2014 O Cup #1 - Woodnewton

So some of you know already...I've been "training with Peter" (yes the famous Peter Glassford from the Trek Canada MTB Team)  for about 6 months now and so I was pretty curious to see how all this Smart Athlete stuff comes out in a race situation.  I've been feeling good on the bike & actually really good in general - sort of an overall strength & goodness feeling.  Actually ever since getting back full-bore into mountain biking I have improved my fitness generally every season but felt like I kinda hit a plateau last year & was sliding backwards by the end of last season.  And after asking around for help & suggestions...Barry Near (also quite famous big cheese of Trek Toronto/Aurora/Barrie) suggested I get in touch with Peter...and now here I am...learning tons about cool stuff I never even thought of...and doing lots of burpees and eating sweet potatoes.

And after a long winter - rarin' to race bikes again in the woods!!

Lookin serious on the wooden stairs...forgot to smile!

Finally my chance... the first Ocup!

In the start corral I probably visited with the other girls a bit too much...as usual.  Was hanging out at the back of the class chit chatting & waiting for the start...like usual...

Then GO time!

I flipped into race mode & possibly after my start lap in 10000 bikes experience at last years Summer Solstice I just started weaving quickly through the traffic & within probably 1 minute had worked my way up to the front group.  Cool!  Then around a corner to a flatish section...then up again but steep...and caught a couple more riders!  Way cool!

I found myself chasing Denise.  I know she has been training to do the 24hr race solo so she's in fine form. And Michelle was chasing me...this year on a 29er...plus her awesome singletrack skills - I was feeling stoked to be monkey in the middle...and working to not let her catch me while keeping Denise in sight!

We were like this all the way to the big rock garden at the end of the lap where I am a chicken.  What I mean is I can do the chicken line (around the rock garden) pretty fast & way faster than I can ride through the rocks so that was my plan.  Michelle was chasing...we split...and I beat her!  Oh yeah!  Now for sure she will be on me like glue so I put everything I had into keeping her from catching me.

I almost died for sure on the steep part of the start climb next lap - but I could see Denise near the top of the hill & could hear Michelle probably a couple bike lengths behind me...had the 'why am I doing this. it's so hard. I could just walk a bit & catch up. I wish I had an easier gear.' conversation in my head...fought it off just to keep Michelle from catching me.

And the rest of the lap...same order - Denise, monkey me, Michelle...all 3 of us fighting to get the other...until back to the big rock garden near the end again.  I chose to stick with my same plan...gave the chicken line all I had...and this time Michelle pinned it through the rocks like a shot and totally got me. Awesome.  High fives!!  (and a 5th place finish for me!)

Wow! What a great race!  And for the first time - I was racing it the whole time & not just surviving to get the laps done.  Yay Smart Athlete!    Wicked Fun!

Cali baby!

Oxnard, California
February 2014
6 girls
3 sunny warm perfect days for riding bikes
1 awesome coach & guide

Peter Glassford (Trek Canada MTB team) slowed down for a few hours each day to take us out riding on some really cool trails.
Brave man!  The 6 of us are all +40 Moms...and we can be quite the handfull!

In addition to guiding - Peter helped us with skills.  Like this....ha!

Ahhhhh the views!

Joyride Women's Weekend 2014

This year was my first time coaching at the Women's Weekend and I knew it was going to be really fun but had no idea how many brave and determined girls I would get to help!  What a great time!!  I was so proud to be able to help!

I was there on Saturday coaching all day in the "Learn to Joyride" section (#1) with Katlyn Dundas.  I was really happy Katlyn had done this before and had a good plan how to get everyone going & how to speak really loudly so everyone could hear!  My guess is we had about 30 girls arrive at our section first thing Saturday so we were busy busy!!

Being in the beginner section was amazing.  I was so impressed!   The range of ages was very cool too.  I think the youngest girl was about 7...all the way up to my age....over 40 ish...(ahem).  

I even had my phone with me so I could take some cool pics to post.
But...ended up taking pictures of people using their own phones...forgot to use my own! Duh!

My first Joyride instructor's shirt!
We got purple...and the participants got black!

130 women riders woo hoo!!

NEW BIKE

Went to the Trek store today...and look what was there....

