A Fall Day in the Wasatch

There's not too many things more fun than a fall day mountain biking in the Wasatch. That's what I did for a few hours on Saturday, and I was not disappointed.



I rode the Flying Dog trail clockwise from the 24/7 side and experienced much of the the Wasatch offers weather wise. I started dry and loaded with rain gear, just in case, since the sky to the west was black - 1st hint. Nobody was in the parking lot, so that was good - 2nd hint. Since I like riding when nobody else is on the trail, I ignored the hints and took off.

This ride had it all. It was windy, cloudy, wet and dry, rainy, hailey (is that a word?), tacky, muddy, fast and slow. And, I was paced for about 50 meters by a Sage Grouse that ran 10 feet in front of my wheel. That was really funny and I wish I could of gotten a picture of that.

As for the ride, all was well for the 1st 40 minutes and then it started to drizzle. As I got higher the drizzle turned to light tapioca pellets that barely dotted the trail.



About 5 minutes before the summit I had to put on the rain coat cuz I was getting pelted. The trail was still solid and nothing but leaves were sticking to my tires.

As I headed down the Glen Wild side there was a noticeable difference in the trail surface. My tires were getting muddy and the trail was softer. I opted to take the Preserve Interconnect Trail back to 24/7 instead of muck up the remainder of the FD and that was a good call. The rain picked up but the trail shed the water nicely and mud was not a factor. The descent was chilly, but I was able to get some speed and the fun factor increased noticeably. I made it back to the trail head with frozen toes and fingers, but that was part of the experience, and had a smile on my face the rest of the afternoon.



I just love fall riding in the Wasatch.

Race Across the Sky Movie

I just got back from watching the Race Across The Sky movie with Jane, and I'm stoked. Click on the Play Trailer button for a taste of what you're missing. Chris Holley's mug and an Alex Grant's post race commentary added a local flair that makes the movie even cooler. There's lot's of cool riding shots and colorful insightful commentary by Bob Roll. They also threw in a couple of personal stories that got the emotional juices going and show what makes this race what it is - a must do Classic.

If this movie doesn't get you excited about the race, you're dead. I just hope I can get in again in 2010 and get under the 10 hour hurdle.

24 Hours of Moab, 2009

Now that my blood shot eyes have returned to white and the delicious aroma of campfire smoke is fading, it's time to recap the 2009 edition of the 24 Hours of Moab. Of the 7 years I've done this race, the weather was the best I can remember. Sunny, no wind, fast dry course, comfortable days and cool nights and a fantastic collection of friends. What more can one ask for!

As a Grand Masters team (aka the not so pleasant end of the age category spectrum) we again managed to pull off 16 laps and beat the 1st place all chicks team, albeit by only 1 minute 15 seconds! At our present rate of deterioration, can we hold the chicks off for one more year? We may have to recruit a youngster to fight them off in 2010. As for this year, we rode steady and had no mechanical or physical issues so overall the race was a resounding success. Click here for our Mad Dog Gray Hounds results, and here for the overall. Overall we finished 72nd overall out of 365 teams and were 1 minute per lap slower than in 2007. I attrubute that to my horrible night riding times this year.

Captain Bill Dark put together a fun and amply qualified team this year. Jim Westenskow was our rookie, but he rode like a seasoned 24 rider. Jim was the 60+ NORBA National MTB champion 3 years ago and brought a long list of overall top LoToJa finishes with him. At 63 Jim still challenges, and beats, riders decades younger than him. The guys climbs like there's no tomorrow. It was great having Jim on our team and it's going to be sad not having him in 2010. In spite of his great performance, Jim has scratched the 24 hour test off his bucket list and is moving on to other stupid things. Thanks for the great race Jim - it was an absolute pleasure racing with you.

As for my race, I was pleased. My 2 day laps (laps 1 and 4) were strong but my night ones (2 and 3) were my worst ever. This year I found some new lines, rode more efficiently than in past years and finished with a strong 4th lap. Several drops and shelves I've walked in the past I rode this year. Maybe it's the 29er that is giving me more courage, or, age is blocking out my memory. Sand riding has always been a strong point for me and this year was no different - maybe those memories are fantasy too!

An unpleasant lesson was learned this year and that was, weight does not matter when it comes to lighting. I sold my super bright and ultra heavy Nite Rider HID system prior to the race and opted for a lighter weight LED system from Princeton Tech. That was a BIG mistake. My night vision is not the greatest I'll admit, but, the 2- SB2 lights I rode with were barely safe. Although I managed the get through the technical sections, barely, I out ran the lights on the flats and was constantly in fear of going down at high speed. I backed it down more than usual just to stay upright. I will admit my 2nd night lap was better than the 1st, but it was also slower too. Next year I'll come equipped with some serious lighting and will knock off 10 minutes per lap, guaranteed!

