Arrowhead

Now the norm, Kershaw and I car-pooled up together again early Sunday AM for AH135 2013, version 4 for both of us, and shacked up this year at the Tee Pee, which is a step up from the chlorine infested other hotel we've been staying at the last couple years.  There's no 90 degree pool area to display your ride, but the drive up rooms come complete with a ground tarp as you check in, nice touch.  Somehow the year goes by busily, and even though we live 2 miles away from each other, we rarely get to talk much, so it's always a nice time.  Ditto for the gear check/pre race meeting, with each year at the Arrowhead and other endurance events, you meet more and more folks and it's getting to be the favorite part of the weekend, you wish you could schedule a weekend slumber party sometime to hang out more.

The Race is getting more popular, and more competitive, with a deep field for the biking category.  The usual suspects, Oatley, Breitenbach, Dittmer, Doom, Tri, Andre, McFadden and Yore back with a year of experience, and a bunch of potentially competitive rookies like Ek, Parsons, and Gorilla.  A top 10 was going to be tough.  The preride on the soft snow Sunday afternoon pretty much convinced me no records were going to be broken and it was going to be a tough/slow slog, but a 20 minute ride Monday morning proved different, even the town track had set up with a super hard and fast narrow line down the middle, even though the temps were a balmy 27 degrees.  I did some last minute gear changes, essentially stashing all my extra clothes in my car, and lined up for the start.  Literally 30 seconds prior to the gun start, there was mention of 4-8 inches of snow Monday night and I questioned my choice of ditching all my extra clothes, but it was too late to grab them. 

We took off en masse, and after not too long, I was in front of the peleton.  I found the fast narrow track and just stayed up front, pushing the pace a bit, my tire pressure was perfect, and I figured/hoped people would be fiddling with gear and tire pressure and fall off the back.  The 10 mile stretch to the Arrowhead Trail went by quickly, and as we turned, I was surprised there were only 5 of us; Tri, McFadden, the two Alaskans, and myself.  As it warmed up over the next 1-2 hours, the trail softened up and got slower, especially as it wasn't as hard packed as closer to town, but still faster than expected.  I thought since the 5 of us had gotten clear, the pace would ease up a little, but it never did, particularly pushed by Breitenbach and Oatley.  I was starting to feel it, especially with too high tire pressure, jealous of 140 lb Breitenbach just floating over the snow. 
By 9:30 my legs were hurting, I asked Oatley how he was feeling, "Like I'm 20 miles into a bike race" he replied, I felt 100 miles into one! At 9:45AM I stopped and let out some air, then rode hard for about 10-15 minutes to try to catch back on to the group of 3 ahead, but could only watch them power away slowly, and my legs totally died, feeling like they were full of lead.  The 30 minutes it took to get to Gateway were so hard I seriously considered quitting, riding right past the checkpoint to Hwy 53, turning right and riding back to I Falls, as bad as my legs felt I couldn't imagine riding another 100 miles.  I realized why people quit at Gateway.  But of course the shame of all the cheering volunteers, and knowing my wife and kids would be so mad at me, I circled the orange cone and headed back up the trail, feigning a smile.  

But my Arrowhead had changed, I went from race mode to ride mode.  I shifted into my smallest gear and spun, telling myself no matter who or how many passed, I wouldn't chase or shift until my legs were feeling better.  It didn't help that the trail felt like riding on fly paper or it was so warm my Sporthills felt like I had down snow pants on.  It took over 2 1/2 hours to get my legs back where I felt comfortable going more than about 4-5 mph.  Tri and I yo-yo'd for awhile, and Ben Doom came by which was great as we got to chat for a long time, but I finally had to send him ahead as the effort was too much for me.  Instead of racing, I did some ITI training, bike pushed all the hills, sampled new food, even looked forward to the predicted snowstorm and thought about doing a bivy overnight.  

By MelGeorge's I started feeling a little better, especially after drinking about a liter of Coke, and rode the hills OK.  I had seen Ben leaving MG's as I entered, and thought maybe I could catch him, but never did even catch sight of his light.  The trail was pretty good making it possible to ride most of the uphills, and bomb the downhills with confidence.  I was able to ride about 80% of the hills, and was amazed to see what the 2 Alaskans and McFadden were riding, I think I only saw boot marks on the two steepest!  The Coke buzz ran out after about 3 hours, my legs turned back into lead, and a Cappuccino LaraBar had my stomach in knots.  I couldn't eat or drink anything or push too hard or I got nauseated.  I got thru Ski Pulk about the time the snow was starting, and slogged on towards the glow of Fortune Bay thru the beloved Black Spruce Bog.  Doom's tire tracks were starting to fill in as he continued to distance me.  About half way along, all of a sudden my whole world brightened up and I was casting a shadow, as Steve Yore flew by me faster than I thought it was possible to ride on a Fatbike, I knew I was traveling pretty slowly, but he was moving!  I wondered aloud where he'd been the last 12 hours, he just laughed.  I tried matching his pace but my body would have nothing of it.  The last hour the snow and headwind really picked up, but there was only about an inch on the ground when I finished, still very rideable, but I knew it was going to be tough out there for others, especially the bikers back a ways and runners pulling sleds.  

I finished in 16:16, a personal record for me by over 1/2 hour, but falling 4 places from 2011.  Now as I  think about it, I do get a little disappointed, but at the time, I was dang happy to be done, and it was the most proud Finish I've had in a bike race.  Why?  Because it's the biggest bonk I've ever had.  I've prided myself on not being the fastest, but I could always push for a long time, never before had I been so tired or my legs felt so dead.  Maybe the 1-2 days of recovery wasn't enough after Tuscobia, one day of rest enough before AH135, training too much for upcoming ITI this past month, pushed too hard the first 1-2 hours?  But I hate recovery and tapering, I get too anxious and antsy, and gain too much weight trying to keep my eating in check.  I do know no matter how good of shape I'm in or how much training I have, I'm not at the level of the Alaskans or TMF.  These aren't excuses, just telling it like it is, admitting my stupidity.

Ironically, Kershaw and I were lamenting the night before on how the Arrowhead was almost becoming 'easy' and trying to figure how it could be made harder?  Maybe mandatory bivy, a double Arrowhead, no checkpoint support?  As they say, watch what you wish for, you just might get it.  Or per INXS, sometimes you kick, sometimes you get kicked!  I got kicked!