Breck Epic Stage 3 - The Circumnavigation of Mt. Guyot

Halfway done with the Breck Epic and the legs are telling me that they want to be done. The alarm goes off at 6:00 am and so i can get the drop bags full up with needed supplies. A couple stages have 3 stations that they will bring a designated bag but generally it is two. I have been packing them up with a couple bottles with some carb powder which will be filled with water when at the aid station. On the first stage and this third stage i packed rain gear but fortunately, no rain. On stage 2, i packed no gear and Poof! sleet and rain. I am gonna pack it so it doesn't rain going forward. I may just have that power. In any case, i then take the drop bags to the designated spot and head back for some oatmeal and pb toast breakfast. Come 7:45, i'm kitted up and out the door to warm up the legs. This morning needed some warming but they were feeling alright. At 8:30 am, the race is on.

Today's stage took us to the highest point in the Breck Epic, 12,000 ft. As normal the climbing begins right away out of town. This time id ducked into single track after a few miles and i fortunately made it through the bottle neck fairly quick. The climbing kept going on and on but it was handled. I was making good time until the next ascent...which is where everyone had the time stop. This is the major climb of the day but i would say it was more of a 1000 ft ascending hike. The trail was rough and the breathing was rougher. Here is a pic of only halfway up.

That was a long slough above the tree line. Payback for that was a super sketchy downhill that lead to some good stuff. As the downhill waned, the uphill started again. Another long climb along some jeep trail that folks were driving up to check the view at the top. It was a nice view, i admit but after that climbing, i wasn't gonna loiter. I had to stop a few times on that climb to catch the breath for 20 seconds. The downhill after that though was so rocky, rooty, sketchy, and full of fear! I am not much of an enduro/downhill guy so i gotta say, there was much fear out there. It was so bumpy, my chain was through off once. After that, the momentum was gone and i fell down a couple times. i wasn't going fast so that does cause it somewhat. One of the falls bashed my seat into my leg. Ouch! Gotta sore spot there still so that will have to get worked out on the mountain tomorrow. I was so happy when that descent was done that the next batch of uphill was a welcomed safe zone. My legs didn't like it though. I had to pause a couple times to breathe and a couple times to hike a bit. Once crested, the trail went down, up a little, and down and up a little and eventually to the finish. It ended up being around 32 miles or so and 6500 ft of climbing...Oof!

Breck Epic Stage 2 - The Colorado Trail

Post day 2 feelings are much better than after yesterdays stage. The legs responded well today and they feel good...for now. The day started in town and as the norm to string out the masses, climbing is first on the agenda. This was not so bad but what really strung it out for me was a brief downhill section. The single can't keep up to geared bikes on the road so coast i did with a couple of other single speeds. The climbing then began in earnest on a gravel road. Before too long it was onto the sketchy jeep trails and that was where the grunts began. The crowd and the rocks made for a climb not conducive to utilizing momentum so there were a few spots where i had to hike briefly to get past roots or rocks. Very little time spent on the feet though so that encouraged me. The trail leveled out for a short break and then began to climb again. Made it up that and a super sketchy descent with baby head rocks all over. Survived that and took in some single track.

I was feeling pretty good still and keeping a good pace and then my chain fell off. Rats. Gotta stop and get that back on which is a bit frustrating when the rhythm get thrown off. get that on with the quickness and got going again. Rolling on and the chain fell off 4 more times so i found some shade and took the tools out. Got that tightened up, took a few pix

Got to climbing after that and it went up and up and up to 11,200 ft. Stopped twice briefly to catch my breath but predominantly road that beast. Getting near the top, it started to rain a bit. That was incentive to get off that dang mountain!! By the time i reached the descent, it was sleeting. Fricken cold Yo! Was going down a bit to fast at one point and bounced into the side of the trail and went down. Wasn't too bad but got a scratch on the forehead. Helmets save much recovery time FTW!. Got back on it and it was raining and sleeting and the trail was getting full of water. Descended through more sketchy parts and the trail was a little halfpipe of death. Caught the side of it and fell again. This was a bit rougher on the knee but all the parts were there and the bike survived. Got back on and rode it off. The rest of the way had a little climb and downhill through the trees and then a longer climb up a logging road. After that it was the descent to the finish.