The highlight of my race was passing the new National 24 Hour Champion Josh Tostada on my 4th lap. I spotted him a pretty good lead at the start and caught him at the top of the last climb at the last sand pit. We chatted for a while and then I just had to get going - he was going too slow . The reality of it is he was on his 16th lap and I was on my 4th! He beat our entire team!

Another highlight was seeing Lynda Wallenfels and Dave Harris winning the solo single speed National championships. Lynda had such a huge lead, she packed it in early while Dave had a fight on his hands to the end. Congrats 2-Epic.

Well, I'd better get some work done so I can make some money to buy one of those cute teardrop trailers, someday! It's always good to dream, but it's even better if they come true. I'll post some pictures later.

P.S. For those of you that don't know anything about this race, this is what USA Cycling had to say:

"About 24 Hours of Moab
Since its inception in 1995, the 24 Hours of Moab has earned a reputation as one of the largest and most prestigious 24-hour races in the world. Rightly so, Moab, Utah is recognized, around the world, as the Mecca of mountain biking. Attracting upwards of 400 teams and an elite field of world-class, ultra-endurance soloists, the 24 Hours of Moab delivers the richest awards table in mountain biking with a prize value approaching $30,000 and more than $20,000 in cold cash.

The 24 Hours of Moab is also unique in that it is operated in a completely remote venue, 12 miles from the nearest utilities. Each year, a mountain bike city grows up in the high-desert grazelands hosting 4,000+ racers, support crew and spectators. This amazing location provides a 15-mile race course that is breathtakingly scenic and brutally challenging. Typically, teams and soloists together, log more than 79,000 miles and more than 1,300 miles of vertical elevation gain during this epic event.

Since 2002, The 24 Hours of Moab has been designated as the AMTRI World Championships of 24-hour mountain bike racing. In 2005, it also became the series finale of The Inaugural 24 Hour National Point Series."

PC Point 2 Point Recap

The 0700 start at Quinn Junction.

Round Valley glam shot curtesy of the event photographer.

Brad Sneed and me heading out from Silver Lake #1.

Raggedy Ann Fox handing out "prize money." Thanks Chris.

I'm gonna keep my winnings.

Whooped at the finish...

Lynn Peek and me at the finish. She must have been holding back cuz she looks much fresher than me.

My fan club: Derrick Batley, Chris Holley, Aaron Smith and Bob Saffell.

And last but not least, the finishers swag :-)

So, now it's official. I finished the first annual PCP2P race in 90th place overall (20th male solo), 10:45:55 after I started. Ahhh, the thrill of finishing!

My wife and a friend asked me how this race compared to the Leadville 100. Well, they both hurt, but in different ways. At Leadville, it's the altitude cuz the course is mostly fireroads and double track with wide single track thrown in to give it a MTB feel. It's not technical at all and favors a Roadie style. The P2P is shorter, with about the same amount of climbing, but, it's mostly tight single track that requires a lot more attention and riding skill. Which do I prefer you ask? Both, because they are so different.

For the benefit of the other type A anal retentive riders out there that may read this, I've put together a few of my personal stats to compare the Leadville Trail 100 to the 75 mile Park City Point to Point race.

Total Time: LT 100 10:48:26 / PCP2P 10:45:55
Riding Time: LT 100 10:18:49 / PCP2P 10:17:22
Elevation Gain: LT 100 11,320 feet / PCP2P 10,899 feet.
Kcals burned: LT 100 7710 / PCP2P 8017
Average HR: LT 100 134 bpm (74%) / PCP2P 137 bpm (76%)

To me they look very similar with the only difference being altitude and distance. Since there was lots of hurt in both, and their duration was the same, I think they are pretty much similar. But, PC P2P is technically harder so I would give it the edge. That said, DO NOT under estimate either one. Try them for yourself and see what you think. Hopefully they'll both be on my 2010 race schedule.

My lap time were as follows:

Round Valley: 59:35 (Avg HR 147 bpm/81%)
RV to Silver Lake 1: 2:01:55 (148 bpm/82%)
SL 1 to SL 2: 1:16:20 (143 bpm/79%)
SL 2 to PCMR: 2:56:43 (134 bpm/74%) In my mind this was the hardest leg.
PCMR to Finish: 3:02:47 (128 bpm/71%)

That's it. I'm looking forward to next year and hope to beat the time limit by more than this year - damn, there I go again...

Park City Point to Point Race

The 1st Annual Park City Point to Point is now in the record books and from my perspective, it was a great success. For a 1st year event, these guys did a superb job. My only offer of advice is put together a better website that is more informative and user friendly. Other than that, wow - job well done.

