Day 8
July 5, 2008
Last thoughts
I would like to congratulate the BC Bike Race crew for putting on one of the best multi day races that I have ever competed in. It was obvious that they took the comments and criticisms from last years race and acted on them in a positive manner. This is a mark of a well run race organization.
Particularly I would like to congratulate on them on the three things that I think are most important in bringing people to races like these and then having them come back for more or encourage other to come and try them.
1. Food: The menu this year was awesome and the quality and quantity of food was excellent. If there is one item that can make or break an event this is it. After a hard day on a bike, and knowing that you have another hard day coming, recovery and fueling the machine is key. The only improvement that might be made would be to have some sort of kiosk selling wraps, burgers or some such immediately at the finish line. This might actually decrease the amount of food needed at the evening meal.
2. Course: The course was just amazing. It was hard to believe that you could ride so much single track in just one week. A number of people complained about the second day of mostly road work that was our nemesis, but I think that this day actually adds to the overall experience. I think in these race that you should try to cater at least a little to everyone’s strength and weaknesses, and having a road day allows some teams that might not be stellar single track riders to shine. Further to this point, I think that in the future it would be great if you added in “the epic climb”. The potential is there to add a single 1000m amazing climb up Whistler Mountain and then get an wickedly long technical descent back to the valley. As they say in the TransAlp, “See ski lift, climb to top”. This would also add to the overall experience and again potentially let other riders shine.
3. Community: The BC Bike Race crew was spot on this year in creating a great atmosphere. I think congratulations are due to Dean Payne, Keven Thompson, and Kathy Lilyholm and the team building exercises that they went through over the year to set the tone. Everyone was incredibly helpful, and they always had a smile on their face. My vote for volunteer of the year goes to Joanne Bragg who seemed to be everywhere helping out. Keep up the good work.
This race has now firmly established itself as one of the premiere multi day races in the world. It currently accepts 200 teams and I have heard that they will likely cap it at 250 for the foreseeable future. I think this is a good thing as it maintains the community feel.
As a last comment my support person who is a Canadian road cycling legend was blown away by the organization and particularly by the camaraderie shown by the organizers, the competitors and their crews. He kept telling me that if I was a roadie I should have immediately bolted the finish to lie in my hotel room and rest my legs. He was surprised that almost nobody does this as it would mean that you would miss the best part of the day as you get to rub shoulders with other smoking good riders and talk about the highlights of the day.
Once again hat off to the BC Bike Race crew!
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
BC Bike Race Day 7
Day 7
July 4, 2008
Whistler to Whistler
Once again, we are treated to riding in home territory. The start is just down the hill from our winter home and the initial climb basically goes right past the front door and then up the ski hill. We drove up to Whistler last night and spent the night at the cabin thereby missing another early morning wake up call and bus ride from Squamish to Whistler. The start was at 1000hr so we moseyed down to the start at about 0930hr. My legs were definitely showing the signs of our maximum output yesterday. I was not sure what they would feel like as we immediately attack the mountain out of the start with a several hundred meter climb most of which requires your granny gear.
Out of the start, it was clear that there would be no records set today. My legs felt like concrete, and my speed was comparable to having a bike made of concrete. I tried desperately to hang on to the front pack as we started the initial climb but was quickly dropped. Tim was gone and then disaster struck. As we headed up the first gravel road to reach the ski hill, I stood on the pedals and my chain broke. The rest of the field sailed by as I struggled to break out the broken link and insert a quick link. Thankfully, fellow Steed rider Trevor Stone stopped and helped and I was soon on my way. Only downside, now I had to pin it on the climb to catch Tim and make up time.
It was clear that today was just not going to be our day. As I made my past the field on the climb up Whistler Mountain my legs just had no spring. The descent down Babylon by Bike and on to See Colors and Puke was difficult with all the back riders. I was flying down the Riverside trail at the bottom when again the abuse of six days of hard riding came through. I hooked a bar on a tree trying to cut corners and did about three barrel rolls into the bush. No injuries, bike OK, but maybe we should tone it down a bit. Tim was waiting as we climbed out of Farside and headed for the Highline trail. I think that he must have waited for about 15 minutes. Soon after I witnessed one of the greatest crashes I have ever seen, we again had mechanical issues. As I descended down the steep rock face on Tunnel Vision, one of the riders of the third place women’s team endoed at the bottom right in front of me. She landed right on her face and I was sure that she would not get up. But surprise, surprise she popped up, shook herself off, and kept going. Tim was again waiting at the bottom of Tunnel Vision, but now had sheared off one of the bolts holding his front brake caliper to the fork. The adapter was swinging in the breeze off the bottom bolt, but fortunately not catching in the rotor. The brake still worked (sort of) so we soldiered on while we discussed if there was anything that we cold do to fix it. We decided there was little that we could do, and felt that it was still possible to reach to the finish so headed through the first aid station.
