Grab a coffee or glass of wine and buckle in, this is a long posting!
Before I get started, I want to list my thank-yous up front:
Ryan: it was amazing to ride this week with you, train with you, laugh with you.
My kids: thanks for hanging out at trailheads while I finish one more lap, wait for me at home while I do another long ride.
Coach Jack: you nailed the training for this, I could not have been better prepared.
My posse of girls: thanks for riding with me, listening to me go on ad nauseum about training and racing, watching my children, feeding us and more.
Muddbunnies: thanks for taking a chance on this Alberta-based racer, I love being on your team!
Calgary Cycle: my bike is always in top-shape, it is a joy to ride a well-tuned bike, thanks to Rabbit and Michail.
Sockology: I always feel so well supported (pun intended!) and celebrated by this awesome company under Angelika's leadership, thank-you for making me feel special.
At last, the long-awaited race report! I know, it's been three months since
BCBR, and trust me, I've been thinking about how to write this post many, many times.
What took so long?
BCBR is an experience that is very difficult to explain. By far, it was my favourite race EVER. It was also the toughest race. Articulating the awesome/gruelling feeling is difficult. So here goes!
How did my 10-day BC Bike Race experience go? Read on!
Pre-Race Adventures in Vancouver
The Husband and I arrived in North Vancouver on Wednesday, June 25, several days ahead of package pickup. We wanted time to assemble bikes (who knows what airlines might mess up these days - thankfully our bikes arrived unscathed), relax, ride The North Shore, and be rested for the main event. We were super impressed by the transit system in Vancouver: we landed at Vancouver International Airport, took the Skytrain to downtown Vancouver, hopped the water bus to North Van, and walked 2 blocks to our hotel, all while dragging bikes bags and luggage.
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| Luggage loaded and ready to go to the airport! |
Transit was convenient, no need to rent a car. We checked in, assembled bikes, had lunch on the waterfront, and (get this!) took a nap.
Good thing we were well rested! We were scheduled to ride Mt Fromme with my Muddbunnies teammates. Again, public transit in North Vancouver got us to the base of a steep hill that led to the trailhead. I think the paved road was steeper up than the fireroad that we climbed to get to our trails!
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| A warren of Muddbunnies at the trailhead on Fromme |
Meeting Muddbunnies in person was amazing. These ladies are so fun, so welcoming! There were over 40 of us at the trailhead, and the camaraderie reminded me of my home posse of riders. I would love to mix Muddbunnies and Spin Sisters on some exchange rides! Race Team Manager Crystal had arranged for The Boyfriend to ride with The Husband - so off they went to preview Espresso, one of the feature trails on BCBR. I stuck with my teammates, and Ride Leader Gina and Crystal pointed us up the fireroad. I climbed well, even tho I was nervous about riding with these kick-ass girls. Once at the singletrack for the evening, I waited while the others pulled out more and more kit: elbow pads, knee pads, full-face helmets... Then they adjusted their bikes, dropping seats and so on. I was standing there in lycra and a roadie helmet (more ventilation to keep me cool in this 40C weather). Eek. What have I gotten myself into???
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| Muddbunnies race team members: Nancy, Crystal, Cindy & Gina |
We dropped onto the loamy trail and promptly rolled off a bathtub. Yep, a bathtub. Followed by a rocky, craggy, steep mini-cliff. Yeah, I didn't ride that one. But then I put on my big girl panties, dropped my bike seat, clipped into the pedals, and RODE. Wow, awesome trails, some wooden structures, lots of "let me try that again" moments - but I had a blast!! I rode conservatively, I was worried about getting to the start line, so took it easy, but what a great ride! It made me excited for Day 5, calmed some of my nerves (I can ride this stuff!), and I relaxed into riding with a great group of ladies. Naturally, we headed to the pub afterwards to celebrate.
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| Post-ride beer with new friends. The Husband, The Boyfriend (to be clear: not MY boyfriend), and me. |
The next couple of days were relaxing: we played "tourist" at the Vancouver Aquarium, strolled thru an evening open-air market for some ice cream, visited with JH in Deep Cove for some pizza and walk by the cove (what an amazing place!). A good vacation in advance of some truly epic riding!
