Crankworx!!
Well I was home, and now I’m gone again! I left for the Crankworx event in Colorado for Specialized before I felt like I even settled in. I will be there with all their 2010 demo bikes, hanging out at their booth, and also offering XC rides, race
tips and feeds for riders who are racing that event. In between, I’ll be taking out some big bikes and riding the chairlift up! I think I’ve earned it. I’m excited to check out the scene at Crankworx and the trail system there. Consider it job research for park and trail ideas to bring back to Sun Valley resort! If you are a the event, stop by and come for a ride.
Since I’ve been home, I’ve recieved so many emails, phone calls and high fives from everyone I know. It’s so great to come home to find that all my friends were keeping tabs on me over the weekend. My first day back was spent unpacking, doing laundry, hanging at the Grinder coffee shop, and slowly riding my cruiser bike around town. It’s such a great place to come home to after a long hard effort. Even though I am excited to go to Colorado, I can’t wait to get home and enjoy some free time with my friends. I’ll get some pictures up from Colorado as soon as I can.
Cheers
Reba
Official Race Report From Worlds!
THREE PEAT!
The 24 hour solo mountain bike World Championships have been over for just about 48 hours. The pain and damage my body took from the thrashing is going to take weeks of recovery. The glow of winning worlds three years in a row is going to take years to wear off. This year’s training was entirely focused on peaking for this singular day and putting my name definitively in the record books for endurance mountain bike racing. I have to say it was a bit daunting to form a whole year of training and focus around one event. The pressure of coming back multiple years in a row with a target on my back and the expectation of winning was a heavy weight. I was even given #1 as my bike number plate for this race. The unspoken pressure was thick and anything less than a three peat would have been a disappointment for me.
The preparations unfolded as planned and I stacked the odds in my favor by bringing the best crew friendship can buy. I also brought two tricked out Specialized Era race bikes, a mountain of spare bike parts, cases of Red Bull and duffel bag full of Hammer Nutrition race food. Canmore is a world-class place to ride and the trails serve up the usual Canadian style single track with lots of roots, rocks and technical riding. This course got my attention and Greg described it as similar to operating a jackhammer for 24 hours. I had a few days of pre-riding the course to sort out the technical sections, figure out where I could eat and drink and try to decipher how to race the course to my best advantage. There were no sections to rest and although the lap was only about 10 miles, it was chock full of intensity.
The women’s field was mostly unknown to me with the Australian 24 hour National champ, some Canadian hard women and the US National 24 hour champ, Jari Kirkland. I know Jari from adventure racing and knew she was the type of athlete who would be strong and consistent over the long haul. However, in a race this long, focusing on my own pacing, my own nutrition and riding the course in my style always works out better than trying to focus on the other competitors and marking their riding. My coach Matthew and I had discussed a race strategy that was rolling around in my head. However, as the gun went off, that primal instinct that is hardwired in my brain fired and my legs turned over instinctually. I posted about 60 minutes for the first lap and was 7 minutes up on the rest of the women’s field. As I ticked off the laps, my lead steadily expanded by over 5 minutes per lap. I made a mental pact with myself to keep the pressure on until midnight or until I lapped the 2nd place pro woman.
The course was relentless with very little opportunity to spin and recover. It was non-stop focus and intensity for the whole lap. Even the descending sections required nimble reflexes and upper body strength. Because of the nature of the course, I was taking a little longer in the pits than usual to get a break and try to eat some food. My crew was keeping a sharp eye on the competition and they were also stopping for a few minutes each lap, so I felt comfortable matching their down times. Before dark I lapped Jessica Douglas from Australia and shortly after that Jari Kirland from the US. At about 12 hours into the race, I had a 90 minute lead and the race was unfolding as planned. I was switching bikes every few laps and Jason was keeping them silky smooth. My crew was working non-stop and I was pushing hard to do my part and stay strong on the climbs and relaxed in the single track. As midnight approached, I settled into the darkness and my favorite part of these ultra long races. The night riding offers a whole different dimension to the riding experience and a calm settles over the race. Although I had a lead, there were still 12 hours more to ride and plenty of time for crashes, mechanicals or errors. It is also the time where the body starts to break down, reflexes are numb and the burden of 12 intense race hours in the saddle start to take their toll. There were multiple crashes and medical evacuations from the course, so staying safe and protecting my lead were high priorities.
