CTS Day 3 - Final Day...

Ok, now I'm rested, let's back track...

After crossing the finish line on Day 2, I found my duffle and tried to get into my bathing suit to wash the mud and blood off in the river.

Had to jimmy the ratchet open on my bike shoes with my survival knife, as my shoes (like everything else was packed with mud). Each attempt was met with a leg cramp, kind of like a scene in an action movie when the injured hero is struggling to get this gun on the ground - just out of reach as the villain is looking the other way.

Taking care of post-ride chamois hygiene was like trying to clean a crankcase with a Q-Tip.

Took extra time to wash the bike down with a hose, long bristled brush and soap, even removing the wheels to get in everywhere. When it dried, it still seemed dirty.

Lugging the duffle to our cabin (maybe 300m) was exhausting and I had to rest several times.

Dinner was nice (great food) and I sat with various others from Ottawa.

Later in the evening, Mike A. (another Ottawa racer) and I got a little fire going which we sat at in front of the cabins and chatted.

Mike and I knew of one another but had never really talked. Knowing that he was a well conditioned Ottawa athlete, I kind of had my sights on "giving him a run for his money" in the race, but it wasn't to be. Though I outweighed him by about 70lbs, it was not a course that would have favoured the light. Coming off an impressive IronMan performance a few weeks prior, he put in very solid days, bettering me by about 15 minutes per day. All would have's/could have's aside, I just didn't have the drive to make it happen.

Seems that most were in bed by 10:00 (or earlier). Funny how so many people that are just better than middle-of-the-pack feel the need to keep it all business.

The social aspect of this race was the most fun part for me and shooting the breeze over a campfire is more valued that trying to fall asleep in a cabin with a dozen other restless people.

The night was scattered with people fumbling through the squeaky door to take a leak outside. Then as the morning approached, it became very cold in the cabin. Though I had a toque only inches away, the hassle of fumbling with the light and bag seemed harder that curling up and trying to fall back asleep.

After the first unanswered morning alarm, I finally put on my toque and feel asleep. 7:23, I was up and heading to breakfast.

White Pines was a very nice camp and high-end from what I was told. Someone suggested that it would be about $3000 to send a kid there for a 2 week stay!

Like the other camp, common areas and the dinning hall were lined with crafts (carved plaques, clay masks, small paddles...) with the names and events of participants dating many years back. The exposed wooden beams in the buildings, rustic signs with cabin names, canoes stacked at the shore, and smell of pine - all flashed me back to the Beaver/Cub Scout camps that I'd attended as a child.

I remembered the helpful counsellors and experiences, though filled the gaps of my memory envisioning the plethora of challenges and emotions that a child would experience being away from mom and dad at such a camp. Putting your trust in competent staff could result in positive life experiences that would always remain with your child.

The people were nice overall, though some did take quite a while to warm up. From barely getting a grunt from riders on Day 1 to chatting along the course by the last day.

Most were courteous on the track, some didn't know better, and many were just too tired or focused to interact.

By Day 3 the slow leak in my rear tire (losing about 25 psi/day) seems to have sealed itself. Nonetheless I filled the 2.2 Fast Trak to 45 psi and headed to the start line. Today's race was to start with a 17km neutral police escort. It was cold! The peloton cruised along the pavement taking up an entire lane. While the pace seemed stop and go, it was likely completely due to the dynamics of group riding (one that stretched probably 500m) and not due to the pace car at the front. At one point the whole thing came to a stop for about 7 minutes while people ran into the bush to relieve themselves. Kind of ironic when police could fine you for that behaviour.

Once we arrived at the actual start, I lay down my bike in the starting gate and went to shed my arm and leg warmers at the drop.

Appropriately positioned in the gate, familiar faces were sprinkled throughout the crowd. Then off we went again.

First the doubletrack/fireroad climbed several loose sections, wheel-to-wheel with other riders. Struggle for traction and maintain your spot, then perch in the attack position navigating loose rocks and gravel for the descents. Positions shifted as riders tried to locate to their appropriate location.

Legs were tired, my right knee sore from a torquing the day before, but mostly I recognized my own defeatist attitude as we churned through the road under the hydro lines. 2 days of crappy terrain had taken their toll and I just couldn't muster up the incentive to push it - but I would try. Everyone is tired, we all have sore legs and don't expect to be a competitive racer if you don't train like one - you p*ssy!!

Ahead was the second place female who I'd finished a few minutes ahead of on day one. Seeing that I could close the gap on the climbs (?? I know it doesn't make sense), I'd told myself that I could stay with her. Recognizing that she had many years of racing experience all across Canada (now on a road team) the idea of the mental fortitude that it would take to complete this task over the next - possibly 4 hours would be tough.

Fireroad turned to ATV trails, the odd bog but mostly dry - wow!! As the day went on, I began to snap out of it and realize - these are good trails. Too bad that I was so fatigued. Hold it steady, push when you can and you will end up where you should. Enjoy yourself Mike! At one point about half way in I heard a voice behind and saw 2 riders on the road a couple of hundred meters back - I yelled "Hey guys" thinking that it was Stew and Dan. Turns out that it wasn't.

So the day continued with snowmobile trails and eventually hilly singletrack. The terrain was challenging and included several hike-a-bike climbs up rooty ridges, but was then followed with flow similar to what we ride in Gatineau. Knowing the "12km remaining" info from a volunteer at the last feed station was probably 21km or so in reality (it is inevitable, but a major annoyance to get misinformation from well-meaning volunteers) I talked to myself picturing giving a pre-race briefing to the volunteers, "... now remember, if you aren't certain of something, keep quiet!)

