Friday, February 17, 2012 50¢

GRANTS – The ideafor the Mount TaylorQuadrathlon was writtenon a paper napkin at abrainstorming session at atable at the La Ventanarestaurant in 1983, accord-ing to some people.

The idea began whenMark Lautman, GreaterGrants’ IndustrialDevelopment Foundationexecutive director, wascasting about for ways topromote the quality of lifein Cibola County after theuranium-mining bust.

Lautman and KlausWeeker, University ofNew Mexico cross-coun-try ski coach, came upwith a multi-sportendurance race on MountTaylor.

The 1984 premiere raceattracted nearly 70 partici-pants who competed inrelay teams and as soloists.

In 1988, Lynn Lee, aGrants High School grad-uate and track star, was thesoloist winner. Dr. RobertParks, an Albuquerquephysician who won the1986 champion soloistwinner, had been the pre-dicted winner.

Parks, like Lee, hadacquired a unique fascina-tion with this challengingevent. The physiciandeveloped training ideasand diet plans to helpendurance competitors,acknowledged several arearesidents.

Abe Peña, 1990 racedirector, informed a groupof volunteers that he hadattended Tri-athleteMagazine’s 1989

“Triathlete of the Year”ceremonies in Las Vegas,Nev., because he hadhoped to attract athletes tothe Quad.

When speaking withsports’ enthusiasts Peñanoted that many hadexpressed fear about therisk of injury during theQuad’s skiing segment.These athletes were moreaccustomed to competi-tions that included run-ning, biking and swim-ming.

Their comments ledPeña to believe that the

Quad attracted its ownkind of athlete.

The 1990 soloist winner,Shane Cleveland, said thathis whole body vibratedfrom the rigorous exer-tions.

Cleveland recalled,“There’s no way you justrace this thing, this raceyou have to survive,”while lying on theground after finishing,his breathing aided by anoxygen tank.

The Quad’s origins maybe considered an urbanmyth, but what is true is

that the event has evolvedinto the “ultimate chal-lenge,” an endurance expe-rience of epic proportionsthat attracts a uniquebrand of athletes.

From the beginning ithas been touted as con-tributing to the revival ofthe Grants’ economy. Ithas also been dubbed asone way to increase arearesidents’ awareness ofphysical fitness.

The annual competitionstarted out as part of theMount Taylor WinterCarnival — a weekchocked full with activitiesthat included motocrossracing, bowl-a-thon, tor-tilla tossing contest, chilicook-off, snowman build-ing contest, queen contest,children’s arts and craftsfair, snowmobile races andthe Mount Taylor

Quadrathlon.Only the Quad has with-

stood the test of time.The 2012 Race Director

Chad Gaines, 30, said heattributed the Quad’s long-term success to the volun-teerism and the growingstature of the nationallyrecognized event.

As one reporter put it in1996, “The resolve of theindividuals who toil allyear, every year, kept theQuad alive. They are sym-bolic of the entire commu-nity of Grants.”

Sara Tarkington, lastyears’ soloist femalechampion, said, “This isby far the most organizedrace I’ve been a part ofand I’ve done a lot ofraces in lots of places.There are some tremen-dous volunteers here inGrants.”

By Bob TenequerBeacon Staff Writer

XNLV19906

2012

1415 W. Highway 66 - Milan, NM1415 W. Highway 66 - Milan, NM

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5am - 9pm5am - 9pm5am - 9pm5am - 9pm5am - 9pm5am - 9pm5am - 9pm5am - 9pm5am - 9pm5am - 9pm5am - 9pm5am - 9pm5am - 9pm5am - 9pmXNLV19867 XNLV19846

Welcome Athletes

of the 2012 Winter

Quad

Tuesday - Saturday 7am - 2 pm

Sunday 9 am - 2 pm

A tradition of endurance continues“There’s no way you just

race this thing,this race you have to survive.”

— Shane Cleveland

QUADRATHALONTHE ULTIMATE CHALLENGETHE ULTIMATE CHALLENGE

SCHEDULEToday, Feb. 17

• Race Packet Pick-up 2 p.m. to 11 p.m.

