Rescue Racing Stokation 2019 + True Grit Epic 100

El Capitan (Tony) watching over his new backyard playground.

The last few years I have helped tow the line at the NUE season opener (mostly pulling up the slack at the back), the True Grit Epic 100 in Santa Clara, UT. This being my fourth time was extra special because several teammates came out to join the fun and wrap a bit of Rescue Racing Team camaraderie around the race. I rarely get to spend time with these shred-tastic individuals and was beyond stoked to get to hang out, race, and explore new trails.

I had my bike shipped to Red Rock Bicycles (an awesome and rad bunch of folks!!) via BikeFlights.com and flew to St. George on Tuesday before the race and, again, through the generosity of a truly great friend, training partner, and teammate, Dave Jolin, got to spend time relaxing at his place. I'd say we did a tad bit of riding over the span of the entire week.

It pretty much looked like this:
Tuesday: Shred some Zen Trail x2 (~12-miles w/ ~1900' of elevation)
Wednesday: rained all day which was good for me since I was trying to work through a cold
Thursday: Rim Rock Trail + Barrel Roll Trail (~17 miles w/ ~1900' of elevation)
Friday: Leg Opener on the paved bike trail from Dave's place (~12.5 miles w/ ~900' of elevation)
Saturday: True Grit Epic 100 (2018 Dirtwire.tv video) (~83.5 miles w/ ~9500' of vert)
Sunday: Paradise Canyon + Kentucky Lucky Chicken + Desert Canyons (~21 miles w/ ~1800' of elevation)
Monday Morning: Barrel Roll Trail Run (~8.2 miles w/ 890' of elevation)
Monday Afternoon: Precipice + Sidewinder + Suicidal Tendencies + Barrel Roll (~16 miles w/ 2100' of elevation)
Tuesday: Watching the back of my eyelids while traveling back home to my BFF.

My body is a bit blasted and angry with me. CANNOT WAIT for the deep tissue massage from my one and only go-to person, Wendi Sturm of BodyKneads, on Thursday. This elite level bodybuilder is gonna put me back into shape so that I can continue doing what I love to do!!

Race Recap
Heading into this race I was feeling good having put in a few solid blocks of training, but as luck would have it my body finally gave in and I got a bit of a nasty cold the Sunday before I was to fly out to St. George, UT. Most unfortunate timing, but I suppose there is never a "good time" to get sick. I did my best with getting lots of sleep once I got into Utah, I think I had two nights of 10+ hours (thanks to the help of a sleeping aid) and had a few good rides on the course. The night before the race I made the executive decision to take a sleeping aid knowing full well that I could be a bit groggy race morning. It was either going to feel a bit tired or have a night of no sleep while sick so I thought it made the more sense to ensure I got some rest.

The morning of the race was chilly, certainly not by Ohio standards, but at 35* it was much more chilly than this soul prefers. Throughout the week leading up to the race, there was much talk about course changes due to the wet weather the area had been receiving. Fortunately, that was not the case and we were able to race the course as was originally intended. I cannot lie though, a little part of me was just fine with the possibility of a slightly shorter course due to my not feeling well. The race started off at 7am w/o a hitch and we were off with a "chill" start (see what I did there?) on a paved road. Once we hit the gravel roads it was GAME ON!! For me ... it was HANG ON FOR DEAR LIFE!! That first gravel climb told me a lot about how my day would go. I could feel myself struggle to breathe and getting shot out the back ... well ... I am not normally in the front group but this was a bit unnerving, to say the least. Right from the get-go, I could tell it was going to be a very long day. I love riding these trails as they are just so challenging but to ride them when feeling under the weather well ... it takes extra focus just to keep the knobby-side down.

Scott Harper cleaning the Knuckle where I lost my cleat.

