Bear X'ing - October 10, 2016

 

Cross-giving weekend. What a great weekend it was!

A long weekend, featuring two cx races - one on the lower mainland and another on Vancouver Island. I rangled up my mutually-cycling-crazed partner to do both races that weekend, as well as have a home cooked Thanksgiving meal....and I have NEVER before made a turkey dinner. EVER. Not once. I'm a virgin.

We raced Queen's CX in New Westminster on Saturday (race report here), enjoyed a turkey dinner at home on Sunday, then woke up brutally early and went to Vancouver Island to race on Sunday.

Before I get into race details, I should mention that the turkey dinner turned out fantastic! I made a green bean casserole (smothered in cheese and cream), velvety mashed potatoes, Brussel sprouts, stuffing and a full turkey. It was far too much food for the two of us, but it all got used up in the days following, as well as turned into turkey soup. I can now say that I have made a turkey dinner!!

Okay. On to the race details.

In order to make the travel cheap and affordable, we walked on the ferry and had my Dad pick us up on the other side. He generously offered to drive us and our bikes to the race, as well as watch the race and drive us back to the ferry afterwards. How amazing is that?!? #bestdadaward

BC Ferries and My Inability to Open Doors

We had a brutally early morning, having to corral the bikes, our gear and the dog in order to catch the 6:30 AM ferry out of Horseshoe Bay. If you have ever been a walk-on passenger with a bike or dog to that ferry terminal, you'll know about the door code that you are given to get into the terminal, and how that code can only be used once. Well, we were already running behind on buying our ticket. We arrived to the ferry just as they were doing FINAL call for boarding passes. So the ticket lady wasn't too thrilled to sell us a last minute ticket. I made the situation even worse because when I entered the code to the door, I couldn't open the door. So, I ran back to the ticket booth in a fury, and requested a new code. The ticket lady made a big deal about it, had to call the ferry workers and see if we still had time to walk on, then lectured me, and she wasted so much time when she could have been issuing me a different code! So, I was frantic. I got the code, ran back, input the code and opened the door. Turns out I was either pushing or pulling the door, but I was doing the opposite of what needed to be done to open it. I was furious. We ran, bikes, bags and dog in tow, to get to the loading bay.

In the end, we managed to board the ferry for 6:30 AM. We found a spot for the bikes and then we settled into the pet room with Winston. Our day was not off to a good start.

On the Island

The ferry arrived in Departure Bay as scheduled, and I was so relieved to see my Dad there with his vehicle. He had even gone so far as to borrow a bike rack that fit his tow hitch, so loading up the bikes was a breeze.

We got on the road, comfy in the back seat with Winston snuggling in, and made our way down the island highway towards Victoria. It was a beautiful day and the drive down the highway was so beautiful! I felt it had been far too long since I had last been on that highway.

Bear Mountain

It was my first time going to Bear Mountain, and I was pleasantly surprised. It reminded me of a ski resort in the summer. Mountain bikes everywhere, a nice lodge area, and a spa/fitness centre. I have added a return trip to Bear Mountain to my to-do list...preferably during prime mountain bike season. The race site was just up behind the lodge and restaurant, on a golf range. I was told that the resort re-makes their driving range each year, so holding the race on the grass is no problem. How exciting is that!? Racing on a golf course! That's one item checked off my bucket list.

The race site was quite open and exposed, and even though the sun was shining, the wind was also blowing. It was cold and breezy. Really windy! The beginner race was just getting underway when we arrived, so we had a chance to cheer on some of the younger riders and the newbies. We changed into our skin-suits and race gear while the first race was happening, so that we could at least get a practice lap in before our start time.



 

The Race

Since this was not my first time racing on the island (and since I preregistered) I was fortunate enough to get a minor call-up. This meant that instead of starting at the very back, I was one row from the back! Every little bit counts.

*Side Note* I have to mention, that I love the island races because of the number of women coming out to compete. At Bear X'ing, there was 352 racers! That's incredible! In the Intermediate Women category (which is combined with single speed women, 40+ women, and U17 women) there were 42 racers that day. It's just incredible! We don't get those numbers showing up to race here on the Lower Mainland.

Image via Sean Voight

Image via Sean Voight

At the start, I did my best to blow past as many riders as possible, knowing that the technical, off-camber, soft loamy sand section was coming up, and I didn't want to be forced to run it due to someones' nontechnical ability. For lap 1 though this didn't quite work out the way I had planned, and I had to dismount and run a section.

