I’ve been polishing off all the bikes that have been neglected while the Fate was racing.  The Safire, the Enduro, the P Bike are all getting some ride time!  It’s been a super chill week of getting the house back together after 3 weeks away.  Unpacking, doing laundry, tending the garden, baking bread and just doing some casual fun rides with friends.  I’ve also been sitting down evaluating what races I’ll do for the remainder of the year.  I told myself I wouldn’t make any decisions on Fall races until after Leadville.  It feels so amazing to have my #1 goal for the whole year in the bag, but now I’m already starting to get antsy and wonder what’s next?  I love relaxing and taking it easy after a long stint of hard work, but I guess I’m just not built to sit still for too long.

This week at home has been sort of like one big celebration. My first night home from Leadville, I went to a Michael Franti concert on the lawn at River Run and it felt like my very own party.  I saw all my friends and it seemed like everyone was following the race on Twitter and were so stoked!  It felt so good to share the win with all the locals.

My first weekend home, Greg and I headed up to Stanley for a couple of amazing backcountry rides and camping.  No heart rate monitor, no training agenda and no schedule.  It was the first weekend in months that I’ve done that and it was glorious.  Saturday we did a great ride with friends that felt like there was way more downhill than uphill.  That does not happen much in Idaho.  Greg and I camped by Stanley Lake and took a swim in the icy water with views of the Sawtooth Mountains all around.  Riding on Sunday was a huge adventure ride where we only went 25 miles in 5 hours.  Hike a bike above treeline and lightening threatening all around us made me think of my adventure racing days.  It was amazing, but way different than the previous day’s ride. I took the Safire for the weekend and it was so much fun to have that much suspension and a Reverb dropper seatpost.  That bike really makes me smile.  It’s a blast.  Next up, I’m not sure yet.  I’ll let you know when I figure it out.

Todd Meier Photography

As soon as I won the Leadville 100 race last year, I was already getting questions about racing in 2011 and coming back to defend my title and attempt the first ever women’s “threepeat” at this race. I remember saying last year, “can’t I just enjoy this win for a little while before having to focus on 2011?”  Well, the break didn’t last long and my coach and I targeted the Leadville 100 race as my “A” race for 2011 and the training and focus for that began almost a year before the actual event.

Heading into Leadville this year, I had some highs and lows in the season.  I knew my training had been better than ever, but my results weren’t necessarily showing the fitness I’d been building.  A few weeks out from Leadville, I had one of my worst races of the season and suffered some serious doubts.  I trust in my coach and the work I’ve done, but could not figure out why I was so flat so close to my key race.

I stuck to my plan to head to Colorado a couple of weeks early for one last race and then some much needed quite time without distraction. I have had a season full of amazing women’s events, sponsor appearances, movie screenings all piled on top of trying to maintain laser focus with my training.  I had some doubts that perhaps I had spread myself too thin and it was now catching up to me.

Todd Meier Photography

The two weeks of isolation prior to the race proved to be just the focused recovery and rejuvenation that I needed.  I slept a ton, trained at altitude, ate really well, tinkered with my bike and just decompressed.  I was strangely calm before the race, despite the fact that the women’s field was incredibly strong and hungry to take me down.  I wasn’t really nervous and my mental energy was focused not on my competitors, but more on bettering my own time from last year.  I knew that if I went faster than I had before, I would have to feel good about that regardless of my placing.  Winning is addictive, but it’s also not the only definition of success.

People kept asking me how I felt about the stout competition.  Without hesitation, my response is a positive one.  The fact that both men’s and women’s fields were much deeper with pro riders is always a good thing for endurance racing, for the event, for everyone.  It means the sport is growing and more top athletes are lining up.  It adds credibility to the event and keeps it exciting.  If you knew who was going to win a race every time, it wouldn’t be that stimulating to watch.

