The 'Epic' Leadville Trail 100

This year's Leadville Trail 100 race was epic to say the least. It started off with breaking my bike two weeks prior and needing to find a loaner for the race. I had posted a message on Facebook about my demise and a wonderful person named Laurel Darren Simmons had responded that I could borrow her bike. It was such a kind thing for her to do as it was her race bike for her upcoming Barnburner race. When I return to Phoenix after my Laramie trip, I had picked up the bike and got it dialed in with the help of my bike fitting guru husband Aaron, and the mechanic support of Shade Tree Bicycles.

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A week before Leadville, we headed up to Colorado to get some altitude and visit Aaron's brother Evan. This story gets really good about now as while we were driving my friend Debra called me to check in.  She had just come back from a super awesome vacation in Tahiti and did not know about my broken bike. When I told her about the story she could not believe it she was aghast. "You need a really fast race bike Melissa!" she said, "This is such a big race and you trained so hard." "I know Debra, but I am fine. I have a great bike that I am borrowing." After we hung up, her husband Jeff called and had the same reaction about my bike and was trying hard to figure out how I could borrow his bike that he used for Cape Epic, which is a huge upgrade from my own bike!  I told him I was already headed to Colorado and didn't know anyone headed  to Crested Butte to deliver it to me. I would to at least train on it during the week - so I didn't think there was a way to get his bike and I would be just fine.

Throughout the drive up to Crested Butte, we texted on and off and finally Debra sent me a text that said "Jeff said he will fly his bike to you." I was speechless. I did not know what to say and a tear did rolled down my cheek. It was above and beyond what I expected. "Okay," I said, "if he really wants to." Jeff was already on top of checking the weather and figuring out which airport he was flying to which happened to be Gunnison. And just like that,  Jeff flew in the next day on his plane with his friend/co pilot Shawn, and they delivered this beautiful orange Specialized Epic with every bell and whistle you can imagine. He showed me how to take off the wheel, adjust the shocks, and other things about the bike and then he turned around and flew right back to Phoenix! Just like that. It was like Bike Superman had flown into help me with my race.

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That week we got the bike dialed in with making sure everything was running smoothly and even had the local bike shop help us re-cable the bike to make sure the shifting would be as perfect as possible and I installed the race tires on Thursday before the race. This bike was going to give me wings! 

Last year Leadville was a very emotional race for me as it was a way for me to grieve and connect with my friend Gianna, who had passed away from cancer. Leadville was her favorite race as it was her last race before her second cancer diagnosis. They say in this race that you will have to dig deep, deep into a well inside of yourself and when that well seems dry, you will have to dig further and deeper to make it through the race. This type of perseverance is not even close to what people have to deal with when they have hardships in life such as cancer. So, I stuck her sticker that was a "G" with wings on top of my bike stem so anytime I would complain to myself on how hard it was or lose focus of why I was there, I would be reminded of her and dig deeper. 

I knew going into Leadville that my fitness was rock solid and really great since I had done Cape Epic this year. Plus the altitude did not seem to affect me as bad so I thought a good goal for me was to do the race in 8 hours and 30 minutes, win my age group, and finish in the top 10 women overall. I didn't quite make that but you have to set high goals for yourself. That is the motto I have as a coach and a human that if you strive for something high, you will at least reach something exceptional even if you don't hit your goal.

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The race started off awesome. I was in the Gold Corral because of my professional status and it was really cool standing next to some of the top pros in the world. I did not put my bike at the very front of the start line like last year as I wanted to make sure I did not go out too hard and try to keep up with people like Todd Wells. Last year, I got to the first climb and felt like I was hyperventilating. This time I was so much more relaxed as I had worn my buff from Cape Epic to keep the dust out of my nose and lungs.  I had put a tiny amount of peppermint oil on it too, as the smell of peppermint was calming to me. It also seemed to remind me of the smell of being in Africa.

I  moved along for the first big climb and didn't seem to get passed by many people, whereas last year it seemed like everybody was passing me. This time I felt in control and my legs were strong, and of course... I was riding a really great climbing bike! I had decided not to carry a pack this year to save my back so I only had bottles and luckily the bike Jeff let me borrow could carry two bottles on the frame. This left all of my pockets open to food. After about 45 minutes, I started eating and immediately noticed that it was harder to swallow at such high altitude.

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We reach the top of Powerline and were headed down when I knew I was really close to not hitting my time split for this 8:30 finish. I had to stay focused and I knew it was going to be hard. I made sure to drink my bottle and eat something before we headed through the feed zone. As I was inspired by 4 time winner, Rebecca Rush's book, "Rush to Glory" on how she used feed bags to speed up her time through the feed zones, I had my sister Marie (when she came to visit last month) sew up feed bags for us! These were bright orange and I screened our Potential Energy Training and Nutrition logo on it. I also made t-shirts for my feeders that were bright red so I could easily see them. The feed areas are so crowded with people it is easy to miss your feeder. My friend Michele Zoerb and Jennifer Hanson's brother Robert, were at the pipeline feed zone ready to hand me my bag. It went smoothly (as we had practiced!). I grab the bag, threw out my bottle, restocked water and food, threw the bag and kept moving. I was less than 10 minutes off of my split which still set me up for a sub 9 hour race however I still had to keep on top of it.

My amazing feeders, Michele and Robert!

My amazing feeders, Michele and Robert!

I felt pretty good through the next section as I headed to Twin Lakes and grabbed onto a few trains of people to draft and even set the pace at the front a few times. When I got to Twin Lakes I decided I just needed a bottle so I grabbed a bottle from Aaron and kept riding up as the next section would be the challenge as we were climbing Columbine, over 12,000 feet high! 

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I got into the groove, kept my pace steady but I did notice my energy level had dropped probably because I was going up in altitude and needing more calories. I took some gels for some quick energy and just stayed steady.

On the way up Columbine, a woman caught up with me and asked if I had some water to give her as she had no bottles on her bike.  I assumed she probably lost her bottle. I gave her one of my bottles because I had two full bottles.

Part of the fun of climbing Columbine is watching the pros come down. They fly!! This time there was a big gap between groups of guys and within the first 10 people was a chic named Annika Langvad who happened was the women's winner of the Cape Epic this year. She was incredible and just glorious! Annika ended up setting a course record of 6:58!!.

Once we got past the treeline, Leadville founder, Ken Clover was cheering as we climbed through the rocky loose gravel. This is where people usually start walking as it's loose and steep and you can barely breathe being above 11,000 feet. This time I was able to ride almost everything to the top, having to stop just once for a short steep section and being caught behind a few walkers. Ken yelled at me, "You're embarrassing the boys!" 

When I finally got to the top of Columbine, 12,400ft, I for some reason was an emotional wreck. I felt kind of nauseous, felt like crying, and just needed something so I stopped at the feed zone to fill my bottle. None other than Laurel Darren Simmons was there! She gave me a hug, filled my bottle, got me some watermelon and cheered me on my way. I really just needed the hug at that moment.

Coming down was great as you know you are over halfway there so it kind of feels like the home stretch in a weird way. I saw a lot of people I knew who were climbing up and tried to cheer for them however I didn't have much energy for talking at the time. As I was flying down the road, a few riders walked into the road, waving us to slow down as a rider had crashed and was lying on the side of the road. I looked over and it happened to be the lady I had given my water bottle to. She had help already so I did not stop but I felt a lot of empathy for her knowing that it was her first time doing Leadville and it did appear she probably broke something. At that moment I recalled an email someone had sent to me that said, "Good luck but be safe."

I still felt pretty horrible when I got to Twin Lakes and really needed a coke. I had left a note for Aaron to put coke into my bottles so he was ready. I stopped and Aaron and Carl changed out my bottles on my bike,  got me more food and shoved some Gu chomps  into my mouth.

It took a few minutes but the coke did kick in and I started to get more energy. I rode with a few groups on the flat section back to Pipeline however I would sometimes be geared out or get gapped off. I think that was partially my mental state. I would often look at my wrist that had special horsehair bracelets Shelby had made for Debra and I when we did Cape Epic. The bracelets (one which was Deb's) reminded me of Debra and how she was always there for me when I was hitting a wall in the race. I knew she was not there right then, but she was definitely at home following me on her computer and I imagined her voice cheering me.

For awhile I rode with Richard la China who is also a coach from San Diego. Richard helped keep me motivated by telling me to "focus on the prize". We knew we were so close to the sub 9 split so we had to stay as consistent as possible. We came through Pipeline and I chugged more coke, got more water food and kept going. By the time I reached Powerline climb I suddenly had a second wind and began climbing like no one's business. This climb is known for people walking a lot as it is so steep and there's lots of ruts and your legs are really tired because you are at 75 miles.

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I passed a lot of people on this section and made up a lot of ground. I caught everybody who had passed me from Twin Lakes to Pipeline. However, when I crested Powerline and had a long descent, I was passed again by some of these people.