Oh my!!

 So pretty.  So shiny.
My 5 min stop in turned out to be muuuuuch longer.  Just couldn't leave...had to keep looking...I am in love...

Yes yes yes!!

C'mon spring....

Canadian winter - this time it's for real.

So might as well embrace it...and get out there for some fresh air (it's extra fresh right now too)!
Just like Moms everywhere kicking kids outside - it will make you feel better - really it will - even if all it does is make that coffee, hot bath, fire, stew, etc even more awesome.

And a great way to get hot on a crazy cold day....go snowshoeing!  And since spring is coming soon (I hope) snowshoeing is great cross training for all the cycling that will be happening really soon (I hope) & WAY easier to figure out than XC skiing.  I know because I've tried XC skiing... and I seriously need help...but that will be another story.

Meanwhile - I was very lucky to sneak in a short trek in the woods this morning and somehow managed to be out during the only sunny part of the day!

Goggles totally needed for the field crossing to get to the forest.

In the woods...not feeling the -1000 coldness out of the wind & making my own trail in deep snow! Hard work - stopped to switch to thinner mittens!

 Had to cross this skinny bridge VERY carefully.  It's the width of one snowshoe & the crosses over a stream flowing 10 feet below.  Still thick with ice from the famous ice storm so kind of rounded on top so not feeling stable even with snowshoes....glad I made it across but was freaking out a bit!!

2013 Tour de King

Sunday Sept 22nd was the 3rd annual Tour de King point to point race from Cold Creek Conservation area (on 11th Concession in King just north of King Road) to Seneca College King Campus on Dufferin Street.
It's a really cool fall event on a 50k course through road (paved, dirt, gravel), double track trail road allowances through the Happy Valley forest, some private singletrack, Centennial park (a.k.a. the King trails), and the fun singletrack trails at Seneca, finishing up with a great BBQ with all your friends at the end.

The weather for this year was calling for a great day - no rain & warm fall temps for the race.  However, the day before it rained a LOT.  And it even rained some more during the start and for probably the first few kms it was still raining.  Which meant mud.  Which for me was a good thing since I had not bothered to change my tires.  I have great tires on my bike (big knobbies) that are terrible for the road.

I don't have a biking computer thingy on my bike so I am guessing how far the sections are by counting concessions and figured the first approx 8-10 km is a mix of dirt and paved road.   I was really feeling slow along this part.  My tires were noisy, it was raining, the wind was blowing in my face, the wet gravel was splattering up from my front tire all over my glasses and I felt like I had to pedal a lot harder than I wanted to to just keep up with the people around me. Ugh. And it was only the beginning!

Smiling on the road - happy & warm in all my rain gear! Thinking maybe some fenders would be nice...

We turned up on to the 8th Concession and a couple hills later...the entrance to the first singletrack section. Sooooo happy.  Didn't even mind that the way in is straight up a big hill.  Bye bye people from the road.  My bike is perfectly setup for the forest.  No more wind, no splattering gravel, no slipping & sliding either - just happy times in someone's private forest full of trails.  Very cool.

Then back on to the road.  Another 6 -8 kms (guessing) until the next trail section which starts at the road allowance the end of the 7th Concession.  It goes up (first hill is steep but rideable), then crazy up (2nd hill is rediculous steepness up a giant trench with a deep rain rut down the middle...hike a bike city) and then up once more (steep loose gravel but also rideable).  Then fast down to the next double track trail road allowance at the 16th Sideroad heading East.  I was feeling awesome through here!

Then we pop out of the woods to cross Weston Rd, then over to Jane St. and up to the King trails.  Also great and the connecting trails out the 'back door' (and through someone's back yard - so cool of them to allow us to race through!).  We were routed through some neat little trails eventually popping out on to Keele.

Then down along Keele St.  Fully paved regular road. Windy & sunny...and LOUD!  Holy smokes my tires made my bike sound like a monster truck!!  By now I'm starting to feel my legs getting tired.  No idea how far I am in kms at this point but I was trying to tuck in and roll as fast down the hills as I could to avoid having to pedal on the up sides.  Still had to pedal up.  And thinking maybe I should have changed my tires!

