'25 Breck Epic - Stage 3

Stage 3 - Circumnavigation of Mt. Guyot

39 miles 

6200 feet 

4:47 

9th AG 40-49 

Flat tire 😔

Video Recap HERE

Karel went to bed and woke up very tired, sore and exhausted. Shortly after he got out of bed around 6am he said to me "I'm not even half way through the event. I don't know how I'll get through today." I knew the stage would be challenging for him based on Karel's feedback from last time so I gave him lots of words of encouragement. Karel was feeling nauseous and had a hard time eating his oatmeal. 

Around 7:10am I drove up the street to drop off Karel's aid station bags. He decided to use two bags today. In aid station #2 bag he had 1 bottle of sport nutrition (INFINIT) and in aid station #3 bag he had another USWE hydration pack (1.5 L) with INFINIT. He started with a USWE hydration pack and had a bottle on his bike with sport nutrition. 

A little after 7:30am, I headed out for my ride. My plan was to go to the village of Vail and back and then climb up to the B&B trailhead to see Karel finish. Based on his time from last year, my goal was to be back at the finish by 1pm. It was chilly out this morning but not as cold as yesterday. I wore knee warmers, light gloves, a base layer tank and arm warmers. I warmed up quickly once I got to Frisco as I started to climb on the bike path towards Copper Mountain (7.7 miles, 652 feet). I rode through the town of Copper mountain and made my way onto the bike path towards the Vail Pass. I enjoyed this 4.4 mile climb (705 feet) as it was a gentle grade (for most of it, with a few pitchy sections and a narrow section due to construction). The bike paths are incredible in this area. I was riding from Breckenridge to Vail all on a car-free bike path! I descended 11 miles which meant I had been on a bike path for 2 hours and 34 miles! I then made my way on to the bike lane and descended into the village of Vail - 37 miles, 2:12, ~1600 feet. I kept track on the time to make sure that I would be back in time to see Karel finish. I was a little worried about the 15 mile, 2300+ feet climb back to Vail pass but overall it wasn't too bad. There were some really pitchy sections which had me breathing heavy. Overall, I feel like I am getting a little more used to the altitude but I still can't push hard without my legs hurting and breathing heavy. I enjoyed the 15 mile descend back into the town of Frisco and then I made my way 8 miles back up to Breckenridge (into headwind) and then a few miles up to the B&B Trailhead. In total, my ride was 5:10, 80 miles, ~5600 feet.

I arrived to the stage finish a little before 1pm and around 20 minutes later, Karel rolled through the finish line. He looked disappointed but I was just so happy that he made it to the finish. Unfortunately, he got a flat tire on one of the very rocky descends. Thankfully his foam insert helped to not destroy the rim and he was able to plug the tire, use some CO2, plug again and then at the next aid station, get another CO2. Seeing that several riders had much more serious issues like broken wheels, broken chains and broken spokes, Karel got lucky with only a puncture that he was able to plug (2 plugs). He ended up losing around 8 minutes but he rode really well throughout the stage. He finished 9th in his category and continues to sit in 8th GC (40-49). 

In any race but especially in off road cycling, it's not about if something happens but when AND how you deal with it. Karel was bummed about the situation and it made him lose some of his mojo but he acted quick, fixed the flat and continued giving his best. 

After the stage, I gave Karel a cup of tart cherry juice (I brought the concentrate packet and added water from the finish line area) and Karel also made himself a bottle of skratch recovery from the finish line area and we shared a coke. I consumed 4 bottles of INFINIT 90g carbs throughout my ride. 

We rode back to the Airbnb and after Karel cleaned up, he went to the village to have Orange Seal fix his tire. Karel brought another tire so he had them fill with sealant and put the tire on. This saved Karel lots of time and energy as he was not looking forward to spending time fixing his bike this afternoon instead of recovering. While Karel was fixing his tire, I went for a 38 min, 4.5 mile run. At first I thought I was getting used to the altitude but then after I turned around and started the net incline back to our Airbnb, I quickly realized it's still incredibly hard to run here. 

Karel is now officially half way through the Breck Epic 6-stage event. He is really tired, sore and exhausted but he is also performing really well. Although he is 2 years older than the last time, his skills have really improved and he is feeling much more confident on the descends. 

Hoping for lots of mechanical luck for tomorrow! 

A few pics from yesterday late afternoon at the bike week expo....

Free local cookies! 

Several female-run bike businesses! 

'23 Breck Epic - Stage 5 and 6

 

Stage 5: Wheeler Mountain
25 miles
5300 feet
5.89 mph
4:15 time
21st 40-49

Karel heard the horror stories about Wheeler. Although his body was extremely tired, he mentally prepared himself for a lot of hike-a-bike up the Wheeler trail. The state was set up as a "time trial" so that the early single track wouldn't get too crowded. Although his mind was in a good place for the uphills, he was not mentally (or physically) prepared for the downhills. He said it was the scariest routes he has ever done and he just wanted to finish. I think his stats tell the most. When it takes over 4 hours to ride 25 miles and when you can accmulate 5300 feet in only 25 miles, you know it's a really tough course. Here's Karel's recap of stage 5. 

Since I had completed my big workouts, I was really looking forward to seeing Karel in action today. I left our place around 7am and drove to the trailhead on McCullough Gulch Road. A little after 7:30am, I started my 3 mile, 2300 feet hike up the mountain. It took me around an hour to make it to the first top of the mountain (~12,750 feet). I had my USWE hydration pack with Skratch Clear to stay hydrated and also brought some snacks and a bagel sandwich with PBJ. I waited around an hour before I could see the pros far in the distance. 

I didn't know what to expect but I have never see so much suffering. Although almost everyone was in good spirits, there was a lot of huffing and puffing to ride, walk, push the bikes up the mountain. 

I had a lot of fun cheering for the riders. The scenery was incredible. 

Eventually I saw Karel and he was in a group of 6. He wished he had different shoes as his MTB shoes are very stiff which makes it hard to hike. But he felt pretty good walking his bike up the hill. Although some sections were rideable, it was either too steep or too rocky to ride through. Some of the male pros were able to ride most of the way but the majority had to get off the bike and walk. 

Around 10am I made my way down the mountain. I had a lot of fun cheering for everyone as I was jogging down. The trail was narrow so I did a lot of stopping to make sure the riders had plenty of room to push their bikes up the mountain. It took me ~43 minutes to run down the mountain. I ended up with 6 miles of run, hike, walk. 

I drove back to our place, got my bike and rode to the finish of the stage, ~3 miles away (up Ski Hill). I waited and waited and waited for Karel and I was surprised that it took him so long to finish. I was really worried that he crashed or had a mechanical. When he finished, he rode over to the field and couldn't wait to get off his bike. He said that he got very dehydrated and messed up his fueling. He also mentioned how scared he was on the bike during the descends. He was completely empty - mentally and physically. 

We rode the 3 miles back to our place and as Karel rested, I drove to the pool around 3pm for a 3600 yard swim. I picked up Chipotle for Karel (and me) on the way home and also stopped at the grocery store to get a few things. Karel was really exhausted, he didn't sleep well and had no idea how he would get the energy to complete the last stage. 

Stage 6: The Gold Dust Trail
31.8 miles
3500 feet
11.6 mph
2:44 time
11th 40-49
16th GC (overall in AG after 6 stages)

Karel woke up very sore, tired and exhausted. But with his stage racing experience, he knows that you can never count yourself out, no matter how horrible you feel. You just have to show up and do the best you can. I had a really good feeling about stage 6 as I felt like the course suited Karel was some long steady climbs up gravel-like roads and single track to start and finish (and throughout the stage). Plus, no matter how tired Karel is when he races, he always finds a way. I felt like he was going to deliver something great on this last stage. 

Here's his recap of stage 6. A completely different Karel from the previous stages :) 

Karel left our place around 8am as his start time was in the 7th wave. This stage had a "time trial" start in groups of 10 because of the tight single track to start. 

My plan was an easy 2-3 hour ride. I hadn't made my way all the way around Dillion Res so I was looking forward to riding on the bike path that I hadn't seen before. 

I surprised Karel and watched him start the race and a little before 9am, I headed out on my ride. 

I really enjoyed my ride. I still can't get over all of the bike paths that connect from town to town. 

I rode 36 miles and less than 5 of those miles were on the road. Everything else was on a bike path. 

I returned to Breckenridge at the ice rink before 11am and waited ~45 minutes until Karel crossed the finish line. I was so relieved to see him as every stage had me nervous about a crash or mechanical. 

I could tell with his riding style and expression that not only was he happy to finish Breck Epic but he had a great stage performance. 

