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News / mountain bike race
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Aug 01, 2019
Breck Epic 2019
Read more →Featured photo courtesy of Ron Kennedy The Breck Epic event has been on my bucket list for years – maybe eight or 10 years. My buddy Scott Ellis and I planned on doing the race in 2017. That did not happen so I’m doing it in 2019 with his spirit-support. What is Breck Epic? It is a six-day mountain bike stage race on the trails in Summit County, Colorado. Each stage starts and finishes in Breckenridge (at roughly 9,600 feet elevation.) At the sweet age of 61, I am concerned about simply finishing the event. I am told by...
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Jul 05, 2016
Comparing the difficulty of mountain bike races (Leadville 100, Breck 68, Firecracker 50, Dakota Five-O, Gunnison Half-Growler, Breck 32)
Read more →I will often get the question, “How hard was that race compared to (insert any other race).” I think there are many factors that determine the difficulty of the race: How fresh it is in my mind Race distance Total elevation of the race Altitude of the race Course difficulty (mountain biking this includes singletrack climbs and descents) Weather How fit I am on race day Yesterday I raced the Breckenridge Firecracker 50 for the first time. It is two loops of the same course, with four aid stations per loop. You can literally do the entire race with one...
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Aug 12, 2014
Tough Love Advice for Leadville 100 Training and Racing
Read more →In yesterday's blog I gave a race recap from the 2014 race and mentioned I would follow-up with a frank discussion about training and racing the Leadville 100. Before starting into training and racing points, it's worth mentioning that in a previous blog, I listed training resources available for the Leadville 100, including a course description, key training elements, an interview with Dave Wiens, and a few other links to help you on your training and racing journey. I will say that in the resource blog, I did omit two columns: Altitude Training for Athletic Success: Part 1 and Part...
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Aug 11, 2014
Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Race and the 1,000 Mile Buckle
Read more →This year marked my 10th Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Race. My priority goals for the race were: Ride safe, stay upright and finish. Finish under 12 hours. Finish under 10 hours. You might read the list and have questions. For example, people would hear goal number one and say, "Of course you'll finish!" No. That's not a given. For this year, 2014, I had fitness equal to or slightly better than last year. My best time was last year at 10:01:19. Fitness on race morning, check. On Thursday prior to the race, I'm aware of one racer that overcooked a...
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May 15, 2014
I finished the Austin Rattler, can you predict my Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Race time?
Read more →A rider finished the Austin Rattler a few weeks back and scored a spot at the prestigious Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Race. The rider asked what his time might be given a particular time at Austin. Good question. I sampled the 2013 Austin race and cross-referenced names to the Leadville 100 event. Below is the sample: Before I head into discussion, the disclaimer is I don't know any of the athletes in the list and I don't know what long list of variables affected each person's training or their races. That written, here are some interesting things to note: Ten...
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May 15, 2013
When training ramps up, personal care should follow
Read more →This is the time of year when northern hemisphere endurance athletes ramp up their training plans. It doesn’t matter if the athlete is training for a triathlon, a road cycling event or a mountain bike race – training volume and intensity is increasing. When training is increasing, it is also time to increase self-care. This means making sure that stretching, massage and high quality rest are as much a part of your routine as a workout. Tools like a massage stick, the pillar of pain (foam roller) and the Thera Cane are good to have in your toolbox. These...
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Apr 30, 2013
Sometimes weather doesn’t cooperate
Read more →You might have your race plan strategically laid out, training went well and then you get a glimpse of the weather forecast. Rain. Ugh. Not a little rain, but rain the entire day. Ugh. Roger Anderson had that exact scenario unfold at the Big Frog 65 last weekend. Rather than wringing his hands and fretting about something he couldn’t change, we made plans for the possibility of bad weather. We had light weight clothing options, warm fluid in the hydration pack and waterproof options like baggie corners over his toes, large latex gloves to...