Karen Holtmann

Big Year and New Team

2012-02-05T16:30:00.000-08:00

Last month I received the unfortunate news that Trek has decided to not continue the Trek 29er Crew team for 2012. Originally I started racing for the Gary Fisher 29er Crew in 2009. Last year, Trek bought Gary Fisher and the grassroots mountain bike team became the Trek 29er Crew. I feel fortunate I was able to race on the 29er Crew for a little over 2 years. I will miss being part of a national and world-wide grassroots mountain bike team.

Shortly after hearing the news, I received a call from Trek. I am excited to share that I will be racing for and sponsored by the Trek Bicycle Store on their new mountain bike racing team for 2012. I am very appreciative of the support and sponsorship they've offered to help me achieve my racing goals for 2012. This will be a big racing year for me and happy to be able to continue to promote Trek.

My racing calendar will consists of some of the traditional favorites such as, Spa City, Ouachita Challenge, Burnin a the Bluff, Berryman Epic, and the UFD series. This year, I have also decided to push my limits and race Syllamo's Revenge 125K, Dirty Kanza 200, 24 Hour Nationals-solo in Colorado Springs, CO and Leadville 100. Still waiting to hear results on the Leadville lottery selection. Since there is a slim chance on winning the lottery, I have penciled in the dates for the Leadville training camp in order to get my Leadville ticket to race.

My coach, Chris Mileski, will continue to help me through the racing season. Chris is the founder of Off the Front Racing and remains one of the Nation's premier endurance coaches. He always gives me the coaching and support I need to achieve my goals for the endurance events that I compete in. I couldn't do it without him.

Training over the winter has consisted of long rides (mountain and road) and weights/core/plyo workouts at the Sports Enhancement Group that started back in November of last year. We have just converted weights from power to endurance where the amount of weight goes down and number of reps and eventually, time goes up. I feel like I'm getting a little better with the core and plyo exercises but, still seem painful and hard.

I have been trying to focus a little more on nutrition for endurance training/racing too. I am trying to learn more about gluten-free products, super foods, healthy recipes, and organic products. Various sources I have been using include the Clean Diet, Simple.Smart.Nutrition by local cyclist and nurse, Cat Ebeling, and McDaniel Nutrition Therapy for endurance athletes, by Nutritionist and an endurance athlete herself, Jennifer McDaniel. I am trying to purchase the Feed Zone since it contains a lot of fast and flavorful recipes for athletes but, it has been sold out for awhile.

This year in my blog, I will try to include more reports on bikes, gear, and nutrition that works for me for endurance training and racing along with the race reports/events. Check back on my blog and I will try to share what I learn. Hopefully, I can help others by sharing information since so many folks have helped me through the years.

Spoke Pony Showdown 6hr

2011-08-13T20:46:00.000-07:00

Todd and I decided to head out to Kansas City early Friday to pre-ride the Spoke Pony Showdown course at Swope Park. This park is amazing and you would never know you are in the middle of Kansas City! When we arrived, we were greeted by Doug Long, one of the directors from the Heartland group. We chatted about whether the course was rideable due to the amount of rain they got earlier in the day. We decided to give it a try hoping it wouldn't be too bad since it's been so dry.

The trail seemed to be pretty hard packed but, there was just enough water on top to cause us to slide around and collect mud on the tires to the point we barely had any traction. We bailed after 1 mile and I decided to do my leg openers on the pavement. What was the race going to be like tomorrow?

Kansas City had light rain off and on throughout the night before the race. We set up our TA next to the course and soon it was the whole St. Louis clan-Team Seagal, Momentum, Team Free Awesome (Pete), and the rest of the Off the Front racers. Of course, made room for super stud, Mark Gullet out of Springfield. The grass was still wet and folks were bailing after the 1st mile of pre-riding due to the muddy conditions.

Todd and I chose to do to the 6 Hour race to train for the bigger 12 hour races we have later in the Fall. I also chose the singlespeed to race on. There wasn't as big of a crowd as I thought there would be. I suppose the rain scared folks off but, they missed an awesome race and now one of my favorite trails in Missouri!

Race started up a paved road for about a 1/4 mile and we quickly made a sharp right onto the trail going counter-clockwise. The trail was still very slick! I got caught behind some slower folks but, as soon as I got more confident riding in the slick rock and mud I started making the passes. My 1st lap was the slowest of all of them. I think this was the case for most folks due to the conditions. But, as the race went on, each lap got better and faster! It was amazing! My lap times were getting faster and I was able to get over more technical areas.

The course was straight forward... 1st 3 miles was very technical and rocky and the last 4 miles was smooth, flowing, and fast. I was finding myself only 4 minutes in front of Cathy from Team 360 after 3 laps. I was also having some technical issues with my singlespeed causing me to stop to fix a couple times. I knew I couldn't keep dealing with the bike issues if I was going to attempt to win the race. Todd caught up to me on the course since he was feeling like superman. I asked him if he could have one of our friends who was racing on a team to get his geared Niner ready for me to switch when I come in. My geared Trek 1 x9 was still waiting for the chain guide to come in so I only had the SS.

Kerri Schewe was racing on a team with Christine so she was so kind to get Todd's Niner out of our car and get it race ready. I came in and Kerri helped me switch everything very fast to the geared bike. I owe her big time!

I took off and holy cow...I was climbing over many technical obstacles that I didn't have the strength to do on the singlespeed. My lap times just kept getting faster too! Going out on the last lap I was still ahead of Cathy but, not by much. I know Cathy and she is usually like me...steady and doesn't stop. Then, all sudden I hear Kerri's voice! She was going out on her last team lap and was riding behind me. I always enjoy riding with her so it was mentally a relief. My last lap was the fastest of all 6 and I ended up with the win. Humm...geared vs SS. Could there be a switch for the big races? Cathy was super strong as usual and will be competition for me at the bigger 12hr races this Fall. Congrats to her on her strong finish.

There were many podium finishes by the St. Louis crowd. Todd won 2nd in his age and 5th overall. He really had a good race despite a bad crash and had EMT butterfly his arm during the race. He was standing on the podium with some big names. Dave got 3rd and Peat 2nd both in 6hr race. Keith Weinkein placed 3rd in 3hr despite showing up 10 minutes before race start. For team divisions-Steve/Val 5th, Kerri/Christine (Team 3 Braids) 6th, and Seagal boys 8th.

Race was over and the whole St. Louis crowd and Mark Gullet headed to Gates BBQ. Obviously, this decision was not made by me. This place was true KC BBQ. Big plates overflowing with various types of meat smothered with BBQ sauce. Matt quickly hit it off with the waitress. Not sure what he remembers though.

Next, off to singlespeed championships tomorrow. Not sure I have any legs left though.

Castlewood 3hr Race

2011-07-09T14:56:00.000-07:00

UFD put on another great MTN bike race at Castlewood today. I was a little nervous going into this race even though I would only be racing 3hrs. #1-this is my backyard, #2-this was a "C" race for me and not peaking for it, and #3-HEAT! However, I was excited to see 7 women racing Marathon this year! I remember 2 years ago being the only woman racing Marathon at Castlewood. I also decided to break out the 1x9 geared bike and hang the singlespeed up for this one. I figured I needed to conserve the legs if I was going to climb Lone Wolf 5 times and be able to crank out the flat sections. Stephanie had nervous butterflies like me so I knew she was looking for a win. I also knew Kerri, Gabrielle, and Jamie would be out there pushing it too.

Gun went off and I pushed right from the start so I could be the first one up the Lone Wolf monster hill. As you can see from the picture, there is not a lot of room for riders up it due to the huge crack up the middle and loose gravel. Since I am a better climber than descender, Stephanie and Kerri caught me on the 1st descent after the climb. That's ok. It's a long race in the heat and I had a stragety. I could see the 2 ladies in front of me on the 1st lap until a couple of guys crashed in front of me on Roller Coaster. I rode up into the woods around them and sped it up a bit to catch up. Awesome, I could see Stephanie and Kerri coming off the 1st lap in the grassy field section.