I stayed solid throughout the night hours and kept my lead at a comfortable distance. However, by sunrise my stomach was not cooperating with what I was asking it to do. As the sun came up, so did most of my food, and fluid that I had been diligently consuming to fuel the race. My nutrition plan was the same as usual, but I think the intensity of the course was not allowing any blood to my stomach to digest. It was a tough morning as I struggled to keep food down and suffered from some severe asthma attacks. I also had a scare when Jari came blowing by me on an uphill around 8am. I was still a lap ahead of her, but she had unexpectedly gained time on me while I was stopped in my pit trying to get some food down. In my mind, I began calculating the worst-case scenario with her fourth quarter push and in my stupor tried to do the math on how many laps I had remaining and what I needed to do to protect my lead. My paranoia kept me focused for the last couple of laps I held onto my third 24 Hour World Championship title.
All season at the end of every single training ride, I had visualized this finish line. This precise scene was etched in my mind and has been my singular motivation for a year. As I soaked in the sensations, I exchanged hugs with the A-team: Charles, Jason, Donna and Karoline. I rolled under the finish banner elated at 11:15 am. I had ridden 180 miles with 30,000 feet of climbing in approximately 23 hours. I completed 18 laps and achieved a goal that I had not dreamed possible: three consecutive 24 hour solo World Championship titles!
I have no idea what is in store for me next. For the moment, I am going to take a well-earned break and let my body and mind relax for a bit.
Thanks to Red Bull and Specialized for getting me to the start line. Thank you to my team of Jason, Charles, Donna and Karoline for getting me to the finish line. I cannot even begin to thank you for all the essential work you put in.
Congratulations to Greg Martin, also from Ketchum Idaho, who crushed the field and earned his 2nd consecutive 24 Hour Single Speed World Championship! There must be something in the water where I live!
Cheers
Reba
more news tomorrow!
Rebecca would like to exend her thanks to everyone who has called, emailed and responded. She is sleeping, coughing and now, off to the evening awards party! She promises a race report tomorrow…stay tuned!
KD
The Three-Peat is Official!!!
The Crew is thrilled to report that Rebecca has won her third Solo Mountain Bike 24 Hour World Championships!!!
Daylight Approaches!
Well, at about 4:30 AM we started seeing the return of daylight. Unfortunately we also saw the return of Rebecca’s food. She left a nice deposit right next to the tent…better than in it, right? Of course, none of this really phased her. As soon as her tummy was empty she sat for her second 20 minute break and ate some “real food”. At 4:30AM that came in the form of instant mashed potatoes mixed with avocado – yum! So now she’s out on her 16th (?) or so lap, still one lap and 6 minutes up on second place. She is riding an incredible race and her strength is nothing less than amazing. Her last few laps have slowed, but are still 5-10 minutes faster than her closest competitors and not far off the pace she was riding early in the race. Rebecca’s excited to be out on her last night lap and we expect that the first rays of sun will be a boost to her effort.
On another note, Greg Martin is increasing his lead in the SS division. He is now 1 lap plus 40 minutes up on 2nd place. He has had a stellar race; steady laps, good focus, smart riding.
I’ve attached some photos from the night.
Thanks for tuning in!
Karoline
Finally enjoying a short break from the saddle.
Back to the saddle it is...
Almost 1/2 Way There!
Hi Everyone
Thanks for tuning in. We’re reaching the 1/2 way point of the race and things continue to look good for Reba. Her lap times have not varied more than 5 minutes since her 2nd lap and we’re into darkness here! Reba reports she is feeling good and acuses us of trying to “stuff her with food”…I thought that was why we were here? So far she has sat for no more than 3 minutes. Her pits consist mostly of her tolerating all of us fussing about, trying to stuff her pockets with Hammer Gel, Endurolytes, bars, batteries for her light, etc. Once we’re done fussing she’s off again. Please keep tuning in…I’ll try to post through the night.
