Arrowhead 2018

Biked this year again, but with a twist. Unsupported. That means no entering any of the check-points. Still have to stop and report in, but no food or drink supplied.

I normally don't stop at the first check-point at mile 37 or so anyway when biking. Things pretty much went as expected to the mid-way point. Then it started to get cold....I wasn't too worried as I had been eating and drinking well. My body heat was keeping the bladder in my camelback from freezing. I had a 2nd bladder being carried on the inside large flap pocket of my jacket which I had went to first as it was more prone to freezing.

The only thing that concerned me were my toes. I had to dropout of the ARU a few years ago at the 2nd check-point in -30 temps due to mild frostbite. This year I had purchased a set of vapor barriers replacing my home-made setup of plastic bags. I also had a new pair of boots. The Salomon Toundra's were a little better rated boots than my Keens. I purchased the largest ones they had, but they still felt just a bit tight even though they have a larger toe box than most.

At the 2nd check-point buddy Christopher was there....I think he offered me some food, which would have disqualified me! We ended up riding together at some point, but he was stronger than me so he took off. Chris has really upped his game and has become a strong rider. Great to see.

I kept mental track of my feet, always making sure I could feel my toes and move them, Walking up some of the large hills reinforced my feeling that things were fine.

I got to the last check point it real good shape, catching a few guys that had been ahead of me most of the race but whom I had rode with at a high rate of speed earlier in the day. They were cold and wet while I wasn't so I forced down a few guu's and water and figuring I had taken in enough calories to finish, took off to tackle the last 25 miles.

With 15 or so miles to go I realized I didn't have enough energy to finish. I was having a tough time keeping a straight line and even toppled over a couple of times so I stopped and got some solid energy in me and finished off the water.

In a few minutes I could feel some strength returning and was riding much better but not with much speed. The three guys from the last check-point caught and passed me.

I started to run on fumes again but I was within 5-7 miles so I just pushed on. Soon I knew I was close and turned the corner to ride the last incline to the finish....I was so smoked I actually quit pedaling a couple of feet before the finish and had to actually pick the bike back up and walk over the line.

They asked if I wanted a picture and I declined, just asking to get me in the building as I was getting very cold as my furnace hadn't burned any fuel for quite a while and with the finish I was losing my mental capability to keep it together.

Sometime about this time Lynn had come out to meet me and we walked in together. We got to the staging area and they wanted to do an equipment check and I had to ask to do it later as I has having a hard time standing. Was getting very dizzy. They agreed and I went up to recover.

I took my boots off and was a bit surprised that both my little toes were black and a 4th on the right foot as well.

I was very concerned until I had a nurse friend looked them over for me. She said it looked like compression frostbite, toes too tight in the boots, and that they should be fine. She was right, even though they got a bit ugly for a couple of weeks.

I had a good race...5th Unsupported category, 12th over-all.

Chris and Helen also did bike unsupported and both got the coveted a' Trois award as well.

A little family time.

Arrowhead 135, Adventure MN Films, Banff Film Festival

Almost 2 years in the making but it's done. Submitted to Banff Film Festival.
Be on the lookout if interested.

Arrowhead 135, 2013

Click here for updated blog entry for AHU 135 2013

The Dream and Inspiration

Photo credit to Arrowhead 135 website.

A memento....

To remember by

The Start. 

Photo credit to Erik Dalgaard, fellow racer on bike.

The Finish.

Photo credit to Brenda Piekarski, Producer of Adventure Minnesota Films.

 Of all the blog entries I've written since I've started this chronicle of events, this is by far the hardest to begin. I just don't know where to start and I'm a bit daunted knowing how much I want to include in the "story" or should I say "stories".
I say that because there are a number of angles included in this year's Arrowhead 135.

There is the race its self, of course, which was really 3 races for most of the participants. The faster bikers beat the snow storm to the finish line. Half way through the race we received 4-12" of snow, depending on who you want to believe and where on the trail it fell and where you were as a racer when you hit it and how much you had to slog through it....either on skis with a pack on weighing 20-30 lbs or dragging a sled with about the same amount of weight, pushing a 40-50 lb. fat bike and gear or on foot dragging/pushing a 30-40 lb. sled.

