Sweet and Sticky: Maple Syrup Trail

If you are a mountain biker on Vancouver Island you have most likely heard whispers about 'that Maple Syrup trail'.  By now, you may have even gone to taste the Syrup for yourself.  So sweet hey?

If you haven't had a chance to sample the Syrup, here is a little taster for you...

I have been spending much more time in my sneakers than my bike shoes this year, and have to say that I came a little late to the party.  By the time I caught wind of the whispers this summer, the fabled Maple Syrup trail on Maple Mountain, had been well worn by thousands of wide grinning riders.  This 'new' trail was, in fact, officially opened last October by the CTSS- Cowichan Trail Stewardship Society.  Friends of friends had riden it.  Profile pics of wide spanning, 'rainbow' bridges appeared on social media.  Rumours of 'an epic ride' with a 5k climb and '10km of sweet continuous singletrack' got me salivating instantly.   It isn't very often that a south Island trail creates enough chatter to drag Valley riders out of our wonderful Cumberland cocoon.  It was time to check this trail out.

A few weeks ago a group of us managed to merge our schedules and book it down Island on a Friday.  The drive is about 2 hours from the Comox Valley and the trailhead is on Maple Mountain, a couple of kms south of Crofton.  'A 2 hour drive to ride a trail' you say?  I can now say that it is well worth the drive!

There are no other trails like it on Vancouver Island.  If you have ridden one, please correct me.  You can either ride about 5kms up the logging road, which is a good grunt with a few steeper pitches on it, but entirely rideable.  Or, you can ride up the new 'climbers trail' which has been crafted at the perfect slope for an enjoyable and very smooth single track ride.  The climbers trail was about 2/3 complete and it only left a short climb to the radio tower at the top.  I was impressed already!  A climbing trail!  The lovely, wide, 'green' trail wove it's way through shadey Arbutus forest, open grass fields and over rocky bluffs.  100 times more enjoyable than riding the road, having a trail to climb makes any ride that much better IMO. 

The view from the top gave us all some perspective on just how much elevation we had gained on our ride up.  The Village of Maple Bay, complete with tiny boats, appeared in miniature, far below. After a snack and a drink it was time to hit the 10k descent.  10k!

Maple Syrup is really like 3 trails in one.  The trail covers so much real estate that it actually travels through a very wide range of terrain from top to bottom.  It offers a combination of Hornby flow, Nimby 50 gnarl and Jughead/Blue Collar woohoo.   As it winds it's way back and forth across Maple Mountain, the trail morphs from steep, technical, rock at the start to mellow, flowy birms at the bottom.  All levels of rider will find something they love on the trail. 

The very top of the trail includes the most technical terrain, with plenty of rocky drops and steep roll overs.  The sun bakes Maple Mountain and by mid summer the dirt turns to powder, making steep pitches loose and challenging.  Quickly, the natural rocky drops disappear and the trail flows into big turns, fun descents and sweet rolling bridges (I call them rainbow bridges), reminiscent of the few park trails that I have ridden.  It is definitely a thinking trail.  After every long descent there is a punchy little climb.  Around every corner is a gnarly rock to navigate over or around.  The trail definitely keeps you on your toes.   By the time Maple Syrup merged into 'Solar Coaster' my body and brain were working overtime.   I loved it!

The trail transitions to more flow and less work over the final kms.  By then, it is a welcome break and an enjoyable way to finish the ride.  Beginners can jump in off the road to experience the lower 'Loggers lane' section of the trail, Intermediate riders can start half way up on the flow of Solar Coaster and those looking for more of a Challenge can tackle the entire trail from the steeps at the top.  Brilliant.  Helmets off to the trail builders who had the vision and even more impressive ability to execute the idea.  They have created a world class trail that will have riders returning for seconds...and thirds...and...

But don't take my word for it.  Go ride it for yourself! 

Still not convinced?  Watch this video of other people having fun riding it...and see if you can resist a road trip...


Happy Trails,
SS

Ride alone...ride with friends.

This week I remembered something I didn't even know I had forgotten.  I found something that I didn't really know was lost.  Kind of like finding twenty bucks in your jeans pocket.  Sweet. 

I get up with the mailman and I most likely go to bed before your kids.  In between I'm what you'd call pretty busy.  I have learned to run and ride whenever it works best for me.  Last year, while training for the BC Bike Race my rides got longer and longer and my riding buddies got fewer and fewer.  Out of necessity, just as I slipped into solo trail running, I soon discovered the beautiful selfish solitude of riding alone.  Since those first few forced rides I have learned to love riding alone in the woods.  

What I learned at the BC Bike Race...

Wow.  What an amazing week.  I really had no idea what I was getting myself into when I signed up for the BCBR last year...I'm looking for sponsors for 2014:)

I was there for the experience, the adventure, to have fun and meet people from around the world.  My goals were to work hard, have fun and not get hurt.  In the end I reached my goal and surprised myself by finishing 7th in the Solo Open Women category to boot.  I can't be anything but stoked with that:)

I've done plenty of races.  Long ones, short ones, multi-day staged ones, epic through the night ones.  But the BCBR 7-day staged mountain bike race was unlike any other race I have experienced.  As with any race there were highs and lows, hi 5's and thumbs up, new race friends and competitors, big climbs and fun descents, friendly volunteers, awesome views and random race adventures.  But the BCBR multiplies those experiences by 7 and adds the unique elements of community and daily travel to the mix.

