gmo

Leadville for me wasn't a fun race this year, and I wasn't really looking forward to SM100. Actually, during the Leadville race it had crossed my mind that just maybe my registration would get lost in the mail and I wouldn't have to do it. I was fried from too much training, tough races, and just not really having fun on the bike. SM100 was not fun for me last year, so why do it again? As the race got closer, I modified my goals a little and with that, got a little more excited for the race. My goals this year were: 1) Slow it down a bit the first half of the race so that just maybe I could enjoy the experience. In the past I work so hard right from the start that the races become such a sufferfest that none of the race is enjoyable. 2) Improve my time from last year. I don't care if it's only 5 minutes. Go out a bit easier, don't bonk, keep consistent, and I should do ok. Well, what do you know. I enjoyed the race, AND beat last year's time by 56 mi...

Of the three three Leadville Trail 100 mountain bike races that I’ve completed, this year was the most difficult by far. My goal for this race was to complete it in under 9 hours. This would have put me in about the top 120 of the 1300 competitors. Finishing in sub-9 would mean shaving almost 50 minutes off of my time from last year, and it was a real reach. But I knew I would never know if it were possible unless I try. It wasn’t possible this year, and trying for sub-9 took a real toll. Overall, I still feel extremely satisfied to have completed the race, and to complete it in under 10 hours. After spending several nights in Vail, Colorado, I arrived in Leadville on Thursday night to continue my altitude acclimatization at 10,200 feet in the highest incorporated town in the United States. Through the hospitality of my friends (and Leadville natives) the McHargues, the people at the B&B I stayed at, and other friends in town for the race, it was a fabulous experience outs...

I lined up on the second row for the Sport class race, and chatted with Jody until seconds before the start. This was nice because it takes my mind off of the stressful start. The race starts with a pack of racers about 6 wide and 6 deep. You have to hammer up a washed out gravel road that can handle about 4 wide, then into singletrack. Starting the initial climb I settled into 5th. This is right where I want be. I'm surprised I'm in this position, as last week in the Masters 35+ race I was hammering much harder and was only about 15th up the hill. Into the singletrack in fifth. Another surprise, the two people in front of me were slowing me down. At the first straightaway I put down the hammer and passed #4, but #3 knew what was coming and pushed hard to maintain his lead. At the second straightaway I hammered again and took the #3 position. The two guys I passed faded. The #2 guy was in and out of sight. At the long straightaway on lap 1.5 I glanced back and saw a ...

My second year of Marathon class was yet again another great race. The course overall was a lot dryer, yet still had a section that was good and muddy, leaving me yet another year looking like the great swap thing. The weather almanac says 30 mins into the race the temp was already 91 degrees, and the high for the day was 95. Hydration and maintaining proper sodium intake was crucial. Knowing that it was going to be a scorcher, on Saturday I drank a lot of fluids, alternating between sports drink and water, and even taking a couple S-Caps (electrolyte pills). In the morning, as always, I still felt dehydrated. Drank a cup of coffee, a pint of water, and downed some sports drink on my way to the race, as well as an S-Cap, and another bottle of sports drink once I got there. The race start was relaxed, as is typical for an endurance race. There were probably about 40 riders. I started in the second row, as I wanted to keep the leaders in sight on the first climb. I wanted to go o...