practicing "not- walking"

What did I used to do? Before mountain bike racing, I used to do something, didn't I? It can't all have been housecleaning and cooking and working. The dogs are telling me I used to scratch them, pet them on their fuzzy bellies, walk them, feed them, for hours and hours ... but I think they're exaggerating. Especially about the hours and hours part.  I can walk a bit, but it really doesn't help anything heal faster.

I did used to make cool glass things, and since the shed's not too cold yet to sit there to work with glass and my schedule is pretty open these days, I had to go play again. In order to do this I had to wait until I could bend my knee enough to sit and work, so it's only been possible for the past couple of weeks. But I love colour, fire, burning myself with jumpy bits of hot glass and listening to my ipod while I watch glowing glass melt and flow.

After a few days of just making round beads to remind myself how, I started to get fancier.

Jack Russell Bill of Rights

I am a Jack Russell Terrier. You, my owner, are required to provide me with food, water and shelter.

It’s really not too much to ask, is it? And legally you have agreed to this contract by getting me in the first place. 

The fine print

1. where “food” entails top-of-the-line balanced dog food as well as table food to be shared while you are making or devouring food yourself, a steady diet of organics on the beach as well as in the woods, and the opportunity to try to ‘take down’ my own dinner. Occasional supply of garbage beside the road and cat poo from the yard. Deer poo is acceptable when seasonally available. A walk through the MacDonald’s parking lot and the park bleachers should be provided at least weekly with snacking opportunities. 
2. where “water” means a steady supply of crystal clear water in a clean bowl in the house.  Daily opportunity to drink from at least 6 different puddles or swamps but lakes may be acceptable.  Also, “water” implies access to warmer water (>15 degrees C) for swimming weekly in the summer, with easy in- and out- access from a beach and provided during or after at least 2 hours of rigourous free roaming exercise. Does not refer to rain, we don’t like it and you don’t need to make it rain for us. Please stop it. Sufficient “water” also requires you to provide a nice warm tubby after a long run in the mud, then a dry-off with a soft but firm towel prior to “food” and “shelter”. 
3. where “shelter” means a house with a couch that affords a clear view of the nearby road or other area with significantly interesting activity. The couch should have at least one soft blanket that can be dug into the appropriate shape and the house should be warm, preferably with a fireplace near said couch. Appropriate nighttime shelter implies access to your bed where I may sleep under the covers if it is colder and in the middle of the bed, not at the edge.  

Should the above conditions not be met to my satisfaction the following will be substituted:

1. “food” means your couch. With remote control and the fancy underwear accidentally lodged under the cushions. You may need to contact a veterinarian regarding the non-digestible fancy underwear. 
2. “water” implies my right to urinate on your favourite new shoes. 
3. and “shelter” means I get to hide under the bed after performing acts 1. and 2. 

Today - is a good day

My left leg is now sponsored by Dr Rocky Moise and Dr Van Sittert as well as the nursing and physio staff of St Joes....

First day that I believe the infection is actually under control since no new area hurts and my leg is no longer red and huge, now to try to get the knee to bend

one cut 9 days ago, 3 emerg visits then rescued by Dr Moise who snuck me in to Dr Van Sittert's office,  13 "visits" for 23 different antibiotic infusions over 27 cumulative hours, one surgery, one night in hospital, 2 physio appointments and counting... - probably 30 Tylenol 3's, some naproxen and ibuprofen, about 6 million ice packs, crutches, an immobilization splint, 4 wound cultures (one of which went awol thanks to emerg) and one nasty swamp monster bacteria in my knee

6 shifts off work (assuming I'm not suddenly walking tomorrow :o) but can walk next week  )
one bike course taught by Marc and Genevieve while I was in surgery instead of teaching
One missed course by Marc that he was supposed to be at instead of teaching biking and visiting me in the hospital
and I doubt I can race this fall....  despite the best of physio I can't see that being a reasonable outcome

but I have two legs, and right now that makes me very happy!
Today is definitely a good day.

momar.... and more

This blog was supposed to be about the MOMAR, and the cyclocross race the next day, but sometimes life takes you in unexpected directions.

The MOMAR was a blast. Marc, Dave, Joan and I were a team of four, and we rocked the course! Of course there was pain, and mishaps, some slow sections and some faster ones. It had rained buckets, and the downhill mountain bike sections involved "surfing" techniques as your bike slid through the thick mud trying not to hit the trees around the tight and windy trail. The running went "fine" - which means I wish I could run better but I lived through it.  I wore my brand champion bike shorts with pride, and tried to do the endorsement justice! And of course I had a sugoi merino layer on, since it's become like my second skin.

We thought we'd managed second in our category, so were pretty excited to find out we snagged FIRST! Very very cool moment.

The next day we switched bikes to race cyclocross in Cumberland, and I realized I really need more time on my cyclocross bike. The course was very fun, quite technical and generally built to suit me well with minimal uphills but lots of corners. My legs were very tired, and I was definitely lagging due to Momar pain, but was settling in nicely and starting to pick up the pace in the second lap when I double bounced myself in the BMX track - a fall, and a flat - which took me forever to change with everyone watching me fumble! Back on the bike, not that there's a chance I can catch anyone now!

After the race I tried to clean my leg which I had injured in the fall, but there wasn't really anywhere to do that properly so I left it until I came home. Rinsing off the mud I realized it needed proper cleaning and some antibiotics. Off to the hospital I went, for the first of what has now been many visits.

Unfortunately the doctor had a different opinion of treating mud filled wounds than I do, and talked me into stitching it, and no antibiotics because he felt he'd cleaned it well enough. The next morning I couldn't walk or bend my knee without extreme pain, so back I went. I was told it was all fine, it hurt because I banged it. "No" I said, "there's something wrong!" "No" the doctor said, "Of course it hurts, you fell on it".

This is Friday. I still can't bend my knee. The infection has spread around my knee and to my ankle. I'm worried my patellar tendon is getting munched by the bacteria, because that's the most painful spot. I have two trips daily to the hospital for IV antibiotics. Tomorrow is decision day whether to surgically clean it or continue antibiotics. Tomorrow is also the day we have a fully booked mountain bike instruction course to teach through our fledgling company.

What a week it's been! Far from worrying about getting a cold and not being able to race cyclocross through the fall, now I just want to keep my leg.

And we have a pact. You can't tell my mom. She thinks I'm at work and all is well.

The Campbell River 50 km.......

which is actually about 60 km, is held every Labour Day weekend in Snowden Forest. This marathon length race involves riding or running a gnarly course and then eating vast amounts of awesome pizza made in the outdoor oven.  The course is made up of two laps which are 95% singletrack and can be ridden or run, solo or as a 2 person relay.  There are no long hills, instead this course will punish you with short powerful uphills and deceptively easier longer hills and enough roots, rocks, technical bits and bumpy parts to rattle your fillings loose. 