On the 2nd climb up Lone Wolf, I saw Stephanie walking it. Ok...either she is tired or conserving. I kept on trucking with the plan to settle in with a steady pace for 2nd and 3rd lap. I wanted to squeeze 5 laps in for the 3hr race so I knew what lap times I had to pull in order to achieve this based on my practice lap times. I was able to catch up to Kerri on the climb up Love trail and made the pass. I kept seeing Stephanie on the grassy field section so it was time to close the gap. 4th lap plan was to bump up the pace and go all out for the 5th lap. Race volunteers were telling me she was 30 sec to 1.5 min in front of me. Dang it...where is she? I knew she was probably putting the hammer down. And down I went! I completely lost traction going around the turn too fast at top of Love onto Grotpeter on the loose gravel. Dang it! Not 20 sec later, team mate, Carl Hoffman did the exact same thing! We both shook our heads and took off. Last lap, I went all out but, just couldn't catch her. Ended up placing 2nd out of 7 and very happy with my results. It was fun to really push myself and I had a great time. I think we had a record number of women racing this year in different categories. So awesome!

This summer, I am continuing to build my base miles to peak in the fall for my big 6 and 12hr races. I am doing the dirt crits and local races for fun this month. I started weights back up 3 weeks ago too so feeling it in the legs a little but, will hopefully pay off in the Fall.

Indian Camp Creek-3/6 Hour

2011-05-22T19:55:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, I decided to race Indian Camp Creek 6 hour on my singlespeed, of course. Most of you know, my husband, Todd, was the race director for this race. We really wanted to bring a long endurance race 3/6hr to our area for the 1st time so Off the Front Racing hosted their 1st mountain bike race. There was a lot of work that went into this long event and many folks and sponsors involved that helped make this event possible.

I questioned myself even racing since there was so much work involved prior to the race but, I really wanted to support the divisions my husband allowed me to add...women's singlespeed (thanks honey!). As a side note, I have really been advocating and working with race directors for women's singlespeed

divisions with a lot of the bigger races in Missouri and Arkansas. This is not only for my selfish reasons but, to really try to grow the division/sport for women. I have had success over these past 2 years with Berryman Epic and Ouachita Challenge. This year, I talked a lot with Steve Parker for Syllamo's Revenge. He agreed to add this division but, there were only 2 women signed up and one of them signed up in men's SS division. For Indian Camp Creek, you could say I had some personal connections getting this division added and there were 3 SS women who raced!

After just completing 4 big races in Arkansas this spring already (Arkansas Marathon Series-Spa City, Ouachita Challenge, Slobberknocker, and Syllamo), I went into this race knowing it was a "C" race for me. Syllamo was just the weekend prior so my legs were not recovered either. So, didn't have any expectations for the race but, to have fun.

The race course at Indian Camp Creek was about an 8-mile loop. The 1st several miles were almost completely flat. I was worried how I would keep up with the geared bikes on this part. After the gun went off, I knew I had to do a really quick sprint/run to the staged bikes so I could have a good placing among the 170 racers on the flats on my SS. I was able to find myself behind Lisa White, who was on a geared bike and she had a pretty fast pace which I was able to hold on my SS.

After coming off the flats, the rest of the course consisted of some short switchback climbs and mostly rolling terrain. There was not really any hard technical parts which is usually an advantage for me. As I started climbing, I found myself passing folks. I quickly caught up with Kerri Schewi on the 1st lap. She was doing her 1st 6 hour race and was doing great! I told her I would slow down a bit and I would ride with her as much as I could unless Wendy Davis started getting close (another competitor in the women's SS division). Even though my pace was a little slower, I had a blast riding in a race with someone! Keri and I rode 4 laps together and it was so much fun and mentally, less painful!This was her 1st 6hr race and I wanted her to win her division.

We came in from our 3rd lap to find out that we were in 2nd and 3rd overall 6hr women. Coach Chris told me 1st was only 3 minutes in front of us. We kept our steady pace and finally caught up with Stephanie McCleary on the flats. I told her to jump on the train and lets go. The 3 of us rode together for awhile but, Stephanie was affected by the heat a bit and was feeling a little nauseated. She told us to go ahead.

Towards the end of the 4th lap, Kerri flatted. Bummer! I was so bummed to lose my racing partner. I made sure she had what she needed and raced on. Coming in off the 4th lap, coach Chris told me Wendy was now only 4 minutes behind me. Uh oh...maybe I shouldn't have hung back as much. It was now the 5th lap on the flats, I saw Wendy, with Jim in front, hauling! I just kept telling myself to keep my faster steady pace because I will have 2 more laps to go after this for 7 laps total. I didn't think she would be able to maintain that pace for 2 1/2 more laps. So, I let her pass and told her she was now in 1st overall and go for it!

Race on now!! I quickly switched my "C" race mentality to I want to win not

just my division but, overall. As I rolled through to start my 6th lap, Coach

Chris said..."she is just 1 minute in front of you and storms are rolling in. Make this lap count!" I lowered my head and upper body and cranked up the pace for probably the last lap due to bad storms rolling in. I was hoping she would run out of gas since she was flying on the 5th lap. As soon as I flew into the flats I could see her. I road about 30 seconds behind her for quite a bit. It started raining and lightning 1/2 way through the 6th lap and things started getting pretty slick. Time to crank it up again. I quickly found myself catching right up to her. She asked if I wanted to pass. I said I had a better idea..."Let's ride it in together to tie it!" I thought this would be really cool to have 2 SS women win the overall 6hr. She agreed so we road the last 3 miles in together. I guess my wheel crossed the line 1st so the USCycling official awarded me 1st and Wendy 2nd. A little bummed we couldn't stand on the 1st place podium together. I know I could of race my own pace faster but, I still wouldn't have changed how I did it. I had such a blast riding with Kerri and Wendy put up a good fight on the last 2 laps with me. I ended up placing 1st Women's SS 6hr and 1st Overall Women's. My favorite quote of the day came from superstud, Mark Gullett, "When you are doing bad you find yourself looking over your shoulder. When you are doing good, you look ahead!"

Results ... http://unitedindirt.com/results/ICC3_6_results.htm

Thank you to all the racers and spectators who came out! We had around170 racers and 22 of them women! Thanks to racers and coach Meleski from Off the Front Racing who made this race possible. Special thanks to Mitch and Greg who were the course directors and put a lot of hard work into the trails which were fantastic! Thanks to Loreen for helping me with scoring sheets and race packets. Many thanks to all the sponsors, photographers, and race day volunteers. We couldn't have made this race possible without your help!

I feel I've had a great racing season so far this year. I built myself up over the winter and peaked in the Spring for Syllamo with 3 big races prior to that. Thank you coach Meleski! For the next 2 months, I will be toning it down a bit. Races will be shorter and mostly 3hrs. Plan to build back up to peak again in the Fall for the bigger 12hr and 50 miler races. My Fall "A" race is a secret!

SYLLAMO!!!!

2011-05-14T13:52:00.000-07:00

I have been building up all Winter and Spring for Syllamo's Revenge, my "A" race. I had talked to the race director, Steve Parker, about adding on a women's singlespeed division this year prior to opening day of registration. He said he would add it. I was so excited since this is such a big race that draws folks from all over the country. Unfortantely, the women I know who have singlespeeds chose to race geared and the only other SS female registered in the male SS division. Therefore, we didn't get our own SS division and got added in the overall geared women's results. Come on SS women! Don't you want one of these? We need more women to register with SS to get a division.

Syllamo is probably the most technical and hardest race of the year for me on the singlespeed. However, I think I have an advantage on the SS since it is all pure singletrack and no roads like the Ouachita Challenge on the SS. The only disadvantage for me is that I get lumped in with the geared women for the Arkansas Marathon Series points, which my goal was top 3. I made it my goal to go for 7 hrs and beat my time of 7:35 last year.

It wouldn't be Syllamo unless it rained the night before the race. The only difference was last year I was driving like a mad women in my car with Loreen to seek shelter the night before since we were warned by a restaurant owner to leave immediately due to 2 tornadoes coming our way. The other difference with Syllamo this year was the NUE 100 mile series would be starting on the same day but, a hour before Syllamo's Revenge.

31 women out of 33 who registered showed up to race. Wow! I believe this is a record for the number of women racing in Syllamo history. This is awesome. The race started as a mass start on bikes out on a short paved section that led us to a .9 mile climb up a gravel road which is a 11% grade. There was a pile up immediately at the start of the gravel climb due to too many people (over 300 racers) and a couple of crashes. I quickly jumped off my bike and ran around it. I felt I had a good pace going on the 1st section, the yellow loop, which is somewhat rolling with a few rocky technical sections. They did a better job trimming the brush on this section this year.