The course featured a lot of switchback corners, the above-mentioned off-camber sandy section, a bit of a sand pit, a couple short straight stretches, a few punchy uphill sections that us mere mortals ran, and a drop-in section that made a lot of people walk their bikes. It was a fun mix of fast and fun and I feel that the technical sections really helped off-set the speedy sections, so that everyone (no matter their cycling expertise) had a fair play.

Each lap, I managed to pass a few people at a time. With so many riders out in the course, I couldn't tell how many women were actually ahead of me, so I just kept pushing. Part of my drive came from the fact that I wanted to win, and the other part of it came from the fact that I didn't want to be lapped by my partner, who was also racing in the Men's Intermediate category which had a one minute head start before the women. So nice of the race organizers to give the men a head start, no?! ;)

The Hole Shot.ca

On lap 2 I heard a familiar voice, and low and behold, my partner had suffered a mechanical failure and was unable to continue on with his race. He was now on the sidelines, with my Dad, cheering me on. He assured me that there were only a few more women in front of me.

Lap 4, I was starting to get tired. The weather was nice, but the strong wind and multiple run ups really started to take their toll. There was one girl closing in on my from behind, and I did my best to ward her off. I kept looking back to see how close she was, and pushing even harder to stay ahead.

As I neared the finish line, I knew she was right behind me. My Garmin said I had been racing for about 30+ minutes, meaning there would be another lap to make 45 minutes. So, after crossing the timing station, I dropped in on the downhill section and began lap 5.

When I looked back to check and see how close that girl was, I noticed she was gone. No where in sight. I assumed she had a mechanical and couldn't continue.

Well, was I ever wrong! As I continued on lap 5, I noticed fewer and fewer people out on the course. I started to pass more women, who I was lapping...when I came to the finish line, I noticed a LOT of women standing around. Turns out I was a doofus, and I rode an extra lap!

Tired and thirsty, I was fortunate that a co-worker stopped by to watch the race, and had brought some nice, wet, cold bevies. I enjoyed a victory beer, having realized that I placed third overall in the Intermediate Women's category.

Not a bad weekend on the new bike!





Race results are available here: http://www.crossontherock.com/php/race-results/?raceid=70

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Queen's Cross - October 8, 2016

Mud.

I had been dreaming about it, wishing about it, wanting it...since the end of last year's cyclocross season, I had anticipated this year's cyclocross season. Well, with Queen's CX in New Westminster, I got what I asked for.

Mud.

Copious amounts of mud.

Along with the mud, though, came the rain. Buckets and barrels of rain.


It was pouring rain when we pulled up, and pouring rain as we unpacked our gear from the car. Our team's tent has no walls, so the rain was getting everything wet and the mud was getting everything dirty. I had to stop and remind myself, why in the world did I want mud so bad?!??



We had a small tarp to layer and pile our bags and race gear on, to keep from getting mucky on the ground. It helped, somewhat. Rain would pool in the weak spots on the top of the tent and we had to keep pushing it over the sides of the tent, causing cascades of puddles on the ground around us.

No one would leave the race dry or clean today. No one.

While a part of me was trying to stay warm and dry so that I wasn't cold by the time my race began, the other part of me (maybe the child within me) wanted to run around, get dirty, jump in puddles and embrace the mud-fest that was all around.



I spent my time ringing the cow bell and providing cheers and shouts to the racers in the beginner and elite categories, before braving the mud and going for a practice lap. Er, well, half of a practice lap.

The mud felt like soup. Thick, chunky soup.

I tried my best to keep my bright neon shoes out of the mud, but eventually I succumbed to dipping my feet into the mud at the first obstacle I came to. It was deep!


The rain let up a bit as I was practising. We would later realize, that this break in the rain was really just giving us a false sense of hope.

The course turned out to be long, slippery (from the mud) and had a number of hills and jump-overs. The first few categories didn't do too many laps, because the course was long and slow, and I didn't anticipate the Intermediate women being a whole lot faster. In fact, the more people that rode the course, the more mud and rut that was created.

I didn't even finish my practice lap when I decided to turn around and head back up the hill to the start line. I wasn't about to take a chance missing the race! Not when I was already getting mucky and gross.

As I approached the start line, the rain started again. You see, false sense of hope! I had already ditched my jacket at the team tent, and was already getting covered in mud. So, I did what any island/redneck/bush kid would do. I embraced the rain, the wet, the cold. I stopped trying to hide below the trees (which didn't provide too much cover anyways) and I took my place in the start line. I readied myself for the start --- which was a very muddy, slippery start.

