Race Report: Singletrack Challenge

What better way to spend a sunny, fall day than mountain biking for more than four hours in a row on a course that's 98% singletrack?

This was my first visit to the new-ish fall event held at Hardwood Hills. It was also my first time on a mountain bike -- or doing anything remotely resembling healthy physical activity -- since the 24-Hour back in August. The Ontario general election sucked up every ounce of oxygen between then and now so I was really not sure what to expect on race day.

Kind of added to the fun, to be honest.

So, surprise! Legs felt okay, handling was better than I expected even with the slick roots and mucky leaves but wow. Kids, don't let your cardio go. My chest felt like it was clamped in a vice.

Then I realized my under-layer was perhaps a little too constricting. It was a last minute addition and truth be told it was actually just a bandeau but I thought it would help keep my core warm. I don't recommend this. By the end of the second lap, "Radical", I was having a hard time feeling my feet -- not so radical. So I took a break trail-side and removed the offending garment and it felt SO GOOD, the relief almost made it worthwhile. (Reminds me of a quote I like to use: "So what's racing feel like?" "Like hitting yourself with a hammer non-stop for two hours" "Then why do you do it?" "Because it feels so good when you stop!").

Once that was sorted out, and blood could once again travel freely between my torso and the "engine room" (my legs), we were off for the final three loops. Sean Ruppel of Chico Racing fame was my riding buddy for the day and if he hadn't been there I probably would have quit, so thanks Sean. While I struggled with mountain-biking skills level 1, he was clearing tough climbs and obstacles on a single speed 29er while still having the time to leisurely chat with the other racers, answer texts, fix broken chains, remove dead-falls from the course and even at least three nature breaks. I felt like a shadow of my racing self. Sigh.

But I finished it! I think I was the 5th woman overall, and 2nd in my category which meant that for all my suffering I was duly awarded a snazzy plaque and I even snagged a doorprize as well -- a handy nacho bowl, chips and two kinds of delicious salsa which for sure I will be eating tonight for dinner because I am too tired and sore to even consider walking to the grocery store.

It will be a sad little meal in comparison to the post-race repast Adam Ruppel and his lovely wife Jen made for us over in Uxbridge last night. A boisterous dinner party of seven sharing Jen's most-amazing-ever short-ribs and other Thai cuisine was the perfect end to a great day of riding (even though the "racing" left something to be desired.) So thanks to them once again!

PS Next time you see Adam (aka Chico), ask him to tell you about his ghostly encounters. I'll be getting over those spooky tales for a few more nights to come.

Race Report: Fall Epic 8

The last of a string of late races, the Fall Epic 8 certainly lived up to its name. Rain makes any ride "epic" in my book. And rain it did.

Our team was four strong, with Tim, and the Kiwis, Bryant and Carlene rounding us out. We agreed that we'd signed up for this thing to have fun, but were quickly in the lead and found out that in fact, winning is fun. So we ended up with a bit more focus than we'd originally set out for, which I think was just as well since that's the sort of juice you need to get through 6-8 hours of constant drizzle.

I got the first go-round, and had a grand ol time slip sliding around on the roots. By the second lap, I'd figured out a little more of the course and conditions and hooked up much better. My third and fourth might as well have been dry because I was comfy as could be.

8 hour courses are so fun -- nothing to dread, all flow, lots of single track and rad people to share the trails with. In the end we were able to hold onto gold, putting an extra lap into second place. Nice end to the season.

Thanks Don Rats, and Kiwis!! We done good, and it was great hanging out with everyone for the day. Isn't that the best part of 8 hours?

Also, huge congrats to Matt Spak for his win and former teammate Evan Sharpe for his silver in the solo category. I can't imagine going around in circles for 8 hours, but on a fun course like that, maybe it's not out of the realm of possibility. Y'all got me thinking ...

And to Martin, (fellow Sweet Pete's racer) and his team *chapeau* for your fine podium result as well!

Holy crap, DOUBLE RAINBOW!!!!!
A nice parting gift from mother nature.

Royal Heat Wave!