Karel placed 11th in his age group on the last stage and he said he felt pretty good and was able to pass several riders in the last climb. 

After hanging around at the finish for a little, Karel was eager to get to the local french bakery. The service was slow but the pastries were worth it. 

We rode back to our resort (one last time up the hill). 

And Karel was officially DONE. 

Although it was incredibly difficult, Karel said he would do it again. He learned a lot and he would have approached it differently with training, gear/equipment and tactics. 

At 6pm he went to the finisher banquet/awards. I walked around the town while Karel was at the banquet in the hotel. Karel received two black and white pictures of him after the first and second stage, as well as a cardboard cut out to frame the picture and bib plate. 

He also received a belt buckle as an official Breck Epic finisher. 

6 days
~227 miles
~26 hours
~33,330 vertical feet
relieved, exhausted, broken, sore, proud.

The only way to discover your physical and mental limits is to pursue challenging goals.
Doing something hard will quickly expose your weaknesses and reveal your strengths.

Breck Epic tested Karel’s mind, body, fitness commitment, character, problem solving skills and abilities. Although it was incredibly hard, he rose to meet the mental demands and physical rigors of the 6-day Breck Epic mountain biking event.

Push past your self-imposed barriers and crush those hard, scary goals.

'23 Breck Epic - Stage 3 and 4

 Stage 3: THE CIRCUMNAVIGATION OF MT. GUYOT
42.6 miles
5:00 time
6115 feet
8.5 mph
Crossing the Continental Divide twice today.
17th 40-49 AG

The fatigue was building going into stage 3. This stage required a lot of hike-a-bike. Here's Karel's recap of the event. 

Before stage

After stage

I left our place shortly after 7am to drive to the Buffalo Trailhead in Silverthorne for my run/hike workout. It took ~30 minutes to get there and I wanted to arrive early as the AllTrails reviewers said the trail parking lot is small and fills up fast. I arrived around 7:45am and there were several spots open. I packed a lot of snacks and drinks for the day as I knew I would be exercising for most of the day. 

My plan was to do a long run of ~2 hours on the trails before hiking up Buffalo Trailhead. I chose this trailhead because it had an elevation gain of ~3000 feet in 3 miles. For my upcoming ICON tri, I cover 3000 feet in the last 6 miles of the marathon. This was a great opportunity to practice hiking on tired legs and to also see how my body does with the altitude while running on the trails. 

I started off with a 11 mile, 2:15 hr trail run with ~1400 elevation gain. I ran the Lily Pad Lake trail twice and ran the buffalo cabin trail to Royal Buffalo and back. I stopped at my car twice to refill my flasks. I wore my Naked Running belt and used two 10 ounce Nathan hard flasks. The trails were very technical so I had to walk a lot. It was very peaceful and the scenery was incredible. I read about moose sightings but I didn't see any. I was on alert as I didn't want to encounter one and her babies. 

Then it was time to hike. My legs felt pretty good after the run. I swapped shoes (more grippy trail shoes), put on my USWE hydration vest, refilled my flasks, grabbed my hiking poles and set out up Buffalo Mountain.


This is what I climbed up.

I made it two miles up before the trail turned into boulders. The first mile I was making great pace but in the 2nd mile, there was a lot more elevation gain and I could feel the altitude. I was able to make my way up some of the boulder sections but it was difficult to make out the cairnes to lead me up the steep rocky mountain. I really wanted to see the mountain goats at the time but I was nervous to climb the boulders by myself. It was much more difficult than I anticipated. I was bummed I didn’t make it to the top. The four mile hike took me 1:56 and I climbed almost 2000 feet up in an hour (11,000+ elevation).

After the run, I had a snack and recovery drink and drove to the pool (which was in the same town). The swim felt really good on my body and I felt like I was able to swim a bit better than the prior days. The lap pool wasn't busy. I swam 4050 yards and did a few sets throughout the swim. Afterward, I picked up Chipotle for Karel, got a few things at the grocery and then drove back to our place just before Karel left for his meeting at 5pm.

I looked forward to hearing about Karel's race. I tried to time my swim so that I could hear that Karel finished before I got to the pool. Thankfully, he finished as I was finishing my hike. Somehow he found the energy to go for a 3 mile run after his stage. 

When I got back, I mixed together rice and tomato soup (and a veggie burger) for dinner. We were both pretty exhausted in the evening. Karel was struggling to sleep as his body was exhausted. I was sleeping ok - a little restless throughout the night. 

Karel officially reached the half way point of the event. 
Stats so far:
~124 miles of mountain biking
~14 hours of ride time
~17,200 feet elevation gain

STAGE 4 – AQUEDUCT
46.5 miles
4:48 time
6332 feet
9.65 mph
11th 40-49AG

This was a good stage for Karel. Interestingly, many riders who excelled on stage 3 struggled on stage 4. Karel was really finding the terrain technical and difficult but this stage seemed to suit him well. 
He was feeling really sore and tired but he was able to put together a great ride for stage 4. 



Today was my big day of training. I was looking forward to the ride but also a bit nervous to ride so long and so far all by myself. My new friend Tommy suggested the Copper Triangle route (79 miles) and said it was a great route. I decided to start the ride from Breckenridge which would add at least 30 miles to the ride. This made for a long ride but I loved it. I was a little nervous when I got on the first main road but then I realized that the cars were very used to cyclists. I felt very safe throughout the entire ride. I had plenty of fluids and nutrition with me so I only had to make one stop to refill bottles. I stopped around 4:15 into my ride (in Minturn at a gas station), just before approaching Vail. The section from Leadville to Minturn was about 30 miles and it was really windy. I was in a valley and those miles seemed to take forever. The scenery was incredible and I really enjoy riding through the different towns. I made sure to take a picture of each town that I passed by/through. When I got to vail, I started the longest climb of the day, which happened to be on a bike path to Copper Mountain. 14 miles of climbing with several steep grades. I just couldn't believe that I was doing this on a bike path. The paths are really well marked and it makes it easy to go from town to town. The trail was also really busy with lots of people/families on bikes. There was one section of construction but other than that, the trail was well maintained. I felt like this was the first time that I could push a little more power.  Karel texted me that he finished and I was very relieved to hear from him. It was hard to focus on myself when I knew he was out racing. I felt really good throughout the entire ride and was able to finish feeling strong into Breckenridge. After the ride, I went for a 43 minute, 4.7 mile run. Legs were tired but I made it. Karel wanted pizza for dinner so I ordered him pizza and walked a mile (there and back) to pick it up for him. It felt good to loosen out after my long brick. I ended up riding 116 miles in 7:05. The elevation gain was around 7800 feet. Suprisingly, this didn't feel like a "hilly" ride as there were only a few longer climbs. Here's a video on Instagram that I put together from my ride. 

Karel went to bed feeling very anxious and nervous for stage 5: The Wheeler "time trial." He was warned in the athlete briefing about the difficulty of the route, all the hike-a-bike he'd be doing and the technical descending. 

'23 Breck Epic - Stage 1 and 2

Stage 1: Pennsylvania Creek 
37.7 miles
3:42 time
5207 feet
10.1 mph
10th 40-49 AG

The stage started at 8:30am at the ice skating rink a few miles away. We set the alarm for 6am. Karel left around 7:30, which he said later on was too early. As he was warming up, I got ready for my ride. I left around 8:00 on my road bike to see Karel one more time before he started. During Karel's race, I went out for my ride to Loveland Pass. 

Pre Race

Post race

Here's Karel's recap of the event.  

This was a really big deal for me to go out on a ride by myself on roads that I didn't know. Unlike Karel, who will ride anywhere, I am not as adventurous on two wheels. As I'm riding, I'm thinking about not getting lost, wondering if I am allowed to bike on certain roads and worried about the unknown. I have gotten a lot better, hence why I had the confidence to go out solo and climb a mountain. 

I plugged in a route to Loveland pass on my computer that I found on Strava. Because much of the route was on the bike path, it didn't require too much navigating. I rode from Breckenridge to Swan Moutain to Keystone and then got on the main road and started the ~8 mile, ~2400 feet climb to the Loveland pass (which sits at almost 12,000 feet). The climb was steady and averaged around 6-8% with no steep pitches. There were some cars but I never felt unsafe. The scenery was beautiful. I wore my USWE hydration pack as I wasn't sure where to refill bottles. The bike path through Keystone was beautiful. When I got on the climb, I could feel the altitude. I only had one effort and I tried to keep it easy. Interestingly, as I got to the top, I felt like I could ride a little stronger (perhaps it was mental that I knew I was almost at the top). The temp started off a little cool but I warmed up quickly. It's interesting how 50 degrees at altitude (and in dry conditions) feels so much warmer than where we live. 

