Josh Tostado

Endurance Mountain Bike Athlete

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josh-tostado-high-cascades-2017-aid-station

High Cascades 100 – 2017

August 7, 2017

I love traveling to Oregon! The only problem is that it’s almost 18 hours away… I had this realization on my last trip to Bend for the High Cascades 100. Once I get there I love it! Oregon is a beautiful state with lots to see and Bend is a great town with lots of great mountain biking. I’ve been racing the High Cascades 100 for quite a few years and it continues to be one of my favorites! Depending on snow melt the course is always changing from year to year but one thing that stays the same there is always plenty of single track and lots of climbing and great trail riding, just how I like it!

The race starts in Bend proper and heads up and out of town on pavement for about 4 or 5 miles then onto double track for a couple more to sort things out. When we hit the dirt the race was on, the pace was high and I soon found myself struggling to stay in the second group of riders, my legs were not cooperating and everyone and there mother seemed to be passing me. Once we hit the single track I was able to make up some ground and passed about 6 or 7 riders but once we hit the climbs I had nothing and they were all back on me and passing. I struggled like this up until about mile 30 where I started to feel better or maybe all the hard chargers at the start were slowing down. At any rate I went from about 15th to 4th in about 30 miles, along the way I got to rip some prime single track with a couple people but never really staying with anyone that long.

josh-tostado-high-cascades-2017-finish

For the final 30 miles I found myself alone racing my bike in beautiful Oregon, although it was a very dry year the riding was still super fun and I was feeling good so pushing on the climbs felt great. I kept the pace high until the end hoping to maybe catch one more spot and to make sure nobody came from behind at the end. I definitely did not have my greatest race ever but what constitutes a great race? Getting the win, is that a great race? Feeling great but not placing well, that can be a great race! Overcoming adversity and pushing through even when you know your not going to be the best and never giving up? That too can be a great race! I have never been someone that has won every race, ya I’ve won a couple here and there but that’s not what keeps me going. Life I feel like is more interesting with hardship, if it were easy all the time it would be boring, I would say there are lots of ways to be successful at racing and at life, and I’m happy to say I’ll continue to persevere at both.

josh-tostado-high-cascades-2017-podium

Filed Under: Race Reports

2020 Race Schedule

February 15-16th – 24 Hours Of Old Pueblo, AZ
March 14th – True Grit Epic, UT
March 28-30th – Moab Rocks Stage Race, UT – POV Filming
April 16-19th – Sea Otter Classic, CA – Working For Infinit
April 24th-26th – Whiskey 50, AZ
May 9th – 12 Hours Of Mesa Verde Duo, CO
May 16th – Royal Gorge 12 Hour, CO
June 6th – 12 Hours Of E-Rock, CO
June 20th – Baily 100, CO
June  23rd-25th – Outdoor Retailer, CO – Working For Infinit
July 25th – Butte 100, MT
July 30th-Aug 2nd – Downieville Classic, CA
August 16-21st – Breck Epic, CO – POV Filming
September 18th-20th – 12 Hours of Albuquerque, NM
October 22nd – AZT 300, AZ

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