The blue and orange sections of the trail are much more technical and rocky. These sections were really wet and slick. The stream crossings were pretty high this year too. I remember sliding on a rock and what stopped me from going off the trail was the side of my face and neck hitting a tree. I felt strong climbing up the technical sections this year. I knew to not get too carried away and to save a little for the end. I always find it funny that the last 12 miles of this race, the red section, seems like forever even though it is singlespeed friendly and hardly any technical sections.

I came in stronger this year with a time of 7:01 and beat my time last year by 34 minutes. However, even though I was faster, there were many faster geared women this year. Last year this time would have given me 4th overall. This year I was 12th overall. A little bummed with overall finish but, very happy with my better time. The only other female SS to compare to came in 52 minutes after me and I beat 13 SS men. I guess this is why we keep going back to seek "Syllamo's Revenge."

Ouachita Challenge Race Recap

2011-04-03T14:55:00.000-07:00

Luckily for me, Pro racer Andrea Wilson changed from singlespeed to the geared division prior to the 60 miler race in Mt Ida, Arkansas. However, I would really like to race against some singlespeed women in these bigger races to see where I stand. It is hard to compare myself on the singlespeed against the geared women in this particular race due to all the paved road sections. Oh well. I will continue to promote the singlespeed sport for women. I did manage to get this division added to Syllamo's Revenge this year and Berryman Epic 2 years ago. I believe it will grow!

The Ouachita race actually started in dry conditions for a change. However, the heat was going to take a toll on many riders later in the race due to the predicted temps to be in the mid 80's. The course took off in the same clockwise direction as last year. However, they had us take a left out of the school and then, another sharp left onto a very long flat paved road section. This had us hitting rolling dirt roads much later than last year. This was not a good mental and physical start for me on the singlespeed due to all the geared women (20 or so who registered) passing me. Seemed like forever but, we hit some rolling and sometimes steep dirt roads after probably 6 miles. I manage to pass 4 women on this section. "Easy" I told myself..."you know what's coming!"

Blowout Mountain was the next leg of the race and probably the most difficult climbing and technical wise. I saw Peat Henry (St. Louis knows him as Mr Free Awesome) standing along the trail fixing his 3rd flat. This guy rides a rigid singlespeed in a white button-down shirt and regular shorts. How does he do it? He is awesome! I stopped to loan him some tire levers and then, was on my way again.

Once you painfully climb to the top of Blowout Mountain, it looks like a truck dumped huge round boulders all over the place. I can't even imagine how someone can ride over this. There was also a blazing fire near the top and was not a controlled burn. Volunteers were scattered all over trying to put it out and push dirt off the trail with their feet onto the fire to keep it from crossing the trail. You could feel the heat along your face and left side of your body as you rode past it. The fire truck arrived just as I came down the mountain to the aid station. I was still good on my 2 bottles but, found one of my bottle cages was about to come off. These were taken off 3 days before the race by a bike shop looking for a creaking sound in my bottom bracket. Guess they didn't put back on tight enough. After I tightened with my tools I was quickly on my way again. 5 minutes later my other bottle cage was coming off....gurrrr. I don't use camel backs so I survive on my 2 bottles. This could of been bad if I lost these bolts that hold them on and not to mention it's costing me race time. Lessened learned...check your bike yourself before a race!

The next big section I remember was another paved road that headed south with a pretty strong headwind. I looked for folks to work with but, I was actually passing people on this section. I came into the aid station and found racers I knew such as Greg Schmidt, who was still going strong, and my husband, Todd, who had dealt with 3 flats by this point. Todd and I took off on the hilly gravel road section that eventually led us to the Womble. I kept up with him for awhile and then, he took off. Eventually, I caught him again on the bigger climbs on the Womble. He said he was cramping and to carry on. It was the heat of the day and there were many folks along the trail experiencing the same problem. This trail system is not as technical but, has some fast flowing sections and some significant climbs that your legs search for some extra hidden strength at the end of the day.

The course ended with another gravel road section which included this monster switchback climb up to the gentle rolling paved road to the finish. This year, they decided to make us suffer through the finish line by making us climb up the grass field to cross the line. Of course, I won women's singlespeed due to being the only one in that division but, I did get 16th out of 28 singlespeed men who started (Only 18 finished) and only a few minutes (6-8 min) behind some of my local geared women competitors. I was happy about this since there was a significant amount of road for a singlespeeder and the 3 short stops for Peat (which I would do again in a heartbeat) and the bottle cages. Lets see how I stand up against the geared women on my singlespeed at Syllamo this year.

Spa City 6 Hour

2011-03-12T17:26:00.000-08:00

Todd and I headed down to Hot Springs, Arkansas for the 1st of the 4 races in the Arkansas Marathon Series. I placed 4th overall in the series in my age group last year and hoping to place top 3 this year. I plan on racing my singlespeed for all 4 races even though only 2 of the 4 have a singlespeed category for women.

I picked Matt Keeven's brain a little before the race. He got me fired up about how awesome this course was especially, for the singlespeed. 24 women registered solo for the 6 hour race to include pro women such as Pua and Andrea Wilson. This wasn't an "A" race for me but, I have been training hard all winter and was ready to see what I had.

No matter how many races I've done, I still stand at the start with nervous butterflies in my tummy and try to scope out my competition among the mass of racers. The start took off with a short run to staged bikes. Once on the bikes, they attempted to break us up even more with a short road ride before we hit the trail. The paved road was a bit of a disadvantage to me as I attempted to spin my buns off to keep up with the geared bikes. I just kept telling myself "it's a long race and it will pay off later."

I spent my 1st 2 laps learning the trail and trying to figure out a good pace and lap time that I would be able to maintain for 6 hours. I was feeling a little down during these 1st laps since I knew there were quite a few women ahead of me and I wasn't making any progress. But, I just kept focusing on being steady and not blowing up my legs on the climbs since on the singlespeed. Lap 3-There goes Pua! Just got lapped by the 24hour Solo National MTN bike champion. That's the only time I have ever been happy to have someone lap me! I knew Andrea Wilson and Loreen Coffelt were probably right behind her. That's ok because I was starting to feel pretty good on laps 3 and 4. I found myself passing more and more women. I knew the 5th lap would be my final lap since you have to continue racing for a minimum of 5 hrs to not DNF but, finish before 6hrs 30min or that lap won't count. I decided to drop the hammer for the last lap. I managed to pull off a 2nd place finish (Top 3 Pros were separated into a different group) in my age group. Overall, I felt really good during the race and got to meet some of my MTN biking idols!

Up Next...Ouachita Challenge-Race #2 Arkansas Marathon Series

6 Weeks Away

2011-02-01T14:16:00.000-08:00

My 1st race of the season is only 6 weeks away now. My coach is steadily increasing my ride time. Weights and core will continue through February. Getting ready to start up the Women's Frostbike MTN bike series at Castlewood this weekend. Loreen and I are leading the Sunday group. Hoping the trails will be rideable while I continue to watch sleet/snow being dumped from the sky right now. I learned of a new sponsorship this year for me with the Trek 29er Crew-SRAM. This is very cool since Reba 29er fork is my favorite! I received No Tubes sponsorship again this year and will be helping them put on some clinics. The new kits will be rolling out soon with a new look. Can't wait.

Thursday: I headed out to Lost Valley to hit the trails for 2 hrs on my single speed. A 4 wheeled vehicle had been on Hamburg allowing me to ride in those tracks. Hitting the double track down and back up the hill was a completely different story though. This was very slow moving and almost impossible to ride in at some points. I felt like I was riding in deep sand. It took me 28 minutes to just get the the single track from the time I left the car. My only incentive to continue was that maybe the single track was more packed down. When I got to the single track it looked like maybe 3-4 bikes had been on it already. It was more rideable but still difficult. This really made me work on my balance and boy, what a workout!

Friday: Time to hit some trails in my own backyard, Castlewood. I figured these trails were more packed down and they were. I went pretty early since the temps were going to get up in the 40's so it was icy in spots. I was surprised to see some sections of dirt! I spent 3 hours riding there and it was just starting to get soft when I left.

