Little Sugar 100K MTB recap - Bentonville!

On Wednesday, we made our first trip to Bentonville, Arkansas to participate in the Lifetime Series 100K MTB Little Sugar. Karel signed up for the event several months ago (when the event registration opened) and I received a free entry (thanks to my friends at Never Second). I had not ridden my mountain bike in several months so I was on the fence if I would participate in the event but after some panic riding after IM Chattanooga (4 rides in 7 days on the new flowy trail system by our house) I decided I would do the event. 

We have heard a lot of amazing things about Bentonville, Arkansas. For those who don't know about Bentonville, I'll fill you in as to why this town is named "The MTB capital of the World." 

• Bentonville is the home of Walmart (started by Sam Walton). The grandsons of Sam (Tom and Steuart) had become avid mountain bikers in college. As part of the Walton Family Fountain, the grandsons wanted a chunk of money to go to mountain bike trails. 
• From 2008-2018, the Walton foundation donated $74 million to trail building around the region. By the end of 2023, the town had over 70 miles of trails running throughout the city. You can now find over 400 miles of award-winning trail systems around Northwest Arkansas (NWA). 
• It's rare to see a bike locked up in Bentonville. Bikers have the right of way. Cars wait patiently for riders to cross the road. 
• There are pump tracks, jumps, cliff drops and wooden bridges all around downtown. Trails flow through neighborhoods, golf courses and off the Razorback Greenway (which is 40 miles long!).  Bentonville is Disneyland for cyclists. 
• There are countless bike shops and bike-themed coffee shops and restaurants. If you show up to the Airship Coffee Shop on a bike (there are several, one in the Coler Mountain Bike Preserve) you get 10% off your bill. 
• In 2022, the trail system in NWA generated over $159 million in economic impact from cycling-related jobs, tourism revenue and taxes. 
• Bentonville is also known for its vibrant art scene, largely in part due to the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, founded by Alice Walton. 
• The Bentonville Best Friends Animal Society (which operates the nations' largest sanctuary for homeless animals and provides adoption, spay/neuter and educational programs) is home to Third Space Coffee which is a fully vegan coffee shop and is located inside the Best Friends Animal Society. Of course, you can bike there. 

Wednesday

We had a quick and easy travel day from GSP to XNA and a connection through ATL (on Delta). We decided to use an Airbnb instead of renting a SUV. The downside of the Uber situation in Bentonville is that several of them do not like to put two bikes in an UBER XL (SUV) but thankfully we got lucky from the airport to our Airbnb and the driver was fine with taking our two bikes, two suitcases and us. We stayed off NW J street which was 1/2 mile from Coler bike park and 1 mile from downtown Bentonville. The Airbnb had 6 different units within the building and a bike room and bike wash station. However, next time we visit we will stay in downtown as we did a lot of back and forth walking to/from downtown and there is a Walmart located in downtown. Plus the downtown is awesome with so many stores, coffee shops and restaurants. 

We arrived to our Airbnb around 12pm and we had an early check in of 2:30pm. We walked downtown to eat lunch at Sunny's (appropriate). Karel got a curry chicken sandwich and I got an Acai bowl. We stopped at the Phat tire bike shop and Rapha store (yes, a Rapha store). I ordered groceries from Walmart on Monday to be delivered between 2-4pm on Wednesday and they arrived around 2pm. Karel built the bikes as we were waiting for our Airbnb check in. Around 4pm, we headed out on our bikes to Coler (which offers 16.4 miles of trails). The race starts in Coler but it's not part of the Little Sugar course. We had so much fun on the trails. We started on Esther's trail and did the loop twice and then went to Oscar's trail. This trail had a bit more rock features but I was able to get over almost everything. We rode for 90 minutes (until the sun set) and we got used to the different textures of loose rocks, dirts, rocks, some roots and did I say, lots and lots of rocks! 

For dinner I had Chipotle delivered (a tradition when we travel for a race) and we enjoyed dinner around 7:45pm. We had a great night of sleep and woke up without an alarm, excited for our first official day in Bentonville. 

Thursday

Around 9am, we set out to ride the first "half" of the 100K Little Sugar course. Before the ride, I confirmed with a friend of ours (Travis - who lives in Bentonville) if it was ok to ride on the highway on our way back after we reached the "top" part of the course. He said many people do it as there is a large shoulder. We anticipated a 4 hour ride and we finished up with 4 hours and 11 minutes, 38 miles and ~3600 feet elevation gain. We started off on the bike trail for 2.5 miles and then got on the road for another 2.5 miles (which was part of the bike course). We then made a sharp left turn up a paved trail and then on to the grass for our first steep climb of the day. The course was all single track with only pavement to cross the road. It was incredible to see the trail system and how it went through neighborhoods, forests, and golf courses. The ground was very rocky (loose and jagged gravel) which took some getting used to as there were so many tight turns and switchbacks, up and down, which made it challenging to find the right body position to keep the wheels from sliding. The rule with the tight turns is no front brake as the front wheel needs to turn (while the rear wheel can slide). It was really good for me to see the course as my skills were a bit rusty but they came back quickly. There was a lot of climbing so I made sure not to go too hard on the climbs so I wouldn't exhaust myself. Karel and I decided before the ride that he would ride at his own pace and wait for me at the intersections (when we crossed a road) and if there was a section that I was capable of riding over but I may struggle without Karel showing me which line to take. For this section of the course, I was able to ride over almost everything, even in the double black diamond "Technical Difficulty" trail. There were two sections that I got off my bike as I don't have the skills to do tight turns which have an obstacle right after - but that's part of MTBing. There's no shame in getting off the bike. I had a lot of fun and the weather was perfect in the upper 70's and sunny. We wore our USWE hydration packs and had a bottle on the frame. When we got to the top of the course, we refilled our frame bottles with water from the golf course bathroom and I got a Dr. Pepper to sip on for the ride home. 

