After getting my cast-boot off & getting back to riding again mid summer I saw a post for this race & right away I wanted to do it. It sounded like an awesome tour through some of the best trails in Horseshoe Valley ski area & across in Copeland Forest & also over at the Heights of Horseshoe. All in one long event!
I really had no idea this was going to be probably the toughest race I've ever participated in to date.
But looking back - there were a few clues...
Clue 1 - Before registering I asked Peter if I should sign up for the full 70km distance or the 1/2. He did not hesitate to advise that the 35km (1/2 distance - 'citizen' version) was going to be a better fit for me & will definitely be a great challenge.
Clue 2 - A few days prior - my assigned workouts became really gentle. Filled with terms like 'easy spin', 'easy effort', 'eat well', 'nap', etc. Not even a course pre ride.
Clue 3 - The fact it was the 'Canadian Marathon Nationals'. For real. Huge clue.
Clue 3 - The fact it was the 'Canadian Marathon Nationals'. For real. Huge clue.
Hmmm.
On race day I woke up to rain pounding my bedroom window. Instead of going back to sleep I got up & ready to go looking out every few minutes watching more rain fall. I was seriously hoping by some odd chance it might not be raining at Horseshoe. Considering I live less than 5 mins drive away from Horseshoe Resort this was very unlikely.
And for some crazy reason I left my nice warm dry house where my family was having breakfast by the fire & drove over to Horseshoe.
5 mins later I arrived and parked my car & sat in it for a minute while the rain pelted the glass. Had a moment thought of maybe it will let up a bit. Nope. And for some strange reason I also did not once consider leaving & going back home.
Got on my bike & warmed up a little by riding around in the rain for just a few minutes. Not sure I was actually physically getting warm but I was busy warming up my brain thinking positive thoughts of how it's good we will be in the forest and not out on a road, etc.
And then my family surprised me by showing up! Not sure if they were there to laugh or cheer but the fact they also chose to leave the warm dry house to be out in the rain says either they love me or were there to rescue me or both.
Then I gave away my rain jacket & it was go time!
Go as in straight up...the 'start loop' to separate the riders started straight up. Up & down the ski hill at Horseshoe twice before crossing the road to Copeland. I was pretty much crushed after the first 5km & super happy I was signed up for the 'citizen' version - pretty sure I couldn't ride that twice!
Then under the tunnel across Horseshoe Valley Rd. to the Copeland.
The Copeland forest section had lots of double track mixed in with some singletrack & all the hills possible including the steepest hill in the land. (20% grade) Which I totally had to hike-a-bike up. But it was ok! It was covered in footprints. Actually many many hills were covered in footprints which really made me feel better - I was not the only hike-a-biker out there!
Then the course took us over to the vintage singletrack trails from the olden days (1980's??) over at Horseshoe Highlands. All new to me though & the parts I remember most were super extra skinny off camber across the hill trails - very cool & interesting but my difficulty was in dealing with all the random crazy angle fallen trees across the trail - that were of course wet & super slippery. In dry conditions - even never having seen them before (no course pre-ride) they weren't that big & I'm fairly confident I could ride them. So approaching the first one business as usual....then zip!!! I'm off!! Ok back on the bike. On to the next one....zip!!! Off again!!! Wow getting back up & going again after those was totally zapping my energy! So plan B - hike-a-biking over the angled logs though slower was less risky & for sure less tiring & there was still a long way to go.
And there was the rain. Still raining. Even just part way in my shoes were totally full & each pedal stroke I could feel the water sloshing. Still I was having a lot of fun! Totally embracing the adventure & the challenges of unseen trails in pouring rain & also keeping to a schedule of eating & remembering to drink - even when not hungry or thirsty.
Then we were back through the tunnel and into the Horseshoe Valley side.
When I was looking at the course map I had read it thinking we would ride all the Horseshoe trails first, then Copeland side then back to finish by the main chalet. But nope they saved the majority of the Horseshoe trails for the latter part. Which included all the race trails at Horseshoe with no 'sport class friendly' ride arounds (of course not! remember clue #3 - it's marathon nationals!). Many sections I had ridden before in the rain in 2014 and many that were totally new to me. So many steep slippery climbs to hike-a-bike while sliding backwards each step. Each time I was so happy to make it up and celebrate that I was only doing 1 lap around!
And while doing my 1 lap....remembering the amazing elite riders at the front were going to catch up to me soon... I was a little worried about getting run over!
But when they caught me what actually happened was not that at all...they just passed me easily & I got to watch them ride & hike up stuff right by me & appreciate their skills & strength close up! So amazing! (and yes they were hiking sections too - but wow such awesome fast hike-a-biking!) Some of them were so smooth & it was amazing to see how different riders handled tough stuff in different ways. Some with powerful finesse & some with more of an agressive attack style. All of it awesome.
