Palmer cyclists win Fireweed 400

SHEEP MOUNTAIN — Kristin Wolf didn’t know exactly what to think as she prepared for her first attempt in the Fireweed 200.

She’d competed in the annual cycling race series before. But the 42-year-old Palmer woman had mainly stuck to the 200-mile event. This summer would mark the year Wolf gave the 400-miler a try. Not only did Wolf meet her goals, she finished as the top woman in the event.

Wolf used a time of 2 hours, 34 minutes and 25 seconds to win the Fireweed 400 women’s time trial Saturday.

“I hoped I’d finish. Everybody hopes that the first time,” Wolf said.

Wolf, a serious cycler for a handful of years now, wanted to not only finish, but break the 27-hour mark in her first attempt of the race which sends competitors along the highway from Sheep Mountain Lodge to Glennallen over Thompson Pass to Valdez and back through Glennallen, to Sheep Mountain. No only did she finish 90 minutes or so ahead of her goal, she actually came within less than 20 minutes of the course record, a mark set by Janice Tower in 2003.

“I kind of figured (I’d finish) somewhere between 26 and 27 hours,” Wolf said. “When we started to calculate, when we’re at Glennallen, my crew started to say stuff like you’ve got a chance at the record.”

Wolf said she’s happy she didn’t head into the race with the record on the mind. Finishing so close has turned into an added bonus.

Wolf was also one of a pair of Palmer cyclists to win their 400-mile class and three Valley competitors to finish in the top three.

Palmer’s Erik Christensen won the men’s class and was the overall champion for the 400-mile distance, with a time of 23:42:29. Leonard Fancher, also from the Valley, finished third overall with a mark of 28:13:47.

This was the second try and the first win for Christensen, who also qualified for the Race Across America, an annual event that sends participants 3,200 miles from Oceanside, Calif., to Annapolis, Md.

While Wolf said she’s not exactly sure where her racing career will take her, Christensen is jazzed about the chance to compete in the Race Across America in the future.

Christensen, 31, has accelerated his training as he set his sights on more ambitious races, such as the Fireweed 400 or even the Race Across America. The Palmer man went as far as to enlist a coach, Tower, who also coaches Wolf and Fancher.

“I’ve been getting serious about it,” Christensen said. “It’s kind of been my focus.”

Christensen said he’s spends about 15 hours a week on the bike, working through distances and intervals prescribed by his coach. For him, he said Tower’s coaching has helped him use his training time more wisely.

“For me, it’s trying to balance a job, my obligations, I have a young family,” Christensen said. “The time I spend on the bike is much more efficient.”

Wolf found Tower as she was making the transition from a runner to a cyclist.

“I had a running injury,” Wolf said. “A chronic problem with my hip kept me from being able to run competitively. I was sitting in the surgeon’s office trying to make a decision.”

Wolf said rather than going through the surgery, she looked into something she could do without the surgery — cycling.

The coaching helped the cyclists make it through the grueling race in winning fashion. Both not only completed the 400 miles with very few breaks. They also tackled great elevation gain during the trek over Thompson Pass between Glennallen and Valdez, and faced nearly 100 miles of headwinds on the final leg back to Sheep Mountain.

If that wasn’t enough, there was also serious temperature range, and less than ideal weather conditions over Thompson Pass.

Temperatures touched 34 degrees, both said, through the pass. Wolf even found herself in a borderline hypothermic state. At one point, Wolf said she was so cold she began to shiver violently. She jumped in the van from her support crew that followed her on the course, and sat with the vehicle heater in full force to get warm.

Christensen said terrain and weather are among the toughest obstacles in the race. He hit rain mixed with snow through the pass. As the area temperatures drop, the body continues to pump out heat as the cyclists work so figuring out how to properly layer clothing gets tough.

Proper nutrition also is tricky, both said. Christensen said that’s a big part of the strategy.

“If you don’t eat or drink, it will be over really quick,” Wolf said.

Wolf said for the first 200 miles she was able to manage her nutrition and hydration without much worry. Cookies, pretzels, energy bars and turkey sandwiches were on the menu.

“Lots of sodium,” Wolf said.

Energy gels are also popular. Wolf even had a couple of Ensure drinks, she said. And most everything is consumed while the rider is still on the cycle.

Christensen led for his entire race. He made it to Valdez in 10 hours and 7 minutes, but his pace slowed after he turned around and headed back to Sheep Mountain.

“I got cold, dehydrated and a little bit hypothermic,” Christensen said.

A total of 770 competed in the Fireweed races, events that were split up into 50, 100, 200 and 400-mile divisions. Only seven finished the 400-mile race.

A pair of records fell during the races. Dan Folmar of Anchorage, another Tower client, used a time of 8:17:18 to snap Jeff Oatley’s old record in the men’s 200-mile time trial. And Eric Breitenberger of Fairbanks beat Jason Madsen’s mark in the 100-mile time trial. Breitenberger finished in 4:05:43.