The rest of the day just seemed to never end. The highlights were that I rode a few trails that I had never before seen in Whistler, particularly a trail called Danimal that has been the recipient of a lot work this year. There were some really cool linked wall rides and the trail flowed super well. Pretty much every trail for the rest of the day was super technical and required a lot of short bursts of power to navigate the rocks, roots, and stunts. Eventually it ended with my body pretty much at the end of its tether.
The final party was at the top of Whistler Mountain in the Roundhouse and was extremely well organized. Final awards were presented with the lead changing in our division as the team of “Grip it and Rip it” passed the team of “Different Bikes” on the last day and won by about 1 minute. It shows that you have to push in these races everyday to the maximum, as you just never know when disaster will strike.
After the award ceremony and dinner, the whole pack descended on the GLC to celebrate the conclusion of the 2008 version of the BC Bike Race. The party went on until the wee hours of the morning.
July 4, 2008
Whistler to Whistler
Once again, we are treated to riding in home territory. The start is just down the hill from our winter home and the initial climb basically goes right past the front door and then up the ski hill. We drove up to Whistler last night and spent the night at the cabin thereby missing another early morning wake up call and bus ride from Squamish to Whistler. The start was at 1000hr so we moseyed down to the start at about 0930hr. My legs were definitely showing the signs of our maximum output yesterday. I was not sure what they would feel like as we immediately attack the mountain out of the start with a several hundred meter climb most of which requires your granny gear.
Out of the start, it was clear that there would be no records set today. My legs felt like concrete, and my speed was comparable to having a bike made of concrete. I tried desperately to hang on to the front pack as we started the initial climb but was quickly dropped. Tim was gone and then disaster struck. As we headed up the first gravel road to reach the ski hill, I stood on the pedals and my chain broke. The rest of the field sailed by as I struggled to break out the broken link and insert a quick link. Thankfully, fellow Steed rider Trevor Stone stopped and helped and I was soon on my way. Only downside, now I had to pin it on the climb to catch Tim and make up time.
It was clear that today was just not going to be our day. As I made my past the field on the climb up Whistler Mountain my legs just had no spring. The descent down Babylon by Bike and on to See Colors and Puke was difficult with all the back riders. I was flying down the Riverside trail at the bottom when again the abuse of six days of hard riding came through. I hooked a bar on a tree trying to cut corners and did about three barrel rolls into the bush. No injuries, bike OK, but maybe we should tone it down a bit. Tim was waiting as we climbed out of Farside and headed for the Highline trail. I think that he must have waited for about 15 minutes. Soon after I witnessed one of the greatest crashes I have ever seen, we again had mechanical issues. As I descended down the steep rock face on Tunnel Vision, one of the riders of the third place women’s team endoed at the bottom right in front of me. She landed right on her face and I was sure that she would not get up. But surprise, surprise she popped up, shook herself off, and kept going. Tim was again waiting at the bottom of Tunnel Vision, but now had sheared off one of the bolts holding his front brake caliper to the fork. The adapter was swinging in the breeze off the bottom bolt, but fortunately not catching in the rotor. The brake still worked (sort of) so we soldiered on while we discussed if there was anything that we cold do to fix it. We decided there was little that we could do, and felt that it was still possible to reach to the finish so headed through the first aid station.
The rest of the day just seemed to never end. The highlights were that I rode a few trails that I had never before seen in Whistler, particularly a trail called Danimal that has been the recipient of a lot work this year. There were some really cool linked wall rides and the trail flowed super well. Pretty much every trail for the rest of the day was super technical and required a lot of short bursts of power to navigate the rocks, roots, and stunts. Eventually it ended with my body pretty much at the end of its tether.
