Coming down the mountain

The endurance requirement of what Kyle Warras does seems evident. But the senior-to-be at Waukesha West High School said a mountain biker at his level also needs patience.

"When you're flying down a hill, you get worked up when you see all those big rocks," said Warras, 17. "Some people can panic, and that's when you get hurt. The body tenses up, and you're not flexible enough to handle it. A good rider has to get a feel for the track before they push the limits of their body."

In those moments when an average cyclist would lose concentration - when both wheels are drifting with obstacles all around - Warras is happiest. The cross-country mountain biker recently competed in Colorado at the USA Cycling Mountain Bike National Championships, taking 25th in the Junior Category 1.

"He's basically as far along in the process as you can be at his age," said EXPO team director Constantine Peters. "In the race that he competes in, they choose the world's team, and the top two riders get chosen to represent the U.S. at the World Championships. It's a pretty big race and gets the biggest draw of riders."

A different track

Warras qualified by placing fifth at the Subaru Cup Midwest Regional in June at Mt. Morris, Wis., earning a spot in the biggest race of the year during just his second season with the EXPO team.

Prior to that, Warras' athletic success took place in a more conventional venue - as a standout distance runner with the Waukesha West track and field and cross country team. He qualified for state in the 1,600 meters as both a freshman and sophomore, also taking fifth with his 4x800-meter relay unit in 2009. He also competed at state in cross country with West both years, taking 40th as a sophomore.

With the demands of training for those sports, Warras abandoned the biking he had started in middle school.

"I started to get burned out running 65 miles a week (in high school), and I had to put biking on hold in the fall and spring because I couldn't handle it," Warras said. "It was a huge jump in training. Running breaks down the muscle tissue because of the impact, and biking promotes it because it's a non-impact sport. My legs would get messed up for summer racing. I started not having fun running and wanted to focus more on biking."

Rough ride

That was good news for Peters, who inherited an athlete that benefitted greatly from the cross country training. Many cyclists, he said, build endurance through distance running or skiing.

"They'll do a race distance of about 20 miles and it takes them less than two hours," Peters said. "They're going cross country at a maximum heart rate for 1 ½ to 2 hours. … As much as cross country is a benefit, it also takes a toll because you're losing a chance to get base miles. All the cyclists he races against in his division are very competitive in Cat 1."

The courses themselves provide a very technical challenge.

"It's to the point where you or I would take a look at it and wouldn't even dream of sending a bike down a certain part of the trail," Peters said. "It definitely takes a lot of practice and training to get comfortable with the bike and go through certain technical parts of the course."

Peters said Warras abides by a routine consistent with elite cyclists.

"He's the example setter when it comes to focusing on a certain event and a certain goal," Peters said. "We have riders as young as 10 years old, 14 and 15, and you need a peer example."

Rocky mountain high

Warras was happy with his finish of 25th in Colorado.

"It's always hard being a Wisconsin racer or anyone not used to the altitude," Warras said. "Even with the training I got, at the top of the hill I could still feel myself deteriorate with every lap I did. I could feel myself getting weaker and weaker."

He was caught in the final 800 meters by fellow Wisconsin cyclist Greg Krieger, a Cedarburg native who will race for Colorado State next fall. Warras may not attend a university with a mountain biking program - he'd rather pursue engineering at either Wisconsin or Platteville - but he could easily transition to other kinds of bicycle racing.

"Your legs can take you wherever you want to go," Peters said. "Eighty to 90 percent of training in mountain biking is done on the road. He can put slick tires on the mountain bike and ride his mountain bike on the road during the week."

But nothing beats the rush of the hill.

"You can never get sick of it because there's always a new trail," Warras said. "There are always new conditions you can ride in. It's totally different when you're racing on dust or hard-packed dirt, and the next day it rains and now you have to put on the mud tires and it's like racing in snow. You don't know where your bike is going to go."