Gunnison Growler Pre-Ride

Yesterday, Danielle and I packed up the bikes and took a little day trip down to Gunnison, CO to give her a little taste of what to expect on May 29th when we race in The Original Growler. While I will be throwing down for the Full 64 mile version, Danielle will be getting out for the half version, a one lap 32 mile course of fast, swooping singletrack that was built through the efforts of Gunnison Trails, the local trail advocacy group founded by Dave Wiens in 2006. The amount of work this group has put into their local trails over the past 5 years is unbelievable and their hard work truly shows. If you haven't been out to the Hartman Rocks Recreation Area, you NEED to get out there now! As stated by Jake Wells after last years race, "Don't ever ride the Original Growler singletrack, because nothing else will ever compare."

Driving over Monarch Pass, just 50 miles East if Gunnison, we were al little worried because it was snowing. The forecast in Gunnison was iffy with chances of rain and thunderstorms in the area. But when we arrived in town, the clouds seemed to part just over the Hartman Rocks area. With the clouds looking menacing to the North over Crested Butte and rain/snow showers clearly hammering Monarch and Wolf Creek, we weren't sure how long the ride would actually last. Geared up for anything, we started our initial ascent up the infamous "Kill Hill", which will hit all riders hard as we start the Growler course. Pictured below, it consists of a steep 10-15% grade for about 3/4 of a mile climbing just under 300 feet.

Trying to find our way around via a printed course map was interesting at first, but thanks to the simple and clear trail signage, we quickly found our way. Gunnison Trails uses a name and number system to mark its trails, and with a simple placard at the start and finish of each trail, navigating by trail map was flawless.

We decided to skip the lap 1 fire road section of the course and climb the lap 2 designated "Rattlesnake" trail. I quickly realized that cleaning this trail would be key to sustaining a consistent pace. It featured some large granite rock formations that all the other riders who were coming "down" the trail seemed to be grinning from ear to ear every time they passed us. We however, were climbing "up" the trail and by climbing, I mean "climbing" by foot. Some steeps were at a pitch that even the shoes were having trouble holding steady. There is going to be some bloody scraped up knees on this trail. Here is one formation which has two options to ride: the center line to descend a steep 12 foot drop and the left-side route to navigate around the rock which Danielle opted for (watch those pedals for the narrow tracking through the rock or you will be walking).

The next section named Josho's, which for lap 1 will be the first taste of singletrack, was oh-so-fun! Fast, smooth singletrack descending into a small valley with minimal technical sections. The thing about the Growler course which is so unique is that it does not lack climbing (about 4,000 feet per lap), rather the course is rolling all throughout with every climb being no more than a few hundred feet at a time. The Whiskey course for example, had a 13 mile 3,000+ foot climb in one shot. These small rises in the Growler course allow riders to enjoy every bit of singletrack thrown at you weather climbing, descending, or playing on the technical rock formations. Pictured above left is an example of some of the small technical features that keep riders attentive to the trail.

We rode the majority of the course, ditching a few fire road sections meant to spread out the field and keep the 32 mile distance factor in the race. After a sweet, short descent into a trail named "Enchanted Forest" due to its random mix of trees and lush green, a welcome change to the sage brush infesting the rest of the course, we jumped into some rolling technical singletrack with names like Dave Moe's, Dirty Sock, Top of the World, and The Ridge.

Here's a pic of me about to clean one of the many "Ups" on the course. Our Bach Builders light-weight wind vests from Sugoi provided the perfect balance of warmth and protection from the consistent 15+mph winds all day. The chamois in our RS Bib Short provides us with enough cushion to ride for hours on end without making you feel like "the new guy" at the local prison after a long day in the saddle.

Danielle taking a break sporting the newly designed kits for Team High Maintenance.

All in all, it was a fantastic day down in Gunnison with no foul weather ever descending upon the Hartman Rocks area. It's going to be a big ole' fashioned throw down on the 29th with all sorts of friends heading down to race including Jake Wells (3rd last year), Tyler Eaton, Ken Boyer, Sara Delano, Ryan Cantrell, Mark Beresniewicz and more. Look for Jake to be gunning for a 1st place finish this year. I'm gonna go out on a limb and say Ken and Sara will take podiums their respective age groups, and if Tyler can ward off the cramps on "The Ridge", expect to see some impressive results from him as well.