Today took just over 4.5 hours while yesterday took just over 4 hours. It surprised me that this stage took longer since i felt that i was moving steady since there was little time off the bike...outside of repairs. There was around 5000 feet of climbing over the 37 mile course. Hopefully the sleep will come willfully tonight since me thinks tomorrow will be a big day.

Breck Epic Stage 1 - Pennsylvania Creek on the Singlespeed

Finally logged miles at the Breck Epic and it was as tough as expected and as awesome as well! To get a bit warmed up before the 8:30 am start, i got on the bike about 45 minutes earlier. I road to the start and then climbed up the race course on the road. All was feeling good and right when the announcer stated that there was 20 minutes to the race start, my pedal fell off. Doh! WTF, right? A quick decision was made and i made for the condo and busted out the slick park took pedal wrench and got that beast back on there with the quickness. It was then a dash to the end of the line up. No biggie being at the back. My goals for this race are to finish each day and hopefully represent MN on the lowlander singlespeeder front.

The start was just outside of town and after the Go!, there was a neutral roll out for .5 miles on our first climb. It wasn't too bad climbing on the road for the first couple miles. It was just crowded as the 350 or so riders observed the yellow line rule. I met another singlespeeder who had done time in Minneapolis and said he was on a 32x19. Looking back, i don't know how he could do each day at that gear. It looked like he was on a 29er so...i will track him down and ask if he is switching to a 20. At the 2 mile mark, it was into the single track. As to be expected, this led to some stop and go along the trail. Fortunately it wasn't for a ridiculously long time but that first taste of Breckenridge single track was sweet. It didn't take long to get to more climbing. This is when the trail started to put on the curb stomp. The trails up were often full-o-rocks and long! Climbing, climb, hop off and hike-a-bike, climb, hop off...until the top for some thrilling downhill action which often led to more climbs. The climbs were not solo either. There were always other folks that i was ding-donging with going up the hills and down. I would make some space on the downhill and singletrack but going up, my hiking often pushed me backwards. I can't blame not maintaining momentum on the other folks climbing in easier gears as an excuse, fitness above all is the issue but that elevation added a bit as well as the desire not to blow my wad on the first day. There be plenty of up and down time to be had. In any case, the first 14 miles had a number of crushing climbs.

The first feed zone was at mile 14 and i had some snax and a water bottle with EFS mix in it to switch out. Usually i carry everything on board but not knowing how my body would react got me over-planning. The volunteers were great and i made it through real fast. There was some nice single track, sketchy downhill speeds, and hike-a-bike sections until the next feed zone at mile 20. Those 6 miles went relatively fast so that felt good. From there, more climbing, hiking, white-knuckle descending, stream crossing, single track goodness, roots, rocks and then there were only 4 miles to go. the trail spilled out to a rad briefly and back into some single track climbs up a bunch of berms and then down a whole mountainside of them until the end in Breckenridge where the wife, kids, and mother-in-law were waiting.

The altitude put the hurt on me but as the trail descended back toward Breckenridge, i started feeling better. Those last 5 miles or so went well so hopefully the legs recover and after another day, i will not have as much difficulty at 11,000 ft. The stage was dusty in parts and i picked up some WD-40 dry chain lube yesterday and it worked well...so hopefully i get a check in the mail for the plug. In any case, the stage was about 35 miles with around 5100 ft of climbing. As always i tried to keep the carbs coming in but came up a little short on my goals during the race...i am not including the bfast of oatmeal and pb bagel. I will mix the energy drink a bit thinner but carry two on board between each aid station. Gonna crack this carbo load gorilla.

Prelude for the Breck Epic

Tomorrow is the day...I will be embarking on one of those bucket list things. For the last 7 years or so, my racing has been leaning toward the endurance. Many of those exploits have been documented on this blog or on an outdated team blog. From 100 mile gravel races to 100 mile mountain bike races to 380 mile gravel races and now, to a 6 day mountain bike stage race. The Breck Epic takes place in Breckenridge, Colorado and is the start and finish of 6 days of racing up different routes. The distance each day range from 30 - 45 miles with total elevation changes each day between 4800 ft and 8100 ft of climbing. Now that sounds like an adventure that will stick with a person forever.