I had seen the event roll in and out of my town.  I had watched the videos, creeped the results and read the daily race reports.  But until I actually became part of the traveling circus, I did not realize the massive scale of the BCBR.  The logistics are insane- 550 racers (and who knows how many volunteers) were transported to seven different communities via ferries, buses, trailers, campers,  trucks, cars, sea planes, water taxi's and more.  But that was probably the easy part.  In addition to human cargo there were hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of bikes in semi trailers, mobile shower and washroom trucks, first aiders, massage therapists, bike mechanics, bike wash stations, racer relations, communication stations,  not to mention all of the equipment and personnel to actually run each 40-60km race, to be broken down, transported and set up day after day after day.  The BCBR set up and tore down a small community for 7 consecutive days and they did it seamlessly.

Many local BC/Island riders think the BCBR would be fun but wouldn't dream of paying the fee's to race it.  Saying ' I could ride those 7 days anytime' for way less $$.  'Why would I pay that much to race in my own backyard?'  I will admit that up until a week ago I was one of those locals.  However, now that I have actually had the opportunity to experience the BCBR I can honestly say that it is worth every single penny and even MORE than they charge for registration.  It is truly a great value for all of the services that are included- and the experience really is priceless.  

How much did you pay for your bike?  How about those weekend races that you did over on the mainland?  How much did all of your other trips and holidays add up to last year?  Or, can you put $50 or $100 aside each month until you have enough saved up for the race? 

If you have ever considered doing this race but were on the fence, or thought it was too expensive, or didn't think you were fit enough or fast enough or whatever... JUST DO IT.  Go online and SIGN UP today.  Deal with the details later.  I can promise you that you will not regret it.

At the start of the week someone asked me if I would do it again.  I instantly said 'no, I think this is a race you do once in a lifetime'.  But then I finished the 7 days, watched the 2013 video and relived the week.  And now I can say for certain that 'yes, I would do it again in a heart beat'.

So...what did I learn?  So many things!  Not only did I learn in detail about the stages, the physical requirements, the training requirements and the logistics of the event, but I also learned a lot about myself along the way.  The race is like a mountain bike camp where you can improve your skills through volume, repetition and race intensity- and that in itself is worth the registration.

Things that I learned that might help those of you who are racing BCBR, however:

•  Suffer during your training so you don't need to suffer (more than necessary) in the race.  Even though I didn't have very long to train, I did manage to get enough quality and quantity in the books to feel prepared for most of the demands of the race.  Make sure you get the long back to back rides in, including a few that are longer than you expect to ride, but even more that are race pace if you are planning to push yourself.  Get your intensity in through races in your community and you will get the benefit of becoming one with racing logistics, fueling and strategy in the process.  Plan out your training, give yourself enough time to get up to your goal mileage/training weeks and hire a coach if you want to do well.  2-3 months of committing to higher volume training and racing will pay you back in spades come race week.
• The power of drafting.  Kill yourself to grab and stay on a wheel because the payback is priceless.
• Let go of the brakes!  The less you brake the less you have to pedal in the end and that is a powerful motivator after hundreds of kms.
• Sprint your guts out off the line.  Even better- train to sprint your guts out off the line.  Getting to the single track ahead of the pack is the first race of every day.  Your final result can be effected greatly by your ability to do well in this race.
• Warm ups, fueling, post ride cool downs, refueling and recovery and 7 times as important over 7 days of racing.  My body felt great because I followed my plan day after day.
• You will probably crash at some point.  
• Your bike will probably cry at some point.  You must know how to fix your chain, fix a flat and adjust your derailleur so that you can get yourself to the next aid station.
• You don't need to take all of your maintenance/cleaning gear with you- they have stations with everything you need.
• You don't need to take your laptop - they have a communication station with computers and wifi.
• You don't need to sign up for the meal plan unless you really want to.  Although the race is good value, you can eat for much less than the meal plan costs if you don't mind finding your own grub.  Towns are always accessible and I enjoyed sushi, thai, pizza and whatever else I felt like after each day.
• You will want to have your own tent if you can afford the upgrade- or share with a friend.
• Bring the most comfortable shammy's you can afford.  And bring lot's of them.  If it's wet weather, bring gear for 7 days.  If it's sunny and hot like this year, you can do laundry half way and it will dry in the breeze.
• Don't take Benedryl during a race.  Take Reactin when you get to Squamish.
• Take ear plugs. 
• Take ginger gravol if you ever get motion sickness.  I took some every day with all of the buses and boats.
• Get a new bike.  Yup.  If you are in the market anytime soon- just get the new bike.  You will have less issues on trail with newer gear and more time to enjoy the experience. 
• Do it with a friend- but race as solo's unless you don't care what your results are each day.  It is near impossible to race the same pace as someone else over 350kms of singletrack.  But so fun to share the adventure with a friend.
• Have your spouse or a friend join you for the week for free by volunteering.  It is hard work and long days, but they will be able to experience the journey with you and not have to pay for meals, accommodation, travel, ferries etc...
• Persevere.  It ain't over til it's over.  Just keep the wheels turning and you never know how the cards will fall in the end.  Push hard on your strengths and endure your weaknesses.  Everyone is suffering out there no matter their finish time.  
• Say hi.  Be nice.  Help out your fellow racers.  You never know when you will need a hand. We were all 'competitors', but we were also a team and we all got to the end together.