The final party was at the top of Whistler Mountain in the Roundhouse and was extremely well organized. Final awards were presented with the lead changing in our division as the team of “Grip it and Rip it” passed the team of “Different Bikes” on the last day and won by about 1 minute. It shows that you have to push in these races everyday to the maximum, as you just never know when disaster will strike.
After the award ceremony and dinner, the whole pack descended on the GLC to celebrate the conclusion of the 2008 version of the BC Bike Race. The party went on until the wee hours of the morning.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
BC BIke Race Day 6
Day 6
July 3, 2008
Squamish to Squamish
I must say that we have been looking forward to these next two days all week. These are our trails! This is our home territory! We know what is coming. We know when to push and when to conserve. We should be at slight advantage to the rest of the field. The track today consists of portions of two classic local races the Test of Metal and the Gearjammer. Today, every single climb will be rewarded with a completely wicked descent.
It rained a little last night and I wondered if the trails might be a bit slick but there was only enough rain to knock the dust down. The race started with a neutral roll out up into Garibaldi Heights. The lead moto pulled out ahead as we hit the road climb up into the heights. This stretched out the field so then when we were released up Mashiter trail. From Mashiter we flew into Tracks from Hell which starts with a board ride of about 100m of 25cm wide plank. This is surrounded on either side by 10 inch deep mud, don’t slip off! I was really afraid of hitting this point and getting stuck in a bottleneck but as luck would have it I was by myself and despite pretty much my max heart rate I managed to stay on the planks.
My best description of this day was that of a feeding frenzy. The intensity of the riders around me was incredible. I have never been involved in a race at this level before. One mistake and you could kiss the podium good bye. Several of the top Masters teams were really starting to show the wear and tear of the week. The Different Bikes crew were continuing to struggle and now the Spike Shooters team in second were showing weakness. This division could still be up for grabs.
We were having a great day absolutely ripping up Skookum and then down IMBA smart, through to Recycle and then down Pseudopsuega when a wrench was thrown our way in terms of a flat tire. Several masters’ teams went through before we could get going again. The rest of the day apparently was going to have to require 105%.
Through the aid station, we headed up the infamous Nine mile hill. We were told later that Andreas Hestler broke from the field on the climb and gapped them as he hit the summit. He finished the day in an incredible time just over 3 hours. For Tim and I, we caught a couple of the teams that had gone through as we fixed our flat and the ride down the Ring Creek Rip into the Powerhouse plunge was totally awesome.
The plunge is extremely technical riding and I usually ride it in the spring when it is very damp and slippery. Today it was dry and pitches that are usually quite scary were easily attacked. It is amazing what 5 days of technical riding can do to your skill level, and lines that I have never considered or even seen before were suddenly visible and achievable. Suffice to say, that I have never come down it so fast in all my life.
I thought that we had gapped out on several of the teams that we had passed on the way up the climb but it appeared that not only had we improved our riding skills, so had every one else. As we blitzed through the aid station I turned around and “Yikes” they were all there. We headed into the climb up Crumpet Woods and again we pinned it, trying to get a gap on the other teams. In the end it was to much, I was just so spent as we came down out of the woods that I was making huge mistakes and eventually crashed several times as my front wheel washed out on a couple of the corners. In the end I think that the top five Masters teams finished within 8 minutes of each other.
What an awesome day!
July 3, 2008
Squamish to Squamish
I must say that we have been looking forward to these next two days all week. These are our trails! This is our home territory! We know what is coming. We know when to push and when to conserve. We should be at slight advantage to the rest of the field. The track today consists of portions of two classic local races the Test of Metal and the Gearjammer. Today, every single climb will be rewarded with a completely wicked descent.
It rained a little last night and I wondered if the trails might be a bit slick but there was only enough rain to knock the dust down. The race started with a neutral roll out up into Garibaldi Heights. The lead moto pulled out ahead as we hit the road climb up into the heights. This stretched out the field so then when we were released up Mashiter trail. From Mashiter we flew into Tracks from Hell which starts with a board ride of about 100m of 25cm wide plank. This is surrounded on either side by 10 inch deep mud, don’t slip off! I was really afraid of hitting this point and getting stuck in a bottleneck but as luck would have it I was by myself and despite pretty much my max heart rate I managed to stay on the planks.
