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!

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.

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!

Siena – City of Enchantment

Siena, Italy is a well-preserved city of enchantment and wonder.  It’s first settlers date back to 900-400 BC.  Other than upgrading the store fronts to gelato joints, not much has changed.  The amount of effort put into keeping this city as it was hundreds of years ago — astonishing!  It truly is something right out of a fairy tale.

Hoofing Around the City

Although the main streets are crowded with tourists, it’s easy to find less populated side streets were the locals roam.  The city can be confusing to get around at first, but soon you will discover that you’re never truly lost.  Everything flows back into the Piazza del Campo, a large piazza where all the locals get together to hangout and/or see events.  From the Piazza, everything within the city walls can be walked to in about ten minutes.  If you’re a runner/biker looking to explore less populated routes, there is an abundance of beautiful country roads just outside the city as well.

Photo taken from our AirBnB balcony

The Contrade

Per Wikipedia:

A contrada (plural: contrade) is a district, or a ward, within an Italian city. The most well-known contrade are probably the 17 contrade of Siena whose representatives race on horseback in the Palio di Siena, run twice each year. Each is named after an animal or symbol, and each has a long history and complicated heraldic and semi-mythological associations.

Not only is each contrada its own district, each has its own museum, social hall, and fountain.  Finding all seventeen fountains becomes a magical treasure hunt and offers an exciting way to see the city.  These small, tight notched communities within the city of Siena gives this large metropolitan area a small-town aura.

What to see while in Siena

Churches Galore!

There is an abundance of awe-inspiring Churches to explore from the Duomo di Siena to the Basilica Cateriniana San Domenico and many lesser known Churches scattered around the city.  Make sure to dress appropriately for the Churches; men can’t wear shorts, ladies can’t wear short skirts or anything revealing shoulders.

Museums and other attractions

Other than the Churches, there are many museums to venture into as well.  If you’re already seeing the Duomo di Siena, I suggest getting the OPA Pass which includes everything surrounding the Duomo as well.  The Santa Maria della Scala is worth the cost alone.  For a more detailed list of attractions, I invite you to visit the site of my favorite travel blogger, Megan Collier – What You’ve Been Missing.

Nighttime Strolls

Taking a stroll through the city after the sun goes down makes you feel as if you are living in a different era.  At times, you’ll feel as if you have the city to yourselves as many tourists are already off to the bed.  The city is completely safe, so don’t be afraid to venture down dark alleys to reveal the magic this city offers.  Also, make sure to look up every once in a while to view all the intricate details of the buildings above.

Where to Stay

Accommodations vary from budget AirBnB’s to five star hotels.  Personally, I always prefer an AirBnB equipped with a kitchen.  Not only does this keep cost down for the accommodation itself, but gives the ability to prepare meals during your stay.  However, I understand the comfort of a hotel with room service, housekeeping, and a flexible check-in/check-out time.  My rule of thumb is if it’s only one night, hotel; extended stays, AirBnB.

Photo taken from our AirBnB balcony

Giving personal information

Please note that is it Italian law for guests to provide personal information like address, date of birth, and passport number to their hosts/hostels/hotels.  Hosts take a huge risk by not asking for this information which comes with hefty fine if caught.  However, since this information is required, I would suggest taking extra care when choosing an accommodation.

Eating out on the town

Choosing a restaurant

This is why you came —to eat!  Within the city, there are many, many restaurants to choose from.  There are couple of resources I like to use to select a restaurant.  First, TripAdvisor is king when it comes to restaurant reviews in Europe.  Don’t completely trust TripAdvisior though.  Ask yourself, does it look like there are locals at the restaurant, or mainly tourists?  The locals know the best places to eat, so follow their laid.  Also, if it looks trendy, in my experience that equates to underwhelming meals at overpriced rates.  However, if the restaurant looks like it hasn’t been remodeled for a couple of centuries, you’re in for a treat.