Other current standings: Greg Martin leads the Single Speed race by 50 minutes. Tony Hogg, Cary Smith and Jason English have been trading leads in the Men’s Pro field. Currently Tony leads by 5 minutes and Cary has a 2 second lead on Jason.
Cheers!
Karoline
1st Quarter Report from World Championships
Well, we’re 6+ hours into the race and Reba is looking strong! The rain has come and gone and temps are creeping back up. Early race temps were probably high 80’s/low 90’s. An afternoon Rocky Mnt. thunderstorm blew through and cooled things nicely. Rebecca has a 30+ minute lead over Jari Kirkland after 6 laps. After blazing a one hour first lap she has settled into a pace of 1:05 (ish) laps. At this point she is riding very consistently. She’s been switching between her two Specialized Era bikes and reports both are running like a dream. She’s keeping her crew on their toes with attempts at creative food choice. Her Perpetuem, Heed and fig newtons seem to be working nicely. Lights go on at 8:30pm. I’ll be reporting back from the night…over & out – Karoline (crew).
One Last Blog Before Racetime!
Good Morning,
We are heading into the final hours until the race starts at 11:45am here. The last 24hours have been nothing short of nerve racking, but I have a great group of supporters keeping me calm and focused on my goal. I wanted to check in and give everyone a little course info, and tell everyone what our pre-rides have been like.
First ride on Tuesday finished with a trip to the emergency room! The course is very technical and we got about 2/3 of the way through when my friend Jeff decided to hug a tree on a very steep descent. He broke his seat post and wrapped himself around a tree. He got a deep cut above his eye from his glasses, but was otherwise OK. Greg and I who are both EMT’s went into rescue mode and got him out and to the emergency room. He’s stitched up and we’ve been back out on the course again and got through the tough stuff without any other dramas. It is the hardest 24 hr solo course I’ve ever ridden. It’s about 12 miles of mostly single track and very bumpy, rooty, Canadian riding. There are a few steep, scary descents thrown in as well. There are very few places on the course to relax your body and mind and to eat/drink. The riding is fun for one lap, but I can imagine that after 15 hours or so, the jackhammer qualities of this course will be taking their toll on everyone.
Our last few days have been spent as follows:
Riding the course, getting to know each corner and planning strategy
Jason’s completely rebuilt all the bikes with new cables, new drive trains, new grips, new tires, making them race ready
Hanging out with our posse in the house on Carey St. there are 8 of us here now including crew and racers
Grocery shopping
Visiting Bow cycles in Calgary for some gear, poster signing, borrowing tents/chairs
Admiring the spectacular panoramic views in Canmore
Catching up with other racers from around the world
Thinking about the race!
The race has also developed a live website that will have updates, twitters and racer blogs. I’ve got a great crew here with Charles (crew chief), Jason (head mechanic), Donna (clothing/fashion coordinator/motivator), and Karoline (teammate, training partner, timing chief, motivator)! They will be taking care of Greg and myself and attempting to post any updates or photos if possible. The website is: http://24wsc.com/
We are going to do our best to make sure everyone is in the loop while the race is happening. It is going to be a long, hard, but fun 24hrs! And congratulations to Team Astana on their win too!
Cheers
Reba
Update from Karoline Droege
Hi Everyone!
Well, we are less than 24 Hours away from a BIG 24 Hours (the World Championships!). Rebecca and Greg are napping as I write. This morning was busy with interviews, registration and the last course “pre-ride”. Now the crew is prepping while the “talent” is resting…ahhh to be a professional athlete 
So I came to Canmore having heard that it’s beautiful (it is), the weather is unpredictable (also true) and that the riding is “tough” (TOTAL Understatement!). On my first pre-ride of the course I could barely manage all the roots, rocks, trees and unpredictable turns and ups and downs. I made the comment today, that most of the singletrack that the race course is on, would be slated for a “reroute” in Ketchum. The riding here makes the Curly’s downhill seem like a nice, wide paved path. On part of the course the trees are so tight that Greg’s handlebars don’t fit.