Oh well - soon enough back on to trails again at Seneca so must be almost done!  Except that I think the course was set up to go through every single trail in the Seneca forest.  I kept seeing people winding through the trails in the trees everywhere and felt like I was turning around and around in a crazy maze and it would never end!

Nice mellow double track climb in the woods.  Still smiling!

 The trails in Seneca are pretty cool.  One day I will go there to just ride for fun with non-tired legs.  Riding in there near the end of 50k was slow going for me again this year.  My legs were getting crampy but still good to pedal...and granny gear was my best friend!  I never had to fully stop - just kept on going...until getting stuck behind 'sneaker guy'.

A little steeper...more serious face...c'mon legs...

Sneaker guy is my new reason to do the Tour de King next year with better fitness so I don't get stuck like this.  He was just fast enough and I was just not powerful enough.  Anything twisty/roots/or log over and he was off his bike. And blocking the whole trail. Which happens. But usually the 2nd (or 3rd or 4th) time you mess up a climb and have to get off and have a rider still on their bike riding up behind you - it is polite to let them ride by. Yes I know it's a race but really - it's not like we are fighting for the big money or anything.  But with crampy baby legs spinning granny through the woods I had no such bursts of power available and each time I had to clip out, hike behind him, and clip back in, my legs were screaming.

Until the last twisty climb out.  I didn't know it was the last one - but there we were - sneaker guy in front, he encounters a root, puts his sneaker feet down, gets off and starts pushing his bike...totally blocking the trail again...and I'm riding behind... I slow up to see if he would hop back on (nope) and then look up and noticed the trail twisting up.  Oh no!! He's totally going to push his bike the whole way up. I just can't unclip again.  So much easier to just keep spinning along in granny and I am seriously terrified the way my legs are feeling if I unclip I will cramp up and not be able to move (this happened in year 1 - I was locked up totally on the very last steep hill for 10 mins)!  So... I yelled at him.   Move over pleeeeease!  Still riding! (insert seriously irritated Mom voice) And he moved...and I pedalled up...and at the top was a long straight flat.

And now my head is all busy...I can't believe I just yelled at someone, my legs are yelling to me to stop, I'm yelling (now in my head - I think) to my legs to calm down just keep spinning...and wondering if this is going to ever end...(and why didn't I ask 'sneaker guy' to move over 100 hills ago when I was still able to speak calmly?).....
then I see my family and friends cheering at the end of the long straight!  It was the end!  Oh sooooo happy!

Done!  Good for 6th place in my category - 50k women age 40-49!

Right after finishing a race is pretty much the best part.  Relief, happiness, excitement all bubble to the top - groups of riders & friends & family at the finish area - all hyper to share what just happened with each other.  It is so cool and makes lining up at the start (even in the rain) totally worth it.  If you haven't tried it (and I mean any bike race at all) you really have to do it at least once.  Beware...it can be addictive!

And yes, for the record, I found 'Sneaker Guy' at the finish area and went over and apologized!  :-)

2013 Canadian National MTB Championships - Sunday Master Sport Women Edition

I hadn't had a big crash in awhile.  Just lots of little ones - nothing too bad or scary to even considering not getting right back on and continuing riding.  Until pre-riding Nationals on Friday.

I went up with the plan to pre-ride 2 easy laps just to scope out the course.  At my age I find if possible to not ride the day before a race is best and taking it easy a few days before is also a good idea.

So easy lap 1 was fine.  Just a minor tumble - I skidded across a slippery sand covered root while braking in a section full of people practicing riding a rocky section.  No biggie.
After rolling off the course on my way to head back to re-fill my water, I was given a little VIP treatment from the Trek World Racing crew - I stopped to say hi to Emily & Adam and while chatting with them, Emily's mechanic came over and wiped the dust off of me so I was ready for easy lap 2!  How cool was that!

Easy pre-ride lap 2 was all good and I was feeling happy with the course and ready to race it on Sunday!   ....Until I reached almost the end.  I could see the chalet and just had one little section left to go...then BOOM.  Down I went.  Hard.  Hard enough I cried a little!  I was going full speed, something grabbed my front wheel and I flew off.  I remember the feeling of my head clunking the ground & my glasses smooshing off my face. I had to sit on the ground a few minutes to collect myself, then slowly got up, arms & legs still working, and check my bike.  Brakes ok, levers all twisted, grips shredded, chain back on, gears working...ride back slooowly to the car.

