Tuscobia 150, 2014

Although technically ran in 2015, this was the 2014 edition.

We hit another "warm" spot in the weather, between 2 cold blasts (-20 nights) and some 3-4" of snow that fell the evening after the race ended.

I rode a fat-bike this year after xc-skiing the 150 the past 2 years and 3 years ago riding my mtn. bike in the 75 mile event.

We started with -8F temps that seemed have hit -15 on the trail at times during the race and the trail/track was fast. Comfortable riding and knowing that the day would warm up I started out with light clothing.

About 30-45 minutes in it was obvious my headlight wasn't holding up so I tucked in behind a couple of guys that were behind me after kinda jokingly asking/telling them what I wanted to do.
Their lights were very bright and were casting dark shadows on the trail when I was in front and I couldn't pull away from them. I guess my batteries weren't as solid as I thought and with the cold the power was getting sucked out of them.

I think it might have been ok if it would have been only me but the shadows were tough to deal with. It was easy to see  the trail when behind them so I just followed along. If we met any snowmobiles I'd be ok.

After awhile we came to dip and then a hill pull and I passed the guy in front of me and pulled up to the guy that had been leading the way. It was Dan, a Canadian that I knew from previous races. We rode side by side for a stretch catching up on things and he agreed that my light was awfully dim. Can't remember if he said it was actually out or not.
I pulled in behind him but again, the shadows from the guy behind me were worse than me just bringing up the rear so back I went. Shortly after it began to lighten up.

I pulled out to take the lead. Dan had be pulling us along by himself so I figured it was my turn. I upped the pace so as to not hold anyone back and giving Dan a wind break for payment pulling me along and the use of his light. Breaking trail wasn't a benefit as it was rock hard and if there was any snow the first 4 guys were plowing through it to make it easier for us anyway.

Up ahead I could see a red blinky so I took off. We caught Jim and he told us that he and Joe (who was still up ahead) had tried to hang with the leaders, Jay and Charly, but had to back off.
Jim fell in behind and I took off.
Down the trail more I saw Joe's blinky and we soon were towing him along as well.
We hit the first checkpoint at 8:45, 29 miles from the start which was at 6AM.

Me, #87, Joe and Jim. Dan had popped in front of me when we hit the checkpoint turn off the trail.

Photo credit Tina Stiller. (Wife of Joe.)

I had decided not to worry too much about water or food in this first section. I had grabbed some readily accessible chocolate from my cockpit bag but decided not to try to get at any water or my pizza. That would mean riding one-handed too long at times and with the colder weather I didn't want to risk water freezing up in the water line and nozzle so just left it all in the bladder by not drinking any. We were moving at a fast pace so wasn't concerned. I had "watered" up at the start and figured I'd take care of water and food in a few hours.
It's not at all unusual for me to not drink or eat in my training rides for the first 2-3 hours anyway. Not that it's a smart move, but I like to see what happens when I don't and to recognise the signs and where the limits are for cases like this. Besides, I could still taste some of the oatmeal the Race Directors made up before the race at times. The pull I took from the lead helped bring up a few chunks now and again.

That said, I went inside to grab some food and and a few cups of warm water. Joe and Dan hung around outside on their bikes for a minute or so and Jim came in with me, Jim got out the door a minute or so before me. I spent 4 minutes at the check point.
I took off down the trail with Jim in sight. It was only a few minutes later and I saw Charly heading back. He suffers from random asthma attacks and this was one time it hit him. We had gotten to know each other in Alaska last winter and before that I had bought my first 9:zero:7 bike from him. He also built up the NEXTIE wheel set you see in the pictures below of my current 9:zero:7.

Charly was in a bad way. He was trying to talk to me but could really only get parts of words out. After a minute or 2 he was kinda getting his breath back and we chatted a bit. After 4-5 minutes I was kinda wanting to get on my way....and Charly knew it so we buttoned up the small talk and I took off. I'm not sure how long we talked, but Jim was long gone.

I settled into a comfortable pace and worked on getting my pizza opened and water flowing.
It became just a comfortable ride with great conditions and a long day ahead to look forward to.
I did notice my energy down some so started eating and drinking pretty much constantly. It wasn't long before I was feeling fine.

