2009 Iceman Cometh -2009 Ice Cross

I was trying to remember when I first went up to this epic event, it looks like 2001, I was thinking 10 trips, but it's only been 9.After skipping 2008, my wife decided a change up was in order and we would leave town on Thursday night right after work with as many in our group as possible. It was a little bit of a hassle getting ready earlier in the week, but it certainly made the weekend and the drive much nicer for all involved. We slept in a bit Friday morning, eat breakfast, and continue the remainder of the drive to Traverse City.

Funny, I was looking over some past years finish times and they just don't seem so bad over the long haul. I think the biggest reduction was a few years ago, when I removed 20 minutes off my previous year time. I think those kind of time cuts are long gone. The last few years, it has been a battle over minutes, three, five, seven etc. This year I knew I was going into this race with better fitness than ever and I was hoping to sink in under 2 hours. My goal was 1:50 which is dang respectable in this event. The variable here is that for 2009, they lengthened the course.

I got a great spot at the line by my super sneaky move I planned all year after seeing it done at a few other races this year. It worked, I was right on the front row. At the buzzer we all went off like a cyclocross race start, fast and hard. I was sitting with the top 20 in my group all the way from downtown Kalkaska until we got to the double track and off the pavement. I settled in and got my HR down to a manageable place. I tried to play the pace game and sit on as many similar paced riders as I could, wait till they started to fade and move to the next rider. I managed to keep the front 15 leaders of my group in my sights until about mile 8 or so. I was ecstatic to keep with them that long. My pace line strategy seemed to work well, until I could not find many after mile 15 to ride behind. Many people were popping and most of those passing me were going excessively fast for me to get on board. As I neared some familiar sights along the course, I was surprised to learn how fast I had arrived at these sections. With 7 miles to go, the course difficulty goes up about 30%. More hills and fewer chances to pass. I looked at my time and put the hammer down watching an hour 30 min tick away. In my mind, I had 20 minutes to get to the finish. There was a guy riding the single track way slower than I was and I had to ask him a few times to move over, so I could get by. It’s always a brain tease, when you get close to the finish here, you can hear the sound system, the announcer, the crowd for a bit, then you turn away and ride back away from the finish, only to come back around to the finish in the Timber Ridge Campground.

I would say, this would go down as my favorite year out of the nine. Not just because of my finish time, but because of the great friends around in our Condo’s for the weekend. Ben did his first Iceman on a SS and killed it. Tim took 20 min off his last time and finished with Andy just under 2 hours at 1:59, Tim was very happy and should have been. Layne did very well and finished under 2 hours on his 29 custom SS.

Like my friend Ray said, it is a great tradition and I am sure will continue to be for a few more years.

Garmin 705 Ride Stats:

28.33 miles

14.5 mph - average speed overall

155 average HR

1250 Feet of elevation gain.

1:57 My new record time (1:50 for the past years Course-yeah I am giving it to myself)

I would say with the additional mile or so, I would have been at or within seconds of my predicted 1:50 finish time.

ICE Cross 2009
Sunday, we got up early to go race in a local Cyclocross series. Tim, Layne and I were the only suckers/idiots dumb enough to find the effort and energy to go race our cross bikes. Ben and Cara, bailed out of town and Andy decided to sleep. Julie and Jen both joined us to holler, shake a cowbell, and take pics and video.
This was one of my favorite cross courses yet this year. It flowed like no other this year and suited my skills to a tea. I never felt this fast all year. I could have done the hour (A) race after and been competitive or just done the A race and I think keep up with a few of the leaders. I had great legs and felt just amazing. So, with that, I had a great start, was second going into the single-track and sat on the guy in front, letting him pick the lines and find the way through the woods. I was having a hard time seeing; the sun was peering through the pine trees and remaining needles. The guy in front was keeping a solid steady pace and I was having no issues staying on his wheel or keeping with him. It was the guy behind me that came out of nowhere in lap two; I did not have the gas to stay with. He was killing it, come to find out, he is a Pro MTB’r from Michigan and an Elite level cyclocross racer. So….can you say sandbagger? WTF is he doing in the B race? Winning some stuff of course! Anyway, I was passed by another speedy demon at some point, but there were no others between myself and the finish. I got 3^rd PLACE! My best finish this year in a cross race.

I won a sweet winter under the helmet winter hat, which I really like and some sweet white sunglasses, which I bequeathed to my wife for her support and bike love.

