Jaala and I are a lot alike. We love to challenge ourselves in many different sports regardless of our level of proficiency. This year Jaala’s athletic goal is a 48 hour physical event run by former Special Forces cadre; the event is called GORUCK Selection (link to blog post). It is a brutal non-stop event where generally 1 in 50 people pass. This is the type of event she thrives in. Jaala and I feed off of each other’s enthusiasm for physical challenges. Sometimes we pick a challenge to complete together and other times individual ones are needed; this year we’ve both chosen individual challenges.
In years past my challenges have been rope soloing El Capitan in Yosemite, long alpine climbs around the world, and learning to cross-country paraglide, but this year it will be saddle sores and cold soggy two-day-old meatball subs; this year it’ll be the 2,700+ mile long Tour Divide bike race. I like solo challenges in nature involving navigation, time and resource management, all with less than a 50 % chance of success. If everyone can do it, then it’s not a worthy challenge. Finishing is one goal, but I’m more interested in engaging and enjoying the process and letting whatever outcome playout, that happens to be in the cards.
Paragliding across New Zealand
The Tour Divide is the longest mountain bike race in the world, and some would say the hardest. It’s my solo challenge this year, and it’s a worthy one. It travels over 2,700 miles from Banff, Alberta to the Mexican border at Antelope Wells, New Mexico crisscrossing the Continental Divide the entire way. Last year 197 riders started the race and 84 finished according to Trackleaders, a website designed to follow racers who use satellite tracking devices. The race is self-supported, so it means no caches, no calling in support and no pre-planned help. You can eat anywhere you like on the trail (mostly gas stations and fast food joints). You can also choose to sleep in a campsite, in the woods, or in a hotel. Because roughly 1,000 miles of the race is in Grizzly country, most try to sleep in groups and throw their food up in a tree at night via a bear line so they don’t become bear burritos. Bear spray and wishful thinking are usually the tactics to deal with wildlife. Cougars, moose, black, brown, and grizzly bears are all common on the trail along with the occasional wolf sighting. Wildlife, plunging through snow in the unrideable mountain passes, and every weather challenge the mountains have to offer, all ensure a full-on adventure for everyone that attempts the Tour Divide.
The trail is very remote, but occasionally passes through towns. The Gila wilderness of New Mexico and the Great Basin of Wyoming present some of the most desolate terrain on the course. In some places food or water resupply points can’t be found for over 140 miles, so detailed logistical planning is needed. Outside of these remote sections, water can be purified from streams to reduce the amount carried on the bike. Whenever a restaurant is found, eating three meals followed by packing away three more for later is a sustainable strategy to keep the calorie count up. The “gas tank” on your bike is full of food, and just like a car when it goes empty, so does your energy level.
The race is demanding on the body. Most people burn 8,000-12,000 calories per day, while only taking in 4,000-5,000. By doing simple math, it’s easy to see how losing 15-20 pounds is common over a 20-30 day race. Honestly, the biggest challenge for me will be a mental one, being away from my wife Jaala for such a long period will be tough. We are normally apart for 6 months a year due to work, and any time at home is very important to us both, but Jaala fully supports me in this adventure, and I love her for that; she is the best human I know.
Until recently, the last time I was on a mountain bike was over a decade ago. I certainly can’t call myself a mountain biker, cyclist, or anything more than a newbie on two wheels. Most would interject at how ridiculous taking on such a long and demanding course is, with such limited experience and riding time. I want the mental challenge from the Tour and I’m a believer in general physical preparedness across a broad range of outdoor sports with sport specific training a few months from an event being my best personal approach.
I’ve worked the last several months in Central Asia and the only means of training was a 20 year old Chinese beach cruiser stationary bike. After putting on substantial miles and realizing the bike fit was the worst ever, I needed to extend the max seat height roughly 8 inches for my long legs. Bolting a 4” wooden block under the seat was the only suitable solution. It still wasn’t good enough and a nagging pain started to develop behind my right knee. My sport specific training for several months was relegated to not cycling much at all and completing box step-ups and uphill treadmill climbs for hours on end.
At the end of March I finally made it back to the States and was able to start logging in miles and hill climbs on a real bike…Just what I needed. I’ll be riding a Salsa Cutthroat bike designed for this long race, and bags full of everything to battle the elements, sleep, repair the bike, and repair my body I’m ready for battle!
Most Tour Divide riders leave from Banff on the second Friday each June in an event called the Grand Depart. A handful leave the same day from New Mexico riding the route northbound. The Tour Divide can also be done at any other time of the year as an Individual Time Trial (ITT) and a satellite tracking device is used to verify the ride to ensure it was legitimate. I’ll be departing from New Mexico and riding Northbound on the 22nd of May.
My goals are to not make any navigational errors, to not crash, and to finish in under 27 days. Bikes, bodies, and minds break on the Tour Divide, so anything can happen, but my pre-race plan is to spend 14 hours a day in the saddle when possible, and rest 6 hours per night. I want to ride through the hard weather instead of shacking up in a hotel. I want to press on in the night when my body feels good, and take a 1 hour siesta on the days that I need it. You can only plan and prepare so much for an event like this with many unknowns, and I would expect some type of shenanigans to happen at least once a day. When it’s all said and done, everyone’s Tour Divide experience is different, and it will certainly be an event with a lifetime full of memories and stories to tell.
If you would like to read my post-race blog click here BLOG POST.
Watching your blue dot move. Keep those pedals turning. It looks like you’re going over Brazos Ridge right now, that’s such a beautiful place … sit on top and enjoy the view for a bit.
Mike, Brazos Ridge was an amazing place, and so many others that match it along the route. I just finished a couple of days ago and it was an experience of a lifetime!