Shown above are my totals for cycling (much of which was randonneuring), ski mountaineering (randonnée ski) and SUP for the year. The vast majority of these stats were cycling (10,437 miles and 487,835 vertical feet).
New cycling accomplishments this year:
Longest duration and distance of an event without sleep. 40 hours and 500+ miles on Salt to Saint solo cycling event.
Most amount climbed in “two” days. Super 600, with 10,000 meters (approx. 32,000 feet) in 600 km (375 miles). By far, the toughest ride I have ever done.
Most of the events I do are non-competitive (randonneuring), but I have dabbled a little in racing, and at the World Time Trial Championships I got my first 1st-place win for my age group.
At the above event, I set a new personal record for miles traveled in 24 hours: 384.
This year, there were no domestic 1200K brevets that didn’t occur on Sunday, so I did not finish a 1200K, as has been the custom for the past seven years.
I completed my seventh randonneuring R-12 (riding a sanctioned 200K or longer ride each month of the year).
It appears that I had approx. 100,000 feet of skimo climbing — that is more than most seasons for me.
Author: Rando Richard
I’m an old guy (age 69 in 2023) who enjoys aerobic, endurance sports. I call myself a cardio-junkie. Perhaps the more appropriate term would be “ultra” endurance sports. Since I was a teenager I have always enjoyed “slow twitch” outdoor sports like backpacking, ice climbing, running, mountaineering, hiking, alpine skiing and randonnée skiing (alpine touring, backcountry skiing or skimo). In 2005 I starting running with more regularity — except this time it was not for the intent of getting ready for a mountaineering trip, but as an end to itself. From 2005 to 2007 I managed to eek out two seasons of ultramarathons — that is competitive trail runs up to 50 or 100 miles. Due to a nagging ankle injury from the 80s (an accident while ice climbing in the 1980s where my lower tib and fib were badly broken), I had to cease that grueling, but rewarding activity. I then migrated into ultra distance road cycling or randonneuring. The rides are called brevets (pronounced bruh-VAY, it’s French) and are minimally supported — they are similar to ultrarunning and backpacking where one must be self reliant. Although brevets are non-competitive, they do have have cut off times to qualify as a finisher. They are usually are done in groups, which can have a competitive slant to them. Today, I continue to participate in long distance cycling including some ultra-racing, randonnée skiing (a blend of cross country and downhill disciplines) and still get out on an occasional mountaineering trip.
Since 1996 I have been designing, manufacturing and selling camera bags. That is Kinesis Photo Gear (kgear.com). In 2005 I started selling cycling bags under the Kinesis label and eventually expanded it to including other sports like SUP (stand-up paddle boarding and some skimo). Consequently, it become eoGEAR — the “eo” stands for endurance outdoor.
My wife and I are empty-nesters now and we live and work out in the boondocks of central Utah, half way between Salt Lake City (great powder) and Moab (great red rocks).
Well, I guess that is all for now. Safe travels mate! Perhaps I’ll see you on the road or trail.
— Richard Stum
View all posts by Rando Richard
Rando Richard Blog 