Garmin 705 Stats:

Avg. Speed: 14.53 mph

30mph Max speed

Avg. HR – 154

(this is low for a cross race and I would imagine is a sign of fitness and or/being tired)

122 feet of elevation gain (yes flat course.)

USGP - Louisville, KY - and OVCX Gun Club

Ok, I need about 6 more hours in my day to get crap done, like type up race reports.

USPG was fun.
It was hard on Saturday, but better for me on Sunday.
I don't like sandbaggers, I don't like guys that race down. I don't like 15 year old kids that smoke me in every race.
Saturday's race - some clown with big red shoes and a cross bike that somehow got into my race, took me out into the netting just after the first mud trough. I went over the netting, my bike did not. He was shaking my bike and trying to get it off of his. I simply moved my bike forward and wa-hla. I am back to chasing the 40 dudes that just went riding by me. I never did feel 100% and spent about 3 laps finding my groove. Once I found it, I started picking off riders, but it was too late. I finished 45th out of 95 riders.
Sunday - many were tired from Sat's mud slog fest. I was not. I felt like a bazillion dollars. I managed to almost catch Katsu and do pretty well I think related to the other CAT 3's from the OVCX series. My result - 55th did not really show that for some reason. I felt like I was going to be like 35th or so....pretty disappointed to see the double nickle result. I believe there was about 90 guys registered to race, so I didn't quite make it to the top 50% which is always a good result for these big races.
It was a great day on the bike though, lots of power, lots of gas and I could run like a slow gazelle. My running has improved since the UCI weekend and that makes me happy. I held off Mason, Layne and Glen all racing in the SS class, who all started 30 seconds behind me. Glen caught me in the last lap but I beat him in the final sprint onto the finish pavement. Lots of things coming together now, so I am happy about that.

There was a cap city cross race over the Halloween weekend (on Saturday) which I decided not to race to save my virginity for the OVCX - Gun Club Race on Sunday. Jen and I did end up going out to the Uncle Steve's Cap CIty Race to cheer on some friends and family (Tim).
Shannon was there riding like his grandma. I knew he could ride faster, but my antics and crazy cross fan routine did not sway him to pedal harder or run faster. Tim and Layne were sitting 1st and 2nd in the B race for a lap or two, then got passed by James from Cincy Trek. He motored right by Layne and ended up winning, with Layne 2 and Tim 3. First time for Tim on the Podium, he was excited. Shannon did not make it to the podium, he was sad. Gamm showed up - first race back after a long vacation from racing. He killed it and got third. He beat Dan Cambell. Dan did not cry. Mason and Kyle both got drunk during their race. There was much beer consumed during and after this race. The fire was warm and so was the atmosphere. It was way more enjoyable for me to sit one out and show up as a spectator.
Jen got amazing photos and I got some great video on my Flip. Now if I just had 6 hours to edit all the video.

OVCX - Gun Club - Open 3 race -
I got friggen 10th!!! I was killing it. I felt great, legs felt great. We ran a ton. Mud and muck and peanut butter all over my shoes, bike, legs, etc. Clipping into the pedals was a chore after running through the mud and up the mud hillside. I was so so close to 8th and almost pulled in Mr. Tinsler from Darkhorse. James from Trek Cincy came around me on the last lap and stayed just far enough away I couldnt' close it down, then I fell on this very steep run up/hill. James offered to help me up as he ran by. Who does that in a race - James. He's the man. I think had I not slipped I might have been able to get him before the finish. I was just happy to trade spots with Nick T here and there. He's always been a great cross rider, a classy guy and someone that can ride his bike. Happy day for me to almost beat him. Tim got 13th and Markstein got 3rd < he was m o t o r i n g! I couldn't even come close to catching him. My man Vingris finished his race!

I am tired of cleaning my cross bike. I have spent more time this year cleaning my shoes and my cross bike than I have racing my cross bike. UGGGG. One more month and some change of races. I'll hold off the burnout and keep my fitness up and motivation and work towards top 5 in my OVCX cat.

Heading out tomorrow after work to Traverse City, Michigan for the Iceman Cometh Race.
it's a 27/28 mile point to point mountain bike race. Or a 2 hour Time Trial on a mtb bike :)
I'll post it up her for the record books, I am going for 1:50 minutes as my finish time. My best there is 2 hours. Legs and body are feeling great today - this week.