The showdown is about to begin

This year Dawn til Dusk was moved to a month later to hopefully avoid bad weather. The weather for Dawn til Dusk was absolutely perfect. The race start time was pushed back to 8am, I would have preferred a 7am start so the finish be at 7pm and make the drive home slightly more bearable. The good part about an 8am start was the temperature was absolutely perfect.

I moved to the front of the start line and saw a couple of other riders that I know and wondered how I would end up doing on this first lap. My goal was to try and stay with the front group on the dirt road and save enough energy to rock the single track. 8am arrived and we were off. One rider jumped off the front but we all knew he wasn’t going to make it far alone, the road is fast and drafting works really well until the single track section. I ended up out front within the first few minutes and noticed my heart rate and effort was lower than I expected. I let some others take some pulls but for the most part I pulled the majority of the road until the first hill where I dropped off a little but regained to 3rd position before the single track.

Once we hit the single track my real motivation always kicks in. I started closing in on the guy in 2nd and as I went around one of the first sharper corners, my front tire went off track and into sand. I went flying over the handlebars and left a “sand angle” on the course. I was unhurt, my rear brake lever was out of place but easily moved back to where I needed it. I was able to keep my position but a group of four had caught me. The crash shook me up a bit and I ended up taking turns slower than I should have, wasting energy to re-accelerate out of them. I ended the first lap in 7th place with a good time.

Me, Amanda,Ben, and Zach

2nd Place Team of 3-4 co-ed

Podium with Zach

Relaxing with Penny Simpson and Mark Castello before the first race (Coyote Classic)

The heart of my racing season is the New Mexico Off Road Series, and so far, so good. Spoiler alert: 4 races, 4 wins. The first race of the 2013 season is the Coyote Classic. It has been around a long time bouncing around a couple of locations near Las Cruces before ending up in nearby El Paso, Texas. Yes, I know that is not part of New Mexico but my 8th grade history teacher always said it should have been. The course is rugged, with most of it up in the rocky hills in the background.

My race went great, with my Stan’s Race Gold wheels and sealant working perfectly despite all the sharp rocks and cactus. I finished first in my masters age group, 3rd overall Cat 1, just behind the handful of Pros, my riding buddy Jerry Garcia (yes, that is his real name) and another guy who had just downgraded from Pro.

Early in the Coyote Classic, having fun

Finishing Coyote Classic

The next race was the High Altitude Classic in Cloudcroft NM, which we (NoTubes Endurance Racing) were very happy to help sponsor. This venue is an extreme change from El Paso, starting at about 9000 feet in the pines instead of the desert. We did three laps of about 8 miles and 1400 feet of climbing each.  All the Cat 1s and the one Pro who showed up started at the same time, and I had a great time staying with the Pro for the first lap and a half. I talked to Damian as we began the long jeep trail climb on the second lap, asking him why I was still with him so late in the race. He was taking it a little easy, since the Tour of the Gila started in just three days.  Anyway the pace picked up a little after that, and I fell back but still finished fifth overall and first in my age group.

The next weekend was the La Tierra Torture, just outside Santa Fe. This used part of a really fun network of trails, twisting in and out of juniper and pinon trees and up and down hills and through arroyos, with some new technical singletrack added this year. The start was a little narrow, so we started at 2 minute intervals, making it harder to race with the young guys, but I still won my age group.

Oak Flats warm-up with Jerry Garcia

The third in three consecutive weekends of racing was Oak Flats, in the Manzano Mountains southeast of Albuquerque. My usual riding partner Jerry Garcia and I camped out near the course despite the possibility of rain. Race day turned out cool and dry, perfect racing conditions. I foolishly tried to adjust my disc brake just before the start, and ended up stripping a bolt and starting the race with my front caliper held on by only one bolt. Luckily it held together, and I finished first in age group, and Jerry won first overall Cat 1!

No more NMORS races for me until July, but winning the first four races of the season was a great start. Thanks to Stans NoTubes and all the other NoTubes Endurance Racing sponsors for a trouble free time.

I enjoy riding my mountain bike no matter what the trail or the conditions.  The unique thing about 12 Hours of Mesa Verde is that the Phil’s World trail system is one of the most fun courses you could possibly imagine.  Almost 100% flowly fast single track with short punchy climbs, and technical rocky sections.  The combination makes for one amazing ride on a single speed.

I have done this race for the past three years with a group of friends.  This year one of our friends had bronchitis and we decided to stick it out with a three person team and get some extra laps in, I’m very glad we did this.  I usually only get two laps and as my fitness has improved I want to get more mileage to push my limits.

My goal this year was to turn a lap under 1:20 as I have done 1:23 and 1:25 laps on the single speed last year.  This year I did the opening lap, albeit slower than I wanted due to traffic, it was still mileage and that’s training.

I decided that I’m going all out on my 2nd lap in order to achieve my goal.  My subconscious was telling me that it was going to be hard to reach my goal considering I had already done a 17ish mile lap semi-hard.  I approached the Rib Cage and noticed I had quite a bit of time left for a sub 1:20 lap, I decided to use up whatever I had left to reach my goal.  I raced in to the exchange area with a lap time of 1:17….goal reached and then some.

While I was out on the course I noticed a lot of people with flat tires. This reminded me that the last time I had put sealant in my single speeds tires was last years 12 Hours of Mesa Verde race! I stopped by the NoTube’s van where I found Kenny Wehn enjoying some well deserved rest after his super fast lap. I asked Kenny for an empty Stan’s sealant sample and he gladly obliged. I returned to the camp site, removed my valve stems, poured some of my sealant into the sample container and then dumped that into my wheels. I felt much better knowing I had some fresh Stan’s sealant in my wheels.

I enjoyed some well deserved rest and hung out for a little while with my 10 month old daughter Arya and my wonderful wife Heather who made me some very welcomed lunch!  My friends Terry and Kevin some of their best lap times in the past 3 years, everyone was excited to be racing and racing so well.

I went out for the teams 7th lap, during the first half of the lap I wasn’t feeling super strong.  I found my legs on the 2nd half and told myself I’m going to turn another sub 1:20, I did just that coming in @ 1:19.

It was absolutely amazing to do an extra lap and still destroy my previous PRs on my 2nd and 3rd laps.  I am feeling very strong and very happy with how far I’ve come in the past two years since I started taking cycling seriousl and joined the NoTubes Endurance Team.

Whiskey 50

I was looking forward to racing the Whiskey 50 for the past two years and finally decided this year was a go.  A week before the race we had a dust cloud roll through Durango and I ended up with the common cold.  I thought to myself, this is ok, you will be over this by race time.  It turns out that not only did I get a cold but I also had a stomach bug.  I felt much better Thursday before the race and decided to make a go of it, only when I got home to pack I felt terrible again.  Friday morning I felt amazing and drove to Prescott (7 hours), prepped my bike for Saturday morning and was excited to race.  Friday night the stomach issues returned and on Saturday morning there was no chance I was riding my bike 50′ let alone 50 miles.  I made the best of it and cheered friends on from Skull Valley.

One thing I noticed as I slowly walked around the venue and talked to friends, Stans wheels were everywhere!  The friends I was staying with race on the Epic Endurance cycling team and all of them were running Stans NoTubes wheels.  It was great to talk to them and hear stories about how these wheels saved their butts in races when they heard a hiss from their wheels only to see a little sealant seep out and the hissing disappear.

Sitting in Skull valley it was quite depressing watching others race the race I had waited so long for.   My thoughts were lightened when I saw Kenny Wehn coming down the road in 1st place sporting his NoTubes Elite Master’s jersey.  Joe Burtoni rode by in the same outfit with a huge smile on his face, was great to see him having such a great time.   My friend Kelly came through and was very happy with his performance so far, it’s always great to see fellow racers having a great race and a smile on their face.  I told myself, next year the smile will be on my face as well…packed up my stuff and headed back to my family to rest up and hopefully be ready for Gila.

 SRAM Tour of the Gila

I was very nervous about whether or not my body would be recovered for four days of road racing.  I dropped my bike off with Pete Shirk @ Cottonwood Cycles for some brand new tubeless rubber and to stitch a powertap into my Stans Alpha 340 wheelset that I had used for cycle-cross.  The guys at Cottonwood cleaned up my bike, stiched in the powertap, put the tires on and filled them with Stans Sealent and sent me on my way.  I stopped in ABQ to ride with a friend and do openers.  One thing I noticed right away was how much smoother my bike was riding with my new tubeless setup…on to Silver City, NM I went confident my bike was ready to perform…but was I?

Day 1: Road Race

I parked my truck, hopped out, noticed immediately the guy I parked next to was running Stans wheels.  I mentioned that I had just set mine up and hadn’t had much time to test them out, he said he has been running them for 2 years now without a single issue and absolutely loves them…great to hear!

The race started out on a downhill and then began to go up, I noticed that myself and two others were not with about 19 riders that had put a little bit of space on us on the first climb.  I told them if they want to catch the group they should grab my wheel now because I’m closing the gap….I did just that.  Ten minutes later I began to cramp, was it from putting out so much power and not warming up properly or was it from my lack of nutrition due to dropping 5lbs with a stomach bug?  I was able to maintain the pace of the main group, until the last of the climbing started.

I finished 16 minutes back on day 1 but I was just happy to be racing and not completely cramped up in a ball.