• Equipment Check-in 2 p.m. to 11 p.m.

• Pre-race High Carb Dinner 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

• Pre-race Video Briefing 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

• Volunteer Meeting 7 p.m.

RACE DAY

Tomorrow, Feb. 18

• Snowshoer's Bus Departs 6 a.m.

• Skier's Bus Departs 6:15 a.m.

• Runner's Bus Departs 6:30 a.m.

• Course/Road is Closed 7 a.m.

• Solo Race Starts 8 a.m.

• Pair and Team Race Starts 9 a.m.

• All Equipment pick up time 5:30 p.m.

• Awards Ceremony 5 p.m.

RACE

LIST ON

PAGE

B4-B5

BEACON

A and B

Section

Inside

GRANTS - The nameJosiah Middaugh com-mands respect from thewinter sports' world.

He has a Masters’Degree in human move-ment, ten-years’ experi-

ence as a professional ath-lete and more than 20major national champi-onships in his resume.

Other athletes have takennote of the guru andsought his professionaladvice. Those who werewise followed the sage’ssayings and improved dra-

matically. Here is someinsight into the life of anathlete.

Mindset over matterFrom his coaching stand-

point Josiah’s philosophyis simple: Everyone canimprove. No matter whoyou are, there are alwaysways to train smarter. Forsome it may just be a littlestructure and for others itmay mean a complete re-education on how to trainat the right intensity levels.

He has pushed the likesof Lisa Isom, two-timeQuad champion, and oth-ers to new heights in theircareers with one-on-oneattention, monitoring theirworkouts and schedule.

“Finally, your trainingplan should be such thatyou stay interested, moti-vated and have fun. Afterall, training is just a grown-up form of play,” he stateson his website www.josiah-middaugh.com.

Middaugh's intenseworkouts proved necessarylast weekend when he wontwo major competitions atthe Teva MountainGames, the nighttime 10ksnowshoe race uphill fol-lowed by the Vail Uphill,just 15 hours later. Afterhitting the hay after thesnowshoe events, he said,“4 a.m. comes quickly.”But by then his body hadalready recuperated andJosiah woke up before hisalarm, ready to race again.

“I think the secret’s moretraining than equipment,”

Middaugh theorized aboutpreparing for the Quad.“You need to be a strongrunner, not necessarily afast runner but a strongrunner uphill. I haven’tmade a lot of changes tomy equipment, I know alot of people like Travis(Macy) and Brian Smithhave transitioned to thelight weight ski-moun-taineering ski. I’ve opted tokeep it simple and use nor-mal cross-country skis.With skins cut length-wiseI use the same skins I haveused since the first time.”

The names Macy andSmith were brought up,because if they come toGrants this weekend, theywill give Middaugh a runfor the top money. Bothwere at the Teva Gamesand very successful in theirevents.

Choose your battlesMiddaugh also

explained where an athletelives is important for train-ing regiments.

CIBOLA COUNTY -On Feb. 18, as the morningsun rises above MountTaylor’s 11,301-foot sum-mit, known to the Dinehpeople as the “TurquoiseMountain,” hundreds ofcompetitors from aroundthe globe will eagerly awaitthe starter pistol’s shot.

As the pistol cracks, afluid mass of cyclists willbegin a journey to the topof the mountain. Theannual competition fea-tures multi-sport elementsincluding biking, running,skiing and snowshoeing.

The race begins and endsin Grants.

Racers will pedal their

2 Cibola Beacon Friday, February 17, 2012

XNLV19940

Good Luck and Congratulations to all participants

Good Luck and Congratulations to all participants

of the 2012 Winter QUADRATHALON.

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WELCOME ALL PARTICIPANTS TO THE 2012 WINTER QUAD!