My initial goal was to try to be in the top 5 but then I thought that might be a bit aggressive (or maybe delusional??) and then when Jay Petervary signed up, I was relegated to hoping a top 10 was possible.
I really wasn't basing these goals on anything, really. Just what I'd like to happen. I haven't been in enough of these races to know enough of the riders but I just wanted something to shoot for and think about while out there. A goal.
All that said, with Charly dropping I was currently in 5th place.

Eventually I was able to reel in Jim and we got to the 2nd checkpoint at the same time. My intentions were to change socks at every checkpoint so as not to have another Arrowhead situation occur where I got frostbite toes and had to pull out.
But the temps were way warmer today so I had skipped the sock change at the first checkpoint but wasn't going to do that at the 2nd. I also needed to have batteries changed for my headlamp.

Son Chris was at the checkpoint (he, along with his wife are Race Directors) helping out the racers as they came in so he helped get me out in decent time.

Jim was long gone so it was another game of chase the hare.

At the 75 mile maker the racers turn and head back so we meet on the trail. I tried to remember the mile markers to know what the leads were and I think I remember that Jay had 12 miles on me, Dan 6, Joe 4 and Jim around a mile.

Photo credit Sveta Vold, fellow 150 biker. Meeting on the trail.

I made the turn and took off. Along the way there were 150 mile foot division people as well. I stopped to talked to friend Roberto for 1-2 minutes. He was doing the math.....24 hrs. at a 3 mph pace and he could make the cut-off....but he hadn't slept yet. It seemed grim but I told him good luck and took off after Jim again.
I caught Jim a mile or so before the checkpoint we had left 24 miles before.
I again spent more time than him there but I was starting to notice I was getting a bit chilled at times so I removed my light biking type jersey that was under my jacket and put on a mid merino wool Icebreaker. (that's not me and I didn't pay that much for mine!!)

I tossed on my headlamp as it was going to be dark soon and checked my blinkies and sure enough one was missing off the rear. Lisa, the checkpoint person, had one for me and after we got it on I took off.
Before I had left Lisa had asked me to watch for a 75 mile foot person that was exhibiting signs of hypothermia. I wasn't sure what I could do to help him if he was in trouble short of ending my race, but I had my down jacket I could give him so with that I felt better. He had about an hr. head start on me so when I started passing foot people after an hr. I slowed down when passing to see if he was the guy. Eventually I came up on 3 guys walking and they confirmed that the guy in question was directly in front of us and that they'd take care of him if anything happened. With that I pulled up on him and just confirmed what they had told me and I took off again feeling better than ever with darkness coming.
I really enjoy riding at night and in the winter it's even better.

Soon I came to the train crossing. The sign says they're moving at 60mph and I can vouch for that. At times skiing the race I've gotten to see them whiz by and they are moving in a cloud of snow.

Train crossing. Photo credit Sveta Vold.

I caught Jim right about where Sveta's bike is laying but heading the other way.
We talked for a quick minute and I took off still feeling very strong.
I had been eating and drinking all day very consistently since the 1st checkpoint. Only used a minimum of food from the checkpoints, chips, coke and warm water....oh!and hunks of homemake bread that my wife and donated to the race from her leftover Christmas baking! The carbs were great.

Right before the last checkpoint Chris was there with the snowmobile. It had gotten more difficult riding the past 5-10 miles due to the churned up snow from all the snowmobile traffic. He said I was 10 minutes behind Joe and Joe knew I was still there and charging.

I pulled into the last check point and was just leaving as Jim was pulling in.
Right after the checkpoint, with 29 miles to go, it suddenly dawned on me to let out some air to get better floatation and control. I had started with 8-9 psi per tire.

With 10 miles to go I was about shot. I was also passing some 75 mile bikers that were struggling as well so I asked about air pressure and some let out some air, some didn't. I let out more.....

I came up on a 75 mile biker I know and we walked some and chatted. I didn't see any lights behind us.
The fullish moon had a huge ring around it.....I was enjoying taking my time.