So for me there was the start, the middle and the end to this race, if one wants to really call it a race at this point. At times it was just a march towards the end...for some the end was the next bailout point, the next aid station or at 4AM breaking trail with almost knee deep snow that completely buried my ski tips, looking to the side of the trail through the heavy wet flakes as my headlight barely penetrated to the  trees only 10 feet away wondering if it was possible I was looking at the same tree I saw 20 minutes ago when I last dared look at the stationary sentries I used to gauge my forward progress....and knowing full well it wasn't but being so tempted to stop and turn to look back to see if in fact I could see it from where I stood....and continuing this for 7-8 hours on a pristine snow covered trail until a few snowmobiles pass by to confirm that there was still outside life.

There was the aspect that Adventure Minnesota Films had asked me if I  wanted to participate as one of 3 racers, one from each mode of propulsion, bike, foot and ski, to be followed throughout the race. This included a pre-race interview and filming and a camera crew at just about every road crossing and at every checkpoint and how that affected and influenced my race preparations, expectations, performance and ultimately how I thought and how it would ultimately affect my enjoyment of the race experience, before, during and after.

There was the aspect of leading in the ski division and wondering if I'd be caught and knowing that winning would be worth it all, but how would I feel if I went through all of this only to get passed near the end....or worse yet, cracking under the physical and mental pressure and take myself out of the running.

The family aspect, as my son Chris was out on the course behind me in the foot division...how was he doing? Would he be able to make the cut-off time to the finish knowing what he and the rest of the foot division people would have to deal with?

And lastly, the companionship of my wife who was there for the pre-race, race and post race. How  would that affect me? Or more concerning to me, how would she be affected?

Bottom line, check back often to my blog page as this may take a long time to figure out how to write this up and to include all I need to include to capture everything that was experienced over the past couple of weeks. Thanks for following.

Click here for page to updated blog for Arrowhead Ultra 2013:
 http://motoscotch.blogspot.com/2013/02/arrowhead-135-v2013.html
 

Arrowhead 135, 2013

This starts on 1-28-2013.....135 miles in the dead of winter. On skis. Kinda the same routine as last year but expecting a bit better snow and colder temps.
A twist this year, there will be a film crew keeping an eye on me (and a couple others). Adds a different kind of expectation/pressure to it and maybe a bit different in how I race it. More on that after next week.
Got a 150 mile race in a month before the start of the Arrowhead, Tuscobia 150, and a number of training session on skis and the bike since that. I hope will be enough to get me through.

Photo credit goes to Heidi.

Training for a new adventure

Will be pounding out as many hours as possible to get ready for 2 winter races that should prove to be the toughest I've ever done.
The Tuscobia 150 in December and the Arrowhead 135 late January.
Similar but unique, both could be totally uncompromising depending on weather conditions...I have a strategy we'll see how it plays out.
Dry land ski training.....

Arrowhead 135

Son Chris finished the Arrowhead 135 Race. As it is a totally self-supported race, meaning the racers had to carry everything they needed with them and accepting any help would be grounds for disqulaification, the only thing that can really be done by non-racers is to give some moral support.
Myself and Chris' friend Helen did our best to be at most of the road crossing and checkpoints over the days (and nights) to give Chris (and some of his buds) a little encouragement.

This race starts in America's Icebox, International Falls, MN, and ends 135 miles to the south, near Tower MN. Tower has the record MN cold spot of -60, as well as the coldest recorded temp East of the Mississippi. At one time, we lived in Embarrass MN, which has bragging rights along with Tower as being a couple of the coldest spots in the lower 48.

So, it didn't get THAT cold, but for the 2 consecutive nights that Chris pushed through it did get to -27 degrees F and -34 degrees. (some folks at different locations read -41 F the second night)
Talking strategy at the spaghetti dinner the night before.
Last minute finishing touches to his sled.
One of the requirements of the race is that each participant HAD to bring certain items along with. This included a -20 degree rated sleeping bag, a cook stove, bivy sack, matches/firestarter and a certain amount of food. If a racer had to bivy up during the coarse of the race, they had to have supplies to ensure a safe duration till they were found and/or walked out. This race does not guarantee someone would be there to help you if you run into trouble. That is part of the draw, to be really self supported in all aspects.

THE START. -10F

Chris waking up.

The race has 3 categories:
Runner/Walker
Biker


Skier...old school guy! Wood skis, Anton Oveson from the Falls
Interesting setup.