When I got to the top, I took a picture by the sign and chatted with another guy (Tommy) who I passed on the way up. He is somewhat local and he connected with me via Strava/IG and gave me some suggestions for other rides. I put on a jacket, gloves and arm warmers for the descend (which I had tucked in my hydration pack). The descend was fast. It took me an hour to climb up and 15 minutes (33.5 mph average) to descend down. 

As I was making my way back on Swan Mountain, I realized I had been riding for around 3 hours and I was wanting to ride for at least 4. I extended my ride on the bike path through Frisco and Dilon reservoir. The bike path around Dilon res was twisty and a lot of fun. My ride was 4:41 and 70.6 miles and 5700 feet elevation gain. After my ride I went for a 6 mile/55 minute run. It was tough running off the bike with the altitude, especially back into town. Between my bike and run, I chatted with Karel on his day (he also did a short 3 mile run off the bike). After my workout, it was time to relax before spending the rest of the day on the computer. 

Karel attended the nightly meeting at 5pm outside the resort. I was looking forward to stage 2 because I was volunteering at aid station 2. 

Stage 2: The Colorado Trail 
44.9 miles
5:17 time
8.5 mph
5800 feet
33rd 40-49

A few weeks prior to the event, I completed the volunteer form for Monday. I was assigned aid station 2. I was really looking forward to this volunteer position because I have experienced the kindness and support of volunteers in aid stations (triathlon, mountain biking, gravel biking) and their help is really appreciated.

We woke up a little before 6am and got a little work done before the day started. Karel left a little before 8am and rode to downtown for the start. I walked down to the volunteer area behind the resort around 7:30am to get my volunteer badge. Around 8:30am I left for my volunteer duties. I decided to ride my bike the 7 miles to the aid station instead of driving as I wanted to spin out my legs, get some fresh air and use today as an active recovery day. The weather warmed up quickly and it turned out to be a warm and sunny day. 

I helped set up bags for around an hour and shortly after 10:30am, the first pro riders started to arrive. It was fun running to bags, grabbing bottles and handing them to the athletes. Everyone was really nice. As the hours passed by, the athletes were not in as much of a rush but they were still very appreciative. 

I was getting a bit worried that I didn't see Karel when I thought he would be coming by. A friend from Greenville, Naomi, who was in the race, told me that Karel had a few flats. I felt so bad for Karel. When he finally rolled in, I could see the frustration and sadness on his face. I filled up his hydration pack, handed him a bottle of coke that I brought with me and collected his trash from his pockets. 

I volunteered until 2pm (with only a few riders left on the course) and then rode back to the resort. I felt really sad for Karel but he didn't let it get to him. He was just exhausted for being out on the course for over 5 hours.  Although I brought snacks and drinks with me, I was pretty hungry when I got back to the room. I made us veggie burger sandwiches on bagels, served with chips.

Karel attended the briefing at 5pm and I got some work done before bed.

Pre Race


Post race

Whitewater Off-Road Triathlon race recap

 

Keeping with our theme of the year, the Whitewater triathlon on May 6th was looking to be very rainy (we've experienced rain for all five of our off-road events this year). We debated if it was worth doing the race but on Thursday of the race, we decided that we would still gain a lot from the race experience. After we registered online, the weather started to improve and based on my Epic Weather app, it was looking like the weather would work out for a dry day of racing. 

Although this race had a small participant list, it didn't make the race any less important to us. We still felt the nerves/anticipation for anytime we show up to a start line, we want to give our best and we know to do so, the effort is going to be uncomfortable and there will be obstacles to overcome. The really cool thing about off-road triathlon racing is that the entire race experience feels more like playtime than something serious like on-road triathlon racing. Swimming in open water, riding a mountain bike and trail running is fun and we love the vibe of racing off road. 

After a tough group swim in the morning, we left for Charlotte/Whitewater center around 1pm, shortly after my mom picked up Campy so that he could enjoy 1.5 days with her. There was a little bit of traffic during our 2:15 hr drive so we arrived a little later than we had planned. We paid the enterance fee and changed into our bike gear and around 4pm. With the issues of getting off course at the Whole Enchilada a month ago, we wanted to recon the course to make sure we knew exactly where we were going. The course was mostly well-marked and Karel also had the course in his computer to follow. After around 8 miles and an hour of riding, we were having a lot of fun and completely lost track of time. At 10 miles into our 15 mile ride we decided to stop the ride as we somewhat familiar with the last 5 miles. 

After picking up our race stuff, we made a stop at Harris Teeter to get some items for dinner (I had a bag of microwave basmait rice mixed in Amy's No Chicken Noodle Soup - a typical pre race meal for me) and then we made our way to our friends house (Christi) for the night. Christi and her partner Pam were out of town so we had her house to ourselves. I've known Christi since we met in a running race in 2005. 

We both slept ok (tossed and turned) so we were not feeling really rested when we woke up at 5:15am.
Karel had his typical oatmeal concoction and I had my typical waffles (3 of them) + PB, Jelly, Banana. 
We watched some of the PTO race on the computer as we were doing mobility/foam rolling and then left around 6:30am to make the 20 min drive to the Whitewater center. If you are ever in this area, I suggest checking out this place. It's really cool to see people rafting/kayaking on the rapids. There are also a lot of great trails and activities. And it is dog friendly! 

We set up our transition area and then got warmed up with some jogging. We each did our own thing and met near the lake around 7:45am for the pre-race meeting. There were only ~50 athletes in the full distance with only a few girls. Although every off-road triathlon race seems to have something unique to it, this was the first race that we've done where we had a 1/2 mile gravel run from the swim to T1. We wore a pair of trail shoes to the swim and left them on the bench by the dock to put on after the swim (since I wear socks on the bike, I also had my socks with my shoes). I wore my compression sleeves under my wetsuit. 

The water was 65 degrees and I was a little worried it would feel really cold but it was absolutely perfect. We had an in-water start which we both really like as it gives us a chance to warm-up in the water and adjust the wetsuit. 

The swim took us out to a buoy, around the buoy (to our right), then a long straight to another buoy (turn right) and then back to the dock. When we started, I found myself in a group of ~4 guys along with Karel. I was shocked to see Karel there with me as he hasn't been feeling good in the water. Karel has great take out speed where it takes me about 10 minutes to get myself into a good rhythm. After the turn buoy, I was able to pick up my effort and Karel stayed behind me. I was able to get a little away from him but he was doing a great job trying to stay on my feet. I exited the water first overall and Karel was right behind as we pulled ourselves up the ladder on to the dock. The sprint distance athletes were gathered for their pre race meeting as we got out of the water so it was encouraging to hear their cheers. 

I removed my wetsuit and sat down on the bench to put on my socks and ON trail shoes. Karel stood up and put on his shoes. I grabbed my wetsuit and left the area before Karel but he quickly sprinted by me as we ran up a steep trail before making our way to the gravel. I actually really enjoyed running to T1, it was different and a fun way to clear the mind after the swim. We weren't sure if we should run with our wetsuit on or carry it but after trying to run with it on in the pre race warmup to the lake we knew carrying it would be the smarter option. I wrapped mine around my neck and Karel opted to hold his in his arm. 

Karel was out of transition before I got there. I felt like I had a good transition and put on my shoes, helmet, sunglasses and hydration pack. In past races, I had my helmet on my handlebars and would forget to put it on until I grabbed my bike so I had my helmet on the ground and everything went smoothly. I ran my bike to the mount line and started riding. 

The mountain bike course was around 23K (or 14.2 miles) with around 1100 feet of elevation gain. Most of the elevation came in the back half and it was much more technical in the last 8 miles of the course. The course was really flowy and fun with a lot of roots, ups and downs and tight corners. I struggled on some of the obstacles in the last 8 miles as I was getting really tired and they are very technical. I only saw Karel once and he gave me a cheer. I was passed by several guys but nearing 10 or so miles, I found myself alone. The course was really well marked. 

I had a total of 90g carbs of NeverSecond Berry in my USWE hydration pack along with about 1 liter of water (33 ounces). 

Karel led the entire race from start to finish and had a great time on the course. I also had a lot of fun on the bike as I felt like I was just playing in the woods. The hard part about mountain biking (especially in a triathlon) is that the heart rate stays elevated the entire time. It's like a short distance triathlon. You need a lot of strength, power, stamina and skills to negotiate the terrain. It's a very different change from long distance racing where it's all about riding your own steady state effort and dealing more with muscle fatigue than cardio stress. The course ended up being close to 17 miles on my Garmin (1:42 ride time). 

