Where Does the Time Go?

Looking at this pitiful semblance of a "blog" I realize that I have surely chased away the one reader I may have ever had.  Sorry Mom!

I had high hopes of potsing a long, play-by-play of my Iceman race.  But that was ~2 months ago, 3 holidays, and a bowl game have come to pass since that time.  So I will just post some random memories that I can still recollect from that day.

-The Expo was bigger then ever, but I did not come across any items that I "had" to have.
-In the hot tub the night before the race, there was another racer talking about the new trail added to the race, and he proclaimed the sub-2 hour Iceman was no longer possible.
-For the second year in a row, my low tire pressure light came on during my drive to Kalkaska.
-As I was sitting in the truck preparing to face the cold, the first heat came racing by.  That meant I had ~21 minutes to get to the start.
-I arrived at the line just as heat 8 (mine) entered the chute.
-Saw my friend Trev-Rev at the start.  We were going to work together to break (the now impossible) 2-hour mark.
-Hammering down the road, I was amazed at the veering mass of cyclists weaving around like minnow frightened by the deafening hum of 150+ knobby tires.
-As we hit the first dirt, before passing the school on our left, Trev hit the front, and didn't look back.  I jumped on his tail and we parted ways with heat 8.

Trev in orange, on my back wheel, before dropping the hammer!

-A few miles in and a geared rider was hanging behind Trev and I, exclaiming that our pace would surely get us three finished in under 2 hours!
-Shortly thereafter, Trev and I were alone.
-Here is where familiarity with the course came into play.  Trev knew when to make a move to hit the singletrack ahead of the slower riders.  I did not.
-I am amazed at how many "faster" riders I am coming up an, and how much they are slowing me down.
-Trev has become an orange dot ahead of my.  I work to close the gaps when I can.
-Working hard.  Not dying.  I wonder when the embrocation is going to kick in, my legs are kind of cold.-
Pedaling hard, trying to keep Trev in sight.  We hit Anita's climb, we both run up (I lay on my handlebars and use it as a makeshift walker).  Trevor is gone...
-Thank goodness I recon'd the finish, I wasn't fooled by the weaving in-and-out of the park.
-I catch up to somebody, but I wasn't going to finishe behind them (her!).  I stand and hammer.
-Through the finish chute, I fins a table.  Sit, catch my breath, and realized I had a bit in the tank.  Definitely not near death like last year.
-Look for my wife, can't find her in the mass of humanity, so I head back to camp.  Shortly thereafter, she comes back, somewhat surprised to find me.
-Time for GT pie!

-Oh yeah, 1 hour 56 minutes and change!

So this Iceman left some questions, not answered them.  I get 1:56, what if I started 5+ waves earlier.  Less traffic, faster time?  I broke 2 hours with one gear, how fast with gears?  What will I do in 2012?

Sorry this post wasn't worth the 2+ month wait.  I will try to be more diligent in 2012.