Olympic Update: Did it really happen?

Back in Toronto now, and it all seems like a dream.

Was I really there? Did it really happen?

In the aftermath, I'm looking forward to holding onto the amazing mood Canada's in right now. I'm also looking forward to a few good nights' sleep.

My last night in Squamish was spent with the Scarth's, who will be parents the next time I see them!! We made a tapas feast, and watched as the Closing Ceremonies finished off the games. Only Canada could get away with clowning about our initial troubles with the fourth cauldron arm. And kudos to us for not missing the opportunity to remind the world that we've got a sense of humour, even if we're the butt of the joke.

Once the Closing Ceremonies were over, we were all perplexed as to what we should do next. No Olympics to watch?! What?? Luckily, the Goonies were on and saved the day ... after all the amazing [experimental at times] treats, all four of us were soon blobs on the couch.


A fitting end.

My last day, I had time to kill before heading to the airport. So what else to do besides cut G's hair? I'll let the photos speak for themselves. Check out the full story on facebook.

Then my GQ man and I went to the Watershed for a quiet lunch, and a walk along the river. All too soon, it was time to go to the airport where I thought all kinds of pandemonium would await. But the Olympics weren't there anymore, either. By the time I checked in, it was just like any other day at YVR.

My flight wasn't until about 11pm Pacific Time ... which meant I landed at about 6:22am Eastern Time. Thank god Nancy was there to give me a lift downtown (nice or what?!) or who knows where I would have ended up in that state!

So ... now I'm back in Toronto and all screwed up. I woke up in the night, and couldn't figure out where I was. Oddly, my previous night terrors about the Sliding Centre returned because in the long list of possible sleeping spots (Squamish? no. Whistler? no. Bus? no. Airplane? no.), "stuck at the WSC" was back in the mix.

It's nice to be back ... I'm so glad I got to go ... but I sure miss the Olympics.

Olympic Update: Women's Wednesday!

What an amazing day for Canadian women!

Gold - Bobsleigh!
Silver - Bobsleigh!
Silver - Relay Speed Skating!
Bronze - 5000m Speed Skating!

AND, we whipped the Russians at the hockey rink.

Thanks to Dawn and John for not only being the only ones we know in Squamish with cable, but more importantly for having us over for an amazing dinner. Good company, and good food. Good night!

Olympic Update: Vancouver Day!

Yesterday, G and I had a reception to attend in Vancouver with David Suzuki and the Play it Cool Athletes, so we decided to make a day of it and headed down to see what was happening in the Host City.

The reception was one of the better ones I've ever been to (and I've been to a few). It was small, which meant we got to speak with pretty much everyone in the room, including David Suzuki and athletes such as Adam Van Koeverden (Kayak medal in Beijing), Warren Tanner (racing moguls in Vancouver) and Justin Lamoureux (best Canadian half-pipe finish ever!). The table was set with all kinds of gluten free treats, cheeses, veggies and fruits and trimmed with real plates and cloth napkins so we didn't make any waste. All the more delicious!



Justin and I enjoying the brownies on offer


Play it Cool Athletes: Warren Tanner (Freestyle Moguls), Adam Van Koeverden (Kayak), David Suzuki, Justin Lamoureux (Snowboard Half-Pipe), Zac Plavsic (Sailing), Nikola Girke (Windsurfing), Jake Cohn (Extreme Skier)


We were there because Gerhard has organized a partnership with Play it Cool, pairing with them to produce carbon-neutral trips for some of Snowboard Canada Magazine's feature articles. It's a really great way to spread the message about climate change. A fact echoed by David Suzuki in his remarks. He basically said that no matter how many slides and charts that are out there, our athletes remain the most powerful tool for spreading the message. Their stories about receding ice floes, cancelled races, and shortened seasons mean a lot more than "the science". It reaches more people, so more people might try to make the changes we need.

We also talked about the Games and their impact. The David Suzuki Foundation has awarded the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games a bronze medal for their green initiatives. From my own experience, I can tell you the "back-of-house" work areas include a zero-waste campaign. All of our plates, and cutlery are compostable. They gave us reusable travel mugs to fill with coffee/hot chocolate. However, they also give us a bottle of water every day, so I don't know. The bottles claim to be made from "plant" materials and they are all being recycled to make hats, scarves and mitts. So maybe it equals out. Anyway, they estimate that because of a letter signed by over 70 athletes and sent to John Furlong, VANOC took notice and offset over 118,000 tons of CO2. That's something for sure.