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| View from hotel room the night before it all begins |
Package Pickup and Day Zero travel to Cumberland
Package pickup was a breeze! It was a good omen of the goodness to come all week long. The logistics and organization for this event must be enormous - and we enjoyed a seamless experience! From boats to buses to tents to arenas, it was all very well organized. Sure, we stood in line sometimes, but if you showed up at the appointed time, the schedule worked like clockwork. Congrats to the BCBR Org Committee for running an amazing event!
We gathered our awesome red roller bag - all our belongings had to fit inside, our Lululemon hoodies or sweaters, our day-bag, any pre-ordered kit, samples of Muscle Milk, and more. The SWAG package for this race was full of top-shelf items, stuff that I will proudly wear and use many more times!
I also received my bike plate. This was getting very real in a big hurry!
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| Package pickup! |
We also heard all the safety warnings, the health concerns, the trail marking guidelines and more. Medical Director Brooks cleverly disguised his messages in some witty banter, ask me for details in person!
We also dropped off our bikes for loading into large transport trailers. These big rigs followed us all week, sometimes empty, but when loaded, they were stacked 2 bikes tall, with cardboard between each bike. Each bike was loaded and unloaded by hand, and racked according to number. These guys were amazing! At first I was nervous to leave my bike on the racks, but there was plenty of security. The value of these trailers is astonishing: 600 riders x $4000/bike = $2.4M of cargo. And that's a conservative estimate!
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| Spence bikes waiting to load into the trucks |
After dropping the bikes off and attending the mandatory and very helpful pre-race briefing, we headed back to the hotel to repack the red bags, and get a good night sleep.
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| Ferry at Horseshoe Bay |
We loaded into buses early the next day and headed to the BC Ferries terminal for a scenic and uneventful ride to Vancouver Island. We got loaded back into buses and drove north to Cumberland, where tent city and dinner was waiting.
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| Tent City in Cumberland |
It was a long day of travel, we were glad to arrive at a tent. We sorted kit and tried to get some sleep before the big event.
Day One: Cumberland
Gooooood Moorrrnnning! We awoke to the Chicken Man on the bullhorn. No stragglers on the first day, camp was up and bustling. It was great to run into the other Muddbunny racer, Kimberley. She has raced here before and was taking advantage of the hotel premium option and was on a different meal plan than me, so I didn't see much of her. It was great to capture a quick pic on the first day!
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Two Muddbunnies rode BCBR2015
Kimberley and Cindy |
There was so much excitement on the first day! We rolled to the start line and tried to seed ourselves accordingly - today would determine the colour of dot for your race plate, and determine where you you start all week.
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| Nervous excitement at the start of Day One! |
All of a sudden we were rolling! The first and final kms every day were on simple streets or fireroads in an effort to string everyone out and hopefully avoid accidents. After a few kms of pavement, we were pushed up a steep, loose trail - and by the time I arrived, everyone was pushing, nose to tail, up the hill. Some of the nervous energy was starting to show up: people were cranky and calling out "rider" when it was obvious that they were only going 5 meters before falling back and pushing their bike. When we finally arrived at the singletrack, it was rooty and twisty, fun times. The first descent was scarey: it was obviously a new-cut trail, very soft and bouncy, very rough-cut. I was not impressed, found it dangerous with the inexperienced riders. I swore through the first 50m, put some distance between me and the crowd, and kept on riding.
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| Cumberland trails |
Now it was HOT. The sun had come out, and it was beating down on us. The goal for the rest of my day was about heat management. I had already gone through most of my 4L Camelback and was only halfway around. Thankfully, the day was divided into two massive climbs, looping through the Finish area. As I rolled through basecamp, MD Brooks was calling riders over to the water station, where he helped to refill the Camelback and put my head and neck under cold water. Aahhhhhh. That's better.
The relief didn't last long: in the 42C heat, my jersey quickly dried out along the second climb up a dusty, dry fireroad. I stopped a couple of times to catch some shade. I just couldn't moderate my body temp. The dirtbiker trail stewards caught up to me, sprayed me with water and I kept rolling. It was so HOT.
When I finally reached the feature trail for the day, a super awesome fun trail, I was having a hard time finding the enjoyment in this ride. It was a fun downhill on Upper Thirsty Beaver and Blue Collar, then a simple ride back to the Finish Line.
