The Flyin' Liz Ryen

I was sitting with my head on my knees, trying not to throw up the small amount of food I'd managed to eat. I expected the race to be hard, but I wasn't even mountain biking, instead I was walking much of the trail, sleeping too long, and not able to eat because I felt nauseous most of the time. I still had so far to go and was feeling way in over my head. This race was full of super human badass athletes who set records and have skills, and then there was me, stubborn and overconfident. "You have to keep going, "I told myself, "forward progress is still progress," and dragged myself up along Jarosa Mesa, a flat stretch of trail at 12,000 feet. The trail was studded with jagged rocks making it impossible for me to pedal. So I pushed, I sat down, I wheezed, I almost threw up, and then pushed some more. The trail started to look ridable so I climbed on my bike, pedaled 10 feet, then crashed hard onto my side, feet still clipped into my pedals. "Normal peo...

 8 Aug 2023 Sane people spend their vacations swimming in the ocean, or riding a train through the Alps. I am mountain biking 527mi and climbing 72,500feet through the mountains of Colorado.The Colorado Trail Race, from Durango to Denver is a brutal, self supported bikepacking race. I wanted to do it ever since I first heard about it.  I've spent the summer neurotically reading everything I could find about the race and biking uphill. Unfortunately I live pretty much at sea level and most of the race is 10-12,000ft with a high point of (gulp) 13,200. My rides feel brutal, my legs burn, and I wheeze out mile after mile. This race is going to hurt... A lot.  Fortunately I will be suffering with others. You can track all the participants in real time and you'll be able to watch my glacial pace starting on Sunday August 13th starting at 4am. Gulp! http://trackleaders.com/ctr23f.php