Epic Racing around the World

4 days. 40,000 feet of vertical terrain climbed (and descended), beaches, jungles, coffee and banana plantations, volcanoes, highways, goat paths, railroad tracks and bridges, sweltering temperatures and freezing fog, gale force winds at 9500′ and the stagnant stillness of a jungle climate while pushing a bicycle in ankle deep mud….where do you begin?

What inspires or motivates one person, much less an entire team and organization, to do something like this to themselves….

In conditions like these…

Walking…

Riding…

Recovering…

Only to wake up and repeat it again, and again, and again, and again?

I can tell you what did it for me. It wasn’t one thing, and isn’t something that’s easy to describe, simple to comprehend, or actually a concept that many people can, or choose to, wrap their head around. The La Ruta de los Conquistadors is described both as the World’s hardest Mountain Bike race, and as a “personal growth journey”. I can validate both of those statements…and think Troy would back me up on that.

The basics start out with a goal in mind - make it to the finish. Races and goals don’t get any more simple than that simple mantra.

And while out on the course, surely the work is an individual effort, a load that no one else can manage or help you with. Its one foot in-front of the other, one pedal stroke through the uphill mud at a time.

But then, in the middle of this personal growth journey, you realize that while you’re doing it by yourself, you’re not alone.

Look around, embrace the experience.

These individual efforts are linked together.

Like anywhere else in life - relationships, career, family - every piece is a keystone onto the other. Its important to recognize your role, as well as the individual roles of the others, in the team concept and its goal - to reach the finish.

I consider this team a family. I think we all do…that’s probably the only way we made it from one coast to the other, much less without strangling each other along the way!

Because I know that recognizing and enjoying the work that we all were doing out there, and sharing…

Was really being supported, hosted, and energized by an entire community and country.

During each and every mile the locals, the communities, the country side welcomed and encouraged us. They likely knew nothing about about bike racing, but I’m sure they know a thing or two about accomplishing challenges. Sometimes on their own…

But most likely, together.

Because I know for me, that’s what makes it rewarding. Just like Moab…ride a lap by yourself, but win the race with the group. La Ruta…if I’d be down here solo, there isn’t a chance in a million attempts that I’d been able to finish a single day…and don’t even mention 4 days of the cruelest conditions and courses ever created and connected.

Which is a metaphor for…well, I’ll let you decide. Sure, there’s hard work out there, life is full of it. But if you start taking things too seriously, not only will you lose site of, and likely not reach, your goals, but in my opinion, you’re likely to miss the biggest portion of that goal - which is the journey that takes you there.

That would be a shame to miss out on, eh?

Because thinking back on and pondering that path once everyone’s reached the finish sure is a sweet experience.

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I’m doing a terrible job, better to go check Sager’s site for updates and photos from Costa Rica.

Photos are here.

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MonaVie/Cannondale signed up for La Ruta de Los Conquistadors several months back, it seemed like the trip and the challenge were so far off that today would never get here…not that I was itching to arrive, or dreading it either (individually)…it was more of a joint effort and feeling of doom and excitement.

But, before we could get to this point…

There was some racing to take care of - the Utah CX state championships at Wheeler Park in SLC.

Most of the crew made it out - Mitchell and Chris Peterson, Art O’Connor, Sager, and of course, 47 time returning champ, Bart.

Bart did his job and repeated as the Open champ, with Art and Mitchell putting themselves in the top 10, also.

In an attempt to simulate the hard work of a La Ruta day, I raced my first single speed event and became the Galatic Universal Utah Single Speed champ…then raced the mtb in the open race. I half expected Bart to lap me out there.

Ok…back to Costa Rica. The rest on the plane, if that’s what you want to call it, was actually welcomed after racing on Saturday…then it was back to work on Monday as we re-loaded 9 people’s gear into one small van.

From there it was an all day jungle adventure through the mountains….

and onto, and finally, the coast.

Tuesday is the day before the event. It’ll be time to get a little more serious, focus on resting for the 3am Wed wake up call/5am start time, fine tune the equipment selection, and prepare mentally and physically for a quest through the deepest of jungles…and personal athletic challenges.

Thanks to Flahute and Forrest for some of the photos.

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Who can keep up with the team these days? I can’t…

First off, we have Bart raced, lost, won, and won a few cyclocross races in Utah...

I moved to Oregon.

Blake and Bryan raced Collegiate mtb nationals in North Carolina, then returned home to race the Boulder cyclocross grand prix events.

Rachel Cieslewicz traveled to Lake Tahoe and then onwards west to Hawaii for the Xterra off-road triathlon nationals, and worlds, respectively.

And now, the MonaVie/Cannondale crew of Bart, Ohran, Thomas, and myself gear up for Utah cyclcross championships and then onward to Costa Rica for La Ruta.

That’s the vague and random, and basic rundown of the competitive lives of the crew…and I offer an advance apology for the lack of photos, details, or links…I better go take a shot of of Acai, and get on it.

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