I Just Want To Ride - Lael Wilcox and the 2019 Tour Divide

so the Vibe Tour is based on the Adventure Cycling Association's Great Divide mountain bike route. It is the longest land

tour

ism route in the world. 2,750 miles from Biff Alberta Canada to Antelope Wells New Mexico on the Mexican border. It follows the one hundred and fifty continental division. Fifty thousand feet of climbing and you go from the Canadian Rockies, big rugged mountains, up to Montana, gets a little greener, then through Wyoming in the Great Basin, very rugged, past the highest point in Colorado and then to the desert of New Mexico, it's fantastic, the Torah. split is a self-sufficient race, which means you have to cover all your own needs food water shelter equipment fix your bike if it breaks anything that comes up on the way you can use commercial services to be able to stop at shops you can stop at bike shops you can stay in hotels.

Anything that is available to the public. You can take advantage of it. There is no registration fee. There are no cash prizes. I love this route. Writing is not technical. It's a dirt road, so basically you're driving on the road and you're taking it on the dirt. a little bigger tire and you gotta love the weather, that's all, anyone could do this route with enough motivation and a decent level of fitness and it's a great

tour

ing route, but it's also a great running route for that reason, because not If you don't get hit so much day in and day out, you really enjoy riding a bike, what makes it difficult is

just

riding more miles, riding faster and then the weather can be tricky because it's at high altitude, competing at ultra distances It requires a level of urgency, so you have to do it.

I'll be thinking about how I'm going to stay on my bike. I will continue to move forward as much as possible with this urgency. It also requires a bit of deprivation. I pack all my food on my bike and eat it on the go. I never expected any of this for this city to be honest with you. I should have opened my side open, yeah, okay, I'm Kathy Shawn Driver, I own the Blackfoot. Fisherman here in Ovando Montana, population 70 people. My unofficial title here is vandal organizer of frivolous matters, so during TDR, when people come, I take the pictures and they post them on the backpacker forum so everyone can see them and we try to help where we can. but it doesn't help much since you have to receive support.

Oh thanks. We've been doing this for five years since we discovered that a lot of writers really appreciate

just

having someone with another name just to say hello and not greet. Totally ignored, especially if you've been on the path for a long time, then a little friendship goes a long way with someone's attitude towards continuing or not. I don't know about that, yeah, easier, easier, hahaha, it's going to melt everywhere. okay, you haven't seen the worst, that's the good thing, everyone has a story, it's absolutely fascinating to talk to everyone and I just like to listen to stories and then I put them next to their photo, give them a little title, tell them what have been doing, let's let the magazines take it from there, we came to Ovando because we were about to dry up and fly.

I mean, there was just no business here and then we discovered cycling and more people came for five months of the year. It's crazy here, it's a crazy time, I mean there are cars everywhere and people walking and you have cyclists. I mean, we're going to have days where you know bikes are going to be lining up everywhere around here. We did a lot. as fishermen we are on the Blackfoot River, the river runs through it, loudly, so everyone is for the Blackfoot River, but I think what has stunned us is that it is bent or

divide

d what we have been known for from BAMF to Belgium, I mean, they're coming. and Sophie, you know who first place went to.

I met you last time and he says. We were talking about you and I still have a hard time understanding that what we do for cyclists has come full circle in such a way that they We are talking about a small town of 70 people in the middle of nowhere. I really enjoy it because sometimes it's not that busy and I think they have a lot of time to talk to them so in 2015 I cleared a tour guide twice first with the big apart in June and then again as a time trial only in August Anchorage is my hometown.

I thought the best way to get to the Divide tour would be to travel from home to the start to train, and besides, I had never traveled through Canada. so I did it in June, got to Banff, took a week off and started competing on the tour. Divide became seriously ill for a week. He had trouble breathing. I went to the emergency room, inhaled Tanna, where I was treated with albuterol. They took an x-ray. of my lungs to make sure he didn't have pneumonia and then I continued on my way. I actually improved during my trip, I picked up the pace, I beat the women's record by two days, I took it from 19 to 17 days and then I go home and I and then I wake up at night thinking I could write much faster.

I know I could walk faster if I didn't get sick. I would be so much better off and I became a little obsessed with it to the point where two weeks after finishing I go back to Banff to start a time trial alone and then I finish in 15 days and ten hours and set this new women's record for persistence and perseverance that He really stood out even as a young man, whatever he did, he just did it that way. I think people weren't surprised to

ride

an endurance bike. My overall goal is to break the record on this route, which is 13 days, 22 hours and 51 minutes set by Michael.

I have to average 200 miles a day for just under 14 days and that's like 15,000 feet of climbing per day. I mean, it's like the mind melts, so when you look at that, you're like 200 miles a day for 14 days, okay? I travel 200 miles in 24 hours, what would my average be then, but you think about it, I have to sleep 4 hours, so they cut me down to 20 hours and then I have to stop to buy my own food and get my own. water, so they actually reduced me to 18 hours, so you have to do the math, what is 200

divide

d by 18 and then account for it well.

