The 2023 Tuscobia Winer Ultra could have gone better. After almost 80 miles of amazing racing on gravel in freezing rain, I found a patch of that frozen rain. My tires slipped on the ice and my left shoulder hit the road before I could even think. I tried continuing on and walked maybe another mile before my sore hip caught up to me and I realized I wasn't going to get to a point where I could grab the left handlebar and keep riding.

Several fellow riders asked if I was ok and this last time I said "you know what…no, I don't think I am." As the shock finally wore off, I felt dizzy and sat down in the grass alongside the road, notified the race directors I had likely broken my collarbone, and asked for a ride off the course.

To shorten a long story a bit, I ended up at the local hospital and verified I had broken my clavicle. A couple days later I found it had been broken in three places. Another week later I had surgery. Nearly two months later I was back on my bike and training.

This year, my goal remained the same but my motivation had increased. After 3 attempts at the 160 Bike category, I was determined to finish this year and start my 4th attempt at the Order of the Hrimthurs off with a success.

Prepping for the event, we all saw it was going to be warm and rainy again and there was snow on the trail. That meant the snow was going to be soft and slushy and, if it was deep, difficult to get through. There was also a good chance of rainwater on top of the ice on the lake.

Starting the event, things seemed ok. Most of the snow had collapsed into ice and made for a pretty quick trail. I was a little nervous on the ice but got used to the surprising amount of grip provided by my studded tires. I had been training on Lake of the Isles so it wasn't unexpected, just welcome. The water on the trail was a problem, but not one I could do much about. After splashing through the first two or three puddles, my feet were soaked and would stay that way for the next 24 hours or so. Luckily, it wasn't cold or that would be a big problem.

I made it to the first checkpoint at 45 miles about 10 minutes earlier than I had the year before. I was surprised and delighted to be going faster in moderately worse conditions. My wet socks felt like sponges as I walked around the chekcpoint, so I ringed them out without taking them off then I made the most of my short stop, filling my water bottles and eating a few Oreos, then headed out.

The trail east of the Ojibwa checkpoint was not as good. Starting around Draper, there was more snow on the trail and it increased as I went farther. Not unexpected but not great either. I let some air out of my tires to increase my grip on the slush and took my time getting to the end. Normally, this would be where the "type two" fun begins but I was honestly enjoying being on a trail that wasn't just a straight line with plenty of time to get to the other end.

There's a section of road and a section of what is usually groomed snowmobile trail between the Tuscobia trail and the turnaround checkpoint. The road was very wet, very fast, and a nice break from slush. The snowmobile trail was bushwhacking with hills followed by bushwhacking in a bog. I learned quickly to step where there's grass in the bog to get the least water pouring into my already soaked boots.

At the edge of the lake, the ice was broken up by a bunch of ultra racers crossing from the land to the ice. I opted to get off my bike and walk it over the broken ice, then had a challenge of getting back onto my bike as my boots slipped all over the place. Studded tires reliably have better tracktion than boots.

Biking across the lake was amazing. I even thought about getting into my aero bars but decided against it. The ice was fast and flat and it was always a little joy to find the next cone in the distance. The cones weren't actually there to mark our trail, they were there to tell us where to avoid ice fishing holes that hadn't frozen over in the warm night.

I rode across the broken ice on the other side and to the checkpoint. I wasn't thrilled about the idea of walking through a bog again but I had plenty of time to finish and knew I wouldn't be compeditive so there was nothing to worry about but filling up my water bottles again and preparing to take off. After a leisurely 17-minute stop and two grilled cheese sandwiches (I remembered the sandwiches from when I was sitting outside in a car with a broken collarbone), I rolled out and back across the lake.

The bog went past more quickly on the way back, as did the rest of the rough trail. The warmth and rain had melted more of the snow on the Tuscobia and I kept waiting for the really awful portion with deep ruts and slush and ice to show up but it never did. Did I imagine it or had it just melted that much? Either way, these 35 miles were easier but slightly slower than the same 35 miles the other way. I covered them in 9 minutes longer than I had the first time and arrived at the Ojibwa checkpoint on the return trip for the first time in my Tuscobia Winter Ultra experience.

Again, a 18-minutes stop this time compared to the 4-minute first one. I rung out my socks again and added vapor barrier socks and foot warmers because my feet were getting chilly in the now sub-freezing temperatures. More water in my bottles, another few Oreos, and I was on my way.

I was tired and slow for the last 45 miles. It was exceptionally foggy out and the air was wet and cold. The trip that took me 5 hours that morning took nearly 7 hours after 16 hours of biking. My legs were tired and stiff, but the trail was great and I enjoyed the murky beauty of the fog.

Finally, after 23 hours and 4 minutes of biking, I finished the Tuscobia Winter Ultra for the first time. I came in 7th place in the men's 160 bike category and 9th overall. Three or five slices of cold pizza at the finish line and I biked back to my hotel for a shower and a nap before breakfast.

Next time, if there is a next time (I always say "I don't need to do that again" after a long race, but I always know I'm going to want to do it again), I'll need to consider a few things:

How can I make eating easier on the back of a bike on a slippery surface? I probably wouldn't have been as tired and slow in the last 45 miles if I had been able to reliably keep getting my carbs in at a high enough rate.

How can I keep my feet dry? My 45Nrth Wölvhammer boots were either not waterproof or water was getting over the top. I need to re-waterproof them either way and maybe start with vapor barrier socks in already to see if that can keep water off my feet. I could also wear gators to try to keep water from going in the top of my boots when I hit a puddle. And I should put on fenders to keep at least some of that splashed water off my feet.

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