I could probably go on but that is it for now!  Message me if you have any questions! info@elmhealth.com

Thank you BCBR organizers, volunteers and racers for an unforgettable week.  The BCBR is truly the Ultimate Single Track Experience and I know I will be back...maybe even next year?

Cheers!
Sarah.

BCBR Day 7 Whistler!

Done!  I am officially a BCBR finisher and I have the belt buckle to prove it!

It was a short but sweet final ride through the buffed single track of the Whistler bike park and the Lost Lake trails.  Fast and furious off the line and the intensity was super high.  They threw a huge climb at us right away and we mashed the pedals up the road, then dirt then single track to the entrance of Crank it Up...via legs as opposed to lifts...one of Whistlers famous park pump and jump trails...woah hold onto your handle bars!  

I am still riding a hard tail and it was everything I could do to avoid popping sky high off every jump which they have cleverly crafted to launch you effortlessly...  If you have ever ridden this trail just try and imagine hundreds of inexperienced bike park racers ripping down together on little XC bikes...it was pretty crazy but really fun!  Apparently there were some out of control airs and bad crashes however.  Crossing fingers everyone is ok.

It was a super fun race course that linked flowy single track, bridges, short steep power climbs and a few logging road grunts into one silly grin on your face oh boy that was fun ride.  I was stoked to see the finish and surprised to see the clock around 1:45- super short day after all the epics this week.

I saw first aid last night and they figure it was exercise induced asthma due to inflammation of the lungs from an allergy to something in Squamish.  They gave me a Reactin antihistamine for today and I was back to my usual self which was a relief.  My lungs are sore and I sound like a smoker hacking up all sorts of lovely toxins now but cest la vie I'm finished!

I'm not sure about the final results and I honestly don't care because I had such a great week and an awesome time!

I'm signing out and heading out to celebrate!

Davin and Adrienne the downhill duo!  Davin had the red raceplate signifying winning the enduro stages...and Adrienne was top 3 all week!  

Dr Colin the master taper!

John Crosby AKA the man with the chicken.  If you've been to a race involving adventure over the past 10 years then you know who I mean.

Happy Trails!

SS

BCBR Day 6 Squamish

Well friends, the wheels fell off for me today:(

After 5 days of good luck and feeling great, it was my turn for a little dip in the sunshine metre.  In the big scheme of things I have still been unbelievably lucky all round, but today I had my share of challenges.  Looking back it is all quite comical actually so I might as well share...

Nice relaxing morning in camp-no need to break down the tents as we are here for two nights which is a nice treat.  I was stuffed up and felt a bit odd when I woke up- and when I saw myself in the mirror I was all puffed up and looked quite frog-like.  Odd.  Then I remembered the last piece of advice my friend, Nikki, who did the race a few years back had given me... She told me to take antihistamines when camping in Squamish because tonnes of people seemed to have an allergic reaction to something in the park the year she did it.  Ooops. Forgot about that.  Oh well, puffy eyes are the least of my worries on Day 6, I thought...

I was stoked for Squamish- I know most of the trails and was looking forward to both the climbs and the awesome descents.  The climbs weren't going to be very long or very technical so I knew I would have to work really hard to push my pace and make up as much time on them as I could.  Off the line and I was breathing hard up the first climb.  I'm used to breathing hard off the line by now of course, but this was different.  I was struggling to get enough air in- I was gasping for air.  My legs felt awesome but my lungs were limiting the air flow.  By the time we were on the final part of the main climb of the day I was physically wheezing.  I thought this must be what asthma feels like.  I, do not have asthma, however.  Racers were dropping me on the hill like I was riding backwards.  Including other women who I know by now are in my category.  When it got so bad that I started to feel anxious I decided to stop and do the only thing I could think of- take an antihistamine- Benedry to be exact.  What is the first thing that comes to your mind when I tell you that?

Yup.  I completely forgot that Benedryl is not only an antihistamine, but it is also a depressant.  BIG oooops.

I made it to the top of the climb and enjoyed the sweet pump & birm goodness of Half Nelson, which always brings a smile to my face:)  Then another cheer station with tonnes of hi 5's to get us up the next little climb.  My lungs started to open up by the time I got to the top which was a huge relief mentally and physically.  Down Psudo Tsuga which was the first Enduro section and more fun than ever now that I have my new 29er:)  Back on the logging road for a climb up to the top of Powerhouse Plunge and I just started feeling really sluggish.  It took everything in me to try and push my legs and keep my intensity up.  But there wasn't really anything there.

I was really looking forward to checking out the Plunge on my new bike...and it was way better!  I rode everything but one steep rocky pitch and I am more than stoked about that.  Yay for the 29er!

I remember hearing a 'crunch' of metal on rock near the end of the Plunge, however...