Saturday: Early 8:00 AM start at weight clinic again where we have started converting our weights into endurance lifting with a lot of core building. He added a new one which we did 1 minute planks with toes on bench and arms on exercise ball. Tough. After weights, Todd and I headed to Highland, IL to get in a 2hr road ride on the country roads there. It was awesome weather and barely any traffic.

Sunday: We headed to Hermann, MO for the rescheduled 38-40mile gravel grinder. Jeff Yielding hosted this ride and did an outstanding job. There were about 15 of us who showed to ride. It was chilly, windy, and cloudy there for the ride. Some folks came on their MTN bikes but, I chose to ride my cross bike. I had to stop to adjust my seat post since I took it off my road bike and we quickly lost the main pack. We ran into a local, Jose, who also missed the start. The 4 of us took off trying to chase down the main pack to only find out 1hr later that we missed a turn. We ran into some other folks who also got lost. Good thing I brought my iPhone. I was able to re-route us on the gravel roads to get us back on the planned route. We were out there a little longer, 3hrs 45min, but needed a 4 hour ride anyway.

Winter Training

2011-01-16T18:10:00.000-08:00

Well coach and I have finalized my 2011 racing schedule and I will continue to race on the 29er Crew, now known as Trek 29er Crew and. I am going for mostly long endurance races, 6hr, 12hr, and 24hrs or 50-60 milers, this year. My Spring is packed with the Arkansas Endurance Series which conists of 4 races (6hrs to 60 milers) and Syllamo 24hrs in Arkansas also. Yep..5 races in Arkansas and lots of travel. I will plan on peaking again in the fall concentrating on big races again. 2011 will be more quality rather than quanity, like I've done in the past. I feel I am understanding my body better with recovery after these big races. Therefore, I am cutting out most of the MWFT series and UFD series in Missouri this year. However, you will still see me there supporting my husband and riding with my daughter,Casey, who is stepping it up in the Women's Beginner cateogory this year on her new hardtail Niner.

I am 1/2 way through my strength training with weights and core exercises. We will be converting power to endurance lifting soon. I lift at my coach's facility, Sports Enhancement Group, in Chesterfield Valley. Saturday sessions are fun with a big group of folks, including many of my friends and local racers.

With my new work schedule, off Thurs-Sundays, I have been able to really start stacking up the miles and saddle time. I was able to mix it up this week with longer trainer rides inside and some outdoor riding. Saturday, I rode 2hrs on the crossbike with the boys (Mitch, Jeremy, Todd, Todd, and Mike) at Busch Wildlife in St. Charles. Mitch was like a tour guide taking us back on some of the snowy trails and rodes and giving us a little history too! I was suprised the snow wasn't packed down more. The trails were draining on my legs especially, since I just lifted that morning. Oh yeah, there were hunters with their blood hounds everywhere! I heard it was rabbit season so I guess it's good they are at least shooting down. One of the guys said at least they are using shot guns so the bullets won't travel as far.

Today was my favorite ride. I met up with Mary, Susan, and Laura at 8 AM. We started out riding Lost Valley. I was suprised how hard packed the snow was there making it a fantastic ride. Susan then turned back and Mary, Laura, and I headed to Matson. After we climbed up "the hill," Mary turned back so she didn't overdo it with her recovering injured shoulder. After Laura and I hit Matson, we realized Mary made the right choice. The snow on this trail was not packed down causing you to really work on balance and caused more resistance riding through the snow. It was a great workout and had a blast. I could have done without the snow rutted Katy and Hamburg trail though. I wish that was more packed down. Today ended with a little over 28miles total of snow riding and 3hr 45min ride time. When I got home, I think I stood in the shower for 30 minutes!

Castlewood 8hr Adventure Race

2010-12-04T13:57:00.000-08:00

Loreen and I decided to race the Castlewood 8hr Adventure race this year again. At 6:00 AM, 82 total teams loaded the buses liked packed sardines in our cold weather gear and packs. We were given all maps the night before so we knew we were starting out on foot. We were dropped off at Route 66 State Park were we started with a run within the park and quickly found all 6 checkpoints taking us 47 min. We then jumped into the canoe to paddle down to Sherman Beach. We felt pretty strong on the paddle and we pushed through many teams completing the section in 1hr 6min. From there, Loreen gathered the maps taking a quick look at the upcoming checkpoints while I pushed our 2 staged bikes up the beach shore to the trail. We took a quick 40 minute ride for an out and back collecting checkpoints along the Stinging Nettle Trail. We ran into Team Trailmonster who was going the opposite way looking for their passport they dropped somewhere on the bike section. Did I mention it was a very windy day and the temperaturs were dropping throughout the race? My stomach dropped thinking about them trying to find their paper passport blowing around near the swift moving river.

Time to hop back into the canoe again but, this time we had to strap our bikes inside and paddle to Chubb park which was a short paddle downstream. Navigating at Chubb Park is where the race really started. This is very hill terrain and difficult navigation. The checkpoints were more spread out and there are many re-entrants, creeks, ridges, etc that all look the same. My feet were really starting to feel numb due to getting wet which would make it painful to run at times especially, when we were on top of a ridge exposed to the gusty winds. At one point, Loreen and I saw fresh blood all over the ground which was on our bushwacking path for awhile. I kept hoping we didn't look like some 4-legged creature running through the woods too! We made one small navigational error on this nav section ending up in the wrong revene. But, we quickly figured it out and wasted probably 10-12 min. Back to the heavy canoe filled with our bikes for another paddle to Castlewood taking us 47 min. We hadn't seen any female teams for a long time and were still feeling pretty strong going into our MTN bike leg in Casltewood. However, we noticed Loreen's bike had a flat after taking it out of the canoe. She added alot of air to the tire hoping it could hold throughout the last section trying to save time from changing it if she could. We heard we were top 20 some team so we hauled out of there hoping for top 20.

We crossed the finished line with smiles placing 1st in overall female teams and 22 out of total 82 teams. We were happy to see Team Trailmonster found their passport along the river and came across the finish line with smiles on their face too. Kuat came through this year providing free beer at the finish line which was the pre-party to the annual Holtmann bash that my husband and I put on at our house, which is next to Castlewood. I felt a big relief with my last race of the year completing a total of 17 races. Now for some down time and to start planning 2011.

2010-10-23T05:40:00.000-07:00

The Berryman Trail Epic race was held on a Saturday this year. They decided to combine the tour and race into one day. I think most enjoyed it better this way since we could party after the race and not bolt home to go to work the next morning.

I got up early on race day and took my own bag w/tubes and cooler to the only feed zone in the race which we would come to twice during the 55 mile race. I decided to do this for several reasons: 250 red bags all look the same on a picnic table, I wanted cold drinks in a small cooler since it was going to be warm, and I didn't want to have to get off my bike since I need a quick transition since my goal was to go after the geared women on my single speed. I placed my little cheap cooler next to a tree in the campground next to the parking lot.

The forecast was calling for rain so, I put a trash bag in my back pocket in case temps dropped w/rain. This is light weight and takes up no space. I mingled my way through the 250 racers at the start line looking for the top geared women. Scott Davis started announcing the race info. Then, 8 minutes till the start, a kind guy behind me pointed out that I had a big blister in my rear tire. Ok, this was bad. As soon as I would hit the rocky single track, this would for sure blow. I had no choice but, to push my way out of the tight crowd of anxious racers. I rode as fast as I could back to the cabin to change out the tire. I looked back and my kind husband was following me to help. I was mad at him for pulling out to help me since this would hurt him but, happy that I could change the tire out faster with his help.

Almost done putting a new tire on and then, I heard the explosion which sounded like dynamite! Race started. I started to panic since I was missing the start. I was saddened to see everyone heading up the hill but, me. My goal all the sudden changed to finishing the race instead of being competitive up with the geared women. Finally, I jumped on my bike and bolted out onto the course like a spooked horse . The first section was hilly gravel roads before getting to the single track. My legs were feeling pretty good climbing and I soon found myself weaving through the racers and catching up with the main field. I think being panicked helped a little.

Riding the single track was fun. I felt like I was back in the game. However, I was definitely pushing harder to get back in. I reached the 1st feed zone. Todd, my husband was standing there for some reason. He said all of my food, drinks, and tubes were gone-stolen. I had 2 bottles on my bike which were almost depleted and 1 bar and GU left. One of the race spectators was so kind to give me her left-over water so I poured it into my bottle. I said, "oh well...I'm going." Todd had quit the race due to his frame cracking.

