Tayo's Tommyknocker 10

Zia Rides hosted the Tommyknocker 10 mountain bike race in Fort Bayard, NM on April 1. The goal: complete as many laps as possible in ten hours. A lap started but not completed by the strict deadline doesn't count. Riders compete as solo, duo, or teams. First rule of any Zia Ride: don't be an asshole.

I arrived late afternoon on Friday and jumped on my bike for a practice lap to check out the course. I'm more a gravel rider than a mountain biker. My health insurance deductible is high, raising my risk aversion. I don't bounce back as fast as I once did. After the ride, only two sections concerned me: a rocky section around mile 3 and an unfortunate routing at the very end of the course, right before the turn into the staging area, necessitating successful navigation of some stairs at the end of a sidewalk ramp followed closely by a high curb. On practice day, a group gathered at the stairs, cheering riders to "jump it!" I sorely disappointed expectations, though I didn't crash either, and that section lodged in my brain, waking the worry monster who disrupted my sleep all night.

Two single-speed, seasoned singletrack riders camped next to me and were not only great conversation companions for an hour or so before bed but also provided great beta on how to participate in one of these races. My goals going into the race were 1) don't crash; 2) don't get in anyone's way; 3) try to get at least 6 laps finished. This was my first big MTB race. I'd ridden smaller races in the Happy Jack area outside Laramie, WY and found the worst part is when faster riders start lapping you. If the spirit of the event is highly competitive (and, weirdly, the Happy Jack races were), a slow rider like me gets in the way and some riders can be real jerks, yelling out, "Passing, passing, passing!" or "Move, move, move!" and then I, feeling flustered, generally threw myself into the side brush. Not pleasant. So I asked these fine fellows from Socorro, NM, how to stay out of the way, what tire pressure they were using, how to navigate the start. They even showed me how to get my race number fastened correctly to my handlebars. Thanks, Ralph and Pat, a couple of good dudes, both working in different capacities with the Very Large Array. Aside: the number of engineers, computer scientists, physicists, and doctors I've met since moving to New Mexico is pretty crazy.

On race day, Seth, Zia Ride master extraordinaire, announced the rules and a parade start. The first lap would be a slow rollout led by the fire department, taking us to the back end of the course, a truncated lap designed to space riders (a spectacular strategy, I must say). The morning was cold but the promised weather for the day was a perfect 60s, slight wind, clear skies. By the time the fire department turned us loose, I was toward the mid-back. Perfect.

The course was mostly fast and flow-y with about 1,000' of elevation gain. The streams were running and promptly splattered rider and bike with mud. I think there were nine stream crossings in all for each lap? I climbed like a champ, love going uphill, but every rider I passed on the ups quickly caught me on the downs. I walked the rocky technical section. Somehow, defying the odds, I navigated those stairs and curb without crashing (or walking). None of the faster riders were assholes; everyone called out, asked to pass, gave enough time for me to get out of the way, and wished me well on the ride.

I completed three laps by noon and took a 15 minute break for stretching, eating real food, and visiting the biffy. For breakfast I had oatmeal with flax, pepitas, walnuts, protein powder, and two medjool dates. Before lap three, I went to the Gila Hike and Bike aid station for one of their vanilla Twinkies cut open like a hot dog bun with a crisp piece of bacon in between. I'm normally plant-based eater, but I couldn't resist trying that concoction. Absolutely twisted how good it tasted. At noon, I had refried beans with green chilis, salsa verde, cilantro and lime, and a banana. Every lap I drank one full water bottle of Heed electrolyte drink. After lap four, I stopped at the corral aid station for three chocolate chip cookie chunks and after lap five, I had another banana. After I completed my sixth lap, I celebrated with two small wood-fired pizzas from a vendor and three beers, effectively nullifying my calorie deficit for the day.

I felt terrific. For me, this was a great effort and a very successful ride. I didn't hurt myself, I didn't get in anyone's way, and I made my lap goal. I didn't finish anywhere near the podium, but this matters not in the slightest. I love having a race on the calendar to motivate my training and fitness, and I want enjoyable, challenging experiences in life. This checked all the boxes. I had sufficient time before the cutoff where I think I could have completed a seventh lap, but I think that might have been a bit much for this body. Such a swell day and event. My thanks to the Zia Rides gang for making this experience happen.

And one more note: this year's race was dedicated to Alex Olsen and Martyn Pearson, owners of Gila Hike and Bike and driving force behind Tommyknocker 10, who were killed in a car accident in October 2022. They were young (40 and 38) and while I didn't know them, they clearly left the planet a better place for their having lived here, judging by the outpouring of grief and remembrances by friends, acquaintances, and community members. Riding a memorial race turns up the volume considerably in hearing life's song: the pounding of my heartbeat, the sound of my breath, the feeling of tired muscles, the second wind, the exhilaration of being alive, a healthy body doing its thing, that I get to be a bike dork enjoying the beauty of singletrack and nature. Props to Seth and the Zia Rides crew for celebrating the spirit of their friends even in the midst of all the grief they feel in their absence. I have nothing but gratitude for you.

Final thought: you can ride your bike for 8 hours and still not burn enough calories to offset eating an entire package of Nutter Butters.