11053' Summer Ezakimak Challenge

We got to Mammoth with enough time to pick up our race packets and warm up a little. The Ezakimak is a race consisting of one 3.1 mile climb that gains 2000 feet of elevation. Both bikers and runners are able to race, which made it interesting. At the start line there were more runners than there were bikers and it was strange standing next to a bunch of runners as we all were ready to start the race. The race started directly in to a muddy right hand turn with one good line. Since everyone started at the same time I was trying to get around runners who were occupying the better line. Once I got up the road a little bit I started to settle into my pace and the top runners started passing me. The road kept climbing and I kept grinding, even the slightest decrease in the grade I tried to use to recover my legs a bit. One section I had to walk up because of how soft and steep it was. It was then that running started to look a bit easier, they just walked up the hill and I had to walk up it pushing my bike. I kept cat-and-mousing with a lady who was running through the rest of the race until we got to the last steeper section at the top. As I came around the corner on to the last steep push of the race I had to get off my bike and walk/run up the steepest, softest, most pumice covered part of the course almost to the finish line. I jumped on my bike and crossed the finish line in first!

After I finished another racer asked: "Did you win the $500?" I couldn't help holding back a smile when I told him I had!