2012 - Tahoe Trail 100k

Tahoe Trail 100k Mountain Bike Race; Truckee, CA – Sunday July 22, 2012

My long awaited entry into the world of mountain bike racing finally came in the form of the Tahoe Trail 100k held at the Northstar ski resort in Truckee, CA.  Two weeks before the race I was unaware of its existence.  At my post-wedding brunch, my friend Gordo mentioned he was heading to race in Tahoe as a sharpener on his way to racing Leadville in August.  The comment got my wheels spinning… 

Mountain biking has captured my imagination since childhood.  I have always found the combination of nature and two wheels irresistible.  As a kid riding my first Huffy, I pored over mountain biking magazines and dreamed of the day when I would be old enough to drive to the trails on a regular basis.  As life evolved and my interests shifted, I purchased a road bike for the convenience of easy access to riding.  My road cycling led me to road racing and then on to triathlon.  The rest, as they say, is history.  Given this backdrop, I have been itching to reacquaint myself with my old bike and get back on the dirt.  So far my longest mountain bike ride was only about 20 miles.  That needed to change, and needed to change quickly.  What better way to jump in than a race? 

Timing-wise, the race couldn’t have been better positioned.  Susan had to work and I had exactly two weeks open before starting my new career.  Game on!  I spent my first morning wrapping up a few projects before hitting Waterdog Park for an hour on the single-track.  Things were going well for the first 20 minutes until I tried to take a turn too fast and went down.  So much for a confidence-boosting first day!  Fortunately, I was only a little scraped up and the bruising on my hip didn’t hurt when pedaling.  As I bandaged myself that night I silently prayed this small spill would count as time served as far as mountain biking injuries are concerned!

For the next eleven days I rode my mountain bike varying distances on a mix of roads and great trails in the Santa Cruz Mountains.  The more I explore the area, the more excited I am to live here and see it off-road!  With similar excitement for the weekend, Susan and I hatched a plan to leave for Lake Tahoe Saturday morning and stay on the mountain at Northstar ahead of the race on Sunday morning.

Since neither Susan nor I have spent time at Lake Tahoe, we were both excited to see what all of the fuss is about.  After an easy 3 hour drive up into the Sierras, we were soon aboard kayaks and savoring the thin air, clear water, and huge views of the Lake.  We enjoyed the beach scene and took a dip before heading back to the ski resort for the pre-race meeting and an easy spin to the mid-mountain lodge.  We capped off the day with a nice dinner in the town of Truckee before heading to bed.

I woke up refreshed and ready to have fun on Sunday morning.  With triathlons I can reasonably predict how the day will go and what all I need gear and nutrition-wise.  This race was another story.  I was pretty nervous about my technical descending skills and whether or not I would make the 8 hour time cutoff.  I packed my Camelback with enough gear and water to last me a week on the trail, cutoffs be damned!  My simple goal was to finish safely and have some fun along the way. 

All packed up, I headed down mountain to assemble for the rolling start.  I positioned myself mid-pack and was excited to hear the gun signaling the start of the race.  The course began on pavement that led us further up and into the some trails on mountains.  Once on the trails, the course was extremely dusty from the combination of dry trails and tons of riders.  For the majority of the first lap I could barely see the riders ahead of me.  Fortunately I navigated around a few spills and safely got out of the way on the fast descents.

The second lap of the two lap course proved to be the most enjoyable.  By this time the field (and dust) thinned and I was able to ride at my own pace both up and down the hills.  At this point, I relaxed quite a bit and really took in the experience and my surroundings.  As I descended safely into the finish area, I felt extremely grateful to finish in one piece and participate in this event on such short notice.  I finished all smiles in 5:45, well ahead of the 8 hour cutoff.

I really enjoyed the mountain bike racing experience.  My fellow racers were extremely friendly and the venue was first rate.  The mountain location was ideal as Susan went for a long hike while I raced.  My appetite for this type of racing was only heightened by this weekend and I’m now looking for my next off-road endeavor.  Unfortunately, I was neither fast enough (via qualifying) nor lucky enough (via lottery) to score a spot to Leadville at the post-race slot allocation.  That’s not a problem though - I’m confident the combination of bikes and trails will keep me satisfied no matter what off-road adventure comes next!