Month: September 2024

2023—my first Iceman. Man, it felt like Christmas morning as I counted down the days to registration. I was literally glued to my screen, the refresh button getting the workout of its life, making sure I snagged my spot before it filled up. And when I locked it in? I was over the moon, ready to dive headfirst into the ultimate Michigan mountain bike race.

The build-up was serious. I made it a point to race every month—part of my routine for the year. A lot of training rides, runs, long grinds, pushing hard to prepare for what was coming. When they finally released the wave placements, I landed in wave 43, practically at the back of the pack. No surprise there—first time riding the Iceman, over 40, and rolling in on a fat bike. I wasn’t mad about it. Every race uses waves, and let’s be real, the older you are or the slower they think you might be, the further back you go.

I could’ve requested to move up since I’d been crushing races that were similar in distance and elevation all year long, placing in the top 5 and top 20 in a few. But I held back. Iceman is a legend, and I wanted to experience it in its full glory, start to finish, no shortcuts. So, I accepted my spot in wave 43 and got serious about my training.

As the race approached, the nerves kicked in—mixed with a hefty dose of excitement. I’d spent months dialing in everything: crack-of-dawn rides, hitting trails fast and hard, testing tire setups and PSI like it was a science experiment. Whatever edge I could find, I was going after it, knowing I’d need every bit of it come race day.

The weekend of the race, I was lucky enough to crash with some friends at Timber Ridge—hardcore Iceman vets who’ve been doing this for years. Their advice was pure gold. We talked about the infamous “conga lines” that form in the single track, how to find those key moments to attack, and where to save energy.

The expo, though, was a bit much for me. Huge crowds aren’t my thing, but I soaked it in anyway, grabbing all the swag I could for my kids (and a few goodies for myself, including some fresh Iceman gear). I glanced at the long line for packet pickup and noped out of there—deciding to join my group for a ride on the last 10 miles of the course before circling back for the packets later. Best decision ever.

Iceman is known for keeping things fresh each year, tweaking the course just enough to keep everyone on their toes. Riding those last 10 miles ahead of time was huge. I knew what to expect on race day, from the flowy, fast sections to the small bumps and drops. It made all the difference, especially when things got tight in traffic.

Antia Hill? Total game-changer to know it has that sneaky false summit—you’ve gotta dig deep and keep pushing. The downhill under the powerlines, followed by a sandy climb, was another key section. And don’t even get me started on that new single-track shortcut that dumps you into the infamous woodchip hill climb. Knowing the 90-degree turn that forces you to nearly stop right before the climb was like having a cheat code. I was ready.

Then, the beast of the Icebreaker climb—that long, drawn-out grind. From there, it’s tight singletrack until you hit the final stretch into Timber Ridge Campground. Knowing how to handle the transition from dirt to pavement on that last sharp corner saved me from a potential wipeout that caught a few pros. From there, it’s all about that final push to the finish.

Race day? It was everything and more. I could barely sleep the night before, the anticipation buzzing through me. I woke up early, grabbed some coffee, and chatted with the crew I was staying with about what was ahead. We loaded up our bikes and headed to the start line. Almost everyone in my group was set to start nearly two hours before me. Even though the morning air was crisp, almost biting, the atmosphere was electric—alive with excitement and energy.

To stay warm and loosen up, I rode around the airfield, getting my legs ready for what was about to come. When it was finally my wave’s turn to enter the chute, I felt a pit in my stomach—nerves and excitement wrestling for control. Then, as soon as the buzz signaling the start rang out, something clicked. I sprinted off that line harder than I ever have before.

Crossing the finish line, I hit that post-race wall—completely bonked. I stopped next to someone I knew, barely aware of where I was or what had just happened. Once I snapped out of it, I headed back to refuel—shower, change, and my go-to post-race treat: a pint of chocolate ice cream. Afterward, I soaked up the vibe, which is something words can’t fully capture. Iceman isn’t just a race—it’s like a mountain biking festival. I’ve been to big events and festivals before, but there’s nothing quite like Iceman. The energy is electric, the people are incredible, and everyone’s sharing this wild, rugged, muddy experience together. It’s like the best rave you’ve ever been to, mashed with the most intense, joyful mountain biking event imaginable. You leave it with an overwhelming desire to come back, year after year.