Though I ground up more ascents in granny than most, I readily surrendered to walking others.

Wow, some of those singlespeed riders are strong!!!

Finally a fellow rider confirmed that we had about 2 km left. At least 2 km of singletrack. My pace quickened and we passed several riders who seemed surprised at being passed at this point of the race. Finally the "1km to go" sign, I was not going to be overtaken.

As I closed in on the rider who'd passed about 2 km prior, I let him know that I wouldn't sprint by him. As I pulled up beside him at the finish, we high-fived and I ensured that his wheel crossed first (he was in the over 40 class anyway).

Wash the bike, grab a sandwich and coke, get changed.

A band, "The Speakeasies" played some good music but most of the racers were busy chatting about the day and shovelling in the chicken and ribs that were provided at the outdoor BBQ. The warm sun shined on our backs and sore muscles as we reminisced the last 72 hours.

Worth mentioning; the food during this adventure was wonderful - from basic sandwiches post race to a wide selection at the evening buffets. Trying to get coffee was a pain though...

Before loading on the bus, I got a picture with Chico, congratulating him on a very well organized event and stating that the last day made up for quite a bit.

We loaded on the bus and headed back to the original start line.

Thank God - we're done!

UM

NEXT POST - LOOKING BACK - changed perspectives???

I'll add some more content a little later, but this should satisfy the many "Where's Day 3?!" emails that I've received in the last 24 hours.

CTS DAY 2 - HELL!

They said that there was one bog at the course description meeting last night.

Looking back at least 50km of the 83 was bog. Imagine hike a biking through knee deep sloop only to get on your bike and ride 100m to the next section - for hours. It is definately one of the worst race days that I have ever experienced.
At about the quarter point I said screw this and dropped out of race mode - I was angry so decided that competition didn't matter, instead I would drop it down and try to enjoy it. As the day progressed I had completely lost all mojo and was just going through the paces - pissed off the whole time. I kind of hoped that Stew and Dan would catch me so at least I would have some company.

Thoughts of abandoning a day early and try to orchestrate a way to join my wife and riding buddies in Kingdom Trails ran through my head.

Sometimes you'd charge at a bog, maybe making it through or possibly ejecting over the bars. Typically you have to drag you bike beside you as you trudge along the edge.
Given the mud you'd think that they would have trimmed some of the branches - nope. In fact I have seen no signs of trail work whatsoever.

We were also told that the race would end with 20 km of railroad bed.
I yearned for it! It started with 5-10 km of gravel road and the the railway. Unfortunately it was all loose gravel and sand. I did the whole 19km solo and opted to empty the tank - counting down the kms and increasing the pace progressively until a hammer finish.

Everything about this race organization (with the exception of a few details) has been very good, but thus far the course has been absolute shit!

At this point my suggestion for next year would be for the course designer to make the sandwiches and recruit ANYBODY to route a proper trail. So it was a wet season - was this a sudden thing???

I totally applaud Chico for hosting the event but with so many other options the route has got to be better than this.

My cabinmates are nice, the food is good, there's free beer, very helpful volunteers, decent facilities...

Unless it is a very dry season next year there is no way I would consider coming back.

So, the race ended I cleaned up in the cold river (enjoyed it) and tried to get rid of the mud that was packed into every oriface. It took a very long time to clean the bike and I even had to replace all brakes pads which were worn down right to the metal. Apparently the shops are now out of pads and riders' future is uncertain for tomorrow.

Shifting isn't right but I'm used to not having all gears now.

Just saw Stew and Dan - apparently Stew snapped 5 chains and Dan 1! Stew also had me in his sights but they got held back with that. Probably a good thing as I was in no mood to tinker on someone else's bike.

So, now settled back at the camp, things are great. Also time for dinner and all grab a couple of beer.

Thanks for reading, sorry about the bitching (remember it's only the course that's bad), and I hope to write a cheerier story tomorrow.

Uncle Mike

_____________________

sent by Blackberry

CTS Day 1

It started as a cool day, having had breakfast and prep at Ken's then making our way to the start line.

Final tuning at the truck then off to the prerace meeting. Today mud was expected along with quite a bit of dirt road.

A manual sign-in then stand at the starting gate awaiting the gun. The usual inconsiderations as people feel they need to be up towards the front, whether or not their abilities merit it.

To my right I see Tanya from BCBR, (she recently won Hot August Nights with 17 laps!). A friendly hello then we're off. A measured pace as the group was bundled together heading towards singletrack. Admittedly a little annoyed as some of the people who pushed to the front demonstrate their technical incompetence on easy obstacles, spreading the group out further from the front. One of these resulted in a chain jam which sidelined me as 6-10 people went by.
I quickly repassed most and had a great time swooping through winding singletrack. Didn't feel like a big effort but my heartrate was unusually high.

Fast and swirling singletrack, hardpacked, crossed with roots and burmed with natural rock out croppings - sweet. At this point I tried to flow as much as possible while maintained a steady pace.

Then out into the open road. The pace was in the mid thirties and people jotted in and out of formation like hornets at a picnic. Were they all triathletes or what. Suggestions of working together turned into breakaways, and with a pace that
Pushed high into the thirties - too fast. I resolved to let them go.

Unfortunately this left me to fend for myself, pushing wind most of the road sections - there were quite a few.