I might have a mechanic that I would have to deal with, you know, there's all these other things. That comes up, but it's just numbers, then think about the landscapes you'll see, if you

ride

200 miles a day you're probably covering at least three mountain passes, it keeps growing, we've already arrived in Mexico, we feel like we've arrived on time. Traveling every day it's nice to see that whole state monitor route through the Rocky Mountains before every sunrise, every sunset, everything else, running through small towns or you end up going through like you know a storm and it's uncomfortable, you're cold. wet but you have to stay on the bike, but that also has its beauty because you would never see those moments if you were on tour or in another situation you would go in and avoid that, so the exposure is both discomfort and also beauty.

It's very good to see everyone. I love it. I love it. It's intense. Four years later, I have the opportunity to set up my own media project and let's do it. Let's share the story of the Great Divide and the touring divide in the cities and passes and what it means to bike this distance through the Rocky Mountains across the US, so we set out to do it so that the race go very well, there are about five of us who are changing positions at a record pace, riding a bike is incredible. having the time of my life out there and it's colder than usual it's very cold sometimes I wake up my water bottles are frozen I didn't bring much of a sleeping system all I have is an emergency bivy, down pants and a down jacket and I'm shaking on the ground, but I'm also very happy to be riding and making plans in my mind.

I'm going to drive through Brush Mountain Lodge and then get to Steamboat Springs before the bike shop closes at 6:00 and go buy a new chain. I'm going to buy a new rear tire to get my bike serviced and I'm going to keep going and once I'm in Colorado it will be easy to ride, I'm going to ride very fast. and I'll make it, it's the second half of the race, at this point I'm out of Great Basin via AM Sutter and I'm a full day ahead of my 2015 record. I'm a full day ahead and I'm just half of the race.

I was able to beat my own record by two days. I feel great going to Brush Mountain Lodge and then I start realizing there was a lot of water on this trail and then they said, Yeah, you might have trouble on the next stretch and then they tell me that Sophie, the guy who was first , he had gone up there the night before, got stuck in a snow storm and had come back and was sleeping in the lodge there. It's way below freezing, way below freezing, it's dark, I can't find my way, the only way I could find exactly the way I came from and I'm willing to go very, very far to do it.

Well in these races, that's something I'm not willing to do, sometimes it's better to take a step back and say something, okay, what's more important: that I survive tonight or that I try to keep pushing just to win the race, the race continues every year you come back to me at any time and then they tell me that Josh Kado had gone up and it took him a full 24 hours to get from Brush Mountain Lodge to Steamboat Springs, which I think normally takes about three four hours to cover that distance, maybe a little bit more, but freely, it's like a blast and then you get to Clark which has a nice general store and then you go down to sit at both Springs, no big deal.

I was trying to find shelter and some trees. It's pretty deserted up there. Images of this big empty hillside and I get near the top and find this grove of trees at 2:00 a.m. m. or something like that. I don't know what time they were showing the lights there and there is a strain of cougar that can't be late. No, you won't stay, yeah, okay, we're gone and I don't know, I got hit near the top somewhere up there, but it was really nice if he came next to me on the way down. I never think he stopped me.

Like it's like that, I'd love to hear everyone else's change because it's going to be good, I'll tell you I'll wait for it here and I don't even care what shape it is, I'm glad for that. Now I can't believe he turned around with that force again, that this can be worse than this, no, and then I go up there anyway, I was with another runner at the time and then about half a mile later, I'm stuck in this terrible. My wheels don't move, nothing's wrong. I even tried pushing my bike along some sort of foliage to avoid the mud, which is very uncomfortable, but I was doing this.

I was like, "Okay, I'm going to continue up here on the uninvite side and it was amazing I mean the mud where it's like taking your shoes like here's the shoe here's the mud it's like an extra pound on each foot at least we were seeing like 12 miles of this the problem is not that then it gets really snowy with the mud or I'm just carrying it, but it's doing very well, that's why I feel bad, it's doing it, guess it, so I just can't, what do you think? Hi, are you able to do it? No, okay, I mean understudy, more or less in this exact place yesterday, yes, yes, I mean a fair place for those guys to walk through, yes, but also not.