In the late afternoon, around 4:50pm, Karel and I went for a ~30 min run in Coler bike park. Afterwards, we walked 1 mile to downtown Bentonville and had dinner at Oven and Tap. The crust/pizza was delicious! We met up with a friend who used to live in Jacksonville and now he and his family live in Bentonville and he is a trail builder! After dinner we went to the Walmart museum. 

Friday

I was looking forward to another day of riding. I didn't find Thursday's ride too challenging but little did I know that Friday would be a challenging ride! Our Greenville friends - Andrew and Ava - joined us for the ride. Ava was doing the 50K and Andrew was doing the 100K but both did the back half of the course with us. It was another 4+ hour day in the saddle and it was very challenging. We rode 40 miles (with the first 7 on the road to get to the top part of the course, where the only aid station would be located) in 4 hours and covered ~3000 feet elevation. But this part of the course was much more demanding with more technical features and the double black diamond section called the "Ledges" - which makes Technical Difficulty feel not to difficult. I had two hard falls on the Ledges but I was able to also get over some challenging features before then. But after my falls, my confidence dropped and I found myself doubting myself a lot and having to get off the bike more than I had hoped. This part of the course required a lot more energy and I was also trying to not go too hard but there were some sections that required a hard effort just to get through/over. It was fun riding with Andrew and Ava and having their company made the time pass by. After we finished the Ledges, we spotted Alexey and his dog Sir Willie so we had to say hi. Nearing the end, we biked up to "The Castle" (video for context) and had fun sending it down the trail. The ride felt like it would never end as the trails are literally endless! There was even a pump track with jumps on the sidewalk! We couldn't believe all of the trails. We finally made it back to downtown Bentonville and headed back to our Airbnb. The course was well marked (we also had the route on our computers) with pink arrows for the 100K and signs for the road crossings. In the evening, we took an Uber to Travis's house for a catered taco meal with a handful of Jacksonville people (several that we knew) as Travis used to live in Jacksonville (which is where we used to live before moving to Greenville). We left around 8:30pm. 

Travis's senior dogs <3

Saturday 

Although our focus was on the Little Sugar, we were so excited to watch the Ironman World Championship (female race) and follow our 6 athletes participating in the event. We had a 5 hour time difference from Kona but thanks to our VPN, we could watch the race later on on YouTube. We started the morning with an easy run to the Crystal Bridges museum to check out the Best Friends Super Adoption Event. We saw so many dogs, puppies, kittens and cats and got several freebies for our furry crew. 

We ran ~5.6 miles. As got close to our Airbnb, Karel got a sandwich from Archey's Sandwichery and I went to the Harps Food Store (grocery) for a few items and walked a mile back to our place. We spent the rest of the day watching the IM World Championship (what a race!), with a quick break around 2pm to bike down the road to pick up our packet at the Coler park. 

The expo had a lot of vendors so it was fun for Karel to check out different booths. Everyone was really nice at the event. I was really excited for the event (only small nerves but more excited than nervous) and went to bed around 9pm. 

Sunday - Race Day! 

Race course

We woke up around 5:45 and had our pre-race meal (bagel and PB/jam w/ yogurt for me and oatmeal for Karel). We did some foam rolling and mobility and left for the race around 7:15am. We arrived just before 7:30am and watched Ava and the 50K set off. The elite men went off at 8am, elite female at 8:10 and then the age groupers at 8:20am. Karel and I did ~20 min of warming up before we lined up near the front of the corral (a few rows back). It was a little chilly in the morning (in the 50's) but it was going to be a warm day in the upper 70s. 

Nutrition: 

Marni -   consumed 4 bottles worth of INFINIT High Fructose 90g (360g carbs). I used my USWE  1.5L pack. 1 bottle of 90g INFINIT Fructose, 1 bottle 90g Never Second. 2 Never Second Gels (orange and fruit punch), a few swigs KetoneAid, 1 packet Gu Chews. Refilled one bottle with water. 

Total: ~675g carbs, 182 ounce fluid (~28 ounce fluid and 101g carbs per hour). 

Karel -  3 bottles (in 2L pack) with 4.5 scoops INFINIT Fructose. 1 bottle of 1.5 scoops INFINIT. Another bottle with 1 scoop INFINIT. 2 Never Second Gels (with caffeine). 1 package Skratch chews. 1 gel (100 calories). Pickle juice (from random places on the course where locals were cheering). A few sips Ketone Aid. A few sips Gatorade. 

Total ~500g carbs, ~150 once fluid. 