For much of the balance of the day we were on ATV trails - with continual muddy bogs that you usually had to hike-a-bike through.
At first it was fine but after hours - not so fun anymore.
Familiar faces in the field. Trish Spooner (I think) caught me as I trudged through one section. Don't remember seeing her since Mike Cadwell's offroad tri (which I mentioned) but like most people that I recognize, they have no idea of who I am. Not sure of where Stew or Dan or others were relative to me in the field. Kind of expected to come accross them, but it never happened. At this point I caught most of the peloton from the beginning (wonder how many more calories that cost me), then pasted Trish on a hill and went solid to the end. 2 riders saw me coming up on them and upp'ed the pace. I reached them and did a final sprint finish with one of them, nudging him out at the line.
Not sure where I finished as far as placement but a solid, yet reasonable effort. Didn't see Stew at the finish but grabbed some food and rode the 4km (was actually over 6...) to the camp. Oh yeah, forgot to mention that the mud threw off my shifting limiting my gear selection for most of the race. Tried to tune it to no avail and even had to unjam the chain from my spokes half a dozen times.

At the camp I pressure washed the bike and made it to the central area. Subway subs awited along with refreshments. I dreaded the walk to the cabin as I heard the guy in front of me get instructions, "...go down this path until you see the shed, turn right and continue to the fork, go over the hill and it's the third cabin on the left...".
"Where is Sunrise?", I asked. "Right there" as he pointed to a cabin 50 feet away - yes! A nice shower, organized gear in our lighted and heated cabin, then enjoyed another sub, free beer, and chatting with a similar level of rider as I typed my blog overlooking the lake. Had a swim too.

So off to dinner and to enjoy the rest of the evening. Will take tomorrow as it comes.

Thanks for reading.

Mike

_____________________

sent by Blackberry

Crank The Shield - Day 0

So here we are in Bracebridge Ontario, the night before the first CTS. It's a 3 day mountain bike stage race starting in Buckwallow and ending in Haliburton. Where the hell we are in proximity to anything else, I have no idea. Somewhere near the Moskoka's (Toronto cottage country). Due to a scheduling conflict my wife and much of our riding group are spending the weekend at a B and B in Vermont in trail heaven; great riding, nice dining and relaxation. Meanwhile I'll race with strangers for 6 hours a day and sleep in a unheated bunkhouse with a dozen other farting guys.
Originally I secretedly signed up to race with my buddy Iain, on his singlespeed. When he pulled out due to their pregancy, I revealed that I'd entered. Fortunately Stew (of BCBR) recruited his friend Dan to enter. We loaded up the Xterra (just like the brochure with 3 mtbs on the roof) and drove up together. A 6 hour drive (with construction) but scenic and I just turned where told to, so no thinking involved. They'll be racing as a team while I entered solo.
Tonight we're staying a their friend's, (Ken's) place, who were nice enough provide us with comfortable accomadations. We met his lovely family and started organizing our gear. Somewhat uncertain as to what to fit into the one bag as the temperature could vary 20 degrees during the day.

Prep and goals...
Wasn't motivated to train so I spent the summer riding for fun then took a few days break to prepare. Will likely show in the results but I'm mostly interested in enjoying the ride, not on a top performance. Actually not nervous at all about the event which is kind of nice. Looking forward to ride same new trails, meet some new people and have a new experience on my bike.

When I return to the office on Monday I will have experienced something on the weekend that will last a lifetime.

Thanks for reading, please post your comments and I hope that you enjoy the posts.

Race starts at 10:00, so up at 7:00 and away we go!!!

Uncle Mike


_____________________
sent by Blackberry

Day 7 - Final

After a Tim Horton's breakfast the 2 families loaded into the rental car and headedd to Whistler. The Sea to Sky highway was under construction preparing for the Olympics but delays weren't an issue.

A very unrestful night with congestion and sore throat left me feeling exhausted going into the final stage stage. After a week of being a bystander to injuries and illness, it appears that it was my turn. As we prepared our gear in the parking lot, there was Wally with Mathieu on his back. Final prep and wiring of my helmet cam and we were off to the start.
It started in the Village and quickly turned up the hill. Though it was to be a short day (49 km and 5 hours or so) I immediately realized that I was going to have to dig deep. We climbed, and climbed, and climbed...
Stew was up ahead and creating a large gap as I tried to keep churning my granny gear up the long access road towards the top of the mountain. Hoping to rejoin on the dh, being this far back would mean having to navigate through LOTS of riders with more lungs than skills. When we finally got into the woods, that was just how it was.
There was some nice singletrack, but lack of flow (due to traffic) and fatigue limited my enjoyment.

The trails were sweet. Segments of singletrack connected by some service roads, doubletrack and streets. The trails included smooth packed limestone zig zagging into the hillside, choppy and cross rooted trails tangled through the forest and rolling fast paths. There were also steep windy descents and the occassional ladder bridge to ride.

Wearing the helmet cam, I had to quickly reach for the switch when things seemed interesting. Unfortunately I couldn't always let go of the bars during some of the best stuff to start filming.

Finally while churning up a steep fireroad, I saw Stew awaiting above a switchback. My legs had nothing in them, so I spent the ride in auxilary power, just trying to finish it.

As we rode together down the mountain face to the first feed station, our families awaited shouting encouragement. Half way finished! More of the same (fortunately minmal sustained climbs). Saw several familiar riders which reassured me that we weren't in too bad of a position. Fatigue was demonstrated in other riders when they just toppled over for seemingly no reason. Similiarly I was impressed with how people were able to continue to stay on the bike as they struggled up steep and long hills, many of which I had to walk. At one point we saw a black bear in the bushes.

