{"id":1539,"date":"2025-12-16T20:27:39","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T14:27:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.iceman.com\/?p=1539"},"modified":"2025-12-16T20:27:39","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T14:27:39","slug":"my-recap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.iceman.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/16\/my-recap\/","title":{"rendered":"My Recap"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This year\u2019s Iceman felt like the first time everything really clicked for me.  From the moment I rolled into the start chute, I could tell the training I put in all season with MISCA Devo and my coach, Sara Vano, had paid off. I felt stronger, smoother, and more confident than any Iceman before. MISCA Devo has pushed me in ways I didn\u2019t realize I needed; whether it was dialing in skills, building endurance, or learning how to control my effort in races. Misca Devo has a way of finding that balance between pushing me and helping me stay focused, and I\u2019m incredibly grateful for everything my coach has done to get me here. I also really enjoyed my social rides with Wild Card Cycle Works, so as not to get fed up with my bike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"840\" height=\"840\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.iceman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1000006570-scaled.jpg?resize=840%2C840&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.iceman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1000006570-scaled.jpg?w=2560&amp;ssl=1 2560w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.iceman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1000006570-scaled.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.iceman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1000006570-scaled.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.iceman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1000006570-scaled.jpg?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.iceman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1000006570-scaled.jpg?resize=1536%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.iceman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1000006570-scaled.jpg?resize=2048%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.iceman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1000006570-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.iceman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1000006570-scaled.jpg?w=1680&amp;ssl=1 1680w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 1362px) 62vw, 840px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Right from the start, I noticed a difference in my speed from last year. I was in front of the pack at first, but as we entered the trails, I settled into the second pack. That honestly made the race so much more fun. Riding with a group that\u2019s moving the same pace as you gives you energy you can\u2019t really explain until you\u2019re in it: the drafting, the shared effort, the subtle communication, and that unspoken agreement that we\u2019re all pulling each other forward. It felt like real racing. The community this year felt unmatched; everywhere I looked, someone was cheering, encouraging, or suffering right alongside me. Iceman is always known for its community, but this year felt on a whole different level<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1600\" height=\"1200\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.iceman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1000006971.jpg?fit=1600%2C1200&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1541\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.iceman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1000006971.jpg?w=1600&amp;ssl=1 1600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.iceman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1000006971.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.iceman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1000006971.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.iceman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1000006971.jpg?resize=1536%2C1152&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.iceman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1000006971.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 1362px) 62vw, 840px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But\u2026 it wouldn\u2019t be Iceman without some chaos&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Once we caught the last adult wave before Sows Ear, everything backed up fast. The trail went from smooth racing to full-on gridlock. There were sections where the line was completely stopped, and honestly, there were moments where I\u2019m pretty sure I could\u2019ve carried my bike through the woods faster than waiting out some of those jams. It was frustrating because I knew I had the fitness and skills to keep my momentum, but sometimes the only thing you can do is stay patient and work with what the trail gives you. That said, I really hope next year there\u2019s more of a gap between waves or a different way of managing the traffic. The congestion definitely slowed down a lot of riders who were ready to flow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1600\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.iceman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1000006973.jpg?fit=1200%2C1600&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1542\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.iceman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1000006973.jpg?w=1200&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.iceman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1000006973.jpg?resize=225%2C300&amp;ssl=1 225w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.iceman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1000006973.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.iceman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1000006973.jpg?resize=1152%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1152w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 1362px) 62vw, 840px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even with all the backups, I loved the course this year. The increase in singletrack made everything more exciting, more technical, and more fun. It played to the strengths I\u2019ve been building all season, especially with how much Devo has helped me improve bike handling and efficiency. When I had open trail, I felt fast and controlled, which is a huge confidence boost heading into next season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1406\" height=\"1600\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.iceman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1000006976.jpg?fit=1406%2C1600&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1543\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.iceman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1000006976.jpg?w=1406&amp;ssl=1 1406w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.iceman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1000006976.jpg?resize=264%2C300&amp;ssl=1 264w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.iceman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1000006976.jpg?resize=768%2C874&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.iceman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1000006976.jpg?resize=1350%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1350w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.iceman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1000006976.jpg?resize=1200%2C1366&amp;ssl=1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 1362px) 62vw, 840px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Overall, despite the traffic jams and the chaos, this year\u2019s Iceman was one of my<br>favorite races yet. I felt prepared, confident, supported, and genuinely proud of the work I put in. It showed me how far I\u2019ve come and how much more potential I have to grow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><br>I\u2019m already looking forward to next season, building off this momentum, and seeing what\u2019s next.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:30px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1599\" height=\"1249\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.iceman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1000006974.jpg?fit=1599%2C1249&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1544\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.iceman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1000006974.jpg?w=1599&amp;ssl=1 1599w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.iceman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1000006974.jpg?resize=300%2C234&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.iceman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1000006974.jpg?resize=768%2C600&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.iceman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1000006974.jpg?resize=1536%2C1200&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blog.iceman.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1000006974.jpg?resize=1200%2C937&amp;ssl=1 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 709px) 85vw, (max-width: 909px) 67vw, (max-width: 1362px) 62vw, 840px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:100px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Thank you to Kedzie Ruckle for being our 2025 Junior Iceman Trailblazer!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>This year\u2019s Iceman felt like the first time everything really clicked for me. From the moment I rolled into the start chute, I could tell the training I put in all season with MISCA Devo and my coach, Sara Vano, had paid off. I felt stronger, smoother, and more confident than any Iceman before. MISCA &hellip; <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.iceman.com\/index.php\/2025\/12\/16\/my-recap\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &#8220;My Recap&#8221;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[205],"tags":[69,165,139,179,141],"class_list":["post-1539","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-trailblazer","tag-iceman","tag-iceman-cometh-challenge","tag-training","tag-training-tips","tag-traverse-city"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.iceman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1539","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.iceman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.iceman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.iceman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.iceman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1539"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blog.iceman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1539\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1545,"href":"https:\/\/blog.iceman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1539\/revisions\/1545"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.iceman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1539"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.iceman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1539"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.iceman.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1539"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}