Day 2: Time Trial

I will keep this short, started feeling my legs trying to cramp only 12 minutes in.  The cramps combined with no aero made for one hard TT, winds were in my face going out and changed to stay in my face coming back…not cool.  The course included some very rough road which I just rolled over, my wheels did a great job even though I thought my bike would explode

Day 3: Criterium

My legs felt much better on Day 3 and had no signs of wanting to cramp, I held the corners great with slightly less pressure in my wheels for better corning (couldn’t have done that with the ole wheels and tubes).  My goal was to finish with the pack and not cramp so I could “roll” into day 4 strong…goal completed.  Finished with the group.

Day 4: The Gila Monster!!!!

I went into Day 4 very nervous.  This was the hardest stage of the race and I was going in fairly beat down.  3 days of racing, a week of being sick and only 2 days of recovery, I thought I may cramp or just explode into the nether.  It turns out that as the days went on my body was recovering, at this point I am fairly certain my cramps were due to my lack of nutrition from being sick.

The Gila Monster which I had thought would be very brutal to me, ended up putting the biggest smile on my face of the past two weeks (besides my beautiful wife and adorable daughter of course).  I raced with the group up past the copper mine and down NM152, our race was stopped for a few minutes while the Pro Peleton went flying by, up to the continental divide we went, I slowed down and grabbed a water bottle at the feed zone only to realize that in road racing anything goes and you will get dropped in the feed zone!  The feed zone was 20 yards from the top of the continental divide and the people who grabbed water first sprinted in order to drop those less fortunate.  A little disappointed, I tried to chase back.  Two groups had formed, one of about 12 riders in front and another of about 10 riders behind.  After 2 miles of chasing the 10 rider group and not gaining ground I decided to back off and save some energy for the long climb I had ahead….very glad I did that.  I also told myself that this is all training for USAC MTB Nationals, this calmed me down and made me enjoy the rest of the race.

I made it up the climb I thought I would explode on, went down through another valley and found a 2nd wind.  I climbed towards the finish line very strong..so I thought.  I approached the 200m sign and noticed a car coming behind me followed by 2 riders going quite fast, they cruised by me going up a steep hill, surely doing over 20mph and the crowd cheered.  These were the Master Men A’s racing to the finish.  I looked at the crowd next to me and with my keen sense of humor said, “Well whatever bear is chasing them, he isn’t chasing me.”  They all cracked up and I continued on…  I crossed the finish line, grabbed some hydration and a banana, telling myself.  ”I can’t wait until next year!”

Summary/Lessons Learned

You can train as hard as possible for months and end up not being able to take advantage of that training.  However, in the end if you put a smile on your face and remember you are out there for the fun of it you will never have a bad day.

Alison takes the win with me in second!

For the past couple of years David Wilson, Puzzler race director and my spouse, has been kicking around the idea of holding a trail run in conjuction with the Puzzler Mountain Bike Race.  This year a marathon and half-marathon were held the day before the mountain bike race and a dozen or so of us signed up for the Completely Insane:  marathon/50 mile mountain bike race!  I was excited by the challenge and curious as to how I would do riding less and running a lot.

Having a 2 1/2 year old kid is challenging but when trying to “train” for a long event it is often down right comical.  Weekdays are spent either pushing a jogging stroller or pulling a bike trailer and my passenger is not always in the mood to fly.  So, most of my rides are to a playground, park, or some other place where the little guy is able to get out and run free.  Weekends are spent out on the trails logging in some serious miles by foot and bike.  Not exactly ideal for optimal race fitness and speed but a heck of a lot of fun and I wouldn’t change it for the world.

To say the Puzzler Endurance weekend did not go exactly as planned is an understatement.  Due to an injury sustained at the half-way point in the run I was out on course for almost 2-hours longer than planned.  That was two less hours spent eating chips, pizza, tacos, cake, etc with my feet up.  When I finally limped across the finish line I thought my chances for even starting the mountain bike race the next day were slim to none.  I spent the next couple of hours stuffing my face with whatever food I could get my hands on and just before dark I decided to throw a leg over my bike and see if I could pedal.  It was not pretty but each pedal stroke became a little easier.  I contacted teammate Alison, who happens to be an orthopedic surgeon, and decided I would likely go for it.

Race day morning came too early and all the coffee in the world wasn’t enough to get me feeling the love for a long day in the saddle.  Alas, once I hopped on the saddle and the sun started to warm the air my mood changed and I knew it was going to be a beautiful day.  Since Alison and I had been riding on the weekends together I knew she was flying and extra motivated as she was deploying to Afganistan two weeks later.  She would be tough to beat.  The start was relatively calm.  There was no way I was going to push it, my legs were a wee bit tired.  After the first start loop we headed out the Lazy Cow mellow single track and I was riding behind some dude when I looked up and saw four deer cresting over a ridge.  Amazing.  I am not going to go deep into race details other than Alison passed me shortly there after and I knew I wouldn’t see her again till the taco truck at the finish.  I don’t know what I expected after running a marathon the day before, perhaps I was hoping I would be a little faster, but it doesn’t matter, I enjoyed the ride and went as fast as my legs would allow.  I was so greatful to be able to pedal,  the weather was perfect, and I love riding our trails.  Perhaps I shouldn’t have spent so much time in the feed zones, perhaps I shouldn’t have stopped to dole out Sports Legs to cramping racers, perhaps I shouldn’t have been going slow enough to notice the deer on the ridge, perhaps I shouldn’t have talked so much with the Canadian dude on the last loop, perhaps I should have had Dave put on some more chainrings up front, or whatever.  I was glad to finish and knew there was no way I was catching Alison.  She was flying.  Perhaps if I hadn’t run the day before I could have given her a better race.  Perhaps.  All that really matters to me is that I was able to push myself to my limits and I could have not done any more.  It was a beautiful day!

My bike worked flawlessly; no flats and no mechanicals.  For that, I have my own personal mechanic to thanks, Mr. Dave Wilson.  Of course I have to thank Dave for more than being my mechanic.  The race was awesome!  Dave, Brent, and DJ bust their butts to put it on and have everything run smoothly.  The trails keep getting better and better thanks to Franklin Mountain State Park, the volunteers, the crew at Bicycle Co, Robert Newman, and the BMBA.

Can’t wait to do it again next year!  Rummor has it the run is being bumped from a marathon to a 50K.  Now, that, will truly be INSANE!

Heading out for the last 15 mile loop.

The Southern New Mexico version of the Stan's Van in the early morning light, with some of the race terrain in the background.

The Puzzler is the toughest single day mountain bike event I’ve ever done. It isn’t just the 50 miles, and it isn’t even the 6200 feet of climbing, but the rocky techy bumpiness of almost all of those 50 miles saps your momentum and energy. But in my third time at this event I actually had a good time! I knew it was super long and hard and I needed to avoid blowing up, so I tried to ride it rather than race it. For a type-A guy like me that is pretty much impossible but it gave me a good excuse not to kill myself early.

Start line, Jerry Garcia in Zia Velo kit just ahead of me (face blurred by sun). Teammate Jennifer Wilson is to my right.

A mile or two of rolling jeep trail begins the 7.5 mile starting loop, and by the time we hit singletrack I was in 11th or so overall. We got hung up a little bit by the guy in 8th on the narrow climb, but then my riding buddy Jerry Garcia (yes that is his real name) and some guy from the Texas hill country passed him when the downhill opened up and and we settled into a rhythm. The three of us cruised through the start-finish and the twisty Lazy Cow section, but I had to stop when I hit a compression too hard and my seat nose tilted up towards the sky. I got it fixed quickly enough to avoid getting passed, since 10 miles in we were already spread out. On the long Mundy’s Gap climb I passed Jerry, and then passed another guy on the descent, before the nasty scree field. The loose, sharp, angular basketball-sized rocks are marginally ride-able by very good bike handlers, so I gave it a shot. Sometimes I make it through, but this time I got bounced way off my line by the tumbling rocks, lost my momentum, and then went over the bars. No major bike damage or broken bones, so I got up and ran a few dozen yards before anyone caught me, and by then the rock size was down to baby head size and I rode the rest.

After a short paved downhill through the developed portion of Franklin Mountains State Park on the west side, no need to stop at feed zone #1, I chased Santiago Chavez through the endless short climbs in and out of countless arroyos, He pulled away, but I occasionally glimpsed a guy behind me, which kept me motivated and moving. At feed zone #2, just before the Hitt Canyon climb, I stopped, found my bag (brought over by race volunteers) and replaced my empty Camelback, arm-warmers and skull-cap with fresh water and gel bottles. I tried and failed as usual to count all the switchbacks up Hitt, but kept it steady up and over the top. Then you think you can take a break, but that is just a fantasy because you undulate up and down along the side of the mountains, on terrain that is more rock than dirt, for miles upon rugged miles. It was almost a relief to climb backwards over the same ridge that  is part of the first 7.5 mile loop, just to know that part of the punishment was over.

Going out for the last 15 miles, after feed zone #3.