Todd Meier Photography

Race day was clear and warm.  I lined up with Specialized teammate, Todd Wells on the front line.  My boyfriend, Greg, was once again there to be my one man crew.  I looked around at my friends Gretchen Reeves, Jenny Smith, Kelli Emmett and gave them all a smile.  I had a race strategy in my head and knew these girls were gunning for me, but they are all friends and I honestly wished them all a safe and good race.   As we rolled into the very first climb at St. Kevin’s I was feeling OK, but could not really respond as four women slowly rode away from me.  I wasn’t panicked and just put my head down and tried to remind myself that I had lots of time and to stick to my strategy.  I was sitting in 5th place and a few minutes off the lead as I rolled into the first aid station at mile 30.  Greg was there and asked me how I was doing.  He could see in my eyes that I wasn’t as spunky as usual.  I told him I was fine, but just a little flat.  By the time I reached the 2nd aid station, I got reports that I was just 2 minutes off the leaders and sitting in 3rd going into the Columbine Mine climb.  Apparently both Kelli and Pua had mechanicals and had dropped back, but I never saw them.  The news that I was that close to the lead got me amped and some of my confidence started to come back.

I went to work to chip away the deficit on the climb.  I was catching other guys, so I knew I was moving the bike better by now.  The male racers were telling me that Jenny and Gretchen were just ahead.  I finally caught both of them right where the climb really kicks up and gets super hard.  I passed Gretchen, but Jenny stuck to me like a terrier for the remainder of the climb.  She was right on my tail at the turn around.  I was able to shake her on the descent and then got really focused on not crashing, not flatting and taking care of my fueling.  I had the lead, but not by much.  It was mine to keep if I didn’t make any mistakes at all.

Coming down Columbine and hearing all the uphill riders scream my name gave me a huge boost of energy.  Rolling into Twin Lakes aid station with thousands of crew members all screaming gave me another second wind.  I was past the 1/2 way mark and time to finish the job.  I made it to Powerline climb and still could not see any female riders behind me.  I had gotten a split of around 3 minutes at the Pipeline aid station, but that was dangerously close.  I was cramping and at my limit.  I ended up walking the lower section of the Powerline climb for fear of pushing my cramps into full blown spasm.  I slammed a Red Bull energy shot and walked/ran hoping that it wasn’t a mistake to be conservative in this spot.  Back on the bike, I finished the huge climb and focused on the last 15 miles ahead of me.  These are mentally the most challenging miles.  Town feels so near, but is still so far.

Todd Meier Photography

I was focusing on nutrition and being very light on the descents.  A flat tire at this point would have really been a game changer.  Once off the last descent and onto the flats before town, I relaxed about flat tires and stole a look at my watch.  It read 7:10 and I knew I was only about 20 minutes out from the finish.  I couldn’t believe the time I was seeing on my Suunto.  I was blown away that I was this far ahead of my own course record.  I knew the other girls must still be nipping at my heels, but this was the first point I actually thought that I might have it in the bag.  Always a realist, I still kept my head down and snuck looks behind me when I had a stretch of visibility.  I did not relax until I turned onto 6th street and could physically see the red carpet and the famous finish line.  That view rolling into town is like looking down the Champs Elysee for mountain bikers.  Instead of seeing the Arc de Triomphe, you see the historical old brick buildings on Harrison Blvd that mark your ultimate destination.

I have visualized that finish in my head for more than a year.  I admit, I was not certain that I would be the first woman to roll across it and never dreamed I’d break my own record by over 15 minutes.  Even during the race, I felt a little flat and off the back for a while.  Perseverance, race experience and staying calm paid off.  This third win was all the more sweet because I really had to work for it.  Not only did I break my own course record, but so did the top four women in the race!  Now that is the true definition of success for women’s cycling!

A big shout out to Todd Wells for his win as well.  Specialized and SRAM had an awesome day on the top of the podium.  Thanks to both for the incredible support and tech work for the race.  My brand new Fate remains undefeated and was the perfect bike for this course.

Most of all, thanks to Greg Martin for being my training partner, my motivator, my crew, my voice of reason and the best musette bag handler ever!

For more photos of the whole Leadville race experience, click here and dont forget to “Like”

For a great video of the women’s race finish, click here.

If watching this doesn’t motivate you to get on your bike and ride, I don’t know what will. Citizen Pictures did an amazing job of capturing the spirit of the race in this film. You’ll see crashes, tears, courage, failure and success all in one breath-taking package. Watching this film is the only time I’ve truly felt like I’ve been able to re-live and accurately experience a mountain bike race after it’s over. So ask your question for your chance to win.

Race Across The Sky 2010 from Citizen Pictures on Vimeo.

Keep in mind, our Ask Reba Archives is full of great information from previous questions. To increase your chances of winning, check the archives first for similar questions that I may have already answered, and please limit it to one question per person per month. Who knows, you may even learn something new from the archives!