After arriving back to the transition area as the first female (there were only 3 of us, which means we need to get more females into off road triathlon racing!) it was time for the run. My legs felt really good and I really pushed myself on the run. I loved the flow of the trails and it was constantly up and down for 4 miles and 400 feet of elevation gain. I had 1 flask of C30 Neversecond berry that I kept in my trisuit pocket. I don't wear sunglasses on the trail run but had a visor on. I wore Hoka trail shoes. 

As I made my way to the finish line, I smiled big as I had so much fun. This race wasn't about winning or needing to prove anything but just having fun. I love that off road triathlon racing can be hard and challenging but also bring us so much joy. This was a good tune-up for us as we will be participating in Xterra Oak Mountain this weekend and we expect a lot of tough competition. Although I'm just doing the off road racing for fun, Karel is hoping to put together a really good performance this weekend. 

Overall Results

Karel Results                                        Marni Results 

2022 Hincapie Gran Fondo Greenvillle - event recap

 

The Hincapie Gran Fondo Greenville is one of my favorite events. It comes late in the triathlon season so it's a fun way to finish off the year of racing. Even though I can ride the route anytime I want (it's nice only living 20 minutes away) the event is very professional, the community and volunteer support is incredible and I love the social aspect of seeing familiar faces and making new friends. 

Although I don't train specifically for this event, I've been able to perform well at this event for a few reasons. 

1) Triathlon training builds all around cardiomuscular endurance, strength and resiliency. 
2) I do a lot of group riding throughout the year with the Supra Cycling team and the Greenville Spinners. This helps me improve my bike handling skills and confidence/safety in a group setting. Plus, everyone I ride with is very supportive and nice, which makes group riding much more fun. 
3) I know the course, the tactics of the riders and where to conserve energy by staying in a group or dialing back my effort). Bringing this familiarity to the event allows me to race smart on such a challenging course. 
4) I love testing myself. No matter how I feel going into this race, I want to give my best from start to finish. 
5) I really enjoy the social aspect of cycling events and group riding. It brings the best out of me. 
6) Karel has taught me so much about terrain management, group riding skills and etiquette and knowing how to read the actions of other riders. These skills have helped me tremendously in triathlon racing, as well as in group riding/events. 

I've participated in the event 5 times ('16,'17,'18,'21,'22) and Karel has participated three times ('16,'17,'22). Out of all the times I've raced in this event, I feel that this year was my best. My legs felt amazing from start to finish, I didn't have any low moments, the climbs didn't feel as hard as they did in the past (although still hard, just not as hard), the weather was perfect and I was able to stay with fast groups. The only downside is that Karel and I started way back in the corral so we had to wait a good 5+ minutes before we started to ride. This prevented us from riding near the front, which ultimately affects the entire race. I'm hoping that next year I can figure out a way to get closer to the front as I feel that will make for a completely different race. 

It was fun to ride with Karel as we usually each do our own thing for this event. Karel experienced his typical cramping (happens everytime he does this event) just before the Green River Cove climb so he managed his legs while I rode ahead. I finished ~5 minutes ahead of Karel. 

The best part of the ride was joining the "celebrity" group of riders at the top of Skyuka. After we decended, I was in great company with Bob Jungles, Bobby Julich, Christian Vande Velde and George Hincapie until the rest stop in Saluda. I had one of my best times up the Saluda grade (2nd fatest female) all thanks to this group of guys with tremendous horsepower. I was at my limit at the top of the climb and the rubberband snapped just before the KOM timing mat at the top. 

Karel and I went into this event with the approach to be strategic and competitive throughout the event to see how well I could place. But we also had two other goals - to have fun and to be safe. My best performance is 3rd female (2017) but my goal going into the event this year was top 5. This event attracts top professional riders, as well as my friend and local superstar Debbie Milne (fellow RD, creator of Supra Bars and newly crowned Masters Track World Champion Cyclist). We knew I would be at a disadvantage starting in the middle of the corral but we tried our best to move up as much as we could. 

We arrived to the parking lot around 8am. The warm-up ride from the parking lot to the event was a little chilly (in the 40's) but I dressed warm in joggers and a long sleeve jersey (as well as a buff and gloves). I also had a pair of hot hands in my gloves for the 20 min of waiting in the corral before the start. I removed my layers and placed them in my bag (at the bag corral) and started with light arm warmers and light gloves. I also had a base layer tank under my Trimarni cycling jersey. I specifically wore my Pearl Izumi bibs as they have a droptail design. In other words, I don't have to remove the bibs to go to the bathroom - which makes it quick and easy to pee throughout the ride at the aid stations. I started off with two bottles of 400 calories Skratch SuperFuel and brought along 1 NeverSecond Berry gel, a package of PowerBar chews and a package of my custom Infinit (~240 calories) to refill at the Saluda aid station. I went through everything throughout the event and also had a cup of pepsi. The weather warmed up into the 70's and there was very little wind. 

Karel was able to snake his way through all the riders in the first mile of the event and although I was able to move up, I don't have the skills like he does so we had the plan to regroup at the turn off of Hwy 11. I was able to find myself in a good group from the turn off of Hwy 11 all the way to the base of Saluda. The highlight of the ride was catching a quick glance of a bear cub running across the road after the gas station outside of Tryon. 

I was never passed by any females throughout the entire race and although that had me feeling good about my placement, I also knew it would be hard to catch up to the lead ladies. 

The first 24.2 miles went by fast. I averaged 21.8 mph over 2000 feet of elevation gain. I knew it was going to be a good day when I felt strong on the first few long climbs, as well as the kicker before the lake. 

The Skyuka climb was hard as usual - averaging around 9% for 3.9 miles. It's a tough climb for me as it requires a lot of power. I felt like I could keep my cadence somewhat smooth and I was able to pass a few riders throughout the climb. Karel was ~2 minutes faster than me on the climb. It took me 32.36 minutes to get to the top (7.2 mph) and I was 6th female ranked on the Skyuka climb. We made a quick stop at the aid station knowing that the Hincapie group usually spends a bit of time regrouping up there. I made a quick pee stop in the port o potty (thankful for my bib shorts and not having to remove any gear!) before joining the group for the descend. Although I wasn't able to keep up with Karel on the fast and technical Skyuka descend, I was able to keep myself close to the group so that I could stay with everyone for the next section. 

The group pulled me along at 21.2 mph (13.3 miles) and this was a somewhat easier segment which allowed me to get ready for the Saluda Grade. 

The Saluda Grade is my favorite climb as it suits my style of finding a rhythm. It's not steep but gradual - averaging around 5-6%. We were passing many riders from the medio group and it was awesome to hear and see George Hincapie cheering for everyone. He was also proud that his son Enzo was 3rd in the Junior race. George does a lot for junior riders in this area and this race has a good payout for top 5 in the junior category (male and female). I found the effort of the group manageable for the first 1/2 of the ride but then I started to reach my upper limit. It got hard near the top and I really had to work hard to stay in the group. I managed to stay with the group until the very top of the KOM/QOM section before getting detached. I completed the Saluda grade climb in 18:47 and placed 2nd in the female category for the climb (11.8mph). I just missed first by 11 seconds. The nice part of being in this group is getting a lot of media attention and support vehicles. 

I refilled my bottle and had a few sips of pepsi at the Saluda aid station and made another pee stop. We had covered 45 miles in 2:36 and accumulated ~5000 feet of elevation. At this point, we needed to be strategic and take some risks. Karel decided that it would be best for us to ride together as long as we could in the Green River Cove loop - hoping that we wouldn't be caught by any groups (or other females). The Green River Cove loop can be broken down into 3 segments - the "descend" which also includes 3.5 steep short climbs, a flatish section and then the climb - with 17 switchbacks. 

I knew I wouldn't be able to keep up with the guys I was riding with on the descends and steep short climbs so we went ahead instead of waiting for the group. We were caught by a small group at the top of the last steep climb but we also knew that this group would stop again at the next (Church) aid station. I didn't need anything from the aid station so Karel went to the bathroom and then we rode off. This next section was tough as it was a hard push for Karel to pull me for 8 miles. I took the lead a few times to give him a break but we also tried to conserve energy for the last climb. I kept looking over my shoulder anticipating the group to catch us anytime. This was a risk to ride alone as we were only averaging around 21 mph whereas I knew the group would be much faster - but then again, I may not have been able to keep up or burned too many matches. In the end, it was the right call to go ahead as we were caught just as we started the 1.97 mile Green River Cove climb. A few grades over 14% and 17 switchbacks to count down. Suprisingly, my legs felt good but Karel struggled with his inner thighs cramping and back hurting. I went ahead and finished the ride without Karel. I placed 3rd female on the Green River Cove climb in 16:01 (7.5 mph). 

