Thank you very much to Heidi Volpe for this post on the Outside Magazine blog. Max and I raced hard against Heidi and her teammate Mario at the 24 Hours of Moab.
Link to the blog post by Heidi. I think it’s well worth the read.
24 Hours of Moab
All posts tagged 24 Hours of Moab
Everyone has been asking me all day how I’m feeling and I can only answer ‘fine’. The 24 Hours of Moab race has come and gone and I feel surprisingly great. Max Taam and I snagged the national championship in the mixed duo division and also placed third among the men’s duo teams by finishing 19 laps.
Prior to the race I was a little nervous about having the endurance to ride a total of about 12 hours and to be able to keep my laps consistent. It was a nice surprise to manage both and even pull off the fastest women’s lap of the race. I could not have have done this six months after having Axel without Lindsay Hyman of Carmichael Training Systems. Not only has Lindsay been coaching me and getting me back towards race shape but she also gave me an amazing nutrition and hydration plan for the weekend. I was able to get through my nine laps (135 miles) without ever being nauseous, bonking, or even feeling the need to drink caffeine. I drank a full bottle of water with a nuun tablet each lap to keep my electrolytes high and then another full bottle or two during of water between laps. My top priority of the race was to make sure I had plenty of energy to continue to nurse Axel throughout the race and this was no problem.
Thankfully and miraculously Max and I did not have any mechanical, lighting issues or major crashes. We both raced on our Trek Top Fuels with Bontrager XR1 2.4 tires which were perfect for the sandy, rocky and hard packed course. I was also super impressed with my other gear holding up to all the sand and dust including my SOLE Lightweight Sport Socks, SOLE footbeds, Specialized S-Works shoes with Boa Technology, and my borrowed Ay Up lights (thanks Kerry White!). And arriving just in time, the new Honey Stinger Waffles were a huge hit with everyone – thanks Lance!
The Honey Stinger/Trek teams raced well all weekend also claiming a national title in the Men’s 4 Person division and second place in the Men’s Duo and Women’s Solo divisions. Nice work all!
Juniper, Axel & I just before the start of the race.
Max got to enjoy the Le Mans running start.
Brian Edmiston. My awesome support crew who was happy to help with everything...even the babysitting. Thanks so much B-town!
Happy mom and daughter after the race.
Ross Schnell and I were crowned the "King and Queen of Moab" for posting the fastest race laps.
Juniper is thoroughly enjoying the Stars & Stripes jersey!
Thanks to Ross Schnell for the RV to relax in and Cynthia Reynolds for amazing food and support!
Me and Max - happy to be finished.
And here’s some cool CONTOUR helmet cam footage of Max at the LeMans running start.
I seem to be perpetually slacking on keeping this site up to date but that usually means that fun is being had. And this has not been an exception.
A few weekends ago we packed the family up for some camping, riding and playing in Crested Butte. Despite getting kind of a late start, both Ian and I were able to get in rides on Saturday afternoon and the kids had a lot fun playing in the dirt at the campsite. Unfortunately Juniper spent about four hours of the night coughing in the tent so we decided to cut the trip short and head home a day early. But of course Ian and I both squeezed in great rides before taking off.
Sometimes things work out for the best as we convinced our friend Mike to watch both kids on Labor Day so we could get out for a ride together. After listening to Ian talk about a newer trail at Prince Creek he finally had a chance to drag me around on it. Doing my best to keep Ian in sight, failing most of the climb, I thoroughly enjoyed the descent despite clipping my handlebars on trees numerous times.
Axel taking advantage of some Mom time between laps.
I have no recollection of training the following week (or was it two weeks) but eventually we raced the 12 Hours of Snowmass as a team of three. The course was a few miles longer than two years ago when I first raced in the inaugural event and the additional single track was a great addition. The Honey Stinger team cleaned up with wins in the Duo Men (Scott McCalmon & Nate Bird) and in Trio Coed (myself, Ian & Michael Hayes) and second place in Women’s Solo (Kris Cannon). Nate and I also managed to record the fastest laps for men and women helping make the weekend very successful and super fun.
Continuing on my record streak, Ian and I managed a few more mountain bike rides together during the week since my mother-in-law was visiting. I think we have ridden together more this past week than we have in the last three years!
Finally, friend and Honey Stinger teammate Todd Kennedy and I managed a great ride up high yesterday afternoon. Probably the longest climb of my season (2-1/2+ hours) up to the top of Red Table Mountain from Cottonwood Pass with some of the best views I have ever witnessed. Despite some cyclocross riding on the descent due to downed trees we discovered some fun single track and rode into Gypsum finishing up a fun adventure. I always forget how much I enjoy the long adventurous rides until I get out one every few months.
My legs were a bit sluggish this morning on my run with the kids in the Chariot but I’m enjoying getting back into shape after baby number two. Lindsay at Carmichael continues to get me out doing intervals and getting me racing again. I may just be ready to really race 24 Hours of Moab this October!