I was first intrigued when I was talking at the Maah Daah Hey in 2014 with Tommy E. about his exploits on the Heavy Pedal Tour. From what he was describing, the beauty, challenge, terrain, and organization all got me slobbering like Pavlov's dog. I got to looking into it right after returning from North Dakota. I found out they had a singlespeed class and i was in!!! I registered and got to letting my fitness go something fierce. Last year's CX season was plagued with a foot issue so laying off that and getting past Thanksgiving, i was ready to start with some training time.

I don't have the know to get myself ready for a day after day climbing fest based at 9500 ft and only going up. Continental divide you say, over it many times. Recovery and the lungs were what put the fear into me. I made the jump and got a coach. Shout out to Coach Fiona Lockhart!! Since the beginning of December, i have been riding longer on the weekends and shorter sessions for 3 days during the week. I have sprinkled some racing in there too and the results have been as good as they have ever been which is not so bad since I be all old and isht. Werd! Also a shout out to the family for putting up with my time spent on the bike. Much Love Y'all!

Speaking of the bike, my Ti Kona Raijin frame got bent outta shape at the end of June. There were some gremlins at work there. So a mad dash to get a new singlespeed frame was on. A week and a half before i was to leave, Gene O. got me hooked up with an aluminum Santa Cruz Highball 29'er and Chuck C. came up with the scandium Kona Big Unit. That Highball got those cartoon hearts popping up all over me so parts got switched and i got to riding. Really dug the new whip. Rode it around on some town trails and for the marathon class at a Minnesota Mountain Bike Series race. The riding was outta sight and I'm stoked to put it to the test. I am rolling a 2.4 Maxxis Ardet in the front on a RockShox SID something and a Continental XKing 2.2 on the rear hardtail. The Raceface Turbine cranks are set up with a 32 chainring connected to a 21 tooth Surly cog in the back. I brought a 20 and a 22 so as the race progresses, i figure on switching if needed. The hubs are DT Swiss 240s hubs are laced to Stans ZTR Crest rims for a tubeless ride. I picked the 21 because of the climbing and elevation and figured the 22 would be a bit too spinny for the most part.

So the bike, the training, the road trip to get here, the registration is all done and now it comes down to putting some items in the drop bags. I will be wearing a camelback for water and carrying a water bottle on the bike filed with energy drink. There are generally two aid stations for the drop bags so i will have another water bottle in each bag. I figure on filling up on water at each station to top off the camelback. I will also include a couple Honey Stinger waffles and an Enervitine cheer pack in each bag for the win. Some extra clothes with be stashed too. Oh, a tube will be in each bag....just in case.

As for what i forgot at home...i fricken forgot my Garmin so no nifty garmin files will be loaded and logged. Shucks! I will try to post each day of how everything went and all those impressions. Stay Tuned!

Maah Daah Hey 100

For the last couple of years I have wanted to take up the challenge of doing the Maah Daah Hey 100 in a day. Ripping through the North Dakota badlands in the August sun definitely sounds like a challenge. This year I got it on the calendar early...like right after they opened registration. Since the race is in August, I would be rocking the single speed. The gears were taken off the day after the Royal 162 but the carbon niner fork remained. The decision was to ride it rigid but the gearing was still unknown. I got to asking around, did some research on the interwebs, and came up with a plan. Since i rock the 38 in the front, i did some math and decided a 22 in the back should work out well for the climbs and distance. 38x22 was a go and the last thing was tires. To aid in some suspension, i went with a 2.4 in the front. A little extra cushion to absorb some of the pushin' is a great help before too long.

So the bike is in order and we got up to the CCC campground on Thursday evening in time to set up the tent and crack a beer before gazing at the moon. On Friday, we got a taste of the trail. We met up with Chris Skogen and the Rochester posse. The singletrack started right from the campground and we were in it. The first couple miles are flowy and then the climbing begins. A series of switchbacks made for a good climb. Only one of them was a bit of trouble because of erosion but the gear was fine to make the climb. At the top, the trail provided an amazing view of the the badlands. Amazing was all i can say. The trail made for some great recovery and dodging the fresh cow pies made for even more excitement. We got about 5 miles in or so and turned around. A taste was had and the rest of the day was for prepping and relaxing.

