Sunday was an eventful day; my cycling team hosted a race up Mount Seymour.

I know, sounds fun, right?!

Racers gather in their respective categories, then race as fast as they can, lungs burning, muscles screaming, to the top of the mountain. Whoever gets there first, is the winner. Of course, anyone who finishes the race, is awesome too.

It's a 12 km ride up the mountain with nearly 900m of elevation gain. Whatever you do, don't forget to start your Garmin before you begin the climb --- don't forget, like I did!

So, where was I? Back to Sunday!

My morning started early (5 am) so that I could get myself, my dog, and my bike organized in time to pick up my lovely friend who volunteered her time to help at the event (big thank you!!). We were at the bottom of the mountain just after 7 am to help with the race set up. Winston was pretty excited to be out and exploring, taking in all the aromas of North Vancouver.

We had the registration table open at 8 am and cyclists were already started to trickle in.

At 9:30, the first wave of cyclists departed from the start line and began their race up Seymour. My partner was in that race, with the cat-4 men. He achieved a personal record on his climb, and placed in second in his category! So proud of him!

At 10:10, we - the women - took our start. There were 8 or 9 of us in total, which is large in comparison to some races. I hadn't had a chance to even really warm up, having just tossed the wheels back on the bike and managed to change right before the start time. My legs were slightly sore from the Gibson's Grind the day before, but I knew they would warm up in time. I had no intention of sprinting from the start line anyways!

I did the climb in 1:00 hour and a few seconds. This shaved 10 minutes off of my personal best!...which I only achieved about a month ago! I placed second in my category as well (women's cat-4), so I'm pretty happy with the results and my performance. I had a goal of keeping my speed above 10km/hr all the way up, and I manged to do just about that. Seeing everyone's speed and pace on the results after the race made me realize just how much harder that I can and need to, push myself. I was just barely suffering, if at all, on my climb. I would like to shave another 10 minutes off of my time before the end of 2016., and have a comfortable climbing time just under 50 minutes by next summer.

I was really impressed with all of the riders who came out to race up Mt Seymour. We had riders of various ability levels and experience, all taking a chance. It's great to see more women getting out and riding and racing too!

As I do with any race, I realize how much further I have to go. I have so much more room for improvement, it's crazy! The other women who rode up the mountain have given me a bit of inspiration to push harder and climb faster on my next ride.

Have you ever done the Mt Seymour hill climb? What was your time? What was your favourite part of the ride?

Some pictures of me getting to the top of the road - finished the climb!

Another night, another race.

The weather held out, yet again, and the rain didn't come pouring down.

The women's cat-4 field wasn't overly large this time, and a number of women have moved up into the cat 1-2-3 group.

The roll out at the start of the race was friendly enough, though I got stuck behind a girl who just couldn't figure out how to turn a corner without cutting it...and I had to brake in the corner to avoid being smushed into the sidewalk. Not fun.

I was still feeling pretty tired from my venture to Victoria (write up still to come) and the 300km I had rode over the weekend. I could feel the soreness in my legs and I knew I wouldn't have the most power to sprint at the finish. As much as I tried to stay near the front of the group I kept getting stuck behind or beside some unsure riders, who left me feeling as if they would cause a crash. People cutting corners and not holding their lines made the already tricky corners on this UBC course a pain.

The bell lap for the prime (preme?) sounded, and the pace quickened as per the norm. There's one woman that always snakes her way from the back to the front and sprints to get that lap and point - usually, the group will manage to re-form after that lap. This time, that didn't happen, and the sprinters kept going and got a good lead on the rest of the group.

Just after that, the women's cat-4 was being overtaken and passed by the men's group, and we were to neutralize. The two women that I was next to DID NOT neutralize (yet again, recurring issue) and took advantage of the situation. The women from behind me did not signal that they were racing again, and took advantage of passing a number of us. CHEAP. Taking advantage of situations is not a nice thing to do. Play nice!

I honestly started to just feel frustrated with the whole race, the poor neutralization and the break up of the pack. I let the frustration get to me. I let it eat at me and affect my performance. It wasn't until the last two laps that I snapped out of it, refocused on racing, and started to try and actually get around the riders who were 'blocking' me in, and try to get closer to the front of our now very small group.

Last lap I did my best to move up some more and hold a better position for the sprint to the finish. I finished in 9th place. I didn't have much of a pain face. I didn't suffer as much as I could have. I didn't push myself hard enough.

Next week I will return, with better rested legs and a better attitude. I will remind myself that I cannot change some things, so I must learn to accept and adapt.

Honestly, the title of this post is no joke. I survived the 4 Peaks 4 Parkinson's ride on Sunday June 5, 2016. A number of other people finished the ride too, but not everyone who started the ride in the morning, completed the ride fully. A number of people who signed up didn't even come out to ride.