Volunteers were amazing during this race; providing info, encouragement and direction. In some cases, the remaining distance info was often inaccurate. In this case, we were told there were 12km left, 3 km later - 15 km left, then finally (w km later) another feed station. Feeling better, but still tired our families (and Wally's) were there too. A volunteer swore that there were only 5km left so we continue on. Knowing that little remained - found some more energy and after 5 actually kilometers - the finish!! We crossed the line with our hands held high to the applause of our families! Finisher medals were presented, t-shirts handed out, and some other swag.

Recovery on the lawn, some food, then off to the hotel to get cleaned up for the final banquet.

It was quite the race: lots of complications and setbacks, but lots of great riding too. Seven days of doing the sport I love, surrounded by other enthusiasts, a great vibe, and a shared with a great race partner. Now for the more relaxed portion of my vacation.

First to get over this damn cold!!

Bye for now!

Mike
_____________________
sent by Blackberry

Day 6

A little further back in the start gate than ideal, we worked our way through the pack in the first few kms of asphalt climbing as we left town. Then into the woods. Already in a reasonable position and going strong, there were minimal hold ups and we gained altitude on doubletrack and fast flowing trails. Then a boardwalk over a bog. You had to balance but no major log jams. Then back to some up and down climbing through mixed technival trails. We were amongst some good riders and I felt for one of the first times in the race, that we were where we belonged in the field. Steep sandy climbs would appear and you'd have to resist temptation to walk, encouraged by the peer pressure of the riders ahead and behind. As I paused to wait for Stew ( and take a leak), I recalled our team discussion the night before, and decided to take the opportunity to spread by wings on the technical terrain. Originally climbing, then flying through some very steep, sandy, and technical descents, I was amongst some very strong riders with whom we hadn't really ridden to this point. Most were all of similiar levels with the occassional person who was evidently more fit than technically competant. They would hold up the pack for a while but then you could eventually get by and hammer through some pretty rough and steep sections - with only feet between you. On one particularly steep and narrow descent, a thin person went down quite hard in front of me, but before I had time to yell "coming through" they'd partially clipped in and were bouncing through the next portion. When the trail turned to a fireroad descent they started to motor. At that point I realized it was a female team. The team immediately got into formation and picked up a very fast pace which I opted to draft versus trying to overtake. They meant business!!
As I commenced up a climb I could see the feed station so pulled over to eat, stretch and encourage passing riders while waiting for my partner. (Feed stations have a rider check-in and a separation of over 2 minutes gets you a 1 hour penalty.). I watched as riders which I'd overtaken worked there way by - some of whom seemed surprised to see me standing there in a relaxed manner. Everybody that went by seemed to be working hard and competing. Before too long Team Winded went by. They looked a little winded but determined. I did make it a point to mention the 6 minutes which I'd surrendered by waiting, (but who's counting...) And expected that it may provide some motivation for the major climb ahead.
When Stew joined me we went through the feed station and began the climb. My legs were now cold and I felt powerless. Stew climbed strong as I tried to go into reserve mode and just complete the 40 minute or so climb then would catch him on the DH. His pace didn't slow and eventually he was out of sight. As the top FINALLY approached, a final surge. "Snap!" My chain broke. Now my catching up and not costing the our team time was in question.
After a rather long and complicated chain repair (where a tonne of teams went by) I was back on the bike with a mission. Must catch Stew! First I hammer down the wooded trail which was about 6 feet wide and scattered with loose grapefruit and smaller-sized rocks and gravel. Rider by rider I overtook a multitude of teams. Next was steep, large rock, root, and drop scattered technical descending. I felt like a skier on a steep mogal run and I danced the bike over, between, and around the obstacles on my mission. Normally more cautious, it was thrown to the wind as I flew through the terrain faster than I probably ever have. When slower riders finally surrendered their position, I disappeared ahead and scampered through the next portions. YEEEHAWW!!! Then steep sandy descents with switchbacks, some cheering spectators on the hillside, and more wooden bridges. As I approached what I assumed was the end - it was STEW!! No time was lost. Then the feed station, more technical, and down towards the finish. A bit longer than expected the last few kms consisted of high speed bike paths and a few rd crossings. Stew elected to overtake a team and we powered into the finish. There were our families, waiting to greet us after a week apart.

A nice evening and dinner out, I thumb in the last few keys and rest for the final day tomorrow.

Thanks for reading.

_____________________
sent by Blackberry

Day 5 - part 2

So after lots of work and varied terrain the "ultimate singletrack experience" begins. Technical chop climbs us up along a ridge which becomes more packed and flowing. Lots of man-made bridges. These are typically well constructed of slats of split wood and usually range from 1-4 feet wide and from 4-20 feet long. They can just go accross a boggy section or cross a massive gorge where falling could result in death. In some instances they are just large logs with the tips flattened. While riding them close to the ground is no big deal, it gets trickier when you're high in the air. After working my way through several teams - found myself alone flying through a roller coaster of singletrack. You could hammer and flow, hammer up shoots, weave between trees, nail sharp switchbacks and dance the bike through rooty sections. At one point banks had been built up on the corners so you can lean your bike way down as the centrafugal force would allow you to rise and shoot out to the next corner. It was like being on a louge. After a very long descent it was some high speed paths which lead into the finish area. Wow - that was fun!

_____________________

sent by Blackberry

Day 5 - Singletrack at last

That's right, after only singletrack teasers, today we hit the motherload.

The day started with us hitchhiking to the base camp (no sign of the shuttle). A nice lady, who happened to be the sister of one of the racers, gave us a lift in her pickup on the way to work. Breakfast in the arena then into the gates.
We literally stood on the side of the street in out bike gear and with duffle bags, with our thumbs out.
No problem, arrived with time to spare.