So, after an inpsiring afternoon of Suzuki and athletes, we headed down to the Ontario House Pavilion I've heard so much about at the Concord City Place. Our neighbours include Saskatchewan House, Maison du Quebec, and Hockey Canada House. Pretty sweet spot! Once inside, I got us a sneak peek at the Ontario 4D ride which takes you through some really amazing Ontario vistas across the province, including wind farms, solar farms, Niagara Falls, Thousand Islands and on and on. You get splashed by a canoeist, and ride down a roller coaster and a tobaggan hill. It was pretty awesome. The future of movies?



After that we met up with Ross, and colleauge Michele for the hockey game. So we drank Mill Street Organic, contemplated more brownies (from Dufflets) and snacked on the "Trillium Trio" -- a meat and bread platter for $5 dollars featuring some smoked duck. yum!


The energy at Ontario House was amazing for the game, so I'm glad we went there. Canada mopped the floor with Germany, I think the score was 7-2. Of course, most of Canada's goals happened while I was either taking a phone call, or in the ladies' room. Typical "Lake Effect" in effect. On one of the screens, I noticed Canada's ladies bobsleigh duo performing some amazing feats. They head into the finals tonight in first place, so I'll be biting my nails for them! And of course huge congrats to our ski cross and ice dance gold medalists!!!

After hockey, we decided to cruise around Vancouver and do the tourist thing. They've got it going on there, that's for sure. There were people everywhere and yet everyone said it was a "slow night". We walked through some cool art displays, watched some busking while people ziplined over our heads through Robson Square. Down below, you could rent some skates and do some laps. It was very cool.


No trip to Vancouver during the Olympics would be complete without a walk down to the Olympic Flame, so we checked out the cauldron, and the rings across the strait and then called it a day. I could barely stay awake on the drive, but we got here so Gerhard must have done a great job getting us home on his own. This morning when we got in the car to get pancake supplies, the air conditioner was on full blast, hmmmm.


Anyway, today we're just taking it easy. Finally got a nice sleep in, made afore-mentioned pancakes (with applesauce, flax seed, hemp seeds and bananas topped with pure Canadian Maple Syrup ... soooo good) and watched Clara Hughes make Canadian history in an edge-of-your-seat speed skating race. Now that blogging is done, perhaps I have time for a run before tuning in for bobsleigh.

Whistler tomorrow? Skiing at last? Powder in our future? Fingers crossed!

Happy February 22nd: Hike-the-Chief Day

I don't remember the last time a day-off felt so good. I've been working so long at the Sliding Centre, whenever it gets quiet, all I hear are radio call signs and when I try to sleep, I have night terrors about being locked behind the gates after hours.

Seriously, a couple times now, I "wake up", and think I'm stuck between the track and the cement barrier in the middle of the night. It takes me a good two or three minutes to convince myself I've actually made it home.

But I digress. Anyway, been training for more than a week now for an uphill hike and today was the day. I finally got a chance to hike The Chief!

I can't believe it was February 22 though, walking around up there with nothing but tshirts, the sun shining down in a clear blue sky and the forest still green. Even saw an ambitious mosquito out and about.



Other cool sightings:

• A dog who could climb vertical rock faces as long as there was a stick to make it worth it.
• Another dog small enough to be a one-bite cougar snack
• Olympic delegation from China (Or maybe Tai Pei) admiring Shannon Falls
• Climber who'd just completed the face. Carrying all his gear on his back. He told us he placed a 6x8 flag on the face, so we had to go find it. Easier said than ton ... on the Chief, 6x8 is TINY.

flag-enhance!!

Priscilla, Gerhard and I started out with Axl and Mika but Priscilla and the doggies had to cut out early, so it was just G and I left to dangle our feet over the side of the 700m practically vertical drop.


Gerhard and I parked on the southbound side of the highway and took the new pedestrian bridge installed as part of the Olympic Sea-to-Sky improvements last spring. The three [five] of us made it up at a leisurely pace, with amazing conversation that was over too soon, once we got to the first ladder. So sad to see you go, Priscilla!


It was no "walk in the park", just as the warnings at the bottom advertised. It was great though to get to the top and not have the view ruined with "warning: cliff" signs or railings to hold you back. If you were stupid enough to walk up to the edge, that was your business. Of course, I happen to be just that dumb.


What a rush. Your knees get a little wibbly wobbly and the feeling is only intensified if you look up, let alone looking down into the valley below. Howe Sound in the distance makes you reach for your water bottle.

