Iditarod Trail Invitational Part 3

I'm writing this in a coffee shop after the 2016 Talkeetna Trio.  Laura is out running the Trio course after racing 60 miles yesterday.  Hardcore.  

Rainy Pass hike a bike continued.  The wind drifts weren't giving up yet! As the descent steepened I was able to accelerate hard and just glide through the drifts but it was not what I was expecting. Seeing the headlamp behind me made me a little impatient but the trail got better and soon I was really hauling the mail and if I wanted to build a gap now was the time!   

The pass narrowed and my headlamp started to reflect on the snow and the rock walls that line the trail!  It was incredible!  Seeing the trail light up is something that has to be experienced first hand.   Steep and fast at first, flow and momentum the next.  It is some of the best fat bike riding I've done.

I made it through Dazell and was on the river.  The temps didn't change much but for the first time since leaving Knik Lake I was cold.  I didn't have too far to go till the Rohn checkpoint and so just toughed it out on the Tetina River.  I'm glad I made it through there with no issue.  A foot division participant, Peter Ripmaster didn't have such luck and fell into the river days later.  I'm happy to report that he's OK.

http://craigmedred.news/2016/03/06/near-death-on-iditarod-trail/

I was once again surprised to see Tim and Tyson were at Rohn when I got there.  Tim was gearing up to leave right as I rolled in.  He looked like he was in good shape and we exchanged a couple of pleasantries and he was off.  Tyson came out right after Tim left and we chatted for a few moments then he got his gear together and took off.  I got two famous Rohn bratwursts and some hot tang. Pretty darn tasty.  I grabbed my fluffy jacket after changing into some warmer layers and took a spot on the spruce boughs for a rest.

After I dozed off Jay P came into the tent about 30-45 minutes after I arrived.  He mentioned that he was not feeling well and was considering finishing the race with Tracey (his significant other.)  I wasn't to sure how I felt about this and just went back to sleep.

My alarm went off.   I actually slept fairly solid and the snow bed with spruce boughs were really comfortable.  I got up and had some instant coffee, a bowl of oatmeal and got my second drop bag items into my bike.  Many folks were showing up and getting their sleep on.  When I left the tent I turned to look at the group and somebody let a fart out.  Yup, time for me to leave.  I left the checkpoint and tried to get my mind together for the 130 miles left to go.

As I started going over the South Fork Kuskokwim the wind was picking up.  Before I knew it I was getting a really strong push through some tough trail.  There is very little snow through this area which is sometimes referred to as the "rain shadow" of the Alaska Range.  I was enjoying the tail wind up the hills but it was a little sketchy getting shoved downhill with very little light coming from my headlamp.  I was having a hard time discerning the ice from the gravel/dirt.  Through the eerie Turquoise Lake Burn and the Post River Glacier I went.   Up and down, through swamps and lakes.

I started crossing the Farewell Lakes.  Lakes and rivers can be a blessing or a curse on long races. This time they were the latter.  I had lost a lot of motivation with Jay P falling off the pace and with Tyson so far ahead and riding on lakes in the dark can be a little boring.  I put my iPod Shuffle ear piece in and started playing music. There was no denying this.  The sleep monster was at my door step.  I continued crossing lakes, then into the Farewell hills.  The sun seemed to be taking forever to rise and I was sick of looking at a little beam of light coming from my head lamp.  I had to stop.  I tried to eat some food and drink some water but none of that worked.  I stopped what must have been 10 or so times.  After that I decided it wouldn't be too bad to just put my forehead on my seat and just close my eyes for a few seconds.

Yeah, I fell asleep standing up.

I would wake up and hear a different song playing on my iPod.  I would go back until I heard the last song I remember hearing.  I was sleeping for 5-10 minutes each time I put my head on the saddle.  I probably should have thrown out my sleeping bag and bivy and slept another hour or so.

Bear Creek Cabin tripod

Haha

Sullivan Creek Bridge

I needed a boost.  I tried all things, riding fast, riding slow, standing, sitting, riding on the side of the trail but none of them really got my mind back in the game.  Finally, I decided to just get a few pictures.  Take in some of the sights (all three of them on the way to Salmon River, the old bison cabin, Bear creek cabin sign and the Sullivan Creek bridge.)

I continued on down the mostly straight trail and finally came to the Salmon River turn.  By this time I had slept standing up, hallucinated, bounced over the damn Iron Dog whoops and generally just battled myself for 40 something miles.  After the corner and through a wooded area I popped out into a swamp and was kindly greeted by a headwind.  Just what a tired bike rider needs.  I was in a better spot at this point and just put my head down and pedaled at a consistent pace that I knew I could maintain.  Just about 5 miles away from Nikolai I ran into Craig Medred again. Hearing someone say that I looked like I was riding strong helped me out quite a bit.  He was on his way back over the Range and had to ride all that damn bumpy trail again.    

