Bicycle Dreams: BC Bike Race 2012--Ambitious

Yeessss, BC Bike Race time of year again (starting to become its own season). There is something comforting in the fact that all the work has been done and it is time to chill and relax a few days prior in North Vancouver to visit with friends/chill, eat some good food and shopping in the market for handbags, earring and rings :)

Yes, the usual pre race put bike together stuff, spin and I even got a new pair tubeless tires (in hindsight, mattp made a good suggestion, combination slightly bigger tire front that surprisingly rolled over big slippery roots nicely and fast rolling tire in the back). In the end it seemed like a very small compromise as felt bit slower rolling on the short road sections, but kept me upright passing people on the slippery roots and DH sections (minus day two-I get to that day).

I also had gluten free coconut cake with pink icing and cup of tea.

Ate @ Ethical Kitchen in N.Van. had a yummy duck sandwich on gluten free cheese buns!
hmmm duck.

The Ethical Kitchen has nice urban garden outside.

Night Market Pre BC Bike Race North Vancouver. Ate yummy curry lamb and qunioa cakes.

Shopping :)

Here is the The Race Race Report! ....hope you enjoy it! Its not tooooo long.

Day One Cumberland: Enjoy this awesome photo's by Todd Weselake (copyright)-I this is ok I post these...?! Amazing photos even in the half sitting/standing position!

Day Two Campbell River : Rolling in the Deep

Mother nature sure likes to mix things up. It was raining, when my best friend Julie who lives on Vancouver Island said "we have not had much summer" it was a small understatement. Today was a test of slippery BC roots and deep clay like mud. At times, I pushed my bike in deep mud for what felt like forever. It felt slow and it was slow--which was really going against the idea in my mind of going reasonable fast for each stage. It was just one of those middle chain rings days with lots of repeated power, so hard for me on a good day.

Yes, it was hard. I easily gave up my spot in large pack of men before the scary a shit downhill timed enduro sections (literally where the single track drops away from you). ---bikes and people flying in multiple directions face down in the mud,we were all laughing, how terribly fun and scary this was! (It was like a scene from a zombie movie...funny and scary)

Nonetheless, it was a day you really needed to "lean in" and not to "leave before you leave"--I needed to pull back from telling myself bad thoughts and words that would only sell myself short--when you get lemon's you don't make lemon aid--why? because lemon-aid making (it is still a lemon in disguise) would be like settling for less. Trying to tie a pretty ribbon around; on the bike off the bike on the bike off the bike so many times did NOT make this feel less heinous, my ambition was to go faster (who didn't want that today!?), it was about time to reveal in your ambition to keep you going faster (when I could) and not feel defeated over the slipper roots....

Great BC Bike Race Videos by Dave Norona (check out his website Norona Life)--he also has some sweet dirt biking videos here.

See me cross finish line, stretching my push a bike arms!
.....and Chris Sheppard commenting on the scary DH?!

Day 3 Powell River: Be Smooth Don't be Crazy Enduro.

After yesterday slog in the mud, I was bit concerned about today. Last year I remember this stage being a VERY long-rolling thunder- in the middle ring-in the enchanted BC rainforest-kinda day. It was lot different--thank goodness as I need bit of recovery from yesterday. The DH section twisted around giant trees and the ground was soft really deep mushy tacky loamy goodness. The tires kinda slid around all over the place but the deep loamy stuff kept you going a good speed. Fun! Pierre Harvey (washed up old olympian champ/BC Bike Racer) gave me a nice piece of advice last year when I was finding these sections challenging. He said don't need think about going fast, just relax ride smooth, pick nice lines and the fast will come. Be smooth. Not being from "Down" part of Canada, my DH skills was something I had been working on. Today I felt proud, I completed my first enduro section without coming off my bike (to walk or just fall off), it was not super fast but smooth and felt awesome!

Day 4 Earls Cove to Sechelt: Tell me why you deserve to have it all?

Today, I deserved to have it all. I got to do what I was good at---climbing. It was a 65km 2110m of climbing point to point day down the sunshine coast. I had good climbing legs, felt like I was in super human body, all the piston were firing. It was also the day to bust out the ninja turtle (Team Kona) water system under the jersey look (sans pack free) + big bottle. Saved me lots of time today in busy feeding zones--ride smarter not harder.

The climbing was intensely steep at times, weaved in and out of the forest along the sunshine coast trail system. I fuelled up at the "fake" aid station with the candies. I knew what was coming, many many many switchback climbs to the top! Someone at the dinner described today as "I would rather die then do that again". Today didn't feel so hard for me for some reason. The gravel downhill sections were nice and tacky with all the rain. Last year, it was a meltdown fest. It was hot, dusty and DH section had lots of lose gravel. My eyes were bloodshot and I was cooked when I crossed the finish line last year--so it felt even better this time around! I had managed to pass both the mud bunnie and Tricia Davis (solo master women), it was really nice to ride and chat with her, she told me "your an amazing smooth rider in this stuff" as we bumped along in the slipper rooty DH sections and she eventually passed me on the road sections but I was happy to let her go, I need to ride at my own pace today. The last few km was again middle chain ring classic rooty climbs and a river bed of bone shaking slippery wet baby heads rocks all the way to Sechelt. We had yummy BBQ salmon for dinner. hmmm more food.

Day 5 Sechelt to Langdale : Still Climbin in the Mud.

We started in downtown Sechelt and rolled out slowly. My legs felt like they need some constant counselling, the pair wanted to shut out the lights and go to bed, still climbing in the mud was hard. It was a short day by km and from what I remember from last year, just like last year it rolls unexpected long! Since I was in slow mode today, could not help be awestruck by 30-40 m tall trees-- BC rainforest was awesome. My goal was to get to the first ferry crossing, when I saw the highway 103 sign, it was time to GO! Seven km of sweet single track downhill to the ferry terminal. Guess what? the sun was starting to shine at last!

Day 6 Squamish: "Don't Stop Baby".

Oh yes, I like it. Another great day on the bike and legs were happy and I love riding in Squamish. They introduced a bunch of new animals (one day guest riders) into the forest today, you can easily pick them out (they smell nice, have zippy legs). I was a bit stress out today, the guys behind me were really pushing me on the fast enduro sections (Half Nelson/Psuedo), when I ask if he wanted to pass me---he started singing "I like it" song by Enrique "no oh oh, oh oh" "don't stop baby don't stop baby just keep shaking along" "baby you like it, I, I like it!" "one love one love, go go, set it on fire". He said I was riding just fine and fast! Ha. I was not expecting that, usually they just pin ball pass me crazy. Men can be pretty funny sometimes. I don't mind riding with them as they challenge you and if you earn it they are happy to ride with you. By day six you get used to the people riding at your speed, I spent many days riding with a smooth riding team duo Amanda and Scotty from Zimbabwe--maybe I will see africa in my bike riding future.

Day Seven Whistler: So much better than last year! We had smooth climb to the top to rip sweet trails in the Whistler Bike Park. Nothing like getting some air jumps on Day 7. Awesomeness.

BC Bike Race 2012 was totally awesome, I felt raw and exposed and so blown up by day seven!
...... and baby i liked it!

Thanks Dave for the great videos!