I will be making the trek to Grayling Friday night to camp at Hanson Hills. Staying at the recreation area so I don't have to make that 3 hour drive in the morning. This way I can wake up, get some food, and relax before the fun begins.
All good things come to an end, and that includes this event. This will be the last Hanson Hills 50 and the last event for promoter Fun Promotions. I will be glad to take part in this final episode.
I attempted this race one time before back in 2021. I struggled and missed the cutoff time so I didn't get the full experience. In 2021 I was at 3:30 on my first lap. I went back and read the recap (click here) and started to remember how I struggled. Didn't sleep because of noisy neighbors at the campground. Mentally was in a different place that year as well.
So why this race?
Training and testing.
Honestly, I always like the events that Fun Promotions does...er...did. This will be their last event as I stated before. When I saw it was happening again I wanted to sign up so I could be there to finish this story. But I am also wanting to have some redemption. Having been unsuccessful on my last attempt, I want to get to the finish line this time.
Recently the surge of gravel races has seen the mountain bike races drift to the background. Most of them are under 20 miles (for Sport) and don't lend the type of training that this race will give me. Sure gravel is great, but its different than mountain biking. Knowing this terrain is similar to what I will see in a few weeks will help me get an idea of how things are going.
Lets dig in....
Mass
I am currently about 20 pounds lighter than I was when I last did HH50 in 2021. That is a win as we know that carrying 4 of the 5 lb bags of flower isn't something that helps you climb faster.
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Speed
The image below is my times at Yankee Springs. Throw in the race time around 1:16 and my times from this year are falling inline with the times from 2015. 2015 is the last year I did the LJ100 and I used Yankee as training. So things are moving in the right direction here!
Climbing
I wanted to break down the feet of climbing per mile at each of the trails below. Yankee versus Hanson versus Lumberjack. I went and pulled the feet per mile off Strava to get an idea of the intensity of the climbing. These numbers are what my bike computer gives me so they are close but not 100% accurate. Will still give you an idea of the elevation that I am against coming up.
Yankee Springs:.....100.1
Hanson Hill 50:.....68.2
Lumberjack 100:.....73.1
Yankee not only offers more climbing per mile but the trail is also sandy, rocky, rooty, and much more technical than either Hanson or Big M. Each trail has its moments, but I definitely consider Yankee a harder trail than the others. Doesn't mean the other events are easier...because with the added distance those climbs wear out the legs. Hanson and LJ courses are fairly close as far as climbing per mile.
This means that this will be a half test of LJ100. It will be a good indicator of where I am...not only physically but mentally. I feel pretty good overall and I am ready for this challenge. Not going to be an easy day on the bike...but with the right plan I will be successful. Nutrition testing will be happening. I will be doing everything in my power to make the cutoff time and get a finish here.
Full race video from MI-XC (from 2021)
So lets talk goals. Even though I don't see a cutoff time, I am sure Brent will mention it like he did in 2021. Basically....3 hour cutoff time. This might not seem like a big deal for 25ish miles. That is only 8.3 mph right? This should be doable in my eyes. I am looking at a goal finish of sub 5:52 for this event. That is 8.5mph as an average. I know, not fast...but that isn't the point. If I can average that speed at this event, it means I am in a good position for LJ100.
Gang, I know I am not a fast cyclist. I am a big dude out here doing the best I can. I am doing shit on a bike at 250+ that people who weigh 180 pounds won't do. This isn't for anybody but me. I am seeing positive progress on the bike. Learning a ton on nutrition. Losing weight. Moving forward. Finding that confidence that I had back in 2015. Getting healthier and living a happy life. Sure I might take last place on Saturday.....but last place with a finish means more to me than sitting on the couch eating Twinkies all weekend. I just do the best I can. A lot of us do. It is a lot of fun to get out there and see what the world has to offer. My goals are my own. Everyone has them. While some have goals to be podium at these events....mine is simply to finish. That can be more of a win that you can even imagine.
Hanson Hills 50 Goals:
1. Make 3 hour cutoff
2. finish
3. Finish sub 6 hours
4. Finish sub 5:50
Check back to see which of these goals I accomplish on Saturday.
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