Go long go hard - The Original Growler 64's fluid miles

The smell of sage, the surfy loose corners, the grit to manage tight, technical, rocky moves--all played out over 5+ hours and 64 miles of fun. The Original Growler came and went, May 26 in Gunnison, Colorado, sent off with the customary blast from a double-barrel shotgun at 7am to release the field of 350 racers  past the airport and up towards Hartmans Rocks, 350 individual adventures and personal sufferfests. 

Josh was looking for redemption, after bonking with 2+ hours of racing to go in last year's super-hot and dusty conditions. He says he was “truly powerless to anyone who came upon me,” but he survived, and that was enough. This year's preparation focused on improving pacing and nutrition and pacing with two camelbaks, bottles of Skratch, pockets full of Breeze Bars and some EFS liquid shot flasks for an extra calorie kick. 
Dave Weins and his organizers have the event dialed, from course maps, to trail markings, aid stations and race bag drop offs, bringing your lap 2 essentials to the pit area. Volunteers awaited your return through the pit area, making what can be a hectic transition a relief. This is a major feat for a course that spans 32 miles of singletrack in the sage. 

Josh sat comfortably in the top-8 riders through the first long double track climb, a bit surprised and relieved to feel fast while keeping the power and heart rate below threshold. While the front group, with eventual race winner Kalan Biesel, charged hard, Josh settled into a solid group of 5, riding hard but sustainable tempo. The group traded leads over the next few hours, no one ever getting too much room, nor dropping too far off the pace. It made for inspired racing, something they were all grateful for in such a long race, exposed to the elements where one is easily get lost in a slow, pedaling, painful world.

For his efforts to get out of Skull Valley alive the second time, Josh happily grabbed two pieces of bacon at the top aid station/party, relishing their crunch, fat and saltiness through the next few super fun descents, buoyed by the promise of a top-10 finish. 


While managing nutrition at the Grolwer is a unique challenge, particularly with hot sun and hard racing, the Gunnison's unique trails also make it hard to stay on top of nutrition. You're either flying down fast, fun descents, flowing and carving through sage, or you’re getting worked by technical terrain. In both cases, it's hard to eat and drink. Sure enough, Josh's cramps came a-calling with 10 miles to go. He was lucky to come upon an aid station with mini Cokes, and that sweet caramel substance breathed new life into his efforts to regain to spots that he'd lost. Racing quickly turned into surviving, as the group of four made their way through the final climb up The Ridge, where any powerful move was met with a full on quad cramp. At the last tiny hairpin climb, Josh was forced to jump off the bike and run to fend off a chasing rider. That last ditch effort spelled relief, and real satisfaction, as he rolled in, finishing 11thin 5 hours 36 minutes.