So, I went from being panicked at the start of the race to pissed off. Who would steal orange filled bottles that looks and smells like crap and little Dixie cups filled with cut up bars and cliff blocks? Not as mad about the tubes since I still had 2 strapped on my bike. I still had a long race ahead of me with little water and food. So, I started looking for dropped bottles on the trail. Gross..I know. I was desperate. I saw a ton of them in the beginning of the race but, didn't find a single bottle when I needed it.

I bonked a little towards the end of the OT trail. Not sure if was going out too hard in the beginning to catch up, not drinking/eating much, or probably both. I was trying to conserve my water but, it was really warming up. Made it into the 2nd feed zone. A couple of racers who pulled out loaned me 1 more bottle with Cytomax in it to make it to the finish. Started feeling good again. I gave it everything I had left at the end. I managed to get 1st in single speed and 10th if I squeeze my time into the geared women results. I was hoping for top 6 among geared women's times but, considering everything that happened, I was happy.

Burnin at the Bluffs

2010-10-09T19:51:00.000-07:00

As much as I would have loved to race 12hr solo at Burnin this year, I decided it would be in my best interest to race on a team for 3 reasons. They are I just came off a 24hr solo MTN bike race last month, I will have BT Epic 2 weeks later, and most importantly, I wanted to have more fun since I have done so many endurance races solo this year. Don't get me wrong...I was still going for the BUCKLE!

The team was formed consisting of Carrie Cash, Jamie Valencheck, and myself. Rock on! I was pumped because this was going to be fun and fast race. Our biggest competitor going into the race was Team AB Cycles-Sarah Parrish, Mia Phillips, and Beth Weimer. I have race against these 3 in many races and I know their strengths! This was going to be a close race. These girls are fast. We had a short huddle Friday night and we wrote down our order. Their team said they drew straws and Mia was going first. Are they bluffing? I figured they were and said I bet Sarah will be standing at the start. So, we decided to have Cash take Sarah on for the 1st lap. The plan would be for me to go 3rd so I would ride on the darkest lap since I love night riding and could do a double lap in the end if a 9th lap was needed.

Saturday AM..racers surrounded the start line for a short run to their bikes. Surprise! Sarah Parrish at the start line. This is going to be an awesome race. Gun went off and so did the smoke bombs. You could hardly see your bikes. Cash bolts off the start like a bull with horns are chasing her. Off she goes. After an hour goes by, the guys start coming through from their 1st lap. Among the 1st 15 guys is Cash! She was smokin with a time of 1:17. Oh yeah...that's with changing a flat! Jamie and I completed our laps in under 1:30. I was excited about this because I was so much faster on my 1x9 geared bike than my single speed I usually ride out there.

After we competed our 1st round of laps, Mia came in with a possible fractured wrist from a crash. I saw Beth standing at the start not knowing if she should take off. I yelled to her to just go since still on the clock. Carrie and I walked Mia to the 1st aid tent then, I rode down to her campsite to find Sarah to let her know Mia was injured. Total bummer. Our favorite team lost a member and now they were down to 2 racers. This wasn't the race I wanted and felt bad for Mia. Her wrist was pretty swollen.

We kept riding hard for the rest of the race. Anything can happen and I knew Sarah and Beth wouldn't give up. They have lots of experience in endurance racing. Cash started off our 2nd round of laps. On the trail, she heard something that sounded like a rock hitting the ground. Later, she realized she had lost her shifter when trying to shift. She knew exactly where she heard it so rode backwards on the course yelling "racer coming, racer coming" to try to avoid a crash while riding full speed. She found the shifter and put the front shifter upside down on opposite site so she could shift in the back. She still came in off that lap at 1:22. Wow. Would you believe she flatted on her 3rd lap too? But, that barely slows her down.

Jamie had the best luck. No crashes and smokin times. I had 2 good crashes on my 2nd lap but, no injuries. I went out on the 8th lap not sure if I would go back out for another to make 9. I came in within 10 minutes of cut-off. Cash and Jamie were each standing there with a beer and said I didn't need to go back out. "We won the Buckle!"

Berryman Epic on board next and starting to build my fixed geared MTN bike. New bike just arrived and hub is ordered. Hoping Mia has a speedy recovery.

2010-09-11T18:16:00.000-07:00

Friday, September 10th, we hit the road again. A group of us headed to Versailles, Indiana for 24hrs of Dino. This would be my 14th endurance race of the season and my 2nd 24hour mountain bike race for the year. I raced this 24hr solo last year and fell in love with the fast and flowing trail. This year they reversed the direction.

Once we arrived, we quickly set up camp with our traditional canopy with Christmas lights that run off a boat battery. We also have an extension strip so we can charge our bike lights throughout the night. "The boys" wanted to go for a quick ride before dark. Now, I know this means they will end up doing a complete lap which is 12 miles. I declined. I did my pre-race workout early in the AM before we left. Instead I continued prepping for the race. I am very systematic with my gear, clothes, lights, food, and drinks during races. Being self-supported, I don't want to think. My strategy was to swing in every 2-3 laps, switch bottles, and grab my Dixie cups that are pre-filled with cut up bars, 1/8 banana, 2 M & Ms, 1 GU block, and 1 magnesium pill. With this technique, I am able to put the cup in my back pocket and easily grab food while riding.

The boys (Todd, Todd, Greg, and Mitch) arrived back from their pre-ride like it was Christmas morning! Joker smiles on all. They just had a blast on the trail (did whole 12 miles like I thought) especially, since it was reversed. They said the last section was fast and fun! Last year, this was a long and steady climb. I was looking forward to have this as a descent since I was going to race it on the single speed again.

At registration, my biggest competitor, Pro racer, Sally who races for Kenda, was going to be racing on a team this year since she just got back from 24hrs of Leadville the previous weekend. Ok, I might have a chance now. Either way, my goal was to complete more laps than I did last year.

After dinner, more St. Louis folks continued to trickle in. The teams were all talking about their race strategy. The boys were drinking beer. I was just getting more nervous. I knew what was coming...pain and lack of sleep. So, I decided to go to bed and put my headphones on with music so I could drown it all out.

In the middle of the night, I woke up to gentle rain drops hitting our tent. This light rain continued until around 8AM. Then, it was a downpour. I started to worry. This could get real sloppy real fast. But, rain stopped around 11 AM.

12 AM race start! We were all required to start with either a wheel off or seat post off our bike with a short run to our stationed bikes. 1st lap was a little congested and slower than I really wanted but, it was going to be a long 24hrs. The trails were perfect after the rain! In fact, it needed more. The trails were so dry they were cracked in spots so it was like riding on cobblestones! On the 6th lap, I rode with Todd Hecht. Ahhh, to ride with someone is so much more fun! I pushed him on the climbs and he pushed me on the descents. This was my favorite lap!

I came in for a short break around the 12hr mark to change out lights and refuel. Carrie Sona told me it looked like I had 1st locked up already with 7 laps in (84miles). Now, it became more mental. I had to challenge myself. I decided to stick to my goal which was to complete more laps than last year and go beat some men. Got to chat with Zach Brace shortly and learned he won the 12hr. Greg Ott won 3rd and Todd Hecht won 10th. My husband and Mitch were still even and going strong still solo in 24hr also. The St. Louis women's team and Coed team were still cranking out the laps too.

I cranked out a total of 11 laps (132 miles) on the single speed. I won 1st but, due to few women racing I was more excited to complete my personal goal, beat 2 solo men, and men's team, and a coed team. I definitely enjoyed the course direction reversed this year. This was way more fun. My husband, Todd ended up winning 2nd and Mitch 3rd. This was the race within the race. The boys pushed each other so neither of them dared to sleep like they usually do. Todd had fire in his eyes during this race. Was it the pre-cooked quesadillas or grilled cheese he ate (made night before)? Was it the Perpeteum he decided to start using again for this race? I was awesome to see them push each other. I was glad others were staying up with me! See results below. We all had a blast. Highly recommend everyone makes a trip to Versailles Park or Brown County in Indiana sometime. We don't have trails like this!!