The last 10 miles of the race were very hard as it always is because you are so close yet it seems like time slows down. I kept feeding myself gels just to keep some energy in and still kept climbing really well. On the last section, before the road into town, my old teammate from Kenda, Denise Ramsden passed me and pointed to her wheel. I didn't know if she recognized me because I hadn't seen her in years but I grabbed her wheel and started working with her thinking that maybe just maybe there might be a shot at a sub 9. I had a lot of doubt. There was a section where she pulled away from me as I was kind of geared out and I just didn't have the power.

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We still had a long gravel section into town which again feels like forever and it wasn't until part way into the gravel section that I suddenly felt like I had a lot of power!  I had decided I really did want to finish strong no matter that I was not going to get a sub 9. I had to at least try my best and try to do well in my category which I was realizing that she was in my category, and I had to beat her. So I motored along and because it was my second year doing the race I knew what to expect so the road did not psych me out. In fact it made me stronger and as I came into town, I finished as hard as I could because I wanted to beat my time from last year (as I saw the clock ticking and it was very close to that time).

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I barely beat my time from last year by only 1 second (9:11:58) but I was happy to just be done with the race and get off my bike. I took third in my category however I was okay with it because this year there was a lot of fast women who showed up and I was pretty happy the more women were representing. If you would have asked me immediately after the race if I wanted to do it again, I would rolled my eyes and said no! But if you ask me now, I would say yes - because I know I can get that sub 9! I know I can get a sub 8:30! AND I realize that sometimes it takes longer than we expect to reach these goals but with time it can happen.


Again, thanks to many people for the help!  Couldn't have done it without the support from Jeff Doss and Debra Doss, loaning me (flying me) a super fast bike to use since mine broke a couple of weeks ago. You guys are amazing and have such a big heart! Also thank you to Laurel Darren-Simmons for her help with the bike and support on top of Columbine when I was needing some emotional encouragement. Thank you to Shadetree Bikes for pre race mechanic support. Your shop is awesome! Also I had amazing feeders Aaron, Michele Zoerb and Robert and Carl! The Hanson Family (Jason, Jennifer & Shelby) who are always inspiring me to try these crazy endurance events! And last but not least - my husband Aaron - you are always supporting me beyond recognition and just simply rocking my world! :)

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Revival at the Laramie Enduro 111K

With Leadville fast approaching, I took a week for some high altitude acclimation including a backpacking trip above 10,000ft and competing in the Laramie Enduro 111K. I attended the University of Wyomin in Laramie and have family and friends that live there so my week was very productive for both family time and training!

This is my mom.  It was beautiful camping next to some glaciers at the base of North Gap Lake.

This is my mom.  It was beautiful camping next to some glaciers at the base of North Gap Lake.

 

When I arrived in Laramie a week from Friday, I immediately packed a backpack and took off for the Snowies with my parents, sister Marie and 2 brothers Mark and Matt. We hiked about 3 or so miles the first night and spent the night above 10,000ft. The next couple of days were filled fishing in beautiful glacier lakes and more hiking up to 11,000ft!  

North Gap Lake where we ate fish for breakfast lunch and dinner!

North Gap Lake where we ate fish for breakfast lunch and dinner!

After the hike, we returned back to town. It was so refreshing to have several days of no phone so you could just enjoy nature and not have the constant facebook and email distractions.  

On Tuesday I took my siblings Matt (who I had twisted his arm into doing the Laramie Enduro), Marie 16, and Morgan 13 (with his brand new bike from the Pedal House) to the Laramie Mountain Bike Series. This is a weekly Tuesday race that even pro Georgia Gould of team Luna Chix made an appearance at! She of course raced the guys because she is freaking awesome! My race went well as I didn't feel the effects of altitude too much and started working my way up the field. I was coming down 'Death Crotch' when a guy behind me started acting like a total dick as he was saying how much faster he was (funny, he had 2 chics ahead of him!). I started getting totally annoyed by his rudeness so I didn't let him by as we were on an unsafe area for passing. He decided to pass anyhow by cutting a corner on a switch back and took himself out! As he lay their I yelled, 'Dude, watch out!'.

Laramie Mtn bike series was a great way to get my family on bikes! Though I had the misfortune of my bike breaking, it was awesome to see how much fun they had. My brother Morgan took 2nd in juniors and sis Marie took 6th in beginner women!

Laramie Mtn bike series was a great way to get my family on bikes! Though I had the misfortune of my bike breaking, it was awesome to see how much fun they had. My brother Morgan took 2nd in juniors and sis Marie took 6th in beginner women!

Race was super fun but as I sped through the aspens with literally 50 ft from the finish, my bar caught a tree and I was thrown from my bike. I landed on my side, taking the wind out of me. I got up and pedaled to the finish, taking 3rd. After a look at my bike I noticed a crack in the top tube. My eyes started to well up with tears. I was pissed at myself. My bike was trash. I had the enduro that weekend and Leadville in 2 weeks and now had to find plan b.  My body seemed ok yet I think I may have either thrown out or bruised or cracked a rib. Not sure but my mind was more concerned about the bike.

Lucky me for having friends in Laramie! Evan O'toole offered his wife's bike but I ended up borrowing my friend Carrie's bike. She had a Titus Motolite 26in. With some decent wheels and components! Plus her husband Carl did a tuneup before I took it so it was looking great for the enduro. I pretty much put my saddle on and adjusted the seat height and was ready! I wasn't going to be anal about my fit or let the different bike affect my mental state for this race. I had to pick myself up, stop the pouting and be focused!!

My friend Carrie lent me her bike that I called 'Sonny'.

My friend Carrie lent me her bike that I called 'Sonny'.

Sonny the Stallion!

Sonny the Stallion!

So, the Enduro went quite well. I felt great on my new borrowed  bike I called 'Sonny' after my favorite black stallion I have been riding to the Salt River. No flats, no mechanicals or crashes. I seemed to pace myself better than the previous year and also was eating alot better and keeping my aid stops quick. My family was there at the aid stations so I would come in, ask for a bottle, chug a little coke and quickly keep going.  I was sitting in 2nd for most of the race and trying to catch 1st. 

At about mile 55 or so the cramping started to kick in. I think I probably needed more electrolytes than planned due to the heat and all of the technical riding was probably just fatiguing the legs. I kept telling myself to relax and breathe deep so the cramping would subside. I'd also take a honey gel to help. At mile 62 it was the home stretch but all up technical trail. I would hop off and push the bike on some sections so my legs wouldn't seize up. Finally it was down to the finish. It was great to be done! My friend Carrie was keeping score so I did a wheelie for her as I crossed the line! I had finished 2nd overall in the women!

 

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My brother Matt who had just gotten into mountain biking and this being his first race was still out there. I knew it would be very challenging but had no doubt he could push through! I had given my brother an 8 week training plan to get ready as part of the deal for him racing. He came through and was totally thrashed. I don't think he wanted to see his bike for weeks!! He probably thought I was pretty evil too! But you know, the mind is funny and somehow makes us forget all the suffering so we end up craving another big challenge! 

Now that I am home, I have received the incredible kindness from people including Laurel Darren Simmons who is letting me borrow her bike for Leadville. Joey from Shade Tree Bikes also helped me get it set up  and race ready! THANK YOU!! Aaron is also dialing in my fit. I will have some time to get used to it so I'm not worried. And of course my amazing massage therapist, Don Wong and chiro, Eric Marcotte have helped my body recover! Thank you all!!

Plan B isn't always ideal but the bright side is it's teaching me to be a little more resilient and giving me the opportunity to enjoy testing different bikes in serious race conditions! I am still figuring out a horse name for this bike (it's white) but I'll let you know what I come up with in my next blog! Here we come Leadville!! 

 

 

 

 

Recovery and New Opportunity on the Horizon

It has been awhile since I last updated you on my cycling adventures.  After Cape Epic I returned home to recover and just after was hit by a bug and sinus infection that left me sick for another couple of weeks.  It isn't uncommon for athletes returning from a high-stress competition to have a lower immune system so I think it was my bodies way of saying "hey, you need more rest than you think!".  So, instead of traveling to the Sea Otter Classic or doing any competitions, I rested and slowly eased back into riding more again.

Cape Epic was such a huge event in my life.  Not only was it very torturous at times and taught me how to lean on other people (like Debra) at my weakest moments, it also gave me some real time to be in the moment and helped me to figure out what I wanted to do with my life.  Hey, I'm almost 30 - even though I like to believe I am still 20.  I saw people at the race who were not cyclists, they were actually just regular people who have had successes in other sports or business who wanted to take on a huge challenge and see if it was possible to complete!  To me, that's pretty inspiring and awesome that someone would keep their mind open to new and different opportunities. I hope I can continue doing that through my life too!

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After I returned home, our family suddenly grew!  No, I am not pregnant.  We adopted Buddy (Junior) who is our other pup's (Scotch) brother from the ranch!  He was night and day to Scotch, although with the same border collie instincts.  Buddy was very shy and a little anxious about his new surroundings as he moved from a ranch to the city. He had to learn how to go up and down the stairs, use a dog door and get used to a new life.  Scotch and Buddy became pals and we fell in love with him. Soon, only 2 weeks later, we also adopted a kitty cat we named Pippo (after the Italian bicycle racer Pippo Pozzato)! These guys entertain me all day!

