For the past year I have been told by many friends that the Chain Drive was the race to hit in the U.P. (besides Ore 2 Shore). So for the 2014 season I put it on my list of possible races to do. I know the course would be great because of the location being so close to Copper Harbor.
The day before the race my roommate and I made the 5 hour trip across the U.P. We arrived in Houghton at about 9:30pm. We were staying at a friends house so we first went there and dropped off the bikes and unloaded the truck. Our friend showed us the start sections of the course. We traveled across the bridge that travels to Hancock and around for the first few miles of the course. After looking at the opening sections of the course we made a quick Walmart run for some breakfast food.
The morning of the race I was feeling decent. I had to get up earlier than expected because I still had to get over to sign up early and get all of that stuff done before the rush came. It was a bit chilly outside for being June and the sun was trying to show it self but the clouds were winning that battle. About an hour before the start I started getting things organized. Put on my Breakaway Bicycle kit, stuffed the pockets with tools, banana and a water bottle. I was very unsure what bike I was going to ride till I woke up that morning. I chose to ride the full suspension bike because I know what I will do and I felt a bit more comfortable on it in the wet conditions. The only problem with this bike is that it can only carry one water bottle so I had a bottle of Hammer Heed on the bike and a bottle of plain water in the middle pocket of my jersey. I dislike using my camleback for the shorter races. I started rolling around the parking lot and just tried to get into that zone I always try to get in. I always listen to the Lacrae station on Pandora when warming up for a race.
The start of the race was a controlled start for the first opening miles. I've done plenty of races that include being in large packs but the roll out for this race was different. I wasn't very comfortable with being in the pack. I already forced myself to start further up front from what I originally like to. Once the race started everyone fought for positions, even on the roll out. Some people were up front when realistically they belonged in the back. Here's a tip for all you newbies, EVERYONE CAN GO FAST ON PAVEMENT. Once the cop car pulled off to the side the race was on and the front group shot out like a canon. We all tried to open up a gap before getting into the single track. Once we hit cemetery hill the pack blew up and there were large gaps. The hill was rough but it did what it was suppose to do and that was to break up the pack before getting into the woods.
I was feeling pretty good after the hill and just tried to get into a good pace. I connected with a few riders I recognize from past races and I rode with a group for a good portion of the race. A few of the riders in the group split off for the 16 mile race while the rest of us kept going with the 32 mile markings. The opening single track sections showed what real single track riding was all about. There was everything a rider could ask for, rocks, bridges, tree roots, and short climbs. The group just keep at a good hard pace and we made some passes on people who were having bike problems. The first half of the race was had a good solid pace. Probably about an hour in I made a charge on a two track section and passed a few riders that were struggling in the single track. I would go on and regret that decision. I had to back it off and recharge after the attack. Once I regained my speed the course was getting more and more technical. At about an hour and a half into the race I hit my favorite section of the course. It was a flow section that was full of single rollers, small doubles, and some small step up jumps. Normally on a 29'er I don't like hitting jumps of this nature but the full supension bike made it fun and I couldn't resist to throw a few whips over the doubles and step ups. I felt my motocross skills coming out. I could have rode that section all day but I was racing so I had to continue. I was riding by myself for most of the second half of the race. Within 10 miles to go the course stated to get technical with rock sections and bridges with drop offs on the back sides of them. Within 5 miles to go the course took you down a trail and then into a rocky section that had no true line to it. This led us across a creek that was over the brake rotors.
The last few miles of the race seemed longer than what they should have but that could have been because of being tired. The last section before going into the finish shoot was a gradual hill on the side of the road. I would come across the line in 2:22:05 for 32 miles. I would end up finishing 20th overall and 6th in the Male 19-29 age group. I'm not to happy with the result but it what it is and I can now focus on getting ready for Nationals in the upcoming month. This race was a good race to do because of the challeging course and quality of riders that come to a race like this. This was the first race after doing Hanson Hills 100 so it was a good test to see how my leg speed is and see what I need to work on before the National race. Rocky section, hills and sprinting are some things that are always on the list for training. The next month of training will be a good test for myself to see how much I can improve over a short amout of time and now that I'm giving myself a good size break before the next race it will give me time to focus on training and not having to prepare for a race every weekend. I have a good idea of how to make improvements. I just need to do what I know I need to do and just go all in. I know with the help from friends, family and sponsors that by time Nationals rolls around I will be feeling better and stronger than I have all season.
I want to give a shout out to those who help me along the way and those who push me to go faster and farther.
-Mom and Dad
-Breakaway Bicycles of Muskegon
-Hammer Nutrition
-Crank Brothers
-Spy Optics
-Friends and Family
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