MTB Marathon National Championships

09/17/11 - Bend, OR

Category: 40-49

Result: 1st

As if cross country mountain bike races weren't hard enough, throw in double the distance and twice the duration and voila', you get marathon racing. Having never done a marathon race before, I figured why not just start with Nationals? OK, maybe I'm a glutton for punishment, but since I had to miss Marathon Worlds this year in my mom's hometown in Italy, US Nationals in beautiful Bend, OR was the next best thing.

The course wound its way from Bend along the Deschutes River through the National Forest up toward Mt. Bachelor, gradually climbing the whole way out up to 5300 ft, then gradually descending most of the way back along twisty, sandy singletrack, filled with occasional rocks, berms, jumps and trees.

We had the biggest field in the race, with three current and former cross country national champions. Our race started out fairly mellow with a five mile stretch on pavement. Once we entered the dirt, I made sure to be at the front, knowing a funneling steep pitch with a run up was ahead. I took the run up first, and over the top already had a gap. Since there was 50 miles of racing ahead, I made no attempt to consolidate my lead, but rather just rode steady awaiting the field to catch up. Sure enough, a small group reconnected and eventual second place finished from Colorado, Ross Delaplane (Feedback Sports) hit it hard up the first significant hill. I latched onto his wheel and wondered how much of this hard pace he could sustain. On the next pitch another rider pushed the pace, so I surfed the moves as it whittled down the front end of the field into a small group of six. On the next rise, it was my turn and at the top it was just me and 45+ XC National Champ Don Myrah (Ibis). We shared a couple pulls, then I took the hole shot into the first section of singleatrack and turned it up to full speed. I immediately got a gap and steadily opened it up as I pushed a moderately hard, but steady pace along the undulating trail.

By the feed zone about 20 miles into the race, I had a 45 second gap. I knew there was a lot of racing ahead, so I just worked to keep my effort steady and smooth without going too hard. Once I hit the furthest point out on the course, it turned to a smooth, straight fire road for a few miles and I kept my effort steady. I looked back along the straight road and saw a rider coming up. Could it be Myrah? I certainly was not going easy, so he seemed to be on a resurgent phase in his race. Sure enough, he bridged to me just before a small climb, so I pushed it hard up the rise, knowing he had to have made a fairly hard effort to get across the gap. I immediately opened a small gap back up again, grabbed another bottle in the next feed zone, and hit the singletrack with all the focus and speed I could muster. I knew that I had to have a perfect ride back to get a safe margin before the road stretch at the end.

I rode the trails as fast as my tires would allow, focusing on smoothness and flow, allowing the bike to carry maximum momentum wherever possible. I felt the flow and never let up, constantly giving myself positive self-talk and motivation despite the fatigue that crept in by the third hour of racing. Exiting the trails, I hit the pavement section for the last six miles of the race. I finished my fourth bottle of water, sucked down a GU and put my head down draining what was left in the tank. The course alternated between fire road, singletrack and pavement along the highway for the last few miles and I wondered more than once if the course would ever end. I looked back a few times to ensure I was in the clear and saw no one, but still never let up my pace.

As I rolled into the finishing venue, I heard the announcer call out my name and knew I had earned the title. Crossing the line with my arms up was a nice reward, then I stopped and slumped over my bike catching my breath. Dang that was hard, but the title made all the suffering worth it.