For most of the race, I was with either a handful of riders or just by myself which is par for the course so to speak. A few times I had the pleasure of riding with the top two female hundie racers. Super nice, super cordial, and just a blast to ride with, especially when they know the lines! Due to various mechanical issues, I had throughout the day I bounced back and forth between Chase Edwards (#2) and Shirley Ledysman (#1). The first mechanical issue I was having most of the day was getting in and out of my pedals. While frustrating that I had a difficult time getting into the cleats days leading into the race, I fixed that problem, the even larger frustration was not being able to cleanly release from the pedals which led to the other mechanical problem when I fell over and dinged the rear derailleur. These 1x12 systems are very fine-tuned and the rear derailleurs don't take too kindly to being bashed about like a rag doll. Essentially for over half the race, I lost the use of the 50T rear cog and while most courses I would not need that cog, with how I felt during the race I wanted it to use it on more than one occasion. When attempting to use the 50T, before realizing what I had done, the derailleur would get pulled into the rear wheel spokes and the chain would begin to fall off the 50T cog and in-between the cassette and the rear hub. NOT GOOD!!! So as to not risk further damage to the bike and any hopes of finishing the race, the 50T was out for the rest of the day. Oy vey. Like I needed this thorn in my side. Oh well ... SH** happens and in these races, it's all about how you deal with the challenges that get thrown at you.

Powerhouse Teammate Scott Harper exiting Barrel Roll in SS style.

To continue my enceinte bit**ing, as if these various problems were not enough when entering the Barrel Roll Trail the first time (just behind Shirley the lead female) a fellow competitor dismounted right at the drop-in. Meh. I complained for a split second but quickly retracted my insensitive comment (it really wasn't bad ... something like ... damn it that's the line). I apologized and he gave way which allowed me to remount and go for it. As (bad) luck would have it, half way thru the saddle section (at the knuckle for those that know the trail) I had a crank strike and off came my foot from the pedal ... sans the cleat ... which was still stuck in the pedal. Weeeelll ... SOB. Of course, I had a few choice words at the time ... not one of my finer moments in life. Fortunately for me, my savior just happened to be sitting at the exit point of the saddle section and he helped me release the cleat out of the pedal and remount the cleat to my shoe. Part of me wanted this mechanical to be the end of my day, the part that was coughing up a lung and launching snot rocks along the trails.  I cannot begin to count the number of times I had mentally thrown in the towel. While I was held up getting things sorted, a few riders I had passed and gaped, such as Chase Edwards, caught back up and passed me. After thanking the person that helped me fix the cleat issue, I remounted my steed and pushed onward with a new sense of purpose and determination to finish the race no matter the circumstances. One after another I managed to work my way back through the stack of riders that had passed me while I was addressing the unfortunate cleat issue. I don't recall exactly where it was but I believe I caught Chase Edwards just as we were getting ready to dump out of the Barrel Roll Trail.

After a short single track descent and popping up onto the gravel road that initially started the race every racer sees a sign. For the Marathon racers, the sign points back to the start/finish line to complete their adventure and quest for glory. For the truly sadistic hundie racers, it basically says "Dude ... yer only halfway done ... bwwaaahahaha". Really though, the sign just says "Turn Right". I swear I heard an evil laugh as I made that right turn.

Carey Lowery at the top of Zen Trail Overlook.

So back onto the course, I go, making my way thru the Cove Wash Trails which were still wet and loose having yet to dry out in the rising temps. Heading up and over a couple of 1 to 1.5-mile gravel/single-track climbs. Dismounting and taking my bike for a walk down the well-know Waterfall section on the Barrel Ride Trail. I later learned that Carey Lowery cleaned this section during the race. DAMN IMPRESSIVE but I suppose not surprising as her skills are seriously on point! Continuing on after few cool big rock features that I have no problems cleanly riding I entered the Zen Trail for yet another battle between my confidence and technical trail sections where inevitably the trail beats me at least 4-5 times.

3-Fingers of Death - the middle finger (stock photo)

Then onto the Three Fingers of Death (I took the middle finger both times ... that's a first for me #winning) right into Bear Claw Poppy (BCP). The pump track through the BCP is an absolute blast and I just cannot help but have a smile on my face while railing turns and launching into the air to get that free-as-a-bird feeling over and over again. I think this section of trail is well placed before having to make the turn, often times into a massive headwind, to grind out a 6.5 mile false flat climb on the Stucki Springs Trail. As beautiful as this area is with all of the great scenery this section, late into the race, is just downright mentally brutal ... x2. What I always look forward to is seeing the Trail Angle at the top of Amen Corner (as Dave Jolin refers to it) because it is the end of this section of climbing and is quickly followed by one of the most fun pump-tracks there is to ride. Along Stucki Springs I caught back up to Shirly Ledysman, looking super strong and just hammering the miles away. Shirley and I chatted briefly and she waved me on ahead of her. We traded places a couple times between the final miles of Stucki Springs Trail, Rim Rock, and Barrel Roll. It was somewhere on Barrel Roll when I managed to pass her for a final time, before making my way to that, now, oh so wonderful sign that told me I could "Turn Left" and head to the finish line.

