The years 2004 and 2005 proved to be years of great tests, trials, and victories. In 2003, I completed my first mountain bike race in Big Bear Lake, CA, which is also where I resided. It was a great accomplishment because the Michelob Light Fall Classic is the longest Beginner Mountain Bike Race at 18 miles. I placed on the podium with a 3rd place finish! After a full winter of training and making new friends, Derek Hermon, owner, racer, and team manager of Bear Valley Bikes asked me to compete in an Adventure Race. I accepted the offer and started training in the disciplines of trail running and kayaking as well as mountain biking. We needed a 3rd member of the team and it needed to be a female so we were lucky enough to find Heather Salzer of Big Bear Lake, CA. She just so happened to be a very experienced racer who had raced as a Pro in several races including Eco Challenge Fiji. Heather, with her great spirit, mental toughness, and athleticism lead us to a 2nd Place victory in our first race together. This lead to an overall 2nd Place series finish in the West Coast Adventure Race Series. These races were 24 Hour races and it was a three race series with both Pro and Amateur Teams.
Unfortunately in the Month of July I had a complete rupture of my achilles tendon. I was at work, where I am a Fireman, and I took off to sprint when it ruptured. I tried to remain positive. The recovery time was 5 to 6 Months depending on how you heal. Three months into rehab it ruptured again! This time it was in a different location, but on the same leg. I was devastated. Not only was I concerned about my new found love for endurance sports, but more importantly for my career as a fireman and my family. During this time, because of our great success earlier in the year, Heather and I got together and talked about making a adventure race team or club. This helped me to stay motivated during the injury time. We came up with two other teammates, Ted Devito and David Burks. Teddy was a young, extremely fast, talented racer who had already raced as a Pro. David, was and older, mature, extremely fit athlete who just wanted to test his mind and body. In 2005 we formed Big Bear Adventure Racing. This was a sponsored and competitive Adventure Race Team. So After two surgeries, seven months on crutches, and four months of active rehab I went back to work in June of 2005. I also went back to riding easy on both my road and mountain bikes. I felt good and completed my first race post injury in the fall at the Michelob Light Fall Classic. This time I entered the 40 Mile endurance race and once again got on the podium with a 3rd place finish. I was stoked! I was back!
In the late fall of 2005 I completed my first adventure race since my injury down in Punta Banda, Mexico where we finished 6th. It was a 24 hour race that was torture on my achilles. The Race was incredibly difficult and many teams dropped out because of the treacherous course and terrain. We finished and I was proud to endure and not quit. This proved very important for my 2006 Season!
