Pulling out all of the stops
Comarderie key ingredient in Quadrathlon competition

Charlton Taylor, a soloist in the 30-34 age category, grabs a cup of water as he prepares to make the transition from running to sking during Saturday's Quadrathlon on Mt. Taylor in Grants. Taylor finished second in his category and 14th overlall. [Photo by Brian Leddy/Independent]

By Mike Marino
Cibola County Bureau

GRANTS — Sometimes it's about simpler things such as good sportsmanship, family, friends and fun. And Saturday's 24th Quadrathlon in Grants was certainly about that.

As the starting time approached at the race start-finish line in Grants the sun was brilliant in the sky and the crisp 35 degree air added an exhilarating air of anticipation to the event. Mount Taylor was perfectly framed in the morning blue sky and the summit was in full view of the participants who could taste victory even at this early stage of the game.

The voices of the participants blended with that of the numerous race officials and volunteers as well as the families of well wishers and thrill seekers who showed up to cheer on the teams and the individuals. Everybody was wishing everybody else well.

The racers were lined up and were as colorful in helmet and gear as any work of art, and the names of the teams "The Mountain Mamas," "The Procrastinators," "The Ice Masters," "The Dufflebag Four" were just as colorful.

Prior to the start of the race, members of The Dufflebag Four had high hopes but also a sense of reality.

Rick Best, park ranger and center coordinator at the Northwest New Mexico Visitor Center, was originally going to be part of the Dufflebag team (Motto: "Winning is not an option") but injured himself days before the race and spent his time as a volunteer for the race.

Best said, "The Dufflebag Four got off and running in fine fashion. Mike Lowry was wearing No. 341 as he bolted out of the starting gate on our legendary Trek 400 steel-framed bike, and when he got to the run transition point Phillip Ouillette from Michigan took over from there. Phillip is a seasoned high-speed, long-distance runner; so we're glad to have him on the team."

Biking on the paved road and running on the gravel are grueling to be sure, but then there is the ski and snowshoe portion to contend with as well.

Best continued, "Phillip will pass the chip off to C.J. Grimes who is a world-caliber downhill skier and he'll take the action all the way up to the snowshoe-ski transition point where Karen Fletcher, one of the local legends on Mount Taylor, will hammer those show shoes down to the top and then back."

Having fun in the race was paramount to the Dufflebag team as it was with many of the teams. Best summed it up by saying, "We're not kidding ourselves. There are men and women here with bikes that cost more than our cars; so we have to put things into perspective. So victory is not an option, but anything else is acceptable."

The Dufflebag Four's results were more than acceptable. The team finished first in the 40-49 Mixed category and placed 15th overall.

In addition to the friendly spirit of the competitors and well wishing fans, there was also a group called the Bike Coop from Albuquerque that showed up at 7 a.m. to provide free safety checks and service for the bikes.

Owner Greg Overman has been attending 20 out of the last 24 Quads to provide his companies services to the racers in the interest of safety. "We do a general check. If you come here and realize your shifting is not right or you have a flat tire, we're here to fix it and help you out."

Tired and sore muscles, adrenaline rushing and smiles all around made for a great race and a great example of what sports should be all about.