Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Mount Work: Final Weekend Post...Phew

GO TO MOUNT WORK MAP:: http://www.crd.bc.ca/parks/documents/mount_work_map_000.pdf

OK! So...I had the best run ever on Saturday in Victoria! With only a few opportunities left for big training sessions before my taper leading up to the Squamish MOMAR on May 10th, I was happy to hit the trails in Victoria. My sisters partner Chris and a buddy Ryan were planning to ride the mt biking trails at the base of Mt Work in Saanich on Saturday afternoon. PERFECT I thought...and asked them to bring out my bike so that I could head out early for an hour run in the trails and make a nice little brick workout of it.

So...I took off to the Hartland landfill entrance to the park-this area is also known as 'the Dump' and is the main place for mountain bikers to ride in the Victoria area. Yes these are fantastic trails-tonnes of them, heaps of variety, awesome marking and map system...but man oh man did I realize just how good we have it up here in the Valley! This is one of only two places bikers can ride in Vic...and you have to drive 30 minutes to get there...and it is understandably packed with bikers from the capital city. I shouldn't be posting this for the world to see but...we have sooooo many options of natural trail networks with so much variety in terrain and elevation! If you run into another biker out there it is cause to stop and chat! Ok. I am over it.

Anyways...I decided to try and link some of the biking trails together and practice my map reading/navigation skills combined with a few ups and downs to get the quads burning. About 30 minutes into it I got a call on my cell phone...Chris: "held up and won't be there for a couple of hours. Should I cancel the ride?" Me: "Heck no! Get out here when you can and call me when you are on your way...I will just keep running until you get here." I had plenty of snacks and water and a map so I was happy to change my route for a longer run. I was just dieing to see the view from the top of Mount Work so I turned back to the main trail and made my way to the summit trail on the other side of the park. Up Up Up! This was a fantastic climb up rocky single track with quad searing scrambles beneath climbing arbutus trees. The view from the top was unbelievable! Looking northwest on a crystal clear day I could see the malahat, Mt. Finlayson and all the way out to Swartz Bay...I only wished I had my camera to share it with you! You will have to print off the map and make this trek happen next time you are in Victoria.

I thought about running down the other side and then returning for a double summit but my better judgment kicked in and I made my way back to Hartland to meet up with the buds. Good thing I did-2.5 hours later I was back in the parking lot and they arrived about 10 minutes later. Quick shirt change (it was like 17 degrees out and I was totally drenched...loving it cause I haven't been warm in months), snack, refill of the camelback and I was enjoying the sun (reclined in my car) when they arrived. First time on the new bike was good and not so good. The GOOD: Uphill supestar! The Not So Good: Downhill beginner-trying to learn how to ride a new bike, with new geometry and the new clipless peddle system was complete information overload. I may need to take something out of the equation to take the pressure off of my attention capacity! Anyways-a added on a 1 hour ride and it was a good training combo for the quads for sure:)

Good times! More to come I am sure:)
S

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