The race started pretty quickly and I found myself in a big pack near the back of the front pack. Once we hit the grassy climb, I was around a few other ladies which made me feel comfortable. I was a bit worried about being around so many other riders but I stayed calm and focused on myself as well as what was happening right in front of me. Thankfully, the first section of single track was a concrete-like single track so it wasn't too sketchy being so close to so many other riders in a single file line. I never found myself alone in the first few hours as I was always around other riders. I was able to stay in front of a few ladies as they were good technically but I was able to keep inching myself away on the uphills. I felt like I rode really well and the miles were clicking by. I passed a lot of guys on the climbs but they would often pass me on the downhills. The course is laid out really well in that there climbs are not too long (but they are steep) and the downhills can be flown at times (but often included a lot of tight switchbacks). I was so happy to have gotten through the Technical Difficulty section that I sectioned with Karel but I did have to get off my bike in the next section with the tight turn and roots right after. When I stopped, a group of guys and two ladies passed me. It took me a while to catch back up. 

I made a stop at the aid station and grabbed my bag with a few more bottles to refill my flask. I really had to pee but I held it as I didn't want to waste any more time. I saw my friend Sean from Jacksonville at the aid station and got word from Karel (via text) that he got a bad flat tire (hole in his tire) and had to nurse the tire with CO2 and his e-inflator until he could get it changed at the aid station. I texted Karel that I was feeling really strong. 

Next came the hard section of the course and although I was feeling good, I could tell I was getting a little tired. I needed to stay really focused and I opted to not try some of the technical segments as I didn't want to waste energy that I could use on the climbs. There was one girl (Nina) who rode the Ledges really well and she passed me right away. I was a bit nervous for the Ledges but at that point, several guys around me where walking over the technical parts which made me feel good that I wasn't the only one walking over them. I was proud of myself for getting over a fallen tree because I didn't do it on Friday because I was scared. 

Around 5 hours in, I started to feel my energy dipping but I got a boost when I could see Nina in the distance. I just couldn't catch her. I continued to pass guys uphill (everyone was very nice, I would ask to pass when they had a chance and they would move over and I would pass. I would do the same when guys wanted to pass me). I ended up riding around similar people for the last few hours of the ride until I turned on my turbo gear and gave everything I could in the final climb to the Castle. I saw Nina at the top of the Castle and I was willing to give everything to try to catch her. I had no idea of my place but just knowing that there was someone ahead of me kept me focused. Around 10 minutes before the finish, I passed Nina (who has exceptional bike handling skills) and also passed another female. 

I was so happy when I crossed the finish line. Even though I didn't know how I finished (place wise), I had a lot of fun, didn't crash, rode really well and raced the 60 mile event. I felt bad for Karel that he had a flat tire but he did have a lot of fun out on the course without any major health issues (ex. cramping or back issues). I was so thankful that I didn't have any mechanical issues as there were so many people with flat tires throughout the course. I don't think a few miles went by for 60 miles without seeing someone on the side of the trail with a flat tire. I had 2 CO2 and my e-inflator in case of a flat, as well as a handful of dynaplugs, multitool and spare tube. 

RESULTS (~6000 feet, 60 miles)

Karel - 5:59 (10.19 mph). 23rd 40-49AG, 64th amateur 

Marni - 6:41 (9.12 mph), 1st (40-49AG), 2nd amateur female, 114th amateur 

We finished the event close to 3:30pm so by 4:30pm we were ready for a meal. We went to The Pedaler's Pub with our Greenville friends and the meal was delicious (I got a black bean burger and fries). We then walked across the street to The Hub for the awards ceremony. I received a slot to the Leadville MTB race next summer but I turned down my spot as we have other events planned next summer. 

I was exhausted that evening and went to bed around 8:30pm. The next morning Karel packed up the bikes and we had breakfast at Table Mesa (which was delicious). 

We took an Uber to the airport around 11:30am (although we had some issues as the first driver didn't want to take our two bikes in his Uber XL SUV and there were no XXL available. Thankfully the next driver took our bikes (after a lot of convincing and a nice tip). The airport is small so we were able to check in quickly and hang out in the lounge (and get some work done and eat some good food) for 2 hours before our flight home. 

We can't wait to get back to Bentonville. This race really filled our cup.  We love being in nature, being around laid-back, fun people and feeling accomplished. No metrics, no times. Just you vs .you vs. the trails. 

'25 Breck Epic - stage 2

Stage 2: The Colorado Trail
43 miles

6500 feet elevation gain 

4:28

8th AG (40-49)

8th GC (40-49)

Results 

Race Recap Video

Today was my "recovery" day and I was really looking forward to a break from training. The altitude makes everything so tough! 

I woke up a little before 5:45am and Karel got up shortly after 6am. Around 6:45am I drove up the street to drop off Karel's aid station #2 bag w/ a bottle inside and then drove 1.2 miles to the rec center for an easy swim. I once again wore my snorkel for most of it although I did feel better with short intervals without the snorkel. I swam a total of 2500. I drove back to our Airbnb and then walked to Main Street to watch the start of stage 2. 

Karel was feeling pretty good this morning. He took some extra time to do mobility and sit in the normatec boots to help his body warmup. He then went out for a 16 minute warmup. He was hoping to get a bit closer to the back front of the corral but ended up further back than he wanted. It was a bit cooler this morning in the low 40's but like usual, once the sun pops up, it really warms up. 

After Karel set off on his adventure on the Colorado Trail, I went back to the Airbnb for breakfast, got some work done and then around 10:30am I got on my bike and rode to Aid station number 2 (which was around 32 miles in the stage) to see Karel. I arrived a bit early as the top riders were just coming through so I spun around the road until I was feeling like Karel would be coming. Around 20 minutes later, he rolled in. He made a quick stop to pee in the porto potty and I refilled his hydration pack and topped off his bottle. He looked really good and he didn't appear to be struggling. 

