2025 Lumberjack 100 - Out of the Fire and into the Furnace
I haven’t done a race report in a while, since Marji last
year in fact, so let’s see if I remember how to do this.
Lumberjack 100 recap, review, reheat
I’ll start with the details. For as long as I’ve race
Lumberjack it has been a 3 lap race that totals out at about 97-98 miles with
6-7k feet of elevation. It is a very fast course with some even faster two-track
in the middle. My fastest time to date was last year at about 7 hrs 10 minutes.
I’ve done 100 miles gravel races that have taken longer. It is the true
definition of pedal to the medal all day and speed is rewarded with more speed.
This year was the 20th anniversary of the event,
so the directors decided to go way back in time, like to the origin of the race
and make it a 4 lap course with most of the two-track taken out. They also added
some climbs back in that haven’t made an appearance in a very long time: fire
tower climb and whatever it is they want to call that steep thing right behind
the lodge; I’m sure it has a name but I’ll just call in calamity climb. The removal
of the two-track also meant there would be more climbing, nearly 9k ft this
time around.
Needless to say, I was excited for the new format, more
single-track and more climbing means the course suits my riding strengths
better.
As is my normal routine for LJ I went up Friday morning to
set up my EZ-UP along pit row and do an easy pre-ride. This year Joe Cantell
was able to join me too. We got to Big M about 11:30, set up in a primo spot
and went to see the new parts of the course: the first climb (calamity climb) and
the reroute of the last descent. The ride went well. I knew that calamity was
going to be tough to ascend 4 times but it would be manageable. The reroute of
the final descent meant that instead of bombing straight down a large, wide path
with speeds well into the mid-30s, we would be snaking back and forth across
instead. It was still fun, if a little bumpy. My legs were feeling good and I
was as ready as I knew I could be.
After our ride we went back to our lodging for the weekend,
made some burgers over the fire and relaxed.
Race Day Details
Start time: 7:00am
Forecast: 70 at the start and 90 by noon with all the humidity
and some extra sun coming out in the afternoon. Or Hot. Very Hot. All day long.
I remember recent LJs where the ending temp wasn’t as warm as the start this
time.
We rolled into Big M at 5:25 and there was already a line of
cars out to the road. After about 15 minutes of inching forward we ended up with
a pretty good parking spot and set about getting ready for the day. Tire and shock
pressure – check, nutrition and hydration bottles full and easily accessible at
each lap – check. Legs – check. A week’s worth of chamois cream – check. Go time.
I made the same mistake I had last year. I lined up in the
third row, which is fine, but I was right in the middle of the road. Which seems
like it should be fine, but what happens is, as we ride down the road for the
roll-out the people on the edges surge forward to get a better spot as we approach
the first turn on to the two-track to head back to where the laps actually begin.
The first bit of the race is about a 2 mile jaunt out on a paved road and back 2
miles on a two track to spread things out a bit and make sure we get all the
miles we are promised. Anyway, just like last year the people on the outside
edges sped up and I was stuck where I was. The group turned onto the two-track
and I found myself with about 50 people in front of me. Not ideal.
As soon as we hit the start of the first climb, I was able
to start making my way passed people. After having ridden the first few miles
of the course the day before I knew it would be fast and rolling, but there would
be plenty of places to pass. So pass I did. Within a few miles I had managed to
get myself around the top 20. I’m not sure of the exact position because the lead
group was long gone and I had no idea how many people were in it.
The first 10 miles of the actual course was probably the
most challenging, It had a lot of short punchy climbs that just kept coming;
ending with the sandy, nastiness that is fire tower climb. I made it a few feet
up the climb, started spinning my rear tire and knew I wasn’t going to make it
all the way, so I hopped off and started pushing. Better save some energy and
effort while I can. I got to the top, rode down the bit of gravel road there is
on the course and was able to group up with 6 guys. We all rode together from
there until about 3 miles to go on the lap when it got climby again, and myself
and one other guy put some distance between ourselves and the rest of the
group.
That was when I heard the noise start. Tick, tick, tick.
It was there even when I wasn’t pedaling. At first, I
figured there was a stick stuck in my wheel or derailleur, so I kept on moving,
but it didn’t stop. Eventually I stopped to check it out, I looked at my spokes,
checked the derailleur, nothing. That was when I gave my rear wheel a spin and
saw a safety pin stuck in my tire that had been tapping on my frame every time
the tire rotated. I pulled it out, the Stan’s in my tire made about three
bubbles and plugged the small hole shut.
