The Polar Roll has been the race I’ve been training for since the beginning of the year. The competition is stiff, there is always plenty of snow and single track is my passion. The course was 30 miles of hills and single track which started and ended in Ishpeming, MI. The Range Area Mountain Bike Association is the group of volunteers that cares for the precious trails.
In the weeks leading up to the race I had attempted to make a trip up to Ishpeming to train on the course and those plans were thwarted three times. The first try the temperatures dropped below zero and I decided against it as I didn’t want to risk getting sick. Then the ice storms came and covered the area with a sheet of glass. The weekend before the race I tried one last time and turned home once more as the ice was so heavy on the trees that the branches dropped onto the trails. It was disheartening as my training strategy for these types of races is to train in the snow on the race terrain.
The race organizers and volunteers had to work around the clock for 2 weeks leading up to the race because they had gotten over 5 feet of snow that needed to be dealt with in addition to all of the tree cutting. They had dozens of people up there trudging through snow with chainsaws trying to get the branches cleared away. Their groomers and snowmobiles were getting stuck and breaking down. It was SO MUCH SNOW! As everything went wrong they kept pressing on. There was going to be a race NO MATTER WHAT. Finally the Wednesday before the race there was a glimpse of great conditions. And then the snow came. Again.
I consulted with George Kapitz, Owner of Broken Spoke Bikes and teammate on what I should do for tires. George is the King of all things fat bikes so when he told me to run the 45 North Flowbeist 4.6” tire in the front and the 45 North Vanhelga 4” tire in the rear, I didn’t question it. But I was nervous as I’m a fan of the 45 North Dillinger 4” with studs so this would be my first time on a different set up in the 4 seasons I’ve been racing fat bikes. The tire choice was a game changer. I believe having the slightly wider tire in the front widened the rut ever so slightly and gave my smaller tire just a tad bit more room for error, allowing me to stay on my bike longer then most. I’m still on my 2015 Carbon Salsa Beargrease with 26" HED Wheels and Sram Eagle XX1 drivetrain and 30 tooth chain ring.
Ryan and I drove up early on Friday so that we could pre ride a couple miles of the course and come to find that yet again it wouldn’t be possible. It snowed another 5 inches that day and 35 mile an hour wind gusts were blowing even more snow into the trail. By the time we arrived to a trail head, even with round the clock grooming efforts, you couldn’t even see the trail. Another pass on the groomer was made that night after the snow let up but the air was to cold and dry for the snow to “set up” meaning get hard enough to support cyclists. I was devastated. This was my race, I wanted so badly to defend the title and who knew what could happen now. I threw myself a 10 minute pity party and then got to plotting a new strategy.
Here is what I knew:
1 – The course was going to be mash potatoes, deep ruts, slick spots, steep climbs
2 – Hike a Bike was inevitable
3 – What should have taken me 3.5 hours to complete would now take me 6+
4 – 1 Mile road climb before the single track
Revised Race Plan:
1 – Come to terms that I will be out there for 6+ hours and prepare accordingly. I set up 3 locations to reload my water and food. I had Hammer Nutrition Heed in 3 of my bottles and Perpetuem in another. I had a banana and 3 Hammer gels and a Hammer protein bar ready. I had over 900 Calories ready to go, 150 per hour. If I needed more, there were aid stations I could use as well.
2 – I wore the 45 North Wolvhammer Boots with a pair of Action Heat 5-Volt Battery heated socks and a pair of wool socks on top. Cold toes can take you out of a race so they were necessary.
3 – The farther back in line you are when entering the singletrack the harder it is to ride as the more bikes and hikers the more chewed up the course gets. Even though it was going to be a 6 hour endurance day, I planned to make the biggest effort of the day up that hill to get the best position I could into the woods.
4 – Had to get my mind right and wrapped around how slow I’d have to go. I left my heart rate monitor on the counter as I didn’t want to get antsy at how low it would be, making me feel like I wasn’t racing.
Morning of the race I was rearing and ready to throw down. Race Day ignites a flight or fight response in me every time and I was ready for war. I was mentally prepared to go to battle not with the other women but with the conditions and the circumstances. There were a few Ultra Endurance racers in the field including All-Stars like Jill Martindale, Jenny Acker, Alexandra Houchin and Chelsea Strate. These women were going to finish this race even if they had to carry their bikes on their backs the entire way. My goal is to become an Ultra Endurance racer and today was the day to start acting like one. My mind was set on “Focus and Finish.” There were also a few familiar powerhouses I’ve gone head to head with like Megan Barr, Emily Nordahl, Heather Stelljes and my MOH Kristina Navarro.
I started the race with 2.5 PSI, I’m always timid to go below that but as soon as I had some space a few miles into the thick of it, I took more air out, most likely running at 1.5 – 2 in the front and rear. As planned it was an all-out sprint to the top of the start hill. I almost lost my marbles on a sheet of ice but managed to hold it together and powered my way through dozens of men on a mission to get a good position. Not even a minute into the singletrack there was already a line of people walking their bikes. The course was already that bad and we were on a long gradual climb making it even harder. I’m no runner but I sprinted past 14 guys to try and get ahead of the mayhem and was able to get on my bike and ride. The entire race I hovered around 15th – 20th person back and even with so few in front of me, the course was demolished. On the bike, off the bike, on the bike, off the bike, ALL DAY LONG.
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| See the lady to the right, yeah. Photo Credit: Rob Meendering |
Early on there was a really steep decent and I was sitting on my top tube putting as much pressure down on the front wheel, balancing on one leg while the other counter balanced and acted as a brake, dragging it through the snow. My brakes had already seized up so I started picking up speed in a hurry. Front tire slipped out and I was ejected superwoman style right into 5 ft of snow. I wish someone had been behind me as all they’d have seen would be my boots sticking out of the snow. I burrowed my way back to the trail, giggling uncontrollably, not even bothering to wipe the snow off and hopped back on the bike. I was in good company most of the race as there were a few pretty chill guys on pace with me.