What to expect

Unless you’re at a pizza joint, menus are typically split up into antipasta – starters,  primi piatti - main course, secondi piatti - second courses, contorni – sides, and dolci -desserts. 

Primi piatti is where you will find all your pastas.  You can’t go wrong with gnocchetti or risotto which you are most likely familiar.  A pasta special to Siena is pici — a thick pasta that resembles fat spaghetti.  Most places will have pici cacio e pepe (pici with cheese and pepper) — sure to be a delight.

Primi piatti is where you’ll find meat entrees.  Admittedly, I haven’t explored too much since the main course is always enough, but anything with wild boar is going to be amazing.

Dolci for me is often tiramisu — no one restaurant does it the same.  Another treat is almond cookies.  If they bring small glasses and a bottle of brown-tinted liquid in it, you’re in for an experience.  This is vin santo, a 16% dessert wine.  It is absolutely delightful, so don’t shy away!

Antipasta and contorni are self-explanatory, so I won’t waste your time going into detail.

As far as drinks go, I strongly recommend ordering the house wine which typically comes in half or full liters.  If you want water, unless you ask for tap water, this is an extra charge.  I recommend ordering sparkling water — it’s okay guys, nobody will judge you whilst in Italy so indulge!

Eating on a budget

Want to enjoy Italiano but are on a tight budget?  Meal prices can be kept low by shopping the local grocery store, Conad City.  Looking for a quick Italian meal at the quarter of the price of restaurants, and have a kitchen to cook?  Here’s an easy Italiano diner!  Pick a Conad brand pasta of your choosing, and pair with a Conad brand sauce like the Pesto Rosso or Pesto alla Genovese.  Add a freshly made baguette, and a bottle of wine (hint: the best & cheapest wines are on the bottom shelves) —amazing Italiano cuisine — prego!  Oh, and the store-bought pizzas are amazing as well!

Other options

Although not an Italian cuisine, I cannot leave out how good the Indian food is ANYWHERE in Europe.  If it has “kebob” in the name, no burgers on the menu (this is key), and the staff are Indian themselves — prepare to have your mind blown!  These are fast food style restaurants, so expect to leave with a full wallet as well as a full belly.

Best places to eat

Looking for a couple “go to” restaurants?  Here a list of my top choices in a couple of categories!

Sit Down Dinner
Osteria Il Carroccio - Via Casato Di Sotto, 32

Quick Lunch
Prètto Prosciutteria - Via dei Termini, 4

Sit Down Lunch
Osteria Trombicche - Via delle Terme, 66

Quick Pizza
Le Prinipesse - Via S. Pietro, 49

Sit Down Pizza
Il Pomodorino - Via Camporegio, 13

Gelato
Gelateria Kopakabana - Via dei Rossi, 52

Indian (Kebob)
Siena Chicken Kebab - Via Camollia, 23

Drinks with a view
Vivace Pizza & Griglia - Via Stalloreggi, 62

Transportation

Getting to and from Siena can be challenging as there is no airport within the city.  The two main modes of transportation are train and bus from Rome or Florence.  Taking the bus is the most direct route of getting into the city.  The bus schedule is difficult to find online, so your best bet is to just go the bus station with your baggage and ask for the next available bus.  Buses run so often, you won’t be waiting too long.  Siena isn’t very big, so no matter where your bus drops you off in the city, it won’t be far from your accommodation.

Although I can’t promise these links will be relevant when you are traveling, here are some bus company options at the time of this writing:

Siena/Rome

• Baltour
• Flixbus

Siena/Florence

• Tiemme SpA
• Look for routes under extraurban
• 131R A is Siena -> Florence (rapid route w/ less stops)
• 131R R is Florence -> Siena (rapid route w/ less stops)

Breathtaking Siena

Siena is a breathtaking city with a lot to offer to anyone wishing to explore it.  Ask enough of your friends, and chances are you know somebody that has been to Siena.  More than likely, they will exclaim “I love Siena!” and will be happy to give you a more intimate viewpoint of the city.  I strongly recommend visiting this enchanting city yourself, as words cannot explain all its amazement.