After Karel rode off, I biked back into town and the up to the B&B trailhead to see Karel finish (~3 miles out of town). It was a nice steady climb with beautiful views. Some of the road turned into light gravel but otherwise, it was a nice ride up. 

I waited a bit for Karel and he finally came. He looked to be in good spirits and I was happy that he had a good day. After he told me about his day, we rolled down to the post race tent so Karel could get a Skratch recovery drink (sponsor of the event) and some snacks. We then rode back into town. I went back to the Airbnb and Karel went to the Beaver Run resort (race headquarters) to rinse off his bike. 

Karel was pretty tired this afternoon. The stages get more challenging as the event goes on so he is hoping that he can recover the best he can tonight so that he can do the best he can tomorrow. 

2023 High Cascades 100 MTB event

Pre-Race
I was a bit nervous going into the High Cascades 100. We had reconned the back half of the course but the first ~45 miles were all new trails for me. The routes in Bend are incredible. Over 900 miles of single track MTB trails! But the conditions are very different to what I am used to – sandy, jagged pointy rocks and loose dirt. I was also nervous about the start of the race and having 350+ athletes to navigate around going into the single track. I prepared my bottles the night prior and got 2 bags ready for the bag drop (aid station ~45 and ~81). I used a 1.5L plastic water bottle for my hydration pack (either INFINIT Fructose 360 calories/hr or Never Second C30 Berry, 360 calories per bottle/hr) and a sport bottle of Mexican coke (diluted with water). I started with my USWE hydration pack with INFINIT Fructose and a bottle of Never Second C30. I also carried a Power Bar, PB Clif Bar, Power bar chews, Gu aminos and a Never Second Gel.

We woke up at 3:45am and ate our normal pre-race foods. We got ready around 4:45am, did a bit of foam rolling/mobility and left our Airbnb on our bikes, just before 5am. The sun was starting to rise so it wasn’t completely dark. We were in the company of other athletes riding to the start. It was a little cool in the morning (mid 50’s) but it wasn’t too bad for the 1-mile bike to the race start at the Bend Athletic Club.

We dropped off our bags in their respective UHaul trucks (Karel only used the 48-mile bag drop) and then I went to the potty once more. We lined up near the front, in the company of some well-known names like Heather Jackson, Sarah Max, Eric Lagerstrom and Sonya Looney. It boggles my mind to think that over 350 people register for this event. And the only distance is 100 miles! And the event had over 40 females! The race director (Mike) is phenomenal. His communication via email was incredible. We would receive emails almost daily on the week of the event with updates on the course, event and any other important/safety details.

The ride started at 5:30am and it was a neutral start for a few miles until the road went up.

Miles 0-20
The first ~9 miles were all climbing. The route started off ~6 miles on pavement and it was a beautiful start as the sun was rising and we were riding through Tetherow on Skyliners Road. We then turned off onto a fire road (gravel, dust, dirt) for ~3 more miles. The first 9 miles were fairly fast, averaging around 17 mph. I was in the 3rd group from the front and it was a small group, with Sonya Looney. There was ~10 of us and the effort felt manageable. My legs were feeling really good climbing. On a steeper section, Sonya rode away. We then took Tumalo Creek to Mrazek Trail for ~6 miles which was all single track. My skills weren’t the best and I was passed by several guys on the twisty/technical sections but I was able to always catch back up anytime there was a steady climb. Everyone was very nice and would ask to pass when there was a chance to pull over. It was back on another forest road (where I caught up to all the guys who passed me) and then back on Mrazek Trail. At this point, we had been climbing (with just a few quick downhills) for 20 miles and ~1:43 (11.7mph).

Miles 20-48
I had been doing a good job staying hydrated, even though it was cool out. It’s very dry in Bend (low humidity) but it was super dusty which made me thirsty. Karel was in the 2nd group to the front but he was careful to not overdo it. He wanted to pace himself so that he wouldn’t blow up or aggravate his back so he made sure not to do anything crazy in the first few hours. There were several sections that Karel had to walk his bike over and many that I had to walk my bike over throughout the event as there wasn’t a clear line to take and we didn’t want to jeopardize a fall or something breaking on the bike. Luckily, there wasn’t any hike-a-bike. All the obstacles were relatively short and required a quick hop off, carry the bike over and then back on the bike.
The first technical descend was Farewell. And as the name implies, it was technical for me. There was a drop off on the left and a tight single track with many loose rocks and tight (very tight) switchbacks. I stopped several times to let other riders pass me. When I finally made it down this 3.4 mile, 20-minute technical section, I was relieved.
The next few single track trails included Tumalo Creek (which had a .3 mile required Chill Zone due to hikers), Skyliners Trail and Upper Whoops. This was a mix of twisty single track through the trees, beautiful views and then some fun jumps and berms. Then it was on to another forest road to Swede Ridge Loop Trail, Swampy Loop Trail, Flagline trail, Swampy Dutchman Trail. Although my skills were not the best, I found myself in a similar group of riders (all guys) where they would pass me on the technical sections (specifically downhill) and then I would catch back up anytime the road went uphill. I really worked the uphills as I felt that was where I could gain the most time and be competitive in my age group.
When I got to the first aid station, the volunteers were incredible. They grabbed my bike and helped me refill my hydration pack. I needed to pee but I didn’t see anywhere to go (there were a lot of people there as spectators were allowed) so I waited until the next stop. I grabbed my bottle of coke to put on my bike. We received chain lube in our welcome packet and Karel advised that I put some on my chain if it starts to sound like it’s getting dry. I decided to lube my chain at this aid station to be on the safe side. I also had tools, a spare battery, CO2, tube, and a plug in my hydration pack in case of an emergency.