As previously mentioned, a neat aspect of this race is that it has everyday weekend warriors alongside some of the world's top racers. This morning I had a good chat with Shamus McGrath, on the race, the past TR, his plans for the Olympics, competitors and riding in general. Yesterday Andreas Hestler and I chatted about a variety of topics, then tonight Chris Eatough and I had a good conversation in the hotel laundry room. Funny because Wally lent me a video of Chris' training for his 4 world solo 24 hour championships which I watching while doing some indoor riding this Winter. Then when I arrived back in the room and opened an mtb magazine, there was a full page of him holding a Bobtrager wheelset. I mentioned the video and Wally to him and suggested an introduction in Whistler.

The race. Stew wasn't feeling well this morning, but that quickly burnt off as we rolled out of town. traffic is stopped at intersections, cones set up, cars pulled over and other people are on the street cheering you on. Most towns are very warm in this regard and recognize the economic benefits of hosting/supporting these types of events.

While it was only today, so much has been covered that it's actually hard to remember what we rode, other than the highlights. Distinguishing one day from the other is also hard.

Some pavement, gravel rodes, then up and down the doubletrack under powerlines.

More very long doubletrack and Fsr (fire service road) riding with pieces od technical thrown in the sonnect them. I felt fine, but the legs were feeling tired. Then some trails in the woods including a long climbs with switchbacks and a few bridges.

We finished, showered, washed and loaded the bikes, then awaiting the ferry crossing to Horseshoe Bay

More later. Falling asleep.
_____________________
sent by Blackberry

Day 4 - Happy Canada Day!

4:00 AM and the alarm starts to ring. We have 30 minutes to be ready to catch the shuttle which will eventually get us to the BC Ferry (a title sponsor) to get us to the mainland.
A few logistic hiccups, but we get there. Breakfast on the ferry and great views of ocean and mountains all the way. More conversations with fellow riders then a short bus ride to a second ferry. People prep on the short ride and the race starts from the dock.
From the start my legs felt tired, but hoped to work it away. Started at a good pace and passed a lot of people on the hills leaving the town. 10 minutes in and a flat... Took way longer than it should have, but spinning the Stans fluid around the sides, an inspection and a quick CO2 inflate solved the problem. Team winded rode by as we did the repair along with several other familiar teams. Back on and our passing resumed.
Many other teams were beside the trail dealing with issues as well. Then one of them yelling for duck tape. It was the team that outsprinted us the night before. I pulled over and provided mine along with some other supplies to help then try to solve the 3" slash in the tire. Both stops cost us about 7 minutes. Not sure the fate of that team.
A good day but the toughest for me thus far. Stew was solid all day and while we exchanged positions with teams all day, for the most part we did the passing. Again it's surprising at the variety of people that you meet. 2 tall thin riders with matching jerseys and that aero cycling look, then further ahead a woman's team one of which did not have a cyclist's physique... Solid pacing, more new choppy singletrack which FINALLY turned to sweet singletrack. We hammered solid for the last 3km and finished our fourth day. A quick shower and bike wash and then the shuttle to the hotel. Upon arrival I find out that there was a screw up in our booking. A call to the VP at the travel agent and wound up with separate rooms.

Just got an email from Stew who went do do some laundry... "Went to town and all the mats were closed. Now I'm at a camp site waiting because another prick from BCBR felt he needed three washers and wasn't willing to put his stuff in two. What do you say we let air out of his truck tire tonight! "

I brought a video and helmet cam but no camera. Here are a few things that I would have liked to take a picture of. Visualize these...

- a woman in the pharmacey with about 5 containers of various zinc oxide/diaper rash products. (Consecutive hot days resulted in saddle sores en masse)
- a large pile of bear crap with a mtb tire thread going through the middle of it. (We're biking through bear country and regularly see there droppings on the trails)

Hope you had a great Canada Day!

Mike
_____________________
sent by Blackberry

Day 3 part II

As the race progressed we worked our way through the field, again meeting a lot of familiar faces and riders that we'd met previously. In many cases there is a team member feeling stronger than the other, so conversations start up while they wait for or try to catch their partner. We talked to lots of people from Colorado, Calgary, ...
Conversation usually starts with "how you doing?". "First race", "where are you from" and related small talk. After meeting repeatedly, you learn about them and expand the conversation. I can't seem to remember any names, so typically refer to them by city. "How ya doing Seattle?"
Those that don't talk are usually suffering and can't spare the energy. Unlike some shorter races or other sports, people are very supportive of one another. When a rider goes down (wipes out), is keeled over, looks to be in pain, or is standing beside the trail; passing riders almost always offer help.

One woman's team from Ottawa who we seem to encounter every day is always cheery and upbeat, and I never would have guessed that one of them was on an IV shortly after she had inquired about Stew's state (prior back injury and dehydration issues) and offered encouragement.

Lots of gradual climbing which was a good way to gain altitude, which I was mindful of. Also some very high speed loose gravel downhills, which can give an adreneline shot as you try to round corners which could result in dire consequences.