Last year the start was marred slightly by drizzle, which soon turned into a downpour. This year’s sunshine and perfect conditions made the race actually seem harder, since I had no excuses for the hardship.

Marc, Dave Damery and I headed to Campbell River early Sunday morning to get ready and warm up a bit. It was a lovely cool but sunny day this year, perfect weather for a bike race! 

This race never has a lot of women in it, whether due to being a slightly longer drive or because it’s a suffer-fest I’m not sure. I started out harder than I should have, but since I’ve been starting slower than I should this year I thought that was a nice change. The first of three aid stations was 13 km in, and it took FOREVER to get there. Rocks, roots, sharp uphills, very short steep downhills and more roots….   I was riding my new bike, which has much less suspension than my previous XC bike, and I rattled and bounced around like a little toy. 

After the first aid station it’s overall more flowy although still painful until the second aid station only a few km from the lap point, then one more nasty hill and then a short fast road section to the lap point. A few kilometers before the second aid station I caught up with a woman who was doing an amazing job riding a single speed through the rough terrain. I looked up just in time to see her endo nice and high over her handlebars, rolling expertly into her landing. I asked if she was okay, or wanted me to stop - but luckily she was fine so on I went. Then on the road I suddenly caught one of my nemesis racers - a woman that is incredibly consistent, placing near the top in most races. She won this race last year, and when I went by I thought she was toying with me and would rip by at any moment. Off to the second lap, the fatigue was starting to set in. Unfortunately I filled my camelpack with sugary drink, and had the worst stomach pain all the way around the next lap and it continued through the afternoon for hours. It only stopped when I drank some red wine, and if I’d thought of that sooner….  I stopped drinking until the aid station where I diluted out the nasty stuff with water, then drank as much as I thought I could keep down. Unfortunately, given the length of the race, then I had to try to eat some more sugar. Nasty nasty gels…  The whole time I’m fighting the belly pain I keep thinking that I’m going SO slowly, the other women are probably done already. Pizza’s probably already being served. Then some loud banging noises, and I thought “oh no - they’re shooting the slow ones. Pick up the pace !!!!”   Finally I headed onto flowier terrain and ripped down some amazing fun downhills, some more technical ground and eventually the road. Down the road until my legs would fall off and it was over. 

I left nothing in the tank, and couldn’t decide whether to faint or just lie down and die, but about 15 minutes later started trying to eat and drink and eventually it all got better. Once I found out I was the fastest woman to finish the solo bike I felt even better about the crazy amount of effort I just put in! 

I sat, ate pizza, admired my winner’s beer and the draw prize that I got to pick first from the whole table, and relished the fact that this is the first time I’ve won anything as an athlete! It was pretty sweet. Next up - a few days in Whistler to ride the bike park and work on my downhill skills. YAY!  

Andrew and Lina's Wedding

What a GREAT weekend!  Although I have no photos to prove it....  There were a LOT of cameras at the wedding, and I decided to rely on their greater photographic skill!

Friday night we alternated freezing on a chairlift in cold drizzle with scaring ourselves silly on Mount Washington's bike park. Marc fell in love with his first ride on a true park-bike, catching lots of nice air. I cleared my first table top, baby that it was, and caught more and more air (read: baby air) off jumps and drops. Joan, Trevor, Anita, Corinna, Glen, Ken and several other devoted River Rats were there as well and after some good pub food we headed back down to do some emergency packing. 

We headed over to Egmont for Andrew and Lina's wedding on Saturday morning and arrived in beautiful sunshine just as everyone was starting to stir. The early yoga group was already in the park when we arrived, and after some tent arranging and general hanging out we headed for the lake up the road. Since this was a dog friendly adventure both Matilda and Pippa came along, and Mattie managed to behave herself admirably. As for her little sister.....

The wedding ceremony was  held out on a rock looking at the Skookumchuck rapids. A wonderful and personable ceremony led by Andrew's stepfather, a stunning bride, lovely bridesmaids, even Andrew cleaned up well!

The reception was back at the campground, featuring great food and Lina's sisters as entertaining MC's  to organize contests for food (competing for grub at a wedding??)  and music, a ceilidh by Margaret and musicians, a DJ for later on....  possibly even some alcohol was consumed while the party continued late into the night.

Sunday morning dawned lovely and sunny and we had coffee and snacks, then started the journey back home. Andrew and Lina rode their touring bikes out our way to start their honeymoon adventure. Two ferries later we met up at our house in Comox for some food and well deserved sleep, and the next morning after some last minute logistics they headed off for the first of many adventures as Mr and Mrs.

Andrew and Lina are truly a wonderful couple, and having met even more of their friends and family I can say that they are very lucky to have such a great group of people in their lives! And we are fortunate to know you all!

gardening break

Summertime in the garden. 

My Happy Fig tree

Kiwi Vine

Dragon Squash 

Asparagus fronds

pic-less

Not a single pic from last week! Which isn't quite true because Marc took some good ones - and I'll have to post the ones of us (Rick, Joan, Marc and I)  riding the back-of-the-lake rock rides. Some of them are on the Big Dog Biking Facebook site. Quite scary, all rideable and super-cool. My last ride on Sir Ullrich von Lichtenstein was last week as well ... a very fun ride instigated by Craig from Simon's cycles with some people visiting the area.

Then some bike repairs (scheduled) and bike repairs (unscheduled...)   The scheduled one is the remaking of my Stumpjumper - alas Sir Ullrich, but he is being reincarnated. Geraldine is going to have half a bike while I take the other half and put it together with a Juliana frame and a shorter front shock to get a race bike. Marc has warned me I'm going to crash - ride better or die I think is the general concept. I will need help naming my new friend - so once she's together I'll get some pics and ask for some help!

The unscheduled repairs are always less fun. The Heckler had two great evenings on Mt Washington - pointy sticky-out rocks, soft floury sand, LOTS of dust, washboard and holes, some minor airtime and sneaking close to some wall rides, almost falling off the rollercoaster - all was fun except that my front shock doesn't actually work, and the rear derailler cable ripped off. When is the first Super D race anyway??? Now that I don't have a front fork anymore it might be difficult getting those downhill skills I was hoping for! Airtime did feel remarkably comfortable though  :o)

No bike yesterday so I had to go for a run. Uneventful other than Matilda and Pippa chasing a bear, which was good because it was RIGHT beside me and I didn't want to have to chase it myself (too out of breath) and because when I told them to "leave him alone" they both stopped and turned back. The poor bear stood there facing uphill deciding whether he really needed to keep running in the heat and we left him to his berries.

Back to work, see you next time!