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WelcomesWelcomes The 2012 2012

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By Mark TeshimaBeacon Correspondent

Want to be an athlete?Want to be an athlete?Last year’s male winner breaks it down

Middaught Career Highlights:• Mt Taylor Winter Quadrathlon Champion 2004, 2005,2006, 2007, 2008, 2011• XTERRA USA National Champion 2004, 2005, 2007,2008, 2009• USAT Long Course National Champion 2005• USAT Winter Triathlon National Champion 2006, 2011• National Snowshoe Champion 2002, 2003, 2008, 2010• Teva Mountian Games, Ultimate Mountain Challenge2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011• North American Snowshoe Champion 2002, 2004,2005, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011

BEACON / CHAVEZJosh Middaugh after he fin-

ished the 2011 Quadrathlon.

See MALE, Page 4

What theBy Bob TenequerBeacon Staff Writer

GRANTS - The female

champion from last

year's big race is return-

ing to traverse the moun-

tain, as well as hopefully

scooping up another

Nambe platter and a cool

$1,000 prize.

The Mount Taylor

Quadrathlon and the citi-

zens of Grants are hosting

more than 500 racers to

challenge themselves in

the 50k race up the moun-

tain and back.

The 2011 Quad female

overall winner, Sara

Tarkington, said she is

wrapping up a winter filled

with mostly snowshoe

races. She acknowledged

that the most recent was a

win at the Teva Mountain

Games' cross-country 10K

snowshoe race in Vail,

Colo. While injuries can

haunt pro-athletes,

Tarkington said she has

been able to avoid anything

serious.

"I’ve had some soreness

from the hard snowshoe

races," explained the five-

foot three-inch profes-

sional athlete as she

described her health and

her preparedness for com-

ing into the Quad. "But

no injuries thankfully, so

I'm good to go."

way up Lobo Canyon road

for 13 miles on paved road,

accomplishing a 1,800-foot

incline that takes them to

the top of La Jara Mesa ---

a climb from the desert

cactus to Ponderosa pine.

At the end of the paved

road, competitors run on a

graveled mountain road for

five miles that starts on

what is normally dry

ground but may turn into

snow-packed and icy con-

ditions before they com-

plete their trek. The racers

will climb an additional

1,200 feet, into the pine

and fir forest on the shoul-

der of the inactive volcano,

during this part of the

course.

Athletes donning their

running shoes exchange

them for cross-country skis

to ascend to the next 1,200-

foot climb to the summit.

The ski course covers two

miles. The final yards of

this trek are aptly called

“Heartbreak Hill.”

Competitors change

from skis to snowshoes for

the final 600-foot ascent to

Mount Taylor’s summit.

From there, on a clear day,

a person can see an

expanse of hundreds of

miles; however a true com-

petitor doesn’t have time to

enjoy the view.

At this point the “ulti-

mate challenge” is only 50

percent complete.

Competitors must

reverse the entire sequence

and end on bikes at the fin-

ish line in Grants.

Cibola Beacon Friday, February 17, 2012 3

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By Mark TeshimaBeacon Correspondent

Want to win a $1,000?Want to win a $1,000?Tarkington returns to defend female title

BEACON / CHAVEZSara Tarkington after she fin-ished the 2011 Quadrathlon.

See FEMALE, Page 4

Tough as nailsThis is an excerpt taken from Sara Tarkington’s blog

@ saratarkington.blogspot.com describing her chal-

lenges in Spain at the ITU Cross World

Championships in which she finished 17th:

"I was with a group of three other girls and was stick-

ing on their feet until one of them kicked my out-

stretched arm and my shoulder dislocated a bit. I

stopped, panicked and screamed for the boats to come

to me. I've never felt like I was going to drown until

that moment. I managed to give my arm a good yank

and put it back where it belongs. I gave the boats a

‘thumbs up’ and decided to keep going despite my

shoulder hurting with every stroke. After my 30 sec-

ond break I still managed to catch back up to the

group I was with, ‘Wow-hello adrenaline’."

Kudos to the QuadSara Tarkington races all over the world through the

summer and winter, in many big-name challenges, but

she had this to say about the volunteers of the Quad.

“I’ve done a lot of races and I’ve only been to the

Mount Taylor Quad once, but I was blown away at

how many people come out to support the event and

how well run and organized the event is,” recalled

Sara about last year’s event.