When I got onto the next logging road and climb up to the next descent of 'Hoods in the Woods' I was on a single speed lol.  Well, I had the two front rings but I only had granny in the back.  Oooooops.

Let's just say it was a long and frustrating climb up to the trailhead...but I spun along and crossed fingers that I would find a 'bike patrol' crew member sooner than later.  But the first person I saw was a guy that looked like Bob & Doug Mackenzie standing on the side of the trail holding tongs and a piece of hot fried bacon out to me instead.  Oh dear.

But my luck came back and I came across an old fire fighting buddy, Jergan, who is on bike patrol, at the entrance to the trail.  He wasn't wearing his helmet, which I remember thinking was a bit odd as they all stand out with their red helmets and red jerseys on course.  Then I noticed he wasn't wearing his shirt either.

This is where it gets weird...

Jergan, checked out my derailer and started adjusting cables...that's when I realized he was also in his underwear...and just behind him, in the shadow of ferns, was Mr. Dave Norona, BCBR videographer and general trouble maker...with his video camera...wearing nothing but a loincloth made from, what appeared to be, a bundle of moss and a fern...I had stumbled into some strange forest nymph meets BCBR film and I didn't want anything to do with it so I grabbed my bike after a couple of minutes and got the heck out of there before I got roped into the 'magical' scene.  'Gears are good!  Gears are great!  Don't worry about it bud!  I'm outta here!'...and off I went to rattle and roll my new hardtail with a bent derailer hanger and a few gears down the steep and twisty turns of Hoods in the Woods.  Woah.  Did that really happen?  Or was it the Benedryl lol:)  Can't wait to see the video for Day 6...

On and on I rolled through the Crumpet forest and lovely trails I have encountered on oh so many Adventure Races and even Bike Races over the years... Only trouble is, I was stoned and riding a cranky bike with only a few gears.  I had to keep reminding myself that I was actually in a race and to get my butt in gear but there wasn't any heat to be found in the fire.  I knew well in advance that it wasn't  going to be a great result when I rolled across the line.  But I did my best for the day and what more can you do than that?

3:30ish and 50k with some of the best descents so far:)

I got back to camp, had the guys from Obsession Bikes nurse my derailer so it will live for tomorrow.  They would have preferred to swap it out and give me an overhaul so it would be 'perfect' for Day 7, but I will just wait until I get home and have the boys from Mountain City bring her back to life.  Post race was a blur but I know that I washed and checked my bike, had a shower, got a little wood fired pizza and sat down in the sunshine by my tent to enjoy it.  Last thing I remember was looking down at my plate and the pizza was gone, then I passed out for about 3 hours in my tent.

What a bizarre day!  Hope you had a good laugh at my expense...sometimes a good laugh is just what we need:).  I am officially looking forward to Whistler and a big celebration tomorrow night!

Roll On!
SS

BCBR Day 5 Sechelt to Langdale

The big wheels keep on rollin...

I can't believe tomorrow is already day 6:(  Sad to know the end is coming!

Yesterday was definitely the hardest day so far...many people were looking just as wasted as I was feeling at the end of the day...everyone said it was a brutal day...and a loooong day, with most not getting to dinner until 8:00...then it was back up and on the start line for 8:30 this morning to ride all the way from Sechelt to the Langdale ferry terminal through logging roads, quad trails and single track.

We are over the hump...2 days remain...

Bodies are battered and bruised.   Bags of ice, tensors, bruises, scabs and bodies decorated with strips of rock tape are the norm...

Bikes are reaching their limits too.  Every day they are blowing seals, tires, tubes, shocks and anything else you can think of.  I thought I had a rough day yesterday and then met a girl in the shower line who had 4 yes 4 flat tires on top of it all that day.  Then I saw a bike pushed across the finish line with a carbon frame that was completely severed.

My body is feeling surprisingly great!  Muscles are good and I am actually feeling better each day.  With the exception of the pounding my tissues are taking from riding a flipping hard tail since day 2.  My rear shock is hooped and won't even hold air over night now.  I pump it up to 150psi before bed and then it is down to 50 or less by the morning.  So...I have it locked out.  And I am paying the price for that.  I am sure I will live but omg...:0  Other than that my bike has been awesome (thanks MCC I love my Giant Anthem 29er)！I am sure it is the perfect bike for me for this race and I have full trust in my steed getting me safely across the line each day.

So...today!

Well, I felt hung over when I woke up but I am pretty sure I didn't have anything to drink last night.  I had a nice little walk down to the oceanfront in Sechelt which was the perfect way to clear my mind and greet the day before the insanity began.  Having time to prepare and get a little warm up in was a real treat after a couple of super rushed days.

I underestimated the amount of climbing and the difficulty of the day for sure- it was pretty tuff and up up up for most of the first 2/3s of the course.  It was 'only' 40k and the final 10k were nice flowy downhill trails but it was still surprisingly challenging.  The up's were all pretty much rideable and the downs were super duper fun with lots of wood work and a ride through the 'sprockids' mountain bike park trails to finish.  Crazy to ride right into the ferry terminal where the finish line was set up!  I felt great, and much more relaxed than yesterday which made for a fun day:).  I lucked out and made it across the finish in time to jump on the first ferry over to Horseshoe Bay so I was showered and settled into camp nice and early this afternoon.