In May I also finished one of my biggest art projects of my life - a series of 3 Paintings for cyclist's  Peter Smith, bike hallway.  It started with the middle piece "Victory", then the painting to the right, "Team" and finished…

In May I also finished one of my biggest art projects of my life - a series of 3 Paintings for cyclist's  Peter Smith, bike hallway.  It started with the middle piece "Victory", then the painting to the right, "Team" and finished with the painting on the left, "Speed". Each painting is oil on canvas. This was like a dream for me, to see a bike hallway transform into what looks like an art gallery! You can see more of my art and commissioned pieces on my site: www.bikeartbymelissa.com!

Then in May, my friend Tricia twisted my arm into doing an Xterra. This is the 'off road' version of a triathlon with an open water swim, mountain bike ride, and trail run.  I had never done anything like that before and the thought of running made my legs hurt!  Plus I only had 2 weeks until the event to try to get my legs used to running enough to survive a 5 mile run!  I also had not swam since high school nor had done any open water swimming.  I was on the swim team for a little bit in middle school and was a lifeguard for several years but was never that great at it. As a kid I feared the lurky dark water below so getting into a lake was pushing through some of my fears.  Anyhow, the triathlon was fun as it turned into a girls camping trip and I was able to not take the race so seriously since I was a newbie.  I was the goof who put the wet-suit on the wrong way (inside out, backwards!), wore the wrong swim cap, forgot how old I was, and was screaming when I got into the cold water before we started the swim.  I panicked early on as I seemed to fall to the back and the buoy seemed so far away.  I had to stop several times to catch my breath and finally calm myself down so I could just get into a rhythm and take it one stroke at a time. 800 meters was the farthest I had ever swam in my life! 

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I actually only came out a few minutes behind everyone, figured out how to get that wet suit off, and was able to pass a lot of people on the bike and keep my running pretty steady.  The run was very hard as my legs just simply hurt and I was trying to be careful about breathing and not injuring myself. I would walk the steep sections and had to stop for a side cramp too. However,  I ended up winning my age category, finishing 9th overall and qualifying for Nationals!  Pretty much most of the women's field who came qualified but we had a good time nonetheless. National Xterra is in September in Ogden, Utah, so I'll have plenty of time to run following the Leadville in August. If I do well there, a trip to Maui might be on the horizon for November!!

Me, Tricia Davis, and Jennifer Hanson are so happy we made it through our Xterra and qualified for Nationals in Ogden, UT in September!!

Me, Tricia Davis, and Jennifer Hanson are so happy we made it through our Xterra and qualified for Nationals in Ogden, UT in September!!

During that time, I also gave my notice to my longtime coach, mentor, and employer Frank Overton at FasCat Coaching.  FasCat was really where I started as a cyclist.  I had a few cycling coaches before, that didn't go too well and then was introduced to Frank and that's when my doors had opened up to my European racing, my time on the NRC an USA Crits with Team Kenda, New England cyclocross racing, to all of my moves from Wyoming to Boston, and Boston to Phoenix.  He somehow knew how to push me past my perceived limits and help me through my emotional times. Two years ago, I was given the opportunity to coach full time for him and work remotely from home. I have had the opportunity to coach so many wonderful people - many who have inspired me in my own cycling endevours! I have had so many opportunities arise from this experience so I am truly grateful for everything that Frank and Fascat has done for me since 2008.  So Frank, if you read this - thank you!

Now that I am training for Leadville, I get the chance to explore more of beautiful Arizona! If you have never been here, this state is so diverse with incredible views on every corner!

Now that I am training for Leadville, I get the chance to explore more of beautiful Arizona! If you have never been here, this state is so diverse with incredible views on every corner!

A new door opened for me with the opportunity to partner with Julie Cornelius, MS a nutrition specialist, and Tricia Davis, PT, a wellness, injury prevention, fitness, and cycling & triathlon specialist.  We all were kind of frustrated watching people we love (who aren't cyclists) work their butts off in their careers while their health has taken a plunge.  We see a growing trend in people, especially baby boomers  who work their life off to provide for their family and have a good retirement - but when they reach that point, they spend retirement at the doctors office and all the while their kids have to stress about their health. We see a growing trend in people who want to do something about changing their lifestyle, yet are confused about all the info that is out there on the web on health and nutrition, so we decided to create something for them.  Something that would give them a plan, hold them accountable, and be a more affordable option for having success in their health, fitness, and weight loss goals!  I have seen athletes who train hard, yet can't drop the weight because of their nutrition. I have seen people start a nutrition plan, lose some weight, stop the plan, and gain it all back. I have seen people start fitness programs, overdo it and cause an injury that sets them even further back! There are so many layers when it comes to health and even performance. That's why I am excited that Tricia, Julie and I are combining forces through our new company, Potential Energy Training & Nutrition to make a dent in people becoming healthier, active, and reaching their goals!

I love to cook!  And now with our new company, Potential Energy Training & Nutrition, we can share our favorite healthy recipes on our blog! This is baked eggs with mushrooms, greens, and goat cheese! Yum!

I love to cook!  And now with our new company, Potential Energy Training & Nutrition, we can share our favorite healthy recipes on our blog! This is baked eggs with mushrooms, greens, and goat cheese! Yum!

I like to have fun but I also take what I do in life very seriously. I recently lost a cousin to this health dilemma that many people find themselves trapped in. He was only in his 40's, had diabetes and did not take care of his nutrition.  Would he have taken help if it was offered to him - I don't really know that answer.  But I do know that there are a lot of people out there who want help and that's why I am on a mission to help others, and inspire people to get out of their slump so hopefully, they can enjoy some amazing adventures too. Why should we wait until our health becomes a life threatening condition to take action?  Why not do something now - so we can enjoy living NOW, enjoy having hobbies and spending time with our family NOW.  We aren't going to be around forever so why not LIVE?!

Sweat, Tears, Grit & Determination - Finishing the 2015 Absa Cape Epic

8 days of adventure, wonder, beauty, pain, tears, fierce determination and finishing the hardest most grueling event of a lifetime...Absa Cape Epic. 

It didn’t take but a day or two to figure out that the race was not at all a watered down version of it’s reputation of being the ‘untamed African mountain bike race’ or the hardest mountain bike stage races in the world.  Being ‘epic’ and grueling sounds romantic and enticing to the adventurer but once you get into the live moments, lasting for hours upon hours, you realize that this thing is for real.  There are no words or accounts of mine that can really put into perspective what we went through as it was more than just physical, it was hugely emotional and mental…and more than I have ever in my life – I had to dig deeper inside myself to the depts of my being to find that spark that would keep me pushing through, one pedal stroke at a time, one aid station at a time, and take each day as it came.


Debra and I started preparing for Cape Epic in September.  Of course we like all newbies coming into this race were a little naive and romanticized about it.  I looked at the challenge as something awesome to dream about and also was very excited to create both Debra and myself’s training plan leading up to the event.  The months that followed were full of many long hours on the bike and we tried to take every opportunity to ride together as we knew a huge important aspect of being successful in this race was working as a team. 

Finally, the day came and we began our most epic journey together.  The prologue started March 15th on Table Mountain.   With this being the first year of having equal pay-out to the women, the women’s participation more than doubled from the previous year and there were 23 women’s teams starting including 12 UCI professional teams.  Debra and I were the 4th team to go off for the prologue that took place on one of the wonders of the world.  We rode very conservative and ended up moving to the very front within the first 10 minutes of the race as helicopters flew overhead and were recording our race live on international television!  The euphoria was amazing!  We were passed by the top UCI teams but right at the best moment as they were going head to head to get to the top of the mountain so we had more helicopter coverage than we could have ever imagined and were feeling like celebrities!!  Our finish put us in the top 15 which we stayed very consistent with through most of the week.


After the Prologue, we were bused to Elgin where we stayed on a vineyard for 3 nights.  The first day that we raced we had so much excitement that we were in great spirits and rode in sync.  Debra had been getting over a cold that she’d gotten from the plane travel here, so she had some challenges dealing with congestion, but we took advantage of the buff’s that were given to us to cover our faces and keep out the dirt. 

The ride took us to the top of a mountain pass that looked like the Isle of Man with breathtaking beauty.  The wifi company that sponsored the race set up a huge screen at the top with a live skype feed to a UCI world XC champion, Rob Warner, who was in the UK and giving everyone encouragement and reading bits from family and friends that had been submitted for the riders.  Not long after, we came through some misty fog and soon it began to rain.  We were warm though and our gear seemed to be working just fine.  It became hard to see at times as the glasses had been covered in dust and then water and were now a coat of mud.  However the Oakley sponsor set up a glasses cleaning station at every aid stop so you could get them cleaned and see again! That day was long but we were excited about the adventure and how things had gone for us.