Reasons? Well, it was bloody hot.

Strava and Garmin reported an average temperature of 25 degrees Celsius for the day, but a lot of the ride was 30+  degrees Celcius, with little to no wind, and exacerbated from reflection off of the dark pavement.

The morning began at 6:00 A.M. with breakfast and prep for the ride. Double-checking our gear, stuffing our pockets full of Clif Blocks and energy bars, ensuring our Garmin's were ready to start tracking and that we had ID in our pockets. I laid out my kit for the day, and Corey laughed at my selection of a windbreaker and arm warmers...it's habit, I suppose. I smugly put the wind breaker away and tucked just the arm warmers into my back pocket. My train of thought was that I'd rather be warm than chilly...boy, was I ever in for a warm ride!

We departed home in time to arrive at the starting point for around 8:00 A.M. There was a handful of people loitering around and getting signed in. A couple of my Atomic Racing team mates were present - so nice not to see team participation!

We got started at around 8:20 - 8:30 A.M. - a tad earlier than the scheduled start time of 9:00 A.M., but considering our pace and the heat, an early start was a great idea. There were only about 8 of us that got out for an early start, but it was nice to get going and the pace was manageable.

Climb #1 - Burnaby Mountain / SFU

We came up the back of SFU/Burnaby Mountain, from Lougheed, and pedalled up to the top (not the very top, just the roundabout). There was another charity event going on up there and some roads were (wonderfully) closed off to car traffic. I got Corey to snap a picture of me holding a sign that read "Actually I can...push myself further" which I carried with me for the ride so that I could partake in a Liv bicycles contest. The sign was in my back pocket, and even just after climbing one small hill, the sign was sweaty and ripped in half.

The first climb took us up to approximately 346m and was just over 20km from home.

Climb #2 - Seymour Mountain

Heading down from Burnaby / SFU, we travelled along Hastings Street and swayed our way around and over the Second Narrows Bridge, before starting to climb up the Seymour Parkway and towards the base of Seymour Mountain. The rest stop at the base of Seymour was a good excuse to stop for a moment, get the tunes pumping, top up the water bottles and have a few energy blocks. Corey sped ahead and tried his best to get a PR climbing Seymour...I rode on at my pace, trying to focus on the ride and remind myself that I would finish all four climbs. I was almost half-way!

I was at about the 9 km mark when Corey came back down from his ascent and met up with me. From that point on, he was by my side the entire ride.

At the top, Corey snapped another photo of me with the sign, we drank some Coca Cola and took a short rest, before flying down the hill and making our way over to Grouse.

Climb #3 - Grouse

Traversing across the mainland and the lower roads, we made our way towards Grouse. There were a few of us riding together in the pack, though I made no effort to try and keep up to them all. I knew I had to stay at a comfortable pace for myself, if I was going to finish the ride. Especially when considering the high temperatures for the day. We took advantage of the rest stop at the bottom of Grouse before riding the short and steep kicker up Grouse to the parking lots.

I hate the ride up Grouse.

It's steep. It's busy with cars going fast and people parallel parking without checking their mirrors and lots of cyclists and pedestrians that don't look both ways before crossing the street. It's almost a cyclist's nightmare.

But we managed. We didn't get hit, didn't hit anyone...we got to the top, grabbed some snacks from Starbucks and took a much needed rest. We were more than half-way finished the ride! Corey snapped another photo of my with the sign...which by now was getting pretty sweaty and dented.

Climb #3.5 - Getting to the bottom of Cypress

Getting to the base of Cypress is a climb in and of itself. No matter which direction you go, you have to climb before the climb.We have zig-zagged our way up through the British Properties, attacked from the highway out of Horseshoe Bay, climbed some crazy steep roads around 13th and 15th...we have attempted a number of different routes up to Cypress, and all of them are climbs.

This time, we followed the navigation of a fellow-Atomic Racing team member, and he took us up through some residential area, up and around to 15th, over the highway and to the base where we found a rest stop...at which we drank more Coke.

It was at this rest stop, that the majority of the Giver4PD riders were finished their climb and descent and were getting ready to head into town again...I'm sure many people would have been reconsidering their choice to complete the ride, or to pack it in and go home...but my mind was made up. I wasn't backing down or heading home early. I had set this goal, and no matter how much I struggled, I was going to complete this goal. Besides, I was well over half-way there, I was already at the bottom of the hill! Looking up at the beast of a climb I had in front of me.

Climb #4 - Cypress

Anyone who has climbed Cypress knows what it feels like. It's long (15 km) and steady. I began the climb at the peak of the afternoon - the sun was right above us, and the trees along the side of the road provided very little shade. My legs were already tired from the three mountains we'd already been up, and I could barely give my lady-bits a break from the saddle, since I didn't have the energy to stand and push. Besides, every time I stood to pedal, my muscles would feel more tight and cramped.