I originally planned to stay at a friends place while in Squamish for 2 days, but camp life is pretty good and it is so convenient to be at race central so we are going to tent it instead.  The views from the tent and the weather can't be beat so it was an easy decision:).

They have wi-fi, a charging station for all of our hundreds of gadgets and about 8 Asus laptops (which I am using right now) for us to check in on.  And last night someone was walking around with a tray of delicious chocolate quinoa cupcakes.  Yup, all and all, camp life is pretty rad at BCBR

Right now super trials riding champion and now Yoga instructor, Ryan Leech, is leading Yoga in the park so I'd better go check it out!  Lululemon came on board as a sponsor and we all had sweet yoga mats added to our racer kit to boot:)

3hours 35ish minutes...good night!
SS

BCBR Day 4 Holy Crap

That was an insane day...I am still buzzing from the intensity and really don't think I can find the words to describe it at the moment...I'll probably give a play by play later but for now here are a few random things that went through my head during day 4...

BCBR Day 3 Powell River

Welcome to Powell River it's time to giver! Check out the view from my tent!

Forgive me for I have sinned...I tried my first Red Bull at the second aid station today!!  I know I know let me have it.. I am going to the hot zone for sure.  Toxic and as far from real food as you could get, it was an experiment of sorts.  I'm not sure if it truly gave me 'wings' but I did feel strong right until the end.  I will probably need to replicate the results to confirm my findings...lord I've turned into the Bridezilla of racing, over the top and doing things I swore I wouldn't...

I'll keep this short and sweet and share some pics instead...

Great day!

Arrived late via the ferry and had 10 minutes to warm up...and the race started with a big climb out of the gates yikes.  No chance to draft just push the pedals round and round all the way to the single track.

Another 48k of racing:)

Super pedally friendly single track heaven.

One VERY fun enduro section (will have to look the name of the trail up).  These are time sections on each course that highlight favorite downhill trails.  You hear the beep when you go through the gates and you hammer!

3:00hoursish - shorter and easier which was a nice treat as we started at 1:15 in the heat of the day!

I'm tucking in to Phad Thai at Thaidal Zone on the water!  Gotta go!

Ferry line up... BC ferries didn't know what hit them on the 10:10 sailing from Little River!

We had a wonderful welcome from the folks of Powell River!  Complete with pipers and high school cheer leaders!

Thanks to Dr Colin for the Rock Tape job this morning on the ferry, to support my shredded calf!  Feeling better so far and crossing fingers it's on the mend.

BCBR Day 2 Campbell River

Happy Canada Day Eh!

Another day, another bike race!  CR's Snowden Forest was the main stage today for a magical bike ride through endless kms of loamy single track.  Known by some as the 'cursed forest', Snowden has many technical rocky/rooty sections that never seem to dry and always keep you on your toes.  I love the challenge of riding these types of trails as you always have to be on alert and really get to play with your bike in order to keep in continuous forward motion.

Martin Ready of Island Mountain Rides put together an epic course that wound circles around the forest and managed to hit all the best trails along with tonnes of variety.  Great course!  

I met up with a shuttle this morning to get from the finish line at Willow Point Park to the race start at the nursery near Snowden.  The only problem was that the shuttle didn't exactly leave on time and we arrived at the start line with about 15 minutes until go time.  Not ideal but I had to get a warm up in before the crazy sprint start that seems to be the norm in these races.  By the time I got back the first wave of riders had already left and I had to hustle to line up with my wave!  I was placed in the fourth wave based on my time from day one.  As I looked around I recognized many faces that I had passed the day before.  Hmmm...maybe I should have started closer to the front...

But it turned out to be way less of a traffic jam today so it was super easy to sneak by riders and I actually got to race at my own pace which was awesome.  

It was a crazy sprint downhill on a logging road and I just put my head down and held on for the ride!  I am learning that there are a tonne of roadies in this race and they go hard on the roads!  I learned some new hand signals today and got a bit more confident hanging onto the wheel in front of me...that takes some serious trust!  They all go into crazy tucks that fold their spines and place their hands in the centre of the bars.  Yeesh...it's a whole new world for me lol.

These are not the gang of riders I am used to ripping through the trails with.  It is great to hear all of the different languages, meet visitors and see our Province through their eyes.  But there is also a side to this experience that I didn't anticipate and that has actually shocked me.  Let me start by saying that the majority of riders have been nothing but courteous and friendly.  But I have also experienced a few negative encounters that I have never come across in any of my other racers over the years.  These range from just not so friendly peeps who don't return a hello or a smile (but really I can't blame them as many are in full on survival mode in the wilds of BC) to flat out disrespectful and real life trash talking on the trail.  

This morning I witnessed two guys in a full on fight that nearly came to fists while ripping along a logging road at 30kms/hour.  It was something to do with 'cutting me off' and then 'insulting me'.  Around here you don't really call people out like that in the trails...ever really. You just have fun and rip it up.

And yesterday  while I was merging into a line up of guys walking their bikes into the entrance to Two Sheiks I was actually physically PUSHED out of the line.  Yup.  I looked up at the (grown) man expecting it to be a joke and to see him laughing.  No smile there!  Just a solid arm pushing me to the side.  I was speechless.  