When it's this hot I'm more inclined to just rely on existing fitness rather than go out and try to collect more. However, Gerhard and I still managed to sweat out a great preride at Buckwallow on Sunday evening. Man, it's going to be a hot one there. We rode in the evening in an attempt to wait out the traffic, and it was still brutal. Course is super fun though, and I'm looking forwad to a decent race on Sunday. Although touring around my usual blog reading list, it seems like the usual suspects are more often than not opting out! Hope there's a good turnout. If not, oh well, less of you to clog up the 400 on the way home I guess ;)

The weekend was a great trip ... guess I'll get around to posting about it now. We decided to hit up Hardwood (instead of battling the traffic all the way to Buck) on Thursday and enjoyed an awesome Canada Day Ride on favourites like "Serious" and "Radical". Gerhard and I think we need to get some friends up there for a day of fun riding (Nancy, Jules, Birke ... we're looking at you).

A quick beer in the parking lot and then it was off to Bruce County. We arrived in time for a BBQ at my sister's before heading down to the fireworks at the flagpole in Southampton. The rest of the weekend was a wonderful rainbow of outdoor eating, beers, bonfires and "testical toss" (otherwise known as "horse nuts", "scroats and ropes" or just "ladder ball").

Thought I would do more riding than I did, but changed it up instead with a smaller-than-planned hike up at the National Park on the Bruce Penninsula. It was full, so we had to wait our turn before finally opting for a lesser known trail-head further down the Bruce Trail. Not the Grotto, but still fun (and still full). Something rubs me the wrong way about waiting in line for nature, but we had a great day nonetheless. Although I think the boys were all K'd* out by the end.

Ever since getting back to Toronto it's been tough to find the will to train ... maybe that will change tonight ... maybe not. It feels like interval work just to walk between Whitney Block and Main Building so maybe I'll just call it done.

Hope everyone's staying cool!

PS - I saw the Queen today!!

*K'd out: refers to the fatigue incurred after spending the day with me and Kim in top gear.

Race Report: Canada Cup/Ontario Cup #3, Hardwood Hills

It was hot. Too hot. 30 degrees hot. And it had been for the entire week leading up to the race which was a far cry from last year's tacky trails and snowflakes on the start line. This year we were choking on dust just on the warm-up. Beacuse it was a Canada Cup, there was an extensive call-up which left me in the back from the start. The first 400 metres were all about trying to keep the dust out of my airways and collision avoidance. Usually I have a decent kick at the beginning, but as soon as the heat intercepted my rising heart rate, I was feeling like puke.

And so, I suffered. Not going to go on too much with this post because I didn't even have fun yesterday, let alone a good result. And no one wants to hear me winge about it.

So since you either win or you learn, here's what I took away:

1) Heat = limiter. Must do more to protect myself from the sun not just on race day, but the days leading up to it. (Doesn't help that elites have to pick up their packages on the day before ... might as well preride, right?)

2) Still fighting expectations vs taking February off. This leads to a neurotic back and forth that takes up too much brain power while trying to just do my best.

3) Gotta get my head up in the single track -- can't afford silly mistakes or erroneous braking, especially on a course like Hardwood.

4) A couple niggling aches and pains to deal with so I can get the power I do have to work for me.
So all in all, it was a hard day. I fought, but my fight only lasted about a lap and a half and then I accidentally pulled the give-up switch. Didn't feel much like hunting after about 40 minutes in the saddle. In the first lap, I made a couple really brilliant passes (if I do say so myself) over the "secret" lines I'd scoped in pre-ride -- those have never come in handy before but I got two yesterday. I was riding smooth-ish and everything. So that's a positive. Nevermind that my prey later came back to pass me in much the same fashion.

Anyway, Emily Batty ended up winning it (putting nearly 30 minutes into me ...), with Mical Dyck and Amanda Sin up there with her. I was feeling too used up to stick around for the awards, and felt it best to start racing my "hangover" home.

When I got there, Gerhard had planted the whole garden. He let me take a nap all afternoon while he spread around dirt in the hot sun. He took care of all the dishes, made dinner, and then did the dishes again. He brought me ice cream on the couch. He rubbed my tired hands for me, and got up early this morning to make sure I had a good breakfast (asparagus omelette with feta ... mmmmm).

So ... even though I didn't have a good race, I'm pretty stoked to have such a good guy. Thanks Gerhard!!

And as always, thanks Sweet Pete's. Without the shop I might not have even had a bike this time, but they were able to replace a frayed cable in the nick of time. The bike ran beautifully. I just wish I'd held up my end of the bargain a little better.

Next week: Mountainview ... ?

May Long ... riding.

Awesome weekend. Would have been even awesomer at Mont Tremblant, but then again, all that driving on such beautiful days would have seemed a waste.