12hr- Zach Brace 1st, Greg Ott 3rd, Todd Hecht 10th

24hr solo- Todd Holtmann 2nd, Mitch Johnson 3rd,

Karen Holtmann 1st

24hr teams-St. Louis Coed Team 1st and 2nd overall,

St. Louis women 1st and 6th overall

Binder Lake 6hr

2010-09-04T07:44:00.000-07:00

Binder Lake 6hr had a great turn out for the women this year! 10 women raced 6hr solo this time. I felt pretty good going into this race since I was just there for the single speed championships. But, when I saw 10 women registered I got little butterflies before the race. Some tough women showed up. I knew I couldn't go all out 110% since I have 24hr solo in Indiana next weekend. Can't go into that race sore especially, racing my single speed for both races. What do I do? Some great competition that I wanted to stack up against but, looking at the bigger picture. Talked to my coach, Chris Meleski, night before. "Is this an "A" race for you, " he asked? "No but, I will make it my goal to be top 3," I said.

The race started off with a neutral ride down a paved road (no running this time!). They announced the race would start when we reached the grass and when we heard the shot gun go off. Only about 200 yrds in, the shot gun went off while we were all still on the road...race on! I started off with my usual steady pace. I like to work my way up rather than blow up and go down. But, this is always mentally hard for me because you feel so far behind. I keep telling myself it's a long race and need to be steady on the SS. I think I was in 6 or 7th for 1st 3hrs. My back wheel decided to come off on lap 3. Can I be mad at Todd for being so nice to put my chain on and back wheel night before the race? Nahhh...I didn't get hurt.

Before I knew it, I moved up to 3rd. This is where I would be happy when going home before the big race. But no, Mia Phillips wasn't about to give up her 3rd place. Race was on again for my last 3 laps. I would pass her then, she would come out of no where like a rabbit! Where does this come from I kept asking? So, mentally down again. Keep steady keep steady. Came in on 7th lap to find her standing there. Loreen said she's done. Oh yeah! 5 min left...heading out for 8th lap to lock up 3rd. I still was nervous thinking she changed her mind and would still come. So, I cranked out the last lap just in case. Great job Mia! You were strong. Congrats to Stephanie on 1st and Barbie on 2nd.

I had a blast at this race. Went a little harder than I wanted but, didn't go crazy. Perfect before next weekend. We missed you Wendy!

Midwest Single Speed Championship

2010-08-22T18:54:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday was the Midwest Single Speed Championships at Binder Lake in Jefferson City, MO. I wasn't sure what I was going up against. I figured a few girls would be there but, had no idea there was going to be 9-10 women racing! Where have they all been hiding these past 2 years. I was very excited to see this many women on single speeds. This is awesome for me. I am so used to racing my single speed against women on geared bikes since there is never a single speed category for women. We are all even.

I decided my goal would be top 5 for this race since not an "A" race for me and more for the training in preparation for my bigger ones coming up. I felt pretty good during the race and finished 4th overall female. There were some fast chicas there to include Sarah Parrish, Christine Ford, and a single speed racer from Columbia who has been racing since 2004. They all finished top 3. So, I was very happy with my finish and was happy to be pushed by these faster women. Wendy Davis was out there too looking strong like she always does.

I've started getting excited about fall racing and will be peaking for some of my favorite races of the year. I felt good in the Spring with my 3 big races in Arkansas and 100 miler in Michigan. I did less racing during the summer since I don't do well with heat and my heart rate problem. Work has also consumed more of my time with longer hours. But, this summer, I started incorporating weekly yoga at Bikram to help with flexibility, core, and balance.

Coming up....Binder Lake, 24hrs of Dino MTN bike race in Indiana, Burnin, and Berryman Epic. Yep..will be doing all on my single speed again. Can't wait!

Rollercoaster

2010-07-05T21:16:00.000-07:00

Well, I've had a few frustrating races for me this year. The 1st was Bone Bender and I pulled out due to legs fatigued from doing Syllamo 24hr weekend before on single speed, 2nd was being unable to complete full 12hrs of Berryman Duathlon due to bad heel spur and unable to run on without sharp pain(appointment with surgeon not till August!), and 3rd was longer finish time than I wanted at Lumberjack 100.

My goal at the beginning of the year was to go for the big ones (12hr, 24hr, and 100 milers) and hit the short ones in Missouri when can. It is hard for me to stand there and watch folks race or ask me why I'm not out there. But, I keep reminding myself of my focus.

Seems like I peaked in the spring this year with Ouchita, Syllamo's Revenge, Syllamo 24, and a few shorter ones in the mix. Now, I feel like I'm coming down. I finally realized that I need a short break which is perfect for July! There are only a couple short, 3hr races I will do this month.

I started hitting the road bike to get more mileage and saddle time. My favorite big races are coming up in August, Sept, and October. I've also added paddling into the mix. Those who know me know I love water! I will be racing the 27 mile Marathon Paddle Race in Missouri on 7/17 with Loreen Matson in a tandem. I did one short track dirt crit last week at Castlewood but, will be unable to do anymore of them due to my work schedule. I think the key is to keep mixing it up and have fun. Now, the competitive side of me says go train your buns off. The big ones are coming!! Racing sure is like a rollercoaster ride!

Lumberjack 100

2010-06-20T20:23:00.000-07:00

Mitch, Todd, Dwayne, and I headed up to Manistee, Michigan for their Lumberjack 100 mile mountain bike race. This race sells out and there were 350 racers. There was no single speed category for the women, only men! I decided to try out my new 1x9 Superfly hardtail. I have been racing single speed for so long that I forgot how to shift!

The course consisted of three 33 mile loops . There were rolling hills, some short steep climbs, some double track, and small amt of fire road. There wasn't really any technical parts of the loop. There were a lot of women who just hammered the course. I need technical climbs to keep me fired up!

I think the hardest part of the race was seeing the 2 lead men finishing their 3rd 33 mile loop heading in to finish and I was heading out for my 3rd loop. Wow! I think the leading male won it in 6hrs 33 min. That is hauling!! My time was 11hrs 40min finishing 18th in women's. I wasn't too happy with my time but, was told that many don't finish it their first time. Todd finished top 99 out of over 200 men, Mitch top 40, and Dwayne 13th in single speed.

12hr Berryman Off-Road Duathlon

2010-06-05T21:09:00.000-07:00

Well...I should of re-thought this one. After feeling really good after last year's 12hr and winning it, I was hungry for more suffering this year. However, one small problem. Over the past 4

months, I have had increased pain in my right heel. Running on it seems to flair it up. I had been training hard for the duathlon but, finally asked for help from one of my fellow interns in orthopedics. He suggested xrays and it was what I was afraid of-bone spur in my heel!! Check out that hook! Ughh. Ok..I'll run on it until the last week before I had to register and see how it feels. I was doing round the clock Ibuprofen and icing it. It felt better..so I thought. I didn't care. I saw some great competition registered and I wanted to be pushed even harder this year so I registered.

I choose to do the bike loop 1st. I took off on my single speed. Climbing on a switchback, my back wheel came off. Oops. Almost a bad crash. But, I quickly got the chain back on the cog and wheel fixed. This took a little time off but, long race to go. I came in 1:25 and beat my lap time from last year. Then, it was time for the run. I knew this was going to hurt but, it really hurt. It felt like "the hook" was coming through the bottom of my foot. I tried to alternate with walking some but, no relief. I started re-thinking my strategy. If I could be consistent with my bike times then, it could make up for my run times since running was more Carrie and Emily's strength.

I came in from the run, not happy with the time, and shot back out on the bike again for #2 bike loop. The pain didn't go away! Every climb, since I mostly stand on the single speed, caused pain to shoot through my foot. I've never felt this before MTN biking. But, I never rode after I ran to find out. I finished the 2nd bike loop and called it quits. I don't get credit for the 2nd bike loop because you have to complete a bike leg and run leg to equal one full loop. So, I had no choice but, to settle for 3rd place.

Emily ended up winning. Wendy ended up crashing and getting sutures in her arm. I had to do some more irrigating to one of her lacerations that didn't get sutured. I pulled more rocks out and butterflied it. Not sure it would hold though. She ended up spending 5 days in the hospital but, not sure what the complication was. I devoted the rest of my time helping Zdenek fight for 3rd place. The heat was taking it's toll on everyone. I knew what he needed in transition with food, drinks, and encouragement to make him faster and kept tabs on the few minutes that separated him from David Frei. Frei ended up winning 3rd over him by less than 60 seconds. What a race!