Day 3: Stage 2 was supposed to be the most climbing day however later in the week we found out (and I believe the promoters did too) that it actually wasn’t.  This day started off with rain that soon stopped as fierce winds came and blew away the rain clouds.  These winds were so strong, we were crawling from the start through some fields to make it to the hills in hopes for some cover.  Once I was nearly blown off my bike and had to unclip as I hit a mound on the side of the dirt road.  We finally made it to the trees where the climbing began.  Debra wasn’t feeling it right off the bat so I would climb ahead and stop to wait.  “I’m not feeling as good as you today.” She would say.  I would ease up as much as I could but for some reason I just wasn’t in sync .  The climbs were steep and long and with a large group of riders it was hard sometimes to go any faster or pass people. It was about halfway through this day that I started feeling more fatigue and when that happened, Deb switched gears and started pulling me along. “Your doing great girl!” she would say as I trudged along and she would stay strong. This day provided a lot of climbing but also presented some fun singletrack and amazing views that made it seem like we were going through several continents in one day!

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Day 4: Stage 3 was our longest route as we moved to Worcester. 80 miles (9 hours on the bike) and still plenty of climbing. I woke up feeling not so great with congestion and many allergy symptoms. South Africa is known to have the most diverse plant species in the world so this isn’t surprising my body was not coping well! Plus with all the dust we were breathing – everyone was hacking up a lung along the course! This day started off with some incredible views as we rolled through beautiful countryside. I took some mental images as I wanted to use these images as inspiration for my paintings. We had some fast rolling hills, dirt roads, climbs through orchards, up a road, and more climbing. The mornings were always the most pleasant for me as I always felt fresh and the wind tended to be a slight breeze however once it hit mid-day and we had been out for over 5 hours, my body started feeling fatigue (especially my upper body from all the descending). At mid-day, that’s when the wind started to kick up and create some challenges.  This day was very tough for us as it became hot, windy, dusty and relentless.  The watermelon and coke at the aid stations provided some much needed refreshment for my parched mouth. We tracked on and the trail turned into a 2K sand pit that we pushed our bikes through.  Every day we were riding around the same group of riders from all over the world so we really got to know one another.  The walking sections or climbs were where we’d all converse.  The South African’s were so nice and would always say, “Great job ladies!” or “Great job Arizona!” and if it were a very tough section like pushing our bikes through sand, they would say, “Welcome to South Africa!!” The announcers would call the sand “taking a ride to the beach!” After the sand, the ride continued on mostly dirt roads but what always seemed like we were riding into a headwind.  We teamed up with some other riders to pace-line as much as we could to conserve some energy.  That day we finished in over 9 hours and were so tired I think we both were nearly in tears.  I know I was when I phoned my husband Aaron.  “Just hang in there, you’re doing great,” he’d say.

Day 5: Stage 4 we were in Worcester! This was basically a campus field that we were staying on.  Whenever we moved to a new location it was sometimes hard finding things in the athlete village.  The eating place was in a different location, massage, but once we figured our surroundings out it was ok. Every morning at about 5:20am we were awaken by the Scottish bagpipes that marched through every aisle of the tent city.  I stopped setting my own alarm.  Once you awoke, time just flew.  It was off to stuff yourself for breakfast with croissants, butter (I put butter on everything!), coffee, oatmeal, eggs, toast, sausage, yoghurt, and fruit. Yes, we ate all of that and more!  Then you were off to filling your bottles, grabbing your bike from the bike park (making sure tires and everything was good), lubing your chain and running back to the tent to quickly change into your kit, sunscreen, and off to the start!  It went by so fast it seemed like most days we were at the back of our corral. Our home had become Corral ‘F’. This day was a pretty cool day as we were riding through a preserve with the chance to catch a glimpse of some real African wildlife and even the big 5!  Early into the ride, I had a low tire in the rear but was able to top it off with some air and was fine for the rest of the day.  We climbed a lot, just like every day of the Cape Epic and soon were flying through the conservation area.  I caught a glimpse of some antelope and even a group of wildebeest.  It was tough to look around as we were going kind of fast so I still had to pay attention to where I was going.  Some riders saw elephants and even a rider had put his bike against a fence and a lion ended up grabbing his handlebars through the fence!  Of course this photo became a HUGE hit on facebook!!  There were always wild stories from everyone on every day of the Cape Epic!  This day was especially good for Debra and myself as we had some new energy, both were feeling a little better health wise and were just in sync.  We were climbing up hills people were walking and riding downhill passing ‘chicing’ a lot of guys which of course boosted our esteem and made the ride very fun.  Debra was on fire this day and I was really stunned to see her technical skills at a new level like never before!  We finished with super high spirits and very happy about how things went!  We also moved up from 15th overall to 13th!

 

Day 6: Stage 5.  This was deemed by the promoters after the race as the hardest stage EVER in the history of the Cape Epic.  It turned out to have more climbing than on the 2nd stage which was supposed to be the most climbing day, and this was also a very long day as we rode over 120K’s from Worcester to Wellington.  Debra and I started off the day very strong and climbing like queens.  But within only the first 30K’s, I flatted which was a mechanical that ended up costing us 40 minutes!  I stopped to air it to see if the tire sealant would seal the hole, but with no luck, I tried gluing the hole with my handy super glue.  No luck. Then we tried putting a plug in the hole.  Still no luck and by then, we were in dead last as every rider had passed.  I finally said, “Ok, let’s just tube it!” so we checked the tire to make sure there were no thorns and put a tube in.  Very ironically, the other Bitty’s, Jeff and Randal had the same issue only 500m away from us!!  Somehow our paths never crossed but we found out about this later from our South African friend Tim who had been riding with us and had passed Jeff and Randall too.  With some crazy luck, my tube ended up holding up!  But because I was so worked up about holding us up, my adrenalin had gone crazy and I was rushing to get to the aid station or at least catch a group,  I looked back and had dropped Debra.  I realized this wasn’t a nice move on my part or a great way to work as a team but for probably a good hour, even though I tried to hold back, I kept the pace too high.  Debra finally said, “Melissa, I don’t think my legs can hold up at this pace.  Let’s just put this flat behind us and take it conservatively.”  “Sorry,” I said, “I am just pissed at myself, worried about the time cut and mostly my adrenalin is going crazy.”  I eased up and started riding back at our pace.  When we hit the aid station, I asked the mechanics if  they should swap out my tire and  make it tubeless again or if I should grab extra tires.  Since my tire had held so far, they told me to just take the tubes.  The added weight in my pack wasn’t what I was looking for as it was going to possibly be a 10 hour day but the security of having the tires gave my mind a mental rest.  This day we passed through a few water crossings and long bumpy and sandy roads through vineyards.  All along the route, the workers from the vineyards would cheer for us and the kids, all barefoot would try to high-five us or sometimes they were asking us for sweets or chocolate.  The kids were so cute and always brought us higher spirits. When we still had a very long ways to go, we came to a road that took us up through a gorge and over the pass.  At the bottom, Debra said, “we sure could use an angel today.”  I said, “Well, let’s ask our angel Gianna to help us.” (Gianna is our mountain biking friend who passed away a year ago to cancer.) We were both very tired and mentally digging to find that thing that would keep us moving.  “If we can just climb this road over the pass, we will know that Gianna is watching over us today,” Deb said.  I wasn’t sure if that would actually happen but sure enough, two riders came along, one guy giving me a push from behind, and a South African, Pierre, let us grab onto his wheel and he pretty much paced us to the very top.  “You are our angel Pierre! Thank you!” Debra said.  Getting in those fast miles along with a little break from the beating on our bodies was a huge blessing.  We talked to the other riders and learned a little more about the area and the gorge we were riding through.  It reminded me of southern France where I had ridden many years ago. Once we reached the top, there was another aid station followed by a downhill on the road and then we turned onto a dirt forest service road for another 6K climb to the top.  My back tire started going low again so periodically I stopped to top off the air.  I knew it was a slow leak and could make it to the finish. My arms were dirty, wet and at that moment, I felt like we were on the TV show ‘survivor’.  We were so dirty!!  When we finally made it to the top, we had some fun singletrack all the way down with lots of berms, some bridges and again we were passing guys.  We were very tired as this day we were out for almost 9.5 hours however Aaron had made it and seeing him made me feel so much better.

 

Day 7: Stage 6.  This day was again long with lots of climbing but was only a 6 hour day – much more reasonable than the day before and was filled with beautifully wineries that we rode through, lots of cheering children, more families had come to watch and cheer, and almost half of the race was very awesome singletrack!!  Our bodies were tired from the day before but it was so beautiful that it was like we were on a very amazing and fun ride with our friends.   I was surprisingly climbing well so Debra decided to name me the “Bitty Goat”. I had put a new tire on my back wheel and bike was riding good.  There was one point in the race where we were climbing up a road in a vineyard and some little kids gave the guy in front of us a push.  He was South African so he spoke to them and told them to come back and push us.  I had a little boy about 5 yrs old who ran beside me for about 25m and with his tiny hand on my back, he tried to give me a push.  It was the cutest thing ever!!  I pointed to Debra and he ran back and did the same for her.  It totally melted our hearts and put big smiles on our faces. Since we finished this day in a reasonable hour, we had some time to recover in the afternoon.  I went with Aaron to see where he was staying in Paarl, have a glass of wine and some pizza too.  It was nice to get out!

