I am fresh off of a whirlwind trip from Colorado to Park City to Spearfish, SD and back to CO. Earlier this year, back when there was snow on the ground, Shannon from the Park City Point to Point bike race asked me to join in the fun of this epic, 75 mile, 14,000 feet of climbing, epic adventure. The only catch was that it was the day before the Dakota Five-O in Spearfish. Both of these races are a mountain biker's dream. Mainly singletrack and a lot of climbing, the trails that make up these races are destination trails in their own right. Well, I found a way to partake in both races via a late flight Saturday night into Rapid City. Of course I knew I would have a pair of sore legs and a tired body, but I wasn't going to let it ruin the weekend.
However, there were a few snags to work out. which bike goes where? How? What about food? Support? And so on... Dave from the Trek Store in Boulder gave me a few leads and I ended up befriending a gent named John Davis. This pretty much changed the destiny of the weekend as John and his crew (including wife and kids) took me into their group. If I could describe a total professional program of preparation, support and just good times - these guys fit the bill. I was in good hands - and so was my bike as it rode with John in his RV while I hit the friendly skies.
I was introduced to new friends when I reached Park City and we all had a nice little pre-ride the day before the race to scout the start. After the ride I was treated to a fantastic pre-race dinner and interesting conversation. Shortly after, it was time to hit the hay and gear up for some major time in the saddle.
The PCPP started at 7AM and a lead group of four quickly formed. I found myself riding with strongmen Josh Tostado, Alex Grant, and a young buck - all of 16 - named Keagan.
Keagan was riding the duo category with another 16 year-old stomper so he was blazing that first leg with the 3 of us solo guys. About 2 hours in I ran into some bad luck and suffered a mechanical. As the group rode away from me I just had to remember that it was a long day and anything could happen. Plus - I was riding some great trails and I knew I was going to enjoy that. As the day wore on I had some more tough luck, but managed to hold onto 3rd overall. Alex ended up putting a little time into Tostado (who I'll be seeing in Moab in about a month) and pulled off the win. I was happy to finish the race and feel solid the whole time. After the race, the podium was set up and I had about 5 minutes to spare after getting the paycheck for the day.
Off to the airport I went. John and crew were all in after killing it out on the course and they wished me well in my next adventure of the weekend.
Bike and bags with my new Trek brethren, I flew nice and light to Rapid City where my parents, uncle and cousin were waiting with open arms at the airport. I pretty much had my whole family welcome me when I made it to the vacation house we had in the Black Hills. I ate as much food as I could and stumbled upstairs to bed. 5am came way too quick and I was suiting up again! More food and Josh B and I headed down to the start for the warm up. We ran into local legend, Dave Olson, who joined us for the short, bursty climbs that were to get the legs and lungs opened up. The second I stomped on those pedals I knew I was in for a looong day. With Josh, Dave and fast Colorado pro guy, Brad Bingham, taking the start - I knew it was going to be a painful day.
My family, (aka 'Team Kelly') along with Dave had mapped out every feasible route to the aid stations so they could hand us bottles and food throughout the 50 miles. As the gun went off, I was immediately in a world of hurt. The big guys headed to the front and immediately put me against the ropes. I'm friends with the guys who were in the lead and who were about to do battle, so I was excited to see who would do what. All 3 had a great day and it was Brad taking the win, with Dave (who I witnessed tear himself apart to reel Brad in) getting 2nd and Josh (who rode through a set of bad legs in the beginning to come back strong) getting 3rd.
Team Kelly has been an integral part of any success I may have had in my cycling. The amount of support, love, and fun atmosphere they provide is unparalleled. Saying thank you just isn't enough, but that's all I can do in this blog - so, Thank You. My mom even treated Josh and me to a massage at the post-race party where couple gals had a table set up. I couldn't have needed it more!
The weekend was great, although it went by way too fast. I blinked and, sadly, I was saying goodbye to my family. All said and done, I realized that while racing is something I love to do and I spend a lot of time working at it - it's really the people who you surround yourself with that make the experience.
To my new friends I met in Park City - thank you for defining what the mountain bike racing scene should be.
Leslie Handy, Jonathon Davis, Curt Wilhelm, Brandon Newcomer, Yours Truly, Anthony Thornton, and Bill Wheeler
To my family - I love you all and feel blessed to be surrounded by the best people I know.
(More photos to come)
1 comment:
Thanks for making our weekend so great! It brought our family to a great location for a little relaxation, fun, and seeing this amazing race and meeting some great riders! Memories that will stay with me for a lifetime.
Post a Comment