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| Day One Finish Line |
But the day wasn't over. We needed to shower, eat, board more buses to the ferry to Powell River.
One of the blessings (ha!) of having red hair and alabaster skin is a hyper-sensitivity to the sun. It causes blisters and welts on my skin with prolonged exposure. I attempt to mitigate this exposure by wearing sun sleeves, sunscreen prescribed by my dermatologist that has zinc in it, and generally avoiding the sun. Day One had already over-exposed me to the sun, and my arms and hands were a mess. My medication was packed and one the ferry. The Medical team was awesome: they put me in touch with Craig and Ian, the Aid Station gurus, who were driving a box truck. We stopped for ice and a pharmacy en route to the ferry, extra thanks to those guys for making sure I could function the next day!
When we arrived in Powell River, the welcome from the community was astounding: they love BCBR and welcomed us with a drum ceremony and standing ovation. It gave me the goosebumps.
Our tent city was incredible: we were in for a treat, spending 2 nights camped out on the beach. The sunset topped off our extraordinary experience.
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| Two nights in Powell River give us a chance to relax and enjoy stunning sunsets. |
Ryan also produced a card from some girl friends in Calgary. It was the first of 6 cards, one for each day, that reminded me how amazing my friends are. Thanks for the messages, they helped me settle my head for the coming day and surrounded me in a warm hug each evening. The first card helped me to re-set expectations for Day Two. My first day wasn't exactly what I was dreaming of: I was overheated, sun-exposed, dehydrated in spite of 6L of water, and frustrated with the trails. I struggled to follow E's advice, tried to remind myself that I rode my bike on some of the gnarliest, most technical trails in North America. I thought long and hard to find 5 things to be proud of, but I found them:
1) Firey sunset: it reminded me of the firey ride on the whoop-de-do's on the feature trail, an area that I rode confidently and had fun on.
2) Sea otters: playful creatures in the ocean, the perfect mirror for the playful trails in the clearcut while descending.
3) Ryan: waiting patiently and proudly for me at the Finish Line. Love you always.
4) Blackberry bushes along the trails: amazing nutrition at Aid Stations and food - more on the food to come.
5) White caps on the ocean: reminded me of cool water at the aid stations.
1147m elevation gain
47km of riding
6h15min - a long day
Day Two: Powell River
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| Always take selfies with The Husband BEFORE a long day of riding, better odds of a smile. |
I woke up with minimal soreness and oddly energetic. I decided to change my approach to the race: rather than push the pace and ride "hard," I decided to create space and soak in everyone moment of the ride. I had a purple dot - which meant that I was in the back of the pack, so I stationed myself at the front of the purple pack - I wanted to be ahead of the less technical riders, but behind the crazy speedy people. My goal for today was to be the person who had the most fun on the trails.
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| Day Two Start Line |
I ended up riding for most of the week in the same pack of people. There were some solo ladies, Sandra, Carmel, and others, and some duo teams Lee & Lou, Cameron and Heidi, plus a bunch more. We ended up having a fun camaraderie by the end of the week, sparring off on good and bad days.
Today's ride was FUN. It was a Rock Star day! The bulk of the ride was under the canopy of enormous trees, the trails were loamy and flowy. The ground beside the trail was covered in moss 3 or 4" thick! It's crazy to say this, but the trails were flowy UPHILL and gave us some wicked fun downhill. The Feature Trail was called the Death Rattle, and wow, what an awesome ride! I rode it like a pro! By the time I got to the Aloha Bridge, I was getting tired and may not have appreciated the wicked costumes, but it was FUN.
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| Fast, flowing, fun trails in Powell River in the SHADE |
Unfortunately for Ryan, he had a series of mechanicals today and didn't enjoy as much as I did, but the support for bike repairs both on and off trail was excellent. The support crews at BCBR are timely, everywhere, and good. He was able to access mechanics on the course so that he could cross the line on his bike, send it to the repairs overnight and be ready for Day Three.
We were finished riding early, so had all afternoon to relax in the shade to read a book and nap.
