The Winter Solstice Chase

The holidays are stampeding towards me quickly and it's hard to believe that the Winter Solstice has come and gone already! It's been getting dark so early that I've had to switch working out from something that I did after work to hauling my butt out of bed to get a ride in before work. If you know me at all, you know that I have a very hard time getting out of bed in the morning. Especially if it's still dark out and especially if it's damp out, which it has been recently. Even Ninja has been ignoring the alarm clock! 

Happy Holidays from my roommates and I!
Photo by Katy Batdorff

SO it's a big sigh of relief that the days will now *hopefully* be filled with more and more sunlight! 

So excited for race day, we showed up before the race sponsors did 

I've also been a little nervous for the first race in the Great Lakes Fat Bike Series. I've been focusing on endurance racing for so long that a short race seemed a little intimidating. What if I'm not fast enough? I feel like such a weight has been lifted off of my chest now that the GLFBS race #1, the Winter Solstice Chase, is over. I'm back in the groove of things from last winter. I remember being really nervous for this race last year too, because it had been sort of a testing point for whether or not I wanted to pick up fat bike racing as a hobby way of life. The race was incredibly difficult last year and I was beyond thrilled when I crossed the finish line because I never thought the race would end.

This year conditions fared better. Way better. There wasn't a lot of snow and the course was for sure going to be quicker. I've put a lot of miles in since last year, and I felt really good at the start of the Solstice Chase. All of my insecurities and worries dissipated at the start when I saw a lot of friends from last year's races. The reason why I love racing so much is because it's fun doing it! Fat bikers are incredibly friendly and I was so excited to see familiar faces! I wasn't worried about how fast I would be and got a huge grin on my face as I wished my friends good luck. "Oh yeah", I thought, "I remember this fat bike race feeling!" On your mark, get set, go! I started pedaling and took off really strong. Then we hit the first hill. Then the second. Although I had dressed way down for the race, knowing I'd be putting forth more effort than my endurance pace... my wool jersey, vest, new 45NRTH Sturmfirst 5 gloves, thermal knickers and my Fasterkatts had me dying by the third hill. I took off way too hard and blew up! Noooo too hot! I panicked for a little while, scared that I would have a hard time finishing the 20-something miles, and then more scared that I was way over my head for what I've been training for - the Tuscobia 150. The course leveled out just enough for my heart rate to return to normal and I started pedaling a pace that didn't make me feel as though I would faint. 

Race start

Last year the course was a big loop that you rode twice. Looking at the map of the course this year they had changed things up. I was told there would be less hills. You should never believe anyone when they say less hills. The course this year existed of two loops. Each lap was the two loops, for a total of four loops; four times past the start line... Hair-brained Jill looked at the map and saw the two loops and thought that she would be going out for one loop/lap, and then heading out for the opposite loop for the second lap. Why would I think that!? The first time I came through the start I was totally shocked and thought that 21k had gone by incredibly quickly! Then I passed through the start again and realized that instead of it being the end of the race, I was just done with the first lap. Oh great, I'd had to hit those hills another time! Doh!

This was not the race finish...

This was one lap, Jill. Just one..

The course for the Solstice Chase at Big Rock Creek is incredible. Hilly, some quicksand-like leaf two-track sections, some rough bumpy spots, some icy spots. Absolutely gorgeous farmland and woods. At one point during the race a bunch of deer got spooked and took off darting through the trees. Beautiful. The race promoters have a heated changing room, music playing, and they had a huge barn decorated with strings of lights for people to hang out in. Last year I could count the number of women who had registered for the long race on one hand, and I'm still in awe of how much this race had grown in just one year! Tons more people were pre-registered for the race, including a super fast women's field of 12 female finishers for the 42k. If this is any indication as to how the rest of the GLFBS is going to go, I'm stoked! So stoked! I love seeing more women out on fat bikes and I love that we're all getting faster together. April Morgan was the first female to cross the finish line, followed by my race BFF Danielle Musto. Our friend Megan Barr from Twin Six took third, followed by Chelsea Strate and then myself for 5th place female. I'm super proud of these ladies and cannot to race with all of them again next month! 

Photo by Kurt Barclay - for real crossing the finish line ;)

Photo by Kurt Barclay

And honestly, I'm really glad there were hills. There are plenty of other races in the Great Lakes Fat Bike Series that have hills and this race was hard proof that I need to start riding them more frequently! I remember last year I would up walking nearly every hill in St. Croix Falls, whereas this year I only walked up one - and only for part of it! I'm also glad the race was "shorter" because I need speed work. The best part about the fat bike season is that your fitness gets increasingly better each race! Fingers crossed that by March I can tackle any hill that's in my way. ;)

April Morgan, Danielle Musto, myself

We left St. Croix falls and drove to Minneapolis to stay at our friend Brent's house before heading back to GR in the morning. Today I have travel-hangover, but it's good to be home and I'm excited to keep training for Tuscobia... it'll be here before I know it!

Twin Six B!