Kokopelli Trail Race Preparation Days

I thought I would recap on the past month before I give my full KTR report since I haven't been up to date with my blogs.

I had just less than four weeks to prepare for this one as I arrived in Fruita April 21 to begin riding my bike that other than a few rides in Fruita mentioned earlier, had been collecting dust since last October. I was so happy to be on my bike that I blew off the pain I was feeling in my lower back. I woke up day five, moved the wrong way and just like that my lower back completely seized up. I cried over my cereal and wondered why this happened and how I was possibly going to accomplish my May 19th Kokopelli Trail Race only 3 weeks away.

After an acupuncture appointment that morning and a muscle relaxer that evening, the next day I woke up still tight but good enough to ride. Lynda Wallenfels consulted me on a 3 week preparation plan for the race and I was able to stick to it and so began the race day countdown.

My significant other, mechanic, advisor, and best friend Matt Fletcher arrived 2 weeks after I did and spent the next 2 weeks making my bike race ready. We always find ourselves contemplating the same question prior to these races, “Which bike should I ride?” I had been training on my Ventana, very light but not as much travel as my Blur. I figured for the 142 miles I should take something with a little more cushion to help absorb things a little better. Turns out after 142 miles, you’re hurting so badly anyway that I’m not sure it matters. The Blur it was though. The tuning and changing and fixing began. Matt mounted two more water bottle cages on the frame and attached everything else he could so I didn’t have to carry it on my back.

He bought me a great bag called the Wing Nut (appropriate name I thought) which moved the weight from my shoulders to my lower back. I had a patch/tool kit as small but prepared as could be. I tried to figure my caloric intake needs and all that other stuff to carry only what I needed and again avoid a heavy back load like last year. I was ready as I could be and my training was going well, now it was just to complete the race in 18 hours. This year the race went from Loma to Moab which was said to be harder but I wasn’t scared, I like to climb and I don’t mind the heat………..