It was a busy thoroughfare up there today -- lots of people which brings me to another cool thing. We saw everyone from the elderly, single young people out for a workout, families with dogs and little ones, and friends taking candid shots of each other leaning over waterfalls, or sunning themselves at the peak.

I'm pretty much hooked on hiking and shockingly, I'd have to say that this is one of only a handful of "Walks" that would be classified as an actual "hike" I've completed in my whole life. I think this is the one that's got me hooked though. Lot's of scrambling over rocks and roots, sunny vistas, loose rocks, some ladders and chains to help over the steeper spots and of course great hiking company.

Now we've just got to figure out what to do for dinner and then maybe we'll check out the Squamish movie theatre.

Thanks for following!

Recorded from the top

Olympic Update: Last moments of peace

Civilized start to my first day "on duty." Just got back from the grocery store so I can keep myself in Green Smoothies. (having one right now!) Wanted to run but my clothes are still all dirty from the bike ride, so I guess I've got a day off training. Unless standing up for ten hours counts.

My shift starts at noon today and I'm finished at 10:30. Not sure what we're doing wrt events yet, but I'm sure we'll find out soon enough.

So, finishing up breakfast, bag's almost packed and then it's off to the bus!

The walk home from the grocery store: the famous Chieftain
My street in Squamish

My pin collection and I about to head to the Olympics!

A Dirty Day.

It was a rainy day in Squamish today, but that didn't stop us.

Found myself on a guided tour of some of the Squamish single-track treasures, flowing downhills and even a few gnarly climbs. Not only that, I got to do it all on one of the most fun bikes I've ever had the pleasure of riding: Santa Cruz's Nomad. I've heard it's good, but until I had one under me, I had no idea how flexible that bike is. It is the rig for this region, that's for sure. Six cushy inches in the front, and a matching six in the back, crazy responsive and you just feel like you're IN it the whole time which gave me way more confidence than I should have had for the terrain, in February, on a bike I'd never rode before. Not to mention it looks killer, and climbs like my Trek. It wasn't even all that heavy. Pretty stoked on it for sure. Thank you Priscilla!

Crispin and I (and Axl too) headed out for about 2 and a half hours and covered some trails around Alice Lake, including Credit Line (sooooo fun ... think flowy downhills, with the odd "kerplunk", berms and switch backs ... hmmm ... sounds like my credit line), Jack's Trail (memories of the Test of Metal!) the two-decker climb (ouch) and closing with the same downhill I closed my Good Friday Ride with last year. Just as fun the second time around, even in the rain.

If the Garmin can be believed, ride stats are as follows (no sensors were set up though, so this is all by satellite ... oh and it includes stops too):

Total elevation: 470m
Ride time: 2:18
Distance: 14.25km
Avg speed: 6.2km/h
Max speed: 36.5km/h
Terrain: 100% off road, right from Crispin and Priscilla's backyard
Temperature: around 5 degrees C
Conversation: excellent
Wardrobe: improvised
Riding: unbeatable.

It was an amazing treat to be reminded after a few months on the trainer and spin classes -- working hard, going nowhere -- what kind of joy comes from ripping up some singletrack. February Blahs: BEAT.

Me, crossin the bridges

Axl the trail dog

Cresting the Two-Decker (91m elevation change from top to bottom.)

Morning Run

Keeping up with training while I'm away is going to be easier than I thought. For some reason, finding the will to suit up in temperatures in the pluses, with mountains for backdrop and fresh air to breathe [heavily] is much easier than in Toronto. Can't think why.

So today, I decided to check out a little trail I spotted from the road. I followed that around the Squamish Golf Course into the Garibaldi Highlands area. Not sure what was going on but I had a stitch to contend with -- suspect too much excitement -- so that kept me from venturing farther into the woods. That plus I was worried a cougar would get me.

Nonetheless I continued in good spirits. I ran past the bike shop (sigh), over the overpass and then into Brackendale to check out the bus stop for the days ahead. Then home again home again jiggity jig.

Tomorrow ... well tomorrow's a surprise and I don't want to jinx it, so cross your fingers.

Here's today:

Olympic Update: Arrival in Squish

It didn't take long to meet other volunteers at the airport this morning! And we dont even have our blue jackets yet. I guess our hearts must be glowing so we're easily spotted. Before I even got to the gate, I'd made a friend. One turned into about six more, and the "team spirit" was everywhere all day long.


