Copper Harbor

This is a race I have skipped over the past couple years.  I have used the long Labor Day weekend as a rest weekend to make a final run to the end of the season.  I had the same plan this year but Chris P. begged and pleaded that I go.  (Ok, he didn't beg he just asked (: )  So I gave in on Sunday morning and decided to make the drive up.  I really didn't feel like doing a training ride by myself and figured that the race would be a good way to get a training day in with a bunch of cool bikers ;)

My brother Zach was nice enough to make the trip up with me.  We got a late start and didn't show up until 1:05.  That is 5 minutes after registration had closed and 55 minutes before the race.  They let me register and by the time I got ready it left me enough time for a 8:30 min warm up in.  I wasn't too panicked about the short warm up as the Fat Tire is one of the few races with a roll out giving the legs at least a minute or two more.

The course was a bit different this year and started going up the pavement of Brockway Mtn.  A 2 mile climb with gradients up to 20%.  The reward was going downhill on the flow trail for over 10 minutes.  Ben K. wanted nothing to do with a tempo pace up the climb and he had a large gap at the top as us others paced ourselves up.  At the start of the next climb a course marshal had told us he had a 1 minute gap already.  Knowing it was over a 2 hour race no one in the group of Chris P., Brian M., Todd M. and myself felt like chasing quite yet.  Not too long after we passed Ben K. looking up from a ditch.  He had an unfortunate crash which knocked him out of the race.  It now stayed the 4 of us for awhile as we worked a good pace up hill and cruised the downhills.  It was common to hear a sarcastic voice, "That was no fun!" as we finished the downhills expressing how much fun we were having ripping downhill.  On the way back up to the Mtn. Lodge the 2nd time we had me, Brian, and Chris.  Starting downhill on the red trail to the finish we met a lot of lapped riders but we were still able to keep a decent clip.  On the last section of grassy downhill Chris P. opened it up and Brian followed.  On my hardtail I was reluctant to keep the same speed and figured I could catch them on the upcoming pavement.  When we reached the pavement they both had a 15 ft. or so gap.  Chris looked back and that was my "Oh Shit" moment.  I knew they were taking off.  They took off and I chased as hard as I could but they were sharing the load up front.  To my surprise the finish was just around the corner and I rolled in 9 seconds back for 3rd overall.

I was really happy I went and had a lot of fun on the trails.  Chris P. pulled off the win and he deserved it as he acted as our trail guide for a majority of the race.  Thanks Chris.