Though I ride through the Valley of Death...

Hellride numero 5 is here. Although it's news to me because I never even heard about 1 thru 4. Ray emailed me with a link and said this is all you. After I read it over and found a few articles on I became really fired up about the idea of trying to get picked to do this race/ride. The basic idea here is four men and four women are chosen to ride with two pros. One male Mark Weir, an animal by anyones account. One female, Rachel Lloyd women's Super-D champ. The race will be a 70 miler over some serious hardcore terrain. Big bikes and big packs. Uh, wait a minute I have been riding like that for years. The mileage is something I have never done on the dirt. I've come close. It will be done on a 30lb plus Santa Cruz Nomad. You will also have to do it with only one front ring. 36 or a 38, I think. You have to ride what Weir rides pretty much. The winner gets to keep the Nomad with full Sram XO group and sporting a RockShox Lyric. The winner also gets all travel expenses paid for. Now I would love to win the bike but that is not my motivation. I just want to be a part of this. It is my type of riding and nothing but straight up self abuse. How far can I push myself? I want to do some crazy shizz that most people would never consider. I really want to see what I can do. Not if I can do it, but how well I can do it. I don't think there is a question of can I do it.
The shear excitement of being in the Rockies will probably keep me so pumped the brutality this ride is going to dish out might not matter that much. A lot of planning and training is going to be my focus right now. Just in case I get picked to be in the 32 that the Internet will vote on.
Whatever happens if I get there I will have been a part of something huge in the sport that I have enjoyed most of my life.

BigMag.com has a good article on it that describes the event.
HellRide#5 my registration to be accepted to race is in.