Steve Kulwicki, UMCA official; Ben Hyink; Kevin Koval, coach; Wendell Hyink; Jerry Clum, follow vehicle driver.

Why a state crossing record?

1. Having recently returned from a coast-to-coast tour, Ben and I didn't want to lose what training we had built up.
2. I am contemplating the Ultracup next year and want to get a couple of "tune-ups" under my Lycra.
3. Reading some of the other accounts of crossings, it looked like fun and a great opportunity to meet other people in ultramarathon racing.

Why E-W Michigan?

1. There is no Michigan state crossing record for a two-man relay team. Thus, if we finished, our names would be in the record books, however briefly. This is an achievable goal.
2. We live in Michigan and this will be our first record attempt. We know its terrain.
3. Surface winds are generally out of the west. Thus east-west. Why? Because it's harder!

Ben ... can you spell I-N-T-E-N-S-I-T-Y?

Well, what was it like? It was everything we anticipated and more. I contacted Drew Clark as soon as Ben and I returned from the trip across America. He offered kind and expert advice, even fielding a call to his cell phone while cycling himself! The paperwork was filed and a mass e-mail was sent in search of an official. Having received several positive responses, I chose Steve Kulwicki, whose name I had heard in our local bike shop and seen in previous race results.

Our team assembled at our motel in Port Huron, MI the night before the big event. I had never done this before, and as it turned out, neither had anyone else! That, coupled with the fact that the two riders had experienced a power outage from a huge storm through southwest Michigan, made for a most disorganized race start. We had hoped to leave Port Sanilac, MI at 7:30 a.m. We started pedaling at 8:45 a.m. Because we had not anticipated any night riding, this made it incumbent that we ride right along.

My son Ben was born when I was 32. He weighs 20 pounds less. He has a lighter bike. Need I mention that he is the better climber? When we planned our strategy, he received the pulls that had the climbing. There were 21 sections of around 10 miles each. Guess who had 11? Thanks, Ben.

The route across Michigan is fairly flat, with 4,000 feet of climbing in 212 miles. The day started out cool and drizzly and remained so until around noon in Saginaw, when clear skies prevailed. I had the rainiest pull, with very dark, threatening clouds directly ahead. No severe weather ever materialized. The winds started out of the SSW and as the day unfolded, changed to NNW. The casual observer would see that the wind was directly out of the west some of the time! The toughest pulls were about midday, when I had the most direct headwinds and Ben had his toughest climbs in addition to the winds.

Wendell ... he may not look so intense, but he is!

My wife Linda drove the shuttle vehicle for us and had nutrition ready each time. I subsisted solely on Perpetuem, two scoops in 24 oz. water, plus four electrolyte caps between each pull, and Ben raced on Gatorade plus chocolate milk each time. Thanks for keeping us going!

Kevin Koval, who has provided invaluable on-line coaching services to me for the past year, came along and provided a third vehicle, which we referred to as the errand vehicle. He was there for each exchange, picking up bikes and stowing them in the shuttle vehicle, tweaking derailleurs, lubing chains after the rain abated and shouting encouragement into our walkie-talkie earpiece. Thanks, Kevin!

A longtime friend and recent biking enthusiast, Jerry Clum, drove the follow vehicle, warned the riders of upcoming vehicles, and generally kept Steve, the official, from nodding off from boredom. I have never driven a motor vehicle at 20 mph or less for over 11 hours with only two quick stops for a potty break and lunch transfer. The word exciting does not come to mind. Thanks, Jerry!

Ben and Wendell at the finish.

When comparing notes later, Ben was riding at a heart rate around 175, with me around 150. As many have observed, our heart rates degraded during the day. At the end I was hard pressed to see the mid-140s with the high-130s being the norm. My last pull I threw caution to the winds and downed a gel about 10 minutes prior to starting. I saw the high 140s again and pushed the mph up a bit... perhaps due to the more available carbs, but more than likely due to the diminished headwind and very flat to slightly downhill profile. We ended up riding together the last mile or so and saw the gorgeous sandy beach of Lake Michigan at 5:52 p.m. We were grateful to the Lord for an accident/incident/worry free day, with an overall average of 19.16 mph.

Official Record:Michigan E-W, 213.0 miles, 11:07, 19.16 mph
Start: Port Sanilac Marina, Port Sanilac, MI on Lake Huron
Finish: Bronson Park on Lake Michigan in Muskegon, MI
Official: Steve Kulwicki