Breck Epic 2021: Endless Climbs, Ripping Descents, Rain, Snow, and Friends

Pre-stage smiles (Devon Balet)

Breck Epic 2021 is done. If I am to be honest, it is a bit of a let down after. I spent 2 years dreaming of long, back-to-back days of struggling to keep the pedals turning over, and in the blink of an eye, it was over. Each stage may have felt like an eternity in the moment, but the race itself was a high that passed all too fast.

Approaching Aspen Alley on Day 6. (Devon Balet)

During my first Breck Epic in 2019, I fell in love with the race. There was something about the seemingly hellish combo of altitude, long and steep climbs, and back-to-back days that made this race appealing. I love the endless solo suffering - those moments when you are deep inside your own head and learn about yourself. You learn how much more your body is capable of than you think. You get to practice the art and skill of pushing your body further, all while enjoying some of the best riding in the country. The daily routine, too, is something I love: so simple, yet so complex.

Wakeup at 5:30. Eat the same stack of pancakes. Dress in warm clothes, head out into the crisp morning air at 7:45. Warm up and smile and laugh with friends. Line up to the voices of Larry Grossman and Mike McCormack reminding you of how hard the stage will be. Roll out on the neutral start behind Officer Patrick. Nervously chat with your competitors about how much pain you will inevitable inflict upon each other. Hit the first climb and enter suffering mode. Hang on for dear life. Forget days 1, 2, 3, 4... Sense the feeling of relief as you hit the top of climb one, the pack separated into bits, and start to settle into your rhythm. Eat some Gu. Dang, I waited too long. Don't forget to eat. Eat for today and for tomorrow. Suffer up some climbs. Rip some descents. Take a feed at aid 1. Prepare yourself for the next climb. Eat. Feed 2. Crash. Get up. Pedal harder. Hear the finish line station announcer. Smile as you cross the finish line, and enjoy the best recovery station ever: cookies, Nutella sandwiches, Coke, and more. Spin home. Stretch. Shower. Sit down in my Elevated Legs and stuff down as much rice and chicken as possible. Nap. Eat more. Relax. Eat. Foam roll. Stretch. Go to bed. Repeat.

See? So simple, yet so complex. So mentally and physically draining, yet so invigorating.

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Just after Little French Flume on Stage 1 (Devon Balet)

Day 1 Pennsylvania Gulch: 
This year's Breck Epic was a big adventure. Stage 1 started, as expected: at lighting pace. I tried to hang on after hitting the top of climb one in P5, but then let go on the second climb when I was on my limit. As the race went on, I came into my own. My legs came around and those people who dropped me earlier started to come back. This is my strength. I am a late charger. I finished P11. Afterward, I waited for my former teammate and the toughest person I know, Sharon Sloan, to finish. Despite her many self-confessed doubts about finishing, she crushed it. Then, she asked how she as supposed to do this for 5 more days. I told her: "you will. I thought the same thing in 2019." The words, "you will" are all you need to remember for this race.

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Ripping the CO Trail descent on Stage 2 (Devon Balet)

Day 2 - Colorado Trail:
Day 2 started with the same suffering as day 1, but as the day went on, I was energized by the sight of Tobin Ortenblad and Lasse Konecny ahead of me. I chased hard, and caught them at the top of the CO Trail climb. The next hour was pure fun (mostly). We ripped the descent together then pedaled another climb and descent to the 2nd aid station after which I upped the pace and dropped both of them. I rode on a high as I felt how strong my legs were. The added motivation of the initial sight of them dropping spurred me on to put 3 minutes into Tobin and 6 into Lasse and finish P8.

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Cresting the summit of French Pass on stage 3 (Devon Balet)

Day 3 - Mt. Guyot:
Mt. Guyot is probably the 2nd hardest day. It is long and features some brutally steep climbs and technical descents. It is a true race of attrition. I made the mistake of trying to hang with Tobin and Lasse on the first climb and paid the price. I blew up a bit, and struggled as I hit the slopes of Mt. Guyot. Seeing Lachlan Morton blow by me did not help the moral. Mt. Guyot is a test of one's mental strength. It gradually ramps up on slow, energy-sapping single track to a wall-like section up to French Pass. The catch is that you can see the top from the bottom, so your mind registers how much you have left, which then filters its way to your legs. The descent down was washed out and scary, to be honest. I set my sights on Georgia Pass, where I thought I could make up time. After pushing the pace, I managed to just about catch the racer ahead of me. After the most technical descent of the race down a section of the Colorado Trail, I dropped him on the climb up to Great Flume Trail - a Breckenridge classic. The climb up is loose, steep fire road, which, as it turns out, often make up the toughest climbs and descents of the race. I rode it in for another top 10.

