MNAdventure team member Melissa Grover recently competed in the Wolfman Triathlon in Wisconsin. The hardcore tri includes whitewater kayaking, mountain biking and a trail run. Here’s what Melissa had to say about the experience this year:
I arrived at the Bear Paw Friday night to pick up my packet. Before I found my way to the packet pickup, I found Jack and Jeremy in the bar, MN Adventure fans and Wolfmen veterans. They proceeded to warn me about the course, especially the mountain bike trail. They suggested I take a test ride right then and there. I decided to get my packet and enjoy a beer with friends at the campground instead. Next time I might heed their advice. Unfortunately Saturday morning brought rain, for the first time in many years according to a longtime volunteer.
After an hour of setting out our gear (since this is a point-to-point race), my race buddy Ethan and I were ready for our 9:39 and 9:40 starts. The first leg is on Section II of the Wolf River. It starts with flat water, leading up to three small rapids in the 3 mile stretch. Next year I’ll find an old, long river runner for this section, but my slow creek boat worked just fine. Next up is 13 miles on the mountain bike. Most of this is on single track, wet single track as was the case this year. As promised, this was tough! Muddy and slick! A beautiful, hilly (at least it seemed hilly at this point of the race) 3.5 mile trail run rounds out the course.
A generous homebrewer brought post-race hydration to the finish line. That was sweet! Beer and pulled pork were served at the Bear Paw during the post-race awards and party, which also included music by Brothers Burn Mountain. I didn’t put a pin on the “Biff Board,” but could have added one (or a few)! The wet trails had a lot of people sticking pins on that board. Hopefully next year will be cool and dry. And, next year, I’m going to find some time to train.
Thanks to Melissa for telling us about her adventure! If you have an MNAdventure you think we should know about, contact us! And if you want to sign up for the Wolfman, visit their website– registration opens Feb. 6, 2017.