Mile 48-70
After a few miles of descending, we got onto the main road (Cascade Lakes Scenic Byway) before crossing the road and making our way to Funner. Funner made its way into Lower Storm King and at this point, I was in familiar territory. There were still a lot of sections that were too technical/rocky for me to bike over so I had to get off but overall, this section was fun. There were a lot of berms and jumps (I don’t jump, just roll over). Then we went into Catch and Release for more climbing. I felt a bit more confident in the back half of the ride as I knew the route and there was a lot of climbing. It was starting to get a bit warm out as it was nearing the upper 80’s and I had been riding for almost 6 hours. Karel likes to know where he is at while he is riding so he leaves his computer on a screen that shows mileage and time but I don’t want to know. I leave my computer on the map setting and just focus on the distance for each segment that I am in. Neither of us have power so we don’t go by any metrics other than feel. The course was really well marked. Mike did a great job putting arrows and ribbons for the course and a big yellow NO sign for any other area that we shouldn’t take. There were also signs letting us know that an aid station was ahead. After passing the 58 mile/88 mile split sight (heading the 58 mile route), it was time to climb. Almost 13 miles of almost non stop climbing on single track for almost 90 minutes and almost 1800 feet of elevation gain. Much of the race was held at ~5000+ elevation, getting close to 6000 a few times. The next 3.5 miles were on Dinah Moe Humm and took us to the next aid station. I was running low in my hydration pack and even though the next aid station was 9 miles away, I didn’t want to ration my fluids, especially with it being so hot and dry out. I filled my pack with Heed (which did not taste good) but sipped on it anyways. I was still feeling really good with my energy and my mood was good. I used a bit of water to cool myself at the aid station and also finally went pee (in the bushes).

Mile 80-103
I was looking forward to the next 3 miles as they were on the road with a beautiful view of Mt. Bachelor (with snow on top). It was warm with the sun beating down at 95 degrees. But thankfully there was a bit of tailwind. I passed a lot of guys on this climb and at this point, I was passed by two females but passed one who was at the previous aid station. I really worked these 3 miles as I knew we had some descending on a fire road after the climb. Somehow I got off course for a few minutes and turned myself around. I have no idea how I missed the big pink arrows but I think I was getting into my pocket to get some chews and must have looked down for a second and missed it. I’m so thankful I had the gut feeling that I was off course. I was a little upset that I had worked so hard on the climb to get off course for a few minutes but I was back with the guys that I had passed. The next almost 6 miles were pretty fun. A lot of descending on fire roads. Although it was still hard to descend as you are in a squatting position which puts a lot of weight on the legs. My neck was getting a little sore so I would stretch it out every now and then. Karel was feeling pretty good throughout the ride and he also didn’t have any low energy issues. He did a great job with his hydration and fueling. He had a lot of fun in the technical sections and anytime there was a sign that read ‘Danger’ I would think “don’t die!” and Karel would think “fun!”
Tiddlywinks was a very fun trail which then brought us back to Lower Storm King. Finally I was back to the split and took Catch and Release back to the main road. I stopped quickly at aid station 81 as I wanted to make sure I was well hydrated for the final stretch. My refill stops were at 5:13 hrs, 7:53 hrs and 8:49 hrs. I made all my stops really quick. Once I got back on the paved road, there was a little incline before a long stretch on Cascade Lakes Hwy. The roads are extremely bike friendly and there were even people in their cars honking and cheering as we were racing. The last 5 miles were fast – I time trialed it and pushed as hard as I could (19 mph for almost 5 miles). The final stretch was a small path/trail behind the Athletic Club and then I crossed the finish line after 103 miles and 9:29.48 moving time (9:49 total time with stops).

Karel went back to our Airbnb to shower (we were so dusty and dirty!) and then came back to see me finish. A friend, Kristen Yax, who lives in Bend came to the finish and we chatted with her for a while. We got a free burrito at the finish and then biked back to our place to clean up and rest before the awards at 6:30pm. 

I still can’t believe we rode 103 miles off road on our mountain bikes.

Prior to the event, we couldn’t believe that over 350 people sign up for this event. But now we know why.

The trails in the Deschutes National Forest are incredible. The nature is beautiful, the volunteers were awesome, Mike (the race director) was amazing with his communication, course signage and attention to detail and the people are so nice (and love being outdoors).

My skills were not the best on the technical features, as I’m not used to riding on dusty, sandy and jagged rock trails, but my climbing legs showed up so I took advantage of my strength any time the trails went up.

Karel paced himself well. No crashes and felt stronger as the race went on. He squeezed into third place in the last hour. 

We both fueled and hydrated well and didn’t have any low moments throughout the race. There were five aid stations. We both utilized the bag drop (our own nutrition) at mile 47, stopped to refill hydration at mile 72 and I used the bag drop at mile 81.

I love the heat (dry or humid) so I welcomed the 90-degree temps. With much of the ride above 5000 feet, we didn’t feel affected by the altitude.

Karel placed 3rd age group (40-49) in a competitive field in a time of 8:24.07.

I placed 1st age group (40-49) and 6th overall female in a time of 9:48.56.

