Wrap up

Well, there is the finisher belt buckle and the number plate that I stared at and the mandatory wrist band and the meal card. Lots of keeping track of me.

Day 7 - BC Bike Race 2012 - Whistler

Let's wrap this race up. Whew. I am getting weary. Of course my legs are sore and my back is aching (perhaps the thin blue foam for 9 hours at night?) but really, I have a general lack of energy. Wake up at 5:30 in Squamish, breakfast for the final time and a bus ride up to Whistler Day Parking lots. The start/finish is in the Olympic Village Venue. It is meant to be a short day. Last year, they rode comfortably numb which would bring me to tears today. Instead, we go straight up Whistler mountain on the easy does it trail, come down the whoops and table tops of crank it up and over to Lost Lake trails for some twisty-rocky-rooty fun. The climb was of course killer but the carnage on the way down through the bike park was amazing. Hint: if you don't ride jumps, don't ride jumps for the first time on a cross country bike. This is my case. I passed 3 guys with broken bikes and bodies. Final day heli-ambulance to Vancouver and a $5000 bill? No thanks. I ripped in about 1:45 and the pros were like an hour-ten. It was awesome to see friends along the course and Lara and the kids at the finish. What a great experience! Roots, Mud, cold rain, hot sun and the excellent Squamish trails.

Trail summary

On the back of the shirt. Cool.

Day 6 lunch

Check out this badass jumbo dog with pulled pork and coleslaw. Just what the doctor ordered for lunch. Graham is out looking for raw tofu. Maybe that is the reason he is so fast?

Day 6 - BC Bike Race 2012 - Squamish

Home turf! Advantage? Read and see. Graham and I have worked out our perfect partner race strategy. Don't ride together. He races ahead and plays with the big boys while I putter along... Of course, not exactly puttering but let's say hammering at my own intensity level. The start was the gear jammer course, up the road and up mashiter until up robs corners. I am figuring out how to manage my energy and it means conrve at the start. My second half was ripping, I am a safer descender when not at the limit and I finish strong. I was about 20min behind him and I was 3:35 or thereabouts. Definitely my best day in Squamish. Sunny but not too hot. Walked parts of the plunge but ripped hoods in the woods and all through crumpit. No cracking or cramping. I think it is the bananas at the aid station that prevents cramping? Tomorrow is the final day! Up easy does it, 800m, down crank it up then over to lost lake for a tour and back to the lifts to call it a day and reunite with Lara and the kids. Just finishing up a double espresso ice at Starbucks air conditioned, wifi space. Heaven right now.

Day 5 - BC Bike Race 2012- Sechelt to Gibsons

Pics

Finally, a day where we wake up, it is sunny, and the race starts right at the tents! Yesterday was so long that I was unsure of how it would go. Unchartered territory so to speak. I have definitely not trained to ride so fast. The breakfast burrito was delicious but the start was at 8am so the burrito was still on the way through.... We climbed out of Sechelt through the quarry near the provincial campground and climbed and climbed. I think 1400m in total elevation gain and a ripping descent into the finish called highway 102. I was so tired that I could not rip it like the other days but I did not fall off any skinny bridges like graham did. He is a product tested for garmin durability. Trails 1, garmin 0.

Day 4 - Earles Cove - BC Bike Race 2012

This was the long one. 5 hours for me and 4:25 for Graham.

Check out how the race chiropractor has put me back together. Rock tape is amazing. Who thought that some tape on your skin could dramatically ease back pain. Should've done it years ago.