Other winners included Anchorage’s Shannon Donley in the women’s 100-mile time trial, Anchorage’s Lori Deschamps in the women’s 50-mile time trial and Anchorage’s Tom Peichel in the men’s 50-mile time trial.

Fireweed 400 results

Women’s 100-mile (Top 10):

1. H. Brewster, 5:59:30; 2. V. Lytle, 6:00:59; 3. V. Beagan, 6:03:24; 4. S. Boisen, 6:20:14; 5. D. Levy, 6:20:15; 6. D. Gryder-Boutet, 6:40:15; 7. J. Kamrath, 7:04:04; 8. P. Schmidt, 7:10:27; 9. C. Jicinsky, 7:15:50; 10. S. Timp, 7:21:50.

Men’s 100-mile (Top 10):

1. R. Ruggestein, 5:02:46; 2. B. Looney, 5:20:06; 3. J. Schwartzburg, 5:28:48; 4. J. Jacobsen, 5:35:17; 5. R. Fouts, 5:35:59; 6. E. Schlemme, 5:44:05; 7. C. Restall, 5:45:05; 8. B. Authier, 5:45:06; 9. J. Leety, 5:45:07; 10. (tie) K. Bruening, 5:49:53; 10. (tie) S. Long, 5:49:53.

Women’s 100-mile time trial

1. S. Dooley, 4:40:19; 2. S. Wheatall, 4:44:48; 3. K. Rosane, 5:19:23; 4. L. Brady, 5:39:20; 5. M. Hunter, 5:41:42; 6. J. Harvey, 5:59:12; 7. S. Longacre, 6:05:12; 8. S. Castillo, 7:57:16.

Men’s 100-mile time trial (Top 10):

1. E. Bretenberger, 4:05:43; 2. F. Harbison, 4:27:56; 3. M. Wheatall, 4:33:35; 4. T. Borke, 5:00:07; 5. B. Rosane, 5:05:14; 6. S. Streltsov, 5:09:20; 7. T. Goodman, 5:17:25; 8. B. Baker, 5:35:13; 9. M. Heitman, 5:53:25; 10. Z. Huff, 5:54:01.

Women’s 400-mile time trial:

1. K. Wolf, 25:34:25; 2. P. Creech, 30:05:46.

Men’s 400-mile time trial:

1. E. Christensen, 23:42:29; 2. L. Fancher, 28:13:47; 3. R. Voris, 30:21:33; 4. B. Wright, 31:34:01; 5. B. LaFevers, 34:08:08.

Women’s 50-mile fat tire:

1. J. Wagner, 2:58:10; 2. M. Barrett, 3:06:17; 3. S. Cole, 3:22:55; 4. M. Spargo, 3:43:55; 5. K. Callies, 4:39:40; 6. T. Tomsen, 4:44:18; 7. S. Schober, 4:57:27; 8. A. Kessler, 5:36:55; 9. M. Evans, 5:43:54.

Men’s 50-mile fat tire:

1. P. Malecha, 2:35:09; 2. J. Abbott, 3:07:43; 3. B. Epley, 3:07:53; 4. K. Hilfiker, 4:34:19.

Women’s 50-mile ride (Top 10):

1. A. Dillon, 2:35:12; 2. M. Warthin, 2:56:59; 3. L. Wiley, 3:01:25; 4. G. Menzel, 3:05:15; 5. D. Sabol, 3:10:22; 6. N. Martinez, 3:16:28; 7. A. George, 3:19:09; 8. C. Lee, 3:24:11; 9. T. Gregory, 3:27:58; 10. B. Manley, 3:36:47.

Men’s 50-mile ride (Top 10):

1. S. Digert, 2:22:31; 2. T. Kelly, 2:24:18; 3. P. Lorentzen, 2:27:46; 4. C. Wilson, 2:28:51; 5. F. Bean, 2:28:51; 6. M. Wise, 2:35:00; 7. K. Kurland, 2:35:02; 8. A. Thomas, 2:39:08; 9. K. Williams, 2:29:11; 10. D. Warthin, 2:49:03.

Women’s 50-mile time trial:

1. L. Deschamps, 2:06:29; 2. J. App, 2:07:16; 3. J. Smith, 2:13:31; 4. J. Reyes, 2:33:42; 5. L. Wheatall, 2:41:33; 6. M. Arend, 2:52:33; 7. B. Wanat, 2:58:59; 8. M. Gardner, 3:15:19; 9. J. Neel, 3:22:46.

Men’s 50-mile time trial (Top 10):

1. T. Peichel, 1:54;54; 2. K. Donley, 2:00:58; 3. D. Ibbey, 2:15:28; 4. J. Anders, 2:26:05; 5. D. Corral, 2:27:47; 6. M. Singer, 2:37:45; 7. R. Wiggins, 2:38:20; 8. P. Lavin, 2:42:05; 9. V. Mistry, 2:43:42; 10. J. Holtan, 2:52:44.