Living Earl: Lotoja 2011

September for me always signifies the slow goodbye to summers warmth. Leaves begin to change, the air picks up a little morning bite, the anticipation of winter grows with every day, but most of all September means Lotoja. At the end of every racing season I send off summer with this 206 mile road race from Logan, Utah to Jackson, Wyoming.

Leading up to this years race there were a lot of things that kept me off the bike. The record amount of snow, climbing trips, family vacations, and the fact that I got engaged all have taken their little pieces out of my normally free training time. I spent less than half the amount of time on my bike that logged last year.

The morning began as usual, our pace was slow and I was leery of taking turns at the front. The hours ticked by and I felt better than expected. I had a good mix of food and there were a few guys I knew in my group that helped pass the time. It wasn't until we hit the King of the Mountain that I began my slow decline into suffering. The day was hot and the asphalt seemed to hurl the suns heat back into my face as I went up the last steep pitch. The group I was with got away on the climb.... I had to grit my way back to them on the flats after the descent. That is how the rest of the day went, what I lacked in fitness I made up for with endurance. I guess the 26 hour day I pulled on Rainier did transfer over a little... or it was the three 5-hour energy shots that I had... can't be sure.

Eventually we neared the finish. I didn't feel like I deserved to win so I kind of just set myself up to fail on the final sprint. I knew my position was garbage but I was so beyond caring by that point that I just wanted to get off my bike. My neck was aching, the bottoms of my feet were on fire, I was exhausted... of the 13 of us in our group I came in 13th. I sat up at the end and coasted in. This was probably the most I have ever wanted to quit this race. My time was a mental test... sheer will was the only thing that kept me with that group and I have never had a harder time in any bike race. It wasn't so much that I was tired, I was just miserable. Looking back on it now almost a week later I can say I had a great time... that is the amazing thing about misery, when you look back at it you can totally mistake it for fun.

Final Time: 09:37:52.713