I knew that some of the girls would struggle in this mud, and I wanted to use this to my advantage. As soon as the race was started, I did my best to get out in front, as fast as I could. Some girls ran with their bikes, some girls started by pedalling, some barely moved at all. I aimed for the hole shot....

The mud proved to be a great obstacle. It was deep and slippery, causing so many riders to fall, run and walk. Sludging through the mud was slow and energy sucking, but attempting to pedal sometimes was so slow that walking was more efficient.



There were sections of the course where mud hid wet tree roots, holes and dips. Countless people face planted into the mud. They would rise from the mud, half mud, half human.

More and more people attempted to avoid the muddiest sections by riding far to the left or far to the right of the course, but after a couple laps, these areas too were slippery. Tree branches at face level made it difficult to cut too far to the sides.

Two separate ditches in the course made excellent spectator locations. One ditch was ride-able if you picked the right line and kept your speed up, while the other ditch likely would have destroyed your front wheel.

Downhill, off-camber sections sucked you down, while uphill mudslides made the leg muscles scream. Each lap got more slow and more slow.

The barriers, which were strategically positioned in amongst the switchback muddy corners, were also a slippery mess. The mud on either side of the barrier made "jumping" the barriers difficult. Instead, as I sludged up to each barrier, I did my best to move one leg over them at a time, in fear that I'd be doing the splits and landing on some lady-bits that I honestly don't want to damage.

Photo by Jeannine Avelino

Each lap became more challenging than the previous. The mud ruts became deeper, the mud became more slippery and wet. More wet roots were exposed. Clipping into pedals became nearly impossible, as the gunk built up in the medals and cleats.

Running certain sections of the course was also ridiculously difficult. Each stride was taken carefully, again, trying not to slip.

With each lap, my bike became more and more entrenched with mud. It caked on. It fell off. It fell into delicate pieces. It smothered my shiny new bike...

Photo by Jeannine Avelino

I did my best to pass the other women in my category and each lap, one by one, I took more places. While I managed to keep my race clean with no real falls, other people were losing seconds and minutes each time they fell off their bike. Before long, I was at the lead of my category, though I wasn't aware.

Last lap bell was rung, and I was so happy to hear it! I tried my best to keep the last woman I passed behind me. I knew she was close and if I made a mistake that she would take me out. I kept pushing, trying to run sections that were now too slow to ride. As I neared the finish line, I heard a 'crack' and I suddenly had no ability to move my cranks. I couldn't pedal. I nearly fell right over as I tried to un-clip from my pedals.

My derailleur hanger had snapped off. Damn! I could see the finish line from where I stood. So, I picked up my bike, shouldered it, and began a slow and careful run to the finish line. My heart was pounding even faster, because I knew that the woman behind me could catch up at any moment.

I ran in the mud-sludge all the way to the finish line....I was in first place.



Post-race, my bike was barely recognizable with all the mud and muck on it. I was cold, and wanted a beer. I found solace in a communal portable heater...so many muddy lycra outfits all huddled under one roof, sharing the radiant heat. The mud-fest was over.

I took first place this day, and was happy with my performance. Sad that my bike decided to give up, but happy that it got me to the final lap.

Thank you to the sponsors and all involved in putting on such a great race!

Race results are here: http://vcxc.ca/results/queens-cx-2016-results/

This last weekend I got to experience a new course, for me, the Vanier Park cyclocross course.

A lot of people were excited for this race because:

1. It's easy to get to (being in the city)
2. It's more of a crit than a cyclocross course (it's fast)
3. It's well organized with good attendance of spectators and racers
4. There's some good prizes to be won 

I was excited and nervous for this race. Since everyone was telling me that it was fast and flat, I was worried the course wouldn't play to my strengths. I'm not the fastest rider on the course, but I make up for my speed in my technical abilities.

This would be my first day racing on my new bike too! Yes, new bike. I'll tell you about that soon.

The weather on Saturday had been wet and cold. I was hoping that the rain would continue on to Sunday too, and that we would have a mud fest. But, again, my hopes were crushed. Really, weather-man, weather-woman, weather-person! Is it that hard to order mud? That's all I want. Mud. Maybe with a bit of rain and mess.

While it wasn't raining or pouring on Sunday morning, it was a bit chilly. It was sunny and chilly. I was super happy to get to wear the skinsuit for racing again. That thing is cozy! A bit tight in places, but cozy.

