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Re-cap from the 2023 Mudslinger XC Race held in Blodgett, Oregon

It's strange to think that getting out of your comfort zone can begin to feel comfortable. The bike has always been my pathway to go to places where the body resists, but as I go there more often and for longer periods, the joy and calmness I find there Is what I end up missing whenever I spend more than a couple days without it. So maybe it was the lack of uncomfortable opportunities in 2020 that drew me to race Oregon 24 solo, that or some other type 2 fun obsession that we all suffer from. Either way, this is the first race that I have lost sleep over and was legitimately scared leading into. Doing anything for 24 hrs is hard enough, let alone trying to squeeze every last drop of glycogen out of your muscles. For those of you not familiar, a 24 hrs race is pretty straightforward. You race your bike for 24 hours and see how many laps you can do within that time. This particular race, the Oregon 24 by Mudslinger Events, features an 11-mile course with 1200 ft of climbing a lap. It typically contains Bends signature dust, but due to some downpours leading into the event, we had nothing but hero dirt and good times ahead. I'm lucky enough to call Bend home and was able to get plenty of exposure to what I was getting myself into. With only minor hiccups before the big day, I went about my normal weekly routine. Made sure to grab a couple extra spares of just about everything and in one Costco run, had everything I planned on eating for the duration of the event. In a couple hours the Friday before, I was able to make enough PB and J squares to feed an army and give a little more thought to how I was going to feed. I was shooting for 450 to 500 cal an hour, a little high, but I was calculating assuming I'd miss and be a little low but then also knowing that I wasn't going to be consuming any significant meals. The calories were split between what went into the bottles and actual food. This is the first race I've ever done with anything aside from gels, and I thought it worked out perfectly. For the bike, I decided to run my Dryve Wheels equipped Santa Cruz Blur and had my Santa Cruz Highball for my second bike, Kenda Tires Booster Pro upfront, and Sabre in the rear for lights. I had Lezyne Macro Drive 1300 lumens. I have power and heart rate at all times, and they were surprisingly more useful then I was expecting; midway through, I was able to consistently predict my lap times based on what the data showed. I started about 4th due to Mudslinger Events socially distanced TT start and pretty quickly got up to speed. Evidently, too quickly, and I ended up going down about halfway through. Quick look over the bike to make sure everything was good, and I was back rolling again. The rest of the lap went smoothly, and I had to constantly remind myself that this wasn't an XCO or even a High Cascades 100 type of effort. Even with that, I rolled through leading the race with a lap split of 47:47. I rolled into the pit zone to be greeted by Shane Johnson who was going to be dealing with me all day and night. A quick couple of words, an exchange of bottles and food, and I was out for my second lap. The next 8 laps averaged in the 53s to 55s until I eventually caught and passed last year's solo winner. Knowing that I had an entire lap up, I decided to back way off the pace and start spending a little more time in the pit. Managing to clock off a couple more laps, we entered the night shift. This is where I was really getting into unfamiliar territory. Previously my longest ride was 14 hours, but I had nothing but sunshine, so jumping into the last 12 hours of the race was still pretty intimidating. On the other hand, the last 12 laps had engrained every detail of the course into my mind, so even while I was getting accustomed, I was still able to open up on the descents. I kept up the pace until 2 in the morning when I made the call to take the time I had made early and get some sleep. I stripped down in order to dry out my kit and hopped into a warm sprinter for 30min. I wrongly assumed that I would wake up to stiff legs and was pleasantly surprised that I didn't. I threw on a couple additional layers and headed out for a goal of 3 or 4 more laps. I made it through 3 and decided to take another nap based on what the other competitors were doing. At this point, it was 4 am, and the ground was beginning to freeze over. I planned for that to be my last nap and roll on for another 4 or 5 laps until the finish at 9. I headed out with just about everything I had in terms of gear on my body. The initial climb up to Kiwa Butte on Tiddlywinks saw my core temp raise just enough to dampen my jersey. Even with all my layers unzipped, I did what I could to remain cool and dry, but by the time I finished the last singletrack climb and hopped on the fire road, I was damp enough that the 28 miles per hour and 19-degree temp the air had dropped to, chilled me to a violent shiver. There was one short climb left before a super quick descent to the finish, and by the time I got back to my crew, I knew I wasn't going to be able to go out for more laps without going dangerously hypothermic. I made the call 17 laps in to be done unless something changed. 7:30 rolled around, and we all woke up to fully knowing I had to get back on the bike. I had an hour and a half and knew I could easily get across the line twice before 9. By then, Brad Herauf had made up considerable time by toughing it through the night and was a little less than half a lap up on me. I managed 2 more sub-hour laps and rolled across the line with 18 hours of ride time, 217 miles, 20,000 vertical ft, 19 laps, and the open/pro men win, 2nd overall. I was greeted by probably a hundred people, spread out, of course, cheering and clapping as the 2nd to the last person across the finish line. Brad was able to sneak through 2 min ahead of the 24-hour cutoff for his 20th lap and secured the overall win. I knew right after the race, it really wasn't the effort or pace that got me. Those early morning times 19 hours into the race made it difficult to get my heart rate over 120bpms, and at 19 degrees, that's just not enough to keep a depleted body warm. Congrats to Brad for taking the overall, Continuous Threat the team of juniors that took home the team win and reign from my hometown, and all the other finishers of both the 12 and the 24. A huge shoutout goes to Mike Ripley and the Mudslinger events crew for making this season an actual season. They have been one of the few that have been able to continue putting on events, and I've been fortunate to make it out to all but one of them. Thanks!!! Landon

"You know you're an Oregonian when a trip to the coast is more about finding quiet roads to ride bikes on than it is dipping your toes into the Pacific Ocean. The coastal community of Waldport served as the staging area for the 2020 Oregon Coast Gravel Epic. Even with its remote start and finish reducing the overall timed distance that was timed, this was only the second distance race I've ever competed in. Knowing this, I stepped up my training, my mileage, and resigned myself to "just finishing" instead of grandiose ideas of riding to victory. The gravel epic was my second bike event for 2020 and my second event experiencing Mike Ripley's & the crew of Mudslinger Events' world-class efforts to keep everyone safe in the age of COVID. Lines for picking up race packets, timing chips & SWAG were clearly defined, appropriately distanced, and his volunteers & staff serious but oh so pleasant. I applaud their work into creating an environment and process that felt both respectful while offering a bit of an escape from the world's woes. We each rolled out one by one towards the remote start line, and we were greeted by the serene and stunning beauty we've come to expect from the Oregon coast. Flat roads quickly pointed uphill and began to narrow. The next 45 - 55 miles were filled with crunchy gravel, sweeping vistas, white-knuckle descents, grueling climbs, and smiles. The moments of solitude were pock-marked with the occasional passing or being passed. These moments gave way to chances to connect and find out what brought us out and where we came in from. This will always be my favorite part of bike racing in Oregon, the human component. And this will always be the reason I'll forever be a terrible bike racer. I'd instead use the breath in my lungs to make a connection with another racer, whether it's for a moment of commiseration or a quick "nice work, keep it up!" When these events are all said and done, I make a note of new friends and promise myself I'll find a way to reach out again. Over the years of participating in Mudslinger Events races (my 1st was Mudslinger XC in 2006), I've come to realize there's always a feeling of community. It goes way beyond the feeling of community racers have with each other. Mike and his team make sure that the event and its competitors can connect with the local towns where the races are held. The gravel epic was no different as each participant was given a voucher to be used at several local businesses in Waldport and neighboring Newport. And The best touch of all was the homemade cookies that greeted us at the finish line.

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