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| Camping on the beach in Powell River |
We were on the "C" shift for food, which I really found beneficial. The first feeding would have been too early, I would have barely finished riding, not ideal. The "B" feeding would have been ok: maybe not a shower before eating every day, but workable. The "C" shift left us waiting until 8pm one day, but I liked it: there was always plenty of food, often too much because they were putting it all out on the tables. And a few words about the food... it was excellent. Always lots of choice, even for GF, dairy free, vegetarian (I'm an omnivore but there were lots of varieties). And very good quality. In fact, BCBR uses local restaurateurs in the communities it visits. For example, the Powell River chef comes from The Laughing Oyster, the best restaurant in town. The food was always delicious.
After enjoying a great meal in Powell River Community Centre, we were treated to one more ocean sunset before tucking into bed. It was a very, very good day.
1044m elevation
50km
4h27min riding time
Day Three: Earl's Cove to Sechelt
We scored a water taxi to Earl's Cove!
We weren't lucky enough to volunteer for the float plane, but the water taxi was cool!
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| Scored a ride on water taxi! |
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| Gorgeous morning - starting to heat up again |
It was the perfect way to start the day! We were escorted by Captain Brent to our Start Line. The sun was hot and high in the sky when we started.
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| Late morning start - the heat of the day |
Due to the late start, the day had already warmed up to a toasty 38C. We were pushed up some big hills, lots of gnarly singletrack, lots of roots. It was tough riding, some of the best riding I have ever done, just the right amount of challenge. By the time I arrived at Aid Station 1, I was out of water, and out of steam. The Aid Station captains, Craig and Ian, kept the stations well-stocked with watermelon, oranges, pretzels, HardBite chips, Clif products, and more. There was plenty to eat, plenty of water. I remember parking my bike, and then I remember sitting on the medical cot with two bags of ice down my jersey. Apparently, I was swerving through the Aid Station, somewhat out of control. After 20 min of lowering my core body temp, the medics cleared me to ride.
I struggled on this day - I blame the heat. The trails were extra dry, due to lack of rain all season, and they were loose and rocky. I was all over the place. On the final plunge section of the Feature Trail, my handlebar nicked a tree, and I went sprawling into the brush. Not sure what I landed on, but the searing pain through my right leg was awful. Bike Patrol was on my heels, and they pulled me to my feet. They made me stand down until they could be sure that I didn't hit my head, and until the Charley-horse in my leg subsided. Wow, that was close. Check out the bruises - it ended up encircling my leg, and I had a lump the size of a golf ball (contusion) for the past 3 months!
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| Photo taken 4 days post-injury. Ouch. |
I rode the balance of the day very technically strong, but was hesitant on the DH from here on out.
1461m elevation
57km
6h41min ride time - includes my stint in medical tent at Aid Station and stand-down time for crash
Day Four: Sechelt to Langdale
I woke to PAIN. My leg was so sore and stiff, I popped some Advil and went in search of the medical tent. They taped me up and sent me off. As I walked and stretched, it became more bearable, but I decided that it would have to be an "easy" day.
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| Attempting to loosen leg muscles to make it to the start line |
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| Smiles for the Start Line |
As it turned out, I got plenty of bang for my BCBR buck today.
We started out on some fun flowy trails, then the notorious powerline climb came upon me before I knew it. What a crazy trail! I was having an amazing day, I loved the trails today. The quality of the trails throughout BCBR is incredible. We were privileged to ride some of the world's best, toughest, gnarliest trails. There were moments of pure bliss, and other times when I just shook my head in disbelief. The trail crew worked hard to string together the perfect mix, and there were plenty of trail markers, bright pink ribbons.
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| Loving the trails on the Sunshine Coast |
If only I had followed the trails that were clearly marked with bright pink ribbons.... Today, I got lost. I blame the fatigue, I blame the heat, I blame the harsh sunlight in the trees with the crazy dappled lights. Ultimately, it's my fault that I missed the turn.
I missed the turn that cost me an extra 350m of elevation, 7km of climbing, and at least 90min of ride-time.
And I wasn't the only one! There were about a dozen of us who missed that same turn. Once back on track, I caught up quickly with the back of the pack, the riders who maximize their time on the trails every day. It was a great social ride, I kept riding and tried to laugh it off.
I rolled into the Finish Line area late, scrambled through a shower and dashed off for the ferry that would take us back to North Vancouver, I needed to sort out my strategy for The North Shore. My nightly message from friends was appropriate: Wild Women ride hard!