Stewart put in a solid ride but was experiencing some knee issues which penalized his attempts at working harder.
I felt extremely strong for the first 60/80 km, but began to feel the pinch as the day wore on and looked forward to the singletrack. Also has a knot in my trap that hurt pretty bad.
Then it came, but not as expected. It was great terrain that zig-zagged along the steep enbankments. It was obvious that someone had put a lot of work into it, but it was new unpacked dirt that was extremely choppy and hard to ride. Not particularly challenging, a stark reminder that you can't underestimate the terrain when we passed a rider with a freshly broken wrist, being attended to by the motorbike medic. Then, finally, some packed singletrack with high speed flow. At one point I saw a junction but noted the trail flag over a ladder bridge to the right, which I took. It started off with a wide ramp, but then it turned into just a log. Maybe it was less, but I remember it being about 6" off of the ground with various logs and debris underneath. Falling would have meant getting hurt. I was getting nervous as I tried to maintain a line in the centre until it rejoined a ramp on the far side. (This is about 5 hours into the ride and my trap was hurting!). As I got my wheels back on the wood slats, "Wack" my bar hit a tree and snapped my wheel sideways. Fortunately I caught by balance avoiding what could have been a race-ending fall. Phew! Seems that could have been marked better.
As I counted down the km's remaining we saw Peter and Anthony, another team from Ottawa who passed us. Unfortunately we weren't able to stick with them.
Finally we popped out on a fianl flat stretch and sprinted to the finish with another team.

We crossed the line and began the post ride process.

Something that you note when looking at the participants is just how fit everyone looks. While the average age seems to be mid to late thirties, there are people who are absolutely ripped and in their fifties. Middle-aged women with veins in their calves and biceps are normal. Interesting too, is that physical appearance seems to have very little with actual performance.

Opting to get to the hotel, we skipped the evening ceremonies and grabbed a steak at the hotel restaurant.

Tomorrow promising some great singletrack.

UM
_____________________
sent by Blackberry

Day 3 completed

Hi all

The day started early at the Best Western. A better, but short night sleep, followed by a nice breakfast then outside to catch the shuttle to the race at 7:27. But no shuttle. We managed to hitch a ride with a local woman and her family in her van. Managed to get the last spot at the back of the peloton.

Now to this point you've probably heard some frustration in my tone. Fact is that I'm on vacation doing the sport that I love. It's been a long time preparing and very expensive, so I am truely trying to make the most of it, and yes, I am enjoying myself.

Now for the ride. A controlled lap around the running track then police escort through the streets of the town of Port Alberni.

We passes several dozen teams leading to the trails, hoping ti improve the flow of the ride.
Then into some great trails, fast rolling slightly graded, but congested with riders. A few steep climbs and long slight grades on double track. We felt pretty good and spent much of the day progressing through the field. Temperatures heated up throughout the day but were managable. Familiar faces and conversations as we encountered riders all day. Still mostly fireroad and dbletrack to this point. Don't they call this the Ultimate singletrack experience???

To be continued... (I'm falling asleep)

Tomorrow we're up at 4:00 to catch a ferry to the mainland. Will try to write then

Mike
_____________________
sent by Blackberry

Day 2

Another 6 hours and 44 minutes in severe heat.

The day started a little later as we decided to get some groceries and have breakfast at the hotel. (The race provides tents, but we opted for real beds and our own washroom). Logistically the hotel has taken some adjustments but the process is getting more efficient. Once yoiu cross the finish line (always long awaited) you're standing there filthy, tired, hot, and sweaty. For hygiene and health reasons you need to clean up ASAP. But there is just you and your bike standing at the finish line surrounded by a sea of activity; with various sports fields, tents, music, water jugs, etc. In the last two days my process has evolved to immediately finding my bag (and Wet Ones) and changing to some loose clothing. From there you need to figure out about washing and tuning your bike, getting something to eat ASAP, claiming a tent, hotel transport (and what), when is dinner, how much time do you have, etc. After nearly 8 hours of riding these chores can seem complicated, but getting better. The morning is similiar. But to the ride.
Lining up with Team Winded we discussed a strategy of working as a unit to complete the 125 km. The gun fires and there was a 10km rolling start. Hundreds of bikes in close proximity going through town then onto the country roads. It's quite dangerous in that a slight slow-down or maneuvre gets amplified through the group and can result in brakes being slammed on an spandex hitting the dirt-hard! A slight glimpse away and it can happen to you. I glanced today just as the guy ahead (18 inches) hit his brakes, I somehow reacted, lifting my rear tire, but could have caused a pile-up.
Anyway, group pacing on dirt roads, then it fanned out. On poor guy on the side of the road with a torn jersey and pink road-rash injuries searing with frsh pain. Going slightly ahead I watched Turbo and Stu 2, awaiting the gap to close so we'd ride together. Unfortunately Stew wasn't with them. So I pulled over until he joined me and the team effort began. Feeling quite fresh, we hooked up with a group, but the pace seemed very light to me. I was able to move about the group at will, without taxing my reserves at all. As much as I wanted to be conservative, somehow I could glide by the line of drafting riders and still keep a H.R. around 115. To be honest it was very liberating. My pulls at the front weren't necessarily beneficial to the group as I wasn't similiarly affected by grade changes, resulting in group splits.

As it was so hot, extra self serve water stations were set up and capitalized on. In Transrockies, we would run through, quickly splash-fill our Camelbaks, stuff a Clif Bar or banana in our faces and ride off, chewing the food over the next kms.
Doing this kept you more competitive with only a few minutes of stop time over the whole day. It's different this time, with a far more casual refueling process which involves us each doing our thing then meeting up when ready.

