2013 - USCS Round Valley XC

Race - Elevation profile,  speed, and heart rate from my super secret software.

I lined up with the big boys this week for the USCS Round Valley XC in Park City, Utah.  Last year I raced single-speed taking 2nd place behind Corey Larrabee.  Since I didn't have a 1x1 ready to ride this year I went ahead and signed up with gears in Pro / Open.

After taking a detour over Guardsman's Pass to avoid I-80 traffic on the drive up, I pulled into the parking lot 10 minutes before the race start.  In a frantic dash, I signed my waiver and bolted to the lineup just in time to hear Bob Saffell, the race director, yell "30 seconds... 20 seconds...".  With my gloves still stuffed under my bibs mid-thigh I spun the last few twists on my race number fasteners, started my Garmin, and then "Go!".

We were off.

The race played out as most XC races do. We started too fast, the fast guys dropped everyone, I counted how many places I was back "one, two, three, four, five, six, seven... was that everyone?".  That put me around mid-pack into the singletrack on the first lap.  During the rest of the race a few guys got around me,  I got by a few guys, and by lap 3 the placing was pretty much settled.  We rode 3 laps of singletrack and then a bonus 1/2 lap before we hit the finish line in just over 2 hours.  When it was over I rolled across the line in 9th place, which is better than what I was expecting.

I may just have to do a few more of these shorties.

Race Report: 2013 True Grit - 100 NUE

Luck Number 100 for the 100-miler Open.

Note: For previous year's race reports take a look at the 2011 True Grit 50 and 2012 True Grit 100.

I learned a few more things about endurance racing this year on my third bout with the unforgivable and fantastic True Grit singletrack.  Every year I leave St George post-race completely demolished with a vow to never return.  The Grit is a hard 100-miler to prepare for when you live in northern Utah where there is still snow on the ground through March.  I knew going into this one I wasn't really ready to race 100-miles but I had already made the commitment to race so I was going to show up and see what happens.

Anyone with a competitive spirit would be lying if they didn't admit there is some part of them that would like to be up front mixing it up with the top-level endurance athletes.  Watching these guys perform is a reminder of what it takes to ride at that level and the gifted athletes they are.  Racing along side these top guys is kind of like a 50-yard-line seat at the Super Bowl for me.  The fact that we can all line up together and do these type of events is part of what keeps me coming back.

This was my third year racing the Grit and it always goes pretty much the same way: I start getting ready in late December. I try to eat right, spend a lot of time on the trainer, plan the days and weeks meticulously, hope I don't get sick, I get sick, I recover, I build again, I have work commitments, I have family commitments, schedule compromises, and so on.  Race day arrives and I hope I have prepared enough.   I arrive in the dark, sort out my drop bags, spin around nervously for 30 min, chat a bit with friends, and line up.

The race director yells "GO!"

I cross the starting line, settle in behind the first 10 or so fast guys and spin out the first few miles as they slowly drift off the front.  Almost every NUE race starts out this way for me and I am good with that.  I love the experience and every endurance race is a race against myself, bad fortune, mechanicals, and the clock.  I hurt, but I am happy as 12 weeks of dedication culminate as I cross the finish line.  After a few days of rest and comfortably back in my day-to-day routine, I'm ready to do it all over again next year.

The script was pretty much un-changed this time around.  The race was a steady state of forward motion and a blur of desert landscapes.  I had a few crashes that cost me a bit of time.  I cramped a bit after the 5 hour mark but that seems to happen almost every 100-miler so I was expecting it.  I was worked over from the rough terrain but kept turning over the pedals through the finish line.  I raced to the best of my ability and turned in a respectable time of 8 hours 13 min.

See you next year True Grit!

Zen Trail 

Barrel Rolls

Post race headed home

Flash Gordon V2.0

I'd like to give a big thanks to Slim and Knobbies Bike Shop, Infinite Cycles,  Project321, Ergon, Stan's NoTubes and Ebay for helping me put together what I hope will be a lethal race weapon for 2013. I'm really looking forward to racing this bad boy Saturday!

Camp Lynda V6

I attended Camp Lynda once again this year put on, once again, by the the dynamic duo of Lynda Wallenfels and Dave Harris of LWCoaching.  Despite the 50% chance of rain both days, St George, Utah delivered.  Friday was excellent, the trails were dry and there were plenty of fast guys to chase around the desert.  Saturday we hit some of the best trails around including Zen on the True Grit race course.  The weather didn't cooperate but the cool temperatures and wet trails made for some very fun riding.  It was definitely fun to ride the whole day with guys that I usually only see briefly at the races before they hammer off the front.  I also met some new people that I hope to hit the trail with again before next year.  If you haven't made it out to Camp LW I highly recommend you give it a try. The pace is relaxed and there is plenty of riding company for all fitness levels.

Meeting at in the Starbucks Parking Lot for Day 1

Headed back from the "City Creek-Pioneer Hills-Pioneer Rim-Powerline-Dino Tracks-Church Rocks-Prospector-SilverReef" ride on day 1.

Somewhere near Church Rocks (I think).   These trails were new to me.

Same place as above.

Pushing the 34/20 SS up a big sandy hill east of town.

Day 2 Start.  Duff Johnson, Chris Faatz, Brandon Firth and The Gear Rush tent occupied by Alex Grant

Taylor Lideen, Alex Grant, Brandon Firth, Bart Gillespie (left-right).

Same guys, different order.

Dirty bikes ready to head home,  but not too dirty.

St. George

Chris Holley, Drew Free, Chris Faatz at the overlook on Zen Trail.

I started riding bikes again at age 35 while living in Colorado after nearly 15 years of not riding bikes.  I love Colorado, it has huge mountains, it has roads you can ride on that end on the  top of 14,000ft peaks, it has the Colorado Trail, it has Breckenridge.  I moved to Utah in October 2011 and found that Utah has a lot of good riding.  While Utah doesn't reach into the sky nearly as much as Colorado it has one place that Colorado does not, a place I have grown to love, especially in the winter.

Utah has St George.