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A week prior, Oregon was experiencing some fabulous weather with record high temperatures and abundant sunshine. Fast forward one week, and things were a little different...
Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail could stop the members of the Collins Cycle Team from getting out and racing their hearts out at the 22nd Annual Mudslinger mountain bike race, held in Blodgett, OR, last weekend.
Racers who traveled to the event were greeted by 1" of fresh snow and big flakes dropping from the sky at the start of registration. But,the clouds blew off and the sun rays appeared to make things seem almost perfect come race time. Perfect, that is, except for the cool temperatures and ... MUD! Shortly after the race began, the foul weather returned and riders hunkered down while a heavy hailstorm pelted them repeatedly. Just the kind of weather that makes a person want to stay indoors under a blanket with a bowl of hot soup. Fortunately for racers that attended the Mudslinger, a hot bowl of soup and Great Harvest bread awaited them after the finish line.
The Collins team had a successful weekend, piloting their Specialized bikes to many top placings. Congratulations to Andrew Bennett, who stood atop the podium winning the Junior Expert category. Miriam, racing in the mud for the first time, discovered how much fun it can be, crashing, but still smiling! Chris raced on his new Specialized 29er and was impressed with its handling in the sloppy conditions.
Collins Cycling Team was represented at the Ironman Arizona Triathlon by Eugene's very own Morgan Christensen. Though he was affected by some difficult circumstances that impacted his ability to perform to his capacity, he suffered through this terribly difficult ordeal to finish, and discover just how much mental strength and determination he possessed. Way to go, Morgan! Here are his splits:
2.4 mile Swim 1:11:18
112 mile Bike 7:22:35
26.2 mile Run 5:54:27
Total: 14:49:20
From Morgan:
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Greetings Everyone,
This year’s Ironman Arizona was definitely the most difficult race I have ever endured—95 degrees in the shade and 20mph winds. Though coming into this event in the best shape of my life and having an obsessive compulsive approach for success, after 3hrs the severe cause of extreme conditions had begun the self-destructive process. My two goals of completing the event, and being competitive in my age group seemed to be shattered. However, in the end it was my pride that was on the line, and perhaps I should have DNF earlier as the medics told me after I took assistance. However, looking back I am glad I finished. Though I can’t say it was “so much fun”, I do think it was the best thing I could have ever done for myself. Below is a rough outline about the experience for those of you who like details.
Thanks for all your encouragement. I am looking forward to doing some workouts with you very soon.--Morgan
After treading water for 20mins, the gun went off and fighting began. Getting kicked, scratched, punched, bumped, swam over, pulled down, and elbowed continually was truly intense. Never was there a time to relax during the swim. Needless to say, it was great to be out of the water and still feeling fresh.
Heading toward the transition room, it was crowded since a lot of swimmers came in around the 70-75min time. Keeping in the mind the challenges of the day, after lathering up the sun block, the bike course was next.
In the beginning, the heat wasn’t too bad, but the winds were already strong. On the 3 lap course, 2500 people were trying to negotiate lanes, making moves, avoiding drafting violations, and occasionally urinating. Using a power meter and keeping the watts controlled, the plan was to ride steady and save the legs for the run. However, after the first lap around 3plus hours into the race, cramping began, followed by feeling sick and dizzy, onto vomiting. The body was no longer taking in fluids or foods.
For the next two laps, frequent resting was needed, however, there were only limited places to rest with shade. Small shrubs helped on the side of the road, but the penalty tents for drafting worked the best. This technique helped me get to the next transition—the marathon; the segment that most people dread, the distance that destroys most folks legs, the part I love.
After leaving the transition, unfortunately the legs did not want to run, thus creating a long walk! I no longer liked the marathon. Running was no longer and option, shuffling was just as fast as walking but that alone caused cramping and vomiting too. As the sun went down it cooled a bit to 85 degrees and stopping was no longer an option. Finally, the end had found me. Stopping one foot before crossing the finish line, looking to the left and then to the right, a feeling of accomplishment and joy mended the once shattered goal of becoming an Ironman—I took the last step.
“In the desert, under the shrubs with the wheels of competitors rolling by was where I found what I was truly made of…”
Morgan Christensen ‘08