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Stage 7: Last day!!  This stage was the very last day but nonetheless one of the more grueling challenges as we rode from Wellington to Meerendal Wine Estates.  The distance was 92K’s and only 1500m of climbing (not much compared to most days of over 2000m)!  The ride started off fast through dirt roads, farms and we were cruising fast in a long group of riders.  In my head I was thinking, “This rocks! We are going to be done in 4 hours!” But of course we were riding in the Absa Cape Epic and had some incredible challenges including a very steep climb which involved a bit of hiking to the top and some fierce winds on very rough cow trails and washboard dirt roads.  We were so eager to finish and were very tired so we took every opportunity to grab onto a group and hitch a ride.  The final climb was ruthless!  It was basically a very windy and exposed dirt road with several false tops.  You could see the helicopters ahead so you knew you were so close to the finish and the top but every time you thought you were at the top, you would look left and see a trail of riders climbing high.  Your heart would sink as you just wanted to be at the top and on the way to the finish.  Finally, we reached it and they finished us up on some fun singletrack which was basically a bike park with lots of berms and even routed us through the pump track.  Deb and I finish holding our arms together.  We crossed and were just relieved to be done.  It didn’t’ hit me until we parked our bikes and as we grabbed some water from the tent, Debra put her arms around me and I felt my throat tighten and the tears well up.  “Thank you for doing that with me. You’re amazing.” I could barely speak back as I was welling up with tears, “You’re amazing.” I choked.  We grabbed our water, got our pictures taken, were serenaded with a bottle of champagne, photos with some pro dudes, finishers medal, huge cooler of food for a picnic from the Woolworths sponsor, then  of course the t-shirt.  It was all a rush to get the bikes, get a shower and get out of there.  After my shower, Aaron and I stopped at the winery for some food and a glass of wine.  It was really hard to comprehend all that had happened in just a week.  All I know is that this race was for real. Not for the faint of heart.  It may not have been fun all the time as we were pushed in ways we never imagined possible but by finishing, there is certainly an indescribable and priceless feeling of accomplishment.

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Thank you to everyone for your support!!  The wishes and cheering from afar have certainly gone a long way to keep us going. We also want to thank our sponsors as our equipment held up beautifully and helped us in many aspects of the race. Sponsors are MVP’s!!

 

Reynolds – Wheels were awesome!  Rolled super fast and handled the terrain.  Still true and bearings are fine after all the torture I put them through!!

Kenda- Tires were amazing!  Only had one flat due to a thorn but no side-wall tears or any other issues.  Honey Badger seemed to work the best for the terrain.

Swiftwick: Compression socks are a MUST for an endurance race!  I rode with the tall socks most days and it kept my legs from swelling, calf always felt fresh and they also got a lot of attention as people would always say, “Nice socks ladies!!” Also used the recovery socks post race to keep my legs fresh and recovered.

Giro: We used the Giro Synthe helmet and mountain bike shoes.  Helmet is one of our favorite pieces of equipment as it is light, looks great and feels great.  It is so nice to have a light and well ventilated helmet when you are riding for so long.  Also I love the glasses holder.  It was easy to put my glasses on my helmet when they were too dirty to see through.  The shoes held up beautifully and the traction was amazing for the steep hills we had to walk up!

Rotor Components: Q-rings rocked for all the climbing!!  My bottom bracket and rings all held up and performed excellent!!

JLVelo: Kits pretty much rocked!  Chamois was amazing and never had any saddle sore issues.  Comfortable and light and perfect for riding for hours in the heat.

 

Osprey Packs: I rode with the Raven and it worked great!  I needed to keep the weight lower on my hips to take the pressure off my back and with this set-up I had little back issues for the long days and climbing.  I tended to fill my 3Liter reservoir 2 liters full and was able to carry our pump, some extra tools, our tracker, and kept food in my side pockets for easy access!

Husband Aaron: Aaron ROCKS - for first of all letting me do this race, making the sacrifices for the training, travel, and financial commitment. Aaron also happens to be the best bike fitter out there!  He set me up on my bike (and Deb too!) and we did not have any saddle sore issues and bodies held up pretty well even with the beating it took.  Also Aaron took care of my bike mechanics before heading to South Africa and bike worked beautifully!  Love you Aaron!!



Stage 1 & 2 of the Absa Cape Epic

I have figured out after finishing day 3 of the Absa Cape Epic that they call it the "untamed African mountain bike race" for a reason.

Yesterday was the first long day of 70 miles and about 2800 meters of climbing. We started off with lots of dusty roads as over 1200 riders took on a week of challenges. Our faces were immediately covered in dust as well as our glasses. We climbed a pass that looked like we were in New Zealand and as we crested the false summit (there were more!) a world cup mountain bike champion, Rob Warner, was skyped in live on a screen to give everyone bits of encouragement.

The rain started about 2 hours into our 8 hr day but we both felt awesome and weren't cold. It was foggy and our glasses were starting to fog and get very dirty however thanks to the awesome aid stations we had a glasses cleaning station  from Oakley, a chain lube station from motorex and of course food and water. I usually don't care for marmite but for some reason the marmite sandwichs were great! Deb did not agree! But we rode strong and felt better than anticipated.

Today was a new day. The rain finally stopped but huge gusts of wind came in right before the start. We started into a massive wind, just fighting not to fall over! I saw the trees and knew once we reached them we would be protected. I marched forward however Debra wasn't feeling as fresh as me so I kept losing her. I would pedal soft and wait for her to grab on but as I literally felt like a spring chicken, I would continue to drop her. I remembered the advice Rob Walton gave us before we headed on our trip that the weaker teammate needed to lead so I got behind Deb and made her set the pace. This seemed to help us keep together.
We passed through forest that had burned and amazing singletrack. We were back and forth with another South African women's team but they finally pulled away.

That was the first half of the day and then we hit aid station 2 at about 4 hours in and all of a sudden Debra and my roles flip flopped. I became fatigued and she became the spring chicken (she would say summer hen). She noticed I was not talking and started to stay behind her and soon realized I was really in the pain cave!

We rolled through vineyards and on singletrack that had lots of bridges (I have never ridden bridges like this!) It was awesome but again I was in a pain cave and mentally pushing myself through every mile. Deb would block the wind as we rode through incredible head winds and give me encouragement.

The grasslands we rode through looked like Africa. We went back through vineyards and into the trees for more singletrack. The last part seemed to go on forever but we made it! I was thrashed but thankfully Debra helped me out. So, Debra has been awarded MVP for today!!

The guys had a great ride too but challenged by the wind as well. Tomorrow is a new day. We will get some rest and be ready for the next challenge ahead!

Announcer said "those are the greenest socks ever!" Love my Swiftwicks!

Announcer said "those are the greenest socks ever!" Love my Swiftwicks!

Post race selfie. So thrashed.

Post race selfie. So thrashed.

Recovery at the bar!

Recovery at the bar!

Absa Cape Epic Prologue at Table Mountain

 

Today was probably the most memorable race for us, the prologue of the Absa Cape Epic. Debra and I were the 4th team to go off in the womens field which included a total of 23 teams and 12 of which were UCI pro teams. Our strategy was ease into the race and basically start off easy and not blow our legs up for the remainder of the stages. 

We loomed at each other on the start ramp, "ready?!" And we were off weaving uphill through the campus area and onto the dirt climb. It was at this point we passed all the teams in front of us and were sitting in the lead! Helecoptors were flying everywhere and at that moment we were being followed and on live tv!  The climb continued on and as we rode a few other teams passed and then when we started approaching the summit, the top pro women including world champions caught us and we were in the mix!! They didn't blow by us so we stayed a safe distance behind as helicopters flew catching the race! This was so exciting for both of us, not to mention the crowds of people cheering along the course and so encouraging! What a dream!!

Once we reached the top it was pretty much awesome down hill and some fun singletrack too. We think we lost some time there but talked about how we could be better in certain sections keeping appropriate distance from each other without slowing down.

Very exciting day for us which just happens to be both of our dad's birthday!! So to my dad who has most definitely inspired my adventurous spirit, "Happy Birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Dad! Happy birthday to you!!! Hup Hup horray!!"

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The Leadville Trail 100 - The Race Across the Sky!

This past weekend was what I’d like to call D-Day for my 2014 season – the Leadville Trail 100.  If you aren’t familiar with Leadville, it’s a 100 mile mountain bike race that starts at 10,000 feet of elevation and climbs all the way up to 12,424ft.  It’s not a technical race as it’s mostly dirt roads, forest service roads and some paved roads, however the event brings over 1500 slightly insane riders from all over the US and the world! 

My friend Gianna, this race is dedicated to you!

My friend Gianna, this race is dedicated to you!

