You were, and still are a driving force in my love for mountain biking.

Credit to Rebecca "Bexter" Kloos Bernard for photo

I soon found myself mountain biking every day with my friends and spending my weekends building/maintaining trails in the local area.  After many crashes from pushing my limits far past my abilities, I quickly became a decent mountain biker.  In April of 2008, I entered my first XC mountain bike race. I won that race, and went on to winning the whole I-74 Race Series in the Novice class that year.


Endurance racing – my true calling


After winning the I-74 Race Series, I was hooked on competitive mountain bike racing.  The next year, I moved up to the Sport class and I took the same approach to training as always.  Simply train more and harder than the competition.  You would think that would work, but what I discovered was that racers who were more naturally athletic kicked my ass regardless how much I trained.  That is until I raced with the same racers during my first endurance race in Wisconsin.  I finally beat my competition, and by a good margin!  I discovered that day that when it comes to endurance racing there are no shortcuts, not even for the most naturally athletic.  Thereupon, my true calling in endurance mountain bike racing was found!



Pursuing greatness


Through success on and off the bike, after many years of feeling inadequate, I finally conquered the low self-esteem that plagued me most of my life.  This burst in my confidence helped me make the toughest decision of my life.  The love of my life was now a flight attendant based in Denver, CO, and there was no easy way for me to join her.

With a tremendous amount of love and support from my now wife, Megan, I quit my well-paying job in the Quad Cities to move to Colorado in Fall of 2009.  Other than having two job interviews lined up, I made the move without certainty of my future.  Luckily, one of the two companies I interviewed with hired me.  I took a sufficient pay cut in an area with a higher cost of living, but I was in Colorado.

Side note: I went on to work my way up at that company, and landed a job with a competitor years later.  With that new job, I reclaimed the salary I lost when I moved, and more importantly it allowed me to work remotely.  Thus, allowing me to become a digital nomad!  But that’s a whole other blog.

After taking the leap of faith and moving to Colorado and having a woman by my side that inspired me to pursue greatness, I felt I could achieve anything.  Once in Colorado, I decided to take my newfound love of endurance mountain bike racing a step further.  I dreamt a dream so massive and crazy that to this day I can’t recall how I got the idea into my mind.  My lifelong pursuit suddenly became about one thing — becoming a pro level endurance mountain bike racer.



Dreams are paved with rough roads


As with everything in life, things didn’t fall right in place in my endurance mountain bike racing career.  My first year of racing in Colorado, I DNF’ed (Did Not Finish) two out of the five races I entered.  The ones I did complete, my placement was deep in the back.  This didn’t deter me in the least bit though.  After spending a lifetime of feeling like a failure, I knew how to endure defeat regardless of how much was thrown at me.  Let me tell you, there was A LOT of defeat thrown at me.

The second year went much smoother, and by the third year I won my first race in the 30-39 age group; which is essentially Cat 1 in the Colorado endurance scene.  My fourth year I landed on the podium a couple more times in 30-39, and was top ten for several races.


In my fifth year of endurance racing I decided to move up to the pro/open class.  Although I didn’t feel ready, I knew that if I was ever going to compete in the pro class I needed to race at that level. For this reason, I made the move up and never looked back.

For all the nitty gritty details of my biking career, see my MTB Resume.



To be pro


Even though I entered the pro/open class in 2014, I never truly felt pro.  For a long time, it was my belief that to call myself a pro I needed to consistently be on the podium. Admittedly, I have yet to reach this accomplishment.   Although top placement is critical, it took me a long time to realize that there is a lot more to being pro.



Even if I’m not on the podium all the time (yet), my passion and drive to reach my highest athletic ability is undeniable.  Consistently year over year, my athletic ability has substantially grown, and I have yet to reach my peak.  When I do reach my peak, I believe that the rest will fall into place.  In the meantime, consistently being top ten with the occasional podium will have to sacrifice.  Coupled with fact that I’m now on a pro level team, it’s time for me to start truly feeling like a pro.

An accomplishment to embrace


My acceptance onto Honey Stinger-Bontrager Off Road team finally solidifies my place as a pro mountain bike endurance athlete.  It’s hard to believe that a chubby, painfully shy kid with no self-esteem could achieve such an honor — or is it?  As the saying goes, it takes pressure to create a diamond.  Perhaps having low self-esteem was my own personal pressure in life. It could have easily broken me.  Instead, somehow, I turned it into something beautiful — a lifelong pursuit as an athlete.  I could not be happier with how my life turned out, and I’m especially happy with my new team. #StingorBeeStung



Special Thanks



Special thanks to my father, John Collier (1950-2014), for encouraging a chubby kid to try out sports for more than just a day.  You supported me wholeheartedly when I did pursue them and were my greatest fan.  I’m sorry you weren’t in this world to see this accomplishment.  More regretful, I’m sorry you never met your grandson Nolan.  At least in your last months with us we were able to tell you that little Nolan was on his way.  I know that gave you some peace before leaving us all.  Without a doubt, you would be as proud of him as you were of me —because I know I sure am.