That said, Reba and Greg are riding this stuff like the Champs they are. It is going to be incredibly difficult after two hours of racing, not to mention 24! Thankfully the race director has heeded some of the warnings from racers who are pre-riding the course and he has re-directed an insane 2 mile section of single track that has sent a few to the hospital for stitches. The course is now about 9.9 miles long with 1300′ of climbing per lap. We’re predicting early lap times just around an hour. The weather forecast has gone from 90 and sunny to 72 and a 50% chance of rain. We’re hoping for 72 and sunny…maybe they can split the difference? I’m not certain that I’ll have internet access at the course, but the director is saying we will. I’ll be sending out updates whenever I can.
I’ve attached some photos from the last two days. Jason is bike mechanic, Charles is the cook. Donna and I are logistical support and general entertainment!
Hope everyone is well!
Karoline Droege
Canmore Course Report
Hi Everyone,
We have been pre-riding the course and setting up logistics for the last few days, and all I can say is WOW! Canmore is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. I’m sure everyone has seen pictures of Banff, it’s famous hotel, and the massive mountains, Canmore is just outside the National park area but is just as amazing. I couldn’t have picked a better spot to have a race myself. Thankfully the elevation here is around 6,000 feet, so it is close to home, making the transition for me easier. The last race in Breckenridge started at 9,000+ feet and it was really noticeable.
Here is the course profile with elevation, distance, etc for the 24 hr worlds. The course changed dramatically yesterday and the race director (thankfully) changed a couple of sections that seemed dangerous for a solo 24 hour event. It’s just about 10 miles and still very technical jackhammer sort of riding in very tight, twisty trees. However two of the sketchy descents are now gone and replaced with some different single track and some higher speed double track. The double track will allow for a bit of a mental break and also the change to eat and drink. I think the changes are an improvement to the course and it is still a very stout endeavor. Lap times will be a bit quicker than what I originally estimated… Unless it rains!
Cheers
Reba
Summertime in Ketchum
How’s it goin! I just stepped off the plane and I am back in good ol’ Ketchum, just in time for a G Love concert, how perfect is that? Snowbird was a great time, met some wonderful people, and rode some even better bikes. Specialized just keeps improving on everything, every year and I am fortunate to be riding for them. The Amira, next years women’s road bike blew my mind. It’s the lightest and stiffest women’s road bike on the market. Finally women don’t have to ride a miniature men’s Tarmac, or a Ruby. We now get a full blown race bike! I have a picture to load as soon as I get it off my phone somehow
Getting off the plane at home is a breath of fresh air. I love summer in Ketchum. Only crappy part of the day is that Delta now charges $300 for a bike each way! Oversized is $175, but he said if the contents are a bike then its more! Total discrimination. I negotiated him down to 175 but even that is robbery! Being at the mercy of the airlines is terrible. Can’t wait to relax and ride lightly this week as I prepare for the big one up in Canada. Thanks for reading and I’ll talk to you soon.
Cheers
Reba
Leading into World's
Morning,
I wanted to give everyone a short heads up on how I am going to be spending my week on and off the bike in preparation for World’s in Canmore, Alberta. Just got back from a 90 minute class in the Cliff Lodge Spa that was all foam rollers and tennis balls. Various myofascial release type exercises that were GREAT. Sort of like the poor man’s massage. I travel with a foam roller and tennis balls all the time, but never have done a class like this.
Off to work at the demo now, all the US dealers arrived yesterday, so it’s round two of all the presentations and demos. Going into this next week I have to follow coaches orders for my training. This is what he says: “deep recovery and regeneration week. Make sure your legs are flushed and loose all week long.” Stretching, hot tub, working on logistics for Canmore including gear orders, car rentals, shop appearances, etc. I take care of the travel and logistics for me and my whole crew so it’s a big job to get everyone there, get the gear coordinated and make sure everything is as organized, seamless and as stress free as possible. I will ride this week, but very short rides with some sharp efforts to keep the legs firing. At this point, I’m just topping off the tank and staying as loose and healthy as possible.