Just before 7:00 am I was lined up in the campground with about 100 others who were either in for doing the 100 solo or part of a team. I got to talking with a few other single speeders and there was a 32x18 and a 32x20 represented. Having another with virtually the same gearing, 32x20, gave me some confidence that is was the right choice. When the gun went off, i got off to a leisurely pace. There were many miles to go and i always feel better when starting slow and get into the rhythm. During the first couple miles, i past a few people who were going at a bit slower pace than i wanted and when we got to the switchbacks, i was able to keep up or jump off and briefly jog since the pace was too slow for me to continue momentum in the climb. The guy behind me said i was doing fine so i didn't pull over and stayed with it. The top came quickly and i was feeling good and riding with Ben Oney and Alex Oenes. That was a pleasure. The trail was nice, the air was cool, the legs felt great and a good time was had. I kept in my comfort zone and was having a good ride. I held a few of the cow gates for some people and in turn, they held them for me as we continued to roll. The gates were along the trail at times to make it through the fencing. I was often hopping of my bike to open them to make sure they did not come crashing down on my back wheel. There were a number of climbs and arroyo crossings. Some of those crossings were forced dismounts since the entrance was really unrideable, for many reasons like steep or erosion. The sights were awesome though and the field was thinned out considerably.

I rolled into the first checkpoint at 25 miles and was happy to hear that i was second single speeder through. I was around the 20th person and the first single speed was 3rd...that blew me away and i was wondering how that would hold up as the sun got higher. It was already starting to bring some heat but it really wasn't too bad. I refilled my water, got the mix together for the bottles and changed out some snacks. For hydration i had on a Camelbak for water and two large bottles with drink mix. For food, i was eating on some Honey Stinger waffles and checkpoint banana provisions. I left the checkpoint with Ben and i was feeling good. We rode together for a while but at some point, i rode away. I didn't feel like i was hammering or anything but my pace was matching my enthusiasm. The legs felt good and i did too. More ups and downs and the Little Missouri was crossed. I was warned about little rocks and sand that will get in the shoe so after the river, I made the climb to the second checkpoint at the 50 mile mark where a pair of dry socks awaited.

The sun was getting to be unforgiving like Clint Eastwood so hydration was essential. I found my drop bag and realized that it was the bag i wanted at the 3rd checkpoint. There goes a bit of my food/caffeine/light carrying strategy. I got to mixing up the water bottles, ate some chips, changed socks and took off. After 300 yards, i realized i didn't refill my Camelbak so i turned around and got that water on. I know the second 50 was a bit more manageable than the first but I was already 5.5 hours in the race and this next stretch was full of more sun...there was on little bits of shade from a tree here or there along this trail. The sun is really the hardest element on this trail and the full afternoon was upon me. For the next couple hours, I could feel my core temp rising. Around the 65 mile mark, i started taking it real easy on the climbs and walking some to try to cool down. I would take a couple breaths in the bits of shade that would sparingly come by. My pace was grinding to nearly a halt but I really wanted to stave off heat exhaustion. Around mile 70 or so, a fellow single speeder caught me and we rode a bit together. On a climb, i scampered away which allowed me to arrive in checkpoint 3 first. We were there together and i drank a coke and was looking forward to the final push. I tried to eat a bag of chips but was not able to finish it...that should have been a sign, but i was beginning to feel a bit recovered so i took off.

This final section was predominantly a drop in elevation but there were plenty of little climbs to put some hurt on this guy with a heated core. I made it well for 6 or 7 miles but the going got tough. On what was unknown to me, I pulled up on the last of the longer climbs of the section. I found some shade to sit a spell and get rid of my dizziness and take in some electrolytes.

As i sat there, the fellow singlespeeder from checkpoint 3 passed. In time, a woman on a single passed me too. Then a guy muscling up with a fatbike. At this point, i was probly sitting there for 20-30 minutes. I got on the bike and made my way to a road crossing at mile 90 where i know folks would be. At the crossing, i doused myself with some water and sat a spell again in the shade. My 13 hour finishing goal was fading fast but i was confident i would finish...that was the true goal. After i took off from there, i saw no one until mile 101. It was another single speeded. Apparently the guy who was killing it in the beginning race faded and was trickling in. That invigorated me and the final downhill descent to the pavement and the ride to the finish line was all good. I rolled in with a time just under 13.5 hours and the 3rd single. The top male and female single speeds past me as i sat in the shade. Much respect to them for handling the heat better than i...fo sho! When looking at the results of the race, i saw that i was slated in the Open category and was 15th...I'll take it despite registering and riding single.