At the final feed zone at the start-finish line, I grabbed a gel bottle and a small Camelback (and a kiss, which surprised everyone) from my wife Penny for the last 15 mile section. I learned last year that one bottle wasn’t enough for this rough and rugged section as the day warmed, and that 50 oz Camelback was just right, especially since the Sotol forest section is so rough it is hard to use a bottle. I kept seeing my pursuer, who would get really close before I would go hard and gap him. After Sotol was more jeep-trail climbing, followed by a welcome downhill. Then I cursed the organizers when they threw in the Muleshoe, a solid but rough rock gnarly section. Finally got through that, onto mostly downhill singletrack, but in the middle of it on a short steep climb I started to cramp.

With ten miles to go, I just tried to spin and avoid cramping as we finished that singletrack downhill and began the gradual Tin Mine road climb. He caught me just as we turned off for more singletrack, getting right on my wheel with 5 miles to go when I flubbed a technical step-up. But I knew this section from multiple laps at the 12 Hours of El Paso in October, and I think he blew up because I pulled away for good. After that I kept hoping at each trail junction we could turn downhill for home, and eventually we got to the fast twisty but relatively smooth Mad Cow, and I knew I just had to keep it smooth and upright.

I was so mentally exhausted I thought the big white food tent was the finish line, and got yelled and laughed at before rolling over to the start-finish line. I was elated to find out that I was the first Cat-1 finisher, not just in my (old) age group but overall!

With Santiago Chavez after the race (no I never caught him).

The water, beer, food and live music at the finish was fantastic. The Bicycle Company and all the El Paso volunteers really throw good races, and the unique trophy plaques with old bike parts glued to big rocks are great mementos.

When I checked my Stan’s Race Gold Wheels on a truing stand a few days later, I was amazed they were still perfect despite the punishment! Thanks for the fantastic equipment and support.

Tijeras, NM

The weekend starts at a frenetic pace.  This is the first weekend my wife and new baby are traveling with me to a race.  It’s also the weekend we are going to our 10 year high school reunion.   To top it off my brother has dropped by to visit and he’s traveling with us. Our vehicle can barely fit all the baby gear, bike gear, and food we’ve committed to bringing to the 10 year reunion potluck.  We pack everything up and head out for our first long trip with our little girl, fingers crossed.  It turns out traveling with an 11 week old baby makes things take a little longer and we get into Albuquerque about 2 hours later than normal.

Early Saturday morning a friend and fellow NM racer, Ken Gauthier, is kind enough to show me around the race loop.  Since I had to start very early to be able to fit the pre-ride into the weekend, Ken skipped breakfast to come meet me.  We do one loop and while Ken catches up on breakfast I do another.

I can’t quite put into words how crazy the weekend was but when race
day arrived I was ready for the calm of singletrack.

As the race kicks off I fall in behind Jacob Gonzales, and stay there until just before the first short hard climb and he lets me around.  I race with Mike McCalla, Damian Calvert and a Zach Shriver until about halfway through the second lap and then I drop my chain.  I put it back on and chase hard and finally catch back on at the road section, then I drop my chain again!  Again I put it on and crank hard and finally see Mike and Damian at the bottom of the last climb before the finish of the third lap, just before the last turn to the finish line on the road I drop my chain AGAIN! I’m really upset at this point so I try to put my emotion into my pedals, but I feel my back end wash out and realize my tire is low and have to stop to refill it (luckily it holds for the rest of the race).  Zach comes by me as I’m refilling and we have a pretty good race for the last half of the last lap.  I get to see some friends a couple times while I’m getting on and off and on and off my bike, which is a silver lining, and I get to see a good friend Javier Soliz just at the end as I finish 3rd (and last).  So overall it was a pretty frustrating race for me since it seemed like I had the legs to at least contend but my bike didn’t cooperate.

After the race I get to eat delicious cupcakes and hang out with Phil Simpson who won his category, way to Phil!  I also get to take my little girl around to meet all my racing compatriots.

Results for BTSS can be found here http://www.nmcycling.org/results/?action=GetRaceById&id=251

Keep Crankin’

David Vaughn

Silver City, NM

It’s Saturday morning, 2:18 am, and I’m so wound up about this race I’m not even close to sleep, its my first in the pro category.  I had a beautiful baby girl on June 18th and haven’t raced since late May.   I slide out of bed and wander around the house until 4 am then hop in the car and head for Silver, I’m supposed to meet a friend for a pre-ride at 10:30, and I don’t like being late so I just go.  As I’m driving through Guadalupe National Park I get to watch the Perseid meteor shower, which is amazing.  Out of the darkness 8-10 deer appear, one of them is a sizable buck and they are right at the edge of the road.  Just as dawn is breaking and I’m going past the border checkpoint outside of El Paso, Saving Abel’s “Bringing Down the Giant” comes on, I get psyched up.  I roll into the signal peak parking lot and wait, It’s 9:20 and as usual I’m way to early. My Friend rolls up about 9:50 and we pre-ride the entire big loop in just over 2 hours, only getting lost twice.  I’m already discouraged because he easily pulled away from me on the fast downhill single track and on the downhill road portion and I was going as fast as I could manage.  My friend brought down an 29er that I’m looking at buying (and did), and we end up going out for another ride, so I can test ride it, just a short hour loop on some local trails.  I crash immediately into the mattress when we get back and sleep soundly until the next morning.

five…four…three….two…one….go!  this is it, I’ve missed this more than I thought.  We start the race climbing up a technical jeep road that’s been washed out pretty bad.  My Coach talked to me about strategy for this and basically it’s this, don’t waste all your energy early, this is a long race and you’ll need it.  Damian Calvert immediately takes the lead, then Mike McCalla, then me.  We climb the steep section at a good pace, and at the top we’re still together, a junior named Pablo Fernandez is with us.  We continue to climb and climb and climb, Mike and Damian are taking turns setting the pace and I’m just holding on, at some point Pablo drops off and it’s just three.  Near the top.  Damian accelerates up a steep rocky section of road and I can’t hold on, him and Mike put a 10 second gap on me as we hit the singletrack at the top.  Then I drop my chain.  ”Well, that was a good race while
it lasted” I think and put my chain back on.  I ride alone focusing on being as fast as I can without wasting energy.  I catch one of my friends from the Melo Velos and get an energy boost when she says they’re 18 seconds ahead.  About 10 minutes later I catch Mike, he’s walking, and he’s pretty upset because he got a flat, sidewall tear.  I keep riding and now I’m trying to maintain the maximum pace I think I can sustain for the rest of the race.  After the a significant two track climb, as I’m descending a loose road I see Damien ahead, maybe 40 seconds.  I can’t believe I’ve caught back up!  I continue to chase him and think maybe I’ve lost it when I have to get off and walk on a very steep section of the smaller loop, but then I see Damian riding back towards me, he’s not sure if he missed a turn.  I haven’t seen any markers so I just keep riding and Damian passes me again before we hit a rocky
loose descent that dumps you out on pavement just before the start/finish line.  He puts a pretty good gap on me in the descent.  Damian maintains his gap as we start the second lap.  I’m starting to feel gassed and my mental
functions aren’t very sharp so as I go through to start the second lap I grab a bottle that looks like mine, except someone has taken some steps to try and differentiate it, electrical tape and a plastic cap.  I can’t understand why someone would mess with my bottle like that so I pick it up and start to put it into my cage, then I see my real bottle and put the impostor back.  Damian is nearly halfway up the climb  now and I push hard to catch back on.   We ride together all the way to the red rock climb again, then my hamstrings both give a signal I dread, muscles twitching and threatening to seize.  I have to back off and let him go.  Amazingly the feeling goes away in about a
minute and I started pushing hard again.  I catch back on just as we turn a corner and the trail splits into a high section and a low section, Damian takes the low section.  Something in me just says “GO!”
and I jam on my pedals and take the high section and don’t stop until I’m descending the loose road portion again.  I come up on another Melo Velo on a very steep section that I have to walk, at this point I’m nearly
delirious with exhaustion.   One final scary moment comes when on the final descent I dropped my chain again!  I think, “you’ve lost it now, he’ll come flying by you any second”, but I stop and fix it and he never comes.  I hit the pavement and let everything I have pour into my legs to the finish line.  It’s my first pro race and I just won!  I’m in shock.

After the race I get a chance to hang out with fellow NoTubes teammate Phil Simpson who also won his Category (Cat 1 50-59), way to go Phil!

Getting to this point has taken a lot of hard work and would not have been possible without my Coach Mike McCalla of humanpowercoaching (who had bad luck in the race), and the support of my friends and family.

Results should be coming soon and will likely be found on http://www.nmcycling.org/

Cheers,

David Vaughn

Fast flowy singletrack, amazing scenery...89 degrees!

XC race #1 on the New Mexico Off Road Series was a great day for NoTubes Endurance Racing, and a great start to the 2012 racing season….which initially did not seem to be off to a good start for me.  Early in Febuary, after putting in a hard effort at winter training, I found myself missing out on the Kona 24 Hours In The Old Pueblo going for a 3rd victory as solo single speed.  Instead, I laid in a hospital bed with an abdominal incision longer than Texas is wide!  I thought it might be a kidney stone….but no…a twisted large intestine requiring emergent surgery and removal…..you have got to be joking!  Why, I asked?  Too many mtb rides down bumpy jeep roads, bad luck?  Who knows.  2 months later, 3 weeks back on the bike, time to race, or at least get in a long training ride.  Cannot say I was not nervous about the outcome, but gotta start somewhere. My husband teammate Alan and Phil were there to pick up the pieces, I just needed to stay away from landing in anything sharp and potentially unfriendly in case of a sudden launch, and it would be a good day.