It took me almost 3 hours to get to mile 12 and the first aid station. Ryan Rollins and Tony Wagner were there waiting on schedule with food and drink in hand. Ryan joined Tony for support crew duty due to waking up sick the day before the race. He said I was the 20th person to come through. There was a couple hundred yards of road and decent trail just after the aid station, enough to get your hopes up. It was a teaser for sure as the course never got any better. There were deep stepping holes to the left and tire tracks to the right. The tracks were a bit deceiving at times as they looked rideable but when people are walking lower than their bikes, the bike angles towards them, creating a soft and off camber tire track line. I’d ride the line until my rear tire would slide into the walking tracks. Other times I’d try to offset the lean to the left by leaning to my right but by doing that I risked needing to step off to the right. Guess what, to the right was 5 ft of snow. When you stepped down off the main trail, you sunk. I was laser focused in on balancing and riding slow and steady.
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| Photo Credit: Ryan Stephens |
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| The Carnage |
It took me almost 3 hours to get to mile 12 and the first aid station. Ryan Rollins and Tony Wagner were there waiting on schedule with food and drink in hand. Ryan joined Tony for support crew duty due to waking up sick the day before the race. He said I was the 20th person to come through. There was a couple hundred yards of road and decent trail just after the aid station, enough to get your hopes up. It was a teaser for sure as the course never got any better. There were deep stepping holes to the left and tire tracks to the right. The tracks were a bit deceiving at times as they looked rideable but when people are walking lower than their bikes, the bike angles towards them, creating a soft and off camber tire track line. I’d ride the line until my rear tire would slide into the walking tracks. Other times I’d try to offset the lean to the left by leaning to my right but by doing that I risked needing to step off to the right. Guess what, to the right was 5 ft of snow. When you stepped down off the main trail, you sunk. I was laser focused in on balancing and riding slow and steady.  |
| Photo Credit: Ryan Stephens |
Then there were times I had it and was moving good only to be derailed by Icy fingers grabbing me from the branches above. I’d walk around most, ducked a few, and one took my goggles right off my helmet. The ice storm was 2 weeks past and was still too much weight for the trees to bear. As the volunteers hacked most away, more would come down. Adventure race of the century. I came to a road crossing 16 miles in and the guys let me know that they had hung around the first aid station until the next woman came through and she was 45 minutes back and a few had dropped out of the race. I just needed to finish. Enjoy the day, it was sunny and beautiful, just a hike with my bike in this wonderland.
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| Photo Cred: Ryan Stephens |
4 hours and only 20 miles into the race I came upon an open field. I looked around, nobody in sight. I allowed myself to scream 2 F Bombs as loud as I could and that was it. It was mission to finish time. I reached the Hugs and Bacon station at mile 23 to find Ryan and Tony were nowhere to be found. I couldn’t be concerned as to why there weren’t there, I needed food. The volunteers at the station loaded me up with a Bacon Smore, AMAZEBALLS! Got a hug or two and back at it. This is where I share some of my thoughts that helped get me through the last 2 hours of this race:
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Photo Credit: Jeff Wolf Focus and Finish - Slow down, Ride smooth
- How many seconds can I stay on my bike game
- I’m a warrior
- Marji Gesick 100 Training has commenced
- You will not break me, You will not break me, You will not break me
- Everything that could go wrong did and they kept pushing on to make it happen, so will I, keep on pushing on
- Oh look at that gorgeous….. and down I go for 189th time
- Endurance Day
- Rocky, he is not human, he is made of iron
- Weeeeee
- Must Finish, NO MATTER WHAT
Photo Credit: Rob Meendering
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| Photo Cred: Ryan Stephens |
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| Photo Cred: Ryan Stephens |
Post race party at Marquette Mountain was a blast as it always is. Everyone was boozing up and chowing on pizza. So many hilarious stories of what went on out there. I love being around so many who are crazy enough to do this stuff and can laugh about it all night long.
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| Photo Cred: Ryan Stephens |
Huge Thank You go out to:
The Volunteers for their Herculean effort into making this event happen against all odds.
Ryan and Tony for standing in the cold for 6 hours to support me
George and Sarah from Broken Spoke Bikes for keeping me set with all the right equipment
Broken Spoke Teammates who are ever reminding me that you are never alone out there
The photographers out there capturing all the emotions, find their Polar Roll Albums at:
https://www.ryanstephensphoto.com/index
www.robmeenderingphotography.com/
www.jeffwolfphoto.com/
The photographers out there capturing all the emotions, find their Polar Roll Albums at:
https://www.ryanstephensphoto.com/index
www.robmeenderingphotography.com/
www.jeffwolfphoto.com/
Hammer Nutrition for keeping me fueled
Ethan Urban from The Princeton Club for all the fun balance days that helped me keep it upright
Amy Middleton from the Bike Jacket for keeping my bike from getting all grimy during road trips
Scott Robinson from Integration Bodyworks for ironing out all the kinks
Sram MTB for the Eagle drive train which gave me that extra gear to get me over the hills
https://brokenspokebikes.com/
https://www.hammernutrition.com/
https://www.princetonclub.net/
https://integrationbodywork.pike13.com/offerings
https://www.sram.com/sram/mountain
https://brokenspokebikes.com/
https://www.hammernutrition.com/
https://www.princetonclub.net/
https://integrationbodywork.pike13.com/offerings
https://www.sram.com/sram/mountain
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