Conquer the Bear 2011 Recap

(2011 Conquer the Bear Podium)

The 2011 Conquer the Bear High Altitude Multisport Challenge is a wrap...and what a great challenge it was! For the details on Conquer the Bear and Conquer the Cub check THIS out. Here is how my series went...

(Start of the 2011 Snowshoe the Bear 10k)

Snowshoe the Bear - 10k Snowshoe Race - Trained hard all winter for this race while also rehabbing a bum knee. The knee got better by race day which was a great sign. With no snow on the ground the race ended up basically a 10k trail run. I managed to grab 3rd place, behind Ted Devito from Mountain Fitness Center and ultra runner Jesse Haynes.  Great race which is extremely different year to year based on the conditions. The year prior was the nastiest day of the year, dumping snow and rain. This year we ran on dirt. Great vibe in the village on a winter day.

 (Starting the uphill on 1E01 during Ride the Bear)

Ride the Bear - 27 Mile Mtn. Bike - Lots of mountain biking in preparation for this race including completing the 12 hours of Temecula solo race. I knew Jesse and Ted were faster than me so I really just wanted to try and do well and fend off any challengers behind me. This is the toughest event for me as I am not a very strong mountain biker but the course is super challenging and has some really fun downhill sections. I managed to hang onto third in the Series but dropped a good bit of time to 1st and 2nd place. This race is tough for part time mountain bikers but lots of fun!

 (Open Water during the 2011 Big Bear PaddleFest)

Big Bear PaddleFest - 20k Kayak Race - Thanks to my good friends at North Shore Trading Company I was paddling a 19' Seda Glider which is a sweet boat. I spent the two weeks prior paddling almost everyday trying to get used to the boat as its pretty narrow and not too easy to paddle. It's not hard, just takes some practice if you want to go fast. The race was great. I paddled hard for the first 5k and then settled into 2nd place about 100 yards behind Ted. I stayed here for most of the race and then suddenly with about 5k left I came around the corner and Ted was gone. Crossed the line in 2nd just a few minutes back and gained some more time on the rest of the competition. This was the first year PaddleFest was at Meadow Park on the South Shore of the Lake and it was an outstanding venue. Great day on the water!

(With Overall Series winner Ted Devito at the finish of Endure the Bear)

Endure the Bear - 30k Trail Run - This is the biggie of the series. There is no easy way to cover 18 miles on your feet, especially on this course. I wanted to do well but the bear got the better of me on this day. I ran hard for the first 20k and then slowly fell apart, dropping from 4th to 10th place in the race in a matter of 5k. I even got chicked maybe a mile or so left. In the end though my time was good enough for me to hold onto 3rd Overall in the Conquer the Bear series. And despite not having the best run of my life the event was such a blast I really couldn't be bummed. Perfect day for running in the mountains. Great vibe in the village and tons of community out to support. Awesome.


The Conquer the Bear Series is a great way to challenge and motivate yourself for a good portion of the year. I think it also opens you up to other disciplines, ones that you might not have tried yet. It has been an ever changing series through the years so I am really looking forward to the announcement of next year's challenge, which is rumored to include a road bike event!