Women's Pro podium....happy to be there, great job Notubes Elite Nina and Jen!

I was happy to start with Notubes Elite rider Nina, and our very talented pro rider from the local area, Jen Wilson. I thought, I will just have fun, hang on as long as possible and stay out of trouble. So, I did, and had great fun…..ok so it hurt a little, that’s racing. At the point of the final extra short lap, I rode Nina’s wheel to the feedzone, Jen just up ahead, with a huge crowd at the feedzone my bottle was somehow lost in the shuffle, I stopped, looked around, thought about taking any bottle anyone might offer…when finally it was discovered behind a mass of people at the back of a table. At that point, I could only watch as Nina flew up the final climb and put it into high gear to catch Jen who was ahead. I was happy to feel fresh enough to hang in there and happily came in just a few minutes behind Jen.Nina, like a rocket was  few minutes ahead of  Jen. Great job Nina! Despite feeling my post surgical discomfort, I was relieved to know I was recovered enough to make it through the race and still be on the podium with a respectable time. Yes sore, abdominal incisons are not a joy ride, but…..definitely let me know:  never give up, take the time to heal, and then get back to what you love!

Men's Masters podium a 1st and 2nd!!!!!

As for the guys, Phil and Alan can tell their own story, but two of the fastest Master racers I know went head to head for most of the race until a flat caught Phil. 1st and 2nd is amazing, great job guys! Way to rocket…literally!

Sun Valley, Idaho

    Mount Baldy Ski Resort has some of the most amazing mountain biking in the US and is the site for the 2012 Mountain Bike Nationals.  Traveling to Sun Valley from Durango was an epic drive, but well worth it to attend nationals and get a taste of the SV single track.  I had been waiting for this weekend all season, so the legs were ready to rock!  The STXC took off on Thursday for the Cat 1 women at 2 pm in the heat of the day.  I was so ready to race, nothing was about to slow me down.  The course encircled the River Run Lodge, then took us out towards the parking lot, up a small climb, down a fun descent, through aspens with quick rocky sections, and then returning to the pavement by the lodge.  It was a great spectator event for everyone!  My legs felt awesome, but my race start wasn’t as memorable.  I was close to the back at the start, but eagerly started passing girls on the first lap.  I just kept passing people until I rolled into 3rd place and was able to hold onto it.  The course was a blast!  I was having so much fun riding, I never noticed how hard it was to breathe.  I was grinning bigger every lap.  Having family and Durango friends screaming for me was the best part!  The 20 min plus 3 laps was definitely  too short, of course.  I am very happy with my 3rd place finish and getting to stand on the podium was the best part of it all!

   The Women’s Cat 1 XC Race began on Saturday at 10:45am with the 30-34′s starting first out on the amateur 10 mile loop.  I was so psyched we were doing the loop instead of the Pro course with its multiple loops.  We circled the lodge and did the ST course once then headed out onto the bike path for a couple miles.  There were 5 of us in the lead group once we hit the dirt road by the hospital and started climbing.  The road then turned to climbing doubletrack that continued up and up to the first lift then turned left onto shaded singletrack.  The climb up to this point was steep and in the sun, so I was making sure to pace and not blow up at the beginning of this 9.5 mile climb to the top.  I was able to pass a couple girls on the way up this never ending spectacular climb up Baldy’s ski runs.  Every bend you rode around opened up to amazing views and continuous climbing that never seemed to end.  I just kept my head down and hammered as hard as I could, trying to eat and drink as much as possible.  Finally reaching the top and the first feed zone, I took a deep breath and began my descent into the aspens.  The shaded singletrack was a relief for my mind and legs.  I was so pumped to ride some downhill.  Descending to the base, I had a couple close calls in loose switchbacks, but only one crash.  I was able to pass 3 people on the way to the finish and was behind 2nd place by 20 sec.  Overall, I felt super strong today for my A race of the season and proud to stand on the podium in 4th place.

Results can be found here: http://www.usacycling.org/results/?permit=2012-21 

Thanks to all my  awesome Stan’s NoTubes teammates for their support and Lynda Wallenfels at LW Coaching for her efforts in helping me to be the best I can be this season!

Brianne Marshall

The Crested Butte Bike Week and Wildflower Rush 2012

The Crested Butte Bike Week is the longest running bike festival in the US and has been going on for 25 years!  This is my second year attending the few days of crazy costumes, chainless world championships, 24 hr townie rides, and everything from super D to cross country racing for the Mountain States Cup Wild Flower Rush.  Dana and I made the trek to the coolest mountain town in Colorado just to race Fat Tire 40, which happened on Saturday, June 223rd.  Those who haven’t raced the 40 are never warned about it’s difficulty.  Mountain States Cup doesn’t describe that this course takes you across some of the toughest single track in the west.  It’s a short 40 miles through high country meadows and aspen groves, but once you’re done, you realize there’s no comparison.

We started the race at the base of Crested Butte Mountain Resort with a neutral pace car that lead us a mile to where the singletrack began, and then it was on.  After racing in Crested Butte before, I knew how the altitude can affect your performance.  It was hard to hold back at the start, but I knew my legs would thank me later in the race.  The course circled us clockwise around the base of Mt. Crested Butte through aspens, skunk cabbage, and sparse flowers, until we reached the base area of the resort, entirely on singletrack.  We followed the Upper Upper trail across the front side of Mt. Crested Butte once more over very technical terrain of rocks, roots, and bottlenecks of racers.  Brush Creek road greeted us and we were headed for the infamous Deer Creek climb, but Strand Hill had to be ridden first.  The climb up Stand was a brutal steep dirt road that rewarded us with an amazing downhill that never seemed to end.  The stream crossing at the bottom is always a nice spot for a dip before the first aide station.  Thanks to all the wonderful volunteers for their cheering and support to keep us moving or I’m sure more people would’ve called it quits at this point.

Deer Creek is a grunt of a climb on the back side of Mt. Crested Butte.  A tame dirt road climbed from the aide station #1, leading us  to a grueling, steep, loose, hike-a-bike.  I’m sure plenty of people with third lungs were able to ride this portion of Deer Creek.   I chose to hike most of the climb and most people in front of me were hiking, too.  Hiking was just as difficult as we topped out at over 10,300 ft.  The views from the top of Deer Creek were spectacular and well worth the sufferfest.  The descent into the Gothic valley was a blast, but it wasn’t without a few more tough climbs in 80 degree heat, breathing in the dust from the person in front of you.  Aide Station #2 sat right at the junction of Gothic Road, thankfully, with many a racer out of water like I was.   The climb out of Gothic, which is a summer research station of old cabins, was the beginning of the end of the race.  Once we topped out climbing on Gothic Road, a few miles later, we headed up the backside of the resort on some twisting singletrack through shaded aspens and skunk cabbage.  Just when you thought the climbing would never end, our long descent began down the front side of the ski area.  We continued to descend for what seemed like forever, until the super D course, then finally, the finish.  The 40 is the most epic cross country course of the MSC series and no one understands until they race it.  The course had 7500 feet of climbing in 40 miles on some of the most amazing single track in Colorado.

Props to Dana Shinn for climbing like a wild woman and letting me catch her on the descents!  We had an awesome day in the saddle together in one of my favorite places to ride a bike on earth.

Results are posted here: http://www.racemsc.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=61&Itemid=116&func=event&eventid=36&year=2012

Brianne Marshall

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Race updates

By Walt Axthelm

6/12/2012

My 2012 road season started OH too soon after the National Cyclocross  in Madison WI at the end of January. My 1^st road event was a qualifier for the National Senior Games to be held in Cleveland, OH on July 21-August 1 2013. This event was the Arizona Senior Games held in Chandler, AZ., on March 3^rd & 4^th  they field 4 events a 5 & 10k Time Trial and a 20 & 40k Road Race.  My results where 1^st in both the 5 & 10k Time Trial, a 3^rd in the 20k & a 2^nd in the 40k Road Race in the 75-79 age division.

My next event was the Iron Horse Classic held in Durango CO on May 26^th, 27^th & 28^th in this event I raced in the 65+ age division as that is as high as they go (those young kids). In this event I earned a 7^th in the Road Race, a 4^th in Criterium, a 4^th in the Time Trial and a 3^rd in the Omnium.

The event that I just finished was The Rocky Mountain Senior Games held in Greeley CO on June 9^th & 10^th, this is also a qualifier for the National Senior Games. This event went well even with the weather, on Saturday the temp was running around 95 degs with mild wind but on Sunday we had the smoke from the forest fire as well as cross winds with gusts of 30-35 mph which made the Time Trial a little testy. They run the same format as in Arizona, things went well with 1^st in 5 -10k Time Trial and 1^st in the 20-40k Road Race.

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Teva Mountain Games – Vail, CO

By Dana Shinn

6/3/2012

Vail ain’t bad! My first time ever in this mountain town was pretty fun. Kudos to Teva for putting on a very well organized event. I was quite impressed with every part of my experience there, including registration, the schwag bag, and prompt and accurate results reporting.

My 15-year-old son and I both raced cross country at the same time. I’m so blessed to be able to share the experience of racing with him. We have a lot of fun together. It was a classic ski area course with a steep climb and fast descent.  Once again, my Orbea Alma 29er and Stan’s ZTR Race Gold wheels came through for me. In the end, he finished strong in 7th place in the super tough Jr Expert category and I finished 1st in the Expert Masters Women category.

