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Schneider

"Just when we thought that the going was easy we hit miles and miles of railroad track sections through alligator country and banana plantations. Yes, we rode on tracks, some ties, mostly loose rocky shale..."

While the top riders are truly racing the rest of us are dealing with our own demons. But for all, this event is truly an adventure. Roman asked me how this event compared to adventure racing and what I thought of the course. I mentioned to him that he had the true mindset of an adventure race promoter. Each moment that the competitors were lulled into believing that they had an easy stretch of road and only a short bit to go, he would change things up and throw in sections of trail that were demoralizing. Mid-race, as Roman was leading the front riders on his dirt bike, he noticed a bridge had been washed out on the course and had to regroup the pack at the last second — all in good fun.

A true test of character and a true adventure by its definition not only for the racers, but also for the event coordinators. This event is an incredible life experience but not for the average mountain biker looking to ride in Costa Rica. This is hardcore and should be treated as such. As with all good adventures, we are all the better for having participated.

So today was our "easy" day. We "only" did 5000 feet of climbing, with some nice downhill and flat sections to lull us into thinking that the finish was closer than we thought. Just when we thought that the going was easy we hit miles and miles of railroad track sections through alligator country and banana plantations. Yes, we rode on tracks, some ties, mostly loose rocky shale. It was like riding on ice with a three foot variance to a ditch. There was no room for looking around or eating or drinking you just stared straight ahead and kept pedaling and hoped your bike wouldn't hit one of the bigger rocks and launch you. Some riders seemed to be going insane on the tracks. Once guy planted himself at the aid station at end of the track section. The tracks had so demoralized him that he just couldn't bring himself to get back on his bike. He was thinking of ways to get to the finish without having to ride.

We came off of the tracks and were told we had 12 miles to the finish on what appeared to be a crappy, rocky, potholed road, but flat along the coast line — one of the nicer sections of this course actually. A few miles down the road when you thought you're home and the ultimate finish line, we hit quarter mile sections of flooded road with water up to our bottle cages. We tried to pedal through, while some aborted to the tracks again to get away from the water. I thought about how I was glad I had gotten my hepatitis shots and that I would have to have my bottom bracket repacked when I got home.

"I realized it's all in my attitude and how I feel about my skills and the challenge. If I think I can ride a section, I do it. If I convince myself that I can't, I don't..."

I took the climbing very easy at the beginning of the day. Pushing big gears up hill would make my back feel on edge of spasming so I rode slow and easy and then enjoyed the downhill and flat sections. The tracks truly tested my bike skills, my mind and bike. My Turner dual suspension bike rocked. It was like butter over all the technical roads and trails. But at the same time, when I got to the washed out road, my crotch and wrists and feet were so beaten from three days of riding I was just fired up to get off the bike and I smoked it. Ironically, my legs felt the best on this day.

As with all good adventures the finish was anticlimactic. I made it but the guts of the experience was in being out there and in testing my mind. The camaraderie throughout the event was priceless. Countless adventurous souls testing their bodies and minds and doing it together. As with most life affirming experiences, I did this one in a cool place with cool people. And the war stories that the participants will take home are forever keepers. There were only about 13 women in a field of 170, but all strong stoic riders.

As for me, I still don't consider myself a good mountain biker, but this trip has definitely honed my skills and taken some of the fear away. I realized it's all in my attitude and how I feel about my skills and the challenge. If I think I can ride a section, I do it. If I convince myself that I can't, I don't. The mind is powerful. It will be my teacher — the body and bike will follow. As Scott Tinley once told me after I had a disappointing Ironman race — it's all in the attitude.

So, my first mountain bike race was a success in that I finished and learned huge lessons from the experience. And I did it in a cool place with cool people. I was thinking next year it might be fun to run this whole thing — any ultra runners out there game?

— Terry Schneider, MountainZone.com Correspondent