By Mike and Marisa Marsh, Special to the Independent
They claim it as the toughest mountain bike race in the world. The three-day stage race takes place in Costa Rica, traversing 150 miles from the Pacific Ocean to the Caribbean Sea. Don’t let the miles fool you, this is not your normal 150 miles. The terrain covered is some of the most mind-blowing miles you can imagine.
My daughter, Marisa Marsh, who is 23, and myself, at the age of 52, decided to do this race after befriending a Costa Rican in Telluride, Colo., who had re-energized our interest in this epic race that has been on my bucket list.
Before I get into the details on this exhilarating, exhausting, beautiful adventure that apparently the conquistadores took two decades to conquer, I want to give a little background on our preparations.
Besides the regimen of logging thousands of miles on the Nebraska gravel roads, including the Gravel Worlds 150-mile day race, we kicked our training into high-gear with one of our favorite traverses, the Kokopelli Trail from Fruita, Colo., to Moab, Utah, which is a stunning, throw-everything-at-you, 150 miles over three days. Then we headed to Southern California to the steep, technical trails of Laguna Beach, and even traversed Catalina Island from Avalon to Two Harbors and back. Throughout all of this we squeezed in several trips to Telluride to do some long mountain pass rides.
After accomplishing hundreds of thousands of vertical feet of climbing and several thousand miles in the saddle from blazing-hot conditions to blizzard-like conditions, we felt well prepared, but quickly learned it is impossible to over train for La Ruta.
Our journey begins with a flight from Omaha, Neb., to San Jose, Costa Rica, with our bikes in tow. We then head to Jaco´ on the Pacific Ocean side where the race begins. We are one of the first to arrive as we waited for the other 450 racers from around the world, many of which are a part of sponsored teams. Our team of two without support was called Los Malvavicos, (The Marshmallows), which is only appropriate because we are Mike and Marisa Marsh.
Day One: We start the race in pleasant conditions on the beach in Jaco´ at 5:30 a.m. with an old Huey helicopter hovering over us with the Costa Rican news team. From the beach we head into the canopy of the rain forest and the terrain gets steep fast. Over the next 60 miles we endure 12,800 vertical feet of climbing. The first real challenge was entering the Carara jungle. Here we were welcomed with 100% humidity that can only be matched on Nebraska’s hottest, muggiest day on record, calf-deep mud that wants to swallow your shoes, and for good measure steep, technical, and slippery climbs and descents.
This continues for 10 miles. Relief comes in one of the 15 river crossings (some waist deep) to cool down and wash off the mud and sweat.
After this challenge, comes abrupt, audacious climbs, some at a laughable 40% grade. Plagued by the question, “how much further,” riders desperately ask locals “quanto kilometers?” just to learn their hunches are always wrong.
After 12 hours in the saddle and finishing in the pitch dark, we are relieved but afraid for what comes next in the remaining two days. We later learn the race organizers made this route the most difficult in its 25-year history. Lucky us. This was our most difficult day on the bike, ever!
Day Two: After being bussed to our hotel at 10 p.m., we are told to prepare for a 5:15 a.m. start time. With four hours of sleep after a grueling day in the saddle, we begin a 25-mile, 9,000-foot ascent over a volcano. Compared to day 1, this is pleasant, covering Costa Rica’s beautiful countryside, despite ascents that forced riders from their bikes through steep and slippery ravines.
Usually the race doesn’t take this route because of volcano activity. As we reached the 10,000-foot elevation at the top, it becomes very windy and we are challenged by rain mixed with sleet. The traverse was incredible as we rode through villages with cheering fans. In one particular section, we were greeted with hundreds of children cheering, their faces squished on the school fence as we rode by. Battling sleep deprivation and exhaustion, this was a very emotional moment as we had endured much to this point. All you are left to do is to embrace the locals’ love and support. It is truly a pura vida moment.
We quickly transition down over a 14-mile rock gardens and finish in almost unbearable heat, riding through the villages of Turrialba. This was a good day!
Day Three: After two tough days, the third allowed a late start, which gave us time to get some much-needed sleep. The trade off: hot conditions.
Today was mostly flat and pace-line fast over 38 miles. It didn’t lack obstacles to overcome. For a quarter mile, we crossed suspended railroad tracks with raging rivers 100 feet below. We walked on rickety railroad ties, some of them missing, which is not easy in bike shoes nor with a racing heart. There are actually YouTube videos of people nearly falling between the railroad ties, recovering before meeting the crocodiles below.
The race continued on the national railroad track through banana plantations that jarred your body for miles. It seemed to be what the Costa Ricans would consider their single tack. We were relieved to find our final stretch along coast on mostly packed sand, although there were plenty of spills by other riders to avoid. As we finally arrived at the finish line in Limon, we cross with hands together, happy to be alive. The day would not have been complete without a final sprint into the Caribbean waves.
In the end, our bodies and souls were extended to new heights. We pushed past physical, mental, and even emotional barriers that you cannot train for. It was extremely moving to be a part of a race that engenders national pride and to see this country from a perspective that few get the chance to see. What’s next? La Ruta de los Conquistadores 2018.
Mike and Marisa Marsh divide their time between Laguna Beach and Lincoln, Neb., where they work in commercial real estate. A college graduation gift of a mountain bike from Laguna Beach Cyclery kick started her new passion.