Good morning, Toronto ... see you in March

Flight was amazing. I got some writing done which was nice, and just as the captain came on to tell us we were on our final descent, I looked out the window. The peeks of the big coastal mountains were poking up through a sea of fluffy white. I couldn't help thinking they had a lot in common with ice bergs. We came through the clouds and I felt like a submarine, until we were clear and Vancouver was finally in sight. That's when it hit me a little bit: holy shit, I'm going to the OLYMPICS!

Once back on the ground, the volunteer posse quickly regrouped at the baggage claim. One of the women I'd met was on her way downtown as well so we tried out the SkyTrain together.
Holy smokes that thing is rad. New, clean, fast and convenient. Nice one, Vancouver.




I jokingly said to her while waiting for my bags, "Gee I hope a nice young man appears to help me lug all this stuff, or I don't know how I'll ever make it to the ticket pick-up." Let me tell you, you put something out in the universe and usually it comes back. Today the timing was impeccable because a nice young man DID in fact carry my bag all the way from the SkyTrain to the Ticket pickup. Stop rolling your eyes. I think he saved my spine from a compression injury.

Once we had our tickets to the opening ceremonies dress rehearsal, we were off to the Hyatt to wait for our shuttle north.

I got some amazing and inexpensive sushi from around the corner and had myself a little picnic sitting on my gear downtown Van. It was sunny, and warm ... not at all like February in Toronto.

The bus ferried me to Squamish where I met my amazing hosts for the next three weeks, Nate and Jackie (and Dez the dog, too). I was kind of volunteered-out by that time so it was nice to get to Squamish and take some big deep breaths, enjoy the scenery and make myself at home.


Rabid Team Spirit

Gerhard is in Sweden at the moment -- he'll be coming back on Valentines Day -- so for now I have our room to myself. I hit up the Save-On grocery store and made a batch of soup to have on hand. And now, I'm trying hard to push myself to stay up, but I think I'm about to fail on that tip.

So in summary, made it safe and sound with all my effects. Made some new friends, traded some pins, rode every type of transportation besides a boat -- but did get within 20 feet of one. Beautiful weather, gorgeous scenery, positive vibes. Just wish I'd brought my mountain bike! It's like spring here!

Night Night!

Olympic Update

One month 'til the Games!

I've been working with VANOC to get all my pre-Olympic training sorted out as well as uniforms and accreditation. Looks like I'll be Vancouver-bound on February 11, then making my way up the Sea-to-Sky. Luckily, as a volunteer our transportation is all taken care of once we're in BC, so that's a relief. They feed us too, which is always good news. I will work for sandwiches.

So here's my home for the Games: the Whistler Sliding Centre. Our events include some of my favourite Olympic sports: Bobsleigh, Luge and Skeleton. And just over at Creekside, hopefully I'll be able to catch a little Alpine to round it out. Still waiting to get my work schedule confirmed, but I'm expecting a minimum of 13 shifts over the entire Games, 8-10 hours each. I'll be earning my sandwiches, that's for sure. I'll also be begging someone (anyone!) to let me try sliding down on one of those sleds!



On the uniform, we're all issued a specific set of outer-wear and unfortunately, my glow-in-the-dark party pants are not invited. Bummer. But I think it's all for the best anyway -- our crew is going to look very professional. Smurfy, but professional.

The uniform consists of:

• an outer shell jacket
• a vest
• two long-sleeved T-shirts
• a pair of pants (I'll be in "Mountain Pants" I think, vs "City Pants")
• and of course, a toque (no, it's not white.)

I think we are also issued a "beverage container" and it is the official, exclusive volunteer-bottle of the Games. Even our drinking will be professional. ;)

I'll be sure to post photos, modeling the whole ensemble.

In order to prepare myself for the elements, I'll need a new pair of warm dark mitts, and dark boots. Apparently my white snow boots aren't invited either so if someone has some good, warm, dark coloured ones I can borrow (size 8.5) please let me know! Mom?

Another exciting turn of events: Nancy is now a confirmed volunteer too! She'll be rocking the same uniform, but with "city pants" (hahaha) at the medical centre in Whistler, massaging the rippling muscles of international sports superstars.

To sign off, is anyone interested in renting "Cool Runnings" with me? We'll call it research! Let me know!

I passed The Test!

Now that my fingers have at last become ungnarled I'll share with you my latest adventures on the left coast. Back in April when I came out for some Easter riding, it seemed everyone I met wanted to know one thing: "Are you coming back for The Test?" "What the hell is that?" I wanted to know. So after a few first-hand accounts, a bit of googling, and some humming and hawing, I decided to give it a whirl.