I skipped the Saluda aid station on the way back and rejoined the Hincapie group until the Watershed descend. I was hoping that I could stay with the group to the finish but they attacked the 8+ mile descend faster than I could keep up. With only 15 miles left in the ride, I ended up doing the last 8 miles by myself, which was a special way to end this incredible day of riding. It was me vs me. I gave it what I could. I felt really good at the finish line and received a medal from my athlete Ruthanne.  I joined the Supra Cycling Club while waiting for Karel to finish. We then reunited with some of our athletes who did the medio distance (we are so proud of them for stepping out of their comfort zone!) and then watched the awards. 

Around 3pm we rode our bikes back to the car (~3 miles) and moved our car to the on-site parking area. From 4:45-6:45pm, we volunteered for "tear down" which was a lot of work. It gave me a whole new appreciation for what goes into the events that we do. We arrived home shortly after 7pm. 

I placed 5th overall female in 4:43.I just love this event and all the good energy from participants when it's complete. If you are looking for a challenging but beautiful course with great community and rider support, I highly encourage you to check out this great event. 

Haute Route Alps - Stage 5 (Time Trial)

STAGE 5 - 10K Time Trial 

August 25th, 2022

Start: Meribel, France

Finish: Meribel, France

6.2 miles

59:33 riding time

6.27 mph average

2657 feet

Climb: Col de la Loze. 

For our "rest" day, all we had to do was ride 10K. Up the Col de la Loze. 2657+ feet to climb in 6 miles. Pitches above 20%. Over 9% gradient for the majority of the climb. Summit at ~7500 feet. At this point in the event, we have covered 390 miles and 52,000 feet of elevation gain in five days. 

Yeah, a lot to accomplish before we could full enjoy our rest day. 

The overall vibe was a bit lighter in the morning as every rider had a set start time range for the time trial. Mine was 9:45-10am and Karel had 10am - 10:15am. They seeded everyone based on overall times so that the top seeded athletes were at the end.

We woke up around 7am (yay for sleeping in!) and had breakfast at the hotel. Although I felt a bit more in my element with the concept of a time trial (my own effort), the course had me worried. I wasn't sure if I had the energy to get up some of the steep pitches and I was worried about having to walk (or fall over). 

After we ate, we took some time to foam roll and do some mobility before heading out on the bike for a warm-up. There were many riders out warming up which it was really important to go into the time trial with a good warm-up in the legs. We wore our triathlon one piece race kits because why not, it's a time trial! 

It was hard to find anywhere flat around the village so there was a lot of back and forth riding. Every pedal stroke was hard, especially going uphill. I found myself extremely nervous. 

When I rolled up the staging area, they called my name right away. After a 37 min warm-up, it was nearing 9:45am and I was about to go. I didn't even have time to think about the start so I just rolled up to the starting stage and within 60 seconds, I was off. I think this was actually a good thing as I didn't have any time to think about what was about to come. 

Once I started, I found myself a bit less nervous. I mean, there's no turning back now so I may as well make the most of the next hour. My goal was to finish but I also gave myself a bonus goal of trying to get under 1 hour. 

The first 1.5 miles were not too bad. It was a gentle 7% grade, weaving through the streets. Eventually the road turned into a golf path type of road (very narrow) and then I hit the first kicker. Ouch, that was steep. There was no way to control my heart or take it easy. I had to give every ounce of power to get up the climb. Then the road settled back down again to 7% (which felt like I was going downhill compared to the kicker) so I was able to relax. I knew I wasn't going to gain any time or places for this time trial so I tried to be really strategic with my energy. I didn't want to overdo it on the "easier" sections as I knew I would need the energy, muscle power and heart beats for the last 5K - the "hard" stuff. 

With other riders already on the course, it was easy to get a glimpse of what was coming - seeing athletes rock their bikes side to side to power up the climb helped me prepare myself. And then there were the riders who were descending down from having already completing the climb - which gave me some reassurance that I would die getting to the top. 

The switchbacks were a blessing as it gave a tiny bit of relief before the road kicked up. 
With every steep pitch, it took everything I had. I questioned if I would be able to get up the next steep climb but then when the gradient dropped to 9 or 10%, I had a bit of relief. There was a short 30 second moment of downhill riding which was grately enjoyed. Looking ahead at the finish, I could see the road ad it went straight up. 

But thankfully the end was in sight. 1K to go. 1K until I get to rest and fully enjoy my rest day. 

There were a few riders on the sidelines cheering and an announcer on the top. I soaked it all in. The hardest climb of my life. 

When I got to the top, I couldn't believe the view.  also beat my goal of breaking an hour and went 59:33. After enjoying a few apricots and a cookie, I walked over to the finish line to wait for Karel. 

There he was, muscling his way on the 20+ gradient to get to the finish line. 50:44 to get to the top. After he crossed, he made it a few more pedal strokes until he hobbled off his bike and collapsed. 

With no rush to get back (except getting a little cool at the top), we spent the next 35 minutes really taking it all in. 

The descend was even more amazing as we could really take in all the sights that we missed while suffering and making sure that our next pedal stroke was not our last. During our 22 minute descend, we stopped to take a few more pics and made sure to give way to the riders who were climbing. It was motivating and inspiring to see the top seeded riders (especially the females) riding so strong up the climb. 

After we finished, we changed and had a snack and then walked across the street to the Olympic center for lunch. After lunch, we caught up on some work for our athletes as we had a bit more time and energy. Later in the afternoon we walked around the town and got a few things for dinner. I was craving cereal and chips so that was my dinner. It totally hit the spot and I felt so good going to bed. 

Although Karel found the stage very hard, the day itself was very much needed. It's amazing what a few extra hours of rest and food can do for the mind and body. 

While we were sad to pack up and leave Meribel, we were really excited for our next stop - Megeve. Our final destination for the event and where we would be spending the next two nights. 

Lessons Learned 
In the afternoon of the stage, we watched the Col de la Loze stage from the 2020 Tour de France. After riding this climb, Karel's entire perspective of professional cycling changed. He no longer understands how these riders can ride so fast, with such a high cadence and attack on these climbs. Watching this video left us with our mouth wide open, in disbelief of what these riders can do. 
There's something incredibly special about this experience of riding on these legendary climbs. Although we ride these climbs 2-3x longer than the TdF riders, we are on the same climbs. 
This stage taught me a lot about comparison. There was no way I could get to the top of this climb trying to race another athletes race. The only way was to focus on myself and my own effort. It's so easy to compare yourself to other athletes or even a past version of yourself. It's so easy to feel defeated when being passed by another athlete. But knowing that I was giving my absolute best with each and every pedal stroke, I was so proud of myself - on this day, with the fitness, health and ability that I brought to the stage. Watching the tour and other cycling events is one of our favorite things to do but we now have a whole new perspective of what these riders are capable of doing with their bodies and minds. 

Haute Route Alps - Stage 4

STAGE 4

August 24th, 2022

Start: Les Deux Alps, France
Finish: Meribel, France

95.5 miles

8:09 riding time

11.7 mph average

14,339 ft elevation gain (Karel's computer had 16,211 feet!)

Climbs: Glandon (25K), Madeleine (19K) and Meribel/part of the Col de la Loze - 16K)

Stage 4 had us worried. It was our "Queen" stage which means it was the most difficult stage of our 7-day event, involving several difficult climbs and accumulating the most elevation. We were so worried about this stage that we didn't even familiarize ourselve with the climbs or stats until that morning. As if the first 3 stages were not hard enough, we were carrying around a massive amount of fatigue and soreness going into this stage. 

But there were positives on this day. First off, if when we finish the stage we will officially be over half way through the event. Wahoo! Secondly, we will be staying in the famous ski town of Meribel, France. And even better, we would have the same accomodations, in the same location for two nights! And even better, our hotel had a pool! Not that I was interested in actual swimming but I was missing the water. Lastly, we "only" had a 10K time trial for stage 5 which gave us most of the afternoon to catch up on food, rest and sleep. 

So while there was a lot to look forward to after the stage was complete, we first needed to complete this massive stage. 

With another early start of 7am, we woke up around 5am and you, guessed it, ate breakfast, packed up our stuff, pinned our numbers on our jerseys, etc. etc. We had gotten into a routine and since we were so exhausted, we were a bit on autopilot. It was a little chilly outside, which was nice in that we slept ok without AC but it was a chilly start to the morning in the low 50's. It was getting harder to eat in the morning but my appetite would really pick up in time for the post event meal. 