My best description of this day was that of a feeding frenzy. The intensity of the riders around me was incredible. I have never been involved in a race at this level before. One mistake and you could kiss the podium good bye. Several of the top Masters teams were really starting to show the wear and tear of the week. The Different Bikes crew were continuing to struggle and now the Spike Shooters team in second were showing weakness. This division could still be up for grabs.
We were having a great day absolutely ripping up Skookum and then down IMBA smart, through to Recycle and then down Pseudopsuega when a wrench was thrown our way in terms of a flat tire. Several masters’ teams went through before we could get going again. The rest of the day apparently was going to have to require 105%.
Through the aid station, we headed up the infamous Nine mile hill. We were told later that Andreas Hestler broke from the field on the climb and gapped them as he hit the summit. He finished the day in an incredible time just over 3 hours. For Tim and I, we caught a couple of the teams that had gone through as we fixed our flat and the ride down the Ring Creek Rip into the Powerhouse plunge was totally awesome.
The plunge is extremely technical riding and I usually ride it in the spring when it is very damp and slippery. Today it was dry and pitches that are usually quite scary were easily attacked. It is amazing what 5 days of technical riding can do to your skill level, and lines that I have never considered or even seen before were suddenly visible and achievable. Suffice to say, that I have never come down it so fast in all my life.
I thought that we had gapped out on several of the teams that we had passed on the way up the climb but it appeared that not only had we improved our riding skills, so had every one else. As we blitzed through the aid station I turned around and “Yikes” they were all there. We headed into the climb up Crumpet Woods and again we pinned it, trying to get a gap on the other teams. In the end it was to much, I was just so spent as we came down out of the woods that I was making huge mistakes and eventually crashed several times as my front wheel washed out on a couple of the corners. In the end I think that the top five Masters teams finished within 8 minutes of each other.
What an awesome day!
BC Bike Race Day 5
July 2, 2008
Day 5
Sechelt to Langdale
OH MY GOD!!! Let’s think of adjectives. Rippin, smokin, flying, hardcore, unbelievable, smooth, technical, death defying, wicked, knarly, come on people work with me, this day tops them all. If there is one reason to come and do this race, do it so that you can ride this day.
Out of Sechelt in a 10+ km neutral roll out to get your legs in gear, and then right into the singlet rack. Unfortunately Justin Mark got knicked in a road crash soon after the start that ripped his derailleur and hanger clean off. Hats of to he and Jeff because they had the spare drop out installed, and the new derailleur working in a jiffy. They jumped on their bikes and time trialed back through the pack so fast that they caught me just after we hit the first single track climb.
I had so much fun last year on the last descent that I had forgotten that there was some significant effort required to get there. Ah, who cares, the Rat Race trails rock. We had another great day, eventually finishing 4th in Masters but well up the overall field.
The smiles in the Langdale ferry terminal were huge. Every one was on a huge endorphin high. We all had a quick shower in the finish area, and then jumped into some clean clothes before we walked onto the ferry for the trip to Horseshoe Bay, and then a bus ride up to the adventure capital of the world Squamish BC.
The weather again co operated and all our visitors were treated to some spectacular scenery as we made our way up the Sea to Sky highway. The highway is currently under construction in preparation for the 2010 Olympics and that alone can keep you amused for the trip. Squamish is currently transforming from a logging town into a tourist based economy and the moniker “Adventure Capital of the World” suits it well. Not only is there amazing mountain biking, but there is world class hiking, climbing, whitewater rafting, windsurfing, and kite boarding as well, Accommodation was at the recreation centre in town and we all had access to the swimming pool as well as the hot tub. We will be staying two nights in Squamish so no pack up tomorrow. Yeah!
I would love to say more about the amazing riding on this day but it would all be repetitious. You just have to come try it!
Day 5
Sechelt to Langdale
OH MY GOD!!! Let’s think of adjectives. Rippin, smokin, flying, hardcore, unbelievable, smooth, technical, death defying, wicked, knarly, come on people work with me, this day tops them all. If there is one reason to come and do this race, do it so that you can ride this day.
