MTB Champion 2 Years in a Row
MTB Champion 2 Years in a Row
Sagebrush Safari 20-mile Race
In 1993, as a fierce warrior-mountain-bike woman, at the age of 37, I won the Sagebrush Safari, the first woman to reach the finish line.
Then, 30 years later, my husband and I decided to both enter the 2023 Sagebrush Safari 20-mile race, just to see how we would do.
This course was particularly tough because it was drenched and muddy after months of downpours. Streams coursed down and across various points in the race, splashing up and soaking through my clothing. The bike chain complained loudly. I was concerned it might break as sand and grit ground into my gears. When I finally finished as first woman, I was caked in mud. But the smile shone through!
Due to the constant hammering of El Nino, particularly on weekends, the 2024 Sagebrush Safari 20-mile race was delayed until May 5th.
Weather reports warned of rain on that morning. But Mark and I, and a few of our friends, drove out to Lake Morena anyway, determined to race.
The starting time of 9 AM was delayed until 10:30. That was a good call by race promoter, Victor Sheldon, as the sky began to clear up and I felt some sunshine on my shoulders at the start of the race.
The race began. 47 of us E-Bikers sped away, grinding up a five-mile uphill road to a place called Four Corners where we then descended some amazing singletrack featuring the kind of conditions that our friend Mick describes as “hero dirt.” Perfect!
It took me an hour and 41 minutes to finish. I beat my time last year by 17 minutes.
And here I am, coming in to the finish line (video by Mark):
Not only was I the first woman to win (for the second year in a row), as the oldest person to race (I’ll be 69 years old in two months), I came in 15 out of 47 overall.
How can it be that a “little old lady” like me could kick ass on younger guys? I’m no grandmother, but I am known as the grandmother of extreme sports videos (having co-produced a number of mountain biking and fitness tapes in the 1980s including the world’s first instructional mountain biking title - “The Great Mountain Biking Video.”)
I have been joining Mark and “the guys” on rides twice a week since 1986. In my efforts to keep up with the guys, it turns out that I became faster. Riding with elite athletes certainly pays off! And it’s the most fun you can possibly imagine, the freedom of riding your bicycle in the wilderness, laughing and enjoying the moment.
I’m here to tell you that you can do remarkable things if you only put your mind to it. Go forth and enjoy your time on the planet! As my dad always used to say, “Whatever makes you happy.”