Photos!

For a large array of random photos taken around the city, I invite you to visit my photo album Siena – City of Enchantment.  Of special interest, you’ll find several 360 degree photos!  Prego!

Living the Dream - My Crazy Lifestyle of being an Athlete with a World Traveling Family

Somehow, I have found myself sitting in my AirBnB in Siena, Italy on a cool, rainy afternoon with some time on my hands. Since it has been more than two years since I've published a blog, I figured now would be a good time. So why not give a quick update of my life, shall we?

That Biking Thing

I suppose I will start with biking - since that is the basis of this blog. Yes, I am still an avid mountain bike endurance athlete. That won't be changing for a very long time. Every year I continue to exceed prior results.  It feels good to be thirty-five and still getting faster — I've always been a late bloomer you know.  To ramp things up in 2018, I'm signed up for a six day stage in Spain during the Spring.

She Carried Him Nine Months — I'll Get the Rest

Training has changed drastically since now a days I have a training partner.  My two (nearly three) year old Nolan is usually in tow.  As an athlete Dad, I do what I have to do to get the job done.  Climbing up a mountain road with a toddler in tow isn't going to win me any "greatest father" awards, but with a trailer featuring a five point harness and roll cage he's safer than I am.  I also pick times of the day that are less busy, and select routes that it are less populated with vehicles.  You're gonna see the Instagram pictures, so figured I'd ease your fears.

Digital Nomad Extraordinaire

Another drastic change in my lifestyle is becoming a digital nomad — a person who works "remotely" via laptop and internet connection.  To be fair, I have blogged about traveling while working in various locations in the past .  What's new is the level has now reached a status worthy of  the "digital nomad" title.  Since my last blog alone, I have been (and going) to the following location:

• Lisbon, Portugal - One month, Fall 2016
• Milan, Italy - One week following Lisbon, Fall 2016
• Las Vegas, NV - One month, Winter 2016
• Miami, FL - One week, Winter 2017
• Santa Barbara, CA - One month, Spring 2017
• Oregon Coast; Missoula, MT; Livingston, MT - One month, Summer 2017
• Siena, Italy - One month, Fall 2017 (at time of writing)
• Palm Spring, CA - One month, Winter 2017
• Córdoba, Spain - One month, Spring 2018

Gotta Keep Moving

My wife Megan, Nolan, and I travel roughly half the year. This means when we are "home" in Golden, CO; we are scrambling to get things done for our next trip. This includes preparing our home as AirBnB hosts - an incredible endeavor that helps finance our traveling lifestyle.
Somehow, with the help of an incredible wife, I am still able to get in the required training needed to be an elite athlete.  And you wonder why I haven't blogged in two years!

#WorldTravelingFamily

So there you have it.  Digital nomad, husband to a travelhoic flight attendant wife, and athlete dad of #AdventureNolan.  I lead an extremely fortunate lifestyle, and my goal is to embrace every day I have.  Live, love, and travel! To keep up the craziness, follow me on Instagram -> @nathancolliermtbr

Race Report: Salida Big Friggin Loop (SBFL)

A Nervous Start

After racing for several years, I don't tend to get too nervous for races anymore, but the Salida Big Friggin Loop (SBFL) was different.  The SBFL is part of the Colorado Endurance Series, a series of bike races that have an underground feel to them.  The field sizes are extremely limited (most are no more than 74 riders), they are completely self supported (no aid stations), and there are no course markings so you are dependent upon a GPS to find your way.  No registration fee, no prizes, just a bunch of hardcore riders looking for bragging rights.

Nervously Waiting for the Race to Start (Mr. Kerkove on the left)

The thought of doing a self supported race made me nervous enough, but the fact that the loop was from Salida to Buena Vista (47.5 miles) and back to Salida (45 miles) with zero civilization between the two towns was terrifying to me.  From the time I signed up for the race in December, I couldn't stop obsessing over this race.  I lost many hours of sleep, but none more than the night before the race.  After months of obsessing though, as soon as I pushed my first pedal stroke to start the race, all of the anxiety faded away as my mind and body entered race mode.