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Descending the CO Trail on Stage 4 (Devon Balet)

Day 4 - Aqueduct:
The Aqueduct stage looks the worst on paper. 42 miles and what looks to be a Mt.-Everest-sized climb strike fear into racers. However, it is one of my favorite stages - minus Vomit Hill that is. After my mistake on day 3, I let the others go on the 2nd climb and rode my own pace. I was dreading Vomit Hill. It is a steep hill that starts with a loose section and then tricks you into thinking it is over after that. It is NOT over. After a brief respite, it kicks up again, and again, and again. While you churn your Eagle cog at 60 rpm, each corner laughs at you as it dishes up a new pitch for you to tackle. Luckily, the section after that was fun and flowy... until it was not. We had been warned at the start about horses near Keystone. Sure enough, I got stopped. The last thing I want to do is cause someone to get bucked off, but I would be lying if I said the seemingly endless 2 minutes I waited for them to plod by were relaxing. Afterward, I gunned it and settled into a pace great for endless solo suffering on the climb up Keystone Gulch. I knew it would be an uphill battle to catch the other racers ahead of me after my "break," so I braced myself for one final climb up the infamous Rock Island Road - another steep, loose, fire road. Sense a theme yet? I managed to finish P10 on the day and sat in the top 10 overall.

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Into the abyss atop Wheeler on Stage 5 (Devon Balet)

Day 5 - Wheeler:
Wheeler is one word that seasoned Epic'ers associate with hell. New Epic'ers fear it, but in an unserious way. How bad can it be?! Bad. That is the answer. This year turned out to be one of the worst times up it. It was misty and cold in the morning, and we were warned about a possible cancellation. As we started the 1:30 long climb up the mountain, it started to rain. I shivered in my summer kit with only arm warmers as additional protection. I was carrying a nice Castelli Idro rain jacket, but was I smart enough to stop and put it on? No! Of course not! I suffered my way to the top, dragging my body up largely on two feet - Wheeler is notorious for its hiking. The bacon handups seemed laughable at 12,500 feet in the cold rain. For a brief moment as we descended the back side, the sky cleared and the clouds hovering below us briefly parted to give us a spectacular view of Copper Mountain. At that point, however, I was more interested in getting home. Wheeler is just 25 miles, but with over 5,000 feet of climbing, it is a test of one's mental fortitude. After finally reaching the actual summit, I braced myself for 25 minutes of terrifying descending down Miner's Creek trail. This trail is technical in the dry, but in the wet when your hands are cold and you can barely breathe at 12,500 feet, it is treacherous. I made the decision to ride it to stay safe, not to try to make up time. It was the right call. Some people say Colorado only has tame riding. Those people have never been to Colorado. I was happy to make it down safely after which I could not feel my legs. I pedaled as hard as I could to the finish on Peaks Trail. I was empty, physically but especially mentally. One. More. Day.

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Descending the Gold Dust Trail on Stage 6 (Devon Balet)

Day 6 - Gold Dust:
Contrary to what people say, Gold Dust is not all fun and games. It starts with an hour of almost continuous climbing. If you have a nice gap on GC, you can stay relaxed. If you do not, as was the case for me in 2019, you have to empty yourself to stay with your competitor if they attack. This year, I had nice gap, so I rode my own race. I did make a crucial error in clothing choice, however. The night before, we had received some snow up high. I decided shorts were a good call, which I quickly realized was a bad decision after seeing that everyone else in my wave was wearing arm and leg warmers. Near the top of the pass, I almost crashed on a bridge because it was icy. At the top, it was just 37 degrees and windy. After ripping down Gold Dust trail with my nearest competitor, I "enjoyed" 45 minutes of hammering up a 3% grade on Boreas Pass Road into a stiff headwind (so much for the tailwind they talked about at the start). After skipping the beer handups, I ripped the final descent to the finish, exhausted, proud, and relieved to have finished my 2nd Breck Epic, this time in the top 10 overall! Even more impressive was Sharon. Remember the time she said she would never finish all 6 stage after she completed stage 1? Well, she did. She battled through multiple rain and hail storms, exhaustion, and much more to finish her first Breck Epic. While she said she would never come back, I know her well enough that she probably will!

Breck Epic has inspired me, pushed me, and helped me understand where my strengths lie and where I want to take my racing career. This, as many know, is in the marathon MTB, stage race, and gravel space. I am better suited to these races, and I enjoy them the most. While I can't announce my 2022 plans yet, I am certain that Breck Epic is once again on the list of races I hope to compete at!!
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Post race chill (Breck Epic)

Sharon after finishing stage 6!!