After I finished and was at my car cleaning up and hacking and weezing, my wife of 25 years said, "why do you do these things?" I think she was looking for an answer other than my standard one, but, as usual I disappointed her. While my glory days are far behind me, I race now to be part of something that is exciting and ultra positive. I race to be with young, motivated people that know no boundaries, that are able to look at adversity and over come it. People that face their fears and self doubt and challenge it instead of running away. People that push on even when their minds and bodies say please stop! I race to be with my friends, young and old, and new ones I meet on the trail. I race for friendship. I'm coming to grips with my limitations and realize that is my challenge now, and I'm ok with that. Why do I do this? Cuz I'm crazy just like you :-)

Back to the race. We started at the Quinn Trail Head at 0700 with comfortable temps, no wind and cloudy skies. To my surprise, the Leadville type start worked real well and I never got held up on the trip around Round Valley. I was hoping for a 60 minute time and that's exactly what I put down. I got a hand up from my wife and headed off to Lost Prospector and Silver Lake. After turning the corner to the Rail Trail I looked straight into a black sky and new we were headed for rain. Damn, I had dropped my arm warmers and did not have a rain jacket and was thinking about Leadville and LoToJa 2005. Luckily, the rain was not heavy and the temps did not drop. To be honest, it was quite refreshing, but it did make for some slippery situations.

While on Lost Prospector, Lynn Ware Peek caught up with me and we rode together for much of the next 2 hours. I was a little stronger than her on the uphills but she was wicked fast on the downhills and I just got out of her way. Riding with someone in these long races is a big advantage, so Lynn's cheery company was very welcome. We rode into Silver Lake with Bob Dawson who at 50+ was riding a rigid single speed. Unbelievable! Talk about a strong guy physically and mentally. Lynn and I parted company at Silver Lake and I headed up the hike-a-bike with Bob. I ran into a new friend named Brad - I'm sorry I don't remember your last name - and we hiked and rode much of the nasty steep and loose section together. He pulled ahead on the climb and I never saw him again. I'm certain he finished with a very good time so congrats Brad and thanks for your company.

After the nice flowing downhill section I made a wrong turn. Instead of turning left and going around the mtn to the south, I headed straight. I was riding with a guys and he blocked my veiw of the left turn arrows at the intersection so we kept going straight. After about .5 miles we ran into traffic coming towards us and I realized my mistake. I turned around but the "dude" said he was and he continued on. I got back on track just in front of Dawson and had no more issues the rest of the day. Bob and I headed back to Silver Lake 2 and took on fuel and water and headed out.

After about 5 minutes Bob says, he had to turn around because he forgot his water bottles. Age can be cruel at times ;-) I continued on knowing he would catch me, and he did. I bonked about 30 minutes out of Silver Lake and had to stop and gather myself. By the time I was ready to resume riding, Bob came along. We rode together for a few more miles but then we got separated before the horrible John's Trail descent and I never saw him again. That's not a good place for a rigid fork. I hope you're ok Bob.

After John's I headed up the Step's to Shadow Lake. OMG, that's was the crux of the ride for me. It seemed to take forever and I saw nobody for at least an hour. Thankfully, the trail was well marked. This leg took 30 minutes longer than I estimated and really kicked my butt. I was very happy to arrive the the PCMR aid station before the cout off. I stayed there awhile and had my bike worked on by the very helpful and friendly mechanic and was on my way to Spiro at 2:45 pm. By this time I new 10 hours was out the window, but who cares. I'm gonna finish this thing and that's an accomplishment in itself.

Usually I ride Spiro in the middle ring all the way to the Mid Mtn trail, but not today. I was in the granny most of the lower 1/3, but I kept a steady pace and made the Mid Mtn in about 45 minutes. What a relief to be there cuz now the bad stuff was behind me and I know I'm gonna finish. I made it to the neutral aid at the Colony and to my surprise, Lynn Peek was there chatting and eating up. We both looked at each other and laughed and decide to ride the rest of the way together. That was a huge lift to my spirits and made the last 10 miles go by fast. Like earlier in the day, Lynn was blasting the downhill and I had all I could do to stay with her - she may have been holding back, but I'm glad she did. We parted company about a mile or 2 from the finish when Lynn had to stop for something. Although I finished ahead of her in the stats, we were togehter in my mind and forged a life long bond that only adversity like this can create. Thanks again Lynn.

At the finish I was greeted by my wife and Mad Dog teammates, and Lynn's family. We took some pics and and exchanged hugs and relived our day with our loved ones. It was very special and gratifying. I overcame the constant thoughts of quiting between Deer Valley and PMCR and finished the race. I made some new friends and have another story to tell my grand children after I hang up my cleats. Hopefully I'll still be able to remember these things in 20 years!

See you next year.

Pics and stats to follow later. Sorry for the long post.