Sunday, November 5, 2017

Resetting the soul – an endurance athlete’s guide to sanity

Every Fall after a long season of training and racing, I become overwhelmed with a great feeling.  Something comes over me — the desire to throw my bike in a dark corner, and never ride it again.  Okay, maybe not never again, but for at least a month.  That’s right, while many are enjoying arguably the best time to bike in Colorado, I’m thousands of miles from home “recharging”.  No bikes, no (structured) training, no scales, and most importantly, no dieting!  It’s my way of hitting the reset button on my soul, and reconnecting with my family.


Deep In the hole


When you’re deep in the hole of training and racing, the mind can become unclear.  Any endurance athlete knows it takes so much more than just getting in the miles.  There’s making race weight by tirelessly logging every calorie, getting in more sleep than a hibernating grizzly bear, doing yoga/stretching, strength training, and so many other small things.  Essentially, being an endurance athlete so much a part of your being it consumes every aspect of your life —and we love it!

The love affair of being an endurance athlete is complicated though.  Everything it takes to succeed also takes a toll on one’s soul — especially after months of grinding.  More importantly, it takes a toll on your family.  After all, living with your typical narcissistic endurance athlete isn’t easy.  Alas, the fogginess of the mind can make anyone unaware of just how unbearable they are to be around.  That’s when it’s time to press the reset button for the sanity of yourself and loved ones.


Pressing Reset


When you’re deep in the hole, there’s only one thing left to do — fill that hole back in to the surface! 

Refocus your energy

Even when you’re not trying to be an endurance athlete, you can’t just turn off all that energy.  The offseason is a good time to refocus all that pent-up energy elsewhere.  For example, if you bike, run — if you run, bike.  Personally, as an endurance mountain biker I like to run while also focusing on strength training.  Signing up for an event outside of your field of athleticism can make things fun.  One of my favorite achievements as an endurance athlete is running a half marathon in Lisbon, Portugal.

Another option is to focus your energy on getting things done around the house, especially if you’ve been neglecting projects amid training.  I once spent a whole month remodeling a bathroom before the birth of my son — working on the project after my nine to five and on the weekends.  Although it wasn’t the most fun I’ve had during an offseason, it was incredibly rewarding.

If you’re an endurance cyclist, and you just can’t stay off the bike in the Fall then another great option is cyclocross.  These fast-paced races are great for increasing VO2max, and working on corning skills for both road and mountain cyclists.  Working on dismounting/remounting to get over obstacles is another skill for all those hike-a-bike sections in endurance mountain bike races.  Also, by trading in long rides for shorter all-out rides, you’ll still have more free time with the family!



Putting your main athletic endeavors aside for a while helps you carve it after a long period away.  By the end, you’ll be itching to get back to it for another great season!

Indulge

What kind of body type do you have?  Can you get away with having a beer and/or eating badly from time to time during training/racing without much weight gain?  Awesome!  You probably don’t need to take a month off from dieting and can skip this section.

Some of us aren’t as lucky — present party included.  For us, we magically gain five pounds overnight just from one bad evening of drinking and/or eating.  This wouldn’t be so bad if it didn’t take several days to get back on track.  When you have this body type, it’s not feasible to splurge here and there; especially closer to race season.  We must stay dialed most of the year or else risk being above race weight.  After months of this, it can become unbearable.

For us fat kids, I suggest taking a month to say f@*k it!  That’s right, indulge!  Don’t try to hold back, don’t log a calorie, don’t even look at a scale.  I usually do this whilst traveling in Europe where it’s ludicrous to even try to hold back.  After a couple of weeks of this, you’ll start feeling lethargic.  You’ll remember how much better you felt well dieting properly, and be ready to get back on it!  There is a disclaimer though — only do this if you know you can loss the weight by your first race.


A season’s worth of benefits


After a long hiatus, you will be given the gift of a clear mind.  This is a great time to take advantage of your clarity!  I strongly suggest taking this time to write down your thoughts — especially if you feel you’ve really gone over the deep end during the training/racing season.  This aids in not falling into the same pitfalls you may have had when you were close to the grinding wheel.  For instance, write a blog entry — hey, look at me!

My personal reflections


As the candid author I am, allow me to share my own personal reflections.  In my own clarity, I decided to change up my race schedule for next year to better suite my family.  I was signed up for a seven-day stage race in the Spring.  Although this would have been an exciting endeavor, the amount of time training would have been far above my normal pace.  In addition, it would require taking vacation days from work to race my bike.  All this adds up to sufficiently less time with the family.

In my clarity, I realized just how selfish I was being with my time.  Especially true with having a toddler at home and working a nine to five job on top of training.  I may never get the opportunity to do this race again, but I also will never get to experience my son being three ever again either.  Perhaps when my son is older and more involved his own life, the old man will get another shot at stage racing.  For now, I know in my heart this is the best choice.



Remember what’s important


Without clarity, the endurance athlete’s decision making can become irrational.  Yes, being an endurance athlete must be a top priority if you going to succeed.  However, there is a point where you need to recognize that the same athletic drive that makes you great could also be negatively affecting the world around you.

Taking some time off can help you address these issues, and give you the clarity to stay somewhat sane into the next race season.  Not just for yourself, but for your loved ones as well.  Just remember to cease the moment of clarity and put your thoughts on paper. I can only say somewhat sane though because we all know you must be a little crazy to choose the path of an endurance athlete!  Stay somewhat sane out there my friends!