"Training" on the Island

Saturday was soooo much fun! Dave, Marc, Joan, Genevieve and I rode the BCBR course (with some minor alterations) and as a group of five we rocked through the course! 

It was a lovely hot sunny day, and we started early enough that the climb up Forbidden was still fairly cool. Riding as a group through the Bear Bait trail system is one of my favourite rides, there's something exilherating about winding through the trails in a line going as fast as possible!

The downhill was great as usual, other than the fact that I crashed...  and then we hit the bottom logging roads in fine style and ripped towards Cumberland.

We stopped briefly on the way to Cumberland for some refreshments, then up to Sykes bridge and over Teapot to Allen Lake. At the swimming spot we decided enough was enough, and took time out to hop in the awesome water and bob around like normal people on a hot day. Unfortunately as we got going again I realized I had misplaced by sunglasses, and since I couldn't find them at Allen Lake thought they might be at Perseverence Creek. Back up to Sykes bridge I went... although it was actually easier now that I had cooled off a bit. No glasses, so home I went for some real food.  I gathered up Pippa and we ran back to Allen Lake but no glasses unfortunately. Back home, more food, and time to put up my feet for a bit! 

Sunday was a River Ratz ride as usual, then Monday Pippa and I headed for Mt Becher. 

Another good weekend on the island!

Learning to Run

I  love riding my bikes - mountain or cyclocross, either way it’s always a good time. Running… doesn’t really work for me. 

But I was getting a little lopsided from all the biking and thought I should do another sport where I’m upright if nothing else.

It’s lovely and HOT on the island (Vancouver Island) and since we’re not used to hot weather I planned the run around water. My little running partner faithfully ran along and swam in all the waterholes. Mattie stayed home 

Run up the road - stop at the creek. Up the trail - past the lake, another brief stopover. Up the trail, around the gnarly bits and start back down - and stop at the waterfall.

It’s all about the rewards - which for me isn’t running per se yet, but the weather was hot, the water was cold and the dog was happy!

Adventures on Forbidden Plateau

I’m not a worrier by nature, but something was bothering me today. All the way out to Forbidden my legs pedalled while my mind kept looking up at the ominous clouds wondering if I had enough clothes, if I should keep going if it started to pour cold rain on me and other such inconsequential concerns. 

I had emailed out to get other people to ride with, but since it was a weekday that didn’t work out. Dropping the car off for a tune-up with the mechanic I got on my trusty bike and left. Wait - didn’t leave yet - wrote down a quick ride plan and left it in the car. I think that’s when it all went wrong.

I never leave ride plans! I’m not sure if it’s superstition or the fact that as soon as I tell someone where I’m going I instantly take a wrong turn and am anywhere but where I said I’d be. In fact, anyone that knows me would know to look for me anywhere EXCEPT the locations on the ride plan….

It was also my last day off, back to work tomorrow so I had to make this adventure count for a few days. Last week Sarah and I were on Forbidden Plateau but since she had an upcoming race (the Test of Metal, where she totally rocked!) we decided on the more XC trails to prevent injury or mechanicals. I could hear the more downhill trails calling me! So off I went. Heavy backpack - 2 L of water, lots of snacks, first aid kit, bike tube and pump, multitool ( 2 in fact for whatever reason), light jacket (lovely Sugoi emergency jacket) - and my new cell phone. I bought the cell phone 3 days earlier, and this is the first time I’d ridden with any communication device other than a whistle. The ‘big girl bike’ for extra downhill security and slightly softer tires than normal for extra traction to try to prevent the “I told you so” injury.  

                   Suzanne on Forbidden

Up the road was a bit slow since I brought the ‘big girl bike’ but I listened to some music and just pedalled upwards until it was over. No bear sightings, no near misses from vehicles, pretty uneventful so far! Into ‘Two Sheiks and a Dog’ trail - through the technical bit over roots and little bridges and found I was riding fairly well although my legs were tired from climbing practice the day before. Out and down over the first rock drop - nice and loose, happy riding! The flowers were out everywhere and the views were magnificent. Halfway down the third rock drop I heard “pffffffffffff”, and got to the bottom in time to sit back, have a snack and change a tire tube. Not a big deal, since I always have a spare. Back on the bike and to the bottom in 44 minutes, after almost 2.5 hours of total ride time. Up the 

                                                                                                                                          Some Rocks

hike-a-bike over Cable hill and down into a maze of intersections where I predictably became completely lost but was having a great time, through a gully I recognize but have no idea where I was - when suddenly I’m at the Drop of Doom intersection. My ride plan said I was going there, and by pure coincidence….! Pretty cool! So I rode up and over the Drop, even caught the bottom corner with style, (and feeling maybe a little too cocky for someone with a grudge???), …..pffffffff. 

Sit down. Have some water, check for second tube. Don’t have one; didn’t think so. Get patch kit out. Slap mosquito. Find pinched spot and take out glue. Squeeze glue. Squeeze glue again. Get hard bubble of glue coloured stuff that is in no way adhesive. Hmmmph. Oh well, I’m sure the patches have some stick. Hmmmpf. Nope. Look for second tube again. Empty camel pack and examine contents. Zapstraps, electrical tape, First aid kit. Food. Jacket. Try electrical tape - it holds, but as the pressure increases pops off and can’t be convinced to seal. Slap mosquito. Say “hmmmmpf”.  Try to clean tube with antiseptic wipes for more ‘stick’, which despite more packaging than wipe turn out to be bone dry. hmmmmpf. Try tape again, pumping as fast as possible to try to seal tire. Walk for a bit - past all the awesome bridges ain John’s playground while I try to think. A KNOT - that’s IT. Tie a KNOT!  Stop, pop bike upside down, pull off tire, remove tube and tie knot. Put tube over grrrrphff flup  grrrmashpfp thlup  grrrr phlap - don’t put tube over rim since it obviously won’t reach. Slap mosquito. There are three in BC and I’ve killed them all. Take out zapstrap and tie off holes to the side of the tube. Insert tube and pump up, put tire on bike, pump as fast as possible, jump on bike and ride with pump still in hand - for 10 seconds until the tire’s flat again. Hmmmpf. 

Walk for a few minutes. Another epiphany - PHONE A FRIEND!! My new and improved communication device, acquired just in time!!  I phone Simon’s Bike Store in Comox, handy that I know the number btw, and Hefe is trying to find out where I am. I don’t want a rescue, so I’m being obscure. He suggests filling the tire with grass, but I really don’t feel like plucking grass quite yet. I ask about the knot, and mention I have zapstraps. Hefe suggests the obvious and brilliant - zap strap on either side of the pinches! OF COURSE!!!  I zapstrap away, fill the tire and sprint to Comox Lake Dam where I can road ride back into town. No riders there, so I start towards town on a fairly well travelled logging road. I have to stop about 15 minutes later for a refill, and while my bike is upside down a couple drive by and offer a lift. I was determined not to ask for an “evac”, but if  it comes looking for me!