This year, no skier finished, 6 entered.
18 of 54 runners finished.
39 of 59 bikers finished.
There are many reasons folks get a DNF. Cut-off times aren't met, equipment failures and medical reasons abound. Pulling or carrying 20-35 pounds of gear depending, even if it is on a sled (or backpack) is a lot of weight to drag for 135 miles over a couple days or so.

The bikers spend one night on the trail, the skiers and runners/walkers get to spend 2 nights. Chris got about 90 minutes of sleep from Monday morning when he got up till Wednesday after 4PM when he finished. This is typical.

Winner of the bike race: 16 hrs.
Runner: 44 1/2 hrs.

Chris finished in 57 hrs. Just finishing is an accomplishment and in his first attempt more so. There were many multiple year racers, some of which have never finished.

28 miles into the race, I found a spot to access the trail at the end of a dead end road and a 1/4 mile walk.

Getting a fire started. Lunch close by.
Chris at mile 28, feeling and looking good.
Jennifer Flynn. Was riding strong.
I think this is the guy from Minot, ND....can't remember.
I think this is Mike Stattelman.
2 guys on the right from the Naval Academy, John Taylor on the left.
Chris and friend Igor Epshteyn.
1st. checkpoint. 35 miles in 7PM. Been on the coarse 12 hours so far.
Tender feet, Chris' "Achilles heel" what seems to affect him the most in these endurance events is sore feet.
Chris and Igor, getting ready to head out. Igor dropped later in the evening. Back trouble.
Not sure who this is.... (a Blog reader informed me that is is Brian Tate). If I remember correctly, Brian is from SC and I took his pic on his camera as he was coming across the lake toward Melgeorge's Resort after the first night. Brian dropped at the very last checkpoint, 110 miles in. I heard he felt he didn't feel he could make the arrival cut-off at of 7PM. Great effort but must have so disappointing to get so close and not be able to finish.
Alicia Hudelson. Alicia had to drop due to physical issues.

Leaving 35 mile check point. Chris and Daryl Saari. Daryl dropped out at 5AM. Hip trouble.

About midnight at the half way point...mile 70. Icebikes, biding their time till the riders appeared from a short slumber.

Ice Bike rider about midnight.
Helen and I met Chris at 2:30 AM at the final road crossing before the 70 mile checkpoint mentioned above, Melgeorge Resort. He had a number of miles to go before he could catch a few zzz's and put on dry clothes.
Morning of the 2nd day. I go out on the lake to meet Chris.
Remember her from above? She didn't leave this checkpoint. Super effort in any case.
So much for skiing at -25 degrees. No slide and no glide. Skier, Mike? got to one more checkpoint than had to drop. Walking in ski boots must have been tough.
Erik Dalgaard and John Taylor, looking good. Both guys made it!
Cooper looking for Chris.
Still looking.
Found him.....looks like it was a tough night. In serious pain. Can't feel his feet. Was concerned they were frostbite but they were fine except for being numb and very sore.
Regroup at Melgeorge checkpoint. Food of choice to restock the sled.
Chris and friend Roberto Marron....leaving the 70 mile checkpoint. 1:30 PM. The smile maybe hiding the pain of Chris' feet.
Roberto and Chris did the Tuscobia 150 mile ultra less than 2 months before. A couple other racers had ran the Brazil 135 a WEEK before the Arrowhead. One was Barb Owen, who was the only women finisher in the Runner division of the Arrowhead.
8 miles after leaving the check point, looking and feeling great. Was glad he got up out of bed and continued on. Feet seemed to be doing as well as can be expected after 78 total miles to this point.
From this point there was one more road crossing then 25 miles of no road access. The racers were then dependent on themselves for the most part. There were snowmobiles keeping tabs on them through the night in case of any issues. A number racers were brought into the final checkpoint during the night or in the morning, 21 miles from the finish, due to injuries or just not being able to make the cut-off times for various reasons.
Chris had to lay down for some sleep during the night as he was so tired he was barely moving. After 35 minutes he was back at it. Takes a lot of disciple and desire to push through.

I had to leave the race the next morning and wasn't there for the final checkpoint before the finish. I jumped ahead to another dead end road and walked in to see him, but he had already passed. Had a beverage but didn't open it....caught a ride on a snowmobile sweeping the coarse to the next road crossing.


Finally caught Chris at a crossing with Helen and Cooper. Chris putting down some grub, 8-9 miles from the end.
A few feet from the finish.
Crossing under the finish line. Arrowhead Results page.
Chowing down!

Downhill technique.