Out of Sechelt in a 10+ km neutral roll out to get your legs in gear, and then right into the singlet rack. Unfortunately Justin Mark got knicked in a road crash soon after the start that ripped his derailleur and hanger clean off. Hats of to he and Jeff because they had the spare drop out installed, and the new derailleur working in a jiffy. They jumped on their bikes and time trialed back through the pack so fast that they caught me just after we hit the first single track climb.
I had so much fun last year on the last descent that I had forgotten that there was some significant effort required to get there. Ah, who cares, the Rat Race trails rock. We had another great day, eventually finishing 4th in Masters but well up the overall field.
The smiles in the Langdale ferry terminal were huge. Every one was on a huge endorphin high. We all had a quick shower in the finish area, and then jumped into some clean clothes before we walked onto the ferry for the trip to Horseshoe Bay, and then a bus ride up to the adventure capital of the world Squamish BC.
The weather again co operated and all our visitors were treated to some spectacular scenery as we made our way up the Sea to Sky highway. The highway is currently under construction in preparation for the 2010 Olympics and that alone can keep you amused for the trip. Squamish is currently transforming from a logging town into a tourist based economy and the moniker “Adventure Capital of the World” suits it well. Not only is there amazing mountain biking, but there is world class hiking, climbing, whitewater rafting, windsurfing, and kite boarding as well, Accommodation was at the recreation centre in town and we all had access to the swimming pool as well as the hot tub. We will be staying two nights in Squamish so no pack up tomorrow. Yeah!
I would love to say more about the amazing riding on this day but it would all be repetitious. You just have to come try it!
Friday, July 4, 2008
BC Bike Race 2008
July 1, 2008
Canada Day
Happy Birthday to the best country in the world. (in my opinion)
Day 4 (Hump day)
Earls Cove to Sechelt
Early morning wake up calls get very difficult as these events progress. Jeez, it was hard to drag my ass out of bed this morning to make the ferry. Another stunning day greeted us and the ferry ride rewarded our visitors from other countries with some spectacular scenery on Canada Day as we crossed the Straight of Georgia back to the mainland and then a second ferry ride to the Sunshine coast.
For Tim and I, the day started well as we both buried it on the climb out of the ferry terminal and were well in the top 25 teams at the top. Here’s to the hole shot! This set us up well for the rest of the day. As my history has shown in these races, I seem to improve as the week progresses, or maybe I do not deteriorate as much as the rest of the field. Whatever it is, I felt great. Good power, good pace, pretty much everything I could ask for. The route followed a hydro cut for a good portion of the route with lots of really fast sections and some sneaky tight turns. Several teams went smoking past and merrily sailed off into the distance. Believe me, the course was marked quite well but when you are in an anoxic haze sometime you just focus on the wrong things. On occasion Tim and I noted some rather “blue” air and the occasional disparaging comment thrown out at the offending individual, but in the final analysis most people were really impressed with the quality of riding to be had. Having done this race two years running, I am really impressed with the trails to be had on the Sunshine coast.
The last half of the race saw lots of tight twisty single track, and it seemed much more manageable as there appeared to be less roots. OK, maybe there were as many roots but we all are just getting better at riding them. Who knows? There were a lot of smiles at the finish and for the longest time we thought that we had hit the podium in third for the day but through some computer glitch, a Masters team ahead of us was missed. Rats, I guess we will have to try harder tomorrow. The leading team in the Masters division from Different Bikes in Vancouver is showing some signs of wear. One of the riders is feeling ill and having a hard time keeping down sustenance. I have to say that this year this is one hard core race; the level of competition is really up there. It sure is fun riding with the rock stars!
Once again hats off to the BC Bike race crew, the food is great and they are now getting into the swing of the daily routines and everything seems to be running real smooth. A quick watch of the sunset over the Straits sent us off to bed. The course tomorrow is my all time favorite. When I did this race last year, day 5 became the number 1 best day of mountain biking that I have ever had. The course is so cool; it finishes with a 13 km downhill rip to the ferry terminal in Langdale. You start down the trail and it just seems to switch back and forth forever. You can smell the ferry exhaust, but it seems like it never arrives. You never get out of your middle ring and rarely do you see an inner cog. It is just one incredible rip. See you tomorrow. I cannot wait.