After losing our riding group (which included a team of 6 Mexican riders), I recognized that with such hot weather required us to join up with others (a group draft situation will result in much higher speeds at a much lower effort, ex. 3+kph x 6 hours could be nearly an hour saved on the day. )

Today it wasn't to be. We worked to capture riders in the distance which would typically stay with us for a while then fall off, until we finally joined a large group - right before a feeding station! My work was done and I was feeling the strain - for the remainder I resolved to do our own pace and let it work out however. With a couple of hours to go, something got a hold of Stew and drained him. (My prognosis is dehydration...). Still his never-die attitude kept him working very hard throughout the day. While BCBR is all about great trails, today was definitely the exception. Hot, dusty and loose gravel roads with hills that don't have large altitude gain, but are tough regardless. So we rode and rode, and rode some more. Worth noting that while the terrain is boring the scenery, for the most part, was exceptional. Bridges crossing narrow gorges, snow dotted mountains quilted in fingers of evergreens, leading down to calm fresh-looking water. Then another arse goes flying by in their truck leaving a cloud of dust.

I repeatedly crossed the same riders, including some Ottawa teams the Mexicans, and others in varying stages of suffering. Regardless of any inbalance in the teams, this was where their cumulative issues and strengths had them placed in the race. Fast forward to a couple of kms of beautiful singletrack then through town to the aforementioned situation at the finish.
Though a poor showing in standings, a very tough day of riding.

Now I lay in bed, gear organized for tomorrow and alarms set for 5:30. The route promises to be what we came here for. How we address it is what we can control.

Thanks for the comments.

Uncle Mike
_____________________
sent by Blackberry

Day 1 Race Report

Wow, quite a day.

After flight, luggage, and transfer delays, we finally arrived in the beautiful boarding school campus of Shawnigan Lake. Despite our proactive efforts, we were pretty well the last team to sign in and complete the registration process, some 33 hours after heading to the Ottawa airport. Frustration was coming to a head as we tried to comply with bike assembly, lock-up, dinner and mandatory team meeting deadlines. Not feeling particularly patient or social during dinner as we met other teams and riders from around the world (Mexico, Japan, South Africa, New Zealand...) and I yearned for the presentation to end the way a school kid counts the seconds to the recess bell.

As things worked themselves out and we sat on the lawn assembling our bikes, complications weren't quite over yet.
Despite having a fleet of immaculately maintained mtb's, the "chosen one" arrived with a brake caliper that wouldn't retract and a bottom bracket bearing that makes a metal whurring noise. Now, the riding group back home knows that I refuse to let anyone else work on my bikes, but given the circumstances - that rule was suspended and the brakes were adressed (which I later re-adjusted).

Finally things were in order and we returned to our dorm room for final next day preps and for some sleep. Unfortunately the beds didn't have any linen, so a quick-dry towel and fleece had to suffice. After a night of very little sleep and a lot of being cold, 6:15 am alarms were ringing and we arose.

Met more riders during breakfast including a rider who Wally (from our ride group) had assisted in a night lap of the Solstice race the prior weekend.

Unusually prepared, I watched Stew stew over his final preparations for the day. Then to the start-almost.
As the therapist worked on Stew's back to limber him up for the day, the entry line grew - quickly! Unable to check in without him, we entered the gate nearly at the back of the entire field. I stood in dread as I envisioned the multitude of riders that we would have to work our way through, through congested singletrack, until we would arrive at our proper seeding ( which I expected to be about 100 teams ahead). Side note - between the hundreds of hours of preparation and endless gram shaving efforts, getting caught at the back of the field just made no sense to me. Conversely, having a race partner who was in a state to race, did.

Start gun fires and we eventually pull away. Rounding the first lap through the campus we go across a freshly cut hay field, littered with riders with damaged drivetrain??? What, who would have thought that hay could neutralize these marvels of engineering achievement.? There's Shamus Magrath, World Cup racer and Olympian, walking trailside to his partner's aid. Are they going to work their way back to the front? Dust, a sea of riders and bikes; having a hard time keeping track of my partner, but quite sure that he's not there. Paused for a while, then headed back. There he was bike inverted and tugging at the derailleur. Meeting, I note the problem and we address it (as riders whurr by). Then moments later a similiar problem. Since we've been circuling the campus, we divert from the course and to the bike shop, as the field of riders carry on their way. The mechanic provides a quick-fix and we head out again. Passing a few we do a final pass through the starting gates as people cheer (at what, I have no idea, but I'm not yet panting and we're near dead last...). As we try to regain contact with the field, Stew's derailleur is snapping and skipping like; well like Geoff's. We stop again and I fumble through my kit for the tools for an eyeballed trailside fix. Rolling again we quickly join a gathering of riders who look more like they're in line at Disney World than 20 minutes into a MTB ultra endurance race. As I waited for people to determine how to navigate a technical difficultly that I saw as about a 2/10, only to get off and give every other rider behind the same contemplation opportunity, the pot was near boiling over. As a seasonal cyldesdale (athlete over 200 lbs) I have to overcome the reality of physics with fitness, but I am at home on technical riding and can quickly gain time without effort.
Therefore watching this transpire, the ensueing couple of hours had me considering yelling out profainities rather than being the curteous participant that I felt forced to portray - rightly so. (If you've read the prior posts, you probably have a better understanding). Anyway, climbs finally came where we should be able to reposition, but man it was hot. A litre/ hour still couldn't properly hydrate. Stew was strong and steady as I watched for signs of his recent back injury which never surfaced. His appropriate approach of measured caution established our pace and gradually we worked our way through the field. With moderate inclines my gravitational challenges were limited and suddenly much to my surprise, "Hey Mike!". It was Stu 2 (Turbo's partner of team Winded). I'd pictured them showered and floured, standing at the finish as we dragged our sorry asses accross the finishing line, with a patronizing "good job" and "how did you find it?" As we collapsed at the line.

