Carl Nielson
Mount Diablo State Park, CA
Road Cat 3

• Aliases: NC4C [No Crits For Carl]; Sasquatch; Ranger Carl; Tights.
• Year of Birth: 1959.
• Marital Status: Married to Julie since 1985.
• Known Children: Austin, Montana, and Scott.
• Occupation: State Park Peace Officer [Ranger].
• Race Disciplines: Hilly road races, hill climbs.
• Race Highlights: Sea Otter RR in 2006 [3rd as a M40+ E5], Pesky RR in 2007 [3rd as M35+ 4/5] and 2008 [7th as a M45+], Mount Tam HC in 2006 [5th as a M35+ 4/5] and 2007 [7th as M45+]. Mtn. Challenge PR: 51:19.
• Riding Machines: Cannondale CADD 8 [training bike… my workhorse], Kestrel Evoke [primary racing bike], Wilier Izoard [team deal… couldn't pass it up], and Cannondale Furio [my MTB, a hardtail].
• Favorite Race: Toss up between Pesky RR and Mount Tam HC.
• Favorite Training Rides: Pavement and backcountry of Mount Diablo.
• Favorite Beverage: Fresh squeezed orange juice, followed by ice water with a sliced lemon.
• Favorite Pre-Race Meal: For dinner, pasta with a cream sauce; for breakfast, Trader Joe's Organic Granny's Apple Granola.
• Favorite Flick: Dead Again.
• Favorite Book: Monkey Wrench Gang by Edward Abbey.
• Five-tunes Playlist (artist/song): Forgiveness by Patty Griffin, 9 Crimes by Damien Rice, My Skin by Natalie Merchant, Somewhere Else by Kathleen Edwards, and Bad by U2.
• Hero/Heroes: Thomas Jefferson, John Muir, Alan Nielson, Napoleon Dynamite.
• Talents, Hobbies, Tidbits: My mom was from Japan; I saw the Grateful Dead closeout Winterland; I majored in geography; met my wife on the track at CSUH; member of the Arrowhead Hot Shots in 1983; spent a summer on the Chattahoochee; I don't drink sodas.
• If you could ask a dead person one question, who would the person be and what would be the question?: Too creepy for me.
• Mary Ann or Ginger?: I'll take the or as in oar, build a raft and get off this stinkin' island!
• If you were a character in a movie, who would you be? Outlaw Josey Wales.
• What, if anything, do you have left in life to accomplish? Bike across the country, hike the John Muir Trail, go to Europe, get a home in the Sierra foothills, beat Jon Ornstil at Mount Tam!