2013 Heck of the North

Since I was unable to ride Almanzo this year the Heck was my first 100 miler for the year.  I had heard that this ride was not a “normal” gravel grinder, the use of the snowmobile trails made it interesting.

Kyleen and I made it up to Two Harbors Friday around 5:30, we were using my parents travel trailer for the weekend, with the raining the forecast I was happy to have the trailer.

The rig for the weekend

Bright and early Saturday morning we got up and got going.  I was checking over things and I noticed that my front tire was flat, I had somehow cut my side wall, this was not how I want the morning to go!  Troy and I worked on the tire and I was back in business. 

Troy, Brett and I just before we lined up to start

We headed off to get checked in and to do a few last minute things.  The forecast called for rain and wind all day, but much to our liking it was not raining yet, at least we would get some dry miles in.  At about 8:30 we lined up and after a few words the field was off.  We headed off down a double track trail that was littered with rocks.  I have never seen so many flats in the starting miles of a race. At about mile 17 we turned off the dry gravel road and started down the snowmobile trail.  It was kind of fun to pass a bunch of people on the trail, I was riding my Tallboy with 2.1 inch tires, that was a good choice for this ride, the people with cyclocross bikes where having a hard time in the bog.  After a steep hill we were back on a dry trail for a bit then on to the road.  Things were going well for me, nothing exciting happened until the rain came at about mile 45 or so.  The next 4 or 5 hours I would be riding the rain.

Riders making their way up the hill out of the bog

I made my way to the halfway check point and at some food and drank a red bull.  Before the check point was tired, hungry and ready to call it.  I did know that I would feel better after I ate something, so I know that I was not really going to quit.  When I was leaving the check point I saw Kyleen sitting there in the truck, it was great to see her.  That always lifts my spirits during these races.   I rode for about 10 miles and I needed some more food, so I stopped and ate some more.

At about mile 80 I noticed a few cars parked on the side of there were I need to make the turn towards the finish.  There were a bunch of people hanging out with a fire, food, coke and beer.  This was also a little pick me up, I slammed a coke and headed off.  The wind was finally at my back and I was making some good time up until mile 90, when we turned back on to the snowmobile trail and it was muddy!  The last 15 miles felt like they took forever.   When I made it to the road I saw Kyleen standing waiting for me, it was nice to be done!  I finished the 104 miles in 10:05, which for a muddy rainy ride was not too bad for me.

Glad to be done, but I was feeling good.

My poor drivetrain!

All cleaned and ready to roll.