I think they had it, they didn't. I mean, this mud is like if you could walk, it would be different, we can't even just get a part of two bikes, put it on your back and yeah, yeah, how strange, yeah. I tried it, I said yeah we did it I had that brief bit of excitement, well now you know we're stuck here now cleaning up the nearest thing and we're going to sleep and eat so okay yeah okay but it's a Strange situation being in this transition, I can't do anything at all, you're just used to being on the bike and well, well, and now we're stuck here, but Yeah, it's well, it's like it's not feasible, so we try to get over that and at three o'clock at night, when the carpet is very hard and the snow is hard, until at which point we can go the next 12 miles. which will take like an hour instead of going a mile an hour is the worst I'd like to feel when I wake up it's like just below zero just above freezing and delirious I just said like that's all this is not good that's absolutely because that It's not cold enough right now, freezing, I say we send Kai down there, what do you think let's take one for the team like it's snowing down here?

This is our main concern, getting to tonight and now it is known that the probability of us passing is so high. Under that bride the dark seems a little silly, yes it's summer today but don't tell mother nature there's snow in the highlands we had two feet of fresh snow over the weekend here we're still waiting for it to fall all the previous snow. melts with almost 20 inches of fresh snow, but this is really an incredible weather pattern we have here, well, it looks like this was shaping up to be one of the fastest runs any of us have ever seen, everything is going veryquick, it's funny that it's been this kind of overwhelming attraction for people who run the route over the years who

want

to get here.

I think partly because it's the middle ground and partly because I've become that kind of person in the middle of nowhere who has food for hungry cyclists. And so they're excited to find this random human sitting here in the woods, but they get to this place and then they have a hard time leaving and for years they've been like, "Oh my God, that's a vortex I can." I don't go out, I have to go, they say I'm usually the problem. If the beers run out, I give him food. Everyone has a comfortable place to say it.

It wasn't my fault this time, Superstars, we never sit together at a table because they are always competing with each other, so there have been a lot of things that have brought it together to make it a really unique moment, really only. jokingly calling it the

2019

Armistice, but I feel like it has its own unique opportunity. Who is it? Oh wow, you know what's crazy. They have to stop doing this. That's crazy. This is a second call from some harassing point tonight. They have to wait. and see the point like everyone else, bro, I understand that she, man, makes fun of you, everything's fine, everyone's fine, it's just money up here, the weather's been bad, it's fine, it's stagnant.

I was a day ahead of my record and then we like to see my record. period, pass us so it's okay, well that's it, but along the way you know I don't just bribe these things just to get records, they don't just ride these things to win races. I ride because I love to ride. There is no way you can keep riding these distances without a passion for it, without a passion for being outside, so even if I see my record passing, I still

want

to ride a bike, the thought never crossed my mind, like I wasn't going to do it.

I'm going to pack my bags and go home because why would I do that? I won't do it. I wouldn't rather be home. Yes, I'd rather beat my own record, but if that becomes unattainable, it's not the end of the world. I can still get to him. Riding a bike, that's the real victory. I can do it every day. I feel very grateful to be able to do it. It's a choice. It's a lot of work, but it's what I love the most. We got this media project approved by the race director. Matthew Lee, at least half a year before starting, wanted to be as transparent as possible with our intentions and the intentions were to make a video that inspires others, show the scenery, tell the story, be inclusive a week before the race starts . start hearing some kind of talk about accusations, well if you have a media team in this race that's an unfair advantage, it was mainly a Facebook group that started attacking the concept of a media project, the problem The main thing that people said was that there will be a video crew on the route, this is not the first time this has happened, the race director has had video mainly of himself on the route, second number, since Roo is part of the video crew, Andrews, my girlfriend, so I'm seeing someone I care about on the course and the problem with this is that she will give me an emotional boost to make me feel better and then I ride better.

I wouldn't get any help. just seeing Roo would give me a boost and then knowing she's there will give me a stand. The concept of having someone out there is a boost. Matthew actually suggested this, that I don't see Rue on the route than the other two we have. Team members are responsible for taking photographs and video footage of me. Rue could be the director from a distance and then she can also document the other runners, so we made it so that, as part of this precaution, each member of the media team had their own. tracker to tell you where they were at all times to mainly make sure GRU wasn't with me during the race, so we said okay, another precaution was that the race director suggested that he not use my phone during the race. so I wouldn't have the opportunity to call my loved ones for help, text to check the lead, or anything else you do that gives you an advantage and no one else was asked not to use their phone.

I accepted because I wanted to I did everything I could to continue with the project and continue with the race mainly just because there is a big reaction and then while I am running we find out that there is another film crew on the route and they are following a male runner and he He's actually almost in the exact same position in the race as me, we're passing each other, we're friends, we're having fun for whatever reason, I get attacked and then on Facebook he gets incredible praise from the same people and for the same reasons. same people. people shouting at me, applauding him and then people also trying to say that my previous trips on the de vide tour didn't count either, that my records didn't count, that I didn't have any media during those attempts and then people were also trying to discredit my victory in the TransAm in 2016, where I also had no means.

