This is my first post. This is my another goal for 2016 (to make my blog on English).
My good friend Lara Long edited my post and help me with learning English
Well, a little rested and ready to write the report.
Arrowhead 135 (135 miles or about 220 kilometers on snowmobile trail) on the
wild part of the state Minnesota - is one of the 50 most difficult races in the
world of winter. Number of participants is limited (not more than 150 cyclists,
skiers and runners). To register for the race you have to have experience of
participation in the race for a long distance.
photo credit by
Here is the elevation of our marathon
For me it was the third Arrowhead. Each year different.
In the first year of my participation in 2014, I called race «Frozen butt», the
butteries is died in my headlamp. I had to drop off from the race in the middle
of the route. But I was one of the few people who spent the night outside in
minus 30 C, and due to a poorly inflated mat, I had a bad frostbite over my
butt.
The second 2015 race I called "Diarrhea". At the first check-point,
which was located in the store, I bought some prune juice. And then I started having terrible diarrhea during the
remaining 100 miles. But this did not prevent me from coming 2nd among women.
After the race in 2015 race, I told my husband that I was ready to have a baby.
A few months later, I got news that I was pregnant. The doctor said that the
child would be born at the end of November ( Yeva was born December 3). I
thought that I would have a chance to give birth and race in Arrowhead 2016. I
would have time to prepare for 1.5 months.
From that moment I began to think about this. I went to work, rode a MTB trail,
trying to keep fit. The last few months I rode to work for 15-20 miles every
day. My last ride was the day before the birth of my daughter.
During pregnancy, I also ran, but not as a much as biking.
In September, I asked permission from my husband to register for a marathon.
And he let me do it. I was very happy.
Since I gave birth a week later than the due date, then I had less time for my preparation
for a marathon. Therefore, I left the hospital after 24 hours after birth. I
went to my first training session one day after we were back home.
The whole body ached. My speed was 1 mile per 15 minutes. I
wanted to cry with such a result. It seemed to me that nothing could does not work;
I was too ambitious, thinking that I could do this marathon.
But with each new exercise, I showed better results than the previous times.. I
remember that was the first 10 miles. 2 weeks before the marathon I ran a half
marathon with a stroller.
A few days after the birth, I began to train on the trainer in the basement.
Sometimes I had to do it with my daughter in my arms, when she won’t sleep by
herself.
Later, my husband began to stay with our child and let me go on training on the
fat bike. I used every opportunity for training.
I remember well my first competition 5 weeks after birth. I came to train on
mtb trail and saw that the competition will be held there. My husband allowed
me to take part.
As a result, I took 2nd place. It was unexpected for me. And
this result had given me more confidence.
As for the logistics of the race, I came up with this. The plan was such: I
take with a breast pump with me, and my husband with the child arrives at the two
warm check -points and I breast feed the baby. I still had to find a breast
pump, as my own was very heavy and it must carry it with me, as the race rules
required that all personal equipment has to be on you. My Russian friend gave
me portable breast pump.
Then I bought a variety of stuff to help my husband stay with our child: the
heater for milk (one for hotel and one for the car) and other things.
At the time of race Yeva was 7 weeks old.
As soon as my daughter was born and when I could, I started pumping extra
breast milk freezing it, so that we had extra for the time of my absence or any
unpredictable situation.
The last week before the marathon, I was very nervous. I saw that 11 strong
women were registered for the race. But I knew that I could not compete full strength
because of my stops for pumping and feeding. Each stop was going to take 15-20
minutes.
The forecast showed that there would be warm weather. Someone cheered the news,
but not me. I understood that there would be warm, and it meant that the trail
would be warm and have a lot to go on foot.
Then the was evening briefing, meeting with friends from different cities and
states. I love this special caste of people – of endurance style.
80% are permanent participants, people with big experience. And 20% is a novice
and casual people. I call those «casual» who come to this marathon one time in their life, so they could add
it to their race book and never return again.
Yeva is in the arms of my friends - legendary racers Tracey and Jay P
of Salsa Team, these guys are very cool. Once again, they are the winners of
the marathon (and I never doubt it)
We drove my oldest daughter to Dan’s mother in Two Harbor, MN.
On Sunday morning, we went to register. I was registered. I rode 6 miles with
all the equipment on the trail (to test) and realized how difficult it would be.
Besides had on unpleasant surprise; I had a broken spoke on the rear wheel. We’d
not have tools. Dan put this spoke to another with a duct tape.
Night before I did not sleep well. Yeva woke up often and various thoughts kept
me awake.
When I began pack for the race, I realized that I did not take the cycling
shorts ... This was a big mistake ...
In the morning I went to the start. And my family stayed in a motel.
PART II RACE
Before race I met my friends
I went with a
good speed of 13 miles per hour, the first 1.5 hours, until the route allowed me
to do. So then the trail started to be soft. I lowered the pressure in the
tires. But I got it down too much and my speed had fallen sharply. I stopped to
pump up the wheel – and I broke my pump ...
I had to go on a kind of flat tire.
I lost positions very fast. Well, okay. After 10 miles, I asked to use someone’s
pump. I pumped up defined the wheels and
it had gotten easier.
I reached the first check-point, after 5+ hours . My husband and baby were
waiting for me. I asked permission from volunteers
to use the back room for feeding my
daughter. After feeding Yeva, I pumped milk, than ate hot pasta with meat, and
rode on.
This marathon always has very positive and good volunteers.
