Colorado Trail Race CTR starts on August 1st, Watch online!

Racing the 470 mile CTR to raise awareness and funds for The NEST:

The Race starts August 1, 2011 at 6:30am!

Watch the race online at http://trackleaders.com/ctr

Click to watch Shawn's progress online

I will update my blog whenever I have phone reception and I'm not too tired to operate my cell.

Donate to The NEST at http://www.active.com/donate/nest

And yes, All these should work on your smartphone!

Preparations for the 2011 Colorado Trail Race CTR

Well, the training is complete for the 2011 Colorado Trail Race CTR.  No benefits and only negatives from any hard riding efforts now.  Nothing to do except hope that my training was enough to make it through the race and to fine-tune my setup.  Thanks to Kiviok Hight and Lynda Wallenfels for the great preparation and training advice for the CTR!

When it's nice out I want to take everything out of my packs and leave it at home and when it's dumping rain and hail out all I can think is "that would suck to be out in that" and it makes me want to pack a lot more.

Kiviok who has tons of experience in the multi day Adventure racing world (Primal Quest, etc.) has given me great advice on what to bring which is basically nothing except minimalist survival gear.  After going over my setup with him several times he has successfully talked me into eliminating any kind of comfort.  Apparently, if you’re not miserable you have to much stuff, your sleeping too much and you’re eating too much.  I guess it takes a little time to convince myself that I really don't need things that seemed vital at the beginning.

The bike itself is ready to go except for a fork rebuild which I'm waiting on a new fork stanchion.  New Schwalbe Nobby Nic's are mounted.  I switched out a bunch of the light weight components with heavier duty ones to handle the additional weight and punishment during the ride which added 2 pounds to my bike. I picked out the pack I thought would work the best.  I tried a variety of different packs before settling on an Osprey Pack.  Thanks Osprey!

I'm still debating on the water filtration method (Steripen, Filtered water bottle, tablets).  Probably will end up being tablets and maybe one of the other methods.

Now I'm figuring out the ride logistics and making sure I have all the right maps and instructions to navigate the route.

I'm doing this race to help benefit The NEST which helps abused kids.  Please check out http://www.bigloopmaps.com/theme_Racing_for_Charity_01.html for more information.

The clock is ticking.  Can't wait to start! 

 

Colorado Trail Race (CTR) race preporation press

Got some nice press in the paper for the upcoming Colorado Trail Race CTR http://www.cortezjournal.com/main.asp?SectionID=2&SubSectionID=2&ArticleID=16226.  It's nice to have the hometown behind you but it also comes with some additional pressure to finish.  That's always a good motivator!

5th Place singlespeed in the Breckenridge 100

Just finished 5th place in the singlespeed category at the Breckenridge 100 (Breck 100) in Colorado.  100 miles and 13,000 feet of elevation gain.  It was my first time doing this race and it was a great course.  Lots of epic singletrack with some hike-a-bike through snowfields above timberline.  Numerous people I talked to said this race was significantly tougher than the Leadville 100.  Mostly because it was actually primarily on singletrack trails and not dirt roads.  I ran a 32x20 on my 29r with Schwalbe Racing Ralph tires and felt it worked well.  I might have run a 19 if I hadn't been training so hard for the Colorado Trail Race right up to this race.

The course consisted of three loops that each started and returned at the race venue in Carter Park.  Things started out poorly for me on the first climb.  I tried to hang with the leaders but soon seemed to be getting passed by everyone while I was trying to keep my breakfast from coming back up.  All these years of racing and I still haven’t figured out what works well for breakfast.  I didn't feel very good at all and my legs felt heavy.  I was in about 13th place in the singlespeed category at the top of the first climb.  Once we got above timberline I started to feel better and passed some people back in the hike-a-bike section and crossing the snowfields.  The decent was technical and cold but I continued passing people, mostly geared riders.  I rode with Matt Turgeon most of lap.  At Copper Mountain we hit a section of paved bike path and all the geared riders I just passed flew back by me.  The next section was awesome singletrack and my gearing was perfect for it.  I showed up back in Breckenridge, pitted, and started the 2nd loop in 11th place.

I was feeling much stronger and started passing more people on the second loop.  I went by Steve Reiter who was fixing a flat, tough luck!  The second loop is considered the toughest out of the three.  The Climb up Little French Flume was tough; the Colorado Trail section was epic and super fun.  Then you drop down to the golf course and it feels like your close to the venue but just to "kick you in the teeth while your down" the route sends you climbing again on a combination of singletrack and dirt roads.  By the end of that lap I had moved up to 7th place and was feeling great.  In the pit Dani lubed my chain and I loaded my rain jacket on the bike and stocked up on more food and bottles.

