@moabhardenduro didn’t go how I wanted, but it told me what I need to fix.
5 hours, 2.8 laps, finished 6th in a stacked class. On paper not terrible, but I was ~20 min off 5th and way further off the front than I’ve been recently.
Course was wild, constant technical hits. Felt like there was never a break. Always climbing something, dropping off ledges, or smashing through rough, choppy terrain. Kind of like KOM but with way more energy-zapping features stacked back to back. No real time to settle in.
The weird part — I had the skill and energy for all the technical sections. Cleaned most of the hard stuff. But the in-between singletrack… just couldn’t keep the pace. Found myself sitting way more than I should, just trying to hold it together.
Big drop in energy around lap 2 (~1.5h in), and it just turned into survival from there.
Cool to be able to race in Moab
Huge thanks to @snowysunvalley and her parents for coming out and supporting all weekend — means a lot. 📸 @aubreylynna@snowysunvalley@svbumper@nappyneaman
got to experience my hometown a little differently on the big wheel bike.
spent so many years on two wheels riding all over town — looking for banks, curbs, and putting in way too many hours at the skatepark. always chasing something, always moving fast, trying to find the next spot.
this time was a slower pace. cruising from the train tracks, weaving on and off farm roads, across ditches, and out toward the lake…
funny how the same places feel different depending on the bike you’re on — and probably the phase of life too.
definitely a lot less adrenaline than back then, but still hard to beat a good cruise.
just a different kind of good.
It’s been a tough couple weeks. Danner had knee surgery and she hasn’t been able to be herself. She’s got so much energy, so keeping her restricted has been the biggest challenge.
We live on land with hills and space, and she’s used to running free… now it’s leash walks just to go to the bathroom while she looks at me like “why aren’t we going further?”
She’s hanging in there though. Getting a little better each day.
Doing this so she can come back stronger and get back to the life she loves — running, exploring, and being her full self again.
lost first place by under a minute…
grinding stone hard enduro was a tough one this year with the heat.
format was 3 races for me — first just to qualify, second to make top 150, and the third combined with the pros on the same course.
I ended up 3rd in race 2 (only needed top 50), which put me on the second row with the pros for the final.
the entire class bunched up in the first 10 minutes at the Tetris bottleneck, so it basically turned into a restart. I pushed hard trying to clean the bigger, sketchier sends and felt like I was riding really well — staying consistent and holding about a 20 minute gap for most of the race.
but that second lap… the heat and fatigue from the first two races caught up hard. pace dropped, and it turned into survival mode trying not to cook myself.
slab 511 really got me. I’d cleaned it every other time that day, but this time I was done. the bottom was blown out and the top covered in loose sand. kept throwing the bike at it trying to gain a few more feet, just to slide back down… over and over.
ended up breaking my frame peg tab, bent the bars, clutch issues, starter went out… it was a mess.
finally got through and pushed toward the last check, then onto hill 44. sweeps were coming through kicking people off, so I was just trying to make it over the final ledge to finish it.
somewhere in that chaos I got passed and didn’t even realize it.
they ended up counting that final check — even though we were both a few minutes past the 3 hour cutoff — and I lost first by less than a minute.
Race 3: 2nd A30 / 7th A.
insanely technical race, hot, exhausting, and full of sketchy slab hits.
honestly just stoked to make it through without getting hurt… and clappy still rolling, sorta.
super thankful for @snowysunvalley and friends chasing me around the course and spectating — made it a really fun event to be part of. Thanks to @rockstars_motorcycle_club@jlflynn4 and @ushardenduro for putting on a great weekend of racing.
🎥 @snowysunvalley@owen.gorsuch
📸 @jennybrookes_
KOM is always a solid weekend of racing
Saturday’s qualifier I took 5th place in under an hour. The goal was keep it chill since all I needed was a top 20 to get in the first row. But I had a couple moments that caught me off guard since I was mainly focused on trying not to get hurt and have a clean ride. I’m not happy with how I handled the situations but realize people race differently and it’s something to learn and grow from.
Saturday afternoon I got food poisoning, which is never ideal before a long race. I woke up early Sunday just hoping my body would cooperate but couldnt get much food down.
Sunday’s main went well. I started out 2nd/3rd the first lap, then settled into 5th for the rest of the race. Finished all 5 laps in 4h31. Last year this race took me 6h30, but with USHE pushing shorter cutoff times this year, the race dynamic and pacing changed. I found myself riding clean and steady, letting riders go and focusing on getting through the day — but really I was doing more of an endurance pacing and didn’t really match intensity needed for the shorter cut off time since at the end of the race I still had quite a bit left in the tank.
Happy to be able to get out there and race all weekend as I kind of wrecked my tailbone pretty bad earlier in the week making it really hard to walk/bend/lift anything but it held together better than I expected and came out of the race with minimal damage as well.
5th in A30
31st overall of 198 riders (28 pros)
Fitness feels solid, riding felt clean, and I walked away with a few good lessons.
Huge thanks to @komjustin72 for putting on another unreal event and to @snowysunvalley for pitting and helping all weekend since she has been out recovering from shoulder surgery. Always grateful to line up at KOM.
First photo @o.goillustrated
Video @ryan_mccasland
With Clappy’s history of #powerdentpipe abuse I’m surprised the frame lasted this long! KTM steel welds nice though so I got it stuck back together and added a freshie @axpracing skid plate for protection. Have you ever had to weld your frame? #ridediamonds
Had fun racing at scotts flat lake in nevada city this weekend. 4 laps took 1h21m with a handful of little technical features and some good views along the lake. Raced Cat 2 and was second in the holeshot of my row, made a pass early and led the single track section but got passed by some guys up the long climb. After missing a turn and burning some time i couldnt catch anyone else. 3rd in the adults and 9th overall with the groms. thanks to @snowysunvalley for running around the course and getting all the clips! #ridediamonds @Trailboundco@klim@hammernutrition@camtbtriple
Deputy Danner was a big hit at the wagon days parade this year where snowysunvalley’s dad was an announcer and her mom djed the music while all the horses and wagon setups pushed through town