Thanks and best of luck!

Can you provide five random tips for 100 mile races? @dirksorenson

1.  Be prepared.  Research the race details such as average finishing time, mileage of aid stations, what’s at the aid stations, mechanical support (or not), typical weather in the area, etc.  Know what you are in for and plan accordingly for time, food, clothing and repair tools.  You don’t need to bring the kitchen sink, but you also don’t want to be that person by the side of the trail bonking with no food because you didn’t have an extra bar in your pocket.

2.  Train for the event.  You don’t have to ride 100 miles every weekend, but you do need some long distance days to get your body used to the time in the saddle.  I like to choose other races, such as 50 milers to build up to the hundy.  Us the shorter “test” events to work out your pacing,  nutrition and possible, your choice of chamois cream.

3.  Look at the course profile and mentally break it down into manageable segments.  For example, the Leadville Trail 100 is 5  segments for me.  I focus on each one individually, then tackle the next one.  The distance is more manageable that way and keeps me focused on the race instead of drifting off and lamenting over how much further until the end.

4.  Chill out at the beginning.  Do not treat the start of a 100 miler like an XC race.  Tone it back a notch for the first hour to see how things shake out, get warmed up and get into a rhythm.  It’s always better to start a bit slower and finish strong than to start strong and finish slowly.

5.  Stay on top of your nutrition and hydration from the moment the gun goes off.  Any lapse in fuel in the first hour or two WILL come back to haunt you late in the day.  Plan your food and water for every single hour and stay vigilant about keeping to a logical schedule.  For me, hydration is a minimum of 24 oz of water per hour and approximately 230 calories per hour. Hammer Nutrition has some great article on fueling if you need some education in this area.

What is the best type of box to pack/ship your mountain bike? @stevejdt

For airline travel, I use Pika Packworks.  It’s a soft case that’s super bomber and a genius design.  Don’t be scared away by the simple website.  Each bag is custom made and I know a ton of pro athletes using this case.   I used a hard case for years, but it’s too heavy and cumbersome and when your bike is out of it, you still have a huge case to lug around.  I was leery of the soft case not protecting my bike enough.  However, it’s super padded and comes with great instructions.  Also, my theory is that since it’s soft, the airlines are not as likely to pile it on the bottom of the cart or chuck it as far across the tarmac.  Get the Stretch version.  It’s worth the extra space and if you ride a 29er, it won’t fit in the smaller one.

For shipping, I use a cardboard bike box from my local shop and try to get the extra thick ones.  Pack it professionally and hope for the best!  It’s currently much cheaper to ship a bike domestically than to fly with it.  However, you need more time on both ends to be without your bike and allow plenty of time for lost or delayed shipments.  You also need a reliable receiving party on the other end.  I usually call the local Specialized dealer and beg them to let me send it there.  Then they can build it as soon as it arrives.   Happy shipping!

Here we are outside the Paramount Theater before the show. Susan Robinson is my assistant, training partner and friend.  She has been game for any workout I threw at her this year.  She was willing to come along on the hardest days just to keep me company.  Her presence kept me honest and got me out to do the hard days that I didn’t always want to do. Scott Robinson is a frequent rabbit that I attempt to chase in workouts.  I’ve never caught him, but even being able to see him on a workout is motivating. Greg Martin is my boyfriend, training partner, and dynamite, single handed crew for this year’s Leadville 100 race.  He is the one person who really knows and supports how hard I worked this year, the highs and lows I experienced and what it really takes to live life as a professional athlete.  I would be lost without him. Matthew Weatherley-White is my essential coach, friend, motivator, occasional therapist and the smartest man I know.  He is responsible for delivering me to the start line as ready as humanly possible.  I brought these people with me to share the evening because without them, I could not have won this race.

After checking out the theater, we walked across the street to socialize with a ton of friends at the IMBA hosted pre-party at the Hard Rock Cafe.  I donated two race jerseys to IMBA for their fundraising raffle that night.  One jersey was my 2009 Specialized team kit from my win at last years’ Leadville Trail 100.  The other jersey was my team kit from this years’ win.  I also pre-signed a bunch of posters for the tables set up by Specialized dealers Wheat Ridge Cyclery and BikeSource.  We also mingled with journalist and VIP invited guests in the VIP room.  From then on, it was all business.

