Trans-Iowa Race (The northern third of Iowa!)

How nuts is this? A 315-mile race across Iowa on dirt roads with only one aid station. It was an absolute blast. A strong wind was our face for most of the race and the temperatures dropped below freezing at night. For the most part, we rode together in groups and shared the workload. But, for the last 100 miles or so, I was on my own. I was in a mental funk from 4am until daybreak, when my body totally picked up the pace automagically. I finished fourth overall and won the singlespeed category running a 38×16 gear. Yeehaw!

24 Hours of Boyne (Boyne Mountain Ski Resort, Michigan)

I came back again for more pain and ran a slightly larger gear (38×18) than what I should have. I won the singlespeed class, but my buddy Dale Plant from Kona beat me on a singlespeed. Fortunately he raced the 40 and up class.

Lumberjack 100 (Manistee, Michigan)

This was the innaugural race and the first 100-miler in Michigan. The singlespeed class was stuffed with studs, including Mike Curiak and Dan Jansen. I raced well but not great, largely due to some questionable nutritional plans. (Hey, I thought since it was a ‘lumberjack’ race I should race with maple syrup.) Still, I can’t complain about a fifth place finish just a short ways behind Mike. Gear: 38×18

Infiterra Triathlon (Shelby Township, Michigan)

I didn’t have the best XTERRA race at Brighton a couple weeks earlier, so this was the chance to produce a little better result. For not having swam much lately, I came out of the water near the front. I picked off others on the bike and kept with a small elite group into transition. I was the first in the group to get into my running gear and hit the trail. I had a small gap and held them off, though I was unable to chase down Jim James who won the event. Still, I can’t complain about being the race runner-up.

Leadville 100 (Leadville, Colorado)

Last year’s singlespeed race at Leadville was to be a one-time thing. Well, the promoter added a singlespeed race category this year, so I had to try it again. I’m glad I did. This was one of my best races ever. I won the class in a tight back-and-forth race. And, after a furious final sprin, I barely beat the nine-hour big gold buckle by six seconds. It was a crazy, crazy finish that I won’t soon forget. Gear: 32×18