The rain started coming down on the climb up Boreas Pass but the way the clouds were moving it seemed like it would pass so I didn't put on the rain jacket.  I continued to pass geared riders up the hill and felt great but didn't see any other singlespeeders.  After cresting the saddle on Boreas pass I started the decent on sweet singletrack toward Como.  I hadn't seen another rider since before the pass.  Finally, just before Como I passed a couple more geared riders and another singlespeeder.  I had to stop and pit in Como to get some water bottles and the singlespeeder passed me back up.  The huge audience of race fans in the thriving metropolis of Como consisted of my Mom and Dad who live right by there and the people at the aid station.  Leaving Como there was a nasty headwind and even though the other singlespeeder was jumping on the tail of the geared riders I finally caught up and passed him.  Then he jumped on my tail and was drafting me for several miles.  Kind of irritating!  I ended up dropping him and then passed more racers and another singlespeeder up the hill.  After cresting the top of Boreas Pass again I didn't see anyone else all the way down back to the finish where I crossed the line in 5th place.  Fun race!

Mark Thompson (The Judge) hammered out the singlespeed win again this year but had much closer competition than in the past.  Michael Scott finished second and there was a battle between Jeffrey Carter and Michael Melley all the way to the finish.  Great race guys!
http://www.warriorscycling.com/results2011/2011Breck100.PDF 

Racing the 470 mile Colorado Trail Race (CTR) to raise awareness and funds for The NEST

I'm racing the 470 mile Colorado Trail Race (CTR) starting August 1st 2011 and am using the opportunity to increase awareness and raise funds for The NEST in Cortez, Colorado. Donate at http://www.active.com/donate/nest

What is The NEST?

The NEST provides a safe, child-friendly environment that eases the emotional trauma experienced by children during the investigation and prosecution of child abuse cases. http://www.nestcac.org

The mission of The NEST is to strengthen our community's response to child abuse and neglect through prevention, intervention, education and advocacy.

The Nest's goals:

• Minimize trauma suffered by the child due to multiple contacts with different community professionals
• Provide families with referrals for needed services
• Maintain open communication and case coordination among the agencies involved in child protection efforts
• Develop and promote prevention education programs for parents and care givers
• Make available specialized training to enhance professional skills to effectively respond to child sexual and severe physical abuse
• Educate mandated reporters of their legal responsibilities under Colorado law
• Provide an educational component to enhance community awareness and understanding of child sexual and physical abuse

It's surprising and sad that organizations like this are so necessary in communities across the US and these abuses are so prevalent. The NEST facility requires expensive equipment and an experienced staff to function and this takes money.

"Shawn Gregory is a good friend of the Nest and has generously offered a unique and interesting way for people to contribute to the Nest's cause." TG

What is the Colorado Trail Race CTR?

The CTR is 470 miles and 65,000' of elevation gain winding through the Colorado Rocky Mountains from Denver to Durango. Approximately 300+ miles of singletrack at elevations ranging from 5500' to a gasping-for-breath 13,200'. The CTR is a monster! There is no entry fee, no support, no registration, and no prize money. http://www.climbingdreams.net/ctr/ There are strict rules against any kind of help, it must be completely self supported.

There are a small amount of mountain bikers who have finished the race and a very small amount that have completed it on a singlespeed. A lot can happen to a racer and their bike in 470 miles. Any rider with the best equipment, best training and best plan can still not finish, but that's what makes it exciting.

What is my motivation for helping The NEST?

While I was preparing for the CTR I was thinking about how lucky I was to be able to participate in this event. Knowing that there are plenty of kids, through no fault of their own, that may never know the thrill and enjoyment of riding a bike I decided to use the race to benefit kids.  I do this crazy stuff for no particular reason aside from the personal reward of accomplishing a goal, but this time I wanted it to benefit a much more worthy cause.  The obvious choice was The NEST.  It is difficult to talk about the abuses these kids have lived through. You just don't want to believe someone could that to a child. While we deal with tough days in our lives most of those hardships don't compare to what these innocent kids have gone through, and will continue to go through, as a result of these abuses.

Please help out the kids by donating?

100% of all the donations go directly to The NEST. They have setup a special Active account for donations. http://www.active.com/donate/nest Thank you!

Follow the race online?

Most endurance racers carry a GPS tracker call a Spot and progress can be viewed online.

• Visit the CTR website at http://www.climbingdreams.net/ctr/ and scroll down to the "Main Tracking web page with links to individual racers, split chart and storyboard" under "Race Contact & Links".
• Go to Shawn's personal Spot tracking page http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0TDqS7W8bYxIEIqxXuJH9VvnJRGQNZySA.
• Subscribe to my blog or check it frequently for updates as well.

See more details at http://www.bigloopmaps.com/theme_Racing_for_Charity_01.html

Training with the setup

The ctr setup

Bailey Hundo Race, Epic competition!

Just finished 4th in the Bailey Hundo 100 mile race in about 8 hours on a rigid singlespeed (and around 27th out of all the geared bikes).  At the finish there was 7 minutes between the top 4 finishers.  Close race!

Tough competition!  I battled it out with Jeffrey Carter the entire race.  This will definitely be one of the most memorable battles in a race I have had moving around between 2nd and 4th many times throughout the race for 100 miles with a close finish.

