3rd Place SingleSpeed - Kevin 'k29er' Murray
Team/Sponsors: Bike Factory Racing

Bike:Gary Fisher Rig

2008 Cat: SS - 2009 Cat, if changed:

Favorite Race Style (XC, Enduro, Endurance) and why? Enduro. XC races go by in a flash, like a gunfight...bang! and its over. Enduro races are more like drawn out battles where there is more strategy and conditioning involved. Some folks bring the gunfight strategy to the enduro side and they do great for an hour or two. And then they melt.

Favorite Race:Tough call. I enjoyed the Hilbert Series a lot last year. Lodi is good fun as well. The 18 is a great time. Too hard to pick one, so I won't.

How did your favorite race play out?
2008 Hilbert #2, Enduro, with Shawn Tevendale and I tying for first. Hilbert #3 was great too, with lyme-laden Shawn running through the woods, motivating me to maintain the #1 spot on the last lap.

How often do you ride and at what pace per ride?
3 to 4 times a week. The routine varies. Fast, slow, long, short. Gotta cover the bases.

Do you think riding everyday is over training?
Absolutely.

Do you switch between road ride, mountain biking and running?
I run a bit, and road ride as little as possible. We are blessed in Charlottesville with an expansive spread of gravel roads for endurance rides and base miles. I also try and get to the gym twice per week.

Do you wear a heartrate monitor and train based upon heart rate numbers?
Often I do, but sometimes it is nice to be disconnected.

What (if any) supplements do you take during a race?
Endurolytes. Gotta have em

What type of (if any) supplements do you take after a hard ride?
Nothing currently

What got you into mountain biking and then what got you into racing?
A school teacher named Sherry Zollinhoffer that ran a mom-and-pop bike shop in Southern Maryland got me into the sport. She was a fantastic resource in the local community, helping get kids on bikes via informal layaway policies. She sold me my first three mountain bikes...A Barracuda A2V, a KHS Alite, and one of my all time favorites...my Litespeed Obed. I thought she was nuts when she suggested racing at the 24 hours of Canaan on a 5 man team, but we did it in 1996, and I never looked back. It was just a hobby for years, but in the 2006-2007 timeframe, I started taking it a bit more seriously.

Would you consider this a hobby, sport, lifestyle, or occupation? Why do you feel that way?
For me, mountain biking is a sport that happens to be a significant aspect of my lifestyle. I ride to race. It keeps me fit, and its fun. Competition is a natural human urge. So is cooperation. I get to have both with Bike Factory Racing. It's win-win.

What do you like to do with your time away from your race/training calendar?
When I'm not racing or training, I'm busy being a dad and a husband. And I have to work some too

Anything else you would like to share?
Thanks to Woody, Jared and all the promoters for all the good times.

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