Canada Day
Happy Birthday to the best country in the world. (in my opinion)
Day 4 (Hump day)
Earls Cove to Sechelt
Early morning wake up calls get very difficult as these events progress. Jeez, it was hard to drag my ass out of bed this morning to make the ferry. Another stunning day greeted us and the ferry ride rewarded our visitors from other countries with some spectacular scenery on Canada Day as we crossed the Straight of Georgia back to the mainland and then a second ferry ride to the Sunshine coast.
For Tim and I, the day started well as we both buried it on the climb out of the ferry terminal and were well in the top 25 teams at the top. Here’s to the hole shot! This set us up well for the rest of the day. As my history has shown in these races, I seem to improve as the week progresses, or maybe I do not deteriorate as much as the rest of the field. Whatever it is, I felt great. Good power, good pace, pretty much everything I could ask for. The route followed a hydro cut for a good portion of the route with lots of really fast sections and some sneaky tight turns. Several teams went smoking past and merrily sailed off into the distance. Believe me, the course was marked quite well but when you are in an anoxic haze sometime you just focus on the wrong things. On occasion Tim and I noted some rather “blue” air and the occasional disparaging comment thrown out at the offending individual, but in the final analysis most people were really impressed with the quality of riding to be had. Having done this race two years running, I am really impressed with the trails to be had on the Sunshine coast.
The last half of the race saw lots of tight twisty single track, and it seemed much more manageable as there appeared to be less roots. OK, maybe there were as many roots but we all are just getting better at riding them. Who knows? There were a lot of smiles at the finish and for the longest time we thought that we had hit the podium in third for the day but through some computer glitch, a Masters team ahead of us was missed. Rats, I guess we will have to try harder tomorrow. The leading team in the Masters division from Different Bikes in Vancouver is showing some signs of wear. One of the riders is feeling ill and having a hard time keeping down sustenance. I have to say that this year this is one hard core race; the level of competition is really up there. It sure is fun riding with the rock stars!
Once again hats off to the BC Bike race crew, the food is great and they are now getting into the swing of the daily routines and everything seems to be running real smooth. A quick watch of the sunset over the Straits sent us off to bed. The course tomorrow is my all time favorite. When I did this race last year, day 5 became the number 1 best day of mountain biking that I have ever had. The course is so cool; it finishes with a 13 km downhill rip to the ferry terminal in Langdale. You start down the trail and it just seems to switch back and forth forever. You can smell the ferry exhaust, but it seems like it never arrives. You never get out of your middle ring and rarely do you see an inner cog. It is just one incredible rip. See you tomorrow. I cannot wait.
BC Bike Race Day 3
June 30, 2008
Day 3
Port Alberni to Cumberland
I sure didn’t sleep very well last night. I was pretty shattered when I finished. The last 20 km were pure hell as far as I was concerned. Massage by Sherry sure helped but internally I was really worried whether I would recover enough to be able to ride strong after a day with that kind of power output. Our support person Tom really helped by basically just doing anything that was asked while we rested our legs. The results showed that we had lost about an hour on the top teams and that we had moved back in the Masters field to 11th Place.
Monday dawned with an even earlier start as the logistics of moving camp from Cumberland to the Sunshine Coast requires some tight timelines what with the ferries and all. We were relegated to the 2nd start block and I knew that we had to make up as much ground as we could on the several km neutral roll out if we were to have any chance of moving up in the field. With the smell of the local canon club gunpowder in the air we were off at 0800hrs. We made our move quickly and when we hit the first single track climb, we were well up the field and thankfully never had to get off the bike. Some really fast double track descents led into what seemed like a very long slight uphill gravel road climb. Tim was gone off the front after the descent, and I could not bridge up to his group before the climb. No man’s land ensued until a few riders came along and we worked together to make the suffering a little less for everyone.
Our cohesive road work led first to where Tim was waiting by the side of the road and then to a raging creek crossing with water up to our hips. The far side revealed a steep scramble up a slope that required the course marshals to help with our bikes. Yeah to all the volunteers that help at these events. As an athlete I think that we often forget to thank them enough for all their support. These types of event could not happen without them!
Back on the road again we traversed across to the Comox valley and had some stunning views of the Straight of Georgia with Hornby and Denman Island in the foreground. Last year my daughter did this leg of the race and she suffered through a serious hike a bike to get into the Comox valley. The route this year is much better, rideable all the way. We were now into the hottest part of the day and you could see the heat sapping peoples strength as we made our way up the last real climb of the day so that we could enter Cumberland’s legendary single track trails.