The start of the stage was downhill and for 30.8K it was neutralized. I had a jacket and gloves on to keep me warm and I really enjoyed the almost 70 minutes of neutralized riding. Although I made sure to be careful as riding with 400 riders down switchbacks, on narrow roads and in tunnels can be a bit sketchy, especially when everyone is tired. 

Before the timed segment, I stopped to remove my jacket and gloves and also went pee. With a rest stop in the middle of both of the climbs, I was planning to quickly top off my bottles to get me through the climbs but then fully refill at the very top when the timing section was complete. 

The Glandon climb was incredible. The scenery was a bit more green than what I had seen the past few stages and it often felt like I was on another plant. The water and architecture in nature was incredible. Although I was tired as I made my way up the 17.6 mile, 4453 foot climb for 1 hour and 57 minutes (8.96 mph), I was really soaking in the scenery. 

By this point in the stage, we found ourselves around similar people so we began to know people by names (and with hours of climbing, there was also time to get to know people). Karel enjoyed riding with Clay - who had his music jamming from his phone. I found myself around the same Canadians and British guys and also rode with a Brazilian lady for some of the climbs. She was very strong but her knees were bothering her so we were encouraging one another not to give up. That pretty much sums up the vibe of this event - people are really encouraging and supportive. 

After enjoying the views at the top, it was time for a very long, fast decend of 14 miles (40 minutes). I didn't care too much for this descend as the road surface was more bumpy and there were more long and straight sections where I would pick up quick speed. Karel took advantage of the downhills as it's where he felt the happiest. 

Next was the Madeline climb. This climb had us extremely worried. Per the profile, it was a constant climb of 12 miles (4777 feet) and the grade was a constant 8-11% without any opportunity to coast. The only place I could "ease up" was on a switchback. I found myself out of the saddle a lot on this climb as I could get a bit out of each pedal stroke to move me forward out of the saddle. My friend Bryan warned me about this climb and told me to expect around 2 hours of climbing. 

At the top of the climb, it wasn't as horrible as we thought it would be but we were still really glad that it was overwith. Just one more climb until we reached Meribel. 

After another fast decend of 15.8 miles, it was time for the last segment of the stage. 16 miles and 3400 feet of elevation. I felt strong starting this climb and I could tell that other riders were starting to fade from the stage itself and the accumulation of the multiple stages. I linked up with a few guys and tried to stay on their wheel as long as I could until I hit my breaking point and needed to settle into my own effort. 

It started to get really warm (upper 80's) and I could feel it. I also felt really bonky and needed to stop at the final aid station (with 5K to go) as I was so hot. The helpers at the feed zone were handing out coke so I took in a cup and filled up one of my water bottles to help get me to the top. I absolutely hit the wall for the last few miles of this climb and it was a very slow and uncomfortable grind to get to the top of the climb. 

When I finally reached the finish line, I was so relieved. Karel was there waiting for me - with ice cream in hand and I told him that I needed something quick to bring me back to life. I had the most delicious cup of fruity gelato which totally hit the spot! After 10 minutes of resting and getting some sugar into my system, we then rolled into the super cute town of Meribel to the sights of adorable chalets, ski homes, shops and live music. The Haute Route Village was set up near the Olympic center and our hotel was right in the center of the town. I ended up getting my second massage after this stage (which was really good!) and Karel got some food. I snacked on salty crackers and my recovery drink and passed on the post event meal as Karel said it wasn't the greatest. 

I was so excited to check out our hotel and it was even cuter than I could have imagined. We had a balcony overlooking the pool and the shops and our room was big with plenty of room for our luggage to explode (it was nice to not have to repack our bags the next morning - we could enjoy our room for two days!).

Even though I was so empty and wanted to lay in bed, the pool was calling my name so I put on my two piece suit and went down to the pool. I met a new friend James and his wife Cassandre who were both very strong and nice. James used to do triathlons and Cassandre won her age group at Ironman Nice and will be racing in Kona next month. Karel eventually joined us in the pool - after he enjoyed an overpriced cappachino that he had been craving. 

After the dip in the water, we got some food. There were very few restaurants open in the town (which surprised us) so we didn't have many options. We settled for a pizza place (I think I lost count of how many pizzas I've eaten in Europe this month) and Karel had this potato and meat dish which he didn't care for, it was really fatty and didn't digest well. 

After we ate, we were ready for bed. It kinda felt like we had a day off the next day so I was tempted to stay up a bit later than normal but I knew it would be good to get as much sleep as I could before our 10K time trial in the morning.  

Lessons Learned 
Having something to look forward to really helps during tough moments. Knowing all the great things that we would experience after the stage was complete was good motivation to help me start and finish the stage. Also, going into this event, I thought we would be missing out by leaving Nice and riding to Megeve, instead of the other way around. There was something cool about riding to the water and I thought I would have preferred that route. But as the ride went on, I loved entering new villages and towns and making our way up in the country of France. This was a good lesson about making assumptions and how you may expect something to be good or bad but it can be the opposite of what you had hoped for (or imagined). Sometimes the best mindset is a neutral one and to just let things be how they are supposed to be. 

Haute Route Alps - Stage 3

STAGE 3

August 23rd, 2022

Start: Serre Chevalier Briancon, France
Finish: Les Deux Alps

70 miles

5:48 riding time

12 mph average

10,612 ft elevation gain

Climbs: Lautaret (26K), Sareene (13K), Les 2 Alpes (9K) and descending Alpe d'Huez.

With our latest start time thus far, we were happy that we could get a little extra sleep with a 6am alarm. The daily routine didn't change from the last two days and we tried to eat as much as we could, prepared our gear, repacked our luggage and dropped off in the hotel lobby, prepared our post-race backpack and questioned how we would be able to ride another stage. Even at "only" 70 miles, we still had 10,000+ feet to climb. Although I didn't look at any of the time off times, Karel was really worried that he wouldn't make the times for this stage. The cut off times are pretty strict and while you can continue ride the next day if you don't make a cut off time, you aren't consider an official finisher unless you make all cut off times and complete every stage. Thus the less than 50% finisher rate. Additionally, there are some stages that if you don't make the cut off time, you can't continue on the route and you will be picked up by the "broom wagon." In looking back at this stage, we made the cut off times by around 50-minutes (factoring in rest-stop times) so it's not just physical fitness that is required for this event but also a lot of good luck (mechanics, crashes) and being strategic with your stops. 

The hardest part of each morning was the hour before the start of the stage. It was really hard to quiet the mind of worries, what ifs and soreness. It was such a battle to not go back to sleep as we woke up so exhausted. 

Around 7:36, we made our way to the start venue and lined up in the corral to begin stage 3. We only had 8.2K of neutralized riding and it was all on a gradual uphill. It was not an easy start to the stage but I found my legs responding really well from the first few pedal strokes. I felt like today was going to be a great day. As for Karel, his legs hurt from the first pedal stroke and he found it difficult to turn the pedals over. He got dropped from the group in the neutralized section and really struggled from the start. 

After looking at the stage for the day and the grades of the climb, I felt like this stage would suit me well. Once we reached the first timing section, I really worked hard to stay with the group that I was in (which was a big group of around 30 riders) and I worked really hard for the next 17 miles. I was feeling really competitive and really gave my best effort to the top of the climb. Once I reached the rest stop, my legs were super shaky like I had just done intense intervals for 80-minutes. We were also climbed up to 6000 feet so I'm sure the thin air didn't help. I thought Karel was also in the group but it was a few minutes later when he rolled up looking completely destroyed. Karel was having a really rough day. His muscles were extremely sore (even to touch), he felt broken inside and he was really tired. I felt really bad for him but he didn't want my day to be affected since I was feeling strong so he told me to go ahead and to give my best for both of us. 

I enjoyed the fast 12 mile descend before approaching the next time segment. I was looking forward to the Sareene segment as it also included some descending, which I was hopeful that that would help me move up in the overall rankings. I was sitting in 2nd age group (40-49) with no chance of catching first place who was leading the race (and ended up placing in the top 20 overall) and around 11th overall female. I thought maybe today I could get into the top 10. For the next 12 miles and almost 90 minutes, I climbed 3500 feet. The views were incredible and it only got better as I reached the town of Alpe d'Huez. Karel ended up passing me in the last climb so I was really happy that he was feeling better. It was a bit windy (and cool) at the top so we didn't spend much time at the feed station (~10 minutes). 

For the next ~9 miles, we enjoyed the 21 legendary switchbacks of Alpe d'Huez and felt like we were riding into history seeing the names of famous TdF riders painted on the ground. 