The Test of Metal is the "Canadian Epic" mountain bike race. It's been held every year in Squamish BC since the mid nineties ... which is just about as old as it gets when it comes to mountain bike racing. You can read more about the history of the race here. By the numbers, the Test of Metal is a 67km point to point race. There are 35km of some of the sweetest single track in the country, layered with 1,200m of climbing.

My own Test experience began on Wednesday with a flight out to Vancouver. Kona Matt was my hero that night: he and his lovely girlfriend Larissa picked me up in the Kona van from the airport. We quickly did a beer bong and then went on our merry way. Okay, not really. Larissa and Matt ferried me to Squampton and then Matt helped me get the bike ready to rip before they headed back to Coquitlam. It wasn't until it was time to say goodbye that I found out it was actually their third anniversary that night, so boy did I feel blessed to have been taken care of so nicely on such a special occasion. There are some truly decent people in this world, I tell ya. THANKS!!

Thursday I wanted to get out and see the big scary race course. Or at least the important parts. I sure didn't plan to ride the whole thing. The only problem was that I didn't know any riders in town. So I went and loitered around Republic Bike Shop until I met Karl, who was kind enough to squeeze in a ride before his massage. Plus I got to meet his adorable puppy Mia, a four-month-old huksy and future trail dog.

Mia

When it came to the coruse, for the most part, I was kind of underwhelmed. I'll be honest, I was starting to wonder what all the fuss was about. It seemed like whenever we rode something I felt would be tough at speed, I'd discover that it was just a route Karl was taking us on to connect to a part of the course that was actually in the race. So ... a lot of double track was covered before we arrived at the famous Powerhouse Plunge. At which point I was decidely overwhelmed. I bounced my way down in a combination of sketchy riding and hike-a-bike. Twice I thought I was going over the bars in some of the more perilous angles I've ever encountered on two wheels. Immediately after the ride, I began focusing my energy on mentally smoothing out the trail so that it would go a little better on race day.

Just before plunging.

Friday I woke up with a migraine. The weather forecasted a week of rain before I left, but I had yet to see any of the wet stuff. Back home, I'd asked Nancy to do her sun dance and it turns out she's really good at it. When they weren't busy looking for cougars, the whole town was looking up, wondering where the rain was. I was thankful for the weather but could have done without the migraine. Perhaps it also had something to do with the entire wheel of award-winning brie I consumed ... but who could say for sure?

Mmmmm ... Brie. I'm intolerant of lactose intolerance.

It was really trying to rain, and I wasn't the only one with a resulting headache. Finally, Friday night the clouds emptied and my head cleared like someone had flipped a switch. So Friday ended up being a rest day like it was supposed to be. If I hadn't had a massive headache, I'd have been out sabotaging my race by riding to my heart's content, so perhaps it was for the best.

With the perfect amount of rain Friday night, the course was in prime condition on Saturday. The dusty corners had been tacked up a bit. The clouds still hung around a little keeping the sun off the exposed climbs. And the pressure was down so my head finally felt less like a cinder block.

It was a strange feeling being at a race where I didn't recognize anyone. Not even familiar jerseys! Occassionally a stranger would come up to me and say hello. I met some nice people from Toronto, and reunited with my Easter Bunny from April. The starting area at the Brennan Community Centre was a bit of a zoo. Almost 1,000 racers, plus their supporters were milling around chatting, peeing, and hydrating before the opening ceremomies. When your bike is ready, to claim your spot in the starting chute you turn it upside down and leave it between the tape so you're still free to keep chatting, peeing and hydrating without worrying about getting a good position.

Bikes all in a row

Since I was racing in the Elite category, we got our own starting chute right at the front of the race. That meant I had a primo vantage point for the ceremonial drum and dance the Squamish First Nation performed.

Squamish First Nations welcome us

I sang along with Oh Canada and then rolled out with some of the best riders in the country, including race winners Catharine Pendrel, and Max Plaxton. It was quite a feeling leading out a mass start of 1,000 riders. The buzz of 2,000 tires on the pavement was the coolest sound in the world. The course took us through town and up into the highlands before dropping into the first off-road sections. It was a full on road-race til then. All of a sudden I was calling on pack skills I'd put on the back burner for a couple seasons. In a regular mountain bike race, it's all about the hole-shot, which is usually just a couple hundred metres up the course -- so the start is usually very fast as everyone clambers to get in first. But in this race, we were on the roads for over ten minutes so it started like a road race -- slow, with everyone eyeing each other and doing their best to hold lines through high speed corners and yes, even drafting! It was like worlds colliding, and luckily I avoided any real-life collisions.