Back to the car 5 hours later, where the mechanic said “I wasn’t expecting you back so soon!” Where did he think I was going??? China???? But I’ll take that as a compliment and moved towards home to some food and a shower. 

Next time - 2 tubes. And a sweater. And the cell phone. Might even throw in a map if I’m really desparate. And I’m NOT filing a ride plan! 

Taxi to the West Coast Trail

So I didn't actually do the trail - but since Bamfield is on the way between Victoria and Comox :o) - I stopped in Nanaimo after nightshift to pick up Suzanne and Krista and we headed to Bamfield.
The road was awful, the weather slightly bad, the restaurant closed, but the campsite was empty so we set up camp, ate  quite edible convenience store food, drank beer and wine and spent 2 hours starting a fire in the rain. The dogs ran amuk... which is what they really prefer, and I love the word. Even if I can't spell it.

The next morning I started the hike with the two intrepid travellers but turned around after a few km because otherwise I was going to end up at the next campsite wondering why it was evening and I had no tent. I took lots of pictures, some of which even turned out. The dogs were not eaten by eagles or cougars and the graders had fixed about half the road for the drive home.


This is Suzanne and Krista walking across the beach on their way to 7 days of   beach, green forests, mud (lots of it) ladders, bridges and tsunamis.....

The trail is definitely back on my list of things to do...  !

duncan XC - for athletes, not adrenalin junkies....

This Sunday was the Duncan XC race, and since I was not working I thought I should race! Chris and Louise came as well - for their first mountain bike race. This was definitely one to remember, if not for the scenery...

The website said this was the "definition of XCO" - and now I even know what that means. Take your favourite trails and link together a 3 - 4 hour ride. Now remove all trails that have flat bits longer than 100m. Take out all flowy bermed trails. Leave in the ones that go up, down, change constantly, have logs and sharp corners. You want flow - do it yourself, the trail won't do it for you. If you did it right - you have a 35 minute loop left! THAT is the Duncan XC race loop!

Chris and Louise asked the race trail creator whether to race beginner or intermediate - and he replied that the beginner loop was missing some "really awesome singletrack" - so they elected to race intermediate and do 2 laps. I raced expert as usual, so 3 laps for me.

I don't know how many people showed up - but my feeling is all the slow people stayed away! The experts  started as a group, and then a few minutes before the intermediate men who are usually trying to ride over me. This made the start much more civilized! The first steep hill stretched us out nicely and into the trail, very soon to become uphill switchbacks. Having never ridden this trail, I didn't know how long the switchbacks would continue so pushed moderately hard (read "trying desperately to hold my position just behind another expert woman") More switchbacks, then more, then steeper, then steeper and shorter and never-ending - I came as close as I ever have to being violently ill while on a bike! Finally I saw the woman pull away ahead of me, and there was nothing I could do about it other than keep pedalling.

The first lap is really all about self doubt. All three of us were thinking "I can't possibly do this again (and again) I'm going to have to quit! Leading to "I hate DNF, maybe just a little further" and then - at some point in the second lap it starts to feel okay.

The "super awesome singletrack"at the top really didn't flow  - tight corners and dry crumbly ground and I just couldn't hold my speed. Brake, turn, stall, pedal - several corners and back to braking. Then the trail did become flowier and towards the bottom became quite fast - then lap 2. And then - lap 3.

Lap 3 actually felt pretty good - and I don't think I was that much slower although I forgot to check the time after the first lap. 2 laps was 1:15, 3 was around 1:50, so not much different I although I know I was slower on the uphills. More flowing? Who knows.

Unrelenting comes to mind. And I guess that's what XCO is all about?  Chris and Louise finished their first mountain bike race in good style, and all in all it was a 'lovely time'. I wonder if the 100km Hard Candy race will hurt more or less? Endurance vs. extreme pain - which will win?

 so then I picked up the bike.... and threw it into the clearcut... 

I couldn't help it - we'd been riding FOR EVER!!!  And I thought that would make it all better. But it didn't. I just made me have to rummage around a giant clearcut (great view or not) and find my bike.

What really happened is that Sarah Seads and I decided that what you really need to do on Fridays is some good solid bike time. 

I think a picture is worth 1000 words, and I have no other pictures. 

But I have a badly drawn map: 

A brief explanation - 4.5 hours, start on the road, then gravel up Branch 21, NOT my favourite climb but that's good for suffering, down awesome continuous XC trails to KMA, up cable hill, more down. Easy Rider - not so easy as I slid down a steep gravel chute yelling back to Sarah that it's a bit STEEP (apparently I mostly squealed rather than said "steep")   Twister was the final insult, with it's skinnies and technical beating, then back to Sarah's and home in time for dinner. 

This Friday I started tired because I foolishly tried to run 10 km Thursday. Doesn't sound like such a bad idea except I don't run. Sarah might have made me regret that choice! Slightly different route - and another bad map:  We thought starting on Twister would be better than ending with it - which was true and I even got over the giant A frame without incident (bailing off the top last time was a bit unfortunate) Up the road was nice and easy, then 25 minutes of fast and flowy continuous riding to KMA. White Rabbit linking nicely into the Puntledge plunge, and out Twisted sister for a little bit of extra technical when we're nice and tired... again 4.5 hours of fun.

I don't recommend anyone actually try to ride with my map - that's the geography that's in my head, and as everyone knows, that's NOT how the land actually exists.... But there you have it. 

This July there's a 100km mountain bike race in Port Alberni - guess we'll have to do longer training rides? 

Pippa's Adventures

Little Miss Pippa

went to Sooke Park to go exploring when she was in Victoria with me last week. Couldn't help herself - she had to run out and in on the log about a dozen times, which is good since I'm a bit slow with the camera!

Luckily she didn't get eaten by the warthog on the beach

Once home again she  got the harass the snow to surf team for the weekend, which she enjoyed greatly. Especially the part where she ran out of the yard and got to play tag!

On Monday things were a bit quiet so she had to entertain herself, something she's quite capable of. 

Last night we went to the beach and she went for her first swim!!!  She kept tilting over to the right or left, and then she got water in her ear and really tilted around, but she was pretty proud of herself!  I didn't get a picture, too slow!

the weatherman's a jerk

You CAN'T just go throwing hailballs at people on their bicycles! It's RUDE!!

taken AFTER I got home and had a hot shower....

Chocolate Gold in the Snow to Surf - Fig Rolls Racing Team Rocks 2010!!!