The Race

The SBFL comes in two flavors; long loop and short loop.  I decided to do the short loop since this was said to be much easier to navigate and closer to the distance I train for.  The "short" loop was 89.3 miles originally, but days before the race we all found out that an optional segment of singletrack could be added.  The optional segment would take riders on Cotton Wood Trail and drop them into downtown Salida.  With this segment the short loop would become 92.5 miles, and anyone that took it would receive a 100 minute time bonus.  I decided this was the route for me.

Salida to Buena Vista

It was a 6:30am sharp start in Salida, and it was already getting warm out.  The start was the most enjoyable start I've ever done.  We all rode together neutrally for a good hour giving me time to chat with my racing buddies Ben Parman and Jeff Kerkove.  Both of these guys are fast as hell, and both were doing the long loop so I need not worry about them.  After the long neutral roll out, Jeff picked up the pace.  Ben and a couple other riders joined Jeff, and they soon pulled away from my still very sore/stiff legs from the Gunnison Growler I had raced two weeks prior.  Not to mention I was tired from not sleeping much the night before; luckily downing two Huma Chia Energy Gels in a row woke me right up.  I didn't try to chase.  This race wasn't about competing with anyone else but myself.  I put my head down and held a steady pace that I kept all day.

Neutral Rollout

The first climb out of Salida was a huge one starting with pavement (which was part of the neutral start) that turned into dirt road (were Jeff picked up the pace) and into the singletrack of the Colorado Trail which is ridden until you head east into Buena Vista.  Although I rode alone where the pavement ended and the dirt road started all the way to the Colorado Trail, once we hit singletrack I soon started picking riders off that may have pushed a little too hard early on chasing Jeff and Ben in the lead group.

The soreness/stiffness in my legs never went away the whole race, but it also never got worse.  I wasn't able to push hard, but at the distance I was riding pushing hard would have been a bad idea anyway.  I held a strong, steady pace on the Colorado Trail and just enjoyed the ride.  There was so much good singletrack to me ridden during this segment, and views were absolutely breathtaking.  It was easy to forget that I was racing at times.  It just felt like I was out for a big ride.  It's easy to get that feeling when you ride a bike as enjoyable as my SCOTT Spark 900.  Damn, I love that bike!

Once I made it to Buena Vista I made a stop at their local bike shop, Boneshaker Cycles, who had kindly setup a small aid station in the shop with water, sports drinks, and snacks.  The shop owner (I presume) let me know that I was the fourth rider to stop by, and I knew at least two riders in front of me (Jeff and Ben) were doing the long loop.  Therefore there was only one racer that could potentially be racing the short loop like I was ahead of me.   I filled up on water and was off right at 4 hours 30 minutes.

Back to Salida

The ride out of Salida started with the last bit of singletrack until hitting the optional Cottonwood segment near the end.  Honestly, I was happy to see dirt road after taking so much abuse on the Colorado Trail.  There was a lot of variation of "dirt" road to be ridden.  Most could be done with any vehicle, some only by a good all wheel drive vehicle (SUV/Truck), and some only could be ridden by an off road vehicle such as an ATV.

It was during a long, gradual, dirt road climb (the kind that could be done with any vehicle) that I felt myself losing focus.  I was 65 miles into the race I needed something more than an energy gel/sports drink.  I decided to take a KIND bar break.  It was one of their newest bars, a dark chocolate almond mint.  This bar is good any day of the week, but when you are deep into an endurance race it tastes AMAZING!!!  It was just what I needed to rejuvenate myself for the last part of the race.