I expected the race to take me about 3.5 hours but I had no idea how to pace it since I hadn't even seen a quarter of the course. Throughout the race I oscillated between feeling really good and really bad and it was hard to get a consistent effort. I knew there was 1,200 m of climbing, but what does that really mean? Are they steep? Technical? Long? Turns out BC climbs aren't like Ontario climbs. They aren't even like Quebec climbs. At least you can see the tops at those venues. The climbing I endured was endless, and it didn't feel like we were getting good returns on our vertical investments because any time the course pointed down, it was almost more of an effort: the descents were strewn with drops, rocks, loose corners and roots that rival most logs in Ontario. Not to mention other racers. Every time I got to the bottom of a hill it felt like I'd been beaten with a stick, and run over by the field. And then of course it was time to grind up another pitch.

Course map: available at all local grocery stores

Climbing was a big part of this course, and the crowning effort was what almost did me in: the 9 mile climb. The 9 mile starts the second half of the course. I hadn't seen it in preride, so I didn't know what to expect at all. We passed through a particularly raucus feed zone (honestly, spectating the Test of Metal might be the better idea!!) and I figured it must be about half way. We were slowly mounting a gravel logging road. If I was at the bottom of a 9-mile climb, that's something I'd want to know about, so I asked the man riding next to me, "hey, do you know where the 9 mile is?" and he said "oh yeah, it kind of sneaks up on you. It's coming up soon." Taking that to mean that this was in fact NOT the 9 mile, I gave it some gas expecting to see the top around the next corner. Or maybe the next one. Or maybe the one after that ... ? The climb just kept going, and going, and going. And it was getting steeper, and I'd run out of gears a long time ago.

Finally, I asked another rider, "hey ... is this the 9 mile?" "Yeah!" he says between gasps. So it's possible the guy I asked first was the only jerk in mountain biking, or else he just genuinely didn't realize and we both got a surprise. I changed my strategy and settled in. Awhile later, the ground levelled at last and there was a feed zone with watermelon, gatorade and cheering spectators. I was so happy to have made it I said out loud, "thank god that's over." My neighbour cheerily informed me, "oh no, that's just the first plateau. There are three! Next section is a little steeper." He might as well have pushed me off my bike and stepped on my head. I was heart broken. I slurped down my ride-by watermelon and steeled myself for more. And up and up we went! Another few minutes and we passed a sign that said 6 and a quarter. Only a few more miles up. The 9 mile made me really stare down my doubts. I dug deep and stayed up. A dude in front of me keeled over, dusted himself off, got back on and kept going. I thought, if he can do it, for sure I can do it. And what awaited us for a reward when we got to the top? Another climb! Hurray!

And so it went. And went and went.

Next time, I'll know a lot more about what to expect. Pacing will be easier. I'll know where the bottlenecks happen. And I'll know it can be done -- a fact I wasn't so sure of come hour three on Saturday.

I passed The Test!

When I finished, I indulged my newly spurred cravings for watermelon until I'd eaten I think almost an entire one to myself. (The amazing volunteers just kept cutting up fruit plates for the racers coming in and they didn't mind if you had seconds ... thirds ... eighths ...) I toured the finish area and then took my tired and battered body home to Brackendale.

I think all that racing and being jostled on the race course knocked a screw loose in my head because I somehow decided it would be a good idea to go out for a ride with friends that afternoon, a mere 2.5 hours after I crossed the finish line. I showered off the Test of Metal so I'd be clean-ish to start my next ordeal. I even donned a double chamois; the Test of Metal awarded me my very first saddle sore!

A familiar lookout!

Priscilla, Crispin, Axl and I put in another three hours revisiting Recyle and checking out Pseudotsuga too. It was amazing. The trails out there are just phenomenal, no matter what kind of riding you do. And even though they were fairly new to the sport, Crispin and Priscilla were straight up killing it. It was impressive stuff. And they didn't even get mad at me when I got us lost on an uphill detour!

Crispin, Priscilla and Axl

So with that, I'd had my fill. That was easily the heaviest day of mountain bike riding I have ever done. I limped back to Brackendale, feebly tried to pack up and eat and then it was off to Toronto. I got onto an earlier flight which was a blessing, and passed out almost immediately. G met me at the airport and took me home to sleep in my own bed. When I close my eyes three days later, it still feels like I'm riding the sweet Squamish single track.

