Wren
Wren is my totem for the Furnace Creek 508 (508). The 508 uses animal totems instead of numbers for racer identification.
The Furnace Creek 508 was the first ultra-cycling race that I participated in. Because the 508 was my first ultra- race it has a very special meaning for me. The 508 is almost mystical to me and Death Valley is very surreal. I first raced in 2004 knowing very little about ultra-races. All I knew was that I would finish and that I would suffer. I just didn’t know that I would suffer more than I’d ever suffered before on the bike. Add to that the brutal winds of 2004 and it was an experience I’ll never forget. In 2009 I was inducted into the Furnace Creek 508 Hall Of Fame. In 2004 the Hall Of Fame seemed so distant. My current goal is to continue to improve as a racer and to string together as many consecutive Furnace Creek 508 finishes as possible. This year will be my 10th consecutive 508 race.
About The Furnace Creek 508
From The Furnace Creek 508 Website
http://www.the508.com/
This year will mark the 30th Anniversary Furnace Creek 508 Bicycle Race on October 5-7, 2013. Founded by John Marino in 1983 and known as “The Toughest 48 hours in Sport” and “The Great American Bike Race,” it is the world’s premier ultra-cycling race. This 508-mile bicycle race is revered the world over for its epic mountain climbs, stark desert scenery, desolate roads, and its reputation as one of the toughest but most gratifying endurance challenges available, bar none. The course has a total elevation gain of over 35,000′, crosses ten mountain passes, and stretches from Santa Clarita, across the Mojave Desert, through Death Valley National Park and Mojave National Preserve, to the finish line at Twentynine Palms, CA.