April 25, 2010

This weekend was the much anticipated Royal Lepage Snow To Surf Relay Race in Comox Valley, BC. This is a very cool race because it's really the only sports event of the year that seems to involve the whole town. Most races just 'happen' - you notice something is going on if you happen to be in Cumberland on race day, but in the very nearby towns of Courtenay or Comox you would never know. This race starts on Mount Washington, various sporting disciplines continue down the mountain to a lake near Cumberland, then runs through Cumberland where main street has one lane closed so the road bikers can scream through town, then to Courtenay where road bikers hand off to canoers, who paddle to Comox. And the required beer garden in Comox afterwards lets you meet up with everyone else you know or met along the race and discuss racing and todays successes or disasters. There are a LOT of locals that are involved in the race, and it seems that leading up to the race I am always running into people getting ready for the race, or helping friends get ready, or scrabbling to find a last minute teammate - do you happen to know someone who can (run? ski? paddle? ) that might be free on Sunday???

This year our friends found a nice canoe and brought it with them, as well as everyone's mountain bikes for Saturday, alpine skis for the first leg of the relay, a road bike, a surfski and all the associated gear as well as a very very fast surf ski racer. The cars were really very full! Our last year's roadbiker had an alternate commitment, but his bike made it to the race. Sunday morning Darcee (our phenomenal logistics organizer and driver) came to our house and Paul, myself, Angie and Kala all left with her to go up the mountain. Marc, Jacek and Johnny left to go to Comox Lake, and Andrew and Lina left for the kayak dock in Courtenay. I'm including some logistics in this story because I find it utterly mindboggling how we manage to do this and not lose someone.....

Paul took the chairlift halfway up the mountain for a practice run, and then left his skis at the very top. After standing around freezing for the required length of time, his job is to run up the mountain in a mass start through deep snow wearing alpine boots - snap into his skis and rip downhill to where the nordic skiers are waiting (that's me) - get out of his skis and run up along the line of skiers and hand an armband to me. He was down in a flash, and I left in the top 20 or so racers (out of 200 teams) and I left in a hurry. Other skate skiers left around the same time, and the first km I passed a lot of people meandering along the trail, to be left with a few racers pretty much my speed. The trail only has a few gentle hills, so the idea is to go all out - all the time - for about 8 km. Halfway out a few female racers I recognize passed us - a junior racer that placed second at the nationals this year, and another national level racer.. and I love how they walked past the men ahead of me! Fast people rock! The snow was softening considerably as the day warmed up and the altitude dropped a bit, and I really pitied the people who would be trying to ski in the deep soft mush we were rapidly turning the trail into. Passing took a huge amount of extra effort in the deep soft snow beside the main track of skaters, but I caught a few more people on the slow uphill climbs. Since this is only 8 km long, it is over pretty fast, which was good since I was maxed out the whole way. I gladly handed off to Kala who started down the road in the first running leg.

At this point Darcee and Angie had collected Paul - who collected me - and then we drove down to the second runner handoff. Angie looked at the threatening rain - or snow clouds and tried to decide how nasty the weather was getting. Kala did amazing an downhill run on pavement for 5 km - and handed off to Angie who had an 8 km trailrun. We picked up Kala and drove to the mountain bike start where Angie popped out of the woods after another awesome run and Marc took off on his mountain bike for road and trail just as the rain started. Then - we drove to Comox Lake, which is tricky when the fastest road access is closed. I got to the lake just as Marc rode in and handed off his bike to sprint to Johnny and help run the surfski to the water. Johnny took off like an arrow, passing 2 boats before the first turn. The leading kayakers were still visible on the lake as they turned the buoy marked switchbacks to head to the other side, which was really exhilarating! The water was calm and the rain that poured on Marc had stopped and the weather slowly turned into sunshine for the rest of the day. We (Darcee, Paul, Kala, Angie, Marc and myself) headed to downtown Cumberland where we arrived just in time to see Jacek rip through town on the roadbike. He was followed by far too many fast racers, some with full wheels and aero helmets and the whole racer kit - and then we were off to Courtenay where his 30 km roadbike loop would end. Johnny had to paddle back across the lake, and then he drove to Comox to meet us at the finish line. Jacek actually held off almost all the racers behind him, even though he is not a road biker and had never ridden this bike! We cheered Lina on as she sprinted the 1km between the roadbike handoff and the canoe launch - and her and Andrew paddled out strong and fast. We (Darcee, Paul, Angie, Kala, Marc, Jack and myself) drove to Comox harbour around the estuary.  We could see the canoes leaving the sheltered river to hit the estuary where strong winds and opposing water currents were making for interesting times! One boat was almost leaping out of the water with each paddle stroke! We headed to the harbour and arrived minutes ahead of Andrew and Lina!  Team reunited - and with an awesome finish!

Overall we were in 12th place! The first 11 teams were men's teams of various ages, and we were 1st in the mixed open category! And at the end of the day a lot of friends on other teams were on the podium for different categories, which makes me very happy. I can't believe I know such an amazing group of people that all like to play, ride bikes, run - and if needed, go really really fast! The medals - are chocolate,  and are extremely good chocolate at that.

Loppetting....

Who says bronchitis isn’t a good thing for a ski race? Well I can tell them differently, I can say...... okay, that they’re entirely correct. But that should never stop anyone from ski racing with bronchitis. Unless they’re smarter than me. 

It seems inevitable that I’m sick in the fall for cyclocross season and again in March just before Mount Washington’s annual loppet race. The fall is due to all the little kids going to school and passing cooties around - and then everyone gets sick - but why March? Nothing happens in March!

Unfortunately someone came to the Wilderness First Aid course with a nasty fever and flu - and it spread like wildfire. I thought we were homefree when we left the course healthy. I headed up the mountain the next day for a ski but somehow the ski was too good, suspiciously too good for someone that hasn’t had any exercise. It felt great - huge strong long strides, flying forward on skinny skis eating up the distance - it was awesome. And then came the fever and the flu, closely followed by the chest cold.  My asthma is not a fan of chest colds... 

At emergency the doctor suggested a whopping dose of prednisone for a few days might be just the thing, and I always do what the doctor says. Prednisone short term is wonderful. I would wake up each morning feeling great! I can breathe! By about 10 am I’d want to die again. Steady improvement through the week convinced me it would be a good idea to do the loppet after all, and today was the day. 

The above picture is not from today. Today was grey, slight drizzle, some strong winds, and overall it was pretty miserable. Luckily the course was mostly in the woods where the wind couldn’t reach us. Marc had done absolute magic on my skis, and they were rocket fast. Warm-up was nasty - windy, wet, snowy with ice pellets jabbing my eyeballs. 

Given recent illness, it seemed that if I was going to be stupid enough to race I needed new priorities. So new priority was to stay alive - no puking, dying or passing out allowed. Which meant I needed to pick a sustainable pace and stay there as much as possible. I easily confirmed that decision by briefly trying to sprint - which ended very quickly as my body immediately red-lined and alert buzzers started blaring. 

