The International Ice II Race is from Drummond Island (U.S.) to St. Joseph Island (Canada) and back for a total of 22 miles. The trail follows the ice bridge which marks the main snowmobile route between these two islands which are at the very east tip of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

It was a balmy 5 degrees Fahrenheit at the start.
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Originally published in Michigan Cyclist Magazine:

Many people have never heard of Bloomer Park, which is too bad. This onetime state park, now run by the City of Rochester Hills, is destined to become a hub for local recreation in Oakland County. First, it’s at the south end of the Paint Creek Trail. It will eventually have multi-use paths connecting it with Stony Creek to the north and the River Bends Park (and Metro Beach) to the South. And, the Grand Trunk West rail line which runs through the Park is being abandoned. With the help of the local communities, this could become a rail trail connecting Bloomer with Romeo, Armada, and Richmond to the east, Pontiac and Auburn Hills to the west.

After a hurried warm up, it’s time to take my place in the starting line. The caffeine is kicking my brain into overdrive: Is this the right gear to start in? Is my computer reset? What about the mud? What about these legs? In the midst of the mental chatter, the steady starter gives the cue and I muscle a big gear out of the saddle. Everything switches to automatic as I cross the field to the wooded trail…

Bloomer Park is blessed with interesting terrain with the highlight being a steep ridge that runs through its core. The trail cuts back and forth across the ridge, exchanging grinding climbs with hairpin switch backs. Near the north of the Park, the Paint Creek joins the Clinton River. Together they move briskly through the Park on their way to the Yates Cider Mill and Lake St. Clair.

Well, I’m surviving. There’s a big advantage racing on a oft ridden local trail. You know the gearing better and where all the ugly, rubber grabbing stumps hang out. You hit the stream crossings at full speed and hammer out of them. You know each berm in every turn. You have more confidence, fluidity, and funkiness. I was praying these factors would deliver decent results, good legs or not…

Bloomer suffers a bit from too many trails and too few signs. Fortunately today, everything’s marked, but you still need to keep your head in the game to keep your bike on the proper route. This is especially true when the trail rides across the crumbling river bank. One bad move could put you and your fancy rig in the icy drink.

By the second six mile lap, I’m relying more on my motivation and less on my adrenaline. As I slowly crank through a mud bog for the final time, I approach the finish. However, in my frantic effort to finish strong, I accidentally whip past the finish chute and was starting a third lap. Not good. With guidance from other racers, I pull a U-turn and race 100 yards back to the chute where I gritted my teeth and repeated “dummy” to myself a half dozen times. All and all, it was another exciting and challenging race at a revived venue, with complimentary flowers for Mother’s Day and more achy legs for me. And in spite of all my worrying and extra mileage, I surprised myself and won my class. Yeah.

I have a very bad tendency to seek tough mountain bike events. The events where you compete against yourself, where finishing is an accomplishment. The ones that make your parents wake up at night in a cold sweat.

It all started in 1994 when I registered our team of five for the 24 Hours of Canaan relay race in West Virginia. Up until this race, I had been mountain biking for three years and racing for two. I figured I could handle anything the Michigan trails could throw at me.

If I were the know-it-all teen, the Canaan course would be the experienced mother. She spanked me pretty hard on race day. Her trails were ten times more technical than anything I’d ridden before. I was left bruised and humbled. (more…)

“Make pain your friend and you will never be alone”

It’s five days before the 1997 Leadville 100 Mountain Bike Race and my left arm is weak, inflexible, and swollen with pain. A cavalier training ride through Rocky Mountain single track ended in a power endo, landing square on my tucked forearm. While I quickly returned to my feet in front of my two cohorts, riding the remaining 15 miles home was miserable.

With the ice bag across my arm, I can only get disappointed thinking about missing the “big race.” The one I’ve spent $165 in entry fees, six days of vacation, lodging, and more. The one my parents are flying to in hopes of seeing their son break the legendary nine-hour deadline and earn a gold and silver Leadville belt buckle. The one where eight friends of mine are also entered with another eight friends providing race support. The one I’ve been training for and thinking about all year long. (more…)

Originally published in Local Dirt (#5), the MMBA Southeast Chapter newsletter:

One of the big buzzes in sports these days is off road duathlons and triathlons. There are at least four of these races in Southeast Michigan this year.

Yesterday was the Addison Oaks Duathlon: a 2.4 mile trail run, 8 mile mountain bike, and a 2.4 mile trail run. The standard Addison Oaks mountain bike course was used for both biking and running. There were two challenging 4-mile mountain bike laps.

The weather was perfect: warm, sunny, and not too humid. I’m guessing there were around 60-70 participants competing as teams or individuals. I decided to do the whole enchilada. As the race began, the fast runners flew off the front, the fastest guy running sub-6 minute miles. I recognized two guys as the State’s top mountain bikers (one expert, one Pro-elite) and we ran together at around sixth position. With a mile to go I picked up the pace, adding five beats per minute to my heart rate. (more…)