For me?? Well, my plan is to rise up the rankings as races get longer, so let's shoot for a top 10 finish in my age group. I'm calling it a 6:45:00 finish time. Throw some times for me in the comment section below and I'll get a little prize out to the closest person without going over. (US residents only)

TMP

Time to catch up a bit...

You would think that with all this time off I have right now due to my job taking a seasonal hiatus for the Spring season, I would be blogging it up like crazy...

Fortunately, due to some fantastic weather in the High Country, I have been able to get a whole bunch of miles out on the dirt and even threw down for an unexpected race. So, I guess we will start with that one. Just a week after the Whiskey 50, tons of local friends were getting ready to line it up both East and West of Eagle at the Front Range 60 in Denver as well as the 18 Hours of Fruita in, well, you guessed it Fruita. Jealous of all the suffering these friends were about to experience I decided Friday night to pack up the gear and head down to Denver for the Front Range 60 "half-marathon" race which was just over 30 miles in length. I would have really liked to get down there for the full marathon race, but due to financial constraints of not working and the 8am start time, racing in said event just wasn't feasible. With a 2pm start for the halfsies, it made for a perfect out and back day trip to Denver to race, grab some goods at Whole Foods, and indulge at Tokyo Joes post race.

We got there just in time to catch the first group of finishers from the full marathon coming through the line. Fellow Bach Builders racer Ken Boyer finished in a blistering time just over 4 hours to take 6th place in his group. Way to go Ken!! This threw his average race speed at just below 15mph. Crazy! At that point I knew this course was going to be a fast paced hammer-fest. Edwards local Tyler Eaton came in just over 4 and a half hours despite having some cramping issues on lap 4 of 6. At this point the heat was settling in. The temperature in Denver was 60 degrees at 8am for the start of the full. By the time we lined up for the half, the standing air temp was already breaking 80 degrees. Eric Rubottom and I lined it up in our respective age groups, and at that time realized that our competition included licensed Pro riders. The thing about ultra-endurance races is that you rarely see a structured ability level designation. Ages are commonly split up but if you can race for 50+ miles, event organizers don't really consider you a beginner or intermediate racer. That being said, the start of our race was HOT! I was able to hang for all of a half mile with riders such as Kevin Kane and Mitch Hoke in my field.

The course sure was fast and fun. At 10 miles a lap, there were only 4 legitimate "climbs", 3 of which were less than 2-3 minutes in length. The only sustained climb was a gradual 10 minute haul which finally dropped down into a shaded, sandy section of the course. The toughest part of this race for me was the amount of sun exposure each lap which hit you about 90% of the time. Factoring the sun into the equation, race temps sat around 95 degrees for over 2 hours. Not knowing anything about the course I was shooting for a time of 2:17:00. I ended up finishing in a time of 2:12:22 good enough for a 14th place finish. For a last minute decision to race on an absolute 2 hour max interval format, I was pretty happy with the results. Not to mention, after being hit with some big cramping issues late in the race in Arizona, I was able to adjust my Infinit Nutrition blend to include some additional electrolytes and focus more attention to a steady intake through the duration of the race. The plan worked and not once did I feel even the slightest hint of a muscle twitch.


Eric Rubottom had a great race, throwing down a time of 2:05:58 good enough for 13th in a large field of 25 in his age group. 


Next race - The Original Growler, 64 miles of some of the sickest singletrack I have ridden to date! Also, becoming my longest race to date...


TMP

A Gentlemen's Farewell...

"Whenever I see an adult on a bicycle, I have hope for the human race." ~ H.G. Wells

Today, I saw the true meaning behind this quote. At the 4th stage of the 2011 Giro d'Italia, we were all witness to what I find to be one of the most heartwarming and respectful actions in professional sports. There are very few sports, if any, in which the entire competition could come together as one to remember and celebrate the life of a fellow athlete.


