Holy crap, Lumberjack is 4 short days away! This will be my second attempt at this popular Michigan ultra-endurance extravaganza. I’m both giddy with anticipation and… well, giddy with anticipation. A) I want the race to be here, and B) I want the race to be over. Two giddies, one race (HUR DUR).
Last year I only completed two of the four laps, which was 50 miles. A lot of things went into that bailout of which I have a much better understanding. Here, let me show them to you:
1. Nutrition – Last year I bonked. Hard. The hardest bonk I’ve ever been bonked with in my short history of bonking. Blood sugar issues run in my family, and while I’ve never been diagnosed with a clear problem, I’ve always struggled with mood and sanity when presented with hunger. Bonking is scary as-is, but bonking for me seems to send me to a very dark, desolate place. Maybe it’s that way for everyone. In hindsight, once I ate a lot of food and drank some beer I could have pulled off a 3rd lap. But again, bonking is scary. So I didn’t do that. This year I focussed heavily on my body and what it needs to survive over 12 hours of riding. Eat, a lot, constantly. Eat every hour no matter what. Drink a bottle an hour, no matter what. Eat more than you think you need. Eat what your body can process. These are my mantras, and goddamnit they’re working.
2. Fitness – I took up a training plan this year. One of my main goals was to finish Lumberjack, which I can safely say 4 days out looks to be quite possible. I’ve often half-believed in jinxing and usually don’t declare victory early. However, I now believe in the power of positive thinking. I will finish.
3. Mental Stamina – It takes some balls to ride a bike around a tough course for 10-12 hours (Guess how long I hope it takes me. Go on, guess!). Ultimately you end up alone for long stretches. Potentially hours at a time. For the second year in a row I hit a wall about two weeks out from the race. This is the time when you’re training for 6-10 hours on the bike every weekend, usually all in one day. It gets lonely and the mind starts coming up with reasons to quit. So, I’ve developed another strategy: stay present. Stay in the moment, one pedal stroke at a time, one mile at a time, one lap at a time. Who gives a shit about the other laps. They haven’t happened yet, so why worry about them. Now is what’s important, and right now I’m having a blast!
So far this year I have logged almost 1,800 miles since January. I have my nutrition plan locked down. I got my mind straight. Boom, hot dog. Lets go racin’.