To finish the stage, "only" 14 miles to Les 2 Alpes. "Only" 3000+ feet of climbing left. 

I really dug deep and gave everything I had on this day. While I felt strong throughout the ride, I certainly had to battle some mental demons to keep fighting until the finish line. Once I reached the finish line, I was done. Like sit in a chair, I don't want to move I just want to fall asleep done. We spent an hour in the athlete village (including eating our post event meal) before finally making our way to our hotel. 

To be honest, Karel and I really struggled this evening. We were both exhausted, it was hard to communicate well and we were both extremely nervous about our "Queen" stage the next day. We took a short walk in the evening in the town to find some food (options were slim) and that helped a bit to move the legs but it was also exhausting to move the body. 

Lessons Learned 

Mentally this was my toughest stage. Physically this was my best stage. I really felt pressure for this stage as Karel wasn't having a good day and I also felt like I could move up in the overall standings - which I did not. Trying to keep everything in perspective - this opportunity, the experiences, the views, our health, etc. - I realized that something needed to change with my mindset for me to really make the most out of this experience. I recognized that I was giving my best and the "disappointment" that I felt was from the pressure that I felt from trying to achieve a certain outcome. I didn't need to change my execution as I was going to continue to give my best every day but by changing my mindset, I could enjoy the experience a lot more without feeling like I needed to prove something every day. It's like running in an Ironman - you could be running your best but then glance at your watch and see a time slower than what you think you should be running and even though you can't do any better in the moment, you feel like a failure. With us not even being half way through the event and approaching our biggest stage the next day, I was able to feel a bit less pressure when I woke up in the morning as I reminded myself that the only person I need to compete against is myself. 

2022 Haute Route Alps - post event reflection

 

It was 2019 when I came across a YouTube video discussing the Haute Route Alps. Despite not having the best bike handling skills, having little understanding of what it's like to cycle in the French Alps (besides watching the Tour de France) and training exclusively for long distance triathlons, I was captivated by this event and I knew it was something we had to experience. Somehow I sold Karel on the idea of combining our love of cycling and traveling to Europe and we registered for the 2020 event. Fast forward two years later, after living through a worlwide pandemic, the reality hit that we were finally checking this 7-day, 500-mile, 70,000+ feet elevation gain event off our bucket list. 

We knew this event would challenge us physically and mentally but we had no idea what we were truly in for when we registered for this 7-day event. Known as the toughest amateur cycling race in the world, for the past 10+ years, the Haute Route Alps combines top-notch services with legendary climbs for an unforgettable, life changing experience. Although our long distance triathlon training and racing provided us with great endurance and resiliency for this event and we became an official Haute Route finisher, we learned so much from this adventure and we would have done several things differently in the preparation and execution of this event. 

The distances, the elevation, the altitude, the time limits, the relentless climbs that go on for hours, the uncomfortable gradients, the long descends, the mental games, the weather, the effort, the tactics and the organization - every day we questioned how we would finish the upcoming stage. What was conceptualized as a bucket-list event, the Haute Route Alps has been etched in our minds and we will be forever changed because of this physical and mental test of discipline and endurance. 

While riding your bike all day is the main focus of this event, it's only one part of the challenge. Riding from one location to the next, locating your next hotel, unpacking and re-packing gear, charging gadgets, trying to find food in a country where you don't speak the language, struggling to sleep because your legs are throbbing, analyzing the next day's stage and statistics in fear of what's to come and waking up between 5:30-6:30am every morning to attempt to eat as much as your body can handle all catches up on the body.

The time cuts are strict, there are crashes and mechanicals, the weather is unpredictable, the climbs are gruelling and the descends are long. Sure, it's a race with a start and finish line. But there's no gaurantee that you will finish the entire event. To be counted in the official results, you must finish all seven stages - and meet all time cuts. You need great physical fitness and a lot of good luck. Everyday would wake up each morning nervous, anxious and fearful, wondering if it was physically possible to climb yet another 10,000 feet. 

Although there is a lot of suffering, strangely there is comfort knowing that you are not alone. Throughout the event, you find yourself riding the same people/groups and you begin to know one another one a first-name basis. Depending on the level of exhaustion of each rider, it's not uncommon to get to know personal details about your "teammates" while grinding at 40-50 rpms for 2+ hours. The sights of horses, goals, cows and sheeps brought us joy and the scenery reminded us how lucky we are to see this part of Europe on two wheels. With all kinds of mental and physical challenges to overcome each day, you form strong bonds with the other riders. Although there was plenty of competition on the course, it was a friendly and supportive environment. By the end of the week we made so many great friends. Even if we were from different parts of the world, the cycling language is universal. And with less than 35 women in the event, it was something special to be one of the females who completed the entire event. 

The Haute Route organization excels on route guidance and safety. There were arrow signs at every turn, vigilant course marshals giving us the right of way, well-stocked aid stations, regular updates on the app, daily briefings, newsletters, videos and photos and attention to every detail from the pre and post stage food, staffed feed stations, and daily massages.

The Mavic support, cheers from onlookers in each village, motorcycle escorts, SAG vehicles and supporitve staff made this event unlike anything else. Everyone involved made this event all about us - the riders - so that we could do what we love - ride our bikes. The stress-free accomodation package was worth every euro. The Haute Route took care of all of our accomodations so that all we had to do was show up to the next hotel. At least 90 minutes before every stage, we had breakfast available every morning in the restaurant of our hotel.  Our luggage was always waiting for us at every next hotel. And as the event went on, our hotels got cuter and cuter. My favorite lodging was our last hotel in Megeve (picture below). 

The race directors are exceptional at planning each route. I can't imagine the work that goes into planning this event for 400+ riders over 7 days. Having a race village in a new location every day was a reminder of the magnitude of this event. 

The distinctive kilmeter markers on the side of the road were helpful (yet often painful) notifications of the name, length and gradient of each climb. After accomplishing an iconic climb, we could cherish the challenge of reaching the summit - only to think ahead to the next climb. Seeing the names of riders synonymous with the Tour de France painted on the ground was a constant reminder that we were riding on legendary, historic climbs. It would be a feat to ride up one famous mountain road in a day yet we would conquer 2-3 bucket list climbs, day after day after day. The excitement and mystery of the views at the top of each climb kept us pedaling through exhaustion, shortness of breathe and soreness. 

Because the descents were fast and somewhat dangerous, they were not often timed. So when we reached the end of a timed section, we could stop and soak it all in. For a moment in time, we could relish in our accomplishment of what we conquered over the past 2+ hours and push aside the agony of what was about to come. We learned tactics throughout the event, like waiting for a group to form before the next timed section as a grupetto will get you to the next climb a lot faster than riding solo. 

The front of the Haute Route is a race - it's very competitive with very strong and skilled riders. At the back of the race you can find gritty riders hoping to finish a stage. In the middle are riders who are competitive, mostly against themselves. But no matter where you are in the field, you are bound to have good and bad days. No matter how hard you trained, you will struggle. You can't fake this event. The Haute Route knows how to find your weaknesses. You will have to dig really deep. You will question if your next pedal stroke will your last. Empty, sore and exhausted, you will have more moments of self-doubt than confidence. But despite the roller coaster of emotions felt within each kilometer, somehow you have to find a way to keep yourself moving. 

It's hard to grasp the absurdity of what we accomplished. Riding for 5-8 hours every day, covering no less than 10,000 feet of elevation on most stages. Attempting a time trial on day 5 with pitches over 18% that require all your strength to power up so that you don't fall over. Having no concept of the time of the day, how many miles ridden or how much elevation accumulated, the enormity of each stage is something we still can't seem to comprehend. It's going to take some time for this accomplishment to sink in. 

The only way to get through this event was to focus on one kilomenter at a time, one day at a time. This event taught me a lot about staying in the moment and removing pressure on expectations - two vital tools that are needed with long distance training and racing. 

Pressure. It's a word that most endurance athletes can relate to. Anytime you feel "pressure" to perform, it's more than likely that you perceive there are expectations placed on you. But the truth is that pressure is nothing more than a self-imposed, product of the imagination that we create for ourselves. 

With so much uncertainty as to how the body will perform in training or on race day, the best way to not feel pressure is to not create it in the first place. There's a big difference between what we believe we are capable of achieving versus what we think we must achieve. It's within this gap that the worry, stress, anxiety and doubts occurs. 

The Haute Route taught me so much about managing expectations. After getting dropped from group after group in the first stage, within the first 60 minutes of the ride, I was being taught a valuable lesson that in order for me to finish this event, I needed to race my own race. I constantly reminded myself that I don't have to be good at something that I've never done before. It was when I started to stay present in the moment and attack each climb with a more task-oriented, learning persepctive that I began to improve and to gain confidence in my abilities. Even though I had a lot of struggles during this event, I had my own set of internal motivators to keep me going.

