What a wild ride it was. My first Life Time event was one for the ages. The hype was real. I’ve often heard this race described as diabolical and it certainly took a lot of courage and grit for riders to take on this audacious endeavor. I crushed the Crusher at times (during those first 4 hours) and I got absolutely shattered by it at others. This one has been on the top of my list for a decade. We began the journey south from Bozeman to Beaver, with our routine stop at the Cookie Palace in Idaho Falls, before making it to Payson, UT, the first night. I was able to shake out the legs after eight hours in the truck on a beautiful, sinuous ride up Payson Canyon to our campsite for the night.
The next day, the nerves were running high after previewing part of the course, so I didn’t get much sleep in the back of the truck at the Beaver, KOA, but Amanda sent me to the start line with a belly full of eggs, GF Morning Glory muffins and some salty Applegate bacon (after a dinner for a king the night prior), and I was so motivated and inspired by seeing Kamiah and Amanda smiling at the start, hoping I’d see them at the finish.
They call the Crusher in the Tushar, the toughest 69.9 miles on the planet, and it didn’t disappoint. I was blown away by the talent of the field, the pace, and the unrelenting nature of the course. I raced my butt off for the first 4 hours and 2 minutes, and then slogged my way up the Col de Crush (without putting a foot down) and then went into survive and advance mode for the last thirteen miles.
I got on the wheel of a stud from SLC and made pretty quick work (relatively speaking) of the first 2 hours and 22 minutes and 4,500 feet of climbing. I really loved that first climb. After winding our way through a canyon on pavement outside of Beaver, UT, the climbing began. It was a steady, never too steep, but just pitchy and long enough to favor strong climbers and those with an engine. I thrived for this climb and found great joy in little connections made with fellow riders and cheering spectators. The descent of the Col was gnarly AF (there must have been 80+ bottles ejected from the leading group of riders, littering the washboard). I knew the big section of asphalt would be tough on the 50 cc tires, and drop bar mountain bike, but I got in with a group of eleven to fourteen riders and rode peloton style for forty+ minutes, taking several pulls at the front, conserving some energy, but probably burning too many matches in the process, but it was rad experience. The Sarlacc Pit was heinous, loose, sandy dirt, for forty minutes in triple digit temps, with the sun beating down and all at a sneaky climb on two-track; and then came the Col.
The Col is a staggering 4K climb, on loose, washboarded dirt and I slogged my way up it, with the heat beating down. It was the grind of grinds. If it wasn’t for the volunteer that shoved a panty hose knotted off and full of ice down the back of my jersey, I don’t know how I would have kept pushing pedals up that climb (the volunteers at this event were out of this world). I was bound and determined not to put a foot down on the Col and felt a sense of immense relief and pride when I made it to the summit after what felt like hours of grinding (though it was actually an hour and fourteen minutes). Nausea kicked my ass for the last three hours of the race, and I really struggled on those last thirteen miles (taking just under two hours), running on empty, unable to eat any of my food, but taking shots of coke and handfuls of Lays and sawed off bananas at the aid stations. The last thirteen miles are deceptively hard, with rolling climbs that just keep coming at you.
The final kick, a steep pitch of asphalt lasting a mile, with grades up to 12% was wicked, but I was able to make one final kick, buoyed by seeing Kamiah and Amanda and got out of the saddle, jumping a few spots for a strong finish.
Kamiah and Amanda giving me wings, cheering me to finish.
This course and these riders and volunteers humbled me. This experience was ALLTIME. I’m so damn grateful for this experience. My top tube had several notes on it, one that read “fight on” and fight I did.
Seeing Kamiah and Amanda just below the finish on a steep pitch of asphalt, gave me wings.
10,000 feet of climbing, in the heat, on a crazy challenging course, is right up there with the WRIAD effort, as the hardest thing I’ve ever done on a bike. I went to some dark places on this ride, feeling empty and depleted, navigating so much self talk, saying prayers, doing parts (IFS) work, digging deeper than deep, and in the end, the fighter within won out.
I had four big goals at this race:
1) fight
2) finish
3) go under 7 hours
4) ride up the entire Col.
I’m grateful to say I checked all four of these boxes.
I learned so much from this experience and I feel really good about my effort and finish. As a spondy athlete (ankylosing spondylitis with a crazy rare clotting disorder) and with all the tendonpathies and injuries I’ve endured over the years, building up the biological durability to take on events like this has required patience, determination, dedication, courage and willingness to dance with the demons of vulnerability. I’m grateful for a capable body and a TEAM of people who help make this possible.
There were so many strong riders out there Saturday (wicked strong), but the ladies inspired me most. To all the ladies out there crushing it at The Crusher in the Tushar, I tip my hat, and loved riding with you.
I even got to meet T Burke (Swindlehurst), the Crusher founder (2011) himself. There’s no doubt this was a next level field, with somewhere around 100 pros and another several hundred Joe’s that were anything but. The icing on the cake at the end of the race was when two riders (Scott and Hannah) asked us for a ride back down to Beaver since we were sporting the Alta Rack 5, with three bikes on it. What a beautiful duo they were, Hannah a professor at Utah Valley (she was so strong) and Scott Countryman, a pro XCO rider who went FIVE hours and five minutes (that is so crazy fast) to take a top 75.
To my bountiful bride and daughter, mahalo nui loa from the depths for your love, support and companionship. This was a wild ride and there’s no two people on the planet I would have rather shared it with. Amanda, you’re a straight up queen for all of your efforts.
The Giddy Up Crew.
To my thoughtful and supportive friends who texted me in the days leading up to this big ride, my gratitude for you abounds. To Dr. John Wimberly, you’ve guided me for a decade, the tamer of the Guru of Go, I went into Wimbo mode many times to get out of the dark side. And lastly, to Jason (my main man) from Excel PT, getting me in for some dry needling, three days before the race, when I was fighting a major hip flexor flare, and you were just coming off a two week trip to France, that was straight up hero ball. To ZANA for your body work the morning of our departure, welcoming Kamiah and I into your home, while Kamiah walked with baby Silas, you’re a beacon of light. And to my trusted bike mechanic, Kyle Johnson, you’re a straight up wizard and the bike handled flawlessly.
Ride safe, ride smart and ride strong.
WNbL, mwl
