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!