Leadville was a special race.  I had no intention of doing this event as I thought it was just crazy to go torture yourself for that many hours on a bike, however last year my athlete Jason Hanson first inspired me when he qualified for Leadville at a 104 mile race, only 2 weeks into owning or ever riding a mountain bike, and in 2 months he completed Leadville.  I was amazed by his fierce determination to do this event.  And then as you may recall from my previous blog about my friend Gianna who passed away, she had been re-diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer just a few weeks after completing Leadville in 2012 so this race had a huge connection to her.  It was a connection I didn’t understand, however when her health started to take a big dive, I realized that Leadville was the one thing she could close her eyes and think of that would make her happy and help her find a reason to fight or as the founder of Leadville, Ken would say “ dig deep”.  Her last wish to me, the day before she passed away was that I’d do Leadville, and I would kill it!  She wanted me to train my ass off for this race.  And sure enough, the day she grew her angel wings, the Leadville race lottery was drawn and my name was picked! 


Tuesday night, I piled into the Hanson’s truck as we all drove through the night to the town of Buena Vista, just 30 miles south of Leadville.  Aaron had to work but would join us later in the week.  Jason was racing again this year and we needed to get a little more altitude acclimatization.  So, once we arrived, per the suggestion of my brother-in-law Evan, we drove to the top of Cottonwood pass at 12,000ft and rode the Continental Divide Trail.  It was incredible and yes my body was working pretty darn hard for an easy pedal.

Jason Hanson and I rode on the Continental Divide! 

Jason Hanson and I rode on the Continental Divide! 


Friday came in no time where we had packet pick-up and our race meeting.  1500 people packed into the high school gymnasium and it was cool to see the celebrities that Leadville attracted such as the Multi World Champion F1 racer, Mark Weber.  It also brought the Ride to Recovery team which supports wounded soldiers and helps them recover from their physical and mental wounds from war.  These guys were actually really strong as I saw multiple amputees kicking butt on the course!  The meeting did take a while however, when Ken gave his pre-race pep talk, he said, “Leadville will be a huge challenge, but won’t be as hard as some of the other challenges you may face in life.” I thought of my friend Gianna and that maybe that was why she was able to push hard and dig deep through her cancer.

Packet pick-up included a book signing with Rebecca Rusch on her new book, "Rusch to Glory"

Packet pick-up included a book signing with Rebecca Rusch on her new book, "Rusch to Glory"


Saturday morning the race started at 6:30am.  We woke up early and I ate my breakfast in the truck as we drove up to Leadville in the wee hours.  Since I have a pro license, I got front row staging in the race which was a huge advantage for a race of this multitude!  It was almost surreal to be standing on the start line next to big time pros like Todd Wells.  I was literally on the very front of the start line and couldn’t have been more lucky!!  I had friends back in other corrals that would probably have to wait 5 minutes or so to even get through the start line because there were so many people! 


With drones and a helicopter following the race, we took off racing down the road and turning onto a dirt road.  Being at the front had its advantages as these guys were soo fast but really smooth so there were no worries about people crashing.  We were flying probably 30mph and then finally, the road pitched up a little and finally we turned onto our first climb up St. Kevins.  It was in the low 40’s so chilly at the start and I had decided to wear my knee warmers and arm warmers so my legs wouldn’t freeze. But once we started climbing, we warmed up quickly. The altitude was tougher than I expected and my adrenalin was going crazy for the start so I was really careful to pace myself and not go out too hard.  Several people passed me, but I kept with my pace.  The hill went up and up and reminded me of the Mt. Ord climb.  As we were near the top, none other than Rebecca Rush passed me (she had passed me at Sea Otter Classic in March!) and she was coaching another lady. “Come on!” She’d yell and look back to see if her friend was on her wheel.  It amazed me that Rebecca could be going at this pace and just coaching someone!  “Someday I’ll be able to do that,” I thought to myself.  I jumped on her wheel as long as possible however she dropped me when we came to a long descent on the road. 


The next climb would take us up to the top of the Powerline road.  This was a key point in the race as you go down a steep and long washed out road that runs along the powerlines. I was looking at my splits and starting to realize that hitting the 8hr or even 9 hour mark would be more challenging than I thought. I started to get really focused. “Common G, I need your help,” I spent the entire race talking to my angel Gianna.  And boy, did I ever feel her presence throughout the day! 

I took the smoothest line possible down powerline and when I reached the bottom, a guy passed me and said, “Thank you!  I followed your line the whole way down!”  The next section was a few miles of road so I got in a group of guys and we started pacelining up the road.  They accelerated too much and with the wind, I fell back and was one my own.  Another group passed with a familiar face, “Hey Melissa jump on!” So I jumped in with their train as long as I could.  We turned onto a cow trail that took us to the Pipeline road.  This was aid station #2 and where many people had tents. The road was lined with people cheering and I could hear my name a few times.  I was good on food and water so I blew by our tent where Laurel and Joe Hanson were feeding.  There was another girl I was going back and forth with so I didn’t want to lose ground.  She ended up stopping at the aid station so I stayed ahead for awhile.  The road was a slight decline so this section of the race was fast.  After a few short climbs, we landed on some single track. By then the lady had caught up to me however I could tell my skill level was higher than hers so I was able to gap her on the singletrack section.  It didn’t last long though since we were back on the dirt road in a few miles and she again passed me.  There was a short climb on the gravel and I kept pacing myself.  We came down a small hill by the Twin Lakes Dam and there was the next aid station.  Aaron had passed me on the road with his dirt bike just 10 minutes before so I knew he’d be there.  Jennifer and Shelby Hanson were also waiting to give out feeds.  But with so many people, it became a blur and all of a sudden I blew right past them.  I decided to keep going.  I knew I had enough water to get to the top of Columbine and there would be a station up there if I needed anything.  So I kept moving. 

The climb up Columbine was much more challenging than I imagined.  I had ridden part of the climb a few days before and for my training leading up to Leadville I did similar climbs at hours 4 or 5 of my ride so my body knew how to climb with that amount of fatigue.  The road was pretty smooth for the most part, but as you went higher and higher, the altitude made your body feel weaker and weaker.  Plus the road became a little more loose and rocky and at that point, the lead riders were starting to come down the hill.  There were a few spots I saw people walking but I tried to ride as much as possible as riding is sooo much easier on your body than pushing a bike up the hill.  As we were above 11,500ft, there was a line of walkers so they could make room for the riders coming down the mountain.  You could see the top but your brain was going crazy from the lack of oxygen.  I finally made it to the aid station and I was really happy because I knew my body would feel awesome once I came down in altitude.  I stopped for a brief minute to fill up my water bottle, eat a banana and grab a gel.

This is looking at the peak of Columbine from the Twin Lakes Dam.

This is looking at the peak of Columbine from the Twin Lakes Dam.


The ride down the mountain was awesome!  You could see a line of people pushing their bikes up the road and cheering for you as you came down.  Then, sitting on a 4wheeler was the race founder, Ken Chlouber yelling at people, “Dig Deep!”  That amused me!  My brain started to feel more focused as I descended.  I was ready to find my people at the feed area and swap out my camelback and strip off my arm warmers and leg warmers.  So far I was a few minutes off of the splits to get a sub 9hr so I was on a mission to make up time!

I found Aaron, Jennifer, and Shelby and stopped.  They had coke, banana and food.  I tried stuffing my face while stripping off the arm warmers and leggings.  It seemed too complicated as my body was a little tired.  “That climb was so long!” I told them.  “Hurry up!” Aaron would say.  I grabbed some things and got back on my bike.  The rain started right at that moment but it felt very refreshing. 

Aaron said 'Smile!' and this is the face I gave him!

Aaron said 'Smile!' and this is the face I gave him!

Shelby and Jennifer obviously know how to smile!

Shelby and Jennifer obviously know how to smile!

On the road back, I found a group of guys to pace line with as we made our way to the singletrack section and onto the Pipeline road.  Once I hit Pipeline I drilled it.  There was a short super steep climb that people were walking but I clicked into my granny gear and rode all the way to the top.  A guy with a French accent said, “There are 3 women just ahead of you.  You can get them, you look strong!”  I took off with fierce determination.  I wanted to try to get in the top 10 overall for women and hopefully get on the podium for my age group.

When I reached the Pipeline aid area, I stopped at our Faster tent and Shelby switched out my bottles while Laurel and Joe gave me a banana and food.  I stuffed my pockets but dropped a honey gel in the process. Volunteers were standing handing out gels so I snagged a few as I rode by.  I had no idea what was in them but I knew I needed to constantly fuel myself as I was in the last few hours of the race and had another big climb ahead.

We jumped onto the road and I pacelined with some guys again.  We passed a few women, and the lady I had been going back and forth with the entire race.  It looked like someone had crashed.  When we made it to Powerline, again there was a huge crowd of people cheering all up the hill.  Some were handing out oranges or cokes.  There were a few steep sections I had to get off and walk.  When I looked back though, it was none other than that lady who had been going back and forth with me the entire race, walking right behind me.  I couldn’t believe how she could stop so much and then catch back up!!  I  imagined how many minutes ahead of me she’d be if she didn’t stop so much!  It was at that moment that I made a decision, I had to beat her.  So I got back on my bike and pedaled away.  I never looked back. 