Ok ok enough about the negative because it truly is one small piece of this super rad BCBR puzzle.  But it really did shock me so I thought I should share my thoughts.  Apparently I live in a fluffy happy Island bubble of 'yo bro's, hi fives, rainbows and single track.  And I LOVE it:)

Summary:

50 something kms

Cool in the shade hot in the sun.

Super sore calf from the crash cramp yesterday:(

No crashes yay!

My rear shock is leaking boo.

Moved up a spot in my category today.

Have just begun to appreciate the roots and gnarly sections.  The more the better as that seems to be where I make up all of my time!

I'm already starting to get sore in places I've never been sore before.

Finished in 3:20ish

It was an awesome day.  It has been so great to be a local over the past couple of days...I got to see so many friends and familiar faces and soaked up all of their positive cheering energy!  I'm heading to Powell River tomorrow morning where I will join in the big caravan and leave the comforts of home and familiar territory.  Let the next adventure begin!

I only took one pic today...of the bike wash.  They have it all set up for you with racks, hoses, soap, brushes, towels and chain lube.  It's awesome!

Gotta go eat some more...

SS

BCBR Day 1 Dodge City

Welcome to Dodge!

I am sitting on my back deck eating Riders Pizza, hydrating and waiting for my laundry...perfect time for a little recap from day 1!  The 5 line summary is at the bottom for those who don't need the play by play...

Yesterday was a blur of driving, ferries, line ups and buses...I left home at 4:30am and got back just after 6pm.  In between I met racers from South Africa, Australia, and Mexico, checked in, picked up my awesome BCBR swag, learned how to fight a bear and avoid getting saddle sores and diarrhea at the racer meeting, and caught up with my newest biking buddies, Adrienne and Davin.  

Serious racer meeting stuff.

Did you know there are 550 racers from 26 countries in the race?

Check out the sweet swag!!  

Today, however, was a bike race.  And a grand one it was!  My home turf meant racing a course where I knew every root and drop on trails that I ride every week.  It was a gift to know what was coming next so i could prepare mentally and physically for each section in advance.  My goal was to take full advantage and go hard in my backyard while I had the opportunity. Hey I'm gonna be trashed by day 3 anyways so why not go all out on from day one? :)

We started on the main drag in waves of 50 riders, self seeding ourselves based on goal finish times.  4 minutes between waves, I went in the 3:30-4:00 hour heat.  I stood up and cranked as hard as I could off the line and worked hard to stay on the back of a fast pack down the logging road to Bevan.  I learned a lot about drafting in those first few minutes.  Wow it's awesome!  But it's brutal if you fall off the back lol.

I tried to hammer the road because I anticipated a bottleneck and slow pace in the single track and ... I guessed right.  The wave starts spread us out but we still managed to come to a full stop once we entered the Bevan trails.  We rode the Snow to Surf course and it was carnage from the get go.  Dudes were sliding all over the place and biting it left right and centre.  Why you ask?  Apparently not everyone has ridden on damp roots lol!  Not wet roots like we have on the Island I guess.

Lets just say it was a slooooow ride all the way to Nymph and the start of the forbidden plateau 10k climb.  But we got there and then it was all up for about 40 minutes.  I was surprised but there were some really strong climbers!  

Aid station for a water and cliffe block reload and then it was all downhill for about 40 minutes through the best trails- Two Sheiks, Cabin, Slither, Transmission, Catnip and then back to the Bears Bait trails.  I figured the climb would have spread us out for the downhill but I found myself in another unfortunate traffic jam for a lot of it.  Peeps were a bit spooked on the rocky bits and grabbing serious brake.  I'm sure that will be me once I'm in unfamiliar territory but for the first time I was actually passing dudes on the descent woot woot!

Back to Cumby via Whites Bay and one more climb- up Twoandajuice, Buggered Pig and the HOT road to Teapot... Crashed hard in a freak accident just after the little up on Teapot trying to squeeze between a dude and a tree...upside down yelping with a crash cramp for a few minutes but I survived and got back on the horse lol.  Railroad, Crafty and the classic Blackhole Space Nugget finish and I was finito.  Completely.  Like I had to lie down for a minute tired.

I should have eaten/drank a bit more in the second half but the heat made it hard to stomach.  It was shockingly hot today after the colder weeks of rain we have had.  There is always tomorrow to work on that...and they next day...and the next day...and...

Summary:

60kms

Very well marked course

Very enthusiastic volunteers!!

One big 10k climb

One long flowy descent

HOT

Three bottles of water

2 packs of Cliffe margarita blocks

2 S Cap electrolytes

3:45 hours of virgin BCBR racing!  I don't know my official finish time yet but it was somewhere around there.

Ok must eat more...here are some shots of base camp from this am.  I've never seen so many people riding their bikes while brushing their teeth...

SS

Bike Fever

BCBR Day Zero.

I'm on the boat sailing into the sunrise on my way to check in for the BC Bike Race.  Which starts in my town.  So I will be turning right around and heading back home this afternoon.  A nice 10 hour commute to check in lol.  C'est la vie...I'm starting the BCBR woot woot!! 