The morning after the cross country race, I did the road time trial up Vail Pass. Hundreds of racers entered this 9.75 mile suffer fest with about 1,5000′ of climbing. I entered the Open Women’s category along with many super strong and talented pros. Time trials are always so painful but fun for those of us twisted enough to consider pain like this fun. I felt pretty good with my 13th place finish among such a tough field of women.

Once I was done, I rushed back to my kids, drove them to camp in Estes Park, and then drove all the way home to Durango. 11 hours of driving is so much more exhausting than racing. Then back to my day job bright and early Monday morning. Whew!

It’s looking like I’m going to have to take a break from racing for a bit. Our team doesn’t have funding to help pay for travel and/or race entry fees and as a single mom I’m just not able to afford it all. With my son’s energy and talent for racing, I want to put him first and help him race as much as I can. So I’m going to shift my perspective for a while and enjoy the many local riding opportunities around Durango. I’d be happy to work for and market any quality businesses interested in offering cash sponsorship. Send an email to notubesenduranceracing@gmail.com and get your business name out at the races!

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Soul sisters in the Iron Horse Bicycle Classic

By Dana Shinn

5/28/2012

Dana & Caitlyn after finishing 1st & 2nd in the Iron Horse Cat 2 Women's Mountain Bike race

After much anticipation, Iron Horse Bicycle Classic weekend has come to a close for racers in Durango. Caitlyn McCullough and I united for a team effort in both the Women’s Pro/1/2/3 road race and Cat 2 mountain bike race on Saturday and Sunday. We trained hard over the winter and spring for this as our first big race of the season. Caitlyn was familiar with the dynamics of the peleton in the road race since she has been a Cat 2 racer for some time. I was not. Last year, I shocked myself with a win in the Masters 35-44 category so I thought I’d give the Pro/1/2/3 race a shot this year. I anticipated a faster rollout with attacks and counter attacks. This didn’t happen. I waited nervously for almost 25 miles while the group spent much time just chatting. With Coalbank Pass being one of the steepest and most difficult climbing sections in the race, the attack finally launched around 27 miles in with 20 miles to go. Caitlyn and I both dug deep to stick to the Pro women’s wheels but we just didn’t have the early season racing under our belts as they do. So the race turned into individual time trials for many of us. We put our heads down, dug deep, and climbed our way up to 10,910’ atop Molas Pass. I had the unfortunate luck of dropping my chain at one point which allowed another racer to pass me. I couldn’t worry about it. Sometimes things don’t go perfectly. Caitlyn and I were out of sight of each other during the final 20 miles but were closer than we thought. In the end, we finished 6^th & 7^th among the Cat 2/3 women and only 36 seconds apart.

The Iron Horse is our hometown race where locals often place emphasis on overall time and not always race finish placement. Our race group’s overall time this year was slower than usual due to the casual nature of the pack for the first half of the race. In the future, I hope to be able to have the opportunity to race and work in a group that can increase the speed in the first half of the race and finish sooner. Since I’m new to this level of racing, I wasn’t confident enough to try to initiate the push. My goal for upcoming races is to start to try to build that confidence, maybe take chances, and see if I can push the pace. Road racing has many details and intricacies. One doesn’t generally become a high level racer overnight. It often takes years of experience, fine tuning, intense focus, discipline, grit and hard work. I commend the talented women that took the podium in this race. They gracefully executed a high degree of professionalism in the sport. I learn from every race and this one was no exception.

The mountain bike race on Sunday was not nearly as serious. It felt like a different sport. Caitlyn and I lined up with about 12 other women in downtown Durango. The course included 2 laps of steep climbs, fast descents, maze-like single track, and a flyover above the crit course. The whole town came out to watch energetically. The race started with a road section before hitting the trail and Caitlyn and I used our road legs to sprint to the front. We assumed our positions in 1^st and 2^nd at the beginning of the steep and loose single track. We dismounted our bikes and ran up the hill cyclocross-style. We then powered up and around the course in a way that kept both of us smiling throughout the race. In the end, I finished 1^st and Caitlyn 2^nd with what we think was once again less than a minute between us. A great day for the NoTubes Endurance Racing girls for sure.

A good friend of ours told Caitlyn and I recently that we’re cut from the same sacred mold. We just met last year and started training together this year. We’re finding that we’re more alike and suited for racing together than we ever thought we could be. Brianne Marshall, our mountain and cyclocross teammate has also become a great friend and strong contributor to the team. I’m so grateful and happy to have found such wonderful friends with whom I can share this sport that I love so much.

Stay tuned for my race report from the Teva Mountain Games XC race and road time trial June 2nd & 3rd. This will be my first time ever in Vail, CO. Wheeee!_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Belated spring report

by Dana Shinn

May 2012

I’ve bumped into a few people lately that have asked where I’ve been and what’s been up since I haven’t been at some of the usual early season races. I’m also terrible about writing blog posts (working on changing that).  After cyclocross season ended in mid-January, I took a little break before hitting my coach’s prescribed high volume low intensity base training. I rode thousands of easy miles during February and March. I used to think that I would loathe long easy hours but I actually found it pretty enjoyable. My metabolism felt like it was ticking faster than ever and I was able to eat all day long which was fun (albeit expensive due to my organic and gluten-free food choices). By the end of March, I felt strong and raring to go fast.

Chuck Hoffmann (runner), Brad Caldwell (swimmer), Dana Shinn (cyclist)

I haven’t been able to travel due to my kids, job & finances so I’ve tried to make the best of the local scene. My first race was the time trial leg of Fort Lewis College’s Tri the Rim. I teamed up with two friends; one swimmer and one runner. We proudly finished 1^st in the overall team category and my TT time was 3^rd overall. Fast is fun

The next weekend was Fort Lewis College’s Squawker Classic. Caitlyn and I teamed up in the Open Women’s stage race. We had some fierce competition from some other local women which made things fun and challenging. My results were 2^nd in the TT, 3^rd in the road race, and 2^nd in the crit. Caitlyn finished strong just behind me at 3^rd in the TT, 4^th in the road race, and 3^rd in the crit. Both of us were just ramping up without spring stage races under our belts like the other women so we agreed that this was good training and recognized that we want to extend our season a little later this year which means maybe not killing it early on.

My plan all spring was to race in the Pro/1/2 category at the Tour of the Gila. Due to unfortunate life circumstances (related to time and money), I just couldn’t make it happen. I was super disappointed because I truly wanted to use that race as a 5-day quality training camp to help launch me into my racing season. In an effort to make the best of it, I moved on to the mountain bike, and oh, what a fun move that was! After waiting several weeks to get all the parts for my new Orbea Alma 29er, I picked it up the night before the Alien Run mountain bike race outside of Aztec, NM. I hadn’t been on a trail since September but I wanted to head down to this super fun race sponsored by one of our great sponsors Cottonwood Cycles. My 15-year-old son and I both raced. I entered the expert 35-44 Women’s category and he entered the sport 15-18 junior Men’s category. We both finished 1^st in our categories and I only ended up with one black and blue arm. Not bad and a whole lotta fun!

Next up, Iron Horse Bicycle Classic May 26^th & 27^th.

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24 Hours in the Old Pueblo 2012

by Phil Simpson

The Stan’s NoTubes/Weapons of Ass Destruction Team was out for revenge. We were 2^nd last year, after winning the Coed 200+ Category in 2008, 2009 and 2010. But we lost our fastest rider, Ben Sonntag, and then his replacement pulled out just two weeks before the race. Luckily uber-fast marathon specialist Mike McCalla agreed to join us! Our other fast guy (and runner) was Kenny Wehn, returning for the second year. Dave Million, Shannon Gibson (World Cyclocross Masters Champion 2012!) and Phil Simpson (yours truly) were the rest of the team, as we have been more years than I can count.

We had a great time before the race, camping and hanging out with the fast Stan’s Elite Women’s team, including new members Sue Haywood, Jenny Smith and Sarah Kaufman and their guest rider, Susan DeMattei.  She was the featured guest at the dedication dinner, and we were honored to be a part of the celebration of her career and continuing contributions to mountain biking.

Pro Cycling photographer Dave McElwaine took these pre-race pictures. Front: Sarah Kaufman, Jenny Smith, Shannon Gibson, Sue Haywood. Rear: Dave Million, Kenny When, Mike McCalla, Phil Simpson

The course and weather were perfect this year, which was a big relief after the nasty wind and rain last year. The course was extra smooth and a little tacky, making the twisty single track extra fun. All of us were on Stan’s tubeless 29ers, and those were crucial to maintaining speed on this fast and cactus-strewn circuit.

Phil on first lap, photo courtesy of Dave McElwaine.

We soon found ourselves with a nice lead, enough that it wasn’t quite consumed by Dave Million’s 20-minute nighttime mechanical. Fast, consistent riding throughout the night and morning pulled us ahead of the 33 other teams in our category.

At the end of the race, it became obvious that unless we had a catastrophe the win was ours. But we wanted our revenge to be as complete as possible, so we (ok, really just Shannon) worked hard to make sure we could get an extra lap. She turned a fast 1:12:13, finishing at 11:58:49, so I could get a final lap (#22) to put us two laps up.

