Stage Racing: Why it is so Difficult that I Keep Coming Back for More

People sometimes say “do hard things” or “doing hard things is good.” That is advice that can be difficult to hear, as many of the hard things we do in life are things we dislike: writing school papers, going to the gym, public speaking, and much more.

Bike racing is always hard. The training pushes our body and mind to the limit, and while many say that the race is just the reward at the end, that doesn’t make racing any less mentally or physically taxing.

Stage racing, and specifically, Breck Epic, has been that exact reward for me in 2019, 2021, and 2022. When I signed up in 2019, I knew it would be the hardest thing I would have ever done, but little did I know that it would introduce me to the most welcoming, fun, and rewarding race and racing community there is.

Breck Epic’s difficulty provides a level of reward that makes it feel like it pumps just as much energy back in as it takes out. Six days of racing at between 9,000 and 12,500 feet above sea level up the steepest possible climbs seemed, and still seems, like something my body should not be able to do. Instead of breaking me down, Breck Epic simultaneously humbled me and made me realize just how much my body could do. Its difficulty and level of competition have made me realize just how strong the best guys are, while earning my 3rd belt buckle made me comprehend that I, and all 450 other finishers, are, as race director Mike McCormack would put it: BMF’s. I shall not delve into the full version of this abbreviation any further. While the finishers are the ones to receive this badge of honor, I have come to the conclusion that many people have it in them to do this race. What is hold them back is not fitness or bike skills, but the fear of not being able to complete this challenge. My willingness to face that fear in 2019 has helped me to grow beyond my perceived capability shell and realize that I can do, and enjoy, races that I previosuly thought were unattainable. Seeing the emotions of other riders, from the happiness of Lachlan Morton and the dogged determination of Lasse despite his perpetual complaints of being “cooked” 2 days, in made me realize that every person in the race feels the accomplishment of completing this race – of checking off each stage one-by-one as if they were items on a soul-fulfilling to-do-list.

Seeing the emotions of others brings me to another point: the people, far more than the stunning scenery and epic trails, make this race what it is. No matter how alone you feel 2 hours into a 3-hour stage as you pedal over the top of Mt. Goldammit and into the abyss that is Miner’s Creek, you feel part of a team. You feel spurred on by those behind and those in front. You can still hear the cheers of the devoted volunteers at the top of Wheeler Pass. Every person in the race is given a number and crosses a start line timing mat that measures their “ability.” However, every person in the race is so much more than a number. Every person in the race has a story to tell about how they got there. From the emotional tale of the woman in 2019 who raced in place of her husdband who had suddenly passed away, to the tale of redemption for Lachlan Morton after the dispair of a bad-luck-filled Leadville 100, each racer is a living testament to the fact that everyone is here to have a good time. For some, that means winning, but for everyone, that means finishing with a smile. Every rider in the race, whether they realize it or not, is being supported by, and is simultaneuously supporting, each other. The person who one day is your fiercest competitor can suddenly be your ride buddy on a rain-cancelled stage. I, and likely every other person,  will admit that we would not do this stage race alone. The best way to make a hard race fun? Ride with 450 of your closest friends. Even if you are 3 hours apart, you are still in the race together.

What I have learned most from Breck Epic is the even the hardest stage race does not have to be cut-throated and cold. Racing at its highest peak can push your body and mind to its limits, but can and should be filled with friends, smiles, and bacon handups. After all, we all are here to have fun, in whatever form that takes.

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