"The hook" and I have an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon but, can't get in till August. No more running for me for a while. Next big race...Lumberjack 100 miles in Michigan.

2010-05-01T19:21:00.000-07:00

Headed back down to Arkansas once again for Syllamo's Revenge 50 miler. Loreen and I arrived in the early evening with time to check in to our cabin and head to Angler's for a little dinner. We placed our order for our big pre-race meal. Within 10 minutes, the owner came out and announced to all that we had to leave due to 2 tornadoes heading our way! Ok...where do we go? We were 7 miles away from our cabin. So, we booked it back west to our cabin without dinner. 2 cop cars were speeding the opposite way with lights/sirens on. I decided that our cabin wasn't going to provide any shelter so we pulled in to another local restaurant. I asked if they had a basement and they said no but, they had a walk in fridge. Sold! We stayed there for about an hour until everything was safe. There ended up being tornadoes/funnel clouds all around us but, no damage for us. Race on!

Conditions were wet and slick for the race but, better than the previous year from what I heard. My goal was top 10 for this race knowing some of the competition and that I would be racing my single speed among the geared women. I was also going for the Arkansas Marathon Series and this was the last race of the series.

We speed off on the park's paved road for a short bit just to hit a huge bottleneck on the 1 mile gravel road climb which is a 8% grade. I managed to weave through a lot of that because I couldn't really climb it too slow on the single speed. Once I hit the single track I felt like I was bushwhacking on the bike! This 1st section was really overgrown. I know I wasn't the only one who came home with scratches all over my arms and poison ivy. The second section was pretty technical with lots of slick rocks. I was feeling great through this section and managed to hold 6th place. Eventually, I lost 2 spots about 5 1/2 hrs in. The last section was what I remembered from 24hrs of Syllamo, nice fast flowing single track. I finished the race in 8th and accomplished my goal.

Loreen and I headed to Mountain View for a little dinner that night. On the weekends, small acoustic bands are playing music all over town. Here's one of the bands we listened to. They were awesome. Just click the play button to hear them.

24hrs of Syllamo

2010-04-10T20:16:00.000-07:00

It was already time to load up the car again and head back down to Arkansas for 24hrs of Syllamo. I knew this course was going to be more brutal than the previous 24hr MTN bike race I did last year and of course, doing it on my single speed. They said it was going to be 2,400 feet of ascending and descending per loop. Loops were 10.5 miles long.

We arrived Friday night to set up camp and was greeted by other St. Louis folks-Team Seagal, Team Redwheel, Bob Jenkins and crew, and others. I got a good nights sleep since my strategy was to go straight through the night. The killer coons ate Wendy's oatmeal, who was my competition, so I brought her back some hot oatmeal from a local restaurant I went to for breakfast. A girl has to eat before a big race like this!

Race started at noon Saturday and would go till noon Sunday. The start started with a short run to the bikes. I was warned of the same start as Syllamo's Revenge, which is 3/4 mile gravel road at a 11% grade. This was a lot of standing on the single speed. Right off the bat, a few suffered from flats on this road alone. We took a left off this road onto the red section which consisted of flowing single track with a few steep climbs. The bulk of the trail was twisting beautiful single track winding through the Ozark Mountains. The last section was an incrediable long rocky descent that took you back to Blanchard Springs. This last section left a smile on my face every time and made me say "I want to do that again." But, reality hit quickly and I realized I had to climb that dang 11% grade hill again after the start.
After 5 consecutive laps some sort of stomach problem hit me. I usually don't get sick in races so not sure what it was from. We couldn't drink the water from Blanchard Springs so I got my water from another camp site. Jim Davis came to my rescue and gave me some Pepto Bismal. Wendy Davis was a few minutes in front of me (I think I gave her some super turbo oatmeal that morning) but, my stomach problems kept me out for 2 hrs so she gained a couple laps on me. After a couple hours, I felt fantastic! Time to play...game on!!! Close to 10pm, I hit the trail and wasn't going to stop again. I realized I was gaining time on each lap. Around 4-5 AM, I saw Wendy sitting down, FINALLY, and looked like she might have been a little tired. I quickly raced back out and realized I finally made up my time. I knew I could get 2 more laps in and finished sometime after 1pm winning the Women's single speed division completing 11 laps. I was also very happy with my 7th place overall position with the men too.

Steve did a fantastic job putting on this race. There weren't many racers who came down for this since it was the 1st race but, I know he will draw in many more racers next year. This course is not as technical as Syllamo's Revenge so it can definitely be done by many. He already has the date for next year, April 9, 2011, so check it out!

Ouachita Challenge 2010

2010-04-04T21:28:00.001-07:00

Last weekend, I hit the road heading from St. Louis to Oden, Arkansas for the Ouachita Challenge to race my new Superfly single speed. This is a 60 mile course offering a tour on Saturday and race on Sunday. There are 275 slots for each day and both always sell out within 1 day.
Let me tell you, these folks do a great job putting on the tour/race. Everyone is friendly, there are plenty of volunteers for the race, great food at the aid stations (I saw but, didn’t want to stop), breakfast and dinner before and after the tour/race, and great schwag to include 2 bike frames (1 was Niner frame).

The course was tough and had cut off times this year. There was about 6400 ft of elevation gain, some awesome single track on the Ouachita and Womble trails, and some gravel roads. This course offers spectacular views of valleys, rivers, and lakes on top of Brushy Creek Mountain and Blowout Mountain. I loved the way my Superfly SS handled the trails, cornering, and climbs. I am in love with this bike!

Be sure to put this race on your calendar for next year! http://www.ouachitachallenge.com/

Next, heading back down to Arkansas this weekend for 24 hours of Syllamo and Syllamo’s Revenge in May.

Making a New Trail at Cedar Bluff

2010-03-13T12:31:00.000-08:00

Do you ever wonder how mountain bike trails are built and what tools they use? As a mountain biker and racer, I decided to help out and join GORC to build a trail this weekend. Today, GORC focused their attention on a re-route at Cedar Bluff in Castlewood State Park. We met at 9 AM at the Sherman Beach parking lot and took a short drive to meet again at the "Haunted House." There were about 20 of us and we took a short hike up a road to the soon to be new trail. This section will be cutting out some of the washed out section if you are going clockwise after going under the railroad bridge. Let me tell you, this section is going to be sweet! The trail wraps around the bluff and is pretty rocky so will drain well. It's a gradual climb with small twists and technical spots which will keep you entertained yet, challenged. If you choose to go the opposite way, you will be grinning the whole way down . It will be a fast decent but, the small twists and rocks will make you think when choosing your line. After the hard labor, Lone Wolf brought us lunch. It was delicious! Thanks Ralph. If you want to put a little time back into the trails and see what this new trail is all about, join GORC April 24th. The plan is to complete the trail on this date! This is going to be awesome.

Snowy Trails

2010-02-14T12:00:00.000-08:00

Got up early this AM so I could hit the snow covered trails at 6:45 AM. What a blast! There were only critter prints, possibly coon, on the trail before me. Surprisingly, it was nice dry snow. Todd, Loreen, Kari, and Jamie, joined me shortly after I started. Then, the girls and I joined up for the Team Revolution Women's Frostbike Ride for the remainder of my ride at 9 AM. There were nothing but smiles today on the trail. I even saw other friends, Ken, Stephanie, Laura, Carrie, and Jeff, doing a pre-run before their race next weekend. Good to see so many folks playing outside in the snow!

