Employee Spotlight – Jason Turner

Here at Pulse, we have an exceptional team serving our community. Jason Turner is a Business Analyst at Pulse, and an extraordinary individual. On a normal workday Jason maintains several vital business applications that help run Pulse’s infrastructure. When not in the office, you can usually catch Jason riding his bike on roads up the Rocky Mountains or on country roads along the front range of Colorado; Jason is an avid ultra-cyclist and a member of Randonneurs USA and Rocky Mountain Cycling Club. We recently sat down with Jason to learn more about his passion for cycling and share some of his stories.

He first started riding in elementary school, as many of us did. Living in a big city in the 80s, he and a friend would regularly venture off on their BMX bikes across the city. For a third grader, six miles felt like a trip across the country. He enjoyed these long adventures as a kid because it gave him the freedom to go as far as he dared. As for when cycling became a passion, it wasn’t much later as an adult during the summer of 2003, living in Austin, TX. At the time, he had an interest in triathlons, as he was running and swimming regularly, and eventually purchased a road bike. Once he purchased his first real road bike, he remembered how much he loved riding and focused solely on cycling.

The Furnace Creek 508 race in 2004, Mojave Desert, CA

His passion for cycling would lead to him traveling around the country to compete in various cycling events and races. Perhaps the most memorable was the Steens Mazama 1000 race in Oregon in 2017. It was a self-supported, non-drafting, 954-mile race around the great state of Oregon.

Steens Mazama 1000 route: 46,000 ft of elevation gain

What made this race so memorable for Jason besides the distance was the isolation. For six days and nights, he was on his own with no support, little sleep, few showers, and no real plan except to finish. Additionally, Oregon was a state that he had never ridden before, and the course was comprised of vastly different terrain throughout. The race started in Portland, where it was lush and green and relatively flat. Going east, it became excruciating hot, rocky, and desolate. He rode up Steens Mountain (which the race is named after), with an elevation of 9,700 feet, and made his way to Crater Lake and Mount Mazama in Crater Lake National Park. Jason completed this race in 6 days, 5 hours, and 22 minutes.

To be able to compete in such physically and mentally grueling events, Jason trains throughout the year. On average, he rides twice a week, averaging 200-300 miles a week with few rides under 100 miles. In 2023, Jason rode 7,600 miles, which took 441 hours – that’s over 18 days in the saddle! This doesn’t include the time required to prepare for or recover from such efforts. Jason stated he does not ride as much as some of his friends/competitors, some of whom train/ride 2-3 times more than him.

While the Steens Mazama might have been the longest race in terms of distance, perhaps the most grueling was the Last Chance 1200k (750 miles). This course starts in Boulder, CO, heads to central Kansas, then back. There isn’t much to see out east except “boring flat roads” (just like he prefers). Jason used the Last Chance event as a training ride for potentially longer races. As part of his training, he went without sleep or a shower for 72 hours.

Last Chance 1200K

Most recently, in November 2023, Jason competed in the 24-Hour World Time Trial Championships. He managed to ride 405 miles in 24 hours, stopping just 5 times (85 minutes total)! With an average speed of 18.4 miles per hour over the entire ride, he qualified to compete in the Race Across America (RAAM). When asked if has plans to race RAAM he stated, “no way.” Everyone has their limits!

During the night at the 24-Hour World Time Trial Championships in Borrego Springs, CA, 2023

Jason believes people should pursue their passions but was quick to point out that this type of cycling is not for everyone. He loves the physical and mental isolation of ultra-cycling, finding it very Zen-like and meditative. Sometimes his mind is completely clear and at other times he has moments of inspiration and clarity. He said jokingly, “this type of cycling is the most expensive form of therapy you will find.” He also likes to see how far/fast he can push himself – although he admits he is getting older, and these events are not getting easier.

As for the future, Jason typically plans for one big event/race each year. His next adventure will be the HooDoo 300 which starts in St George, UT, in August 2024. Good luck, Jason!