Then....just as I thought we were near the end & it was almost over....I noticed people riding back up the hills we rode at the start....oh no...the first time at the beginning that start loop was super tough - now at the end...omg no idea how I rode up those hills again but
somehow I did it. Finished that 'bleep'er!
On race day I woke up to rain pounding my bedroom window. Instead of going back to sleep I got up & ready to go looking out every few minutes watching more rain fall. I was seriously hoping by some odd chance it might not be raining at Horseshoe. Considering I live less than 5 mins drive away from Horseshoe Resort this was very unlikely.
And for some crazy reason I left my nice warm dry house where my family was having breakfast by the fire & drove over to Horseshoe.
5 mins later I arrived and parked my car & sat in it for a minute while the rain pelted the glass. Had a moment thought of maybe it will let up a bit. Nope. And for some strange reason I also did not once consider leaving & going back home.
Got on my bike & warmed up a little by riding around in the rain for just a few minutes. Not sure I was actually physically getting warm but I was busy warming up my brain thinking positive thoughts of how it's good we will be in the forest and not out on a road, etc.
And then my family surprised me by showing up! Not sure if they were there to laugh or cheer but the fact they also chose to leave the warm dry house to be out in the rain says either they love me or were there to rescue me or both.
Then I gave away my rain jacket & it was go time!
Go as in straight up...the 'start loop' to separate the riders started straight up. Up & down the ski hill at Horseshoe twice before crossing the road to Copeland. I was pretty much crushed after the first 5km & super happy I was signed up for the 'citizen' version - pretty sure I couldn't ride that twice!
Then under the tunnel across Horseshoe Valley Rd. to the Copeland.
The Copeland forest section had lots of double track mixed in with some singletrack & all the hills possible including the steepest hill in the land. (20% grade) Which I totally had to hike-a-bike up. But it was ok! It was covered in footprints. Actually many many hills were covered in footprints which really made me feel better - I was not the only hike-a-biker out there!
Then the course took us over to the vintage singletrack trails from the olden days (1980's??) over at Horseshoe Highlands. All new to me though & the parts I remember most were super extra skinny off camber across the hill trails - very cool & interesting but my difficulty was in dealing with all the random crazy angle fallen trees across the trail - that were of course wet & super slippery. In dry conditions - even never having seen them before (no course pre-ride) they weren't that big & I'm fairly confident I could ride them. So approaching the first one business as usual....then zip!!! I'm off!! Ok back on the bike. On to the next one....zip!!! Off again!!! Wow getting back up & going again after those was totally zapping my energy! So plan B - hike-a-biking over the angled logs though slower was less risky & for sure less tiring & there was still a long way to go.
And there was the rain. Still raining. Even just part way in my shoes were totally full & each pedal stroke I could feel the water sloshing. Still I was having a lot of fun! Totally embracing the adventure & the challenges of unseen trails in pouring rain & also keeping to a schedule of eating & remembering to drink - even when not hungry or thirsty.
Then we were back through the tunnel and into the Horseshoe Valley side.
When I was looking at the course map I had read it thinking we would ride all the Horseshoe trails first, then Copeland side then back to finish by the main chalet. But nope they saved the majority of the Horseshoe trails for the latter part. Which included all the race trails at Horseshoe with no 'sport class friendly' ride arounds (of course not! remember clue #3 - it's marathon nationals!). Many sections I had ridden before in the rain in 2014 and many that were totally new to me. So many steep slippery climbs to hike-a-bike while sliding backwards each step. Each time I was so happy to make it up and celebrate that I was only doing 1 lap around!
And while doing my 1 lap....remembering the amazing elite riders at the front were going to catch up to me soon... I was a little worried about getting run over!
But when they caught me what actually happened was not that at all...they just passed me easily & I got to watch them ride & hike up stuff right by me & appreciate their skills & strength close up! So amazing! (and yes they were hiking sections too - but wow such awesome fast hike-a-biking!) Some of them were so smooth & it was amazing to see how different riders handled tough stuff in different ways. Some with powerful finesse & some with more of an agressive attack style. All of it awesome.
Then....just as I thought we were near the end & it was almost over....I noticed people riding back up the hills we rode at the start....oh no...the first time at the beginning that start loop was super tough - now at the end...omg no idea how I rode up those hills again but
somehow I did it. Finished that 'bleep'er!
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| And a few weeks later - with more appreciation for a sunny day.... back for more fun in the beautiful Copeland forest! |
