There are no sacred cow's

Completed my first 100 mile mountain bike race.  The Lumberjack 100. The race started in the middle of Manistee National Forrest (upper Michigan).  The atmosphere felt more like a tea party with grandma by comparison to my last race.

Feeling bit  gun shy off the mass start, was a short road section followed by a narrow transition going into single track makes for a hairy start (Whiskey Off Road Crash memories).  People for the most part had some great single track skills and it is a humble talented riding scene in upper Michigan.  They are very enthusiastic about beer and bikes. The ladies be setting bit uncomfortable pace for about 7-8hrs but just tried to keep with it for as long as possible, riding back and forth with group of 4 ladies.

One of them dropped off, she just disappeared....

As we rode together into the second lap, we spooked a little deer fawn. The little fur race came at us full throttle. The beast totally blindsided us and crashed right into the rear wheel of the girl behind me.  Lucky, we kept riding...a wee bit stunned and amazed.

LITTLE FUR FACE COMING AT US FULL THROTTLE 

The ladies went into pit going into the last lap and I was hoping to get small jump ahead but was not enough to compensate. I didn't appreciated the leg sucking sand that was getting deeper and deeper. I started to have some interesting sensations around 140km, falling behind at the end. I was left to survive the last bit in no (wo)man's land until the end.  9h 11min. 100 miles for 8th place Open women. The physical suffering of that can not hold a candle to any other mtb race I have done.  With the exception of a 36hr adventure race, that one still takes the suffer cake!

I was happy the rain managed to stay away, as I awoke later that evening from my deep sleep to thunderstorms ...thank you mother nature for holding out, as it was plenty hard enough!  Also my friends coming sub 8hrs, Jan Roubal went for the BIG W and new record holder on SS/Trevor Selma also killing it 7:46.  Read about it here: http://mtbracenews.com/news/lumberjack-100-2013-results-nue-barry-wicks-alice-pennington.

Personally, I think nothing can be more humours than one's sense of self importance after 100miles (it can strip you of everything).  Since I have never been in a 100mile mtb race, being open to the moment and ever changing race was key. I suppose anything can happen and there are no sacred cow's.

and this awesome Lumberjack Jersey is sweet...and feeling bit strange

 Nice to be home for good sleep and recovery before next fun race. see u then.