Finally at mile 140 or so I looked back and felt I recognized that light behind me that wasn't there before. I figured it was probably Jim.
I took off as best I could and got to mile marker 70 (145, 5 miles left). He was still back there. A ways back but still there.

5 miles left.....I took off not looking back anymore and finished a few minutes ahead of Jim. 4th place.
It was truly a race. Joe was working hard and finished 30 minutes in front of me, Jim made a great effort at the end to catch me and I was able to hang on after blowing up trying to catch Joe.

I checked my tire pressure the next day and had settled in at 4 in the rear and a very surprising 2 in the front.

2 days after the race I was giving the blow by blow account to my son and DIL at breakfast, again the Race Directors, and they decided to DQ me for riding with a an unsatisfactory headlamp part of the first morning as it is part of the mandatory gear.
Race Directors have a tough job to do!!!

Results.

Some random pics of the race.
Photo credit Tom Woods:

 Start/Finish line.

Tuscobia: Elf Work. PVC Bike Racks

Busy weekend...one trailer down, one to go. Came together nice.
All things happen for a reason, I guess. After trashing a friends bike last year at the Tuscobia with a weak bike rack setup, it's making me more attentive to details to do all I can to make sure I don't wreck a couple trailers full of them.

 Straps connect to trailer frame for snug fit into racks so racks aren't taking all the load.

Tuscobia 2012, local coverage

Local newspaper

Winter endurance challenge returns to Northwoods 

SETH CARLSON

Winter endurance challenge returns to Northwoods

The Tuscobia State Trail head in Park Falls is covered in a fresh coat of snow for the first time since early spring – a sign of the season that’s discouraging to some but encouraging to racers entering the 2012 Tuscobia Winter Ultra.

Posted: Monday, December 3, 2012 5:00 am

Stephanie Daniels sdaniels@theparkfallsherald.com

While the shift to winter weather has left many in a sofa-bound state of hibernation, 120 brave souls from across the country are taking all the snow and cold the season has to offer as a challenge.
A mix of runners, skiers and bikers will flock to the Wisconsin Northwoods December 28-30 for the Tuscobia Winter Ultra, an endurance event spanning 35, 75 or 150 miles – athlete’s choice. Every step, turn of the peddle and cut of the ski will leave its mark on the Tuscobia State Trial, a scenic stretch of pathway that runs from Rice Lake to Park Falls.

Chris Scotch and Helen Lavin, fellow ultra-runners and soon- to-be husband and wife, are back to co-direct the 2012 Tuscobia Winter Ultra.

Last winter, Scotch and Lavin stepped up to save the ultra less than a month before participants were set to hit the trail when the previous director announced he’d no longer be able to run it. This is the fourth year the northern Wisconsin trail has served as the setting for the winter challenge.

At the time, the couple was primarily living in Minneapolis, with Lavin commuting to California for work throughout the year. Now, they have both settled in the northern region of that West Coast-hugging state. The distance hasn’t dampened their commitment to making the event a success.

“We’re directing from far, far away,” Scotch said.

The co-directors rely on a network of folks on the ground in Minnesota and Wisconsin to offer updates on weather conditions as well as to help coordinate details of the event.

The Friends of the Tuscobia Trail make up one group of Wisconsinites that have been a big help in working through some of the logistics of planning this year’s ultra, Scotch said.

Facebook has also served as a sort of window into the north, with contacts from the region supplying a steady stream of updates and photos.

As competitors in various other ultra running events, Lavin and Scotch see directing the ultra as a way of giving back to the race world, Scotch said.

One of their goals with the event is to make the winter ultra accessible to competitors of all different levels of experience with the race type.

The shortest course is an approachable 35 miles long, not too much of a stretch for those who have some experience in distance events.

“It’s not super crazy and you don’t have to be half-insane to start a winter race,” Scotch said.

From here, participants are free to move to the more extreme end of the distance spectrum at their own pace – or they can stay put at 35.