Castlewood Adventure Race

2009-12-05T20:37:00.000-08:00

On Dec 4th, Loreen Mattson and I met at the Alpine Shop the night before the race to check-in and receive race information. However, the only thing that was given to us were our racer numbers. We were instructed to take our bikes to the mandatory bike drop at the Wymann Center in Wildwood on Friday night. I was happy that we didn't have to plot our maps the night before which means good sleep but, have no idea where we were racing and which discipline to prepare for. Also, the temps were really dropping and this was going to be a cold start in the AM. I took my bike to the bike drop only to find a broken spoke from riding the day before. I always clean my bike and prepare it before the race but, I failed to see the broken nipple. I reloaded the bike, took it home, switched out wheels, and went all the way back out there. So much for my sleep strategy. We arrived at Castlewood at 5:15AM for the race start and started loading buses. We were transported to Greensfelder for the race start. The race started with a 15 point orienteering section which was very hilly. We were doing great but, had difficulty with the last couple checkpoints which cost us a lot of time. Normally, we are use to super stud Matt Keeven or Kerry Rascher navigating and dragging us around so this was a change for us. Now we had the maps, compass, and had to read the land. Next, we came off the O'section to our bike drop. We were given the rest of the maps for the race and had to plot it all. We were pretty quick here but, we had some serious time to make up. We packed up and left on bikes out Alt road and to the Al Foster trail. We did some flat single track back in there and came back out to Sherman Beach. We had to load our bikes into the canoe. Yes..they were both 29ers too! From there we did a quick paddle upstream to retrieve a checkpoint. I realized that we didn't go upstream far enough so I decided to climb into the water to get the checkpoint. Did I mention how cold it was during the race?? With wet feet, I climbed back in the canoe for the final paddle leg all the way down to Castlewood. From the beach, we unloaded the bikes, hopped on saddle, and set out for the last leg which was all single track-my favorite.We had smiles all the
way into the finish line since we knew we had won 1st in our division. I gave my winnings/prize to my husband, Todd. He is always very supportive and always there for me! Thanks! And big thanks to Loreen Mattson for a fantastic race. She did a great job navigating and was super strong as always. This race was a blast!

2009-11-21T20:37:00.000-08:00

On Saturday, Nov. 21st, Team Revolution/Alpine Shop held it's 2nd annual all women's mountain biking weekend on the Berryman Trail. We stayed at Blue Springs Resort Friday and Saturday night. 21 women attended to hit the dirt on Saturday AM. We had 2 group options to choose-a 12 mile or 24 mile option. Loreen Mattson lead the 12 mile option and I lead the 24 mile loop. Trails were a little wet in spots and covered with leaves. Their were lots of smiles, some deer hunters, and good spirits out on the trails that day. We all headed back to the cabin after the ride to hang out around the bonfire to share mountain bike stories. Looking forward to 2010 and even more women next year!

Berryman Epic 50 miler

2009-10-25T20:45:00.000-07:00

With all the rain we had during this week, I was confident we were going to encounter mud and high stream crossings for my last mountain bike race of the season. Not only was I right but, the race started with a 1 mile ride down a gravel road just to encounter a stream turned river. Scott Davis, the race director, place a flat bed truck into the now river. With the water level over the truck tires, we each took turns jumping up onto the truck with our bikes to get to the other side. Then, the race really started. The course consisted of the Berryman Trail, Ozark Trail, and gravel roads. I had made the decision to race my single speed again. I spoke to the promoters and talked them into adding a SS category for females too. Not only did they decide to make this change for this year, next year they will be adding cash prizes for SS women. Thanks boys!
The race was a blast. I was able to race without stopping at the food drops until I needed to switch water/fuel bottles at final stop. Thanks to Jim Davis, I was able to waste little time doing this. Only low points for me were the endo off of a drop off (can't believe I wasn't more hurt) and gravel roads on a SS. But, Jim Davis's motivational screaming and flashing were motivation to bring me across this finish line with a grin for 1st in SS and 4th overall among geared bikes.

Dino 24hr MTN Bike Race

2009-09-19T18:13:00.000-07:00

My husband, Todd, Mitch Johnson, Greg Ott, and I headed to Versailles, Indiana to conquer a 24hr solo MTN bike event. We had the ultimate set up with 2 canopies, tents, bike racks, outlets and light switches, and Christmas lights (thanks Mitch!). My competition ended up being a pro female racer who had her own RV, bike trailer full of her bikes, and 3 men who worked for her to change out gear, be a mechanic, or a pacer. But, I was excited to race next to a pro who had many 24hr solo races under her belt. I could learn from this. I also decided to do 24hr solo on my single speed. The race started with a short run but, you had to take off a wheel or saddle (I suppose for those who have lefties and can't take their wheel off) and run with it. I decided to use the ol' pace yourself approach once again. I tried to have 1:30 for the 13mile loops. I was able to maintain this for 1st 5 laps. I started feeling some rubbish with my skin where the chamois is sewn into the short. I have never had this problem before. My legs felt pretty good though. I came in a couple of times to add more Desitin cream to this area. I went out for 3 more laps. I had to come in again. Now the rubbish was turning into missing skin! I attempted to put socks in between the shorts and skin but, it was honestly better without it. Eventually, it just went numb. The night laps added on 10-15 min for me along with the pain of missing skin that at times caused me to stand on my peddles for long periods of time to relieve the pain. It was always motivating having your name and where you are from blasted on the big intercom system along with the rockin music. Of course, it had to rain during this race! Last 2 laps but, it was a light steady rain so trails were just becoming a little slick. Did I mention that I LOVE Indiana's trails?? If you have the opportunity, hit up Brown County or Versailles Park. You will leave with a smile. I was happy with my result, 2nd place (behind the pro) and completing 10 13-mile laps. Todd had a pretty hard crash and called it quits after 9hrs but,still placed 7th. Mitch won 2nd and Gregg got 4th. There will definitely be more 24hr races on my calendar for next year!

Binder Lake 6 Hour

2009-09-05T18:29:00.000-07:00

For some reason, racing this race 6-hour solo in the women's divsion on my single speed was harder than the 12hr duathlon and 12hr R.I.M. The race started with wet trails but, the rain had moved on and the trails got better as the day went on. The course was not technically difficult but, many climbs that didn't allow for recovery afterwards. To top it off, the sun came out and humidity played a factor in the outcome for many. But, I was consistent with my laps again without stopping and able to take home 1st place.

Berryman 12hr Duathlon

2009-08-22T18:50:00.000-07:00

I headed down to Steeleville, MO to tackle 12hr Duathlon in the solo female cateogory. I did the 6hr last year and remembered the heat and pain. After getting 2nd last year, I was focused on winning the 12hr and wanted to do it on my single speed. The duathlon consisted of 6hr and 12hr male and female racers.The trail run was 5.4 miles and the biking leg was 13 miles. You chose which one you wanted to do 1st and then, had to alternate for remainder of race. However, you had to complete both legs to complete a lap. The race started at 7am for 12hr racers and 9am for 6hr races. Suprisingly this year, there were more 12hr racers than 6hr folks. Todd decided to sit this one out and support when needed. At race start, only me and another male decided to tackle the bike leg 1st. I shortly realized that I was the one clearing out the spider webs on the trail. Thank god the male finally caught up with me to take over as the human spider web. I HATE spiders. I stayed pretty consistent on both legs of the race for 12hrs and only stopped to change shoes and helmet. I was excited to hear that not only I won 1st in Solo Female but, got 4th overall with the 12hr men. Jason and Laura Elsenraat, with Bonk Hard Racing, did a fantastic job putting on this event. I walked away with a new $160 pack, free entry into any Bonk Hard Racing event, socks, and a can of Spam (thanks Laura!).

Rapture In Misery ( R.I.M.)

2009-08-15T06:58:00.000-07:00

Todd and I headed up to Trenton, MO for our 1st 12hr MTN bike race. We met up with Greg Ott and Mitch Johnson the night before the race. We quickly set up our tents, canopy, and gear and then, headed to bed. After the usual little sleep you get while camping, we woke up to start our race day. After registration, I found that there was 5 of us women competing in the 12hr solo. I had chosen to race my single speed for the race so was sure how I was going to do plus, I was competing against a couple of women from Team 360. I decided to stick with my game plan that works for me...staying consistent with few stops. Race was scheduled from noon to midnight. Well, this seemed to work well for me. I was able to maintain consistent lap times. I was able to grab bottles and food by barely stopping. My only stop was to switch helmets with my helmet light. The forecast was right...it started pouring down rain on my last 2 laps. The trails were very slick on the packed dirt and rocks. Little frogs were jumping all over the trails. The last section up to the finish line was a new trail just built which was off-canter. This was unrideable! Only option was to push the bike. I came across the finish line some time after 10pm expecting to squeeze in another lap or 2. But, it was to my surprise that the race was called and I won 1st. I was so happy. Another surprise was that my husband, Todd, won his age group and 3rd overall. Mitch Johnson won 2nd in his age group and 2nd overall.