I thought I would leave you with a funny video I found of how cyclists train indoors. In all seriousness, I probably spend less time on my trainer than those in harsher climates, but nevertheless rollers are always entertaining.
Cheers
Reba
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhOCrlOD4_E]
Snowbird: Part Deux
Hello!
I’m still in Snowbird for another few days of high altitude fun at the Specialized Dealer event. The first few days were all the top international dealers. I rode with shop owners from Brazil, Australia, Bermuda, Bosnia, Puerto Rico, Japan, etc. It was a blast to meet so many people from around the world who get so excited about riding bikes. I am spending most of my time at the mountain bike demo, drooling over the 2010 bikes and taking laps on the chairlift with dealers, Specialized designers and engineers and distributors. Despite many language barriers, everyone has the universal grin on their face after bombing downhill on a sweet new bike! Tomorrow all the US Dealers filter in and the whole thing starts over again.
Yesterday, I did some testing on the new Enduro and the new Stumpjumper. Oh man! They are both sweet bikes and I really feel the appeal of the bigger suspension bikes. I’ll never trade in my Era for pure XC and endurance racing, but I am having a blast taking the bigger bikes over things that I could not ride on my Era. I am also getting a first look at new gloves, tires, helmets, handle bars and talking with the designers is fascinating. I learn just as much here as the dealers do. The SRAM folks are also here and have given me the lowdown on the new XX components. I’ve been talking gears, brakes, weights and performance with them and learning about all the new upgrades that were developed. It has been full immersion in everything to do with bikes and a really fun week at the office!
Leading up to World’s, after this trip I am going to be sitting pretty still getting all the logistics lined out for the trip. Who knew organizing was so hard! A few massages, some hot tubbing, and stretching are definitely in order. I am going to be writing a few more blogs than usual this week so stay posted.
Cheers
Reba
Bluebird Day in Snowbird,UT
Hello!
I am down in Snowbird,UT for a Specialized Global Dealer event. All of their top dealers in the world are here to talk, ride, schmooze, and be seen on the new 2010 product. I am spending most of my time doing demo rides on the mountain side of things, talking about my racing, and the equipment. Sun Valley is crazy right now with the Allen & Company crowd, and it’s a nice change of pace to get out of town and ride some place new. I highly recommend for everyone to ride in Northern Utah, Moab isn’t the only place with world class riding in this state!
Going into World’s I have begun to rest up a bit, and ride a bit easier as most of my intensity work has been completed. Sleeping up here at Snowbird is a nice bonus since we are at 9,000 feet! It’s like my own personal altitude tent. Here’s a little picture of the set up they have going on here. Talk to you soon.
Cheers
Reba
Thin Air and Fast Times in Breckenridge
I just retiurned from the USAC Marathon National Championships in Breckenridge, CO. This is the 2nd year they’ve held Marathon Nationals at this high altitude venue. The race course is two laps on a 25 mile technical, high alpine course. It’s fabulous terrain and one of the best run races I’ve done, but the altitude is a huge factor. The race starts around 9500 ft in the town of Breckenridge and tops out above 11,000 ft. The 800 athletes roll out as the start of the 4th of July parade with hundreds of people lining the streets in their lawn chairs, cheering as we cruise by in our lycra.
