A Tanana River Challenge Win? Really? Maybe!

I almost didn’t do the Tanana River Challenge this year. 

I had planned on doing the long course version (I haven’t yet done that one by bike), but I just didn’t get the training in. All the cold and snow this winter was a factor, but there were a variety of other things (including a quick trip to Minnesota after Corrine broke her hip). 

But as the TRC race day approached, instead of dropping out, I decided to drop down to the short course. After I did, the race organizers announced route changes due to challenges in putting in the trail (all the cold and snow, again). The short course was almost 27 miles, and the long course would be almost 33 miles. Not a big difference, but I decided the short course was still enough for this year.

A Brisk Start

The morning was chilly, about 15F below or so, but that didn’t feel too bad after this winter. The start, which normally is held on the river on a wide trail, was held in the parking lot because the trail onto the river was narrow, only the width of a snowmachine. (Not much traffic – once again the cold and snow.)  

When race organizers announced the start, most of the 20 or 30 racers kind of milled around. A large bank of plowed snow blocked my view of the river trail, so I couldn’t quite see what was happening. Not many racers appeared eager to go, so I took off. I immediately saw that the only people ahead of me were two skiers and four bikers. Whoops. I’m normally a middle to back-of-the-pack kind of guy, so I knew there would be some shuffling around. A little farther out the trail was a little wider, so that would work out fine for passing. 

That dot is Elaine, way out in front

We bikers quickly passed the skiers. Then I passed one biker, then another. I was in second place! I laughed. I knew that wouldn’t last. The biker in front of me (who turned out to be Elaine Ramos) was pulling away. That seemed normal. I rode to the side to give people room to pass me. I rode like that for quite a while, but no one came by. Finally, I looked back. Everyone else was way back there. What the hell?! That didn’t seem right, but maybe some of the faster guys were just conserving energy or were caught behind slower riders. I didn’t feel like I was pushing too hard. The trail was fast, my pace felt good, so I kept going. 

Where is everybody?

After 7 miles, I caught Elaine on the soft and challenging side trail that connects the river trail to Race Checkpoint #1and the trail that heads into the hills. I like challenging trails, so I passed Elaine and was first to Checkpoint #1. But by then some of the faster people behind had caught up. I stopped at the checkpoint to verify that I was indeed the first short-course person. The volunteers confirmed it. I laughed and shook my head. “I’m not supposed to be here,” I said. While I was chatting, Elaine and a few others passed the checkpoint without stopping. The world was righting itself again! I didn’t bother counting how many passed.

Checkpoint #1: Other racers start catching up

The first part of the trail in the woods had some challenging sections. I passed Elaine in there and another biker and another. But I knew the challenging parts would end and so would my advantage. 

We soon got to the short, really steep climb where everyone pushes their bike or carries their skis. By the time I got to the top, a couple of bikers were already there and Elaine was right behind. It was fun to ride with the lead pack for a while, but the trail was good, so I knew it wouldn’t last. 

At the top of the short, steep hill, a rider leaves me behind

Then some reshuffling happened. The first biker was slowing, so the second biker passed, but I caught both and passed them. Really?  By that time Elaine was right on my tail. That felt more normal, and I asked if she wanted to pass, but she said, “I’m good.” 

A smiling Elaine makes the last push over the steep, short hill.

The World Goes Upside Down Again

At that point I had lost track of how many had been ahead of me. Was I in the lead again? No, that couldn’t be. There was a checkpoint at the turnoff to Drew’s Longshot Trail. I asked the volunteers if I was the first short-course person through. They had to check. The long course racers, who had started an hour earlier, used this part of the course, too. They confirmed I was in the lead. “Really?” I asked. “Are you sure?” Yep, they confirmed it. The other racers stopped for a snack. I downed a couple of Oreos, but everyone else was still getting their snacks so I took off. “Might as well keep ahead of them for as long as I can,” I thought.

Drew’s Longshot was more challenging, the snow less compacted. It was a bit punchy in places. But you could mostly see where the long-course racers had problems. I was back in my element! I was able to ride almost everything without having to walk or step off. I knew I would gain time on some of the riders, which made me smile. It would take them longer to catch me when the going got good. There are advantages to liking challenging trails! 

