BRUCE MUHLFELD PROVES IT CAN BE DONE--SEPT 13 Posted Date: 9/13/2002 Printer Friendly Version Email A Friend Add This Increase Text Size Decrease Text Size BRUCE MUHLFELD PROVES IT CAN BE DONE--SEPT 13 From Beginner To Expert In One Year Are you having trouble getting up the nerve to try out mountain bike racing? Do you think youre too old and you simply dont have enough time to get into shape? Then this is a story for you. Bruce Muhlfeld is the second fastest 45-49 rider in the world, and he just started riding mountain bikes six years ago! THE MASTERS WORLDS Hi guys. Its Bruce. I just had the experience of a lifetime at the World Championships in Bromont, Canada. This French-speaking area of Canada is beautiful and the course was dream-like. It had short, steep climbs, technical single tracks (70% of the course), steep rocky downhills and the most amazing crowds of people. Bromont became the experience of a lifetime. LETS BACK STEP How did Bruce get here in such little time? I broke my back in a car wreck when I was 20, tells Bruce, then my neck in another car wreck when I was 30. Forced to stay in shape, I looked for a sport that didnt involve impact to the spine. I happened to be in Steamboat Springs when I stopped in a bike shop and told the salesperson my story. He let me test ride a Trek touring bike. I rode out the shop seven miles and 6000 feet up Rabbit Ears Pass on that first ride. I was hooked! My first mountain bike ride was in So. Cal a little over six years ago. My brother Bart went riding with all his friends and convinced me to take his wifes bike. They were all riding brand new Pro Flex suspension bikes, and when I beat everyone to the top of Rocky Peak on a bike with a baby seat, they convinced me to start racing. BEGINNER TO EXPERT IN ONE YEAR Although Bruce knew what he could do against his friends, he still had no idea what to expect when he lined up for the start of the 97 Bud Light Series opener at Castaic Lake in California. Bruce even wondered if he was wasting his time while driving north from Calabasas to the lake. Well, it went pretty well, recounts Bruce. I won my first five races as a beginner and then moved up to sport. After winning my first five sport events I moved up to expert all in the same year. The rest of Bruces resume reads as a dream list: 1998-2nd overall Cal State Championships 35+ Expert. 1999-Cal State 35+ Expert Champion (as a 42 year old). 2000-Forced to take year off healing from facial and collarbone injuries suffered after a front wheel collapsed on a downhill. 2001-Cal State 40+ Expert Champion; Amateur Cup 40+ Champion. In my sixth year of mountain bike racing (2002), I have not lost a race in California (Big Bear National, State Championship, Amateur Cup, Rim Nordic, Firestone and Keysville events). Bruce also won the Durango National and after winning in Lake Tahoe has just wrapped up the Cal State Championships with two events still remaining. I Also did pretty good on the road riding for the Mercury Team; placing first in the 40+ 1,2,3 road race at the Sea Otter and fifth in the Nationals at Bakersfield. BACK TO THE FUTURE Before I continue with my story, however, says Bruce, I would like to thank my sponsors (Helens Cycles, Cliff Bar, Cannondale, Continental Tires, Giro, Rudy Project and Sports Instruments). Without the support of them my season would have never been so grand. I would also like to tell the guys at Rim Nordic and Team Big Bear that their race series enabled me to do so well. The trail systems they set up with the diversity of their courses made the layout at Bromont all the more easy for me. The start at Bromont was extremely fast (but controlled) with over 30 of the best riders in the World charging across the base of the Bromont Ski Mountain at incredible speeds. My goal? To get to the first climb in the top five. Going into the first climb, the winning Italian (James Silvano) took off like a rocket. American and former road pro David Zimbelman from the Northwest went with him. I made the decision to attack too (I wanted to be no worse than third entering the singletrack. It was the first of two major moves that enabled me to accomplish my dream. Through the twisting singletrack with lots of roots, steep turns and sharp rocks, I kept my third place position until we emerged from the forest. Once the course opened up again, I made my second major move and attacked and moved into second before the next four miles of singletrack. The strategy worked. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PRE-RIDE I had spent the four previous days riding the course to get the rhythm of the singletrack down to a science and I was able to float through the course on race day at a really high yet controlled speed. Coming through the first lap the Italian was first and I was 87 seconds back. By the middle of the second lap, I was gaining on the Italian. Sensing some weakness in the Italian, the crowds of people throughout the course were screaming and shouting for me to catch up. I had spent an entire year preparing for the race and now that I had 22,000 miles of training in my legs since I started cycling, I put my bike into a massive gear and took off. Within 3K, I had closed to within 35 seconds. WORLD DESTRUCTION Then without notice, coming into the most difficult and technical section of the course, continues Bruce, my world fell apart. Two racers from the 40+ group went down right in front of me just as I started my descent on the downhill. I launched right over them and landed 15 feet down on my head. I broke my helmet, twisted my bike chain and lost all my fluids. Dazed and confused, I ran back up the hill, collected my bike and used my anger to get through the rest of the second lap feeling little pain. Hitting the first climb on the third lap however took a terrible toll. Without fluids, the heat and humidity began to attack my body with a vengeance. I started cramping. With my chain twisted from the crash, my gears would not hold and my chain kept skipping with each revolution. And, the impact of the crash suddenly exploded in pain throughout my body and I started getting nauseous. With each teams support groups in the feed zone and race reports being radioed to the lead riders, I had to hide all of the pain and technical problems until I entered the single track. For the rest of the race all I could do was manage my pain, and enter a world of inspiration where thoughts of my family, and most of all my fiance Tomarra, would keep me pushing on. When my legs would seize up I would jump off my bike and walk, pound my muscles with my fists and pray I would not be caught. Fortunately, I still had over a five minute lead on the third place rider going into the last lap. When I came out from the single track to the final downhill (a technical rock garden) the Americans in the crowd erupted. I cannot explain how wonderful that made me feel. Everyone knew my name by that point and were screaming at the highest levels for me to push on. It was the final bit of inspiration I needed to enable me to block any last thoughts of discomfort and finish the race. I drove hard for the final 2K to make the finish line in second at 5:04 and to complete a dream come true. BRUCES EPILOGUE The best rider in the world won that day. The Italian was amazing. He still races as a pro in Europe and it showed today why he was the best. But for me... coming in second was just as good as winning. I surprised myself by finishing ahead of one of my all time heroes; long time National and Worlds competitor Rob Anderson. Oftentimes the winning spirit is doing the best you can do. Because of my family and friends, I was able to keep the winning spirit alive and now have the most amazing memories to carry around for the rest of my life. Heres my motto: Pain is temporary. Pride is forever.
Posted on: Sat, 02 Nov 2013 20:31:24 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015