This year the pro women’s field was stacked with Colorado hard women Sari Andersen, Jari Kirkland and Gretchen Reeves along with pro XC racers Heather Irmiger, Monique Sawicki and two time Olympian Mary McConneloug. The start heads straight uphill for 8 miles and the cross country racers went out hot. I struggled on that first climb, but found a rhythm that I could sustain in the thin air. The course was in great condition due to recent rains, but the sharp rocks were stopping a lot of riders with flats. I was surprised to pass Mary near the end of the first lap as she fixed a flat. I came through the first lap 10 minutes faster than my time last year. There were no time splits available, so I did not know what place I was in or how far ahead anyone else was. I was racing in a bit of a bubble not knowing the standings. Starting the 2nd lap, I could see a couple pro women in front of me on the long climb. I ended up passing 3 pro women on the 2nd lap and finishing the race in 6th place. I was just a few minutes out of the 5th place spot, but I was happy with my performance. I had a clean, solid race and my overall time was 15 minutes faster than last year. I was also well ahead of some of my main ultra endurance competitors. I gathered more points in the USA Cycling Ultra Endurance series and extended my lead to over 100 points.
This was my last race before 24 Worlds in Canmore and it was a great tune up and gauge of my form. Next on the agenda is a week long trip to Snowbird, UT for the Specialized Global Dealer Event. I’ll be there meeting and riding with Specialized dealers from around the world and checking out all the new gear from Specialized. It will also be my own little high altitude training camp and my final prep for Canmore. I will keep you updated with pictures from Snowbird, as riding in Utah is beautiful! Talk to you soon.
Cheers
Reba
Pics: photo credit Liam Doran
From Vernal to Breckenridge
Vernal, UT riding and USA Cycling Marathon Nationals
We left town on Wednesday night with Scott and Susan Robinson in their monster Sportsmobile van for the road trip to Breckenridge for the Firecracker 50 miler, which is the USA Cycling Marathon National Championships. We drove part way and made a stop in Vernal, UT for a bit of sweet single track riding. I’d read about this place in the most recent Bike Mag as “the new Fruita” with 100 miles of buff single track, and a totally different environment than what we ride in Ketchum.
We found the local Specialized dealer, Altitude Cycle and got the lowdown from the shop owners on their trails. They are the personal stewards of this place and were super excited to share their maps and recommendations. We did a 2 hour ride to sample a few of their trails. It was awesome desert riding with swooping fast trails, antelope running around, wide open views and even a bit of bike art at the trail intersections. You could feel how special this place is and how much care and love had been taken to build and preserve these trails. It was well worth the stop and a great break from the drive. I will definitely go back there.
Today we are in Breckenridge and it has been raining and stormy since we arrived. The Firecracker 50 is a huge race that sells out each year with about 800 people on the roster. The course is a 25 mile super technical loop with about 5000 ft of climbing per lap. I get to do the lap twice! The course is great and always draws a really top level of competition. The big kicker is that it starts at 10,000 ft and goes up from there. Yes, I live at altitude, but about 4000 ft below where the race starts. I raced here last year and finished 4th and was definitely affected by the thin air.
The pro field is really stout this year with a mix of pro cross country women and pro endurance athletes. The distance is just a bit too long for the XC specialist and just a bit too short for the endurance specialists like me. It’s a unique distance that will be interesting to see how it shakes out. There are also a couple of women entered here who will be my competition for 24 hour World Champs in 3 weeks, so we’ll get to size each other up a bit. This is the last tune up race before Worlds and the last really hard effort before The Big One, and hopefully I will get one of those fancy stars and stripes jerseys of a national champion!
Here are a few pics from Vernal, UT!
Off to Colorado
Hey Everyone,
I have been spending quite a bit of time on the bike and haven’t been writing a ton. It’s that time where I am counting down, adding calories, and polishing up everything in an effort to make it a three peat! I am off to Breckenridge for the Firecracker 50 mountain bike race this weekend. So while you are eating hot dogs and celebrating your country’s independence, I am going to be eating Hammer Gel and swearing about the altitude. It’s going to be a perfect pre-worlds simulation with a hard pace and a solid race length, and then it’s recovery time until worlds in Canmore. In an effort to ride faster, a new bike arrived on my doorstep. S-Works, full carbon, 29er hardtail! I actually took the TV off the wall in my living room, and hung the bike in it’s place, it’s that good looking. I’ll have a full race report after the weekend, have a great holiday and don’t blow your fingers off with illegal fireworks.
Cheers
Reba