It was a challenging and fun day.

This year has been all about stepping out of my comfort zone. Off-road racing (gravel, Xterra, MTB, trail running) requires a tremendous about of strength, skills, durability, resiliency, mental toughness and endurance. In these events, feeling a sense of accomplishment doesn’t come from metrics, paces or overall placement but in overcoming the challenges of the day and reaching the finish line.

If you are feeling complacent with your sport or struggling to find your “why” for training and racing, I encourage you to explore what lies slightly out of your comfort zone. You’ll still have to train very hard but you’ll be motivated by self-improvement and feeling like a beginner again.

RESULTS

 

Here's a video I put together on another ride that we did later in the week. We did 3 x 4+ hour MTB rides while we were there. We love Bend! 

What did we learn/do at our MTB clinic/camp?

 

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In early January, I found myself watching a lot of mountain bike skill videos on YouTube. As a complete newbie, I want to learn as much as I can so that I can improve my skills while building confidence and safety. Although I still love triathlon training and racing, I really love bike riding. It was only a matter of time until I added a mountain bike to my collection of bikes.

Karel is much more experienced and skilled than me in mountain biking, there are several skills that he is struggling to learn on his own. And after breaking his hand last May, there are certain obstacles that cause him to tense up (ex. bumps, drops and jumps). Karel has been an exceptional teacher as he has taught me how to go up and down certain rock garden features and how to safely navigate over roots. But since neither of us don't know what we don't know, we felt it would be worth our time, money and energy to invest into a mountain bike clinic. 

In late January, Karel came across Lon from Single Tracks Skills. I reached out to Lon regarding a private camp for me and Karel. Karel participated in his first Xterra triathlon at Oak Mountain in Pelham, Alabama which is the location where Lon holds his group and private camps. Karel was really excited to share the trails with me as I only saw the trails from my feet (I participated in the trail run race). 

Because of our busy schedule (and Lon's high demand for group and private camps), we set the dates of March 14th and 15th for our private skills session. 

When Karel and I arrived to Pelham on Sunday afternoon (13th), we headed right to Oak Mountain. The 5 hour drive went by rather quickly. I was really tired and sore from my morning long run (with hill repeaters) but I was really excited to get out on my mountain bike. I was surprised with my skills as I hadn't been on my mountain bike in two weeks (I'm trying to balance Ironman training and riding off-road) and this was a new trail that I had never scene before. With Karel as my guide, we rode for ~90 minutes and loved every minute of being in the company of all the trees. The trails were very well maintained and each trail had its own special features. I could tell Karel was super happy as he loves riding his mountain bike and it only feels like "play time" for him - never training/work. 

We met Lon at 10am at the South trail parking lot in Oak Mountain (FYI - the entry fee is $5 per person per day). Lon was extremely personable and throughout the entire day, we could tell that he was very invested in us and wanted to help us however he could. I really liked how he would show us a skill, break it down for us, tell us why it was important and then have us practice. He also gave each of us different cues and skill progressions based on our abilities. With Karel being much more advanced than me, Lon did a great job working with each of us - paying attention to and recognizing each of our skill sets. Karel enjoyed seeing me progress and I really loved seeing Karel do things that he didn't think that he could do. Karel's objective from this camp was to improve his skills, speed and terrain awareness so that he can ride faster, stronger and better in his races. Although I want all of that too, I'm not there yet. My focus is on riding "fast" and technical sections better (and safer). I really like mountain biking because it's very similar to swimming - fitness can only take you so far. There are so many skills to learn with specific movement patterns and techniques. Although some people have a natural ability to learn skills quickly, many people get on a mountain bike and get lucky with certain skills.....until they don't. It's very important to me that I learn skills correctly so that when I advance my skills and fitness, I can keep myself safe so I don't get seriously injured. 

Because we purchased Lon's online clinic in February, we had watched most of the videos which allowed us to move quickly through the ground control skills. For the first two hours of our camp, we spent time on a grass field practicing "ground control" skills like body positioning, braking, jumping, hops, pedal drops and turning. As much as we wanted to ride the trails and practice skills there, we found great value in practicing skills in the field. Just before lunch we went to the trails to practice some of the skills that we learned. Immediately I felt so much more confident with higher speed off camber cornering and riding over small obstacles. Karel was learning super quickly and he found himself doing skills he could never do before (like jumping over logs). 

After eating lunch by our car (we brought bagel sandwiches that I made in our Airbnb),  it was time to head out into the trails. 

Although we spent all afternoon on the trails (in perfect sunny 60-degree conditions!), we didn't cover a lot of miles. To get the most out of this camp, Lon would stop us at certain sections of the trail to discuss specific features. "Section training" is something that Karel does with me when we ride. Anytime we come up to a specific trail feature that requires a specific series of skills (or something that scares/worries me), we will stop at that feature and discuss it. Sometimes Karel will help me understand the best "line" to take whereas other times Karel will demonstrate how to go over/around the feature a few times before I try. Sometimes I will succeed and sometimes I won't. But I always try a few times before moving on. 

Lon new the trails so well that we covered so many different features. There were so many teachable moments out on the trail and it was extremely beneficial to be able to spend time on each specific feature. Because Lon's skills are exceptional, Karel found it really helpful to ride behind Lon and to learn directly from him. Lon even played a game with Karel where he would call out when to jump or bump over certain features and Karel would do whatever Lon told him to do. It was truly a "game" for Karel and I think that's why he loves "playing" on his mountain bike. 

