Challenging Lotoja: Cyclists gear up for what may be the toughest race around

As one of the most competitive cyclists in the state, hardly a day goes by that Cameron Hoffman isn't asked one thing.

"Have you done LOTOJA?" Hoffman said. "As soon as somebody finds out I'm a cyclist, that's one of the first things they ask me."

And they're usually surprised by his answer of "not yet."

"It kind of blows away my credibility as a cyclist," Hoffman joked.

Hoffman, a 29-year-old Category 1 rider with the Ogden One racing team, regularly places on the podium at local races — he placed second at last weekend's Sugar House Criterium behind only local pro racer Jeff Louder — yet he's never slipped into his cycling gear for what many consider the toughest race around.

He'll be able to answer his questioners differently in a few months, though. He, along with his younger brother, Bruce, will give LOTOJA their best effort when the race celebrates its 25th anniversary on Sept. 8.

Of course, that means one of the state's fastest cyclists will have to adjust his training considerably.

Even for the best of cyclists, the 206-mile race from Logan to Jackson, Wyo., is a grueling feat.

For those competing for the first time in the longest sanctioned one-day bike race in the nation, the challenge of finishing the event is one of the most imposing physical demands they'll ever give themselves.

"For me," Hoffman said, "I'll have to change they way I train. I'm training right now for shorter, faster races. For LOTOJA, I'll really have to change the way I do things to add more miles and more climbing."

Joe Fairchild, another LOTOJA first-timer, is a different type of cyclist than Hoffman.

"I will be doing LOTOJA as a Cat 5 this year with some friends," said the 37-year-old Layton resident, who has had co-workers challenge him to ride with them. "Last year, I wasn't in the shape to do it. This year, I'm training a lot, losing some weight and I'm pretty excited about it."

Whether you're an expert cyclist like Hoffman, or a casual enthusiast, preparing to race LOTOJA for the first time requires more than just showing up bright and early in the morning on race day.

Numerous races around the state help prepare cyclists. There is the shorter road races such as last month's Buffalo Stampede on Antelope Island or this weekend's High Uintas Stage Race, which will take cyclists from Kamas over the Silver Lake Highway's 10,000-foot summit before descending to Evanston, Wyo.

"Regardless of the expectation, a good base of 100 plus miles a week for the previous three months seems to be a good predictor of completion," writes 21-year LOTOJA veteran Carl Blair on the LOTOJA Web site. "It's important to do at least several century rides that include the type of hilly terrain you'll find in the LOTOJA."