I pulled into Nikolai and was greeted by Nick Petruska.  He led me through the town to his house where his family had spaghetti and a coke waiting for me.  As I was sitting and eating my food I got a surprise phone call!  It was Laura!  Hearing Laura's voice and chatting with her was great.  I told her about my trip across the interior and that I was having a bit of a rough time.  She is so positive and gave me a good bit of energy that I would need for the next 50 miles.  I finished up my food and soda said my goodbyes to the Petruska family and headed back out on the trail.

The next 15 or so miles I flew.  Even though the temperatures were rising well above freezing I tried to cover some ground.  I wanted to make up for the rough patch through the swamps and tussock fields between Rohn and Nikolai.  Well, I got a little over zealous and not long after one of many swamps and onto the river again I hit the wall.  The sleep monster was back at it!  Man, I didn't know what to do this time, it was the middle of the day and the solar power I got earlier in the morning wasn't going to work this time.  I put my forehead on the saddle and just started getting freaked out that Heather and Jeff were going to pop into view any moment!  I probably stood there for 15 or so minutes trying to gather myself.  I could barely pedal.  I had troubles even keeping my head up.

I had to do something.  I was so close to finishing this thing.  So I got back on the bike and started verbally instructing myself of every single thing I needed to do.  Pedal, pedal, pedal.  Stand.  Grab two gears.  Sit.  Drop a gear. Pick your head up.  I was actually speaking out loud.  I imagined that it would be hilarious to hear me talking to myself like this.  I continued doing this for the next 20 or so miles.  It's really quite funny to think about it now.  How ridiculous.  I enjoyed watching the sunset and was checking my GPS so often that my mileage didn't seem to move.  I removed the distance from my screen and only focused on speed. Soon I came off the river the final time.  I got to the road in McGrath and it really settled in.     

After years of preparation and training this was it.  After so much help from family and friends I was going to be a finisher of the 350 mile Iditarod Trail Invitational.  To top it off I was going to finish on the podium!  I get to Peter's house and everyone was out on the porch.  Man it was awesome!  I went into the house and they had just finished eating dinner.  Peter handed me what looked to be about a 2# brick sized piece of lasagna and a cold beer.  I piled some red potatoes and some bread on top of that and was in heaven.  I was surprised once again to receive a phone call from Laura!  She told me that earlier I sounded like I was in pretty good shape.  Not so much this phone call.

A little funny story, after taking a shower in the most dangerous tub known to bikermankind, I decided that I was going to sit on the couch to wait for Jeff and Heather.  Of course that lasted about 20-30 seconds before I fell asleep.  Tim said he came out during the night and found me with my head cocked sideways and my thumb on my screen with my phone still lit up.  Then when Jeff and Heather came in I tried to put together sentences and communicate in English but it just wasn't happening.  I guess you just had to be there.       

The next morning, Peter made a wonder breakfast.  His GIANT mancakes, sausage omelets, coffee and all the fixings.  There were more racers that had come in through out the night and into the early morning.  We stuffed out faces, chatted about our races, talked about the trail.  Some of the folks were going to Nome.  The rest of us got our stuff together and proceeded to head to the airport.  

We had a great time.  The champs Heather Best, Tim Bernston and Jeff Oatley.  

The iPhone couldn't quite capture everyone on the plane.

It was a great day to fly.  Clear and smooth.  After an hour we were already descending into Ted Steven's International Airport.  We got to the gate and there was a good sized group there to greet us as we got off the plane. We said our goodbyes and headed back home. 

Flying over the Alaska Range

Sleeping Lady

Laura is so awesome!  This was the SECOND chocolate cake I got!

I was happy to see my little puppy Sachi, my Dad and his wife Geri.  I ate WAY TOO MUCH cake, pizza and beer over the next week.  I enjoyed telling the stories of the trail and the race.  I went back to work and saw that my co-workers had written me messages on my whiteboard congratulating me.  

This was the best part of this experience.  The people who invited us into their houses, the checkpoint workers who at the most awkward of hours would literally wait for us and do anything we asked, the friends who spent hours hitting update on the trackleader board and cheered us on from afar, our families who take time out of their life's to assist with our silly obsession with bicycles.  If it was possible, I would put you all in a trailer and pull you along with me.  Know that you all were there with me in spirit and I thank you for that.   

I will always remember my first time on the Iditarod Trail...