Heidi Johnson-Fry and Kim Greene, two of our MMC family recently finished the Croatian mountain bike stage race, 4 Islands. We thought it would be fun to have Heidi tell us about their race.
Kim and I met about eight years ago when our spouses discovered we had both completed the Absa Cape Epic, in South Africa. Afterall, there are not many women, much less American women, who have done so. On top of that, we were both moms and lived only three miles from each other. Needless to say, we became fast friends and riding/racing partners.
Fast forward a few years and the two of us decided we really liked the idea of team racing together and registered for a stage race in New Zealand. Well, Covid hit so we had to defer. Then I had knee surgery, and Kim’s foot (and its nerves) got in a heated disagreement with a large Mexican stingray, so we postponed again. The following year, I had spine surgery. Now, we are not only getting older, but are even more bound and determined to make this “girls trip” happen. With the NZ race now obsolete, we decided 4Islands in Croatia would be the answer. I mean, why not pick a country we know nothing about and is an absolute logistical nightmare to get to? So, we booked flights, got our trainers set up in our garages, planned a couple short trips to Fountain Hills to train in the sun, and committed to giving it our all.
Upon arrival in Croatia, you can’t help but be in awe of your surroundings. April is still the off-season for northern Croatia but between the aroma of mock orange trees in full bloom and the crystal clear water of the Adriatic Sea dancing up the rocky beaches, you can’t help but want to discover everything she has to offer. After being inside for six months in Montana, we were eager to hit the trails and meet our fellow racers. There were only four amateur, all-female teams (the other three were half our age) and we rocked our bright MMC kits and pink Bontrager helmets. Needless to say, we quickly became easily recognized and a favorite among other teams, the feed stop crews, and finish line announcers.
All our race information talked about “conquering the rocks” but until we started riding, we had no idea what to expect. Cue an evil Disney villain laugh here. There are no Zwift or Peloton workouts that could have prepared us for how tough, steep, and technical the climbing or descending would be. Regardless, the next five days were a dystopian experience of racing singletrack along cliffsides, through fairy tale type forests littered with rock walls (built to protect sheep from wind), limestone hills, postcard perfect villages, moonscape style plateaus, crazy steep dirt roads leading to 12th century churches overlooking the sea, along boardwalks, and even past medieval castles. We finished each stage with smiles on our faces and ready to see what the next island would bring to the adventure.
169 miles and 20,374 feet of climbing later, the Montana Mountain Mamas had conquered the rocks, were still smiling, and already planning our third Epic Series stage race in Switzerland in 2025. You see, if you finish 3 races in the series, you become an Epic Legend and we were born to be legendary.