I was back underway, but the group of five had caught back
up.
We rolled into the start/finish area, everyone hit their
respective pits and got right back to it.
I thought we might regroup, but I somehow spent pretty much
all of lap #2 on my own. At least that meant I was able to ride my pace and
pick my lines. The day was going well and I was feeling strong.
Then the heat hit.
I rolled into my pit at the end of the second lap and it felt like someone had flipped the switch to turn the blast furnace on.
My fuel plan for the day was to have one bottle with about
450 calories of Perpetuem and one bottle with 2 fizz tabs per lap, plus I had
two bottles of plain water sitting at my tent that I could take big drinks from
at each lap. This type of strategy typically works very well for me. I knew at
the end of lap 2 I was going to need more hydration. Way more. I chugged one of
the plain water bottles at that point, loaded my fuel and fizz bottles on my
bike and got back to it.
Somehow it got even hotter during lap 3.
I was still feeling pretty good, but the twinges of leg cramps
started to make themselves known. Especially when I hit a particularly mean
climb just before the aid station. Knowing the aid station was just up the
trail I finished off my fizz and hoped it would help. It did a little, so did
stopping at the aid station for a refill of water. The next few miles may have
been what hit me the hardest though.
I was catching lapped traffic pretty regularly at this point.
Which meant I would have to slow down for a moment then put in a short surge to
get around them, usually just off to the side of the trail. Every time I did
this my legs yelled at me a little louder. I ignored them.
That was a bad idea.
I finished up the third lap feeling okay and wondering at
what point carbon fiber starts to melt. I figured we had to be close to
whatever that temperature is.
That was really the point when I made the decision to switch
from race to survive.
I grabbed my two planned bottles, drank almost an entirely
full one of water and splashed some on my head to attempt to cool off and got
back at it.
As I started lap 4, three of the guys I’d been riding with on
lap one rolled in, and I hopped on the train. They were going a little faster
than I wanted to go at that point, but I thought riding with a group was a much
better idea than going on my own. A little visual motivation and having someone
to chat with would be a welcome distraction.
And it was a good idea. Until it wasn’t.
That was when we got to fire tower climb for the last time
and about 4 steps up it both legs cramped up. I pushed throught them to hike to
the top, but as soon as we were there, I knew there was no way I was going to
be able to keep up without more and worse cramps. Time to be smart and let them
go.
From there to the end it was a matter of keeping any
momentum I could through the flowy stuff and turning the pedals just hard
enough not to cramp on the climbs. That level got lower and lower as the miles
ticked by, but I kept on moving.
I made it to the final climb of the day and I don’t remember
the last time I wanted to get off my bike and walk as badly as I did at that
moment, but having ridden it three times already I knew I was capable of it. I didn’t
give in. I rode it and made sure I extra enjoyed the descent that followed and
pushed on as hard as I could to the finish line.
Stats:
Time: 8hrs 23 minutes
Distance: 103.3 miles
Elevation: 8,934
Max temp: 92
Calories burned: 5,499
Place: Men’s Open 19th (22 overall)
I've now finished 9 Lumberjack 100s. Next year I'll be going for number ten and trying to earn my saw.
Fuel: 1,800 calories of Hammer Nutrition Perpetuem, 4 bottles
of Hammer Fizz (2 tabs per bottle), 1 serving of Hammer gel pre-race, 1 mini
can of coke, 3 bottles of plain water + some dumped on my head, BCAA+, Fully
Charge, Endurolytes caps. Post race Recoverite and some tacos.
Overall, I was happy with my performance on the day. It was
hard to take in enough water because of the temps, but I tried. My fueling was
good and considering this was the first race I’ve done this year that didn’t
require a vest and arm warmers I was pleased with how my body handled the heat.
I was hoping for a sub 8 hour finish on this tougher and
longer course, and I think if the temps were in the 70s or low 80s that would
have been more than possible, but with the heat and humidity as bad as they
were I will take my 8:23 and be pleased.
Now it’s time to try to get my brain to un-melt and get ready
for a really long day in the saddle at the Cruser MS175 in July.
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