A lot of people thought i was crazy to ride the trail fully rigid. There were times when the cattle hoof prints made for some bumpy terrain, especially on the descents. My wrists were fine after the race and the next day driving back, they were AOK. Come Monday when i started typing on the computer though, that they got to hurting. Typing is rough on the wrists and i think i am gonna strike it rich by inventing some suspension for keyboard usage. I'll include the quickstarter campaign when i get the prototype up and running. All in all though, the gearing was right on. No hills were too steep to climb, i could set a good pace and stick to it, but the failure was salt intake. Next time i do something like this, i am bringing chicken stock and not messing around anymore. The end was at a campground where the needed shower was so good. The only issue though was the lack of eating choices. They were all a few blocks away in town and missing the shuttle back to the campground did not sound like a pleasant way to spend the evening. I do recommend putting this race on the to do list. It is amazing terrain and very well organized. The volunteers were so friendly and helpful. Kudos to Nick for the event and would consider doing it again...but i hope to have a little better heat management skills by then. Below is the fine stats provided by Garmin

The Royal 162

The Royal 162 is the big brother of the Almanzo 100 gravel road race created and organized by Chris Skogan. The Royal starts and ends in Spring Valley, MN. Along the mostly, and i mean nearly entirely, gravel roads, one can really take in the beauty of spring in southern Minnesota/northern Iowa. The gravel roads take you in and out of the valleys, along creeks and streams, thru Amish communities, and by many-a-barn. A great way to spend the day is about all I can say.

The day started with a welcomed wake up after an in-and-out of sleep night. The sandwich and other snacks previously packed started the morning off right and the sun ensured a good mood for the bike ride to the 7:00 am start. Folks started approaching from all directions and it looked as if there would be more than 100 starters. Shortly after Chris' question, "Are you sure you know what you are getting yourself into?" he started the lead out through the town and onto the gravel. The flat start low pace allowed for the legs to stretch and get a bit warmed up. Some How-Do's were made to folks I didn't see at the start and after a few miles, the pace started to gain a bit and some thinning of the herd happened. I was chasing on with the lead pack for at most a mile and decided that was not gonna work out for my grand scheme of finishing. I eased up and rode with a few riders in a very unorganized way for the next 15 miles or so. Along the way, I was amazed that there were folks already out and cheering the cyclists! We passed a family with a number of kids cheering in chairs and ready for the long haul for when the large throng of Almanzo 100 riders makes their way through 2 hours later.

So after twenty miles into it, i started to get into the rhythm. The climbing was finding it's pace and the day was feeling good. I ended up rolling solo through the Preston turn around mile 40. Flashing back on a number of the previous times I had made this turn, I was liking how I was feeling. I was thinking the 60 degrees and sun was what a guy needed to hammer out these miles. The wind at this time was picking up a little bit but it was not too bad...that always brings out the fear that it has been at the back the whole time. About this time, the Royal left the familiar roads of the Almanzo and embarked on its turn to Iowa. I was looking at the cue cards trying to pinpoint it based on memory but first of all, my memory has more holes than a prairie dog town. Second of all, I remembered some of the sights from doing the Alexander last year.

There was some amazing scenery and things were rolling real well until about mile 70 when I flatted.



It was a real nice place to get to tube replacing...next to a nice stream and shady. About 6 or 7 people by rode mostly in groups of two while i was working and each one asked if i needed help. Some quality camaraderie, am I wrong?? I got everything all wrapped up and caught up to 4 of them and we rode into Iowa and that was where the wind was hiding. Bam! That wind was an instant factor. There were a few initial breaks where the cues turned us out of the wind only to turn us right back against with the quickness. There was then a 7 mile slog against the wind. I was riding with 4 where only one other was willing to take pulls...as Q-Bert says, "!#@%#$!" I was getting faded from all that running against the wind like Bob Seger. There was then some quicker turns in and out of the wind which was like a false flat because a 5+ mile headwind stretch hit like Mike Tyson. Each of these stretches allowed for riders to be caught and also allowed for riders to drop. A few got away but a few did not. I finished that stretch well worked and riding solo. At the turn north, i fumbled with my cue cards to switch pages, and i came to a full stop on the gravel. My front wheel must have hit some funky spot or i just got funky and the Iowa countryside wasn't having none of it. I was fortunate though to have my arm warmers still on so my elbow got all scratched up but protected from the gravel bits. The hip to the brunt of the fall and it felt like it. Oof! The only thing to do when that happens is get up, gather the cue cards before they blow all over the place, and get to moving before everything tightens up like the Black Keys!