Wouter Weylandt (LEOPARD-Trek) lost his life from a crash during Stage 3 of the Giro d'Italia. Only 26 years old, he was young, ambitious, and a phenomenal racer. Just a year ago, he had won Stage 3 with his former team Quick-Step. Further investigations would prove that Weylandt had died on impact, that he had felt little if any pain, adding just the slightest level of resolve for family and friends who feared his final moments on the road.


Throughout the 4th stage on May 10th, all 23 teams took turns leading the peloton in a rolling procession honoring their fallen brother. In the final 4km to the finish, Team LEOPARD-Trek lined up 9 abreast (with Garmin-Cervelo rider and best friend of Wouter, Tyler Farrar) to ride in unison, silently across the finish line. The other 22 teams drifted back allowing the leading nine to roll through the crowds that filled the air with a calm applause.


I have so much respect for each and every one of these cyclists, and am very proud to be a part of our common love of cycling. Thank you, for proving that Mr. Wells was right, there is hope for the human race.


TMP

Road Trip to Arizona

I was planning on getting this blog up earlier in the week but the weather has followed us home from Arizona and it has been some prime time to get out on the trails of Eagle. Here is a picture of the riding today... Garmin said it was 83 degrees in the sun with not a cloud in the sky.

We took off for Arizona early Thursday morning for the Whiskey Off-Road event and took the Moab route to get down there. It was very scenic most of the way down with the exception of very barren stretch of land from the Arizona line until Flagstaff. We arrived in Prescott around 6:30pm not realizing that we actually gained an hour to move into Pacific Time.

After unloading the gear, suitcases, and bikes we walked a few blocks over to Whiskey Row to grab a bite to eat. Prescott Brewing Company seemed fitting for the evening. The waitstaff was very friendly and their menu had so many options, that made making a decision very difficult. I was recommended the Ponderosa IPA by our server and it was a very wise choice. The brew was fantastic and I could instantly see why this brewery has been named the #1 Micro Brew in Arizona for 2 years now. Their house ground Peppercorn crusted Gorgonzola burger was pretty awesome too!

The town of Prescott has got it going on. From their historic downtown section to the "upper" Prescott Valley with all the common shopping and dining options you find in most booming cities, there was something for everyone. The start/finish and expo area was setup right on Whiskey Row right alongside the town Court building and its spacious park setting. The finish line offered several balcony seating options from the various bars and restaurants giving spectators "VIP" access to all the excitement. The locals were all very friendly and I had several "locals" thank me for stopping in their town and spending some money.

The festivities began on Friday afternoon with the "15 Proof" (15 mile fun race) followed by the Pro Mens and Women Fat Tire Criterium. The course was set right downtown in a large figure 8 pattern of about 10 square blocks. On top of a stacked field of Pros, each lap feature some brutal climbs that reminded me of San Francisco streets. We missed the womens race but got there just in time to see the mens field lining up. Just minutes into the race, you could see who was really there to fight for position in the race, which was truly only held for the top five call-up positions for Sunday's race. Just one lap into the race a lead group had formed with Chris Sheppard, Barry Wicks, Jake Wells, Tinker Jaurez, and a few more. This group would end up putting non-stop pressure into the rest of the field eventually finalizing a race in which only 7 out of 50+ pros had not been lapped or pulled form the race. One of our local favorites Jake Wells (Dogma Athletica) finished with a strong 2nd place finish in a final sprint up the 200 yard, 15 percent grade to the line.



Saturday morning was the start of the 25 Proof and 50 Proof races for all categories except Pros. We started the 50 Proof race promptly at 7:30am to the sound of a customary shotgun blast, as used for the beginning of each race throughout the weekend. I arrived at the start a little later than I wanted, so my position was not optimal for a fast start. After close to a minute and a half of waiting I finally got rolling. The initial climb was on pavement for about 4 miles as we led out of town to the Prescott National Forest land. I was able to gain quite a bit of time on the road as it gradually got steeper up to the dirt. Apparently it was not enough though, as we hit the singletrack, it literally took 100 yards for the "Conga Line" to start with those who pushed it too hard in the beginning and now couldn't maneuver some of the simplest of technical features. Despite the frequent stops, the singletrack was prime. The town of Prescott has a very close relationship with the National Forest Service and it shows in the quality of their trails. Built for sustainability, the first climb and descent of the course featured what seemed to be an endless array of water bars keeping even the most technically advanced riders busy and attentive. At one point we had some steep 30+ percent descents littered with water bars that scattered racers among the dirt. One guy took an initial turn into the descent and instantly went over the bars. I must say I was rather impressed with his instant release from his pedals, otherwise his landing would have been race ending. As I weaved my way through the racers walking the descent, we popped out onto a double track climb for about 15 minutes up to aid station 1 and our descent to the Skull Valley out and back.