Around 4:30pm, we made our way up to "blood rock" which is a series of tricky to maneuver, uneven and jagged rocks (this was also part of the Xterra Oak Mountain bike course). This segment was more for Karel but I learned a lot watching Lon (and Karel). Nearing 6pm, we headed down the mountain on the trails and I felt really confident with my skills. I learned so much after one packed day! Karel and I were exhausted and we couldn't wait to do it again the next day. 

Unfortunately, we only had one nice day of weather. We shorted our next day to two hours and focused on pumping and jumps at the BMX track and then went to the "lightening" trail which was a series of steep bumps and berms. Even though it was a little sketchy due to the light rain (and cold), we spent a good amount of time on two specific jumps where we both practiced jumping. I have a long way to go but it was fun to feel my progress and to feel much more confident on this type of terrain. The nice thing about Oak Mountain is that for every advanced feature, there is also a less advanced feature on the side. To be honest, even though the weather wasn't ideal on Tuesday, it provided a great "real life" scenario of how to ride on wet conditions. Karel and I learned so much about how to ride over roots/rocks and selecting the best line when it's wet/rainy. 

Karel and I drove home on Tues afternoon and left with so much excitement and eagerness to continue to work on our skills. Lucky for us, we have an awesome pump track just a few miles down the road in TR where we can practice our skills. I'm really excited about my next MTB event on March 26th. It's been fun to combine Ironman training with mountain biking but I've never considered us to adhere to "conventional" Ironman training methods. 

If you are new to mountain biking or want to improve your skills, we highly recommend Lon from Single Tracks Skills. He's an exceptional teacher and phenomenal rider...and an all around incredible human. 

My first MTB event - race report part 1

 

On November 15th, Karel asked me if I wanted to ride his old mountain bike on the trails behind Furman University. After seeing how much fun Karel was having on his mountain bike, I thought it would be fun to try. 

For my first ride, we ventured a few miles down the road. Karel taught me the basics of riding a mountain bike on very easy trails. There were no obstacles to overcome but instead, I learned how to move my weight, adjust the gears and go over curbs. It was a very fun and enlightening session. 

A little over a month later (December 24th), I went for my first official mountain bike ride at Dupont State Forest. This ride was much more technical with rocks, roots, gravel, water crossings, climbs and descends. Karel took his time explaining line choices and helping me build my confidence going over more technical obstacles. We would stop and discuss the more challenging sections and although I would try, there were many obstacles that I could not get over. As the ride continued, I could feel myself getting tired from this new activity. Karel was impressed with what I was able to do (although I felt like I complete beginner) and he felt like I was ready for a more technical course - Pleasant Ridge. 

The Pleasant Ridge trail system is only 20-minutes away and one of Karel's favorite "local" places to mountain bike. With several loops within the main loop (~5.8 miles) to choose from, Karel once again took his time with me as we practiced going over tree limbs, roots and rocks as well as body positioning on turns, descends and climbs. I picked up a lot of new skills really quickly It really helped having Karel show me what to do and talk me through the steps. After my second ride, I mentioned to Karel that I would like to do an event on Feb 26th - 6-hours on the ridge. It was a local, small event and it would be on a course that I could practice on. Karel was excited for us to do our first mountain bike event together but we both knew I had a lot of work to do to prepare for this event.

For the next seven weeks (along with swimming, running, trainer riding and road biking), I went to Pleasant Ridge at least once a week to practice. With each time, I got a little better. Sometimes I would fall, struggle and get frustrated but sometimes I would succeed. When I did succeed, I would cheer out loud and say "Yes! I did it!" After several rides, I was able to confidently do the Sassy's Pass loop as well as the short and long loop (in both directions). When I returned back to Dupont two weeks before the event, I found myself with a lot more confidence to try harder obstacles. 

At night before bed, I would watch videos of mountain bike skills and watch races/events. When I had a little free time, I would even practice skills (like unclipping and clipping in with either foot) outside our house. 

Knowing that the race course would include a section of the trail that I had never been on before, eleven days out from the event, Karel felt like I was ready to try the JFA upper loop - I called this the "black diamond" loop as it had a lot of technical rock features which required good speed, body position, line choice and confidence. For this ride, I struggled on every feature but one. I felt like a failure. I almost passed on riding the next day but I knew I had to go back and conquer my fears. I spent four hours on the course and made sure to master as many obstacles as I could. There was one that I continued to struggle with until my last loop when I successfully got over rock after rock after rock. There was one root section on a hill that I could not get over as I just couldn't get the right speed and strength after two previous rocks. Karel told me not to get upset when I can't clear an obstacle as there are times when the best riders in the world have to unclip.

On the week of the event (Tuesday), we did a recon of the course and I didn't make it over any obstacle on the upper loop. I don't know if it was fear, fatigue or a combination of both but I did not ride well that evening. We went back on Friday for one last recon and I succeed without any falls (and only one unclipping for the root section). It was a great confidence builder going into the event. 

It was fun going through the motions and emotions of "race week" as it's been a while since I've raced. With the triathlon race season kicking off in a few months, it was helpful to practice race week workouts, pre-race nutrition/hydration and preparing gear, equipment and sport nutrition. It doesn't matter how many times I pack for a race, it always feels overwhelming. 

