Lumberjack 100

Thursday night saw some of the worst storms on record for the Manistee area. In fact, as I watched the weather channel on the Friday before the race, they were saying 11 inches of rain had fallen over the course of the storm and Manistee declaring its town a disaster area! Luckily, the little town of Wellston had power so our accommodations for the weekend were still available.

Race day saw quite a crowd with many people nervously preparing their pit areas for the day’s racing. Looking around, it was apparent that the competition would be stiff. I prepared Cytomax, Perpetum and HammerGel to sustain me for the day, in addition to various other foods which I thought I might want as I coasted into the pits. At about 6:30 am all of us meet for the prerace, and headed up the Udell Rollways Rd. to start the race. An ominous foreshadowing of the trail conditions awaited us at the start; someone’s house along the road looked to be an island in a small lake of water!

The start was anticlimactic for me. I was at the back of the pack, as I had no intention of competing for hole shot on a race which could last as long as 12 hours. Months of training came down to this. Anyone reading this probably is familiar with the Big M race course, but the first climb is no joke. I enjoy passing people on the hills, but for this race I resisted the urge and trudged up the loose sandy hill with the rest of the racers. Unfortunately, I lost my restraint for the rest of my first lap. The trail conditions were excellent, and I was thoroughly enjoying having a full suspension bike with gears for the first time in 3 years. So I found myself blasting by large groups of racers who were smartly taking it easy and going slowly up the first lap’s hills, and elbowing my way on the down hills having a blast! There was one downhill at the end I past many flying down on the sides of the trail pedaling like a maniac pushing as much gear as my bike had! Felt like a million bucks flying through the shoot and stopping only to replace the bottles.

My subsequent laps were not as fun as the 1st lap. I had used too much of my energy goofing around for the first lap. In fact I was so tired I forgot one of my water bottles on the 3rd lap and had to nurse my supply till I reached the neutral aid station. Funny how anything edible and drinkable tastes as though it is the best food ever produced! For some reason, the 2nd lap was the hardest. It was frustrating to be riding so slow for me. I knew I was able to ride faster, but just couldn’t anymore.

While the trail was in awesome shape, there remained one exception, “THE SWAMP”. We’ve all done it, been so excited to ride after rain and had to pick our way around the foul smelling low areas of the trail where the collected refuse of the wild collects to ferment into a black goo. But imagine this area extended around on all sides! I rode through it all the first lap (cuz I was soooo excited to be passing people), but after emerging from this sump of goo, my bike with warned that in the future laps, it would not cooperate after being dunked in the muddy water. I abided my bikes wishes and carried it through this section for the remaining laps.

Other than “THE SWAMP” we could not have asked for better weather to race in! The weather was warm but not hot and a nice breeze was blowing throughout the day. Perhaps I will do this race again, but will change much in my training plan and race strategy. I was thrilled to have finished, which is all I really set out to do for the first 100 miler. As a racer though, I can’t help but wonder what I’m really capable of at an event like this. Not likely I’ll beat the course record of 6 and half hours! Perhaps a new goal to finish in fewer than 10 would be a more appropriate future goal for this race. In the meantime, I can take advantage of the extra endurance I’ve gained and use it in the local XC circuit!!! -T

Brighton XC race!!

It was a Hot Sticky June afternoon the night before had brought heavy rains to the area so the condition were tough! The Singlespeed class would start at just after 1 pm, between the Elites and Sport riders we had 13 going out. Here we go Robert hits the whistle and we are off, we wrap around the grass down by the lake up a short climb and hit the singletrack the group spreads out and I settle back in around 3rd position (i think),we come to a wide section and I pass the 2nd place rider easily and now in the hunt for #1 position, I spot him a short distance ahead of me and pass him on a long climb.

We ride for some time and I can hear a rider coming up behind me and its the rider I had passed on the climb he catches me and I let him pass me (dang!) lap 2 comes around and no change but I do hear another rider coming slowly behind me so I kick it up a notch and lose him, near the end of lap 2 I have a couple of falls in the slippery corners but maintain my lead.

Here it is finally lap 3 have not seen a rider in awhile a sport geared rider passed me and I slowly bring him in, I draft him when I can and we work together to finish out the race. We pop out of the singletrack and hit the last short section of park road to the finish line, I take one last look back and no one in sight sweet!!! I finish in what I think is 2nd place but find out the rider that passed me was in the Expert ss class and end up with a 1st place finish. I am Hot sweaty but very happy to have my first real class win in my 4 years of racing. I guess some extra miles on the bike have helped me out this year..
Biz!

The Mohican 100 is Bitter Sweet

Three members of the team traveled to Ohio to face 100 miles of the Mohican National Forest. As the team arrived the night shapped up like any other race. We registered, prepared the bikes and then went to sleep. This is where the race really began.

The night was humid, hot and our room held all that warmth. Then after a few hours of sleep some of us where woken up by the sound of thunder and heavy rain. Eventually we fell back to sleep only to be woke up by the shrill noise of our cell phone alarms. Already tired it was time to get ready to go to the start line.

As I pulled up to the start line I was tired and a little depleted from the humid night. I knew it was going to be a hard day when I was looking down the start line and all I could see was the mile long climb. After the announcements of last year’s winner and the primary sponsor Smith & Nephew the siren sounded and we where off, racing!

The mile long climb blew by and before I knew it we where into the single track. But not just any single track. Nope, last night’s rain made everything muddy and slippery. Rock, roots and grass all became points to negotiate. Within the first four miles of downhill trails I wreck twice but, that seemed to be the norm for the day.

For me, at aid station one my misery started to take a toll on my outlook of the race and by the time I hit the second aid station (36 miles in almost 6 hours! Six hours of hiking uphill and sliding downhill in the mud.) I was mentally out of the race. This was my first DNF (did not finish) in four years of racing not due to a mechanical problem.

As I made my way back to the lodge at the finish line I could only guess how the other members in the team where doing. I know they were in front but I was not sure where.

When I got back I waited for the Cycletherapy team to cross the line. After 10 hours our Elite racer crossed the finish line then a little over 12 hours our second rider crossed.

The conditions of the race course were the most difficult I have experienced. The hill climbs where double the elevation of anything we have in southeastern Michigan. Had the course been dry it would have been a blast to race. So, next year I will be back to get my revenge at Mohican.

Ed B.