I can now attest that the legend is true. Cumberland does have some fantastic trails. The course planner linked together multiple trails and even built a few new ones to make it flow better. It was extremely rooty, probably as rooty as any trail system that I have ridden, but that just added another element to the day with power moves required everywhere. My hands were so sore at the finish that it was becoming difficult to get my thumb to move the shifters.
The result was OK. No cramps, no bonks, and up to 10th overall with several other teams very close on the horizon. The rest of the Steed riders are coping well. Justin and Jeff are close to the front; Justin has had a few tough days in the heat but appears to be adjusting. The Steed Sistas; Michelle and Alex are also having a hard time with the heat with Alex suffering the most. That is the recipe of these races, you have to be prepared for anything and make the best of whatever happens. Everyone appears to be still smiling; it is hard not to after sweet single track to finish the day.
Tomorrows wake up call is at 0430hrs!!!! Ouch! We have to catch a ferry at 0630 to Powell River and then a bus ride to another ferry that takes us to Earls Cove. The start will be at 1100 hrs right in the ferry terminal. How cool is that.
Day 3
Port Alberni to Cumberland
I sure didn’t sleep very well last night. I was pretty shattered when I finished. The last 20 km were pure hell as far as I was concerned. Massage by Sherry sure helped but internally I was really worried whether I would recover enough to be able to ride strong after a day with that kind of power output. Our support person Tom really helped by basically just doing anything that was asked while we rested our legs. The results showed that we had lost about an hour on the top teams and that we had moved back in the Masters field to 11th Place.
Monday dawned with an even earlier start as the logistics of moving camp from Cumberland to the Sunshine Coast requires some tight timelines what with the ferries and all. We were relegated to the 2nd start block and I knew that we had to make up as much ground as we could on the several km neutral roll out if we were to have any chance of moving up in the field. With the smell of the local canon club gunpowder in the air we were off at 0800hrs. We made our move quickly and when we hit the first single track climb, we were well up the field and thankfully never had to get off the bike. Some really fast double track descents led into what seemed like a very long slight uphill gravel road climb. Tim was gone off the front after the descent, and I could not bridge up to his group before the climb. No man’s land ensued until a few riders came along and we worked together to make the suffering a little less for everyone.
Our cohesive road work led first to where Tim was waiting by the side of the road and then to a raging creek crossing with water up to our hips. The far side revealed a steep scramble up a slope that required the course marshals to help with our bikes. Yeah to all the volunteers that help at these events. As an athlete I think that we often forget to thank them enough for all their support. These types of event could not happen without them!
Back on the road again we traversed across to the Comox valley and had some stunning views of the Straight of Georgia with Hornby and Denman Island in the foreground. Last year my daughter did this leg of the race and she suffered through a serious hike a bike to get into the Comox valley. The route this year is much better, rideable all the way. We were now into the hottest part of the day and you could see the heat sapping peoples strength as we made our way up the last real climb of the day so that we could enter Cumberland’s legendary single track trails.
I can now attest that the legend is true. Cumberland does have some fantastic trails. The course planner linked together multiple trails and even built a few new ones to make it flow better. It was extremely rooty, probably as rooty as any trail system that I have ridden, but that just added another element to the day with power moves required everywhere. My hands were so sore at the finish that it was becoming difficult to get my thumb to move the shifters.
The result was OK. No cramps, no bonks, and up to 10th overall with several other teams very close on the horizon. The rest of the Steed riders are coping well. Justin and Jeff are close to the front; Justin has had a few tough days in the heat but appears to be adjusting. The Steed Sistas; Michelle and Alex are also having a hard time with the heat with Alex suffering the most. That is the recipe of these races, you have to be prepared for anything and make the best of whatever happens. Everyone appears to be still smiling; it is hard not to after sweet single track to finish the day.
Tomorrows wake up call is at 0430hrs!!!! Ouch! We have to catch a ferry at 0630 to Powell River and then a bus ride to another ferry that takes us to Earls Cove. The start will be at 1100 hrs right in the ferry terminal. How cool is that.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