Jason Hanson had told me that Powerline was a series of 3 steps to the top.  So I counted, one, two, then last one…three. Nope, that wasn’t the top – it kept on going.  One more time.  Nope, still more.  It seemed like the top was never going to come!  I figured my friend Gianna would be laughing hysterically by now as this is something she would enjoy!  There was an old man handing out cokes around this point and I grabbed one to take a few swigs and keep pushing on. 

Finally, the top came!  By then my back tire was feeling a little low.  I didn’t suspect it as being flat so I decided to hold off on stopping to check it out.  I couldn’t waste any time if I wanted a sub 9!  I blew down the gravel hill.  All of a sudden, a lady I had never seen passed me.  I had no idea where she came from and as I kept flying down the hill, I made a decision to pass her.  I flew by and didn’t look back. 

My tire still felt low but I pushed on.  There was a long section of road and a climb.  Another lady passed but she looked strong and young.  I wasn’t sure if I was going to get on the podium but I knew I had to try.  We turned up onto a service road again where the last aid station was, just 10 miles to the finish.  I was out of food so I stopped, grabbed a couple of gels from them and took off.  Finally, I decided to stop to check my tire.  It was low, but not flat so I grabbed my CO2 canister and gave it some air.  I took off again, this time much faster with some extra air in the tire. 

It was pretty much downhill to the finish except once you get onto the road, you have a false flat climb about 3 miles.  I was more determined than ever to make that sub 9 as I was at 8:52 coming onto the road.  I had no idea how far it was to finish but I thought I had to try my best.  I knew my friend was there helping me, and I still had to put in my best effort.  My face started twitching and I realized all the gels I had recently taken probably had a crazy amount of caffeine in them.  Which they did – I later read there was 35mg per gel and I had taken probably 5 in the last few hours!

I pushed as hard as I could as if I were in time trial mode.  I passed a guy, wiggled my elbow so he could understand to latch on and work together.  We took turns taking pulls and were flying.  The road turned to a gravel and bumpy road and I soon realized I might not make that sub 9.  I had 4 minutes to make it and it seemed like we had a couple of miles left.  I told myself not to be bummed, you gave it all you had and just focus on finishing strong.  That’s what G would want! 

As we moved down the road, the other guy started to make ground and I lost his wheel.  I caught up to another guy, “Did you see that?!” he asked me.  “What?!” “There was a bear that just crossed the road!  I know I wasn’t hallucinating either!”  I chuckled.  Now a bear would help me ride faster!  I looked through the trees as I passed through the area he saw the bear but couldn’t see anything. 

We finally came to the top of the last hill and onto the pavement where it was the last sprint to the finish – all downhill.  People were cheering and I stood up and sprinted like mad all the way through the red carpet line.  My time was 9:11:59.  So, I didn’t make the sub 9 but was close.  I was just happy to get off that bike.  I had no idea how I had done until I got to the truck to clean up and change out of my kit.  I grabbed my phone and had received a text from Regina, “DUDE, you absolutely CRUSHED that!!!! 1st in your age group and 14th overall?!! Holy crap!!”  I was just stunned.  “No way?! OMG that just made my day!  I am so thrashed, that was hard!”

Whoo hoo, just finished!!

Whoo hoo, just finished!!

First place in 20-29 category!

First place in 20-29 category!


The awards were not until the next day and again, the experience was just surreal and awesome.  I knew my friend Gianna would have been so proud and ecstatic.  It was like the whole experience helped me to not only celebrate her life but come to peace with losing a very close friend.  I felt more close to her than ever before.  And to top it off, we were the 2nd awards announced (first was the overall male and female) so we were able to hit the road early for our long drive home!


So, now I am enjoying my post season break of not riding much, drinking, dirt biking, and painting my brains out!  Recently I was invited to race in the Cape Epic Race in March of 2015 as a team with Debra Doss so now we are working on establishing some sponsorship and will start my Cape Epic training the first of September!  South Africa, here I come!


And lastly, I was asked if I’d do Leadville again.  Originally, my plan was to just do it once and say I did it, but wow, just missing the 9hr mark put a fire inside of me so you can bet I’ll be back to set some new PR’s! 


Thanks to everyone especially my family (both the Ross's and Doherty's!), the Hanson Family, and my wonderful husband Aaron for all of the support.  Also thanks to all of my wonderful friends and my special angel Gianna for making this happen.

The Laramie Enduro

Last weekend was the first race for me in months!  Summer in Phoenix can be like living in a very dry sauna so the racing scene in Arizona pretty much stops.  With my focus being on the Leadville 100 (this coming weekend!), I decided to take a trip home to Laramie, WY and participate in the 111K race.  I had wanted to do the Laramie Enduro in 2007, the year before I moved away, however the week of the event, I had injured my shoulder from a silly crash.  This year, I figured it would be a good chance to get some altitude in, visit family, and help me prepare for the 100 mile race.  

 

I flew into Denver on a Monday and my good ol' Uncle Joe picked me up from the airport, and took me back to Cheyenne where I stayed the night before heading over to Laramie.  I had planned to ride long Tuesday, scope out some of the course I had never seen nor ridden, however one of my friends had mentioned a Tuesday night race series up at Happy Jack.  

 

I decided to start my ride on the first part of the Enduro course and then make it back in time for the race.  The first part of the Enduro starts on singletrack and then heads through some forest service roads.  If you follow the course description, it's hard to follow unless you really know the area since many of the forest service roads are not marked or change.  So just to sum that ride up, I ended up getting a little lost, heading way farther northeast than planned, got caught under a big storm cell with hail and rain, and finally found the highway, busted my butt up the road and made it with 5 minutes to spare before the start of the race!  I was pretty wet, but had not time to swap bottles or remove my camelback.  I paid my $10, jumped in line, said hello to old friends and took off!

 

I had no idea where we were going however I had ridden the trails at some point in my life so I figured I'd be ok.  We booked it through the trees, over roots, up short steep hills, and through some muck.  I ended up in 4th for the women and finished with beer and braughts.  I'd say about 80-100 people showed up for this series so I was pretty impressed for the little town of Laramie!!

 

The middle of the week I got to spend some time with my niece Elizabeth and my nephew Isiah.  These two are my little brother Mark's kids and a bundle of fun!  At 2 and 1 years, they sure have some amazing energy!  I did grow up the 2nd oldest of 7 kids so I spent my entire childhood raising little kids, however I've been away from it for so long that WOW, babysitting these two gave me a perspective on how much energy is used to keep up with them!  I swear by the second day, I was more tired than I have ever been riding or racing my bike all day!

My niece Elizabeth (2) and nephew Isiah (1).  Balls of energy!!

My niece Elizabeth (2) and nephew Isiah (1).  Balls of energy!!

 

Race day was on early Saturday morning.  My parents and siblings drove up from Gillette to watch the race and had arrived late so I wasn't going to see them until I was out on the course. I had given my brother Mark a cooler of drinks and food with instructions on which feed zones to be at and approximate times I'd get there.  

 

The race started at 7am.  I had decided to push myself at the start but pace myself since it would be my longest ride ever on my mountain bike!  Immediately two women took off sprinting up the gravel road and onto the singletrack.  I thought to myself that either they were really really fast, or they were going out too hard and would pay for it later.  It didn't take long to figure out that they were just really good.  We moved fast through the singletrack, through Tie City and over Happy Jack Highway onto the forest service roads.  The field started to spread out.  Guys raced by me and I kept my pace.  

 

There were a few sections that would be loose or rutted and I decided to play it safe so I wouldn't pay the price of crashing.  The year I didn't race the Enduro, I watched Aaron and he had crashed hard within the first 12 miles in the gravel section.  So, I wanted to make sure that wouldn't happen to me.

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I stayed in 3rd place for the first 5 miles, and then another lady caught up to me.  For the next few miles we would try to pass each other.  She was faster on the descents and I would always catch and pass her on the climbs.  Finally we started talking and decided to work together.  We had turned back in the south-westerly direction and the wind was much stronger so the alliance had paid off to help us make more ground.  After about 8 miles of working together, a group of 6 men, all on single speed bikes passed us and I jumped onto their train.  The other lady stayed on my wheel but after a few miles, I turned and noticed she was nowhere to be seen.  I decided to push and stay with this group as far as possible to help gain more ground.

 

We turned back onto Happy Jack Highway and rode back onto the single track in Happy Jack Recreation area.  I had pre-rode this section of the course the day before with the Hanson family so had it figured out.  My legs were feeling good however they had the sensation and warning signs that if I pushed too hard early, I would be cramping really hard later.  So, I made sure to take advantage of my granny gear and spin it up all the steeper climbs.  We weaved in and out of the trees and after a few miles, we were back in the open on more forest service roads, past an aid station, over the highway again, and booking it through cow pastures, service roads, more fields, muck, more cows, and soon I saw my family all cheering.  I stopped for a brief second, swapped out my hydration pack, grabbed another bottle, food, and took off.  "Ride Faster!!" they said.

Uncle Joe in his rocker cheering (aka harassing) the riders, "You look like an old ladies knitting club!" he'd say to a group of guys that rode by. "How about we trade you our bike for the rocker," they'd yell back at him!

