The 24 Hours of Moab: Impressions
Some things never change. The 24 Hours of Moab is one of them. Of course, there are subtle variances of minutia and nuance. In the weather. In the field. But those fade into the background of what is, and has been for 16 years, a gathering of enthusiastic, high-spirited people who love mountain bikes, the […]
Hurt So Good: UTCX 1
I’ve done some difficult bike races. 5 solo 24s. 3 Kokopelli Trail Races. 3 Wasatch Classics. 2 Park City Point 2 Points. The E100. The Vapor Trail 125. The Moab Rim Ride. The Dixie Lite. And so on. Each of those lasted at least 9 hours. Some of them more than 15, and the Dixie […]
Wherein I ‘Cross Talk
Have you ever watched one of those cable news political talk shows? Of course you have. And afterward, if it’s an episode where 3 or 4 people are all brought in as a “panel”, then you probably had a headache. Or, at the very least, had no idea what anyone was trying to say. Because […]
Finished.
I sat lifelessly in a chair. The commotion of the aid station surrounded me. It was vexing. All the encouragement and cheerleading. And the thick positivity. I wanted everyone to be quiet. To go away. To let me suffer in my own cocoon of self pity and forlorn disappointment. Somebody stuck an orange in my […]
2010 Mount Ogden 50k
Apples and Oranges. I lined up for the 2010 Mount Ogden 50k with one primary purpose in mind—to find out where I stand in comparison to last year. I wanted to go into the final days before the Point 2 Point with some sort of barometric reading of my fitness. A way to zero in […]
Suffer. Well.
I need to suffer better. Long-suffering. I finish too many races and rides with a smile on my face. I need to finish barely knowing my own name. Or referring to Levi Leipheimer, as Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski did after the Leadville 100 as “Tour de France Podium Guy”.* Sunday afternoon, riders in the Tour of Utah […]
Guest Post: A First Hand Look at the CTR
The following is a guest post from Jeff Higham, who woke up early on Monday August 2nd to watch the start of the Colorado Trail Race—a 470+ mile unsupported race from Denver to Durango. Jeff lives in Highlands Ranch, Colorado with his wife and 4 kids. He currently rides for the Natural Grocers / Vitamin […]
Solitude.
Narrow singletrack. Creek crossings. Roots. Rocks. Switchbacks. Steep climbs. White knuckle descents. And all above 8,000 feet. The Utah Open at Solitude resort is the quintessential mountain bike course. It is brutal and tough and relentless. An instant of casual disregard will lead to an altercation with a tree, an unexpected hairpin, or becoming reacquainted—up […]
