Palo Duro MTB Marathon, Part Deux

Last November I was invited by a fellow Coloradan to hit up this race and heck why not. Ended up scoring the big "W" with a great day on the bike having a great ride with Brian Fawley before some complications helped me get away.

So with such a fun course nestled down in the 2nd largest canyon (next to the Grand Canyon) in the US, I was bound to go back in 2010. This time though I was returning with the #1 plate up front and a big bulls eye on my back. And to elevate the pressure even more, the promoter found a sponsor that laid down a $4000 prize purse for the top 10. Ahhh snap! I could actually make some loot if playing my cards right.

So with the southern hospitality the promoter, Karie Mueller, invited me back to attempt to defend my title. This was awesome as I actually felt like a real pro for once in my life. But a flashback that I couldn't get out of my head was the last time I was labeled with the #1 plate at the Leadville Silver Rush 50 in 2009. In 2008, I unexpectedly won it and returned in 2009 after a 3 wk trip to South Africa and acquiring what I called the brown plague while traveling. Needless to say, my performance was sub-par as I struggled to race back into the top 15 after taking the early lead and getting dusted back to barely top 30. Reality was accentuated by the kick-in-the-junk comment of a fellow racer that passed me on the way out that was in a non-branded stock jersey, baggy shorts, hairy legs and stated "what's number 1 mean, you didn't win this before did you...snicker....snicker?", as he easily spun past me.

Well the results are in the books and this didn't happen in this case last weekend. Health was good and no excuses present as I toed the line with some studly competition by the likes of Jason Sager of Team Jamis, Bryan Alders of Cannondale (formerly Cannondale/Mona Vie), and

Michael McCalla of Team Scott out of Sante Fe to name a few.

Well what was the tactic for this race? I was aiming to go out hard with the leaders that I knew would be players that I mentioned above. I've hung with them and had some better results in the past, but I knew this course so I had an upper hand. It's the type of course where 90% single track, endless punchy corners, cacti lining the trail, momentum sucking wash dips, and nonstop pedaling make it not only hard to pass but extremely demanding. Luckily being from the Midwest/Southeast this was my type of course. I was partially successful gaining good position entering the single track after the quick parade loop of the Juniper picnic area where the race started. This was partially due to the scare on the late rushed sprint to the start line of not being able to shift into my 3 hardest cogs. Something was bound in the shifter that limited me to a 7spd bike for the race! Yes 7spd since I run a 1x10 set-up normally. So me sprinting at 125rpm to get the single track on pavement let mesettle into about 6th place entering the twisty trail. Not to bad, but I quickly wanted to be higher up.

Sitting behind McCalla as I see a gap open up between he and the top 4 on course in the initial 60sec of racing I asked by name to get by, which was rebutted with "50miles man....it's a long race.

" The response was appropriate, but a bit frustrating as my thought is "to each his own." If I wanted to go out in an anaerobic frenzy and blow up just to be passed 20 minutes into a 3 1/2 hour race....then so be it. So being the non-confrontational racer I am, I waited patiently longer and longer until the gap grew and we'd lost contact with the 4 leaders and it was now 30min into the race. The pace was just high enough that I couldn't get by without being a d-bag. Well at that point we hit a wider climb where passing was more feasible, so I put down a big effort to get around. HR spiked as I crested and then hit the split "Hard" trail over "Easy" option to huck off a few stairstep rocks and then up the next hard option to get my gap and put chase to the podium.

Unfortunately after the next corner, the course turned to the west side of the canyon into a insulting headwind. I kept the effort down as I started to see glimpses of racers in the terrain ahead. Motivation picked up with the taste of fresh prey on the palate as I reeled in my first victim, Kip Biese, another local racer from Colorado Springs. He was dying as I caught him from the pace that Sager and Alders were setting up from, so I quickly closed the gap and started putting time into him with 2/3 of lap 1 down. Next as I approached the Rojo trail in the closing 4miles of the 15mile lap, I began to close in on a local Amarillo stud, by the name I eventually extracted of Elliot. He asked if I "came alone" as I reassured him those behind me were hurting and I was alone. He let me pass and quickly tucked in on my wheel as I attempted to chase 1st and 2nd place. He wasn't going to be shaken easily as he asked who the leaders were. I confidently told him of Alder and Sager up the trail and what work we had cut out for ourselves by rattling off some of their previous results and races that I knew of. We were getting time splits of 45sec at the end of that lap all the way to time in the 1min range as we entered lap 2.