Drew's Longshot Trail has a nice viewpoint. Gotta stop for that!

We turned off Longshot and started climbing Lookout. Eventually, I saw another biker. At first, I thought it might be another short-course racer, but I was going faster than he was. When I passed him, I asked, “Am I the first short-course racer to pass you?” 

“Yeah, I think so,” he said. I rode off shaking my head. Was this really happening?

We turned onto another trail heading down. This was again punchy. My territory! I passed a long-course skijorer splayed out in the snow, his dogs sitting, watching him. I stopped to ask if he damaged anything. “Just my pride.” 

We eventually hit a fast, curvy trail that I later learned was the upper part of Moose Wallow Trail. That was mostly downhill and so much fun! I was hooting and hollering! The long-course biker was right behind. It was a great time. Eventually we got back onto the main trail and soon ended up back at the checkpoint on the river, the last one of the race. 

“Am I really the first short-course racer?” I asked. I suppose it should have been obvious, but I still couldn’t quite believe it. They confirmed it. I laughed and told them I wasn’t used to it. “I don’t win anything,” I said. “I’ve got a lot of red lantern finishes, though.” They laughed with me. Patrik Sartz was there. He’s younger, faster, stronger, and more competitive than I am. He smiled, but he was also insistent. “You need to go!” 

Time to Race!

When I got out to the main river trail, I looked back. No other racers had reached the checkpoint. I checked my watch to make sure the mileage was what it should be. I didn’t THINK I had made a wrong turn somewhere, but maybe I had screwed up and shortcut the course. Nope, I had about 20 miles with about 7 to go. I hadn’t shortcut the course. The long-course racer had already taken off and was just ahead of me on the trail. I thought, “I think I can actually win this thing. I guess I should act like I’m racing.” 

I took off and soon caught the long course racer while he was stopped. I stopped to chat with him a bit, before taking off again. (Yeah, I can be competitive, but sometimes you just gotta chat.) Normally, I don’t like flat trails, but now I was jazzed. I pushed hard, still half-expecting some short-course rider to come up behind me. 

A short distance from the end, I passed a long-course skijorer. Shortly after passing, I looked down and the dogs were next to me. “Hi guys,” I said laughing and sped up a bit, leaving them behind. Then a few minutes later, I looked down and there were there again! I laughed. The skijorer said, “I’m not having to work at all!” I sped up again! 

First? Really?

I crossed the finish line flying, just ahead of the skijorer. Immediately, two riding buddies who had entered the long-course race, Glenn and Matt, came over from the post-race bonfire to talk to me. I asked them, “Did you see that?” They had no idea what I was talking about. “I think I just won the short race” They were impressed. (And I think, a bit surprised. They know my usual riding abilities.)

But still, I couldn’t quite believe it. I rode over to the finish officials. “Did I really just win the short race?” They checked and confirmed it. I laughed. “I never win anything!” They laughed along with me. 

Me and Elaine at the end. She was the second woman finisher of the short course. Go Elaine!

I still don’t quite know how it happened. I do know none of the really big local racers were in the short-course race. Conner Truskowski and Curtis Henry duked it out for a sprint finish in the long-course race. Their average speed in Strava was 11.4 mph. My average speed was 7.6 mph. That’s a good reality check. I didn’t suddenly get super-fast and strong by doing minimal training. It was mainly the luck of the draw as to who else entered the short course and what their training and race goals were. That and those delicious challenging trails. I'm guessing they slowed a lot of people. But a win is a win. I’ll take it!

My Other Win

(Actually, I did win another race this winter. It was a snowshoe race, the Ballaine Ridge Snowshoe Classic. Due to soft trails, only two people -- Tom and I -- did the long course, about 10K. Tom is a lot faster than me, but he accidently shortcut the course, so I was the only long-course official finisher and therefore the winner! I’ll take that win,too!)

Selfie during the Ballaine Ridge Snowshoe Classic