See you all on November 2nd! Find me out there—I’ll be trading bracelets, snapping selfies, and sending it with every bit of PLUR energy we can summon. Let’s ride!

Thank you to our 2024 Iceman Ambassador Gerald Gaecke @g_dub83_

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.

There is a sweet spot of exhaustion at the end of any cross country mountain bike race. You want to feel like you absolutely gave it your all but you don’t want to blow up 5 miles from the end and cross the finish line cracked with a proverbial limp. Recently at Ore to Shore, I definitely was the rider fading at the end and missed the podium by a mere minute due to poor planning and lack of endurance. Looking towards fall racing, my thoughts are on how to finish Iceman strong with enough energy to party in the celebration zone afterwards with 5,000 of your closest friends 😉

Get your nutrition right: It would be silly to train your endurance and power and not train your nutrition. Figure out how many carbs you will need per hour during iceman and what you will use to fuel during the race. Use similar nutrition on your training rides at a slightly lower amount of carbs to again make sure your gut can handle it. Then If you are feeling well, try at least a couple of rides or other races with this same nutrition plan you will use on race day to make sure it works for you. Personally, I have to drink the vast majority of my nutrition and I put it in a hydration pack. I know myself well enough that if I have to reach down for bottles I just won’t drink and I personally have to manage my carbs closely or I will bonk. I use 50-60 grams of carbs/hr for training rides and around 80 grams/hr for races depending on the length of the race. These are just may numbers, what you need may be wildly different so start playing around now so you can have it dialed by race day.

Using the hydration pack during a race like Iceman also allows my to carry an extra half bottle of water for sips if I need a pallet cleanser. It can also be used to rinse your cassette if its super muddy. 

Also, remember that your nutrition for race day starts 1-2 days (if not longer) prior and what you are eating those days can affect your race. Make sure you are getting enough carbs in the days prior to that you are filling up your glycogen stores. Practice the breakfast you will have on race days before other rides to make sure it sits right. 

 Managing effort: Start out strong remembering that the initial push doesn’t last forever and you will eventually settle into a steady pace and be able to recover. Push and pass on the gravel and the two tracks and recover on the single track. The single track will get clogged and so this can be a good time to just take a breather. It burns more matches to pass in the single track than it does in the gravel or the two track as you are often forced to take a line slightly outside of the trail. As a result, I often will not pass in the single track unless I see a long term benefit. Early on the lines are so long in the single track that I just focus on drinking my nutrition so I can be fueled for the rest of the race. 

Remember that the last 8 miles of Iceman are where the majority of the punchy climbs are. I’m not saying reserve all your energy for the end but it’s important to have enough in the tank to crush those hills. If you find yourself riding with a group often there will be a surge over the top of the hill so you want to be able to push all the way over, so you don’t get dropped on the backside and lose the group.

Again, these are just my thoughts and may only apply to me personally. Always do what works best for you. With the leaves beginning to change color, the Iceman stoke is beginning to build and I am here for it in every way!

Thank you to our 2024 Iceman Ambassador Meg Hagerman @hagermanm

The cooler mornings and nights, the “feels” like fall weather, the coffee shops releasing their pumpkin spice goodies…feels like iceman prep season is here!

I live basically Next door to Timber Ridge. It’s so fun on the weekends to see the increasing number of riders park along the road for an entire morning or afternoon. I imagine their routes and they’re downloaded .gpx files on their Garmin and Wahoos are directing them along previous years Iceman courses. I imagine the newbies getting out with friends and just following along the route having no clue where they are. I imagine the veterans who haven’t needed their GPS in years to take them out and back. 

My 7 month old son and I take little hikes and walks together throughout the vasa and he always gets big wide eyes as we step to the side to let the bikers zooms on by. He’s a little too small to be on a strider or biking with me, but maybe next year you’ll spot him in the SNO CONE strider portion of iceman! 

Wherever it be a Sunday social cruise or a Saturday every man for himself tempo race pace, one thing is certain – The “out and backs” have begun! Find yourself some fellow iceman preppers and come on out, it’s not too early!

A huge thank you to our 2024 Iceman Ambassador Allyson Klug @allysonklug