We were among the strongest teams overall, fast enough to win most categories and we would have been 4^th in the very competitive (130 team) 4 men open division.

We keep getting faster as a team, adding a lap most years, so here’s to 23 in 2013!

Shannon after her last fast lap to run up the score (courtesy of Dave McElwaine)

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9th Annual Whiskey Off-Road

by Brianne Marshall

April 2012

I have always wanted to do the Whiskey 50 endurance mountain bike race in the mountains of Prescott, AZ.  The weather was perfect, sunny, clear, 50′s at the start.  I didn’t get a chance to preride the course, which seemed daunting considering it was 50 long miles, but I always love a challenge!

The Pro’s raced a crit on the streets of Prescott on Friday night, which was very entertaining to watch.  Mountain bikes on pavement did not look very fun to me, but the spectators running around in speedo’s changed that.  Most people put slicks on their bikes to make the crit more tolerable.  There was a monster climb at the beginning of the course that looked like one from San Francisco, long and super steep.  Georgia Gould and Kelly Emmett acted like it wasn’t even there and hammered up it every time with huge smiles on there faces.  They make everything look so easy!

The Pro’s had a day off on Saturday, while the amateurs raced the 50 bright and early.  I was raring to go at 5am and so excited to finally get on the bike after too much travel.  The Whiskey loves and supports it’s singlespeeders.  They were called to the front for the start to lead out the race in style.  We started at 0730 with what began the long grunt up a long road climb for 4 miles to the dirt.  With people surrounding you the entire time, you don’t really realize how steep and long the first climb is.  We were at the dirt faster than I thought and then the singletrack began and so did the bottlekneck.  No worries, this is a great time to get to know your competitors as you walk up beautiful trail, one by one.  Most of the people I was riding with were on singlespeeds, which has sparked my interest.  How do they do that?  Legs and lungs of steal.  Can I get some of those, please?

The first 25 miles were awesome ups and downs on epic singletrack with a few forrest roads at the end, from what I remember.  I was so pumped to be on my bike.  I tried to take in the incredible views at the top of the first main climb, but the pace was pretty fast, so I decided to focus in on the loose downhill ahead of me.  Once I got to the first aid station, my legs finally felt warm, and then the huge 12 mile descent into Skull Valley began.  I am told the race doesn’t start until you turn it around at the base of the valley.  It was a blast descending watching fellow Durangotangs, Chad and Kenny looking strong, hammering back up the climb.

The second aid station at the base of Skull Valley was a quick 30 sec stop for pickle juice and more Heed, then it was back on the bike to climb.  My legs definitely didn’t want to push back up that hill and it was tough trying to get them to wake up.  It had started to get hot, which made this climb, with its steep dirt road grade, switchbacks, and rollers, very difficult.  I was so happy to pop out at the aide station, then the climbing continued for another half hour.  What a grunt, but the views of the mountains from the road were worth the continuous climbing!

The last 10-15 miles of the Whiskey were a blast.  Once we finished the brutal never-ending climb out of the valley, “Cramp Hill” revealed itself at the exact time I started to cramp.  I never cramp!  There I was, cramping and saying, “No, no, no!,” but that didn’t help.  So, I got off my bike and walked for a bit, then got back on and did some easy spinning to the top of Cramp Hill, and thankfully the cramps quit.  I know my fueling throughout the race was right on target.  No bonking here!  The rest of the glorious singletrack was downhill with cooling creek crossings, supportive spectators, and lots of smiles.  Once I hit the road, I knew I had a few more miles to the finish, so I started to push.  The finish was in town by the “Back to the Future” town hall with lots of cheering bike crazy people.  What an amazing race!  I placed 5th in the Women’s Open and can’t wait to come back next year.  Thanks to all the volunteers, aide stations, and search and rescue, who made the race possible.  I will definitely be back next year with new and improved endurance hill climbing legs.  Thanks to Stan’s Notubes for keeping me flat free for the entire race!

http://www.epicrides.com/results/worresults/WOR_2012_am.html

Brianne Marshall

High Altitude Classic XC, Race Promotion, NoTubes Demos, and Podiums

Clearing trail that had been covered by years of deadfall.The High Altitude Classic XC Race was our first Race Promotion effort as a team for NoTubes Endurance Racing at 9000 feet in the National Forest around Cloudcroft, NM. And it was a blast!After weeks of work with logistics, course clearing, and log removal, race weekend finally arrived. We planned two days of demos of NoTubes technology and a special prize at the awards: we donated a CREST 29er wheelset to one lucky Cat 2 or Cat 3 podium finisher to recognize the up and coming sport and beginner riders that frequent the New Mexico Off-Road Series races. It seemed the wheelset was the high point of the race. Even Cat 1 and Pro racers were turning in their cash prizes for a chance at the wheelset!Pro Women chilling at the start line.

The race delivered all that was promised. The course was an 8+ mile lap race full of twisty singletrack, breathless rocky climbs and a super fast downhill singletrack section just to keep it fun. At 9,000 feet, everything changes. I and 3 other team members raced the event after helping with set-up, course flagging, and, as crazy as it sounds, from 5:30 in the morning until heading to the start line, I found myself hanging signs for the awards ceremony and adding additional flagging to the course. Not to mention the 18 hour prep the day prior. Alan, Phil and Jen were hauling easy-ups to the start/finish from our demo area, setting up for the post race demo and making certain the beer was on ice for the post race party. Hard work, but great fun. Team work!!!!! I reminded myself and my teammates: we are here to represent – do not worry about the race – just have fun out there!

It turned out the four of us were 1 an 2 in the Pro women’s podium and the Masters men…Wow!

NoTubes is 1st and 2nd in Men's Masters.

NoTubes takes the Women's Pro podium.

The post race demo was a huge turn out and we gave tons of 2 oz bottles of Stans to the crowd, but just did not seem to have enough. Phil did his famous tire puncture demo with huge nails and showed the amazing sealant properteies of Stan’s sealant. We answered questions, gave away a few prizes and awarded a 1 quart bottle of sealant to the rider with the most grueling race crash story.

The phenomenal end to a great race and the NoTubes Demos was the drawing for the wheelset. It was clearly the most coveted award of the race. It had been a totally amazing idea to give it to a sport or beginner rider. Todd Sadow of Epic Rides and 24 HITOP had once told me that those were the riders most important to each and every event…..now I get what he meant.

A jubilant Fernanda Polanco (far right), Cat 2 Junior, celebrates winning the wheelset giveaway with her family.

I was given the honor of drawing the winner. The crowd was intensely quiet…what a moment!…and the wheelset went to a junior female rider who came with her family from Mexico for the race: Fernanda Polanco. She was so excited! It was amazing to do something so special for someone. Her family even came up and asked to take a picture with me handing her her wheel set. WOW!!!

A great weekend of giving back….we finally packed up and left for home sometime after dark…tired, but feeling good about a successful race with proceeds donated to the American Cancer Society.

Notubes Endurance Racing Rocks the Coyote Classic XC Race

Fast flowy singletrack, amazing scenery...89 degrees!

XC race #1 on the New Mexico Off Road Series was a great day for NoTubes Endurance Racing, and a great start to the 2012 racing season….which initially did not seem to be off to a good start for me.  Early in Febuary, after putting in a hard effort at winter training, I found myself missing out on the Kona 24 Hours In The Old Pueblo going for a 3rd victory as solo single speed.  Instead, I laid in a hospital bed with an abdominal incision longer than Texas is wide!  I thought it might be a kidney stone….but no…a twisted large intestine requiring emergent surgery and removal…..you have got to be joking!  Why, I asked?  Too many mtb rides down bumpy jeep roads, bad luck?  Who knows.  2 months later, 3 weeks back on the bike, time to race, or at least get in a long training ride.  Cannot say I was not nervous about the outcome, but gotta start somewhere. My husband teammate Alan and Phil were there to pick up the pieces, I just needed to stay away from landing in anything sharp and potentially unfriendly in case of a sudden launch, and it would be a good day.

Women's Pro podium....happy to be there, great job Notubes Elite Nina and Jen!

I was happy to start with Notubes Elite rider Nina, and our very talented pro rider from the local area, Jen Wilson. I thought, I will just have fun, hang on as long as possible and stay out of trouble. So, I did, and had great fun…..ok so it hurt a little, that’s racing. At the point of the final extra short lap, I rode Nina’s wheel to the feedzone, Jen just up ahead, with a huge crowd at the feedzone my bottle was somehow lost in the shuffle, I stopped, looked around, thought about taking any bottle anyone might offer…when finally it was discovered behind a mass of people at the back of a table. At that point, I could only watch as Nina flew up the final climb and put it into high gear to catch Jen who was ahead. I was happy to feel fresh enough to hang in there and happily came in just a few minutes behind Jen.Nina, like a rocket was  few minutes ahead of  Jen. Great job Nina! Despite feeling my post surgical discomfort, I was relieved to know I was recovered enough to make it through the race and still be on the podium with a respectable time. Yes sore, abdominal incisons are not a joy ride, but…..definitely let me know:  never give up, take the time to heal, and then get back to what you love!

Men's Masters podium a 1st and 2nd!!!!!

As for the guys, Phil and Alan can tell their own story, but two of the fastest Master racers I know went head to head for most of the race until a flat caught Phil. 1st and 2nd is amazing, great job guys! Way to rocket…literally!