The next time you find yourself drowning in negative self-talk or feeling a tremendous amount of pressure to perform, remind yourself that the training session or race outcome is not the most important thing in life. The pressure you feel is more than likely a fear of failure. Relax. Enjoy the training session. Enjoy the event. It's just another day in your life. 

Hincapie Gran Fondo '18 Event Recap

Shortly after moving to Greenville in May 2014, Karel and I went out for a ride to check out our new cycling routes. I came home with tears in my eyes "Karel, it's too hilly here. There's no way I'll ever be able to ride here!"

Little did I realize that Greenville was exactly what I needed during such a tough time in my life....I had just lost my dad to Cancer.

After a year of embracing the challenging terrain, I found myself getting stronger. My cycling skills improved and I was riding better than ever before. Most of all, my love of cycling grew incredibly strong and I found myself itching to be outside on my bike for it was the closest way that I could get to nature and enjoy all that Greenville had to offer us.....farm animals, mountains and lots and lots of climbing. Greenville provided us with bike-friendly roads and the bike became a safe, fun and healthy outlet for me to clear my thoughts, work through my emotions of losing my dad and to step (far) outside of my comfort zone. 

Source: Facebook 

George Hincapie has created something special with the Hincapie Gran Fondo. With your registration fee, you get a jersey (for the medio and gran distance), bottle of wine and an incredibly awesome event experience including chip timing, full-stocked SAG stops, bike support, well-marked roads (and climbs), great volunteer support and an amazing feast of food at Hotel Domestique (the start/finish of the event).

While the Gran distance (80 miles, 8100 feet of elevation gain) includes three of our toughest mountain climbs around our area, it's sure to make you feel accomplished when you get to the finish line. There are also two other distances (15 and 50) that are worth trying out as you still get lots of mountain views and a chase to surround yourself with many like-minded individuals.


As for the event itself, I lined up with my athletes (Reid, Meredith, Bryan and Diane.....Dana was a bit behind us) around 7:30am. We took turns going to the bathroom and dropping off our bags at bag check. The start of a cycling event is always a bit crazy so come 9am (after the professional rider shout-outs of Mark Cavendish, Sir Bradley Wiggins and Christian Vande Velde), it was nice to finally get rolling. The temperature was cool but not cold as it was in the upper 50's with a slight midst in the air. I wore an undershirt under my jersey and arm warmers, along with my cycling shorts.

With this being my 3rd consecutive time participating in this event, I knew that the first 10 miles would be really chaotic and my goal was to stay safe. Karel was not participating in the event this year but told me to give it my best effort to leave it all out there.

The first 10 miles were neutral, which meant that the riders on the front who were "racing" could not pass the lead vehicle. There's a lot of vehicle support on this course and it's very well-marked with volunteers all over the course. Although this event brings a lot of "racers" anyone can participate. Only those who choose to "race it" do so but everyone feels the same type of accomplishment at the finish.

After veering off Hwy 11, it wasn't too long later when I heard the sound that you never want to hear when riding in a group. It was a huge crash with the group that I was riding with (the main front group). Luckily, I was able to dodge the crash that occurred right in front of me as I was on the far left of the road (riders can take up both lanes on most of the roads. Although the course is not closed to traffic, only one car passed me over 80-miles). I managed to keep my eyes straight in front of me, instead of looking over at the crash, which allowed me to find room to move my bike to the grass. I am thankful to Karel who has helped me improve my cycling skills over many many years. I eventually jumped back on the pavement and never had to dismount my bike. I didn't look back as I knew that help would be on its way and with so many people tied up in the crash, there was nothing I could do to help. Hopefully everyone was ok. 

Although nothing is flat or easy with the 80-mile route, there are three major climbs. The first is Skyuka mountain which occurs around 24 miles into the 80-mile ride. At this point, I had only been riding about an hour and we had already covered ~1500 elevation gain. Group riding is very tough for me for it's a lot of accelerating and riding someone else's effort (everything that triathlon is not) but I enjoyed the challenge. I was also "racing it" from the gun with no real agenda on strategy but just giving my best and being strategic throughout the event to try to get to the finish as quick as I could. 

Once I started climbing Skyuka, I warmed up really quickly even though the air temp was dropping to the low 50's and it started to drizzle. The Skyuka climb took me 30 minutes and 22 seconds and I placed 5th out of 65 females on that climb (one of two timed climbs). It was a relief to get to the top, enjoy the view, top off my two water bottles and start the descend. While my heart was pumping hard throughout the climb, it only settled a little bit during the technical four-mile descend on wet roads. 

Less than four miles later, it's nearing time for the 2nd major climb of the Gran Fondo. And this climb is the nasty one. Howards Gap is probably the most difficult climb we have around where we live (well I think the 30% grade climb that Karel took me on once ties with this one) as it is two miles of straight road, averaging around 10%. I covered Howards Gap in 16 minutes and 43 seconds, my average speed was 6.9mph, cadence averaged 61 rpm, and it was a relief to get that climb behind me.

While the "main group" (with George and several other notable riders who were not technically racing but still racing from SAG stop to SAG stop) passed me up Skyuka, I went ahead at the top so I could get as far ahead as I could before getting caught again. At this point in the ride, I was feeling strong but certainly my legs were getting a bit tired. I managed to stay with small groups after Skyuka which was good for me to keep pushing a strong effort to keep up with the wheels in front of me.

The Green River Cove loop is one of my favorite routes. It's a little over 20 miles and has beautiful scenery that reminds me of the Lake Placid region. There's a lot of descending and climbing within the loop but you do get several miles of flat to settle into a rhythm. The feature of this route is the Green River Cove Switchback section that comes at the end of the loop and includes 17 (more like 20+ if you counted every single switchback) over 2.4 miles. While the switch backs break up the momentum, the sections between can be rather steep. It's a relief when that climb is complete as you know you are only about 15 miles away from the finish. 

In one of the very steep downhill switchbacks around 5.8 miles into the loop, I was caught by the main group and had a large group of guys around me (who had much better cycling skills than me). This switchback is incredibly steep as you are going downhill and it's a tight 90-degree right hand turn, followed by another sharp left turn. The road was wet and I was trying to ride as safe as I could. Perhaps I was squeezing on my brakes too hard but soon after those two switchbacks, my front tire exploded. It was a super loud pop and it was immediate to me that I had a flat.

My first reaction was sadness because I was having such a strong ride near the front of the race. I was then passed by lots and lots and lots of cyclists, as well as a few girls that I had managed to pass on Skuyka and Howard's Gap. But then I told myself that the longer I wait on the side of the road, the less chance I have to catch back up with the group at the upcoming SAG stop at the church. I changed the tire in less than 4 minutes and jumped back on my bike and thankfully, the group was still at the SAG stop. Just to be safe that I had enough pressure in my tire, I went over to the Boyd Cycling truck and asked for a pump. He pumped it up to 90-95 psi, put the wheel back on my bike and then BOOM. It flatted again. At this point, the tread was ruined and perhaps it was my fault that I pinched it when I was trying to change it or just bad luck but I was in need of a tire or wheel change. I noticed that the group was getting ready to leave so I asked for a wheel change. I received a new wheel, the mechanic adjusted my brake so the wheel would fit and then I thanked him greatly for saving my ride. Thankfully Boyd Cycling is in the area so I can exchange back this demo wheel for my wheel this week.

I managed to hang with a strong group of 4 guys to the start of the Green River climb when we got caught by the main group (more like swallowed). I tried to hang with the climbers but I only lasted about two switchbacks. It was fun suffering while it lasted. Mid-way of the climb, a girl (Austin) caught me and I remembered her from Skyuka (I passed her right at the top). She was riding super strong and we ended up finishing the last 15 miles in a group together. I could not match her strength on two wheels so she got me at the finish line but I was proud to give all I could all the way to the finish line. I completed the Green River Cove climb (timed) in 15:20 and placed 4th out of 46 females.

Despite an eventful event, I had a blast. I suffered, I finished exhausted, I took risks, I had fun and I felt grateful for all that my body allows me to do. Oh and the post event hot shower truck was amazing!

While life has been busy lately, it was nice to be able to escape the daily life stressors and enjoy a few hours on two wheels, on our amazing cycling playground, with 2500+ other people who love riding bikes.

Results: 

4:43.11 (chip time)

4:31.03 (Garmin time)

Place: 7th overall female

3rd AG (35-39)

61st overall (out of 526)