We were jamming and confident of riding a good pace, but the effort I expended in the chase on lap 1 was setting in. I was getting sloppy with my triceps and low back screaming at me every g-out dip I hammered thru. Sitting wasn't comfy and out of the saddle was bouncing all over on the horse trodden sections of trail. I had to stick with it as I had my eyes on the prize and I'm not one to lay down until I lock up. Then 1/3 of the way into lap 2 one of the g-outs really took its toll as it rolled my front tire with a "grunt" as I hit it at full speed. I luckily rode it out without planting my face into the opposing bank, but then every turn and standing acceleration caused my tire to roll and fold with the lower pressure. I had to back off what I was excelling at, holding speed and momentum through corners and dips to be safe. And to give credit to how demanding the dips were on the body and the bike, the next one after my incident; Elliot came away with a "ping" as he broke a spoke. Kudos to him as he stuck with it clanging circles not far off my wheel on the way to the start of lap 3 where we both agreed to stop for me to get air and him to make the wheel switch at the pits.

Fighting the body bonk still as lap 3 was underway, Elliot started toshare the load as he caught me after the wheel swap. Not gonna lie here as I thought I was doomed to continue the downward spiral when he regained contact. Luckily with air in my tire I was riding smoothly and the GU and HoneyStinger gels that I took during lap 2 were assimilating kicking in. I was settling in as Elliot took the lead to set the pace. Amazingly in a straight away, I caught a glimpse of the green and black Cannondale factory kit. I took a double-take as I asked myself, could it be?

Upon confirmation, I exuded to Elliot; "There's 2nd place, Alders." The response was "What???" in a a confused tone. I confirmed, "Yep, that's Bryan and 2nd." We quickly consumed Bryan as you could tell he'd hit the wall and pedaling squares.

As we passed he didn't make the effort to stay with us. He was in survival mode at this point just trying to make it to the line. While Bryan was bonking behind us, Elliot seemed to be motivated by this pass as he started to pick up the pace and put the hammer down. I had to keep repeating to myself, "just hang on" and "race the race". It worked because through a technical rocky section 2/3 of the way through the lap he simply pulled to the side and waved me by with a bowling arm. I thought he just wanted me to lead while he ate or was tired of me on his wheel, but I quickly had a gap. Every corner the gap slowly grew.

Was I making it happen? I reached for a HoneyStinger gel which I dropped as some technical rocks jarred me hard with one hand on the bars. Ahh, 1 more gel within reach in my Offsprey pack. I carefully reached it and stuck it in the band of my shorts awaiting a smooth section of trail approaching where I could eat. Until then, I resorted to the hydration pack of GU Brew that was quickly tapped out and being left with a 1/2 bottle of water in my cage.

I kept increasing the gap as I spun out my 7spd on the flats and tried to keep the cramps at bay in my legs taking the final gel and finishing my bottle. No nutrition or hydration on deck with a

couple miles left in lap 3 and another 1/2 lap to go. No worries as they were handing up neutral feeds at the start/finish line every lap before. Well as I rolled thru in 2nd place starting the final

half lap expecting to grab a bottle, things changed. They ran out of bottles and didn't have any thing as I quickly entered the pit with empty an empty bottle in hand chanting "water...water...bottles...anyone" in desperation. Quick decision making time, stop risking valuable time and find a cooler to refill or keep hammering attempting to make next 7mi on no fluids when I was already on the border of bonking at the 3hr point of being on the rivet. Decision made to keep hammering.

I kept licking my dry mouth throughout the entire lap and blowing air into the hydration pack to see if any more would come out with pressure. Just a bit to wet the mouth was all I could get. I crossed the road on this half lap entered the final few miles thinking to myself, "race smart and smooth." It worked as I made it to the line in 2nd place and completely past comfortable.

That's what it took that day to be dehydrated, on verge of cramping, unable to bend at the waist because my back was so wrenched, and almost unable to open and close my fingers. It was worth it to know I can push that hard, race through the pain, and bring home a $750 prize purse. Just leaves me wondering if I would have raced more aggressive at the start if I would have been able to battle it out for 1st up the trail with Sager of Team Jamis. Oh well, 2nd spot on the podium is respectable and I was content to go grill some steak fajitas with the crew of Chris, Adrian and Chuck from Austion and the local fellas that I traveled down with DJ and Rand.

Thanks HoneyStinger/TREK for a great team and support, ShotsbyAngel.com photography for the pictures, and Colorado Cyclist for the awesome race bike after the recent theft.

Keep hammering until next time!