There's a beautiful look out on Cypress, and I made sure to stop there in the shade for just moments, and take a quick pee break. Though, I discovered, I didn't have to pee. Nor could I really 'hover' over the outhouse toilet seat...that was gross.

After the look out, I felt temporarily refreshed. We climbed on.

And on.

Each kilometre was a slow kilometre. Each pedal stroke was a struggle. The heat made it even worse. Hunger had started to kick in, but I had no desire to try and eat one of the melted bars in my back pocket. I had no appetite. My stomach felt like a brick - probably from all the sugar I had consumed from the Coca Cola and the energy blocks.

I tried my best to set aside all those thoughts. I tried to focus on the ride, on the climb, on the fact that I was getting closer and closer to the finish. Corey made the ride so much better - just him being there the whole time, right by my side, made a world of a difference. His support helped me so much.

Each patch of shade that we came to, we stopped to take a break in. It was such a relief to get a break from the sweltering heat.

I wasn't the only one who made the choice to struggle up one last hill to complete the ride - there were others that we kept leap-frogging with, taking breaks in the shade, climbing another kilometre or two...some people quit before they made it to the top, some people stuck it out.

We stuck it out.

I climbed to the top. And when I got to the top, I b-lined to the bathroom, splashed cold water all over my body and enjoyed the short break we took before getting back on my bike. My body was exhausted. I was hungry. I was so ready to be done.

I thought for sure I would cry when I reached the top, cry from happiness...but I didn't. I don't know whether that is because I had no extra fluids in my body to turn into tears, or because I had no energy to spend on being emotional...either way, there was no crying about to happen.

The Finish

Completing the four mountain climbs did not mark the ending of the ride. The finish line was back in the city, at a pizza place. I think I found a little extra strength from somewhere deep inside me, which helped me get all the way back to the city! I devoured a pizza, a beer and became 'one' with the chair I plunked in.

Summary

I love setting goals, making plans to meet those goals, and then crushing those goals. While I really stepped it up on this one particular goal, and struggled to complete the ride, I DID manage. I did meet my goal. Maybe I didn't quite crush it...but I got it!

There were many hard moments along this ride. The heat didn't help at all, but the aid stations along the route really helped. Without their help and generous offerings of Coca Cola and snacks, I don't know if I would have finished the ride. I had no idea Coca Cola could cure the shakes!

One of the best moments of the ride was when Corey and I were passed by a few riders who were not part of the 4 Peaks event. They were doing some hill climbing and we mentioned the charity ride we were doing - turns out, the mother of one of those riders has Parkinson's -- and this is the first time he heard about this ride. He'll be signing up and riding next year!

Another amazing part in my opinion, was the dedication of some riders. Many people pulled out and didn't complete the ride, but many people stayed and toughed it out. I can't blame those who went home early - the heat was tough. One lady in particular (I will leave unnamed to protect her privacy) I got to chat with her a little on our way to the bottom of Seymour. Afterwards, we were separated in our climbs. I saw her again as I was going down Grouse, and she was going up. Then again, as I was going down Cypress and she was going up. She must have been one of the last people to finish the entire four climbs that day. She trucked along, all day, at her pace, and she did it. She crushed it! I was almost in tears watching her climb Cypress as I was descending, and I'm almost in tears writing about it on my blog right now. She inspired me. People like her, with her dedication and drive, inspire me. It's not about being the fastest, or being first. It's about giving it all you've got, and being happy with your efforts in the end.

So, I've learned a lot from this ride. I don't know what my next goal will be, but I know it will be a good one.

Thank you to all the supporters, people who donated, and to all those who showed up and rode.

You can view my ride on Strava if you're curious: https://www.strava.com/activities/600025335

Woo hoo! Another race night!!

I missed the UBC crit last week because I was pretty burnt out from a long weekend away, and had much to catch up on at home.

This last weekend was my last weekend of major training for the 4 Peaks for Parkinson's ride on June 5 - I did a mountain climb up Cypress, then Grouse. I feel more and more ready for the ride up all four....aside from being nervous. But enough of that! If you want to read more about my ride prep, I've posted about it over here.

Back to the race.

It was a sticky, humid evening. I was shocked to get outside in the fresh air after being sheltered in the air conditioning all day.

My cycling kit was almost immediately sweaty.

I was running behind because of work and having to walk the dog...so we had to go super fast up Ontario to get across the city and into Burnaby. Pretty positive I got some PR's on that ride!

I didn't have much time to spend warming up before we got in line for the race. The cat 4 and 5 men took off, and we followed right behind them. We were only lapped by one men's group -- who should have neutralized before attempting to pass us on the CORNER -- but they didn't. We did our best as a group to keep neutral until all the men got by us. I think that was our best effort yet.