The start was a bit gnarly - I made sure to line up well back in the crowd to avoid the sprint start but somehow the racer kids had lined up along one side and all got mushed into the crowd racing up the first hill. The kids are strong and fast, but they’re little, and many of them got trampled. My friends will be happy to know I did NOT trample any small children :o) 

Up and around for lap #1 - a new course this year that I much preferred - rolling terrain for 12 km followed by steeper terrain in lap #2 for the rest of the 30 km. The first lap hurt more than the second, but I always warm up slowly. Every sprint effort had my body giving me up for a bad joke and drooping like a tropical plant in the frost, but I could sustain a fairly decent effort overall. Once in a while I could even get long forward strides that ate distance - but I couldn’t sustain more than 30 seconds worth, much less 2 hours. Eventually I zoned out, maintaining an even effort that was comfortable while my mind wandered around happily, thinking about everything but nothing. It was the most relaxed I’ve felt for weeks! I paced with other skiers for several km’s at a time until they either fell back or pulled away, and watched the scenery go by. Grey and foggy, with all the trees covered with a bit of snow frosting on their green limbs - it was surreal and lovely. 

At some point it had to end - not a bad thing all in all but I did have a nice pace going. I headed to the finish at my current relaxed pace - no sprinting or rushing. If I was going to rush I should have done that long ago, and that just wasn’t the point this race. 

My lungs are thanking me, as I’m not coughing worse and other than clearing out some mental cobwebs am none worse for wear. The race was more relaxing than I’ve ever raced, and although I hope to actually race next year, I’m very happy to have spent a few hours chasing my skis around in the snow. And - thanks to the new age group (or maybe only 3 skiers??) I came third... ! YAY!  

What I want to do on my summer holidays...!

2011 - What I want to do on my summer holiday!!!    

So I think I decided what to do in 2011. I know that’s a year and a half away, but it’ll take some planning, some money, potentially a better race bike and LOTS of training. Actual training involving intervals, and the intentional pain of hill training rather than the training plan called “riding my bike a lot”, which just isn’t going to cut it. 

This year, 2010, I want to train better, ride better, teach mountain biking skills and be happy. I want to play with my dogs :o). 

NEXT year though, I want to train, run with my dogs, bike hard and harder - and in August race the Breck Epic. 

The Breck Epic takes place in August this year, and is held around the town of Breckenridge Colorado. This is another BIG race, and should be completely different than the BC bike race for me. Every day of the 6 race days begins and ends in Breckenridge. Breckenridge sits at 10,000 feet elevation...... I live at about 100 feet above sea level.....

Bridge over the River Kwai

ANOTHER JOURNEY TO THE END OF THE BCBR, in 2009!

 

    This all started again in July. At the BCBR 2008 banquet. While Andy and I were eating our bodyweight in food, my husband Marc asked for the 6th time (or maybe the 8th?) “What would you do differently next year?”  I thought carefully through bites of food. “That’s easy, I wouldn’t do the BCBR.” 

    Those of you that had the hour it took to read my last year’s novel might have gathered that I was not really a mountain bike racer, and actually I’m not a racer of any kind. All of this proved to be a bit of a concern during a 7 day epic race. My race partner, ‘grand fig’ Andy was absolutely fabulous and without Andy and Marc I would never have lived through the race. 

    

In 2006 my New Year’s resolution was to to more fully experience the world. As I stand in my warm coat and mitts and watch my dog bury her nose in the snow, roll around and toboggan on her back down a little hill I feel like I’m missing out on something. Luckily, mountain biking helps change this as you eat and inhale dirt and mud and water, fall on sharp rocks, grind dirt into wounds and scrapes, get much too hot, then much too cold and generally experience more emotions and tactile sensations than you thought possible. 

“I dunno” I said to Marc, eating dinner and watching two dustbunnies humping on the other side of the living room. “I haven’t really slipped back into domestic side of life as well as I thought I would. If we keep racing, I might totally forget how to do all those chores.”  And so, in the grey and rainy month of January Marc and I signed up for the BCBR 2009.....  

So.. no more housecleaning, no gardening, lots of skiing and biking. Groceries are still very important, as is making giant amounts of food. Cleaning bikes and doing laundry (lycra, jerseys, towels etc) takes up some extra time, as does learning about actual fitness training. What I did plan to do differently was spend less time on the hills. The only way to ride down the hill with faster people is to get uphill with them, and getting up the hills faster should mean it will hurt just as much but not as long. We bought some heart rate monitors and played with the buttons and tried to correlate my previous training perceptions with HR zones. The sudden pain of falling almost became a welcome intrusion into the mind numbing monotony of training. Tried to suffer intentionally by sprinting uphill, although I didn’t actually manage to do enough of this. We got wet and muddy and cold, and then did that again in the afternoon. Broke my bike. Brought it to Simon’s Cycle, where they fixed it again. Broke it again. Discovered more speed than I’ve ever felt, then got used to the feeling and felt slow again. Raced some ski races, then some bike races.

        

AND NOW, FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT....... FINALLY A BIKE RACE!

We stayed with Andrew and Lina in Vancouver before the race. Lina was off to Sweden for a multi-day Sufferfest/Adventure Race and overall the nervous apprehension was pretty high. We pre-rode the Day One course - new this year to increase the ‘singletrack experience’. Unfortunately, the North Shore doesn’t actually have any cross country.... not in the normal sense of the term. Fortunately, we like sketchy! The racer from Holland was apparently a bit freaked out according to a fellow racer.  We rode to the end of the first major downhill as a pre-ride, mentally trying to remember the lines. The trail repeatedly rides up to an edge you can’t look over, then either you have picked the correct side and are riding cheerfully down a supersteep ramp, or you picked the wrong side and go over the handlebars. Or worse - have to stop and walk.... The pre-ride is a blast. So steep and fun....! I can’t BELIEVE we’re riding this in a xc race!!!!!

DAY ZERO  Line-ups and Skill Testing Questionaires

This is the traditional day of navigation testing as racers crowd into a small room in multiple lines heading in different directions ending at various tables requiring different paperwork. Next year (“read haha” ) I’m bringing a folding chair. With wheels. The medical questionnaire continues to be one of my favourite events. 

 

    The Medical Questionnaire

Are there any lawyers present in the making of this event?

what medications are you currently taking?

hmmm - ibuprofen, some asthma meds, and crack cocaine

do you have allergies?

yup - cats. That seems relevant

are you susceptible to any diseases?