1492m elevation
57km
7h20min ride time.
Day Five: The North Shore
Ah, the famous North Shore. People come from around the world and are awed, humbled, and energized by the audacity of the trails. This is where mountain biking, as we know it, was born!
Having ridden some of the trails prior to BCBR, I was feeling optimistic about the day. And I was super jazzed to see Muddbunny Gina cheering me on from the back of her truck! I felt so lucky to be riding in the Muddbunnies team kit this week. The Muddbunny reputation on the west coast is awesome, everywhere I went, people recognized the jersey and cheered for me. It has been an honour and privilege to wear the pink houndstooth!
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| Muddbunny! |
Due to some bridges being washed out in the previous season, our route today felt somewhat disjointed. There was lots of climbing on Baden Powell, some nasty stairs to climb, and lots of loose plunges, especially on Seymour. I added a few new bruises and scrapes. I wasn't enamoured with Seymour.
Once we pedalled over to Fromme, it felt much more flowy. I recognized the fire road through Lynn Valley from the previous week, and the Feature Trail, Espresso, had some fun elevated wooden structures as well as some wicked swooping downhill. I ended the day on a high note, felt like I rode to the best of my ability. A solid day of riding.
We travelled up to Squamish for the final 2 nights of camp. By the time we arrived, our tents had been cooking in the sun for several hours: they were too hot to enter. There was no shade.
And I had a sore throat.
1086m elevation
35km
5h10min ride time
Day Six: Squamish
Riding in Squamish is definitely my favourite day at BCBR!
Unfortunately, right out of the chute, I had a flat tire. The support crew was there in a jiffy, and although I was officially the LAST rider at that point, they had me fitted with a new tube and rolling up a steep hill in no time flat. The support throughout the event is incredible: dirt bikes, bike patrol, mechanics, medical staff. They created an incredible support team. And the volunteers. So many volunteers!!! Thank-you to everyone who supported the riders on this incredible week adventure.
As I mentioned, I had a sore throat. Ryan also had a cold, it was a couple days older than mine, so most of our cold medication was now being rationed out. Only two more days to ride!
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| Ready to roll in Squamish. |
And man, did I ride! Sure, the hills were big; yes, it was crazy hot.... but I was having a fabulous day! I was passing people, riding strong, enjoying the uphill climbs. There was a big wooden wall (fun!), some scary drop zones, and, best of all, the Feature Trails. We rode Half-Nelson, and PseudoTsuga in quick succession, followed by Hoods in the Wood. Rocked those trails! Whooped it up all the way down, wished I could shuttle back up for another loop.
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| Secure bike storage in Squamish |
I tucked my bike into the secure storage, ate some food, and tucked in for the night. I wanted a good sleep for the final ride!
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| Squamish camp tucked in for the night |
1398m elevation
52km
6h18min riding time
Day Seven: Whistler
We made it!
After all the bumps and bruises, all the heat, all the climbing, all the fun and flowing trails, we made it!
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| We made it to Day Seven! |
All week long, Ryan rode with his cohort, while I stayed with mine. Probably best, most of the duo teams that rode in my vicinity weren't exactly on speaking terms by day four. But, on this day, the final day of our epic adventure, we wanted to share the day. Thankfully, Ryan's cold was better, but mine was in full swing.
The trails at the beginning of the day weren't ideal - we got pushed into singletrack too early, forcing the back end of the pack (say 300 riders!) to walk for over 45min while we sorted out spacing. Frustrating. And the old-school trails weren't flowing for me and my head cold. The views were fantastic, and some of the trails as we rolled back into the village were pretty fun. The crowd was out in full force, lots of costumes and fun to cheer us home. The atmosphere was great! By the time we reached the Finish Area, I was ready to get off my bike, and thrilled to cross the Finish Line with Ryan holding my hand.
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| Finish Lines are sweeter when you share them! |
553m elevation
19km
3h14min riding time
Some final thoughts...
More than 8100m elevation gain and 317kms over 7 days of riding.
Wow.
What an amazing, epic adventure! I can't wait to do it again.... but first, stay tuned for Racer 85 at
BreckEpic 2016.
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