Saturday, I just enjoyed the fact that it was raining and crappy. I did all the laundry, cooked up some food, cleaned up around the house, read my book-club book and rested. Much needed day of recovery.

On Sunday, I got out with the Conquer Cancer team, "Happiest on my bike", for the first time and we had a great 100km+ ride starting at Kelso, and lapping Guelph before closing the loop. Felt great, and I'm happy to report I've got the road bike back in a condition that doesn't hurt my knees (what was up with that?!). I was nervous about the upcoming ride -- 160km two days in a row seems a little heavy -- but now my confidence has been restored and i'm looking forward to spending some long hours in the saddle with this crew. Good times in the 5-1-9.

Note to self though, cloud cover still means you need to wear sun screen. I have a ridiculous tan line where my arm band was, but at least i wasn't wearing gloves so my hands aren't mickey mouse-ed.

Monday, I knew I wanted to ride the mountain bike, but I'd flatted the week before and as anyone who rides Bontrager knows, getting those tires to seat is nearly impossible without an air compressor, so it was still up on the figurative blocks.

A couple notes were flying around about various trail rides that were either too far to drive to, or too early in the morning to start on a holiday. But I was willing to do what it took.

After about my third session wrestling with the tire, Jerome emailed to say he was headed up to Hardwood, and had room for me. I jumped at the opportunity to check out the Canada Cup Course, and Ben at Hardwood was kind enough to end the battle with my tire. Jerome and I had a very awesome ride and I'm loving the course up there. Thanks for the lines, J-rock. If it's that hot on race day I'll have to figure out some creative cooling for bottles and bodies. Scorcher!!

At the end, we pooled our resources and ended up with an awesome snack mix for the ride home of raspberries, blackberries, raw almonds (toasted from sitting in my bag!), dates and dried mango. The traffic wasn't too terrible, but more than we expected on such a killer afternoon at only 2:30! I was happy for a cold shower at the end of the drive.

Staying home this weekend was definitely the right move -- the next three weekends are all laps. Feeling a little more recharged -- although some rest days this week will be a nice treat. Tonight, Boot Camp!

Canada Cup on TV

A Channel segment from the local Simcoe County cable. Little interview with Norco's Andrew Watson. Women conspicuously absent from the reporting ... tsk tsk.

Race Report: Canada Cup/Ontario Cup #3, Hardwood Hills

Last weekend's clumsy attempt at riding after racing the Tremblant Ccup and then driving all the way back to Toronto was not enough for me to consider myself prepared for the Hardwood race. So, Saturday morning I got up early, collected some riders and headed up for a more focused preride. It was a perfect day at Hardwood. I turned 2.5 laps, had some help finding some more direct lines and confirmed for myself that yes, I can in fact ride the infamous "boneshaker"*. Last Sunday, I managed to go ass over tea kettle not once, but twice! And with an audience too so I felt like I had to give myself a littler refresher on how to properly ride the rocks. A photographer was in attendance, so here's a little number from yesterday's practice:

After a successful preride, we rushed back to Toronto so we could get a good start on relaxing. Pre-race Saturdays are my favourite: my only job is to eat as much as possible and lay around all day. Gerhard and I went out on the Danforth, got some snacks, did some shopping for the prerace meal, got some more snacks (ice cream!) and then went home to eat some more and watch movies until bedtime. When we went to sleep, the rain was coming down and the thunder was rumbling. But when I woke up, the sun was shining, and the temperature not-too-cool, not-too-hot. A perfect day for a race.

G decided to come along this time to see what racing is all about. He also volunteered to be my "water boy" so that was a big help. We left Toronto with lots of time to spare and arrived at the race course around 9. As soon as we stepped out of the van, we were rudely awakened to the fact that weather in Toronto is not the same as weather north of Barrie. It. Was. Freezing. And with a strong gusty wind to boot.

We both brought layers to accomodate a warm day in the sun -- not a wintry-weather relapse. I was wishing for a skullcap and extra gloves on the warm-up (so-called). G had to make do with my hoody and jacket. Not every day the boyfriend asks his girlfriend for her coat. At least the sun was shining.

At the line, I struggled with what to wear for the race. KK suggested that if you're cooler you'll go faster to keep warm, and then in the next breath decided to wear her arm warmers anyway. But her armwarmers were nice and thin, whereas mine were a bulkier, cooler-weather design. I decided to ditch it all and race shorts and jersey. Just as I threw my extra gear to G, it started to snow. Wtf. The brief snowfall actually broke the ice though; a little laugh at the weather went a long way for my nerves.