Yes, particularly sensitive to ebola virus. 

have you experienced any of the following:

    - shortness of breath 

seriously? 

racing heart rate

again - seriously?

chest pain

yes again! I’m sooo going to ace this test....

muscle spasms

score again! I’m doing so well!!!!

I’M READY COACH! PUT ME IN!!

DAY ONE: DEATH AND MAYHEM ON THE  NORTH SHORE

 We warm up feeling really short and pudgy amidst the athletic looking folks all around us. I feel slightly ill.... FINALLY we get to ride our bikes. Now I feel really ill!  A massive uphill sprint - whoever gets there first will get to ride the trail - which will probably set the tone for the whole day. Can we make it with the “riders” or will we get there with a giant clog of people and end up walking for the day? Riders stream by us, I feel like I’m going to fall off my bike and die so I push harder - to get to the gate just, really barely just in time to ride the trail. YAY! 

Marc thinks all 400 racers are in front of us and is feeling a bit desperate. I know we’re with a different class of riders than I would have been riding with last year, so I know there’s a lot of folks walking behind us. This makes me pretty happy, although my eyeballs are wanting to pop out with the sustained effort. Across the bottom, up the hill, I scramble and flail on the upper singletrack because I have nothing left, then into the down. Marc rides up to each drop, track stands, yells “rider up”  and waits while the walkers ahead move off the trail, then drops in. I roll slowly behind until the drop is clear, then we repeat the performance. Traction is great and I remember all the lines down the drops and stay upright. Scores of fitness junkies move over to let us through. Sweet, sweet revenge.... We hit the big ring trail at the bottom and eat and drink on our way to the next big up. Up we are again being passed by fast people, but into the down we go. Pipeline unfortunately is greasy and I have no traction. I keep expecting it to end, so I don’t adjust my tire pressure or lower my seat. It’s not ending and I start to turn into a ping pong ball. For the first time ever I have shaking knees while riding my bike. So do a few of the volunteers watching me. They seem wound a bit tight overall, maybe they’ve had a bit too much coffee this morning? I bounce and slide, watching Marc disappear into the distance without seeming to have any trouble. The trail lets up a bit and I relax for a few seconds. I head full speed onto a narrowish bridge when the tree next to the bridge leans over to examine my newly added bar end and I fly sideways. I lie on the ground for a few seconds making sure I can feel my toes before trying to move, but against a lot of odds I’m completely okay. I let some air out of my tires, lower my seat, try to stop the shakes that have now set in like a bad trip and get going again. We slowly pick up speed again over the next little bit and ride without incident to the end. It’s a gorgeous sunny day and we survived Day One. And it was a blast! We meet up with Andy and search for snacks. Other racers range from exhilarated to utterly shell shocked.

DAY TWO: NANAIMO TO PARKSVILLE

“You will be starting with a warm up through Nanaimo being led by a bike escort of local police, and when they pull over you are free to race. Mutter, mutter. Actually you will be escorted by a police CAR, and when it pulls over....” Apparently the local bike police did not WANT to ride in front of the International Racers at the front of the pack.... Go figure?

Day two starts well, a good warm up leading to a fast pace on hilly single track. Eventually I run out of all fuel and my legs scream and rant at me, but I can’t let go of a handle bar to eat. After about an hour and a half I manage to eat with Marc’s help and my legs shut up and do circles like they’ve been told to do. A wrong turn has the whole pack on a trail that just can’t be ridden in a pack and no one can get momentum. Just as it gets ugly we escape onto the real trail and scream along. Lots and lots of singletrack, eventually some road where a wonderful roadie tows us at lightening speed until the next bit of trail. Somewhere near the end is a giant awesome swoopy bit, then some uphill to make you cry and eventually you’re done.  Ahhhhh.  Sweet peace of sitting down on some soft grass watching the ocean....

DAY THREE: CUMBERLAND, HOME TURF

We’ve ridden these trails - the flowy ones are fun ripping along in a group. Today, it’s a BIG group. And we’re ripping along like I’ve never ridden before. The fast flowy trails are truly a racetrack at this speed and everyone around us is having sooo much fun. You can only push so fast - so exertion is tolerable as the trail weaves and rolls under us. We know we’re out way ahead of the people we’ve ridden with the last two days because they all commiserate as they pass us while we pump up Marc’s flat tire. We ride up Forbidden Plateau road, passing people from parts of the world where uphills don’t continue for 45 minutes. Marc pumps his tire for the third time and we hit the trails at the top. The singletrack flows into downhill and we’re in our element again. I have NEVER ridden down these hills this quickly! I feel fast and accurate and split second reflexes guide my bike around trees and rocks at an alarming pace and it feels solid and super fun. Now we pass people who don’t have hills at home where people are silly enough to ride straight down them for 45 minutes. Marc’s pedal breaks and he gets creative as we roll along the logging road to the last singletrack section. When we get into the trails he makes me tape his foot to the pedal... We ride like stink for the last half hour of technical trails and at the finish he just lets himself fall onto the grass so I can un-tape him. We’re pretty wrecked, but it’s been a great day. And if you’re going to have a day of mechanicals, I guess it’s better to have them on hometurf. I’m so thankful I didn’t have to try to ride taped to my bike...

Friends meet us at the finish and it’s great being home. Marc manages to get a new pedal and we sleep at home.  My asthma meds are not up the challenge of this race, and within half hour of race finish each day I cough for hours. I tell people I have tuberculosis which seems to calm them down.  I’m sure having lungs that sound like this slow me up during the race, but there’s nothing I can change now! Who would have thought a seven day race involves sprinting for an hour at the start of each day and another hour or two at the end?  Food tonight is at the Cumberland restaurant of your choice, so we have East Indian. It’s awesome.

DAY FOUR: SECHELT 

I don’t remember this day from last year. I try and try, but nothing. Then we start to ride and I remember. A mental block is a good thing if you’re hoping to torture yourself twice. We start up a hill, then into flowy road and it’s all good. Eventually power line roads take over and the fun turns into something a lot more painful. Some are hike a bikes, some are rideable, some are in between. The sun glares at us while the dusty hills stare indifferently to our self imposed suffering. I will not blame the hill, I will not blame the hill....  A long day that goes on and on. We rip down some logging roads faster than I have ever ridden wearing spandex while looking at loose gravel, and try desperately to stay ahead of our nemesis team - who are within several minutes of our time every day and more than worthy opponents. My bike computer says we’ll be done - well - now - so we stop eating. Unfortunately the finish line is 10 km further than stated, and we start to hit the wall as we ride without sugar. In the last section of singletrack we pass a racer who we’ve been racing near for these four days, and gasp as we see his bike snapped through the top tube just behind the front welding joint. He is busy taping it together, and actually rides out these last 10 or 15 km with his tube held together with electrical tape. Our nemesis team catches us in the last section of woods and the race is truly on.  We full-out sprint into the last part of gravel covered walking trail and we’re sprinting a hundred meters behind them and we’re closing the gap - when I lose it on a corner and slide my arm and leg along the ground. Marc manages to not run over me, we jump back on the bikes and try to close the distance again, and then all 4 of us are laughing as we meet at the finish line completely winded. 

