Moving into Beast Mode

Race season is just around the corner!!

That means it is time for Beast Mode, a dedicated section of training that shakes off the last remnants of winter hibernation and kickstarts a great summer of riding and racing. 

My races this year are early season:

Salty Dog 6hr Enduro in Salmon Arm on May 15

Fernie 3 in Fernie Jun 30-July 2

The Husband and I spent the past week in Vernon BC, enjoying the best roads the Okanagan has to offer - and they are plentiful! 

Muddbunnie goes rogue/road for a week of training in Vernon

Here's a quick rundown of our week by the number: 

1 cracked helmet

Yes, I crashed, and I crashed hard. On day two our group was having some issues with flats and generally staying upright - a few other riders walked away with serious road rash, too.

My accident was scary, it happened on Highway 97, I fell into the lane of traffic and couldn't get up right away because I was so shaken - someone dragged me into the ditch. There were 8 riders in the peloton, some triathletes, some cyclists, some mountain bikers, all age-group athletes, riding at approx 35kph. I was at the back of the pack taking a break from pulling the line. Through a chain reaction - someone hit debris and catapulted into the air, others swerved to avoid running her over, others braked hard - I found myself slamming into the back wheel of another rider and launching over my handlebars. I landed hard (but no road rash!), slammed my head into the pavement, and moaned. 

Time to get a new one!

The group was concerned - lots of riders down, bikes everywhere. Thanks to the other riders for taking care of me and doing an initial check to make sure I was in one piece. 

Since my helmet cracked, I needed a medical check at the local hospital. ER doctor checked my head, did a couple of X-rays on things that really hurt, declared me fit and sound, and sent me home. 

My bruises are still appearing, my left body aches and is stiff in the mornings. Crashing impacted my ability to ride for the balance of the week, I lost approx 150km of ride time. 

The message here is SAFETY. Crashes are part of riding, so make sure that you are personally responsible for your safety. I thought I had left a big enough gap when drafting, obviously it wasn't enough. I was much more cautious for the balance of the week. 

2 years at Vernon Bike Camp

I love this training camp! My coach, Coach Jack VanDyk, designed it 7 years ago, and it has run ever since. The camp runs for 6 days (we did 5 days this year + 1 day of mtb in order to pre-ride for Salty Dog race next week and to save some of the long drive home). The routes follow as many secondary road as possible, making the route scenic, smooth, and relatively free of traffic. I have posted my rides to Strava, here are the simple descriptions:

Day 1: ride Vernon to Eliston Park, back to town, up Predator Ridge, back to hotel; ride up Silver Star and descend.

Day 2: ride Vernon to Enderby, Enderby to Mabel Lake, back to Vernon.

Day 3: ride Vernon to Predator Ridge, down the back side to Carr's Landing, out to Oyama for lunch, return via Predator Ridge to Vernon

Predator Ridge - top of the first climb

Day 4: ride Vernon to Salmon Arm, up The Wall, back to Vernon - despite the nasty climb, one of my favourite rides!

Day 5: ride Vernon to Mabel Lake via Lumby - hands down my favourite ride, even with a circuitous route out of town and some extra hills!

Back on the dirt! Riding with my fav guy for pre-ride of Salty Dog.
LOVE my new ride! She goes faster downhill than I do!

Day 6: ride Penticton area - we decided to Mountain Bike instead @ Salmon Arm to pre-ride Salty Dog

My evening respite: lake views, good BC wine, amazing food.

3 awesome coaches

Many, many thanks to Jack for designing a wicked training camp! I know he wasn't able to join us this year, but his brainchild is still spinning the cranks. 

Coaches this year deserve special mention for doing their best to keep us safe and to have a fun camp, thanks to Elmar, Nick, and Carol.

The Statistics:

5 days of road riding

+

1 day on mtb

=

6 days on the bike

18.8 km mtb

468 km road riding

5928m of elevation gain 

Beast Mode is off to a good start!