Here I am in the “Green Room” with Dave Wiens.

More Green Room with Dave Weins, Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski and Davis Phinney.

In the hair and make up room with Levi Leipheimer.  Don’t you love what they did with his hair?

The panel with Lifetime Fitness CEO Bahram Akradi, Levi Leipheimer, Dave Wiens, me, Jeremy Horgan-Kobelski and Eric Weihenmayer.

It was really fun to watch the race unfold in the comfort of a chair.  When I am racing and in the moment, I don’t always remember or notice everything that’s happening.  Seeing us all lined up on the start line though with the weight of 1500 people pressing forward on us, brought back all those emotions again.  Of course, I also never saw many of the people featured in the film.  I loved watching the competitive men’s race unfold.  What they did not show was that Amanda Carey and I were together for the first 40 miles.  We definitely had our own race going on and it was very intense.  Even after I was able to break away on Columbine, it was still one of the hardest efforts I have ever put in.  My favorite memory that was shown in the film was rolling off the “boulevard” and onto the pavement for the final turn onto 6th St and the finish line.  There was a high school cross country running team waiting at that intersection and when they saw I was the first woman, they went crazy and started screaming and running with me.  I was near tears seeing those girls running with me.  I was smiling from ear to ear as they ran with me.  That kind of support and cheering is what really makes all that hard work worth it.

Their best known piece is the original, multi-functional, seamless, tubular headgear that, because of its high quality, means you can perform any activity in total freedom and comfort.Buff, Inc., has sponsored a very successful racing campaign for professional Rebecca Rusch during 2010.

Rebecca was the first Buff, Inc. athlete to test the new Seamless Headband Buff®. A special Rebecca Rusch Seamless Headband Buff® was made for her film tour and races this year. “I’ve been using Buff for over 10 years adventure racing, cycling, skiing and for pretty much every sport I do.  It’s such a simple, small item that can really make a difference, so I always have one in my pack or pocket.”

“The new Seamless Headband Buffâ is like the three bears story: not too hot, not too cold, just right,” Rusch said. “It keeps the sweat out of my eyes, takes the chill off the ears if needed and is super comfy. The Seamless Headband Buff was the perfect accessory for Leadville’s extremely varied conditions.”

For November’s Ask Reba contest, we will be giving away the POLAR BUFF®THERMAL PRO®. Polar Buff® Thermal Pro™’s unique matte or shiny textures offer twice the warmth of a Polar Buff® for the coldest winter days.
So send your questions to askreba@rebeccarusch.com and if we choose yours, Buff® will help keep you warm this winter!

It was also really great for me to see a bunch of my sponsors getting behind this first year race.  Thanks to Specialized, Light and Motion, Hammer Nutrition, Buff and Beyond Coastal all came on board.  I tried out the brand new Light and Motion Seca 1400 and it’s fabulously bright.  I’m sure that’s why my night lap was as fast as my day laps.

The 2009 LT100 was icing on the cake of an already fantastic season.  I had come to Leadville just 3 weeks after defending my 3rd 24 Hour Solo World Championship title.  I arrived two days before the race, did not know the course, the scene or much about the event.  I was blown away last year by the magnitude of the race and the spirit of cycling and endurance racing that hovers over the town.  I had a blast last year and got lucky enough to pull off a win.  That intoxicating experience laid the groundwork for my 2010 season.

This year, I approached the season differently.  24 Hour Worlds got moved to October, so that left me to focus 100% on the Leadville Trail 100 as my “A” race.  My coach, Matthew, designed a very different training approach that focused on racing fast for 8 hours instead of 24.  8 hours might sound like a long race for most people, but for me, it is short and fast.  I had to work on speed.  I packed in four multi day stage races before summer rolled around, raced XC, and then stacked on multiple 50 and 100 milers in the 6 weeks leading up to Leadville.  I won’t tell you all the training secrets, but I will tell you that Matthew broke me down hard and I was very doubtful about my performance in the middle of all that hard training.

I also went to Leadville 10 days early this year so I could ride the course  and acclimatize.  I was there alone hanging out in town, riding my bike and with plenty of time to think about the race, my nutrition, my bike, what to wear, the weather.  Some days, there was too much time to think, but mostly the lack of distraction just before the race was a great way to focus.  By the time all the Specialized riders, crew and posse showed up, I was like a horse kicking in her stall.

