Inaugural Arcadian Grit and Gravel - 2012........

If only we could have spent a couple extra days.......  The 5.5 hr trip to Aracadia, MI was well worth it.  Not only did I get to race in the Arcadian Grit and Gravel but we got to ride fun trails, visit Quiring H.Q. and stay at camp Quiring on Lake Hamlin with Scott and Christina.  The weather was perfect!!  No matter where we looked the view was awesome!  I guess when you come from south western Ontario, where the definition of flat is an understatement, any hills or rolling terrain made everywhere we looked picturesque.  Scott and Christina brought us to the Artisian water well just outside of Onekama!  I thought that was so cool.  I had never seen one before.  (Only to be told later that I live around the corner from one!!) 

Jay and I did a lap of the singletrack that would be included in the approx. 30 mile race.  It was tight, twisty, off camber, fast and had alot of trees to avoid!  The ground was soft and sandy.  The trail had great flow!

Tad Peacock of Endoman Promotions was the guy behind this new event, the Aracadian Grit and Gravel!  The elite riders lined up in the front and started 5 minutes ahead of the rest of the riders.  There was a good showing of women.  Some I recognized and many I didn't.  After the National Anthem was sang we were off!  We started on a short sandy section and then took a left onto a paved road.  I grabbed the wheel of the Pro/elite men and hammered with them.  We then took a right onto a gravel road and straight into a head wind.  I held onto their wheels and was not going to let go or I would be out to fight the wind by myself!! 

(The start of the race!  I'm sitting in the back.... not letting go!!)

(The three of us working together with about 2km's to go before the singletrack!)

After the gravel road, we turned left onto a two track sand climb!! It went on for a while........ Picking the right line was crucial! By the top, I managed to stay with a couple elite guys (Jeff Jacobi (Founders/Alger Racing) and Alex Schultz (RBS)). We took turns pulling up and down the long stretches of gravel and paved road. We finally got to the singletrack. 3/4 of the way through my front wheel grabbed in the soft shoulder and I crashed. It wasn't a hard fall but the way I landed on my left shoulder and jarred my neck left me a bit sore. Jeff and I emerged from the singletrack and back out onto open road, then through some sand and onto an overgrown two track sandy climb. Out from there and a spectator gave us the "you're almost there" shout out!! Almost there???? Not until we climbed a looooonggg gravel road. I actually felt pretty strong on the final climb. Our final turn was onto a paved road and right into the head wind. All good! I finished in 1hr 45min 32sec! I was really pumped about my ride and was able to breath relatively normal again!! #chestcongestionishistory! Scott and Christina also raced and came in 1st in tandem!! It was two top spot podium finishes for team Quiring!! 

(Views from camp Quiring.... beautiful!!  As for the swing..... I went the highest!)

A HUGE thanks to Tad (Endoman Promotions) and the MANY volunteers that made this race a fun and challenging event!  If you did not attend this year, you must put it on your schedule for next year!  Congrats to all who raced/finished/rode!  Thanks to Scott and Christina for keeping us overnight..... I wish we could have stayed for two!  I know it would have beat getting home at 1:30 Sunday morning!!

Cheers,

Sue