The 2017 racing season came to a close for this scribe Saturday at the Iceman Cometh Challenge in Kalkaska/Traverse City. And what a way to go out. A 29 mile jaunt (never used that word before) from downtown Kalkaska, through the Pere Marquette State Forest and ending at the eastern tip of Traverse City; it was a bear. Nephew Jackson had told me about the race before so I had to see what the fuss was all about in person. As the saying goes, "Have you heard of it? It's a pretty big deal." Starting with 35 riders in 1990 (looked it up), the race had close to 4,000 participants this year with a peak of 5,795 in 2014. There is your Iceman history for today.
I saw just about all of the United States represented in the parking lot via license plates, including our Canadian friends to the north. It was quite a scene to see.
The race itself seemed like a flashback of what I've seen throughout the last 25 or so years on the trails as every shape and size rider was represented. I passed and was passed by the hardcore rider, the beer belly rider with the tight riding shirt, the blue jean rider (seriously saw one Saturday), the ambiguously gay duos (not that there isn't anything wrong with it) with matching spandex outfits, the husband/wife riding together with a splash of bickering, the PMS rider (she was not happy when she didn't get the "on your left call" - ha), the plumber butt rider, the rider with the radio attached for all to hear (I don't want to hear your music), a few derailleur failures and many riders stopping to stretch their hamstrings (mine were on a 'code red' at about mile 20).
As the race isn't called the "Sun"-man, Saturday morning's weather as you can see in the attached radar picture was going to be interesting. My truck on the way to the shuttle bus parking lot said 33 degrees around 8 AM. I can handle the cold but keep that rain away; and thankfully besides a few spits here and there, it stayed dry for the most part up until I finished near 2 PM. The snow/rain that hit the night before, however, made for a slick surface throughout the trail. No 'lollylagging' allowed or down you go! Thankfully no spills or mechanical issues for me.
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| doppler about 2 hours before my wave start - thankfully held off until I finished |
As the race is from point A to point B and not a loop that ends where it starts, the organizers had to have a way to transport close to 4,000 people to the starting line. A series of coach buses for the riders and moving trucks for the bicycles; problem solved. The shuttle bus ride visual (picture below) had a little bit of everything in terms of rider moods. Some nervous, some equipment checking, some eating, some updating their social media status, some talking in funny accents and some taking pictures. I was looking at the snow on the rooftops as we rode along M-72 towards Kalkaska. I was also thinking, "damn, this is a little bit of a ride."
No, I didn't win my age class Saturday coming in 59th out of 80. I didn't win but as the saying goes, I was brave in the attempt. I'm still feeling it in the legs as I type this (waaa.....). I was seriously feeling good about my riding time but then looked up the professionals who did the same course about an hour faster than me. Thank you reality. I was one tired rider. My "on your left/right" calls while passing others early on in the race were clear and the passing was smooth but towards the last quarter with fatigue setting in, passing became a chore. You were happy to be able to mumble the "L" or the "R" as you grunted your way by some wet leaves. Body and brain in a duel. I loved it. I don't have a picture of it but I enjoyed the finish line scene. The last 200 yards or so wind through the crowd and while I was ready to hurl on said crowd, it made for a great capper to the season.
Trail Head
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| shuttle bus to the starting line |
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| 59th out of 80 in my age group |