It wasn't too long after my short break that I saw another rider far off in the distance.  Little by little on the gradual dirt climb I was pulling him in.  I wasn't sure if he was a racer or not since he wasn't wearing a hydration pack, and had on a wool athletic t-shirt with baggy shorts. I don't mean to discriminant as not all of use shave our legs and wear a team kit, but it just threw me off a little bit.  It wasn't until we reached a downhill section were I was able to still spin on my 2x11 drivetrain and he ran out of gears on his 1x11 that I caught up to him.

Once I caught up to this lone rider, we rode for a couple of minutes together both clearly happy to see anyone else out there.  I can't recall his name, but he was really nice guy from Durango and riding super strong.  He had hung with Jeff and Ben most of race; very impressive knowing how strong those two ride.  I could tell he was a little burnt hanging with those two beasts. He split ways with them when they turned off for the long loop and he turned for the short loop; thus he was the lone racer ahead of me when I left Buena Vista.  As we entered the last big climb, I was feeling strong.

To Cottonwood and Beyond

The last big climb was on a rutted ATV dirt road through aspen trees.  I upped my pace as much as I could without completely blowing up.  I didn't look back until the top, and by that time the lone rider was no where to be seen.  I didn't relax though as there was still the optional Cottonwood trail segment that he could still catch up to me on.  I knew I was about 15 minutes away from the trailhead so I downed a raspberry Huma Gel that contains 25mg of caffeine so it would hit my system right when I entered the singletrack.

After what seemed to be the longest 15 minutes in my life, I finally hit the Cottonwood trailhead.  At this point, the caffeine hit my system just as planned and I was ready to give it my all.  As stated early, the optional Cottonwood segment would give a 100 minute time bonus.  Jeff mentioned at the beginning of the race that the segment probably would take 60 minutes, so if it went as planned I would drop 40 minutes from my time.  Without taking the optional segment, you could finish the race in 20 minutes.  In other words, to make the optional section worthwhile I needed to do it in at least 80 minutes.

In the end, I didn't do the optional Cottonwood segment in 80, nor 60 minutes.  Between the caffeine and the adrenaline knowing I may be in 1st place, I sprinted the last segment in 55 minutes taking the win!

A Good Day on the Bike

I can't tell you how amazing it felt to take the win.  I went out there to race my race, and my race alone.  What I ended up with was a sub 9 hour finish over 92.5 miles, and 11,444 feet of climbing to take the win!  I found out that most riders, both long loop and short loop, skipped the last Cottonwood segment because they ran out of water.  Did I mention it got up to the upper 90's!?  Running out of water wasn't an issue for me as the over planner that I am had a 100oz hydration pack, and three extra bottles of water in anticipation for the hot weather.  Hell, I even dumped a water bottle during the second half since I knew I wouldn't need it and it was weighing me down.  There was one other person who did the optional Cottonwood, my buddy Ben Parman to take the long loop win!!!  Congrats to Ben on his big finish as well!

Ben & me on our Makeshift Podium!

Now that's a damn good day on the bike!  Happy Trails!

Celebratory Beer & Burrito

Race Report: 2016 Gunnison Growler

I said it to myself: break six.  I said to my friends: break six.  I repeated it over and over again in my head on race morning: break six.  In case you're not catching my lingo, break six means getting a time of under six hours in a race.  That was my only goal for the Gunnison Growler, and it turned out to be quite a lofty goal.

Race Morning & Start

It was a cold morning in Gunnison for the Growler.  Nothing unusual there as it's always a cold morning in Gunnison on Memorial day weekend.  Without even a countdown, the shotgun to start the race shot off startling everyone.  After a neutral start, the race began on a steep hill lovingly called "Kill Hill".  I paced myself perfectly to keep my heart rate down on that first big climb, but it still wasn't enough to keep me from overheating.  I was wearing a skull cap, and by the time I was nearly to the top I desperately needed to take it off.  I used a trick I've done many times.  I took off my helmet while riding uphill, held my helmet in my teeth, and went to take off my skull cap.  Everything would have went smoothly if I had remembered to take off my sunglasses first.  Unfortunately, I did not and my sunglasses went flying off.  After dismounting, grabbing my sunglasses, and hopping back on my bike I was left with quite a bit a ground to cover to catch up to the front.  I knew right then that it was going to be a long race.