Psychologically, it was easier for me in this year, because I knew this distance
well.. You mentally divide the distance apart
...
I rode part of the distance during daylight .. I stopped at the shelter for
pumping. After a couple of stops for pumping milk started get dark. My milk was
going less. Probably because I was getting dehydrated.. But I began to worry a
little. I would not want to loose milk, because I raced in the marathon.
Then some wet fresh snow filled at the
second part of the marathon. I was not happy about that, my speed went down.
The last 5 miles I walked a lot and pushed my bike. Snow could not hold the weight of me and my bike. During
the second part of the route my bike computer and I became sad, because you do
not know how many miles ahead. I asked the bikers I met, about the mileage and updated
my computer.
At the second check-point my husband and
daughter were waiting for me. I was very tired from walking for the last few miles with my bike..I fed my baby , pumped my milk, and for the first time I used the
"clothes dryer". Since I did have
very high expectations of the placement in the race I decided I could afford
it. There was one racer girl already. Volunteers gave me a hot cheese sandwich and a delicious chicken
soup with wild rice (Minnesota dish). It was very tasty.
Photo by
Tina Stiller
Dry clothes and a hot meal gave me straight. Two more girls shows up.. I saw
Mark Scotch had already left. I also saw began to gather another Mark Seaburg
began to leave.
I said «goodbye» to my husband and daughter (next time I would meet them only at the finish). I knew that this
was only half way. Route to the 3 check
point is the most difficult one. It was already dark. With the coming of night,
the speed fell from prolonged uphill and the increased desire to sleep. I had
to walk or ride very slowly. I did not want to eat and drink ,but I forced
myself, because I knew the physiology and how human body works.
At 2 am I was very sleepy .. I rode past the shelter, where the skier was
asleep. I asked him if he was well. I wanted to sleep. I pumped milk and moved on to the path. At some point, I closed
my eyes ... When I opened them I realized that I was in the diteh.. I fell
asleep for a single moment.
my bicycle.
At one point, I caught up with one guy and he began to rode in silence beside
him. We did not talk .. just shared "ooh" and "ah" as we were
fed up with these hills).
2 times during the race, due to the fact that I wrong changeв the gear my chain dot "tightly" between the cassette and
spokes. An incredible effort needed to pull it out stuck. I was afraid to make
matters worse, because even before the start I had a broken spoke and it was
only attached by the tape to the other spoke. I was no longer afraid to be
alone in the woods, in the dark.
At some point the dawn broke out ...
The weather was terrible, sleet was coming down.
The last 5 miles to the check -point
were exhausting. At every turn you're
hoping to see the people and the check-point .. But they weren’t there. The guy
behind me was visibly tired mentally.. and he was just following me ..
My big problem was that I had forgotten my bike shorts. Sitting on the saddle
it was very painful. VERY PAINFUL. I realized that I had a problem called Saddle sore
And here was the long-awaited check -point .. and very positive volunteers. I
drank a Coke, Christina (volunteer) told me that I was strongly support on
Facebook and friends want to «keep
going» / strong moral support was important. I asked permission to express my
milk in a teepee (where it was warmer).
I was offered coffee and Christine told me that I was , 3 girl .. ????
I thought that I was 4 th ..
No, she said, a 3rd.
But where was Pam?
She had droped off the race ...
OK!!! I needed to go. I had a chance to be in the top three women ..
So, I did not finish my coffee and kept
going . The guy who was riding with me at night went in front of me ... At some
point I realized that he missed his turn. .He was far ahead (perhaps about 1
kilometer). I screamed with all my strength might at him, so he turned around
and rode back ..
.... At this point, there was a great nuisance. In women after childbirth have
such consequences, which are called incontinence(I spoke with the doctor before the race, and she said that small incontinence
during training is normal for up to 3
months after delivery of the baby)
At this moment of great fatigue my muscles completely relaxed and I (hate to
say this) I just "leaked" .. That was so silly and stupid ...... at
33 .years old (((.
Here I stood before a huge hill .. I knew that after that it was very
"easy" 25 miles ... I was wet .. I cried from resentment, anger at myself
and at the situation in which I found myself. I had no spare pants .. I rubbed my
butt to the bloody mess.
But I went. It was the most horrible and painful 25 miles in my life. I did not
stop for the pumping milk anymore. By my calculations, I should have completed
this part of the route in 4 hours ...
The last couple of miles .. I caught up to the guy I turned around from the
wrong route. Many times he thanked me and went ahead.
Here was the last uphill.. Kind and smiling volunteers (volunteers were the
best in the world) waiting at the finish line. So I finished ...
Nothing mattered any more. I went to get the equipment checked. I found my husband and daughter and was happy.
Finally, I was happy when took a shower and changed from the dirty, wet
clothes.
Later it turned out that due to my "breakdowns" I had broken 8
spokes. Thank God was able to finish before they finally broke
My husband was the best teammate with me. He let me get my dreams.
My result 31 hour 44 minutes (lats year less than 24 hours), 3 rd in women's category , 27- place form 58 bikers who finished
PS long way in ahead about English (((
some articles
Minnesota Mom Finishes Grueling 135-Mile Winter Bike Race – While Breastfeeding
To Carry the Day, Racers Must Fill Their Packs CarefullySuper Mom: Woman breastfeeds baby during 135-mile snow endurance race
Super-Mom Crushes 135-Mile Winter Bike Race