The best news of the day?  The rain finally stopped!!  Wowza that was like a winter storm with day after day of rain.  Looks like summer is here just in time.  😀

Yesterday I got home from a wet week camping on the coast and squeezed in a ride to wake up my legs and check out my bike.  We rode part of Day 1...and came across real life BCBR flagging.  Every year I have seen the flags in town on the July long weekend...and its still hard to believe this year they are waiting for me!  Well ok and about 500 other racers but still...

The other thing we found out there were puddles.  Actually they were more like ponds.  I ride all year round and I have never seen that much water up there at the top of Two Sheiks...no way around them...just pick up your feet and make your own wake.   Come on sunshine work your magic!

The not so good news is I have had a fever and flu like ickiness for the past few days😩.  I don't know what little bug is trying to take me down but Im calling it Bike Fever.  I'm feeling much better so far today however. Crossing fingers it's behind me and I don't need Gravol to race tomorrow lol!

I started packing yesterday. Well, ok I threw some things in a pile...perks of living in the area of race central...  I get to stay at home for the first 3 nights!!  So I won't actually join the camping caravan until we head over to Powell River on day 3.  

Stay tuned for pics and dirty tales from the trail!  And be sure to check out the BCBR Facebook page for deets on cheer stations and daily race videos/reports!

BC Bike Race Training...time's up!

Training for the BC Bike Race has been like cramming for a test for me... and...well...time is up folks!

Yes, it is true...I really did WIN a free entry to the most amazing single track experience in the world- the 7-day BC Bike Race!  Last year at the Cumberland MOMAR  I was charmed enough to win the BIG draw prize from BCBR & MOMAR:

I can't believe it but race week is already here!  This time next week I will be getting ready to start 7-days of racing 40-60kms of single track mountain biking with 450 other racers from all around the world! 

In a dream world, training for the BC Bike Race would look a bit like this:

• Nov-Jan: Base training, build the base.  Grow a massive aerobic platform through zone 1 time on the saddle and base training.  Develop an amazing new level of neuromuscular co-ordination through high cadence training and pedal stroke interval sessions.  Become one with the bike, throw the aerobic threshold into the sky and eliminate effort on high cadence zone 1 rides.
• Feb-Apr: Get climbing fit and strong.  Move from shorter to longer hill climbing repeat sessions to build the legs into climbing machines loaded with unfatigueable power.  Push the lactate threshold up into new heights through endless sessions of crank turning pain. Become one with hills.
• May-June: Get race fast.  Push the speed with weekly 'meat grinder' rides, sprint sessions and compete in race after race after race to get race fit, race smart, and race savvy.  Become one with racing. 
• June Peak: Combine race speed, climbing strength and epic long rides into a big training peak of insane fitness!
• July - BC Bike Race!

We, as you may have realized by this point in your life, are not living in a dream world.

In reality my training has looked more like this:

• Nov-Jan: Train for the Diez Vistas 50k ultramarathon (that's running).
• Jan: Sprain my ankle and sit on the couch for a couple of weeks;) First DNS ever in the yeti snowshoe run.
• Feb: Get sick.
• Mar: Get sicker.
• April: Get superbug sick and spend 4 weeks on and off antibiotics, sleeping and resting:)  2nd  DNS ever-never got to see the 10 Vistas at the 50k.  Start riding my bike slowly, not allowing my heart rate to go up, secretly 'training' for the BCBR when I should be on the couch and hoping I will still be able to do it.  Considering checking the cancellation policy.
• May: Get better:)  Allow my heart rate to go above aerobic threshold.  Start riding up hills.  2 Races including the epic Nimby 50!
• June: Finally start feeling like myself again!  The exhaustion blanket lifted!  Yippee!  CRAM.  2 Races. 
• June Peak: Combine what I have managed to accumulate for race speed, climbing strength and epic long rides into a big training peak of moderate fitness.  Here is how my final week of training went down:

Monday: 1hour and Run
Tuesday: 2hour
Weds: 3.5hour
Thurs: Run
Friday: 3.5hour
Saturday: 4.5hour
Sunday 6hour

And now... I am going camping on the west coast and will be sitting in a lawn chair (under a tarp by the looks of things) miles away from my bike for the next 7 days...It is taper time baby!

It has been a whirlwind of training and preparing for the big week and I my bike and I have been to the moon and back even in these 3 short months.  Hours and hours of long solo rides...playlist after playlist on my iPod...new fuel recipes and pockets crammed full of snacks...experiments with everything from fingerless gloves to seat positions and snack ideas...miles and miles and miles of new routes...broken chains, blown seals, broken tool kits, ripped tires, broken chains...I have learned a lot about myself and about my bike.  

Did I mention that I love my bike?  We are best buds and partners in crime.  We don't go anywhere without each other anymore.  BIG THANK YOU to the crew at Mountain City Cycle in Courtenay for taking such awesome care of me and my rig.  You guys rock!

Black Beauty and I have run a bit wild this spring...but amazing epic rides also mean an empty stall at home for hours, days and weeks on end...big hugs to the best support crew ever:)

I am as ready as I am going to be.  Time to relax, rejuice the batteries and get pumped for a week of epic adventures on the beautiful coast of BC!  I will do my best to blog about the race along the way- if you are around on Sunday, June 30th, stop by Cumby to watch the show!  Details should be on the BCBR website or facebook page.