This race had fewer women in it than normal - just under 20 riders. It seemed faster and more difficult than previous races. There was a lot of floating fluffy bits/pollen in the air, and when we rode against the wind, the fluffy bits would stick to your face, get in your nose, and in your mouth. I felt as if I had a fluff beard at one point!

There were a few women at the front of the pack nearly the entire time. They seemed aggressive and they were able to keep the speed up. Some of the girls that are racing are still a bit sketchy, and I have no interest in being anywhere near them in the pack. Though there hasn't been a crash yet, I don't want to chance it.

We are certainly getting speedier in the corners, but not everyone is letting off the brakes yet. I'm feeling a lot more confident in the corners than when I started.

Prime lap bell chimed, and the pace picked up a bit. As we came around the last corner towards the finish line, the majority of the pack started to speed up and eventually sprint. Some women stood, some women sat. A woman from the back (ATAC team) of the pack crept her way up and up and up, steadily from the left side, and gave an explosive burst to break out in front just in time to take the prime.

The rest of the race was spent at a relatively quick pace, with short efforts to sprint and break up the pack, lots of moving around the road from left to right (kind of not sure why the front of the pack was doing this???) and general back and forth from front to back and side to side.

The bell lap rang, and again, our pace quickened. I had a plan in my mind to make my way to the front. I had no problem getting up to the front, and with a face full of fluffs, I tried to keep that place.

Coming around the final corner, the pace quickened even more.

I pushed my tired legs harder to keep up. I was out towards the left of the pack, and very close to the front. I would have been happy to fight for fifth place.

The last 75 to 50 meters, everyone started to sprint - and so I followed suit. I was absolutely determined not to be dropped below fifth place.

The finish line was still a ways away.

A Glotman rider was right next to me, and we fought inch and inch to push a wheel ahead of the other. I was full on with pain face. I pushed and shoved my bike. I used my arms, my legs, my full body to propel my bike forward in hopes of keeping my place.

It was of no use.

I placed 8th in the end. It was a close and hard race. The 8 of us at the front of the pack were within inches of each other where we finished. We all tried really hard.

It was a great race. I haven't tried that hard, ever!

I'm really looking forward to next week.

Well, folks, the 4 Peaks 4 Parkinson's ride is less than a week away. Four days, to be exact. I've been training since I signed up almost two months ago, and I feel pretty confident about being able to complete the ride.

In two months, I have managed to set new personal records on a few of the routes I ride - including the climb up Mt. Seymour (PR 1 hr 10 min) and even the Spanish Banks hill climb out by UBC. My longest ride to date is now 133km, and I've climbed over 2,000 m in one day...I know these aren't by any means the biggest and best numbers for riders in this city - there are many much stronger riders around than I - but these are big numbers for me.

I'm proud of how much progress I'm making. I'm proud that I have taken on this challenge, and I have kept up with what I needed to do to complete it.

I'm always amazed with how capable we are as human beings. We are strong and resilient and adaptable. We have so many talents, so long as we put them to use.



While my life has not been directly affected by Parkinson's disease, I know there are many people out there that know someone with the disease, or have it themselves. I do know, that Parkinson's appears in people when the cells the produce dopamine die. If you're not aware, dopamine is a chemical that carries signals between the nerves and the brain --- it controls movement. Without dopamine, the body's muscles become rigid, slow, and stiff.

Imagine. Imagine that you were not able to go for a run, or a bike ride, or a hike. Or even perform some of the more simple tasks of every day life such as folding laundry, giving someone a hug, scratching your back. Imagine that. Yes, Parkinson's affects people at different rates, but Parkinson's has no cure.

Exercise and movement can help manage the symptoms of Parkinson's - so I actually think it's very suiting that we will be out riding our bikes on Sunday in support of 4p4pd. Knowing these facts about Parkinson's disease makes me extremely thankful to be able to ride my bike almost daily. I feel thankful that I am of good health. Isn't it amazing how often and quickly we can take life for granted?

So, 4 Peaks for Parkinson's is only four days away.

If you have the means to make a financial contribution to my ride and to the cause, I would be very appreciative. You can donate by going to this link: http://4peaks.kintera.org/redridesbikes

 If you can't donate financially, it's okay. I would still love your support and encouragement on the day of the ride. I'm still a bit nervous about this undertaking, because it's the biggest and longest ride I will have done. Come out and cheer on all the riders on Sunday June 5. The ride begins at McDonald's on the Lougheed Highway. We'll be riding up Burnaby Mountain, Seymour, Grouse and Cypress. The event finishes at Novo Pizzeria on W Broadway in Vancouver. I expect to complete the ride in 6-7 hours, just to give you an idea of timing.