INFINIT Athlete: Josh Tostado
- 12 Jul 2016
Major Accomplishments:
4 time 24 Hour national Championship winner 2009, 10, 11, 14
2nd Place at 24-hour Solo Worlds 2015
2-time winner of Montezuma's Revenge 24-hour solo Race 2004, 05
1st place in Breck 100 from 2005-2010
4-time winner at 24 hours of Moab 2008, 09, 10, 12
Josh Tostado, or as many know him, "Toast", is one INFINIT athlete unlike most people you will meet. Josh thrives on pain and endurance, and this has led him to become one of the top distance mountain bikers in the world. Josh grew up in Maine where he learned to cross country ski and mountain bike. After a trip to Colorado, to ski the Arapahoe basin, Tostado was hooked. He told his parents that he would be moving to Colorado to be a ski bum and live out his dreams there.
After three years of living in his van and skiing in his spare time while working in a restaurant, Josh decided to test himself. He was well aware that he was able to ride his bike higher and longer than most, so he decided to enter a race. Tostado entered the 24 hour Montezuma's revenge race in Colorado, a race generally reserved for only the most experienced riders. In 2002, on very little practice Josh took on the race and placed fourth, shocking the rest of the competition. No one had ever seen a rookie dominate the competition like he did.
“Being able to rely on only liquids for fuel in races lasting an entire day is not something many can say they are able to do. Thanks to the isotonic blends developed by INFINIT and myself I have been able to solely rely on their products through my races. Keeping your hand on the handlebars through high intensity races is a must so avoiding bars and gels has improved my performance substantially.”
The following year Josh would again enter the Montezuma's revenge race, but this year he would claim first place easily and set records for both distance ridden and overall altitude change. 2005 would be different however; this year Josh would not only win by a landslide but also smash his previous records for both altitude and distance by riding 156 miles and climbing 32,350 feet in 24 hours. These numbers were thought to be both physically and psychologically impossible at the time but Toast proved once again, he was no ordinary mountain biker.
This would be the year that Tostado would really start to excel as a mountain biker winning both the Breck 100 and the Kona 24-hour Global series where he rode 280 miles in 24 hours. Pushing himself through races that take everything out of you has become Josh’s number one passion in life.
Along with strong self-motivation and a drive to be the best Josh always gives credit to the people around him for the success he has today. His parents allowed him to go chase his dreams in Colorado with their full support because they truly believed that Josh would be a success if he was allowed to go after what he loved. Josh also had a very supportive community in Breckenridge that were always willing to help when it was necessary. Tostado is not above admitting that without the support of those around him, life can get pretty overwhelming, both physically and mentally. Josh’s ability to overcome, and push himself farther than most athletes on earth, has truly solidified his spot as one of the greats in the sport of distance mountain biking and exemplifies what it truly means to be an INFINIT athlete.
“As I progress further in my mountain biking career I am excited to see what INFINIT comes up with, over the last few years I have seen them develop very simple products for athletes in all types of endurance sports while still being able to tailor to my needs. The new products they continue to develop have definitely made a difference in my longer distance races.”
2016 Season Update: Mr. Breck 100 Strikes Again
As luck would have it, Josh's van encountered some mechanical issues in July. This happened the weekend he was planning to travel to Oregon to race. With his travel plans ruined, he turned to the internet to see what he could get into around Summit County, Colorado, the area Josh has lived for over two decades. His luck made a U-turn when he realized that the Breck 100, his hometown race that he has won 7 times in the past 12 years, just so happened to be the same weekend!
"(The Breck 100) is such a great race. When you race something for so long you almost take it for granted, but even when I’m going to beautiful places with views of the Grand Tetons, or I’m in the Cascades with volcanic rock, Breck is still up there as one of the best 100-mile races in the country.”
Josh jumped at the opportunity to race the Breck 100 again, especially after taking last year off from the race. And turns out, he was back with a vengence. Having decided to race just days before the extremely challenging 100 mile mountain bike race, Josh ended up taking 2nd in his division and 2nd overall at the 2016 Breck 100.
“Altitude is definitely my strength,” Tostado said. “I’m also good with trail riding — anything that’s technical, singletrack, tight and narrow. The gnarlier, the better, and I try to seek those races out because that’s what I enjoy.”
Source: http://www.summitdaily.com/news/22942298-113/josh-tostado-aka-mr-breck-100-returns-to
Check out some of Josh's footage below:
