While physical fitness and technical skill are vital components of success at the Iceman Cometh, perhaps the most important piece of the puzzle is mental toughness and pragmatic pacing. The demands of this 30+ mile race will push you to your limits in every way.
Those who can simultaneously embrace the discomfort, manage their effort levels, and resist going one too many times into the red before the finish will be the ones much happier at the end of the day. Developing mental strength and an intelligent pacing strategy is critical.
Whether you’ve raced Iceman before or not, taking the time to mentally rehearse and visualize every part of the course is huge for preparing your mind. Use photos, videos, first-hand accounts, and detailed maps to deeply picture what you’ll experience. If you can pre-ride, please do so! Fall in northern lower Michigan is stunning.
Of course, no amount of visualization can fully prepare you for the discomfort and fatigue you’ll experience at Iceman. You have to deliberately manufacture opportunities to desensitize your mind to suffering during training sessions. This could mean adding extra mileage or climbing more hill intervals. Or maybe it’s throwing in surprise surges or hill repeats at the end of endurance rides when your body is wrecked.
The key is pushing your mental limits frequently under extreme duress so your brain becomes accustomed to overriding discomfort and distress. Build up that grit piece by piece until suffering is second nature. I like to hit those dark places and push through, it’s a process to understand what your brain does to you and know you can get through it!
I recommend that you determine reasonable start, middle, and finish time goals based on your fitness, course intel, and race-day conditions (ever forget mudman!). From there, script out planned heart rate, power, or RPE zones for different sections of the course.
Break things up into manageable chunks like going through the two track opening trail, targeting a specific climbing RPE as we hit the first section of single track and cadence on the major hills, and make sure you are saving something in the tank for the last 10 miles where the real fun begins on the Vasa.
Focus only on hitting those process goals for each segment, try to ignore your overall position or anyone else’s pacing. Ride your own race!
I recommend you cultivate a saying like “smooth is fast” or “you trained for this” to quickly reset when the suffering hits or your mind starts to wander. Having these trigger statements ingrained makes it simple to get back on script.
With a clear mind, repeated discomfort training, and a well-designed pacing plan, you’ll develop the composure and focus to tackle the Iceman this fall. The miles of fun will make sure you are ready for that cold Bells Beer brew at the finish
About the author: Tobi is a passionate mountain biker and ultra endurance gravel cyclist who thrives on pushing his limits in the great outdoors. He has a deep appreciation for nature, savoring the scenic views and challenges of unpaved singletrack trails and long gravel routes. Tobi’s passion for adventure drives him to constantly seek out new ultra endurance gravel races and mountain bike events that take him on new dirt roads. He has participated in the Iceman Cometh Challenge for over a decade. When not hitting the trails or grinding away the miles on gravel, Tobi enjoys camping trips with his family. He is also actively involved with the West Michigan Coyotes youth mountain bike team, where he coaches and rides alongside his daughter, fostering her love for the sport. The solitude of the trails and the invigoration of conquering an ultra-endurance race is what fuels his obsession with mountain biking and gravel cycling.