Although I have great endurance from long distance racing, my skills are a work in progress. But I am willing to learn and I am having fun - even when I make mistakes. 
The reason why I wanted to write part I of this race report is to help others who may be in a similar situation as myself. 

When you do something for the first time or if you are new to a sport, there will be things that you struggle with. Although this is a normal part of developing, it's very easy to become frustrated after making mistakes. When you can't handle your frustration (or anger), there is a good chance that you will quit. If you see yourself as a failure, it's difficult to have fun. 

I selected 6-hours on the Ridge as my first mountain bike event for a few reasons: 
-I could practice on the course - it was familiar to me. 
-It was time-based and not mileage based. 
-It was a loop course so I could stop/rest at anytime. 
-It was local, which minimized stress/planning/travel. 
-It was a small event. 

In learning how to mountain bike, I've had to really work on my self-talk. It's so easy to be hard on myself but an important skill is to learn to move on and not dwell on the past. When you have high expectations or you desire perfection, the risk of getting frustrated, disappointed and upset increases. This rigid thinking sets you up for failure because there's no way that you can predict what will happen on race day. 

Frustration is not as bad as it seems. It can actually be a great motivator to get over (literally) the obstacle that is blocking your path. But if your frustration causes a negative emotional spiral, this can morph into anger - which affects your ability to make good decisions. 

I'm proud of myself for finishing my first MTB event and not giving up. This journey has not been easy but it's been also been extremely rewarding, eye-opening and motivating to feel like a beginner again. 

2021 Xterra USA Championship Race Recap (Karel)

 

A few weeks ago we heard from Xterra that the triathlon would be turned into a duathlon (2.5-mile trail run/19-mile MTB/5.5-mile trail run). Although Karel was a little bummed that he was not participating in the swim-bike-run format, one needs a flexible mindset when approaching an off-road race. With this being his second ever off-road triathlon (and first triathlon at altitude), he was looking forward to the unknown challenge and welcomed whatever the day would bring. No race is ever the same with Xterra and that makes each race exciting.

After pre-riding the bike and run course on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, he knew it was going to be an incredibly tough day of racing. Excited for the adventure ahead and the opportunity to be competitive, Karel didn't have any nerves going into the race as he views Xterra racing as "playtime" on his bike and loves the chill vibe on race day. 

We arrived to the race venue at Snow Basin around 7:30am and it was a cold start to the morning in the low 50's. The race started at 9am with the professional wave and then a few minutes later, Karel's wave went off to start the first run. Immediately with an uphill start to the race, he was breathing hard right from the start. The climb continued for a mile and Karel averaged 9:03 min/mile. The next 1.6 miles were mostly downhill and he averaged ~6:11 min/mile. But with the altitude (race started at ~6400 feet) Karel never had a chance to lower his heart rate, even on the downhill. Over the entire 2.66 miles, he covered ~600 feet elevation, which included running on gravel and over rocks. 

Once he got into the transition, he was near the front of his age group. His transition was a bit slow so that is an area he will continue to work on. He put on his hydration pack and shoes and then he was off to ride. 

The 18.1 mile mountain bike ride was primarily off-road with just a very short section on the paved road. Over the 18 miles, the course was broken into two main sections. The first went up to Sardine Peak and then a loop by Wheeler Creek. The bike course had ~2900 feet of elevation gain and it took him 1:39 to complete (average speed 10.9mph). The nearly 4 mile climb to start the bike took almost 28 minutes. But once he got at the top, it became very rocky and technical with a lot of switch backs. The course continued on and with a little more climbing and descending, Karel had to stay mentally engaged to navigate on this technical course. He had one minor fall where his wheel slipped but nothing serious. There were several crashes which is normal at these Xterra races. It was really inspiring to see all different levels of athletes out on the course. I walked 1.5 miles out on the course to see Karel on the bike course and then walked back to the venue and headed up the hill to see him on the run.

After the bike, it was back up the hill again to start the 5.5 mile run. Karel was able to run for most of the first climb but eventually started walking (for ~75 seconds) as he was not gaining much ground running (and expending too much energy with the altitude and fatigue). The second run was longer but just a bit more elevation (~700 feet). After the first 1 mile climb, he had a bit of a downhill - although it was not really downhill and very rocky. Karel even had a slight fall on one of the rocky sections (he was thankful he had on his cycling gloves). Around 1.75 miles in, it was time for an even longer climbing section of 1.87 miles. This section took him just under 17 minutes (8:56 min/mile). Finally the descend for 1.65 miles (6:49 min/mile). It started to get really warm out so Karel was thankful he had his flask of Skratch with him for the run (in his kit pocket) and that he had his camelback with NBS Carbo-hydration for the bike. He got thirsty on the first run but there were only aid stations on the 2nd run. I was able to tell Karel his results as I was tracking him throughout the race and although he wasn't going to take first, he was in a strong fight for top 10 overall amateur (and 2nd in his age group). It took him 43:50 (8:11 min/mile) to complete the run and he had a nice sprint to finish the day (this time isn't exact as Karel didn't start his watch until he was up the climb so it didn't capture all of the 5.5 miles).

The total distance isn't correct. 

RESULTS HERE.

Between the altitude, course, terrain and competition, Karel was pretty beat up after the race (and even on Sunday while spectating me during my 21-k trial run). He was mentally and physically exhausted from the event, especially after just racing the 70.3 in St. George a week prior. But he had so much fun and just loves the atmosphere at these races. Plus, we met several new friends! 

Here's a video I put together of his race. Enjoy!