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