Great coverage of 2012 UCI Masters Cyclocross World Championships – Louisville, KY

Posted on January 16, 2012by notubesraceteam

 

Walt – National Champion

Elite NoTubes Racer Shannon Gibson – World Champion!

Dana warming up – sweet NoTubes setup

Kenny Wehn – Stan’s NoTubes Elite CX racer

Dana with a race face

Jake Wells – NoTubes Elite racer

Richie Rich – NoTubes stellar bike mechanic and all around super star

Dana with no mud on the sponsor’s names after Elite National race – huh?

Cyclocross Nationals & Worlds

Kenny Wehn at Road Apple Rally

Posted on November 20, 2011by notubesraceteam

 

Travis Brown, Kenny Wehn, Shannon Gibson, Jimmy Deaton, Pete Shirk

-A Magical Day at Road Apple

Every once in a while we as cyclists experience one of those special days that keep us thinking all this training and suffering  may just be paying off.  At this year’s Road Apple Rally in Farmington NM I had that day and was able to ride with someone I truly respect in the cycling world by the name of Travis Brown. With spectacular weather and a short drive from Durango I was excited to be racing with my local friends- best of all no airplanes or host housing required! The race started out with the usual jockeying for position and trying to find the largest fastest rider for that perfect draft as the first few miles consist of pavement and fast dirt road. The pace seemed fairly easy this year which meant one of two things, either good legs or the screws were getting ready to be turned. As we hit the first single track section I found myself second wheel behind Eric McAllister (who a few weeks ago stuck it to me pretty good at Escalante Days) and Travis Brown. I followed Eric for a while and thought to myself this seemed a little too easy so I took a pull at the front, looked back and to my surprise realized I had opened a small gap on my two pursuers. Problem was Travis was just sitting in not doing any work and Eric was dragging him along for a free ride, not good.  I decided to ease up and either let Eric continue on the front or wait till Travis got bored and try to stay on his wheel when the inevitable attack would come. Sure enough Travis did attack like I have seen him do so many times before but this time was different.  Instead of watching him ride away in a cloud of dust I was able to stick with him! Was he being nice? Did he have a flat? Not sure what was going on but one thing was for sure I was glued to his wheel and though definitely on the rivet I was able to ride somewhat comfortably.  We took turns on the front and worked together until we opened a sizable gap on the rest of the field. The next hour or so we enjoyed some of New Mexico’s finest flowing single track and on the one sustained climb, Travis opened a small gap and that was it. We were a few miles from the finish and that small gap was too much to bring back. I settled for second overall, by just a handful of seconds, and first in the expert category.  Big thanks to the City of Farmington, Cottonwood Cycles, Stans NoTubes, Sixty-five.12 a Bicycle Boutique, and all our great sponsors for another beautiful weekend of racing.

More Team Cyclocross Action

Posted on November 13, 2011by notubesraceteam

 

November 5th was the Four Corners CX race in Dolores presented by Stan’s NoTubes. The weather was terrible and the course was tough as usual. Cold, wind, snow, mud, and a great turnout of racers made for another exciting day of cross racing. Kenny Wehn, Frank Mapel, Walt Axthelm, and Dana Shinn all braved the conditions and finished strong. Pete Shirk of Cottonwood Cycles once again provided pit support. Kenny won the Men’s 35+ race and Frank finished not far behind in the same race. Dana finished 3rd in the Open Women’s race in a field of 16 women. Walt had the misfortune of a mechanical but still finished strong in the Men’s 3/4 race.

Starting line for Men 3/4 and Open Women

Dana in the Open Womens race

Frank in the Mens 35+ race

Pete keeps us rolling

Kenny leads the Mens 35+ race

 

Dana took off from Dolores after the awards ceremony and headed down to Albuquerque for NMCX race #6 at Sunnyslope on Sunday. The conditions were sunny, warm & dry. The course was fast and fun. Phil Simpson and Nina Baum also raced. Nina and Dana finished 1st & 2nd in the Women’s 1/2/3 race and Phil finished 2nd in the Men’s 50+ race.

Dana, Nina & Phil in the sun

 

Saturday 11/12 was NMCX race #7 at Veterans Memorial Park in Albuquerque. Nina and Dana once again finished 1st & 2nd in the Women’s 1/2/3 race. Fun times!

Nina in the lead

Dana running the stairs

 

NoTubes Race Team in Cuba, NM for the first race of the Stan’s NoTubes Four Corners Cyclocross Series

Posted on November 1, 2011by notubesraceteam

 

It was a perfect day in Cuba, NM on October 23rd for the Stan’s NoTubes Four Corners Cyclocross Series race presented in conjunction with Get Out! and the New Mexico Cyclocross Series. The course was short, fast, & tough. The Stan’s NoTubes tent was prominent in the pit with our sponsor Pete Shirk of Cottonwood Cycles providing support. Several team members raced and our presence was apparent to everyone.

• Frank Mapel finished 1^st in the 30+ race.
• Walt Axthelm finished 10^th in the 50+ race.
• Dana Shinn did two races and finished 1^st in the Women’s 3/4 race and 2^nd in the Women’s 1/2/3 race.

From the NoTubes Elite team, Kenny Wehn, Shannon Gibson, and Nina Baum finished strong:

• Kenny did two races. He finished 1^st in 40+ and 5^th in the 1/2/3 Men’s race.
• Shannon Gibson finished 3^rd in the Women’s 1/2/3 race.
• Nina Baum finished 1^st in the Women’s 1/2/3 race.

Race Report: Horny Toad Hustle 2011-Phil Simpson

Posted on September 18, 2011by notubesraceteam

 

The 7th Annual Horny Toad Hustle in Las Cruces, NM was today September 18, 2011. The turn-out was good for New Mexico, close to 200 people across all the classes. The course was fast and twisty desert singletrack, except for one long jeep-trail climb, with the Pros/Cat 1s/SS doing 28 miles in three loops. Recent gentle rains helped out by tightening up the loose dirt slightly without washing out the arroyo crossings.

Happy the race is over

This is my local race, so I had high hopes of redeeming myself after being the first loser (2nd place) last weekend. The Pros, Cat 1, and College A’s all started together on a ~1 mile uphill section of jeep-trail, before hitting the singletrack. After some technical climbing and descending, and getting stuck in traffic, we hit the long jeep-trail climb on the west side of the course, and five of us worked to catch another three-some near the top. I was able to get in front before we were halfway down the downhill, and made good time through the connecting trails back to the east side loop. I felt great on the first east-side loop, but started to fade beginning the second. Luckily got a gel and cold water hand-up and felt better, and finished well ahead of my Cat 1 50+ competition. I also beat all the 40-49 riders I raced with last year (thanks to Rich Walters making a wrong turn briefly near the end).

Race winnings: Gold belt buckle and cash!

This result clinches the NM Off-road Points Series for me, with seven firsts, a second and a third out of the nine races to be counted. Thanks to Stans, Schwalbe, SRAM, Crankbrothers and Ergon for a whole season of races with no major mechanicals! Only one flat, which sealed quickly with an injection of Stans and CO2.

In other NoTubes Race Team news, Karen Rishel won the Pro women’s group. It was also good to see her husband Alan Rishel, not racing yet but alive and looking human again after his nasty crash at Taos in July.

 

Race Report: Back to School Special

Posted on September 11, 2011by notubesraceteam

 

Before the race details, let me say congratulations to Walt Axthelm! He won the USA Cycling Masters Road National Championship, as noted in the previous post, but I don’t think he included his name. (I am Phil Simpson).

I broke my winning streak but solidified my state point series lead with a second place at the Back to School Special on September 9th, 2011. The University of New Mexico sponsored the 13th race in the New Mexico Off-Road Points Series, held at the Oak Flats Campground in the Manzano Mountains east of Albuquerque.

Philip Simpson and Nina Baum before the race

The weather before and during the race was more like the Northwest than New Mexico: 48 degrees and rainy. The course was shortened from 2 big loops of 11 miles each to 4 laps of around 5 miles for the Pros and Cat 1′s to avoid a section of clay that would have clogged even the single speeders. As it was, the course was mostly rideable but very slick in places, especially on the third lap which turned out to be the wettest and slickest.

My training plan for the two weeks before the race consisted of hanging out at sea level and drinking tasty brew pub ales. Not a good strategy. I was okay for a while, leading most of the first two laps, but started to fatigue on the third lap and Mike Slattery passed me when I dabbed in a technical uphill section. I had visions of stalking him and passing him near the line, but he gradually pulled away. I rationalized riding conservatively as best for the overall points series, which was my biggest goal this year.

On a side note, Nina Baum of the NoTubes Elite Women’s team refused to quit after tearing up a tire on a rock. She eventually got a good wheel and tire and went back out for two more laps to finish the race.

 

Gila Baby Heads Signal Peak Challenge

Posted on August 20, 2011by notubesraceteam

 

Karen and Phil before the race

Phil Simpson and Karen Rishel won their classes in the ninth race of the New Mexico Off-Road Series 2011. The Gila Baby Heads Signal Peak Challenge, named for the baby head-sized rocks on parts of the trail, was held near Silver City NM on August 14th, 2011.