The out and back format was nice in that it allowed me to see the damage inflicted to the field from the lead riders who were able to "clean" the majority of the initial singletrack. The out and back was about 9.5 miles each way and it wasn't until mile marker 6 that I started to see the first riders making their way back up. At the turn around it looked as though I was sitting in about 40th as I made the turn back up the hill. The climb out of Skull Valley, past aid station 3 and to the top of the total climb was brutal. About 15 miles in length and a vertical gain of about 2800 feet that gradually got steeper definitely put some hurt into the thighs. Trying to ease off the onset of cramping, I tried to hold a steady pace without really trying to put some big efforts into the pedals. By the time I reached the top of the climb I had dropped to about the mid 70's in placement. My chain had lost all lube on the descent of Skull Valley and it was amazing how much of a mental damper the sound of a squealing chain will put on your cadence.

The first long descent was oh so fun! It was a fast sweeping 15 minute ride on some newly build singletrack by the NFS. I was able to gain a few places on the descent until I ran into the final 200 foot climb of the course. It started with some technical rocky ascents that I must have hit hard in the wrong fashion which sent my thighs into a wicked cramp spasm. I instantly jumped off the bike in an attempt to stretch them out with no luck. My thighs literally looked like they were alive with muscles jumping back and forth. After a few minutes I was able to get back on the bike and "spin" a little ways up. Soon enough, the climb became more sustained and loose, the cramps came back. With a bit of walking I managed to get to the top of the climb and begin the second long sweeping descent back into town. By this time I had lost quite a few more spots and was currently sitting at about 98th position. I made the final efforts on the road back to Whiskey Row and finished with a time of 4:45:00. I was very happy with the time and effort considering it was my longest race to date. Final results put me in 97th place out of 232 finishers in the Mens Open 50 Proof. One thing I was really happy about is that the Park City Point to Point race is not until September, because I am definitely not ready for a 78 miles race yet!

Team High Maintenance had a great showing with some fantastic results. Team Captain Amy Hermes finished a huge 2nd place finish in the Womens 50 Proof Singlespeed category. In the Womens 25 Proof category, Nadine Davis finished 3rd and Danielle 12th (also her longest race to date). After the race, we found out that Danielle managed a solid finish despite a bent rear brake lever from a early crash as well as a broken pedal, preventing her from fully engaging her cleat.

In almost every category, riders from Colorado seemed to dominate the podiums. Interesting, considering most of us have just hung up the skis for the season. Former Bach Builders rider and current Honey Stinger rider Dax Massey took 2nd in the mens singlespeed 50 Proof race. Way to go Dax!

On Sunday, the Pros took off and were just flying by the course checkpoints. In the mens field, Chris Sheppard (Rocky Mountain Bicycles) crushed the group finishing in a record breaking course time of 3:04:00, almost four and a half minutes ahead of 2nd place finisher Colin Cares (Kenda Felt). Eagle local Jay Henry (Tokyo Joes) dug really deep to finish in 3rd place. Jake Wells hung on to finish strong in 7th place. In the womens race, Pua Mata (Sho-Air) pushed hard in the final descent to pass race leader Catharine Pendrell (Luna Chix) with only a mile to go and win the race. Avon local pro Gretchen Reeves finished in 4th place.

All in all, the Whiskey Off Road is an event that I will definitely return for. My only issue was the race start format. I think I would race in the pro group next time just to have an open trail ahead of me. The 50 Proof group started with about 600 racers and the 25 Proof group had even more. Thanks Prescott! We'll see you again soon!

Thanks again to Bach Builders MTB Race team sponsors NoTubes, Ergon, and Infinit Nutrition for keeping the suffering to a minimum in my first race of the season!