In addition to co-directing the race, Scotch has signed up to run the ultra’s 150-mile event. This is the third year a run this distance has been in the mix of ultra events and the third time Scotch will accept the challenge. Without the benefit of snow to train in, Scotch has been taking advantage of the California coast’s natural features to build up his strength for the winter ultra. Training mainly consists of a lot of uphill climbs. Scotch also plans to get in some runs on the beach, lugging a sled along with him as he will during the ultra to transport all the required gear – a sleeping bag, food, a small stove and more.

“Probably at night so people don't think I am totally insane,” Scotch said.

For Scotch, a run in the sand doesn’t take the place of a trek in the snowy trails of Wisconsin and Minnesota, cold winds and all.

“I miss winter,” Scotch said.

Ideal temperatures on the weekend of the ultra – relatively speaking, of course – would be a daytime high of about 15-degrees F and a low approaching zero. The worst-case scenario would be temperatures in the thirties and rain that washes the trail clear of snow, Scotch said.

Conditions in the weeks leading up to the event are just as important as the weather during the event itself, as Scotch explained. Cold temperatures and snowfalls now help to build up a travelable, wintry base on the trail.

Snow last year was a mix of patchy and crusty, leaving rocks exposed in some places and competitors to continually fall through the surface in other stretches. This combination proved to be a recipe for rough traveling.

With more than a month to plan this year’s ultra, there are a few things the co-directors are doing differently. Along with using a new Web site to streamline the registration process, Scotch and Lavin have staggered start times this year to give more competitors a chance to run into each other on the trail and to allow more people to finish at around the same time. The nice thing is that this should result in a steadier stream of finishers, making the event more spectator-friendly, Scotch said.

Spectators are encouraged to cheer on participants from the finish line, which will be set up at the Chequamegon Canoe Club (CCC) in Park Falls. The CCC is scheduled to reopen in time to again serve as the headquarters for this year’s ultra. Scotch guesses that the best time to see participants cross the finish line will be in the morning and afternoon of Sunday, December 30.

The 150-mile event will kick off at the CCC at 6 a.m. Friday, December 28 with the turn around point found in the southern terminus of the Rice Lake trail portion. Those participating in the 75-mile and 35-mile races will also meet in Park Falls ahead of their events and will be bussed to their respective starting lines, Rice Lake for the longer event and Ojibwa for the 35-milers. The start time for the 75-mile race is set for 10 a.m. Saturday, December 29. Racers in the 35-mile event should take off at noon, also on Saturday, December 29.

As one other new feature at the 2012 ultra, the 150-mile race is a qualifying event for the 2014 Iditarod Trail Invitational, a race following a 350-mile course over Alaska’s frozen terrain.

The Tuscobia’s top 150-mile finisher will win a place in the exclusive Iditarod challenge and have their $1,000 entry fee for the event covered. Spots are so limited in the Alaskan race that guaranteed participation is perhaps a bigger prize than paid entry, Scotch said.

Becoming a qualifying event for the Iditarod Trail Invitational has served as good national exposure for the event and in turn has stirred up interest in the Alaskan event among Midwest ultra runners, according to Scotch. Participants in the 2012 Tuscobia Winter Ultra are set to come in from 14 states and two Canadian provinces. Around 40 of those hitting the trails for this year’s event are return competitors.

On the morning of November 26, all 120 spots in the race had filled up, though directors decided to continue accepting 150-mile entries so that more people would have a shot at earning their way into the Iditarod Trail Invitational.

That’s a big change from the 50 or so participants seen at last year’s event.

“We’re very excited,” Scotch said.

Along with creating a positive and memorable race experience for competitors, Scotch said that he and Lavin would like to involve communities scattered along the Tuscobia State Trail in the event as much as possible. A big part of this involves securing prizes and covering race needs through businesses close to the race zone.

It’s Scotch’s hope that community members will come to see the Tuscobia Winter Ultra as something they can take pride in, laugh at or simply observe.

Race directors plan to make a donation to support maintenance of the Tuscobia State Trail at the end of the event like they did last year. They’d like to help preserve this resource for those getting use out of the trail, whether running, snowmobiling or biking, throughout the year.

