You need to seek help, son. I looked at your '05 race schedule and all of this other stuff (especially this crazy bike race), and........get help.

Soon. ;-)

I'm a busy guy. Anything, anywhere, 24/7 around the globe. Literally. I can operate anywhere...

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

If this race is a bit to soft you could try the Kasterlee (Belgium) winter Duathlon 19th Dec = 15k run 105k mtb 30k run. Very tempting but, after my experience of 24hr mtb racing in thick mud as a pair and in a 3 man team this year, maybe not tempting enough.

You guys understand I am just announcing at this race- I'm not racing. As a mountain bike racer, I am a great announcer.....

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Paul Sherwin ought to be shaking in his boots.

Dave from VA

Hey man, I was announcing races a long time before Paul Sherwin. He was still riding bikes when I started announcing.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

Its a tough decision for me every year, Iceman or Mexico, Iceman or Mexico. Inevitably, I have to flip a coin. It always comes up heads, regardless of which side is up. Mexico wins.

A very long time ago (1987) I did an event that was a precursor to Iceman. It was 30 miles on very hilly, sandy logging trails. It was very brutal and I can remember bonking really bad. At that time I has a Schwinn Sierra Mountain Bike from Cherry Hill Schwinn in Scottsdale, AZ. John Tomac won the race. I also remember going up there with my buddy Marty the Machine. He had a 1962 Buick Invicta Convertible with a broken speedometer. What fun.

Rocketboy

I'll be there doing the singlespeed thing. I hope to not run over a crashing tandem and rip open my tire casing like last year. The run back looks unlikely too. :(

Incredible.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com

I'm in too.Racing with the experts so I won't have to pass all the tandems and singles.

Cullen

Hey Todd do you want to run back.
Cullen

Tom-

If you're announcing, 2 names you better brush up on (both from my little hometown of Sheboygan, WI):

Tristan Schouten- Last years winner (in 6" of snow if I recall) and 6th at Norba U23 Nats this year.

Brian Matter- Winner of the 2004 Chequamegon, and Ore to Shore...gunnin' for the Triple Crown!

Guarantee these two will be at the front!

You guys are amazing....

For the uninitiated, this is what theyare talking about:

These guys do a 27 mile mountain bike race- a tough 27 mile mountain bike race- in whatever conditions mother nature throws at them. It could be 40 and sunny, it could be 17 degrees, blowing snow with 8 inches already on the ground, it could be 33 degrees and raining.

Now, seeing as this is a point-to-point event from Kalkaska, Michigan along the VASA ski trail to Traverse City, Michigan they have to somehow get back to where they started this thing. Normal people take the huge procession of shuttle buses the race organizers provide.

These guys run. That's right, they run 27 miles and change back to where the race began. So basically they have done a 27 mile MTB ride/27 mile run duathlon in winter conditions.

Both Cullen and Todd are ecclectic endurance athletes and cyclists with Ironman finishes, elite level velodrome, extreme ultra-distance arctic racing (Todd Scott, Iditabike and Iditasport), marathon and ultramarathon (including Leadville 100) experience.

Additionally, both guys have given back to our sport locally and nationally in volumes: Todd is a spokesperson and advocate for the sport and runs the Michigan Mountain Bike Association as well as driving legislation that favors cyclists and Cullen has been an active and vigorous promoter and contributor to junior road, off-road and velodrome cycling.

Pretty fascinating story.

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Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com