The race is always long and difficult, with multiple stream crossings that make your drivetrain sound like bolts in a blender, but this year lots of rain the night before made it even wetter and grittier. Plus the organizer (thanks, Nathan) decided all the Pro and Cat 1 men should do the steep, largely unrideable Forest Trail 742 rather than the easier but still difficult combination of trails and fire roads we usually use to get to the top. Feminist equalizer and/or masochistic Karen successfully lobbied for the female Pro class to do the same tough climb, and she got her wish.

Karen with custom-made aluminum award envelope

Phil receiving his award

Thanks to our sponsor’s equipment, including Stans wheels, SRAM components, Orbea bike, Schwalbe tires, Ergon grips, Sidi shoes, and Crankbrothers pedals, neither of us had any flats or mechanicals despite the tough conditions and we won our groups by wide margins.

Both Phil and Karen are leading their categories in the overall NM points series with 5 races left on the calendar.

On a sadder note, Alan Rishel, Karen’s husband, was severely injured in a fast downhill crash at the Frazer Mountain Madness at Taos Ski Valley on July 24th. After a harrowing few hours getting him off the mountain, then a life-flight helicopter to Santa Fe, he spend several days in ICU there. I’m happy to report he is home now and getting better every day, but it will be a few months before he will be back on the bike.

 

 

Race Reports: Dana Shinn ~ Mount Evans Hill Climb & Salida Classic

Posted on July 31, 2011by notubesraceteam

 

I just wrapped up two tough weekends of racing in Colorado. Mount Evans Hill Climb is a road race on the highest paved road in N. America. Racers climb approximately 7,000’ in 27 miles to the top of one of Colorado’s highest peaks at 14,240’.  My first time racing up this mountain was an epic experience. I’ve hiked many of Colorado’s 14ers but this is the first one I’ve ever ridden. The views are spectacular (an understatement!) and the feeling of high country racing in Colorado is unparalleled. This ride should be on every cyclist’s bucket list.

The field of strong female racers was tough as usual. We took off at a fast pace from the start. I was happy to do that because I knew the air would get much thinner as we continued to climb and thought we’d surely slow down. Well, we didn’t really slow down. I was in the lead with two other women halfway through the race. We worked together to build a strong gap in front of the other racers. As I felt my power dropping due to the altitude, I wondered if they were feeling the same. Then about a mile from the finish, we picked up the pace. I started feeling a disconnection between my mind and body, a feeling I’d never felt in a race before. At that point, it became clear to me that the two others were more acclimated to the elevation. I finished in 3^rd place totally happy considering the conditions. The view from the top was like no other finish line I’ve ever seen!

I experienced one of life’s milestones a few days later when I turned forty. I’d been anticipating this day all year as I was already aged to forty as my racing age all year long. What a rip off! So I finally crossed that line and decided I’d better race again this weekend  to celebrate my youth.

The Salida Classic road race was my race of choice. It was my first time racing here too. The usual tough suspects lined up again. This race consisted of eight laps on a 5.7 mile course with about 500’ of climbing each lap. Add 95 degree weather and a head wind to the recipe and pain and suffering was the result. The leaders were super strong and attacked on the hills. I hung in the lead pack for the first half of the race but the heat, wind, and hills slapped me in the second half. I had no idea how much time we had on the chasers so I just put my head down and hammered through never looking back. In the end, I finished third (again). My new pal that won on Mt. Evans took 1^st once again in this race. Watch out next year! I’ll be baaaack!

As I sit in a coffee shop in Salida, recovering from today’s race and writing this post, I’m in awe thinking about how blessed and fortunate I am to have had such a great race season. I’ve enjoyed more podium finishes than I ever dreamed were possible and I’ve experienced the beauty of Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona while enjoying myself doing what I love…riding my bike.  Now I’m ready for a break. I plan to reflect, recover, and recharge.

 

 

Race Report – Mountain Bike XC Nationals – Sun Valley Idaho – 14-17 July 2011

Posted on July 24, 2011by notubesraceteam

 

Kenny Wehn podiums at Nationals!

Kenny Wehn and Phil Simpson raced well against heavy competition in Category 1 National Championship XC races Saturday morning, 17 July 2011. Kenny was 3rd in the 40-44 age group! Phil was 10th in 50-54. At left Kenny and Phil are in the starting queue of roughly 250 Cat 1 and Singlespeed racers. The waves started at 7:30 am, going at one minute intervals.

Kenny bounces down the rock drop above the start/finish area, after passing the two guys looking with concern down into the drop. He had to work his way through a multitude of younger (but slower) Cat 1 guys to stay with the race leaders.

Phil after the race with a very dirty face.

 

 

Race Report, Kenny Wehn 1st place Cat 1 men Mountain States Cup Wildflower Rush. Crested Butte, CO June 25 2011

Posted on July 5, 2011by notubesraceteam

 

With fire season in full swing my racing and training schedule is very limited during this time of the season.  I was given a day off and decided to race the MSC Wild Flower Rush in Crested Butte. As I packed up my Orbea Alma 29 and Stan’s Race Gold race wheels, my black Lab Leon was giving me the “if you leave me behind one more trip I may not be here when you get back” look, so I decided a little company might not be a bad idea. We headed out over Red Mtn Pass just in time to get caught up in the Friday evening keep it below 20mph traffic which made for some very slow going. As my mind drifted from ”How can we be going so slow?” to “What are the chances of hitting a car head on if I pass on I double yellow?” I realized it has been 20+ years since my last race in Crested Butte; God I’m OLD. I arrived at the race and climbed in the back of my truck with Leon for a little rest before 40 miles of high country racing. As luck would have it at 1:30 AM a group of folks with a fifth wheel and two trucks decided to park within a foot of my truck while talking loudly and letting the kids run wild. Why there instead of the other 30 available parking spots? After a few choice words and a new sleeping spot I was able to fall back asleep. With another early morning start (not my favorite) and still being a little upset about my late night wakeup, I was not in a great mood while I prepared everything for the day’s adventure.  As I rolled up to the start I was happy to hear that all Cat 1 would start together and the Pro Men and Women would start a few minutes ahead of us. My initial plan was to ride the first half of the race with a group and see how I felt for the second half and hopefully have enough left to finish strong. Unfortunately I found myself on the front of the race early with good legs and lots of traffic. Luckily I was able to work my way through, and I settled into a comfortable pace. I somewhat remembered this course from 1989 or something like that and knew I had a long day ahead of me with 40 miles at 10k feet. Good thing was I had lots of people ahead of me that kept me motivated and I was still feeling pretty strong. At some point I managed to ride myself into the top 10 overall and was leading Cat 1 with around 5 miles to go. I knew those last 5 miles could prove very difficult as we had one more climb up the ski area before the descent to the finish. The climb started out well but then the inevitable cramps started to kick in as I reached the halfway point. Thank God I was able to back off the pedals enough to make the pain a little more tolerable, cresting the climb with just a fun little single track left to the finish. This was a very fun race and I’m glad I was lucky enough to have had the opportunity to race it- next year I may be on a fire line instead of pedaling my bike in the high country of Crested Butte.

 

 

Angel Fire Oso High Mountain Bike Race

Posted on July 4, 2011by notubesraceteam

 

Alan Rishel, Karen Rishel, Phil Simpson

New Mexico NoTubes Riders Phil Simpson and Karen and Alan Rishel continue to dominate the New Mexico Off-Road Series! Karen won the female pro-class, and Phil and Alan were 1st and 2nd in the Cat 1, 50+ age group. This was the 6th race in the NMORS, 25 June 2011 at Angel Fire Ski Resort.

This very tough race was also “Biting Back at ALS”, a benefit which raised almost $100K for ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.) Well-loved New Mexico mountain and road bike racer Doug Schneebeck was diagnosed with ALS in 2010 and was the focus of this fund-raiser (more info at http://www.osohigh.com/index.html.)

 

 

Walt Axthelm, 2011 National Senior Games, Houston TX

Posted on June 24, 2011by notubesraceteam

 

Being the Senior member of the NoTubes Race Team I have different race events then the others in our team. This is a

qualifying event that is held every 2 years at a different city, the last being in Palo Alto CA. This year in the 75-79 age group that I compete in we had 33 and each year the group seems to get faster. The events that we do are 2, RR a 20k and a 40k and 2, TT a 5k and a 10k. I have never raced in 100 deg+ with wetter then that air and was something new for me. The 2 RR I made the mistake of leading out the final sprint and running out of gas for a 9th in the 20k and a 4th in the 40k.

The TT were a different story no wheel suckers in this event and I got Gold in both the 5k and the 10k.

Iron Horse Classic Mountain Bike Race

Posted on May 31, 2011by notubesraceteam

 

Both the NoTubes Race Team and the NoTubes Elite Women’s Team had great showings in Sunday’s Iron Horse Classic Mountain Bike Race (May 29^th, 2011):

NoTubes Race Team:

Kenny Wehn was 12^thin a very strong Men’s Pro field.

Kenny relaxing after the race.

Frank Mapel was 1^st in Men’s 35-44!

Phil Simpson was 3^rd in Men’s 45-54.

Women’s Elite Team (Women’s Pro Class):

Guest rider Carmen Small was 4^th, Shannon Gibson was 5^th, and Kaila Hart was 8^th.

Shannon, Carmen and Kaila at the finish line

Late breaking news: Carmen was first, and Shannon got third in the overall Queen of the Mountains Competition at the 2011 Iron Horse Bicycle Classic for their combined Road and Mountain results!