Volunteers are still sought for various aspects of the race, from helping out racers at checkpoints to making sure course markings stay put. Anyone who’d like to help out with this year’s Tuscobia Winter Ultra is asked to email Scotch and Lavin at tuscobia@gmail.com. Businesses are also encouraged to get in contact with the co-directors if they’d like to get involved in the race in any way. More information on the 2012 Tuscobia Winter Ultra can be

Tuscobia 2012-Training

Getting ready for this: Tuscobia 150



  150 miles is a long way on skis...or a bike especialy in the middle of winter. Conditions will play a large part in it. I put in a training session by biking 45 miles up to a neighboring town, then 45 miles back after a 3 hr. conceal-carry gun class. Pizza at a bar 25 miles from the end around midnight, local fiddler playing, flat tire when I went to leave, gave locals free lesson in the bar on how to change it and full moon with a bit of light cloud cover, temps in the high 20's for the last push home....went into my outdoor hot tub and got a better view of said moon while my core got back up to normal temperature range before heading off to bed at 3AM.
no pics...
Been doing a lot of this, too.

Tuscobia Ultra 2011.2

Some more pics that came through from other folks.
Me coming into 1st checkpoint, Birchwood, WI. Mile 12.

 Chris and I at the Rice Lake turn-around (for the 150 milers) and the start for the 75 milers.

 Compare my bike setup with a classic snowbike setup.

 Chris, Helen and Cooper at the Rice Lake trailhead.

Tuscobia Ultra 2011

Race is over. Myself and one other racer, Matt Maxwell from Iowa, tried the 150 mile ski. After 40 miles we decided to hang it up due to rather poor conditions and save ourselves for the 75 mile bike race the next day.
Things were very difficult due to the random snow conditions. The NE (start/finish) had snow, but was very tore up due to melting, freezing and random vehicles running up and down the trail, which meant a lot of rocks to avoid. The SW (start/turnaround) had no snow. Temps were warm so cold was not a huge issue.
The 40 mile ski took me around 8 hrs with rest stops.
The 75 bike took me 15.5 hrs. That included 17-18 miles of walking the bike as I was not using a wide tire snow bike and sunk too far to move at times. Both events I was carrying about 20lbs of water, food and winter survival gear.
The distances were nothing new really, the conditions were. It was a test of mental toughness, smart pacing and nutrition to complete the race.
Results:
150-mile run: Chris Scotch 56:02 (CR!) (5 starters, 1 finisher, 1 still on the course)
150-mile bike: Charly Tri 21:07 (8 starters, 5 finishers)
150-mile ski: (2 starters, 0 finishers)
75-mile bike: Dan Jansen 6:44 (CR!), Leah Gruhn 13:53 (18 starters, 15 finishers*)
75-mile run: Tim Neckar 21:27, Lynn Saari 25:23 (5 starters, 3 finishers)
50-km bike: Marc Steele 3:31 (CR!) (2 starters, 1 finisher) 
50-km run: Brandon Purdeu 5:13 (CR!), Alicia Hudelson 6:14 (CR!) (15 starters, 15 finishers)

Thursday evening before the race went scouting the trail. Was able to witness 2 wolves crossing the road next to the trail about 4-5 miles west of Park Falls.

My size 10.

Mile 25.5 looking north.

 Mile 25.5 looking south, RR tracks.

 Chippewa River crossing.

 Slightly different view.

 Local Algonquins sending off the racers with a Travel Blessing before the race.

 Mile 4 of the bike race...local spectators came up to the trail to say hi.

 Son Chris, 150 mile runner winner....56 hours.
 

 Matt Maxwell and Tim Bowers.

 Finish line at the Chequamegon Canoe Club who were the major sponsors of the race.

 An idea of the ski conditions, Matt and I both skate/freestyle skied.

 Tim Bowers, mile 15 or so.

It was impressive the volunteers that came to support the event from all over the midwest. Some of the participents even took turns at the aid stations on the day their event wasn't going on.
Greg and Michelle at the CCC Bistro were unbelievably supportive.
The local community did a fantastic job as well, supporting the event from volunteering on race day to cooking, baking goods, setting up a nice start/finish area and even making a trophy for place finishers and general finishers.

Chris' trophy.

 

Maybe next year if conditions cooperate.

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.....