We showed up early enough to catch the beginner's race start. There were a lot of people there, which was exciting. More than 100 people in the first race start. The first corner of the men's beginner race was so plugged up that people couldn't move. It was so entertaining!

I spent the morning ringing the cow bell, taking photos, eating waffles (thank you!) and enjoying the (cold) sun. My legs were stiff and sore from (I assume) moving and emptying the storage locker the day before. Multiple trips up and down the stairs of the apartment building, carrying heavy items...made me feel stiff and tight, almost as if I had just gone for a run. I tried to warm up before the race, but I was limited to busy pedestrian-bike shared pathways and the road. It didn't make warming up very easy.


There was a pretty decent turn out of women to the Intermediate race. There were 22 women on the start line - a mix of U17, masters and intermediate. A lot of the same faces from the previous races and a lot of new ones. Even a Continental Crit Nasty racer out on the cross course. It was nice to see cyclists from various disciplines out to race.

I got a call up based on my previous race results. We started off, and for most of the first lap I kept in pretty good sight of the first few leaders. I also kept a pretty decent sized group of women behind me. The course was certainly a good course if you had power and speed, but if you didn't have cornering abilities, you would suffer. I loved all the tight turns and corners that the race course designer tossed in there. It really helped the course feel less like a crit, and more like a cross race. The barriers on the uphill section were tough for my little legs, but I managed.




It was a lot of work holding those women back, and when it came to the flat straight sections they would get ahead of me. Then, we'd get back in the corners and I'd gain back on them.

I was having a riot. I get so pumped when there's racers in my sight and when I can hear them behind me. It fuels me to push harder and reach deeper for strength.

Hecklers along the course, cowbells ding-dinging, people cheering, spectators hollering and team mates pelting people with marshmallows, made the race even more entertaining. Honestly, is there anything better than racing cyclocross? How did I live before I came into this sport?



About 25:00 minutes into the course my back started to give me intense amounts of pain. Every push of the pedal felt awful. It felt like I was over stretched, and the pain was taking away from my enjoyment and my ability to keep my power up. I guess this is what I get for hopping onto a new bike part way through the cycling season.



It only took seconds for the women behind me to take advantage of my plight and pass me. I couldn't prevent them and barely had the ability to catch up. I actually had to slow down and take a bit of a break. I re-positioned myself on the bike. I kept pedalling, more people passed. I kept going. I wasn't about to give up. It was so close to the end. Another lap or two and the race would be finished.

The pain in my back was so bad that when I got to the barriers, I had trouble dismounting. I had even more trouble trying to pick my bike up. My wheels rubbed along the top of the wood barriers as I made my way over. My remount was pathetic.



35:00 minutes into the race and I was still feeling pain, but I was far too stubborn to give up. I kept going, however slow I was being. I was swearing under my breath when it hurt more. I was cursing. I was showing a pain face for sure!

Last lap bell finally came on, and I tried to pick up the pace. The more straight that I sat, the better my back felt, but the less speed I was able to carry. Knowing it was my last lap made it a bit easier. Corey was there with my dog (I had been dogless for 2 weeks!) and I was excited to finish. I had no sprint to the finish line. I was done.


I crossed the line and immediately headed off the course. I felt stiff. I didn't even feel as if I could lift my leg to get it over the bike. I waited a few moments for the pain to subside a bit, and then I laid on the grass. I tried to stretch the pain out. It hurt. I wanted to hug my dog.

As I cooled down and was not longer pedalling, the pain got more and more manageable. I made my way back to the team tent. High-fived and congratulated everyone on their performance. Then, I got to hug my dog! Two weeks, it had been since I dropped him off with Grandma to have a dog-vacay while I embarked on my 9 day racing vacation. I hate leaving him, but it's impossible to take him everywhere. He was equally as excited to see me, and he covered me in snorts, snuffles and hair.We were reunited at last. ♥

It was a really fun race, and I think I managed to take a 9th place overall in my category. Not the worst, considering how slow I was going along the end. I was impressed with my ability to keep up my speed on this course, especially since I was so worried about that in the beginning.

Next step, is to get my bike fit done and do a few more rides with the new positioning so that my back adjusts accordingly. I don't want this pain to occur during the next race.

I'm holding a third place spot in the series standings right now for points. I'm excited to see where the series ends up in the end, and SUPER excited for some of the courses we have yet to race.

You can view my Strava details here: https://www.strava.com/activities/732586352

You can view the race results here: http://vcxc.ca/results/vanier-cx-2016-results/