Uncle Joe in his rocker cheering (aka harassing) the riders, "You look like an old ladies knitting club!" he'd say to a group of guys that rode by. "How about we trade you our bike for the rocker," they'd yell back at him!

 

The next part of the course was in an area I had never imagined with lots of singletrack, fields, beautiful scenery, and a longish climb up a gravel road.  It was here that my energy levels dropped a bit and my mind went to, "and you think you're going to do Leadville?!!" I thought I had been good about eating and drinking but I was past 40 miles so my body was burning energy like crazy.  I started stuffing food into my mouth.  But after passing through another cow pasture, the lady I had been working with earlier passed me like I was standing still.  I tried to keep her in sight but she was moving and my energy hadn't come up yet.  

 

Ahhh, coke.  Mile 52 at aid station #4 with my family support crew!

Ahhh, coke.  Mile 52 at aid station #4 with my family support crew!

Finally, I made it to the next feed zone at mile 52 where my family was waiting again.  They could tell I was fatigued and my uncle kept saying, "I thought you said this would be fun!?"  He was really confused on my choice of 'fun' activities! I chugged a Mexican Coke, shoved more food in my mouth.  "Can you make it to the finish?" my brother Mark asked.  "I need you at aid station 5." "What do you need?"  "I need at least moral support!"  I started to take off on my next big climb.  The next 10 miles were going to be through some of the most technical sections of the course as we passed through the Vedauwoo area that is famous for so many rock formations.  I was surprised at how well my legs were feeling as I watched a lot of guys walk through these sections while I could ride the more technical and steep climbs.  At times I would get into that granny gear and spin it up or stand out of the saddle to get over the rocks and roots.  

 

We came through another mucky field with small bridges that got us over some wet crossings.  There was a group of guys behind me and one of the guys decided he should pass me (without asking) as we intersected the muck. It was first of all a terrible place to try passing someone and second something I'd call a 'dick move'.  Needless to say, he got stuck and had to clip out!  "Teach him a lesson," I thought to myself!  

 

The landscape at this point was unbelievable and magnificent.  My brain was coming around and I couldn't get over how awesome the ride was despite it being somewhat torturous to my body.  A few of the sections I rolled down were somewhat technical with rocks and I had to clip out a few times.  I also came flying through a rutted out trail where I had to brake a little fast to avoid crashing and ended up slamming my foot down a little hard.  I was fine.  I just kept spinning.

 

Aid station 5 came and was a relief.  I grabbed another bar, stuffed my mouth and all of a sudden another lady passed by.  Shoot. "I need to go chase her down," I mumbled between bites.  I took a deep breath as I was pretty fatigued but knew I could muster one last bit of energy.  I took off, and never did catch her, but I did feel a second wind as I was able to climb through some really rough sections of the course and pass a bunch of guys.  "It's you again," they'd say. 

 

And finally I finished!!  I was so happy to be done.  My time was 6:27.53 and 5th place for the women!  The lady who won was almost an hour ahead of me, however 2nd place was only 30 minutes down.  So, I think had I had better energy in the middle of the race, I could have made up better time there.  But no worries, I wasn't sure what to expect for my first Laramie Enduro and was pretty thrilled I didn't have any stomach issues or cramping so I'm ready for Leadville!!


Me, mom and dad.  Dad was pretty excited about the New Belgium beer garden at the finish - great reward for crewing!!

Me, mom and dad.  Dad was pretty excited about the New Belgium beer garden at the finish - great reward for crewing!!

Thank you family for all the support!!  The feeds, housing, moral support, airport rides, and did I mention food?!  


Also thanks to the Hanson's for driving up to Laramie to race! It was so much fun having some friends and teammates at the race.

Now I am getting all packed up for the big race of the year, the Leadville 100.  Wish me luck!!

An Ode to "G"

I have been thinking all week about my blog and what I would write about. This past month has been a whirlwind of events from healing up from my bad elbow wound to doing the 24 Hrs of Ol Pueblo and sleeping in a horse trailer.

Gianna was a tough warrior! Gianna in 2011.  She wrote: "This is me, 2 weeks post bilateral mastectomy.  I hit the trails too soon and paid for it that night with severe chest pain."

Gianna was a tough warrior! Gianna in 2011.  She wrote: "This is me, 2 weeks post bilateral mastectomy.  I hit the trails too soon and paid for it that night with severe chest pain."

Last Friday, my dear and close friend, Gianna Bianchi passed away after a very long and hard fight with cancer.  I was fortunate to see her the day before her passing and able to spend those last precious moments with her.  She had looked much worse from the week before as she was completely paralyzed from the waist down and looked like she'd lost more weight.  The cancer had spread all over her body and was taking over her brain and spinal cord.  There were moments of clarity where she was very chatty and other times where she would see and feel things that were not there. Her mind was playing tricks on her. 

Gianna had wanted me to do Leadville so badly as that race had so much significance to her.  She had rode just after her first remission from breast cancer in 2012 and not long after was re-diagnosed.  

Gianna and Liz on our epic ride up Sunrise trail in 2012.  This wasn't long after Gianna found out the cancer had returned. We will be riding up Sunrise Trail in honor of her this Sunday morning before her services!

Gianna and Liz on our epic ride up Sunrise trail in 2012.  This wasn't long after Gianna found out the cancer had returned. We will be riding up Sunrise Trail in honor of her this Sunday morning before her services!

"Get my purse, pretty," she pointed at the closet and I pulled out her purse.  She asked me to look through her pocketbook for 'something with Leadville on it'?  I wasn't quite sure what I was looking for but all I could find were random cards and nothing Leadville.  "The lottery is drawn this weekend, Gianna, and I'll find out if I got in or need to do a qualifying race."  

I was fortunate my mother in law, Cathy was in town and was able to meet my friend.  I had told her so many stories of this amazing soul.  Gianna and I talked for awhile and soon I could see how much pain she was in and how tired she was.  She closed her eyes.  "Gianna, you rest, I am going to go and I'll come visit you early next week."  Cathy took our picture, one last time, and Gianna gave me the biggest hug she has ever given me and more kisses than you can imagine. 

I posted this on Facebook: "So blessed to spend precious moments with my amazing friend and now angel, Gianna, yesterday. You will always be with me on every ride girl - I will miss you pretty and your always amazing smile, love, and friendship…

I posted this on Facebook: "So blessed to spend precious moments with my amazing friend and now angel, Gianna, yesterday. You will always be with me on every ride girl - I will miss you pretty and your always amazing smile, love, and friendship."

That night, I cried myself to sleep as I hated to see her suffer like that.  I knew if she would just let go - she was a tough fighter, she would be free. And she did, just the next day with her mother, sisters, and husband Jerry at her side.

It's tough to lose a close friend.  But like my dad told me, it's a gift to go through a journey like this with someone.

Here's us about a 6 weeks ago, we went shopping for bright colored pillow cases and out for a sandwich and milkshake before her brain radiation appointment.

Here's us about a 6 weeks ago, we went shopping for bright colored pillow cases and out for a sandwich and milkshake before her brain radiation appointment.

I had been visiting Gianna frequently and trying to help as much as I could with groceries or making homemade broth or soup for her.  Four weeks before, she called me for help, asking if I could get groceries.  She always seemed to call when I was at the grocery store so I think she had esp! I had gone over to deliver the food and her close friend Jeff was over.  Jeff and Gianna had gone back so far on the mountain bike.  He was like a brother to her and always looked out for her.  When Gianna had done Leadville, she left early after the race, so she never got her Leadville finisher's belt buckle.  Some people do this race for this belt buckle - so it's a big deal!! Jeff had put in a few calls and had the belt buckle expedited and had brought it over.  She was overjoyed as she also had been given a Leadville necklace and hoodie.  But during that visit she told us that she was saying her 'good byes' to us.  She said it so frankly and all of a sudden the realization of what was to come really sank in. Jeff and I made eye contact as if we were thinking the same thing. I never showed tears in front of her as I wanted to be that strong shoulder for her, but you can bet when I went home to Aaron, he had my tears on his shoulder.

So, just a few days after my friend's passing, the Leadville lottery winners were announced.  They actually drew the lottery the day Gianna left us! How ironic!  My friend Shelby called on Tuesday, "Melissa, did you get in?"  I hadn't checked my email.  "We didn't get in, check your email."  I stumbled through my email, trying to find the spam folder that was hidden.  Finally, I found it, "CONGRATULATIONS!" the headline read.  I screamed!!  "Ahhh!!! I got in!!!!"  

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So, my dear friend, Gianna, thank you. Thank you for being an amazing soul, mentor, human, and friend.  You showed me what it means to really fight for something you believe in, even when circumstances are the worst. You also showed me how to really appreciate all the little moments and things in life. Although you may not be here to talk to, go on epic rides with, or go to the movies together (and eat lots of buttered popcorn), you are always at the back of my mind and seems like you're already looking out for me:) I'll be training hard this year to get that sub 9hr at Leadville like you challenged me to do!

"You can't live a perfect day without doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you." - Gianna Bianchi