Make no mistake, although all events take great time, volunteers & money to organize and it's always worth it there are just some that suits some peeps style and some that do not. Although I appreciate the effort of all events, I also am quick to realize those that just are not my style or not worth to me to pay/drive for a second time.
I can say, I expected to be writing that I had doubted the Lumberjack 100 & would be writing that I would never go back, it just wasn't my style or worth the 9 hour drive. BUT, I am NOT writing that!! On the contrary, although very different course & organization, I actually liked it, would go back & had a great ride here!!!
Manistee Forest terrain, although somewhere limited in long climbing, is very interesting and variable. From sandy double track to sandy tight path, to 3 foot ferns sections, to pine tree soft needle dirt, to regular dirt, to leafy loom. Not rocky or technical, but the forest floor is super cool and nice riding.
Being a 3-lap format the incidence of DNF is a lot more, and going into it I know in the back of my head was the thought if I get lapped in lap 2 I will probably quit. Weather works out well, it's a nice dry course, warm weather gets a little hot, no checks just water at your starting pit. It all works out I do not get lapped (yeah!) and enter into lap 3 feeling ok, although not really seeing any girls since lap 1. I kind of have NO idea where I am in the line up, but I feel ok so just keep trying to catch up and pass more men, figuring eventually I'll come across a girl. No such luck.
On a different note, my grumpy 1/2 is not having such a good day. As I spin through after lap 2, I see JP walking along in street clothes. hhmm, this means he has been off his bike for bit.....I yell what happened, he mutters *#@#* bike broke. Oh man, I feel bad he had bad luck lately with some bike stuff going on and to go on this long trip to DNF really sucks. He tells me to keep going & helps me get new water filled up but I can tell not too happy.
Unbeknowst to me, I was sitting in 8th place (this is a miracle, about 30 starters, some really fast girls up front, to be in top 10 anymore in these is pretty good for me at all) up until the last 2 minutes of the day. Just then some girl flies out of nowhere, passes me like I am standing still, and in all my effort to tag on, she is gone in a flash pushing me to 9th. Blah. How in the world you have that energy left in the last 2 minutes I have no idea. So I finish in 9th, still ok, and the podium recognizes the top 10, so sweet, I actually get a photo op on MTB Race News:-)
This course gets a thumbs up, and to top it off there is a super great white sand super clean beach with NO ENTRY FEE just minutes from the course!!! What a sweet set up:-)
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