Rode the singlespeed with 32/18 gearing fully rigid (no suspension) and Schwalbe Racing Ralph tires.  Not sure about the rigid fork decision.  It seemed okay but obviously slowed me down on the descents where I usually am strong.  On the singletrack uphills I was catching back up without any problems.  Where I thought it would help me out was on the road but the steep washboard sections were pretty bad.  Next time I would go with a front fork and 32/19.  Not sure if it would be faster but it would definitely be funner!

All the racers lined up at 6am in Bailey Colorado for the mass start which immediately climbed out of town on a road.  My gearing was tough for the climbs but I was fresh and passing large groups of geared riders.  By the time we hit the Colorado Trail singletrack I was in 3rd place and feeling good.  The singletrack was fast and I continued passing geared racers.  About an hour into the race I spotted another singlespeeder ahead of me on a climb.  They're the ones with a cadence of 40 on the steep climbs.  That turned out to be Jeffrey Carter.  At the rate I caught up to him I thought it wouldn't be long before I had a significant lead on him but he came right back and pass me again.

We went back and forth like that for the remainder of the race.  Every time I though I had some distance on him he showed back up.  At about 45 miles into the race Jeff was bombing down the hill making time on me while I dropped behind getting pounded with the rigid front fork.  After stopping to empty my bladder which was getting punished at every bump I hesitated at an unmarked turn to make sure I was going the correct direction and Andrew Carney showed up and passed me.  This put me into 4th.  It looked like he had an easier gear than me which worked well for that section.

When the trail leveled out I ate some food while riding and had to stop twice and pickup a bunch of stuff that flew out of my feedbag.  I caught back up and passed Andrew and Jeff which put me back in 2nd.  I felt great in the next section of singletrack and Jeff was right behind me and Andrew had dropped back out of site.

After a huge decent on a number of steep switchbacks down to the Sough Platte river at mile 56 there was an aid station with our drop bags.  I almost didn't stop but there was a bottle of Hammer HEED in my bag that sounded much better than all the water at the other aid stations so I stopped to get it which ended up taking more time than it was worth.  Unfortunately for us, during this optional pit, Andrew didn't stop and blew by us (we found out at the end).  Andrew must have really made some time there.  When Jeff and I got started you could see a long distance down the road and Andrew was not in site.  I started to suspect that Andrew didn't pit but I thought we would be able to catch him on the road with our higher gearing.  Jeff and I stayed together on most of the road section.  About a mile before the big climb just after Deckers I noticed Jeff had fallen back and once again I thought I might have dropped him for good and I was in 3rd.

The climb over Stoney Pass was steep and tough with my gearing.  At the top of the first climb Jeff caught back up to me and passed me once again.  We were together until the next climb where he gained some distance on me.  The remaining 10 miles I could always see him and was able to get closer behind him but then he would pull forward again.  I could see him constantly looking back at me and I was giving everything I had to try and pass him but didn't get the chance the rest of the race.

I rolled across the finish in 4th just after Jeff and a geared rider and learned that 1st and 2nd were a short distance in front of us.  Andrew had passed Mark Thompson right before the finish.  Mark Thompson had lead the entire race only to be passed at the end.  Tough finish!  Andrew Carney rode a strong race.  Nice finish Andrew!

They had free food, beer and a band playing along the river at the finish.  Nice!  It was a great race.  The logistics were a little difficult since the pre-race meeting, race start, camping (Friday night only), race parking, and the race finish were all in a different, drive to, locations.  It was all worth it and the fact that the race benefited kids was great!

Race Start

I'm chasing Jeff through the burn area on some sweet singletrack

6am at the start.  A bit chilly

Nice award

The bike setup

Getting ready for the Bailey Hundo this weekend

Here is my setup for the Bailey Hundo 100 miles mountain bike race starting in Bailey Colorado next weekend  http://www.bailey100.com/ .  Fully stupid rigid singlespeed!  Is this a good idea?  Well see.  I wished I could've pre-ridden the course but looking at the route I'm thinking of running a tougher gear.  http://www.bailey100.com/map.html  Riding on a Schwalbe Racing Ralph rear tire and either a Ralph or Nobby Nic on the front.


The Bailey HUNDO supports three youth biking initiatives in Colorado: Trips For Kids Denver/Boulder, which offers mountain biking opportunities to underserved youth and changes lives “two wheels at a time”! Colorado High School Cycling League, a new resource for high school students around the state to be exposed to the world of mountain bike racing--and developing the racers of tomorrow who will ride YOUR legs off!  Kids On Bikes giving new bikes to children in the Pikes Peak region "through programs that inspire a healthy lifestyle, independence, and achievement”.

I LOVE RACES THAT BENEFIT KIDS LIKE THIS!  If you have a pile of cash laying around, you can donate on my fund raising account at http://www.prerace.com/registration/donation/7299 or as an alternative just take a kid biking.  Thanks!

There is some tough competition!  I'm planning, as usual, to do my best and hope to get on the podium.  It looks like an awsome course.  A large portion of the singletrack is on the Colorado Trail which is always rewarding!

This is a proper parking spot if you consider lack of brain cells used to setup a bike like this to do a 100 mile race