I'm trying to psych myself up to run 2,700 miles and try to do it faster than two weeks and face deep snow in Colorado I'll make compromises I'll do my best I'll do it fair and I'll keep going but this isn't too late you want to be thinking about you want to be thinking do I have the suitable equipment? Am I emotionally and? mentally and physically prepared I have a good plan when I got stuck in the bush Mountain Lodge draw is there to document the situation she was staying in the cabin away from the main house away from the lodge she was there for two days herself while the rest of us were in the hostel eating talking, you know, waiting for time to pass the second morning I was there, you know, I realized this is ridiculous, my record had already surpassed me, we had been stuck in the snow even before After I started traveling, people said my trip wouldn't count anyway because of the media because it was hypothetically influenced, it was influenced, this was before Wright even started and I was like, "You know, I'm not willing to be controlled by members of a Facebook group. who don't write that they're sitting behind their screens criticizing what I'm doing you know I'm here defying the climate selling my bike carrying my own gear doing something inspiring it's like they're doing the opposite and I kind of decided at that moment I'm going to ride my own vehicle anyway, no one can tell me that I can't be on this route, they can tell me that I can't be part of this race, but I can make that decision myself, so what I did was I went to the hostel, I had pancakes for breakfast of blueberries and sausage and then I had a bowl of turu breakfast and then I wrote to Matthew Lee and told him that he was eliminating me from the race because I saw a rune and that takes me out of the competition and I was okay with that decision, the race It's over, but they're still there.

Basically I'm not in the middle. I can still walk the second half of the route. Split the route which is actually my favorite part of the route anyway my favorite part of the route is New Mexico oh my gosh this is amazing this is probably the most beautiful night I've ever had the light is just amazing, but I guess it's a sunset, but it doesn't even look like a sunset, it's that amazing. Incredibly bright sky and then all the silhouettes of the trees are silhouetted speaks for both of us, but I think I got better at it.

I got worried when four points stopped or like 42 minutes, you know, you know what happened, he can be better at it, you know then? the point continues again and all is well and she is moving forward as a bike packaging community, especially those who participate in racing. I feel like we all have a lot more in common than our differences. We are all riding the best we can. I sleep making sacrifices but really enjoying the Train we are all doing the same thing so I wish we could get into that spirit that is excited about the tracks and it was great oh my heart skips I lost my gloves written like almost a thousand miles without gloves on please just send me a photo of the four of you well, there are only three of us, but I would definitely include the dog in that right and I'm like everyone, I don't care what anyone looks like, Hayden doesn't like taking photos and all that stuff, I think we have to fix this so Dad, ready, let's do this real quick and then you focused on that for a while because, to end it on a high note, I have one more job for you, you know?

It's amazing to me that I'm wearing sunglasses when you guys can't see them cry anymore, hey Chris, I'll get you a cold one. I caught up with Leo and oh my gosh and she says you look so fresh right? I love you guys, I'll see you tomorrow £11. I'm going to look at the percentage of women competing this year and every year it's extremely low, definitely less than 10% of the entire field, but I want to do the best I can. beat all the men I want to be, you know someone people can believe in, so I'll do my best to keep the spirit of the race, but I worry about the spirit of the terrain and the spirit of packing up the bike and doing it.

What can I achieve? out there and then how many people can say that we are very happy that she can do what she loves and we can look and move on to the right side? Oh yeah, the breeze is like she has air conditioning, she was actually just cooking. I feel fine with a huge head wound. I don't believe it. The first 618 days, six, six hours, twenty minutes. It was a little hard with all the weird things that happened and having to scratch it, but I don't know, it makes me feel. Like maybe I'm not done with this route yet and I just ran fast.

A big reason I tackle ultra-endurance or an ultra-endurance tor by packing on huge miles and big days is the sheer amount of experiences I can have out there and that's climbing mountain passes and listening to the dizzying descents and this writing fantastic, but also stopping in small towns and finding food and water, finding a place to sleep and dealing with the challenges that come up, dealing with the mechanics and dealing with, you know. maybe hesitant, you'll never know what's going to happen out there and that keeps it exciting seeing animals out there in the middle of the night or meeting new people who are totally surprised by what you're doing, the unexpected, that's what makes it fun .

Whether you're running or just cycling, I don't think that can ever get boring. I think that's actually what makes the experience of maybe a distance like the Great Divide seem daunting, it's too much, it's too big, but what you can really do. breaking it down into pedaling your bike at whatever distance you're doing the same activity as me or like other ultra distance runners, it's all of this, it's propelling yourself from one place to another, I mean, yeah, of course, I think everyone should ride the Big Divide is great, but I think even more than that is just getting out there, riding somewhere that means something to you, putting a sleeping bag on your bike, sleeping outside for the nighttime ride home.

Next, you will learn. There are so many things out there that I think you'll probably like, but if you don't, don't do it again. Honestly, I'm glad you guys came. I apologize on behalf of this entire dysfunctional community for the chaos they have had. manage