Lumberjack 100

📷:  Rob Meendering

The lumberjack 100 is a 100 mile bike race in the Manistee National Forest close to Lake Michigan and the town of Manistee.  It is 3  31 mile laps plus a 4 mile prologue. 94% of it is on single track, with the remainder being sandy double track, and a bit of pavement on the 5 mile prologue lap.  The single track is mostly smooth and flowy, meandering through the Big M trail system.

Back in 2011, this was my first single speed race, aboard my 2009 aluminum Specialized Stumpjumper 29'r HT.  I rode a 32 x 19 and  won the SS division with a time of 8:15 and was 5th overall.  I know "comparison is the thief of joy," but I challenged myself to try to finish in 8:30.

Jenny was sweet enough to leave a personal message on the back of my race plate

This time I was aboard my Trek SuperCaliber, which I had recently converted to SS with a Paul Melvin tensioner.  I chose to ride one gear easier, with a 32 x 20.  After all, I am 13 years older.  It still felt like I was on a 32 x 19 😄.

32 x 20

I was lucky enough to score a room at Christina and Scott's house for the race.  Only 20 minutes from the venue, a comfy bed, and awesome company.  Christina was also racing SS.

Wake up was 4 am.  Early for most, but I usually arise from bed around 5:30 am, so no big deal.  After washing down a home made pop tart and 3 hard boiled eggs with a mug of Christopher Bean Coffee, I drove over and prepared my pit area underneath the Quiring Cycles tent.

Although initially I had seeded myself in Wave 2 (expected finish time of 8-10 hours), I switched to Wave 1 after talking to Christina.  She told me that last year, she got stuck behind WAY more people after spinning her brains out on the prologue and being one of the last to hit the beginning of the single track.  Which then made for a long party train, once the geared people started getting bogged down on the climbs.

The start went off at 7 am.  The 4.2 mile prologue lap was 2.1 miles on pancake flat pavement, followed by 2 miles on pancake flat double track, and then finishing up with 0.1 miles on single track leading to the first lap. All of us single speeders were quickly spit out the back, butts bouncing on our saddles as we tried to hit 130 rpm's.  I could tell I had the easiest gear, as the other ladies were able to spin ahead of me.  I knew that going into the race and that the first lap was gonna feel too easy.  That was my plan, as I wanted to not burn any matches right off the bat.

When I hit the double track, I was not paying attention and soon got stalled out into some deep sand.  I watched the first through fourth ladies get away from me, as they took a much better line.  Grrr!  Passing by the pit area and now on single track, I was back in my realm.  I caught up to the fourth place woman and passed her when the track widened.

Although there were a lot of racers ahead of me, the speeds were fast ... until we hit the first climb around mile 5.  Although these climbs are tiny by my standards, it brought the race to a complete standstill. WTF?!? While I knew that there would be some party trains on this first lap, I wasn't expecting to come to a complete stop. Patience, grasshopper!  I left my frustrations on the side of the trail, as I have been doing this long enough to know that getting mad does not help at all.

FAST!

There was one more standstill, as people struggled on the second uphill, especially when they encountered a diagonal raised root 😱.  For much of the first lap, I was behind people, biding my time.  I would usually pass on a climb, when they would get bogged down in their granny gear.  But there were a few sections of flat double track ... and then they would pass me right back😠.  Towards the end of the first lap, I was finally able to ride in my own little bubble, as racers began to fade.

4 miles of double track per lap

Coming through the first lap (2:45 + 0:16 for the prologue), I stopped at my pit. Scott helped me to refill my hydration pack and gel flasks.  I opted for a 50 ounce hydration pack filled with Skratch super high carb and 1 bottle 1/2 way filled with LMNT. I also carried a gel flask filled with Torq gel.  Although I have 2 bottle cages, that was not going to be enough fluid to get me through a lap.  And I did not want to have to stop at the aid station mid-way through the lap.

I found my flow on the second lap.  I had plenty of energy and open trail in front of me.  The trail was getting a little loose in the corners and stutter bumps were beginning to form on some of the curvy descents. I was able to tuck in behind some geared racers on the double track and draft a little. Everyone played nice when I was the passer and passee. Midway through this lap, I caught the 3rd place SS woman.  Giving words of encouragement as I rode by, I still stuck with my "pass, gap, and bury" mantra.  Coined by ultra runner Sally McCrae, it means that once you make the pass, dig deep for about 2 minutes to get a gap, which will hopefully allow you to bury them in the process.  

I rolled into my pit area (2:45), repeating the process from lap 1. As Scott was helping me swap out my hydration pack, he told me that if I leave now, I would be 2nd SS, as Jill was still in her pit area.  That was a nice surprise!  Headed out on my final lap, with iced down Skratch in my pack, I was ready to finish this thing!  This lap was hard, as the hills seemed to be growing in number and height.  The trail was also getting more blown out and some of the stutter bumps on the descents were 29'r wheel deep! 

On laps 1 and 2, there was only one hill, in the middle, that I had to walk a 20 yard section.  On lap 3, I walked a short section of a hill, about 2/3 into the lap as well. Near the end of the lap, there are countdown mile markers, beginning with 4 miles to go.  Well, lemme tell you, I looked for the 4 mile sign for 4 miles!  Where the hell are you?  Maybe around this corner, maybe at the top of this hill, OMG!  Finally, I saw it.  This gave me renewed vigor. There were also two geared racers in front of me that made me push hard towards the finish line.  

I came through the finish with a time of 8:35 (2:49 for the lap).  Good enough for 2nd SS and 7th women O/A. 

📷: Rob Meendering

I am happy to have been in a field of 12 badass SS women, the largest in Lumberjack's history.  Congrats to Kristy to winning, the first time she raced SS. Thanks to all the wonderful volunteers and to co-directors Matt and Jenny Acker.  The post race meal was wonderfully good and the podium prizes are worthy of using.

Congrats, podium finishers!