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!
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That is awesome Niki, congrats!
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