To close, I just want to send another huge thanks to Matt and Larissa for getting me to Squampton. I also want to thank Matt B for all his hospitality and great conversation. Thanks to Priscilla and Crispin for being such stoked riding buddies. Thanks to Nancy for the Sun Dance, and thanks in advance for my eagerly-anticipated post-race massage. I also want to thank G for being such a big help getting me to and from the airport and of course for fielding freak-outs over race jitters and pedal-removal troubles. Thanks to all the volunteers and organizers for putting on such an epic event. Thanks to Tantalus and Republic Bike shops in Squamish for your help with tune ups and last minute equipment needs! Thanks to WestJet and my aunt Mindy for safe flights! And of course, as always, thanks to Sweet Pete's for all your help on this race and every race.

Test of Metal

I can't remember the last time I was this sore after a bike race. I'll be sure to post the whole story as soon as I can, but for now I just wanted to say it was a hell of a ride.

My time was just a few minutes over my race goal -- not bad since pacing was definitely a challenge.

The weather held, and only rained a little bit while I was struggling up the "9 mile" (praise Jesus!) so conditions were perfect. In fact, Max Plaxton was able to set a new course record.

The women's winner was Kamloops' Catharine Pendrel (of Olympic fame) with a time of 2 hours and 50 minutes. An honour to line up with the likes of Catharine!

The race was 67km, with 35km single track and 1,200m of climbing.

As for results, I was the 307th person across the line and 958 people finished. I was the 19th female, and 144 raced.

Stay tuned for the whole story (as soon as I can get my hands to work again ...)

Kristen's Adventures in Wonderland

The clock ticked the seconds by slower than usual this past Thursday. It's always that way when you've got somewhere awesome to be. My expectations then fell far short of the paradise awaiting me on the left coast this time.

One last blast out west for winter/spring 09 took me to Squamish -- but I left the skis behind and packed up the new bike to test its mettle offroad instead. At the aiport, it was still clearly ski season -- at least judging by all the families lugging boot bags and ski sacks around -- and I was starting to wonder if I was pushing mother nature. Especially considering the Squamish weather report forecasted rain/snow mix and higher temperatures in Toronto.

The journey was blessedly uneventful. That's how I like my flights. We arrived without any delays and I had a smooth connection to the Whistler bus. I'd recommend it as a means to the goods if you're wondering how to get around from YVR. You can book through Perimeter Reservations and it was $70 round trip from Vancouver to Squamish. Turns out you can't leave Vancouver airport for less than that. Cabs downtown are about $70 bucks too. Rental cars even have a bonus $70 "location surcharge" there. So I was happy about the bus, for once.

After grabbing a sub to curb my angry appetite, I met a nice man who didn't seem to mind that I was chatting his head off. We shared a laugh at the ridiculous cash grab that follows cyclists around. "What's in the box? A massage table?" asked the bus reservations clerk. "A massage table would be nice about now," I answered, thinking seriously about a massage after lugging the thing around the airport. He didn't ask any follow up questions because he had to take a phone call. I was just about to get away with my luggage tag when he asked again. "It's a bike," I say quietly. He put the usual apologetic face on and informed me it would be an extra fee. "What if it was a massage table?" I asked. "It's just our policy" he replied, but what he was really saying was, "next time, just say it is a massage table."

Anyway, once on the bus, the full impact of my stoke combined with the winding roads to make me feel pretty carsick. Thank goodness what's-his-name let me yack away or else I might have had to throw up from the excitement.

I was the only one to get off in Squamish and spent an agonizing twenty minutes in the dark at the Adventure Centre waiting for the cab ... or wolves to drag me into the forest. Finally he arrived and I got paid-back for my chattiness earlier as he yabbered on about where the cops hide and stories of drunk drivers. Next thing I know, we're in a road block and the RCMP officer is asking for his license and wouldn't you know it? It's nowhere to be found. So close and yet so far!! Once we got that out of the way, I arrived at last to Cottonwood Road and the welcoming arms of my charming and handsome host for the weekend. Plus he had a cheese-board so I couldn't have been happier.