“You get to the transition area and multiple volunteers

are asking ‘Do you need anything?’ ‘Can I get you

some water?’ ‘Let me help you with that.” And it was

just amazing. People were everywhere and it was just

really fun to have that,” she said.

“I’ve been to some really big, well-sponsored events

that were poorly organized, no one knew what was

going on. I think it makes a difference when you have

the whole town of Grants, New Mexico out there

making it the event of year. I think that makes it more

special to me.”

Sara's Gear:

Bike - Specialized Crux Cross

Run - Avias (with screws)

Ski – Telemark

Snow Shoe – Her secret

Quad requires

4 Cibola Beacon Friday, February 17, 2012

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MALE"I live in a pretty unique place

here in Vail, Colo. I can access a

lot of height elevation, go uphill, I

can utilize the ski resort, so that’s

a pretty big advantage for me,”

said Middaugh.

With age becoming a factor for

Middaugh and the balancing act

of a family and job, the profes-

sional showed some strategy in

picking his schedule.

“It’s always a tricky thing not to

spread myself too thin but still

participate in all the activities I

enjoy. I've got to pick and choose.

If a race plays to my strengths and

doesn’t require me to change my

training a lot, then I put it on my

list,” explained Middaugh.

After the Quad, he has two

more weekends of races before

finishing a busy winter schedule.

“After that I’ll kind of wrap up

my winter and start looking

towards summer. My main focus

in the summer is the Xterra Off-

road triathlon,” wrapped up

Middaugh.

The Epic TestMiddaugh seems to have taken

a liking to the Quad and while

working on his seventh title; the

race seems to favor him as well.

“The Quad is definitely one of

those that fits well with the train-

ing that I already do. It’s an epic,

fun winter race and probably one

of the most enjoyable winter races

that I do,” stated Middaugh.

“That’s what makes the race so

much fun and unique is the whole

town comes out. Being sponsored

by the Chamber of Commerce,

the pre-race pasta dinner at the

local high school, feeling like

everyone is involved in the event,

it feels like the biggest thing going

on in town. It’s kind of got that

throw-back feel to what

endurance-sports used to be and

could still be. There’s a lot of

awareness about the event and

involvement from the community.

It’s a really fun atmosphere.”

FEMALELast year, Tarkington took a couple of major spills coming

down the icy backside of Mount Taylor on Nordic skies, so

she decided to change that setup.

"The Nordic skies were great for going up, but going down

it was flat out scary," Sara recalled. "I think the snow was a lit-

tle different than out here (in hometown Boulder, Colo.) I fell

down hard a couple times and I wonder if that led to a back

injury about one month later. So I actually have a lighter

Telemark setup for the ski portion, but other than that I'm not

changing anything."

Don’t look backThe Quad always accepts new challengers to the event, but

with such a strong snowshoe racer being this year’s favorite, is

there a contender who can take the crown from Tarkington?

“I’m not sure who all is coming (to the Quad) but I know

Amber Rydholm, who placed second, is coming. She is always

tough and strong,” stated Tarkington about her fellow

Coloradan.

Last year, pal Rydholm gave Tarkington a great race to the

top of the 11,301-foot peak and back, finishing just seven min-

utes and six seconds behind Tarkington, who had the winning

time of 4:34:52.

Rydholm has placed in the top three overall-female category

since 2007, a feat of consistency that few can boast.

Josiah's small beginningsThe following is an excerpt from Josiah Middaugh's blog @ www.josiahmid-daugh.com in the "About Me" section:I grew up near East Jordan, Mich., in a house my parents built and still livein. I spent most of my young childhood playing in the hardwood forests,building tree forts, and playing sports with my two brothers. A strong workethic was instilled at a young age with my parents leading by example. Wealways worked for everything we got, played hard when the work was done,and life was good. I still believe one of the best core workouts is hauling andsplitting maple and oak firewood with a heavy splitting maul. When my Dadwas around 40 he decided to get in better aerobic shape and started run-ning. So at age 11, so did I. I enjoyed pushing my limits and had some mod-erate success at an early age.