The Yoop

It’s been a minute since we did an update.  Our last stop northbound a few weeks ago was at Sawmill Brewing in Merrill, WI.  It was a nice stop with good beer and seltzer.  We made it into L’Anse and hung out at camp for almost a week.  We spent some time at the lake, working and working on the boat.  We also had a great side by side ride with Tim and Wendy.  I only got stuck or high centered 3 times and we tested out the new winch.  Some high points of the trip were 40 foot falls, the love seat and the mouth of The Huron.  

Katy and I also snagged a few “training” rides around Aura and Skanee.  I forgot how steep Townline Road hill was until I biked it with a road bike in need of a tune up.  As for my dads old boat, it continues to overheat so we are slowly problem solving that.  We also reached out to the people who own the RV lot next to our camp, this was our second or third attempt to buy it and failed.  

As for our new business, we have some jobs coming in.  Some have just been consults over the phone and others have been more involved.  Just this week I worked on a Newmar Class A.  The company is great to work with and sent me spec sheets and diagrams right away.  We got the customer fixed right up and they were very pleased.  I even received a tip.  

We’ve been in Marquette for two weeks as of today.  Time has flown by.  We’ve been biking and cooking with Katy’s parents quite a bit.  I think I have 120 miles on in the past week which includes Ore to Shore.  More on that later.  I’ve been back to L’Anse to qualify and put the boat in the water again with a friend from Iron Mountain.  It was a great visit and the boat ran well until we let it idle then it overheated.  He also let me borrow his mountain bike for a little adventure.  I’ll get to that in a bit.  

On one of our walks, a young lady with “fun” hair saw Duncan and commented that she had never seen a dog with better hair than her until now.  It was pretty funny and he is a hit wherever we go.  The park has been pretty busy with frisbee tournaments, Ore to Shore riders and teams and it definitely fills up on the weekend.  Even with a full park it’s been pretty quiet except the construction company behind us.  I think they start working in the yard at about 0630.  We still have a nice spot.  

Now for the Ore to Shore, Hard Rock 48 mile race.  I should clarify that it was always just a “ride” for me.  No racing.  On occasion I would channel some David Goggins and “take souls” if I was tired of staring at someone’s jersey.  For the ride, I received my loaner bike from a good buddy on Wednesday.  I rode said bike 25 miles on Thursday and made a few adjustments.  I then took Friday off from riding and that was all she wrote.  

On race day it wasn’t very nice, cool, breezy and misty.  It turns out it was a nice temp for riding.  Katy dropped me off in Negaunee at about 840 for the 1000 start.  I wandered around town and slowly pedaled the bike on the side streets.  While rolling around, I saw my squad leader from the police academy.  I hadn’t seen him since 2002 and we had a good chat before the race started.  He’s quite the rider and started up with the elite riders.  I started in the 4 hours + group.  

I could write pages about the 5 hours I spent pedaling through the UP but I’ll try to keep it Readers Digest style.  I’ve done multiple 100+ mile days on my road bike, but the Ore to Shore is no joke.  48 miles on varied terrain with obstacles to look out for and avoid, on a bike I wasn’t used to was tough.  It was probably the hardest physical challenge I’ve taken on.  At some point, I’d like to try it after properly training and having the right bike.  

At one point on the ride, I was following a couple and they told me to pass.  We had a bit of a chat and then I went around them.  The wife or girlfriend told me I have “amazing” calves and tried to get the boyfriend or husband to acknowledge them.  His reply was whatever and my reply was they are my only asset.  A few miles down the trail and I was with a dozen or so of my new friends and we took a wrong turn at the first railroad crossing.  Poor signage and following the herd led a few of us on a 1.5 mile detour.  

This little detour could have carried on a ways until someone said there are no bike tracks in front of us.  We all turned around and found our way back to the course.  Seeing the signs from a different angle, they could definitely make this transition a little better.  Back on the course I caught up with the couple from earlier and as I pedaled past she said, “calf man, you’re back.”  I got a laugh out of it and kept rolling.  I also wasn’t hard to find as I was wearing my bright Orange Smokey the Bear jersey.  I received quite a few compliments for my attire.

 

At about the 1/2 way point, I ran into another academy classmate who was directing traffic.  I called her by her maiden name which threw her off and eventually told her who I was.  We chatted for a few minutes before I rolled on.  As I was leaving, I heard, Hietala look at those legs what have you been doing.  I replied biking for hours.  At about mile 31 I was having serious doubts and was going to call Katy to come pick me up.  I seriously hit a wall and had pretty much run out of snacks.  

I took advantage at the next two aid stations and plugged along.  I wanted to cross the finish line in Marquette in under 5 hours and I fell just short of that.  My moving time was 5:11 with an average of 9.5 mph.  The winner crossed in 1/2 the time and averaged over 19 mph.  I can’t imagine that.  

Well, I’ve rambled enough, today is a moving day and we have to leave MQT for a few days.  Time to get packing.  More to come in the next few weeks.