This year, Specialized jumped on as the official bike sponsor of the LT100.  Once again, company owner, Mike Sinyard showed up with the goal of bettering his time.  Also on the team roster was newly crowned XC and ST National Champ, Todd Wells, the legend Ned Overend, Anthony Sinyard, plus a host of other Specialized employees and dealers.  It was really great to see the big red truck roll into town and to see so many Specialized kits out on the course.  I am normally at many of my races as the sole Specialized athlete, so it was a huge treat to have the team there.

Race morning dawned super early.  Since I won last year, I got a great line up on the front row next to Dave Wiens.  It was warmer than last year, so I started the race in my regular kit, plus arm warmers and a Buff under my helmet.  I knew the course this year and had the key time splits memorized, so  I did not have to tape a course profile to my top tube this year.  I knew Amanda Carey had peaked for this race as well and would be stiff competition.  I did not know about the rest of the field and was really just trying to focus on my race instead of reacting to other athletes.  The gun went off and we were soon climbing the first hill up St. Kevin’s.  Amanda was stuck to me like glue.  I tried to shake her a few times up that hill with no success.  She sat in with a group of about 5 other guys until the next climb.  I pushed again and we shook some of the guys.  I got a small gap on Amanda, but she clawed right back up before the Powerline descent.  I relaxed a bit on the descent in order to get through safely.  The next road section through Pipeline Aid Station and all the way to Twin Lakes Aid station found us together playing a bit of cat and mouse.  I ate, drank, relaxed and mentally prepared myself for the 3200 ft Columbine ascent.  At mile 40 Amanda and I were still together pushing each other to a record breaking time.

Greg was my official crew for feeds and time splits and was ripping between aid stations on his motorcycle.  He’d gone out the day before and scoped all the aid stations and agreed where he’d be for hand offs.  We practiced with musette bags to keep the feeds fast and rolling.  I had never used a musette, but it worked great.  LT100 is definitely a mountain bike race with road tactics mixed in.  This year I was experiencing that first hand with the feeds and with a group of riders sitting in for the first 40 miles.  I actually enjoyed the strategy and tactics and was ready to hit the big climb hard to see if I could open a gap there.

I punched hard at the bottom of Columbine and did not look back.  Well, I looked back a little to see where Amanda was.  I lost sight of her due to the switchbacks in the trees, but kept pushing, focusing on a good spin and keeping the odometer rolling.   I started catching a few guys and moved up into the 20′s for placing.  I felt as if this was the decisive place in the race and treated it as a bit of a time trial.  Near the steepest part on the top, I was starting to cramp a bit and kept hammering Endurolytes, drinking and trying to keep on top of nutrition.  The top of the climb is still just the 1/2 way point, so it’s a fine line between pushing hard and burying yourself too deep in the cave.  At the turnaround, I looked at my Suunto.  I was 8 minutes ahead of record breaking pace.  I could not believe it.  I began to calculate the time until I saw Amanda again.  I calculated that I had put about 5 or 6 minutes into her on the climb.  I did not take chances on the descent with uphill traffic, loose gravely corners and 50 miles to go.  At the Twin Lakes Aid station, Greg was there again and I could see the excitement in his eyes when he realized I was alone and had finally shaken Amanda.

I am forever the pessimist and would not settle for the 10 minute gap I had opened.  Twin Lakes to Pipeline is the really windy part of the course.  It was a headwind, of course.  I found one other lonely rider out there.  Well, I had to pin it for about 20 minutes to finally catch up to him.  We got to ride together for about 20 more minutes, which doesn’t seem like much, but it was really nice to have company out there.  You really feel alone in your suffering, so just having someone else there suffering too takes a bit of the edge off.  I had seen Ned Overend ascending just after I turned around at the top of Columbine.  I was confused as to why he was behind me, but also excited that he would probably catch me and we could ride together.

I waited and looked behind me.  Ned never came.  The back story is that in the first 45 minutes of the race, Ned was with the top 5 guys including Todd Wells and Levi.  Todd and Levi got tangled up and Todd flatted and broke 6 spokes.  Ned, the ultimate teammate, gave Todd his wheel and rode 15 miles on a broken wheel.  He made it to the Pipeline aid and the only wheels in the Specialized crew area were mine.  Ned took my wheel, then waited for me to roll through to make sure I would not need it.  He gets my vote for the Gentleman’s Award for this race.  The even better part is that he spent the rest of the race trying to catch up to me, but could not.  So I did not truly beat Ned Overend fair and square, but I did gap him on the 2nd half of the course!