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With the bike built, it was time for bed. I knew that even with the late hour the jet lag and my own ridiculous excitement would have me up plenty early. What I didn't expect was sun in my eyes! Practically frantic with excitement, I loaded up my camelback and set out. It wasn't long before I met another couple dudes out for a sunny ride. They were headed the opposite way on the trail I was on ... Wonderland. How appropriate. They stopped to say hello and asked, "hey, are you that racer from Ontario?" Wow, famous already! Turns out the bike shop where I'd stopped, Republic, is run by a super nice guy who knows a bunch of the same people I know, including Sweet Pete. MTB is such a small world. He helped me get sorted out and gave some fabulous directions. Anyway, he told them I'd been in the shop that morning. I stood out on day-one anyway. For some reason I decided to geek-out in our new kits which I think are pretty dope, but also very ... lycra. And heckleable if you're just out for a trail ride. Still, I wanted to feel racy so I dressed the part.

Next thing I know, I'm in a peleton anyway. I was the 18th rider to join a Good-Friday group ride which became "The Blob". By the end, we were just a couple short of 30 riders. They treated me to quite an adventure. It was my first day really riding offroad, and my first day in BC and I swear it was the gnarliest trail I have ever seen -- including the time I went downhilling at Mont Ste Anne. And so the "girl from Ontario" continued to make a name for herself as she cheerily hiked-a-bike over drops and crags she'd think twice about on foot, let alone with only four inches in the front. It was fantastic!! We ripped around Alice Lake for four hours in a combo of freeride, XC and straight up DH trails including Jack's Trail, Marc My Words, and others whose names I can't remember.

Here are some shots from sunny day one (click the image to make it bigger):

"Hey, are you that racer from Ontario?"

Re-blobbing after a big climb

Tea-party!

The second day of riding ended up being -- no word of a lie -- the best ride of my life. I was discouraged because it was wet and grey out when I woke up. More along the lines of what the forecaster predicted. But with Matt and Joe on their way in from Vancouver, it was do or die. I knew Joe was coming, but I'd never met him before -- or so I thought. Turns out he was on the ride with the Blob the day before as well. See? Small world. We hopped into the Kona van and visited Tantalus bike shop to get advice on where to go. Then we headed up to Garibaldi Highlands behind Quest University for the goods. We climbed a logging road for an hour and 15 minutes ... even past the snow line ... before we ducked into Recycle. Along the way, the road narrowed into double track and pink ribbons began appearing with BC Bike Race marked. My heart was all aflutter.

Recycle ended up being some of the flowiest, whoop-worthy single track I've ever rode. It was perfect pitch for an XC bike and even though it was wet, it was tacky as hell. I could have done that all day. The three of us were hollering all the way and grinning like idiots. Best of all, as I got to know the limits of my bike, I found that she just kept on surprising me. I think this is definitely the start of a beautiful friendship. It hung onto the tightest switchbacks, descended like a champ without making me feel like I was on my way ass over tea kettle. The suspension did indeed stay active even as I grabbed fistfuls of back brake to get around the next glorious corner.

And so it went all the way back down into Squamish. Along the way, we visited a famed pump track just emerging from the forest floor. We ran into some guys out with chainsaws working on trail features and clearing. Obviously the builders in the area take a lot of pride in their work. Which I would like to take this opportunity to comment on. Everyone I met this weekend clearly considered themselves not only riders, but members of a community. It seemed that most of the conversations around me were about where to build next, trails being cut and sharing everything from homemade energy bars to best training techniques. Maybe it's just me but in Ontario/Toronto it sometimes feels like people keep their cards close to their chest until it's time to squabble over dirt jumps, the Don Valley or dog walkers. It was great being in a such a positive setting and it's no wonder the sport is thriving in Squamish. All the trails I saw (and I saw a lot by the end of the weekend) were beautifully maintained. There was no trash to pick up and everyone smiled at each other whether on bikes, walking dogs, or hiking with their families. It's a network to be proud of.

So here are some photos from day two:




Day three was the wettest day yet and the rain looked more like what we're used to in Ontario rather than the friendly mist you get on the west coast. Nonetheless, my friends from the first day promised to meet for a 10 am ride so I got suited up and headed out half expecting to ride alone. To my surprise, I had some company afterall! Mikhail (I think that was his name and apologize if I missed it!) was my Easter bunny and pushed my tired legs through precisely the workout I had hoped for. Tight, twisty singletrack with a few long falseflat efforts. Everything was emerald green from the moisture and the air was sweet and fresh, cooling my lungs with every breath. Although we didn't stay out long I was satisfied. We found ourselves back on Wonderland. Close by return!

So a huge thank you to everyone who helped me find my way this weekend. It was unforgettable and I can't wait to come back again. Test of Metal? Gearjammer? I'd even come for a twoonie race.

Ride on.