Happy Trails!
Sarah.

Nimby 50 Race Report: oh my!

Standing on the podium, 3rd in my age cat after the Nimby 50... in shock and laughing to myself: 'what the heck am i doing on this Red Bull box??'

Well...I survived the Nimby 50!  It was by far the most technical mountain bike race I have ever done (not that I have done very many lol!  I think that was my 5th or 6th bike race outside of Adventure Racing?) and I am just happy I crossed the finish line with all my bits and pieces. The Nimby 50 is dubbed as a Technical Marathon XC Bike Race...which fits the bill...but doesn't do the steep descents justice in my opinion!  Downhillers and XC Climbers both love and hate this race course for different reasons.  I think it was just as challenging for climbers going up as it was for downhillers going down.  But I LOVED all of the ups of course:)

Quick race course summary:

• 350ish racers
• Pace car for about 2k then the race really began with a steep gravel road climb for about 15 minutes...
• Squeezed into single track with hundreds of racers meant wheel to wheel traffic on the first descent...if the goal was to spread out the racers it didn't really work lol;)  Another 15 minutes down and a quick rip out a flat logging road to the base of the 'switch backs'
• 101 switchbacks on Happy Trail they say...I won't ever know for sure as I stopped counting at two.  But there were a lot that is for sure!  They seemed to get tighter at the top...especially when turning to the right lol;).  Half way up I tried to shove fuel and water into my mouth on the go and managed to accidentally chew one of my s-caps.  Yummm mouth full of salt anyone?  Working through that while trying to hold a steady cadence and not get passed by the pack of dogs nipping at my tire was an interesting challenge:).  To the top in about 1:55? at the parachute launch...which apparently had an amazing view...next time!
• Up and down and over to the 'Red Bull Downhill' section where we got timed to see how fast we could get down to the bottom.  HA!  More on that below...let's just say it was a nice walk:)  Times ranged from 6-16+minutes...I set a record for the day on that one and you know it wasn't for the fastest descent:)
• At the end of the Red Bull section and about 2.5hours it was time to 'start the race'.  In my head this is where I wanted to start working and challenging my legs.  It was another hour of punch ups, steep climbs and the equivalent going down- but much more spread out and varying than the first half.  A bit of this a bit of that and you really had to be on your toes- it was really fun!  I was back and forth and back and forth with other racers- I climb up they rip down and so on.
• After the final descent we hit the train tracks and I knew I had done it.  I let out a big wooohooo and hammered it home with a big old smile on my face.  I survived the Nimby!  It was big gears and burning quads all the way to the finish line and I managed to pass a few more peeps who were beyond finished on those last couple of kms of road. 
• 3:35ish, 3rd place (big lungs little balls) and the best post-race food I have ever had!  Homemade felafels anyone?  And...I must admit...I had my first post-race Caesar too:)  YUM!

A cardio queen like myself loves the feeling of pushing pushing pushing up up up.  Looping strong and smooth circles over and over...sprinting hard to pass whenever there is a chance...hammering up punchy inclines...popping up and over mini mountains of rock...trying to stay on the bike as long as physically possible regardless of the level of pain...chest and chin sitting on the handle bars...balance...endurance...the burn...  These are all the things I love and Nimby had plenty of them!

Problem is...the harder the climb, the harder the descent and what goes up must go down- unfortunately for me:(  Yes I am working to overcome my irrational fears of going down steep hills, riding wet rocks and sliding on slippery slopes.  Yes I have made big improvements this spring since getting to know my new Giant Anthem 29er.  Yes, I have managed to nearly get back to my level of confidence that I had before fracturing my ankle two years ago.  And yes, I even rode twice as much of the downhill sections than I walked during my Nimby scouting trip 2 weeks prior. Yay me right?

Well...let's just say all that didn't seem to add up to much Yay on race day lol;)  Here is why you won't see me in any of the awesomely rad downhill photos on the website;)  I did the walk of shame many times on the course, probably risking my life more by trying to carry my bike down rocks in my little clickity clack shoes.  To tell the truth, I am so over any 'shame' of walking my bike down completely rideable stuff that I think it might be limiting my progress- perhaps a little 'shame' could be a good thing:)  I spent most of the timed 'Red Bull Downhill' section standing on the side of the trail cheering on the other racers and watching in awe as they rode sweet lines and ripped up the single track. After the clock started I actually stopped to let air out of my tires.  Yup, I did just admit that:)  I grabbed a snack.  The only thing I didn't do was put on 'my pads' lol:)  Silly rabbit...looking back I apparently forgot that I was in a race!

I was not there to win, that is for sure.  I was there to gain race experience for the BC Bike Race, to get a solid weekend of training in and to change my perspective on 'steep'.  I reached my goals for the day for sure. We will see if I can get my head around bike 'racing' rather than 'riding' in time for the BCBR, which is a big switch that hasn't gone on yet for me.  As a coach and athlete I know what I need to do to turn the switch.  I just wonder if I will be ready to do it by the July long weekend...

Great race, well organized, well marked, great energy, awesome volunteers, best post race food ever!  Thank you to the organizers and volunteers for your time, energy and passion!!  Good times!

SS