Leadville Training Weekend
June 30, July 1-2, 2000
Leadville, Colorado

On June 30 Jan and Kim Bear went to Leadville, Colorado for the Leadville Trail 100 Training Run Weekend. The goal was to provide each participant with the tools necessary to complete the Leadville Trail 100 within 30 hours.

It was not a race, but an organized run over three days to familiarize runners with the challenges of the 100-mile course. The official race is scheduled for August 19 and 20, 2000. The first day began at MayQueen, which is the first transition area of the race, following a 13-mile run from town around a lake. Our run was 26 miles up and down trails and over roads ending up at Twin Lakes. We both were very happy with our Leki Trekking poles and had many curious people asking us about them. The poles supported our knees on the steep descents and aided our ascents. Our plan is to use these for part if not all the course for the actual race. They certainly generated conversation.

The other thing that worked very well for our blister management program was use of Hydropel . At every aid station we applied liberal amounts to our feet and neither of us developed blisters. We shared our secret to whoever would listen to us...including the race director, Marilee. Our Montrail shoes coupled with our Thorlo socks worked well to protect our feet against the rugged terrain. We both carried our Blowfish Camelbacks to hydrate. Dermatone sunscreen was necessary with the altitude and sun. We used our Acumen watches to record heart rate which we later downloaded to analyze our training. NativeWear Eye Wear protected our eyes. We were as comfortable as a person could be on this type of terrain with our sponsor's help.

The second day was a 21-mile course from Twin lakes up and over Hope Pass to an abandoned ghost town, Winfield, and then back over the pass to Twin Lakes. It was very steep, and others were envious of the confidence the Leki trekking pole gave us on our descents. The last run was scheduled at night and was a 12-mile run from Twin Lakes to Half Moon Campground. Jan used his Nite Rider and I used the Princeton Tec HeadLamp. These lit the trail well for us as we still carried our trekking poles.

The training gave Kim to confidence to register for the run and this will be Jan's third attempt to do both the Leadville Trail 100 Mountain Bike Race and the run. He has already been successful twice. The Mountain Bike Race is scheduled one week before the run. This will be Kim's first attempt and the first time the race has had a husband and wife team successfully complete both.

After the training weekend activities ended on July 2, George Broome, support for Team Santa Fe joined us to train over the next two days for the Leadville Trail 100 Mountain Bike Race. As expected, our LiteSpeed Bikes make the course tolerable. We spent the first day reliving the climb from Twin Lakes to Columbine Mine, located at 12,600 feet after a long, steep, never ending ascent and a quick descent. It was fun the be able to enjoy the gorgeous views and explore above tree line, not being under the pressures of the race. That night we did a night hike around Turquoise Lake, the first portion of the 100-mile run. The next day we explored the bike trails of Leadville and ended up climbing under the infamous powerlines, over Sugarloaf and completing the last 26 miles of the Mountain Bike Race. George agreed that it the Leadville Trail 100-Mile Mountain Bike race will be a challenge! It was a successful weekend and a great preparation for the races scheduled in August.

Raid the North Fernie
Jan Bear June 24-25, 2000
Fernie, BC, Canada
Result Still in Question
The race was located near a ski resort in Fernie, BC, Canada. For this race I was filling in for a member of Team NorthQuest who had broken his wrist two weeks prior to the event. I was racing with new people: Melia, John and Bart with a support team of Pat and Matt.

My trip began on Thursday 6/22/00 with air travel to Seattle then driving 10 hours to Fernie, BC. Bart who was from Calgary, BC met us in Fernie at the race check-in on Friday the 23rd. Here we received our maps, plotted the course all Friday evening, and then caught a few hours sleep. The caravan to the starting line was at 2 am on Saturday which ended up being a 1 hour drive to the start.

The race began with a 50 kilometer mountain bike section with a moderate amount of hike-a-bike. Next was trekking with a bushwhacking segment about 15 kilometer long, then a short whitewater canoe with two portages, one long (1/2 mile) and one short (400 yards or so). The water was cold and fast; about the boats capsized at some point in their journey. Then back to riding our bikes 5 km down a road to the steepest bike-whacking segment ever seen! It began by pulling yourself and the bike up an incline that required a rope-pull for about 30 feet. The elevation gain was 6-800 feet over the next mile; it took 2 hours due to the very heavy vegetation, then back on the bike on a power line access road with several river crossings. Due to the constant rain we finally reached a river that was too high to cross and broke out our radio to ask for a rope. We waited for 5 hours to get back on the move for more stream crossings and mountain biking with tons of elevation gain to a site called Island Lake. However it was so overcast we never saw the lake.

Here while we were transitioning to the next trekking segment we were informed the race had been halted due to an accident involving one of the race directors. The race results are still in question to this day, however when received we will pass these along. It was great while it lasted and the trip home was extra difficult no knowing the race results and that one of the race directors had died in an automobile accident on the race course. More on this race later...