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The 2005 Susitna 100
Published: Thu Mar 17, 2005 12:00 AM MST The Susitna 100 is a 100 mile race through the frozen Alaskan wilderness. Competitors can choose their own mode of travel: ski, bike, or run/snowshoe. When I first heard about this race, shortly after moving to Alaska, I knew that I had to do it. I just love crazy adventures like this. 
Here is all the gear I took on the race. My pack, when full of gear, water, and clothing weighed about 26 pounds. And yes it is complete coincidence that my skis, boots, pack, and sleeping pad are all color-coordinated. I swear. Really. I took a tip from Tim Kelley, and instead of using my normal race skis, I got a shorter pair (184 cm) of wood-core skate skis. My Atomic NX-11's were created for the full-combat, air-catching, twisty-turny sprint mayhem of Nordix (nordic-cross, Red Bull, etc.) events, which is what I expected this race would be like. [note the heavy layer of sarcasm in that last sentence] No, I wouldn’t be doing any sprints, and if I did any air-catching it probably would mean that something had gone horribly wrong. But the fact that the skis were shorter and more durable would be a big plus on a very narrow and bumpy snowmobile trail. My main concern before the race was the weather. I really didn’t want to be out there if it was going to be 10 or 20 below zero, which was a real possibility. Fortunately race day temps ended up being in the 20s and 30s. 
All geared up and heading to the start line. Damn, now my gear all clashes with my red suit and jacket. 
Start of the race The trail conditions are usually the main factor in deciding whether a biker or a skier will win the race. This year, the trail was very soft because of high snowfall. In places, it was difficult to ski, but it was impossible to bike. The bikers spent a lot of time pushing their bikes. I skated most of the race, but I also did a lot of double-poling, sometimes because it was too narrow or soft to skate, other times because my legs were too tired to skate, but it was nothing compared to the pushing that the bikers did. My race plan was to try to stay with Tim Kelley as long as I could without blowing up. After the first mile, we had left everyone else behind and Tim and I enjoyed a fun ski, sharing stories until the first checkpoint at mile 25. About this time is when I first started to feel tired. The low point of the race for me was at mile 30. Tim and I were fighting a headwind going across aptly named Dismal Swamp, and I was very tired. "There is no way I can go 70 more miles," I was thinking. When we hit the Susitna River (mile 33) I decided to back off and let Tim ski away. If I was going to finish, I needed to let him go and ski my own pace. Tim got ahead by a minute or so, but he never pulled away. He knew it was too early to start 'racing' and he was skiing his own pace as well. 
Here I am refueling at the EagleSong lodge checkpoint, which is about halfway. Photo by Linda Grover By the halfway point, I was feeling better. The narrow, winding trails were fun to ski, and I was beginning to notice that I didn't feel any worse than I had at mile 30 (but I certainly didn't feel any better either). Maybe I can make it... 
Tim and I leaving EagleSong checkpoint. Photo by Linda Grover. Tim and I ended up leapfrogging each other, always within a minute or two, until mile 75. We weren’t competing, we were each just skiing our own race and we would pass when one stopped to grab some food or to (ahem) relieve himself. By the time we reached Flat Horn Lake (mile 75) on the way back, it was starting to get dark. Tim told me at this point that he was just getting over the flu and he wasn't feeling so hot. But as the sun went down, I started feeling better. I had a bowl of warm jumbalaya at the checkpoint, then headed out the door, knowing that Tim would be right behind me. It was at this point that I started to think about ‘the race.’ Could I win? Where was Tim? He may not be feeling well, but he’s still the toughest SOB I know. He’s back there somewhere. The last 25 miles were fast. I felt good, the night air was refreshing, and the track was much firmer than it had been earlier in the day. There was even a bright moon, so I skied without a headlamp for most of it. I was hammering, because I knew Tim wouldn't be far behind. I spent the whole last 25 miles just waiting for his headlamp to appear behind me. But it never did. I finished in 13 hours and 15 minutes as the winner of the 2005 Su 100! The final 25 miles were my fastest of the day. That really surprised me. 
Tim Kelley finishing. Tim finished a short while later. Skiers ended up taking the top 5 spots. The soft course gave us a huge advantage, but I am really impressed by all the bikers and runners who still finished in these conditions. About half of the field dropped out, which is a lot more than usual. 
Here I am in the lodge, about 45 minutes after I finished. I'm smiling because I am done and I'm in warm dry clothes, but, man, am I tired. 2005 Su 100 Results: http://www.xcskiracer.com/2005/su100_results.htm ADN article on the Su 100: http://adn.com/sports/story/6203255p-6077553c.html ADN Interview With Tim Kelley (not about the race): http://www.adn.com/outdoors/story/6193505p-6067600c.html My photo gallery pf the race: http://www.xcskiracer.com/gallery/Su100 More photos from the race: http://www.powelldesign.net/susitna/photo%20gallery.html
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