Back to the race, heading up Powerline at mile 80 was pretty torturous for me.  I had been flirting with cramps since Columbine and digging really, really deep.  Powerline is very, very steep at the bottom.  I started to power the pedals and felt the cramps coming again.  I decided to play it safe and get off my bike.  I did not want to end up with full blown cramps writhing on the side of the trail.  I put my ego aside and my adventure racing skills to use.  I walked up Powerline, but I walked hard and tried to open up my stride in order to keep a decent pace.  It held off the cramps and I was able to drink while walking.  Back on the bike, I was in the home stretch, but still with over an hour to go.  I had my eye on the watch trying to calculate the record time.  I must have been too stupid from lack of oxygen because I couldn’t really figure out how much time I had left.

I was on my own at the top of the last big climb.  I needed water and there was a mini aid station coming up.  I had to step off the bike to fill my bottle and as soon as I put my foot on the ground, my calf fully seized!  I fell over with my bike on top of me.  The aid station volunteers stared at me in disbelief as I rubbed the cramp away.  I asked for electrolytes and after a brief shuffling of items, they presented me with a salt shaker.   Well, not exactly what I was looking for, but it couldn’t hurt.  I cocked my head back and took a few big shakes straight into my mouth.  I should have tossed a bit over my shoulder for good luck as well!  I got back on the bike and began the last sketchy descent.  This is the place where many weary riders get lazy and end up flatting on the rocky descent. It felt great to go downhill and I carefully hopped the rocks and ruts and got through clean.

The mind numbing Boulevard section back into town was all that was left.  The race is actually 103 miles and let me tell you, those extra three feel like an eternity.  I stole another glance backwards on the road before turning onto the last grinder hill.  No one in sight.  You can smell the barn at this point, but it still seems to take forever to get there.  The film crew moto was with me at this point and I could not muster a smile, comment or even a glance.  I had my head down, there was snot all over my top tube and I was completely spent.  It wasn’t pretty, but I wanted that record.  I stared at my odometer and kept glancing at my Suunto to check the race time.  I knew the record was within reach, but did not want to let up at all.

As I crested the very last hill and turned onto 5th street, a bunch of high school girls started running next to me screaming and yelling.  It was the Malone Cross Country team and they were going crazy for me.  I wanted to say something back, but no words would come.  All I could muster was a big smile.  I hope they realized how they helped push me over that last hill.  I could finally see it now.  6th and Harrison with the red carpet and the finish banner.  It still looked really far away.  The film guy on the moto said, “come on Rebecca, only 6 more blocks.”  Head down, shift to a bigger gear and go.  I had ridden this finishing stretch multiple times visualizing this moment.  A crowd was there waiting, the time was ticking and I felt like I was going so,so slowly.  I knew I had the win and the record and as I rolled over the carpet, I was so spent I could not even raise my arms in victory.  I hope the huge smile on my face was enough to show my utter elation.

Greg was the first one to approach me and give me a hug as i slumped over my handle bars.  Being able to share the day with him was incredible.  He’s a 24 hour world champ as well and we race together all the time.  He knows from the look on my face how I’m feeling.  He knew I was digging deep and I think he might have burned more calories than I did during the race.  Thank you, Greg!

As I sit back and think about the day, I was super prepared in every way.  My training, my bike, my course preparation, mental preparation were all dialed for this one day.  However, when people say, “I knew you would win,” I have to laugh.  I did not know I would win.  I knew I had prepared myself to the best of my ability, but that does not take into account the preparation that other athletes do, the mechanicals that can happen, the crashes, the wind, getting sick, etc.  I was absolutely ready for this race and it came together on the right day.  I attribute the record and the win to great preparation, but also a little bit of luck and a whole lot of suffering.

Thanks to everyone for sharing the experience with me. It was an awesome day that will be etched in my mind for a very long time.  Let’s hope that 7:47.35 record stays etched in the books for a good long while as well! Many thanks for the video experience that Specialized put together, Todd Meier and Eric Wynn for all their great photos, and for my friends and family for their support. There is a full gallery up on Flickr as well for all to see.