Back to the car where I made a new friend.  The girl parked next to me was helping her kids load up their bikes and saw me... "oh my gosh are you racing on Sunday?".  Apparently she was planning to race Sunday also (in my category too!) and my messy situation freaked her out a bit!  I assured her the course was totally fine - just a 'moment' for me in an easy section.  I still had no idea what the big deal was so she took this picture of me with my phone so I could see myself. 

Didn't look too bad.  Hurt like heck!

So I put my bike in the car & headed back to the chalet to clean up & see first aid to get a bandaid.

While in the chalet changeroom where there are mirrors I really saw my mess!  Gross. Scrapes all the way up to my shoulder.  I cleaned my arm in the tiny sink as best I could.  A friend of mine who works at Hardwood saw me in there & came back with the first aid kit and helped clean out the little stones from my arm. Ouch!  Then she bandaged me up. Aaaaah.
Then I got changed and got to see the other scrapes and locations of bruises to come...oh boy...my hip is going to look nasty.  No wonder I hurt so much.  And the actual race hadn't even happened yet!

Next stop Trek Aurora - for Zach to do a quick emergency bike check - make sure my bike is safe and good to go again.

So by the end of day Saturday - bike was perfect & after a whole day of resting & icing & Advilling...I was getting more & more nervous!

It wasn't that I was nervous about racing- those kinds of butterflies are normal...I was nervous about just riding!  I kept re-playing my fall in my head & it wasn't helping that my husband was also worried and was asking me a zillion questions to figure out what happened so it wouldn't happen again.   I consider myself a cautious rider - I won't ride over my head, won't be tempted to try something I'm not comfortable with...but this fall was in an easy section that I had ridden through hundreds of times.  If I had crashed trying something tricky that would make sense - but crashing while just riding normal???  Freaking me out!!

Woke up Sunday...race day...nervous.  Feeling physically not too bad as long as nothing touches my right arm or hip. Made the nervous decision to go race.  Packed up & drove to Hardwood.  Not quite fast enough.

I was doing everything more slowly than usual. Going through the motions - nervously changing into my riding clothes, putting on my number plate, saying hello to friends parked next to me...I didn't have time for a warm up ride around so went straight to the start line.

Lining up with my category is really cool. It kind of feels like home in a way.  We are all ready to shut off the world and just give 'er!  I rolled up and got a big hug hello from 'switch back girl' & talk about how nervous I was!  I wore a sleeve (arm warmer) on my right arm to possibly protect it from additional scratches so of course got lots of questions about why the one sleeve, etc., etc., etc....ugh so nervous....hoping once we start pedalling I'll feel better.  My insides were in knots.

Go time!  Pedalling up. Long double track hill under the shady trees.  Big ring. Hmmm. Feeling calm. Remembering just a few years ago riding here for the first time not being able to ride up this hill without stopping for a rest.  Then making it up in my easiest gear.  Now feeling comfortable in big ring.  Breathing calmly. Pass some people.  Hearing a girl ride up & past me. She is breathing really hard. Ride my own race.  Don't ride hers.  Get to the top, zoom down some rocks & up & pass another rider on the up...not nervous anymore...feeling the flow!  Yaaaa hoo!

The rain that fell on Friday evening turned the trails into a singletrack paradise of traction!  I don't think I've ever ridden Hardwood in such perfect conditions.  It was amazing and I was so happy to be riding!

When riding alone or with friends my mind is constantly busy.  Talking, thinking, dreaming, etc. In a race I feel like I am disappearing into another world.  Completely focused on riding without thinking about anything else but flowing smoothly and catching up to the girl 20 secs ahead.  And catch her I almost did in my fierce battle for 7th!  I kept getting closer to her on the climbs - feeling like I might barf a couple times trying to close the gap.  In the last km her back wheel even almost fell off (skewer flipped open) and I got ahead - for a second...then let some fast guys by...and she was able to get her wheel back tight fast enough to be quickly back on her bike & right behind them...totally suprised to see her there - gave her a 'nice'...& hopped in right behind to chase her to the end.

So much fun.