This was the 90 mile point and the bottom of this cue card held the statement that at mile 104, the merge back to the Almanzo course would happen and that meant more folk to come across. Having company is a nice carrot so I pressed on like the full court. Entering the course was invigorating. That didn't last too long though, the wind was going on and each stretch was no joke but the goal was to get to Forestville at mile 120 and refill the water. I was hoping to see a few people and step off the bike briefly. I wasn't disappointed! There was a grip of folks out BBQing and having a good old time. I rolled up to the Tam Radish tent and it was going on. I got to say, "Hey!" and shake some hands. Lots of positive vibes going on there so that was a boost. I took a minute to fill up on some water and was there long enough to get offered a Hamm's and hot dogs. That Hamm's lived up to its name of the beer refreshing and the salty, meat bits broke the sugary energy blasts that had been downed for the last 120 miles.



Good times but the urge to finish was strong so i got back on the whip and embarked on the climb up Maple Road...ugh. I always remember that one.

After that, I whipped into the river crossing. It is amazing how refreshing that water is. I gotta say though, it was harder to navigate all the people taking their shoes off than it was to make it through the stream without tripping on rocks. With a refreshing feeling in the legs and much water in the shoes, the 10 miles to the wall of Oriole Road went by quickly. At the turn onto Oriole at the base of the hill, a quick assessment was necessary. There were people scattered all over the place and it looked as if parts of the hill were eroded and other parts were storing inches of gravel to be used to repair the damaged bits. Not much for a good line to be seen so i gots to climbing. Pedaling slowly passed folks walking there was a lot of look up ahead, look down on the line chosen, look up ahead as someone waking in the line, pass, look down at the line, look up ahead at a criss-crosser making his way to my line, look down and say on the left and pass. I made it to the top and took on the longest 10 miles of the whole ride and the final hill. Much wind was fought and all i was thinking was last climb...last climb. That came and had many more lines to choose from so making my way through the walkers was easier. With the last hill crushed, the wind tried to break me but none of it was had. The approach to Chris' outstretched hand was welcomed after 11 hours and 20 minutes. Looking at the Garmin details, I was on less than an 11 hour pace when moving, but then I would not have enjoyed that beer as much.

Heck of the North 2013

So it has been a bit since my last post and the other things in life took precedence. I co-organized the Westside Dirty Benjamin, went to Panama, got bronchitis, thought I beat that until I got diagnosed with pneumonia. Seven weeks later, I'm looking at the changing leaves and riding in the beautiful the Heck of the North, 103 miles of gravel, snowmobile trails and some pave. I chose to ride my rigid 29er with 32 mm Vittoria CX tires single speed set at 38x17. I figured my legs would like that after the extended time off the bike. The last time I did the Heck was 4 years ago and I rode it fixed. That was the first and last gravel century I have done fixed.

The adventure really began a couple weeks before the Heck when I secured a ride and with it, a cabin to stay in with a large group of folks. I was stoked on not driving, hanging with the fellow gravel junkies and meeting new ones. The weather of late has been pleasant and so the forecast for rain on the day of the Heck was received with a bit of trepidation. Will it be a cold rain? Will it turn every road to peanut butter? Will the rain not be so bad until after a few hours of riding in it? How will the snowmobile trails be in the rain? The answer to all those is prepare and come what may!

Waking up for the Heck after a late night of socializing was a bit hazy but it was warm out. My belly was giving me troubles from either pre-race jitters or eating some cheese on the pizza feast the night before...I knew it wasn't the beer because that was still in my head. Everything was gathered, prepped and we made it to the start with about 30 minutes to spare. I checked in and talked with some fellow graveliers including Dana Hendrickson with whom I went to high school many years ago in the prior century.

I lined up at the start with a cranky belly and hoped to ride it off. The start sent us off on rail grade/snowmobile trails and folks were flatting left and right. The trail got to some soft, muddy sections and I saw a few over the bar incidents. I loved the section! Except for the parts where the people in front of me forced me to stop, most of the sections were very ridable and enables those mountain bike skills to shine. I really like it when these long endurance races mix it up and throw some challenging off-road, off-gravel miles at me.