Apparently there were cramping issues which raised havoc and resulted in a sustained struggle. So Turbo and I chatted as we spun along, similiar to how we would on any Tuesday ride 5000kms east.
At the top of the hellishly hot, seemingly never ending, rocky and lose, steep, rutted singletrack (littered with walking rides and the occassional pedaler (both genders) for whom we'd cheer and live vicariously through for a few brief seconds, finally the water station. Running low on some fluids (which we later found out went dry before all parched riders arrived, we loaded are Camelbaks. Stu 2 was in hurting shape and we bid them farewell as the descent began. Steady paced, mostly descent we went strong as the remaining kms ticked by. Stew observantly noted a sharp turn where the trail diverted to a more freshly cut (not so downhill) section. We alerted a couple of other female riders who appreciated the notice. Spectacular views of ocean, village and mountain as we flew down dirt roads towards a former railway bed. Arriving at the trail, we set a pace to steadily complete the final 25 Kms. As we over took 2 more riders - wait a minuted that is Stu 2 and Turbo????? There's no way I would have missed them going by, is there? The sharp turn! (Got that Brad?).
Turbo confirmed a 2 km section with flags which a whole group took. Personallly I don't care about the rankings, but there are other categories where our estimated 10-15 minutes detour would affect top 10 standings. Drafting with us for 5-10 km, Team Winded gathered their composure and abandoned us, never returning the aerodynamic favour!
With only each other, we counted down the km's to the finish in Lake Chowichen (sp?), welcomed by the support of citizens roadside. Dinner sitting beside Chris Eatough (5X World solo 24 hour champion) who after the early mechacal somehow worked his way back to a fourth place finish!
As we finally refueled (continue to address cramps with hydration), we then checked the standings. Not great from a position standpoint (109 overall and 59/102 in Open Class), but a formitable 6 hour 44 minute performance nonetheless. I did note, however, the smiling result of Team Winded, just 4 minutes ahead. Who knows what else they are capable of???

Tomorrow a 125 stint of very dull fire and logging roads in more heat. Group riding will be key and it will be tough!

11:40 now, a final gulp of water, then to sleep...

_____________________
sent by Blackberry

Anyone seen our luggage?

We're here in Victoria; apparently Turbo and his Stu are in the same hotel, possibly bikeless. After delays which included a bout in 1st class to TO, 2 x 1000m sprints between terminals, then sandwiched in a middle seat for a long flight with my stomach snarling; Stew and I have arrived! Bike and luggage are probably doing circles on the conveyor in St. Johns. Would be nice to sort that out before the race...

_____________________
sent by Blackberry

Day -1, 2:30 pm ET

So we're sitting in the airport awaiting the delayed flight due to a mechanical, after a hurried and stressful gear packing session. Funny how we've had 8 months to prepare but it still comes down to the last frantic minute.
Mentally going over what we packed, what we forgot, what's needed.
Had to remove some gear to fit it all in a single duffle bag to last the week. Slightly fewer conveniences than my comfort level. Almost all clothing is light weight, wicking, quick dry, hydrophobic, teflon, bulletproof or some other high tech athletic related material. Other than Merino wool, no traditional materials to be found. (I've heard that cougars don't like the taste of lycra). I have a freezer bag vacumn packed with bike shorts, gloves, socks and a jersey for each day. The last thing you need to worry about before heading to the start is finding that stray sock. Jeans and sandals will await with my bike box on Day 7.

Just got word that the flight will be delayed approx 2 hours, making it tight for the connecting flight - growl.

More later,

UM and Little Stew
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sent by Blackberry

Let the vacation begin!

Hi All
 
We've been training hard all year, and now on Thursday we head to Victoria, BC to get ready to enjoy the reward for all of our work - racing our mountain bikes for a solid week on the west coast!
650 km's of trail and over 11kms of vertical gain should provide 7 epic days of some of the best mountain biking on the planet with some of the top racers in the world.
 
My partner Stewart (also of Chelsea) and I are ready to roll!
 
Race Date: June 28 - July 4, 2008

Location: Victoria to Whistler, BC, Canada
# of Teams: 150 teams of 2, 20 teams of 4
 
After posting daily blog updates from the Transrockies in 2006, I was overwhelmed by the positive feedback.
So much in fact, that nearly a dozen people have asked me to do it again.
 
So... following each stage, I'll try to write up a report which will be posted on:
 

www.bcbikerace.blogspot.com <http://www.bcbikerace.blogspot.com/>
 
I'll try to keep it descriptive and interesting, so I invite you to make it part of your morning routine and join us in our adventure!
 
For more info on this event, check out www.bcbikerace.com <http://www.bcbikerace.com/>
 
Also check out our spin-off team's (just kidding) blog:   <http://teamwinded.blogspot.com/> http://teamwinded.blogspot.com

 
Keep in mind that it will all be done on a Blackberry after 4-8 hours of riding, 5000-7500 calories burned and 20,000-40,000 revolutions per leg/day.  It may contain typo's...
 
Sign up on the site and post your feedback, questions, etc.
 
Let the vacation begin!!!!!
 
"Uncle" Mike
 
Team Inflatables

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sent by Blackberry

BC Bike Race Ready

It's been a good Spring with lots of training.

Stew had a bad crash a couple of weeks ago, leaving his participation in question.  Then yesterday we did over 160 kms at 24kph, climbing Mont Saint Marie.

 

24 Hour team race this weekend, then four days later, off to Victoria.

 

Let the adventure begin!

 

Mike