Climbing "Kill Hill" Post Skull Cap Mishap

In the Thick of It

Even with my skull cap mishap, I was feeling pretty good.  In years past, the race would quickly transition from dirt road into singletrack making it hard to pass, but this year they started it with a much longer dirt road climb section so I was able to make quick work passing a large amount of racers.  I soon found myself within eye shot of Jeff Kerkove, a well known crusher in the endurance field.  I tried my best to catch up to Jeff to congratulate him on his recent engagement to another local crusher, Karen Jarchow (KJ), but the closest I got was still a bike length away.

Photo by Matt Burt

Even at that distance, I knew if I was keeping up with Jeff I was on a good pace.  I was able to hold on for about an hour before he finally rode out of sight.  That was enough to put in a good position before heading into Skull Pass, a mean two mile lollipop loop attached to the big thirty two mile loop.  Even for the best riders, there are some short sections where hike-a-bike is required on Skull Pass.  In years past, any time I stepped off my bike to hike my heart rate would sky rocket and I'd be winded for a couple of minutes.  This year though I have been hiking quite a bit with my wife Megan and my son Nolan, a twenty pound one year old, strapped to my back.  I was surprised that not only was I not winded, but I was running the hike-a-bike sections!

Photo by Dave Kozlowski

End of Lap One & Beginning of Two

After Skull Pass, I was at 1:40 and thought that if I could finish the first thirty two mile lap at 2:40, I would be sitting pretty good.  To my disappointment, at 2:40 I was still on lap one, and at 2:45, 2:50, 2:55.... Finally at 2:58 I rolled through the line to finish lap one.  After a two minute pit stop to shed some layers I started my second lap right at three hours.

Photo by Matt Burt

Endurance racing can be very emotional in the middle of a race when you still have hours to go, and I was feeling down on myself for not making lap one in 2:40.  I was still pushing, but I wasn't feeling overly motivated to push.  I thought that maybe I just needed a good shot of calories, so I downed a strawberry Huma Gel.  That did the trick, because by the time I got to Skull Pass for round two I was in a much better state of mind.  I completed Skull Pass just a couple minutes under 4:40.  Doing the math in my head (which is harder than you think four hours into an endurance race), I calculated that if I completed the last couple of miles about the same time I did on lap one I could still break six.  Right at 4:45 I downed a raspberry Huma Gel that has 25mg of caffeine so it would hit my system right at the last hour mark.  It was game time!

Photo by Matt Burt

The Last Hour

The last couple of miles of the Growler is a lot of mean technical sections and climbing.  You have to work hard for every inch.  I knew the pain that was coming, and I was ready to take the damage.  I over concentrated on the technical sections to clear everything I could while still pushing myself into blurred vision on the climbs.

Tech Section in Last Few Miles
Photo by Dave Kozlowski

I gritted my teeth, and counted every second.  Right at 5:57 I started the final descent.  Any concern for personal safety was out the window.  I knew I needed to complete that last section like it was an Enduro run.  After a brief, but scary couple of minutes of descending the finish line was in site.  I sprinted the last mile like a mad man.  With my head down, going full throttle I crossed the line at 5:59:40.  I broke six!

Full Throttle to the Line!

Mission Complete!

This was my third attempt at racing the Growler counter clockwise, the first two times ending in disappointing DNFs.  That made this victory even sweeter.  I was greeted by cheering team mates that I'm fortunate enough to call my good friends with hugs, and high fives.  I was also greeted by a sip of Colorado made Fireside Bourbon, and a growler for the Growler of Barrels & Bottles brew.  Hanging out while celebrating with friends made all the pain worthwhile.  I love my team, Pedal Pushers KIND Racing!

Seconds After Crossing the Line - Mission Complete!