Road to Leadman: Silver Rush MTB 50
Race Report: Silver Rush MTB 50
The Race:
“Everyone has a strategy until they get punched in the face.” – Mike Tyson
This was not only my first mountain bike (MTB) race it was my first straight up bike race of any kind. The Silver Rush MTB 50 is considered one of the toughest MTB endurance races. The overall rating of the course is black diamond with almost 8,000ft of vertical and passing through 12,000ft four times. I knew it would take me way outside of my comfort zone on a MTB, having only started MTBing last year, although I pretty much grew up on two wheels. I expected I’d drink deeply from the cup of knowledge since it was my first bike race, and drink I did.
The start line part of the way up Dutch Henri Hill.
After Ken Chlouber gave his “you’re better than you think you are; you can do more than you think you can” speech and fired his shotgun, the race started off by running up Dutch Henri Hill with a 30-degree slope pushing or carrying your bike. I had practiced it twice before in the preceding days, but it didn’t make it any easier. I got to the top somewhere in the front half of the pack and managed to get onto the narrow section before the traffic jam. It was close quarters, especially on a MTB. Riders would yell “slowing” whenever the traffic funneled into single-track. After about a mile, things opened up and traffic wasn’t too bad the rest of the race.
The first four miles were a steady climb on double-track that was mostly rideable. It steadily got more technical, with loose dirt, large rocks, and sections where the old mining road basically became a stream. The last mile up to the first elevation peak around mile 11 was hike and carry a bike. I can’t imagine even the winner of the race could have ridden up that. I had practiced hike-a-bike but never for more than about 5 minutes. I’d have sections up to 20 minutes pushing the bike up gnarly climbs before the day was done. I started to realize what the Utah Leadman meant when he said, “it’s the toughest 50 miles you can do on a bike.”
At the crest, I blasted down a reasonable well-maintained dirt road at speeds up to 30MPH. I hit the first aid station at Painter Boy around mile 15 and passed it. I had 3L of Tailwind in my hydration pack, which would get me through the entire race. After a short but gnarly technical descent with switchbacks, it was back to climbing up to mile 21 and over 12,000ft again. The crest featured carrying my bike up a 30-40 degree muddy slope that ended in a snow field. I carried my bike across and said “holy fucking shit” when I saw the descent I had to do next. It averaged a grade of -15% and had sections that must have been -20%. It was loose with giant rocks all over. There was usually only one safe line, which basically involved getting in the attack position with my butt as far back and down as I could go and skidding down the hill. Another racer hit a rock and went over the handlebars not far ahead of me. I wouldn’t have occurred to me to try to ride a MBT down this. But I made it!
I hit the halfway point at Stumptown and knew I was not going to make the 6:30 time I had been hoping for. I noticed from the results that most racers come close to evenly splitting the course, since about 75% of the elevation rolls up in the first half. I guessed I’d finish about an hour later, but honestly, I was more focused on not ending up in an ambulance.
On the way back I still had to go over 12,000ft two more times. The section breaking 12,000ft around mile 29 was some enjoyable single-track. There was maybe 2 miles of single-track the entire race. The ride to about mile 40 started to become a serious death march. The dirt road I had blasted down was a grueling climb. When I shifted into my 50T granny gear (running a 32T up front), it sounded like a wood chipper. I’d notice after the race that my drive train was out of alignment and the chain was grinding against the chainguard on the crank. I just hoped it would hold out. I finally got to the last cresting of 12,000 and stopped for a second to clean my sunglasses for the 10 mile descent burning 2,000ft of elevation. I rode down the section that was unrideable coming up, narrowly avoiding going over the handlebars a couple times. I picked a bad line and ended up riding through a stream that was about 2ft deep. I kept churning with the bike submerged and made it across.
That last section was a pretty fast descent that blurred by. I got to the last mile that frustratingly wound around the finish line. I could hear the music and smell the beer. Finally, I dropped down a crazy short section and saw the finish line. I smiled a big, old shit-eating grin. I finished my first MTB race!
I rolled up the red carpet and Ken Chlouber was there, and said something like “way to go, Leadman!” I said, “Ken, that was fucking hard.” He said, “shh, don’t let the secret out.”
I was toast so I called @Mark Cardinale, who was doing the run the next day, to pick me up. I had also signed up to do the run, but I felt pretty beat up after the MTB race. I knew I’d dig myself in a deep hole to do the run, but decided to see how I felt the next morning. I didn’t sleep well, still amped up on adrenaline from the MTB race. After talking it over with Mark, I decided it would be stupid to do the run and risk burning myself out and/or injury. I was able to defer my run spot to next year, so I’ll be back for some unfinished business…
Here’s the ride on Relive: https://www.relive.cc/view/1074194127
Here is a video
crossing the finish line: https://s3.amazonaws.com/bazu-video/clips/event-20450/davidmerrillvideocamera/MVI_0058-s2422-d20.mp4
At the finish line!
Key Take Aways:
1. Altitude did have an effect upon me on the bike. Whereas, it was not noticeable on the Trail Marathon, which went all the way up over 13,000ft. I’m guessing that’s because I am a much stronger runner.
2. Pre-ride any future MTB races. I talked to a bunch of other racers, and I was the only one who had not pre-ridden the course. Most of the other athletes were from Colorado and had come up to ride the course in advance. Pre-riding this would have bought me at least 15-20 minutes.
3. Stop at the aid station and take a break, even if it’s just a minute. Since I had all my nutrition in my hydration pack, I only stopped to piss. I’d stop midway at Stumptown next time and eat a PB&J or something.
4. I would have much rather run the Silver Rush than MTB it. For future EN generations doing the Leadman, if anyone else is that stupid, do the run unless you are an expert MTBer. Still it will be one of the hardest 50 milers you can do.
What’s Next:
The legendary Leadville MTB 100, the Race Across the Sky, is on August 12th. I have to run the Leadville 10k the next day, which will be my most expensive recovery run ever. Then I do the other Race Across the Sky at the storied Leadville Trail Run 100 on August 19th.
Based on what I learned at Silver Rush, I added a trip out to Leadville next weekend to pre-ride the entire MTB 100 course. Through the Leadman Alumni, I got connected with a former Leadman winner, who is a Leadville local and does coaching. He’s going to coach me through the course.
I previewed the section at Hope Pass for the Run 100, which is where most people drop. I have terrain like it (actually harder) in my playground up in the Wasatch Mountains. I’ll do a big run week this week, a big bike week next week in Leadville, and then two weeks of taper. Next stop: The Race Across the Sky!
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