After 18 miles, the trails and gravel lead us to a four mile stretch of pavement. My goal for the ride was to keep an average of 15 mph and not worry about placing. What this means to me is that I would start at my pace, latch onto a group, ease back when the hammering got too long, ride solo until the next group caught up and do it again. I was with a group of 3 or 4 on the gravel and onto the pave. I kept up with them for the next 10 miles and then eased back and kicked at my own pace. Then the trickiest turn of the whole race appeared at mile 32, a right turn onto the North Shore State Trail which looked like a little path. I passed it and went about 100 yards up before I turned around and notices some folks stopping there who were behind me. They seemed hesitant so i jumped in before I could get stuck behind them. This trail started with a number of soft mossy spots that killed all momentum. After that short stretch, the riding got fun and included a number of mud pits. After a little climb, the trail dried out and was a blast.

Up until this point, my belly was not cooperating but I pressed on like a set of fake fingernails. The trail was fun and I didn't want to sour that with the egg beater twisting up my guts. After the trail I was out on the road again like Willie Nelson and got into my own rhythm. This is around the time the rain started....somewhere after mile 40. I was rolling with folks but hanging on wheels led to sand in the teeth and on pave, a complete dousing. I let a few guys go who I was rolling with on the pave to save my legs for later in the race. As I was riding solo, a group of about 10 pace lined by me and I jumped on. I was stoked to see 3 women in the group and everyone was going at a good pace. With that many folks, I decided to stay near the front to eat less sand and drink less spray. Around mile 52 we were passed in the oncoming direction by the leaders of the race. The race course had recycled parts so that was cool to see them rolling and hammering away. We then started on the descent into Duluth. The belly was screaming so a pit stop was made and I put an end to that issue.

The climb up Seven Bridges Road went well and the next stop was the checkpoint at about mile 60. I snacked on some jerky and got on my way. I didn't have a drop bag...I think I did that once on my first gravel century but I like the challenge of carrying all I need so those stops are a quick in and out. I lost my larger group due to the pit stop but i was rolling at a good pace. I ended up latching on with 3 other guys and rolled with them as we passed folks heading to the checkpoint. I was feeling good 70 miles in despite the rain and deteriating gravel conditions. I was getting completely covered with grit on the gravel. At mile 76, a four mile stretch of pave in the rain cleaned me off, relatively, and I was looking forward to mile 80 to give shouts out to the rouge support group. I didn't want to stop because I would have started freezing my ass off in the rain but it was so good to see Alex, Paul and Lucy!

The next stretch of gravel was soft and took some energy to pedal through. I ended up feeling good enough to ride away from the 3 guys with whom I was riding. I was aiming for the finish and wanted to try to get there within 7 hours. I ended up catching up to Charlie Farrow at this time who was also riding single. I was stoked to see him. We got to talkin about our kids and the high school mountain biking that is kicking up in MN. He is a real class act and we hit the trail section together beginning on mile 93. He was worried since his chain was often falling off and as I got to concentrating on struggling through some muddy pits, I stopped hearing him behind me. I looked back and only saw trail. I hoped all was well but I was beginning to fade fast so I needed to get to the finish. The going was slowing and I knew I was not gonna make the 7 hour mark. I started to get dizzy with about 5 miles to go and 3 miles out, I just kept telling myself that is was only the same distance around Lake Calhoun away. I drooled myself in at the 103 mile mark in a time of 7 hours 10 minutes. I turned around from the check in table and saw the car and started putting my bike on when Jessica and Loretta jumped out and gave a shout. As much as I really enjoyed the ride, that felt real good to see them and knew I was that much closer to the cabin for food and a shower.

The Kona Raijin really feels good as a gravel beast and the Vittoria Cross XG Pro tires felt good as they have all year. I rode them at 40 psi which is a bit lower than usual and I liked it. As usual, I carried too much food. I ended up eating about 6 Gu Chomps, an Enervitine cheer pack, 2 Honey Stinger Waffles, some beef jerkey, two tall water bottles filled with carb/water mix, and my camelback of water. I would have felt better taking a bit more food in or grabbing a Coke at mile 80 but whatever. Big shouts to Alex, Mike, Bjorn, Jessica, Lucy, Murray, Ashley, etc. who all took time to cook or prep at the cabin. Shouts to Garrick and Paul for making fire. Great time with Tam Radish.