Time sure has been flying by lately. Unfortunately, little of it has been spent here on this hidden corner of the interweb. I have been making plenty of time for riding and running, I just haven’t had the motivation to publish it. 2011 came and went and it has been over 6 months since I last wrote. During that time, I ran another 1/2 marathon, rode in the Breckenridge 100 (loop-2), and checked out some outstanding micro-brews. With all the promises we make to ourselves during this time of year, I can’t think of a better time to turn things around in the e-world. This post starts with the longest and most difficult day I have ever spent on a bicycle in my entire life.
At the time, I was in Colorado on vacation with my wife and her family – July 2011. I knew my riding time would be minimal, so I had to take advantage of any opportunity I could to get out and see some of the finest single track in the Western United States. For some reason, I thought it would be a good idea to find an organized race somewhere in the high country that I could casually participate in. Given the circumstances of me currently living at sea level, I was nervous about the altitude, but I knew the views and scenery would be killer. The second loop (B-32) of the Breckenridge 100 looked perfect.
The Breckenridge 100 is a one hundred mile ultra-endurance mountain bike race that came to life in 2005.
The sprawling course is nestled between three ski resorts and features a distinct cloverleaf format of three loops that each begin and finish in Carter Park, adjacent to historic downtown Breckenridge. The race crosses the Continental Divide of the Americas three times, once at Wheeler Pass at an elevation over 12,400Â ft and twice at Boreas Pass at an elevation of 11,492Â ft. The course climbs a total of 13,719 feet, and includes backcountry trails, roads, double track, bike paths, and high mountain stream crossings. -Wikipedia.org
B-32 is a single loop portion of the Breckenridge 100 that includes nearly 35 miles of trail with a total elevation gain of over 5,000 feet (according to my Garmin Edge 305). It wasn’t the climbing I was worried about, but the lack of oxygen in the air at 11,000+ feet, where the course topped out on two separate occasions.
Above: The course map, which guides you out from town onto sections of the Colorado Trail.
Below: The elevation map of the course from my Garmin.
It was an early morning getting to Breckenridge in time for check-in. The B-32 folks had a later start time (10:00 am) versus the racers doing the full 100 mile course, however a two-hour drive ahead of us meant a more stressful morning, with my mind wondering whether or not we had left enough time to arrive, check-in, and get the prepped for the race. I was lucky enough to have my wife tag along and provide race support in the form of drinks, snacks, and photographs at several locations on the course where it crossed paths with city and/or county roads.
Above: B-32 course entry from a 30 year old. The race volunteer who tagged me saw that my birthday was the next day from my race application. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
Below: Doing my best to keep cancer away.
Above: Nearly ready to roll. Notice the bulge near the logo on my left leg from my Garmin Edge. I was riding an old steel hardtail with V-brakes which I’ve had since 1994. The bike currently lives in CO, so the choice was to ride it, or fly and deal with packing my 29lb Turner 5.5 Spot. The choice was easy! The hardtail (dubbed Death Star after its original name, North Star El Sol – a story for another time) has no Garmin mount, and I didn’t think to bring one. My right leg was packed with a few extra GU packs just in case.
Below: As the racers gathered for the start, you could see the ski slopes that outline the surrounding mountains of Breckenridge.
Above: This was the riders/racers in my age group. To keep things civilized, the start of the race was staggered based on your class, gender and age
Below: The race was originally planned to start in Carter Park, where all 3 loops begin and end. However, at the last minute, the course was changed slightly and the starting point of the B-32 was moved to the Stephen C. West Ice Arena. This venue provided much more parking and set-up space for the participants of the B-32. At this point in the day, the city streets surrounding Carter Park were jam packed from the racers who had an earlier start in the day (the racers of the full 100 & the B-68).
The pack headed out of the parking lot and onto a paved city road – Boreas Pass Rd. I knew I had to pace myself or I would never make it, but by how much was unknown to me. I quickly fell to the back of my group as my heart-rate began to rapidly climb. I have a tendency to start races with too much momentum, so I was completely at ease to let the heard of riders go by as we made our way up the steady gradual climb. At 9,800 feet, my pace which was normally casual for me, had a scary sense of intensity to it. As I began to fall back from my group, the next segment of riders began to catch me, the 40-49 year olds. Before I knew it, I was being passed by 20-29 year old females who had started at least 12 minutes after me. I kept my head up and continued on with my pace.
Above: The camera has a tendency to flatten hills. This is one of the first long climbs on the course. A running stream made for a peaceful ascend.
Below: The racers were spoiled throughout the day with views like this. The single track was quite narrow here with a hill on the left side. This wasn’t a good spot to take in the scenery.
Above: The top of the first climb sent me to the highest point I had ever pedaled my bike. The ride down was fast, fun and flowy! (you can click on this photo for a slightly larger view)
Below: At the bottom of the first climb was an aid station stocked with drinks and eats. The course aid was outstanding at the Breckenridge 100!
Above/Below: Shortly after that first stop, I was greeted by my own race support. It was great to have someone cheering me on!
With the first of two big climbs out of the way, I was feeling good. My pace was slow, but it was steady. I wasn’t out for the race, I was out for the ride. Early on in the next big climb, my energy, both physical and mental took a hit. Nearly half way up the climb, I was beginning to lust after the finish line. Unfortunately I wasn’t even close. I was off the bike for lengthy times walking due to the steepness of the trail. Even with a 20 tooth Granny Ring, my heart rate was pegged at a level I couldn’t sustain. It wasn’t the steepest trail I had ever ridden, probably not even close, but riding at 10,000+ feet threw a new element into the mixture that I had never dealt with. Nothing gets you down like having to push your bike for the majority of a climb. The reward came about 4 miles later in the form of the most beautiful single track I have ever ridden. The expansive views were literally breathtaking.
Above:Â Click on photo for slightly larger view.
Above: At the bottom of the second big climb, I met up with my crew. At this point in the race, the 2 big climbs were done and I was less than 10 miles from the finish. I was also beat. I had very little energy left; so little I didn’t even feel like eating.
Below:Â Heading off to finish the last 8 miles or so.
Above: 2 paramedics were dispatched to rescue a fallen rider who had broken a collarbone. I remember passing him while he was sitting on the ground – there wasn’t anything anybody could really do for him but say a few positive words as he sat and waited in pain.
Below: Here is me crossing the finish line 6+ hours after the start of the race. The course finished with another mild climb that bonked me into an hour long hike-a-bike up a steady fire road full of loose rocks. This climb was more of a mental struggle than anything else. My Sidi shoes took a beating so badly that screws fell out from the bottom of the soles.
The descent down into Carter Park for the finish was a huge relief. I felt like I had been riding since the previous day. I had ridden 35 miles in a day before no problem, but not at this elevation. The difference between 1,000 and 11,ooo feet is significant. The post race party was great – live music and a huge spread of food and beer for the cost of a cheap meal ticket.
All in all it was an epic day that took me on the longest and hardest ride of my life. I was glad I took the time to get off my bike and take some pictures and soak in the great views. This year, the race is on July 14th, for some odd reason, I’m already thinking about going back for another beat down Breckenridge Style – stay tuned.