While not year official, I believe my time was roughly 8:27(0ish) hours even though the current official time has be at 8:17 (which is when I finished the final Barrel Roll loop). In 2018 I had a completion time of 8-hours and 13-minutes so given the circumstances 1) I was sick (the snot rockets were flying left and right), 2) major pedal/cleat issues w/ a 10-minute fix to remove the cleat from the pedal, and 3) lost all use of my 50T rear cog ... I think I did ok. This was one of the most mentally challenging races I have ever completed so I suppose I will take solace in knowing that I never truly gave up. I am working on "mental toughness" (living in Ohio thru the winter months ... training is ALL MENTAL) so this race was definitely good for mental toughness.

Near the top of Suicidal Tendencies (I think). We road so much I don't recall all of the locations. #goodtimes

For 2-days after the race our team Stokaction continued with several rides on various local trails Man that was a blast and some of the best riding I have done in a very long time. The laughing, shredding single track, and general friendship building was off the charts!! We session'd sections of the trails, which I rarely take the time to do but really need to do more of this, we stopped for some photos, and we talked throughout every ride. Just a damn good time and I race for the best team evah!! Every single one of my teammates is humble, helpful, and they are all incredibly talented MTB shredders!! Love them all to bits!! Side Note - THANK YOU to Carey for helping me figure out my Xpedo pedals and cleats! Love the pedals and she got me rolling the day after the race with the perfect setup!!

Oh, and I tried to take out Scott Harper during one particular session on the Sidewinder Trail. Finding good lines and holding them is not my strong suit which is why sessioning particularly technical sections is a must for MTBers wanting to improve their skills. I do not session trail sections enough and need to make it a new habit.

Lastly, I couldn't leave Utah without getting in a short trail run, so decided to run the Barrel Roll Trail (+ a bit extra) on Monday morning. Legs were shot but at least the scenery was awesome!! The post-run 2-hour ride helped to spin out the legs ... sorta kinda.

None of this would be possible without the help of Rescue Racings incredibly pawsome team sponsors!!

Chamois Butt'r for such a great product that keeps me moving on the long hauls with no negative after effects that tend to be discovered in the post-event shower!! #winning

Infint Nutrition for making the tastiest, most effective custom sports nutrition ever that keeps me fueled and charging hard towards the finish line!

Maxxis Tires kept me so grounded with the best traction around!! Absolutely love the tires and grip I get on the trails. Go-to setup for the next race will likely be a Forekaster (2.35) and a big'ole 2.35 Ikon on the rear!! Pisgah Stage Race ... WATCH OUT!!

Of course, tires are no good without a set of incredible wheels to run them on and the custom built wheels from Industry Nine are simply rock solid (see what I did there?) and roll like I am floating on clouds!! I love my Ultralight 240s with Torch Hubs!!

When it comes to tubeless sealant I have shifted all my tubeless setups to TruckerCo! I have tried Stans, it just balls up, I have tried Orange, several punctures have not sealed for me, and now TruckerCo. The first puncture I ever experienced was sealed by TruckerCo! Well ... nuf said ... it just works!!

Props to XPedo for having such incredibly light and durable pedals with the M-Force 8 Ti MTB pedals! These things fit like a glove with my shoes and are SUPER CRAZY smooth!!

Of course, if it wasn't for my favorite morning brew from Christopher Bean Coffee, that I look forward to EVERY morning, to get my energy level cranked up past level ten on the energy meter, then I'd be hitting the starting like looking like a zombie. So many flavors to choose from and all roasted at the time of the order!!

Happy Trails Y'all!