Dinner is awesome, the first really, really good food for us vegetarians in the “cafeteria”

DAY FIVE: SECHELT TO LANGDALE

Also known as the “day of the burrito”..  I’m looking forward to a breakfast as fantastic as dinner was the night before - when I’m faced with a tray of muffins. The coffee - no cream as usual. I love my coffee, and it needs cream. The coffee’s great, but they keep running out, they set it up late, there’s never cream and as Marc can testify, I’m pretty angry without my morning crack addiction. I grab two muffins and try to eat them. They’re nasty. Then some burritos arrive and I try one of those. Not bad. We commiserate with the racer who can’t eat either muffins or burrito due to food allergies. Little did we know....

The course has some changes to take out a long hike-a-bike, which I’m fine with. It starts through a construction site, and despite it being 2 hours post burrito I feel really ill. Marc and I, unaware of how each other was feeling, were both riding at the side of the pack trying to force our bodies to just get it over with and puke while riding. Neither of us manage. Day Five is overall great, but the burrito haunts me. I compose short letters and songs to it. It won’t leave me alone. I ask at the aid stations - and it seems everyone that ate the burritos (that’s almost everyone who had breakfast) is cursing on them. A long uphill that is really quite fun in a suffering sort of way ends much earlier than I remember at the top of a sandy chute and we ride the 13 km of downhill to the ferry. The awesome bridges give way to steeper sections and we rip it all the way down. WAY FUN!!!

DAY SIX: SQUAMISH

Last year this was the day that almost killed me. There were some trail changes this year, but I overall I’m so much less exhausted than last year. I’m still having fun, and we’re trying to go fast rather than just get through the day. I eat granola with yoghurt, giving the burrito a wide berth.... 

And we’re off! Up through the subdivision into trails that lead up and up, all rideable. I get to ride Tracks from Hell, where last year we got there with approximately 200 other riders and had to walk it with them. I do not fall into the swamp, which seems auspicious. Robs Corners and then some road and singletrack and then some more good sketchy downhill. I LOVE Squamish cross country downhill! Sharp switchbacks and steep sandy chutes on cliff sides, it’s great. There’s more evidence for carnage as people’s bikes and bodies start to show signs of wear. One rider snaps his handlebars, we’ve seen a few broken frames and I’m sure there’s been a lot we don’t know about. Two people are riding with a cracked ribs. I would love a medic’s report at the end of the race, but that’s probably the type of stuff they don’t want to publish... 

Marc starts to speed up as we hit lower trails, but I keep holding back. I’m just so scared it’s going to be so much longer than I think - but then I start to recognize trails and realize this really is going to be it! I step it up and we give it all we’ve got until the finish. 

Another awesome day. 

Dinner, well, for vegetarians - zucchini and eggplant casserole. Marc begs a handful of peanuts from the snack truck. hmmmm. 

Most memorable moments 

Marc screaming and yelling while riding 40 km/hr down a logging road. This was when a wasp was bouncing around his crotch deciding where to sting

all the “chick power” as various men expressed disbelief that girls could ride this stuff....  

Marc augering his front tire into the ground on a logging road and jumping over his handlebars at 50 km/hr and running down the road

that damn burrito

DAY SEVEN: WHISTLER

I remember the start of this day last year, and don’t like it. They’ve shortened the day a lot because people just about died last year, and while that’s good the course is essentially the first part of last year’s course. Straight up under the chair lift with no warm up, then across and down switchbacks, then singletrack. A River Runs Through it is out, which is sad. And the first hill is in, which is sadder. Today’s going to be a sprint. We are 96 seconds ahead of the next mixed team after six days of racing....  

The gun goes and we’re off. The first bit of hill is okay, then we’re going straight upwards. And then the sandy uphill hike-a-bike. Long legged people flow around past me as my little short legs flounder and I HATE THIS! Then back on the bikes and more up, more up, more up. The top is full of exhausted people. Marc drank half a red bull and gave me a water bottle with the rest and now I’m hoping for the magic to set in. Today is a sprint, and the course is unrelenting. I’m having more and more difficulty getting people to pull over to let me ride downhill, probably because everyone’s getting really tired. And sometimes we’re faster or slower and riding with “strangers” - who aren’t as likely to pull over as the people you’ve been riding with that know they’ll get me on the next uphill and I’ll move for them. The top of Whistler no one will move for me as they cluster around little steep downhills, so Marc, juiced on redbull, calls back to me to hurry up. His voice booms and grown men jump. I ride through....teeheeheee.   Then down the switchbacks, which are quite fun. Eventually some more hills, which I didn’t think needed to be there at all, then the last road climb and up a hike a bike staircase - and down to the finish. We lost our lead and our fight for eleventh is over; after seven days we’re 12th by 6 minutes... 

We’re done, that’s it. I think the race organizers are a bit done too, because they’ve arranged some burgers for us and then we’re on our own. We sleep on a bench after washing up in the public bathroom and hang out for a bit. 

Andy, Paul and Jack rode Whistler bike park while Angie did a road bike ride towards Pemberton. We meet up and get brought back to Vancouver, then go to the beach for a BBQ Vancouver style with some old and new friends. 

And then I asked Marc :”So - what would you do differently next year?” 

   RACE PARTNERS MAKE IT, OR NOT...

Race partners make or break this race for me

- race partners can physically help push you uphill, can feed you and put Red Bull in your water bottle. They can pull you along the road sections, let you ride in silence when you need to and talk you through it if that’s what’s helpful. They tell you when you need to eat or drink when you’re too tired and you’ve forgotten, stop and pull out Red Bull because you’re crashing, get you recovery drinks and ice for your bleeding spots

• race partners can make you want to push harder to not disappoint them
• race partners can make you want to hurl hard and pointy objects at them
• there were lots of teams that worked together, and some memorable ones that just didn’t. Your race will suck if you spend seven days chasing someone or waiting for someone that you think is an asshole, incompetent, didn’t train enough, or you just don’t like that person any more. Hope you’re not married to them....
• you can ride solo, but your race will be so much better if you have someone to spur you on, share the agony and the exhilaration, help you when you’re wrecked and only halfway through the day, admire your bleeding legs and overall share what is really a very intense week of your life. 
• If you’re slower - stop apologizing and start expecting real help rather than just feeling small and slow. And if you’re faster - start helping. You’ll be there faster, and just possibly you’ll need help later on. 

• so ... pick well, and then try to be a great race partner.