The race started a touch on the hairy side. There were thirty riders vying for position and twice I was almost in a crash. Wheels crossed wheels, elbows mashed and we hammered on. The beginning of the course was wide for a long spell before kicking up in the first of the ups and then bottlenecking into a short bit of single track. There was a little tussle to get in there as I arrived at the same time as two others, but a stumble from one blocked the other and I was through without incident. From start to finish, I just felt like I had the go I needed.

G wasn't the only fan that came today -- my parents also made the trip to show their support. Always great to have friends and family at the race and I think I definitely pushed a little harder just for them.

The course was only better for the moisture we've had this week and I was loving the fast, flowy singletrack. I attacked all the climbs (and there was a ton of them!), nailed the boneshaker every lap, and looked forward to every section of the course. I thoroughly enjoyed a couple bike races, backing and forthing with girls from all over Canada.

Making faces on the Boneshaker (photo: D'Amico)

But with two laps to go, my bike started to handle a little funny. Traction was getting skittish, and any time I went over braking bumps, roots or rocky sections, it felt like it was getting jangled more than usual. The suspension just didn't feel as plush as when I started. I couldn't figure out exactly was what going on while I was sitting on top of it, but I dared not stop, so every time I came up to a technical section I'd say a little prayer that things held together. Maybe it was all in my head because once I finished, I couldn't figure out what had come loose. It didn't affect my performance at all so no worries in the end. It was a great positive race, and just what I needed.

I ended up finishing 18th of 30 but since today was also an Ontario Cup, the Ontario Cycling Association awards points for the O-cup series as well. I was the 6th girl over the line from Ontario -- pretty stoked about that!

Cap off all that with a nice lunch with my parents, a nap and a sushi dinner with my boyfriend and I'm about ready to call it a day.

Just before the last corner (photo: D'Amico)

* Boneshaker footage taken by my dad in 2006 (?) ... so not from this weekend.

Decompress: A day at Hardwood

Racing takes up so much time and energy that sometimes I forget how much fun just going out for a ride can be. Thanks to Jeff at Dropmachine.com and Giant Bicycles, I had a bike suitable for G to test out. No stranger to action sports, G picked up the way of the mountain bike in no time at all. I had some payback to dole out for the adventures he treated me to out west but try as I might, there were no trails at Hardwood Hills I could get him to shake his head at.

Typical male, he blamed the equipment. I have the Giant Trance X1 for a couple days in order to add my input for an upcoming review. And after the runs I put on it, I can safely agree that this bike will give even a first-timer like my boyfriend the confidence to point down into some pretty gnarly trails. It felt solid in the rough, and nimble in the tight with tons of adjustability in the controls to make sure that any rider can grab the perfect fit.

Our first lap was on the Trek-Toronto Canada Cup course set to be raced next weekend. Compared to the gnar of Tremblant, I was pleasantly surprised at how much more mellow Hardwood is technically. However, it's important not be fooled because although not as rough, Hardwood has a sneaky kind of technical quality in that your momentum is a very fragile thing. Touch the brakes for an instant, dab or screw up your gearing and you'll find you've lost your momentum and it's tough to get it back again. So it's a course designed for finesse and fitness with some decidely tricky bits thrown in for fun.

The start is wide open — a ton of room for a hammerfest of pedalling. The infamous "Boneshaker" was of course included but I was surprised (happy!) to discover that "the Grunt" seciton on "Radical" is not. The course is estimated at 9km so we'll do four of those come Sunday.

After that, I took G on "Serious" but since he'd done so well on the challenging Canada Cup Course, we quickly bored of "Serious" and moved onto "Gnarly". G greased all the bridges and skinnies, he fearlessly dropped into the roots and the rocks and even cleaned a section that I shied away from. Oh yeah, and then he offered me tips on how to bunny hop with flats — a skill he seemed to pull out of his sleeve in a matter of two seconds messing around in the parking lot. A natural! He's a devoted snowboarder/skateboarder so I doubt I'll ever win him over to the dark side entirely, but it was a great day spent together out of the city, in the fresh air and sunshine. He took to it so naturally hopefully he won't hesitate if I invite him for a ride again.

With the afternoon slipping away, we headed back to the city. It didn't take me long to crash right out. All in all, it was a pretty long weekend. But definitely well spent.

Happy Trails!