Long Flowy FUN!

“Please don’t make me stand up yet,” went through my head
as I sat under the Shimano tent waiting to be herded down to the Langdale ferry. I spent over five hours in the saddle today. It was truly Epic. Epic course, epic that I did it!
Got a chuckle this morning at breakfast when one of the Epic riders commented he was thinking maybe he’d move down to Challenge today. Problem was both of us were doing the same course. A knotty 45 kilometers of the gnarly Sunshine Coast. Vertical gain 5300 feet.
Happy Canada Day!
The clouds opened up before race start. I’d dawned my raincoat. At the last minute I thought I’d put in my Hot Shot toe warmers. It was cold. Worked great till we got to the creek crossing. No choice. Feet got wet.
I have to say, reflecting now, I enjoyed today’s course more then yesterday’s. Even with the increased vertical. The length though had me banging on the wall. I kept ‘er going. Kept thinking what my pal, Catherine had Facebooked me with last night, “One kilometer at a time, you’ll peel it off before you know it.”
I was also grateful for the two Aid Stations. Enough time to fuel up on bananas and top up water and off we go. At the second Aid Station, Rod the Course Designer assured us only two more kilometers of climbing and then it was all downhill.
You had to be on to do this course. Thankfully I felt better then I did yesterday as far as focus. Gassed, yes definitely. But somehow always in control.
Until the downhill ditch dig. Don’t know what I did but I ended up on my shoulder, bike along with me. Race plate scrunched. I got up, no major damage and thought, man I gotta get this done.
Pretty pleased I managed this amount of “K” on Day 5. Can’t believe we’re already heading into Day 6.
As I sat down at dinner talking up the day I got the racer’s thirst on. Please don’t make me stand up yet, rang in my head again. Young Paramedic and pal, Megan Thompson sensed my need. Energetically volunteering to stand up for me and get more water.
What a day. I have to say. What a day. Day 6 here we come.

Go Time! BC Bike Race

This week is supposed to be a rest/recovery week, ahead of the BC Bike Race race week. I’m troubled when I think of all I could of done, training wise but couldn’t. Not that I didn’t try. It was time.
Although the Challenge course, which is new to BC Bike Race this year, is not the full pull of the Epic course, it is something one needs to train and prepare for.
When I passed on a comment to my pal, Rose today with regards to how I’m feeling, her reply made me laugh. I spoke to my subconscious in this tone, “Cancel that thought!”
I said I was starting to get excited. She said, “I’d be petrified!”
Oh boy, I know what I’m in for. I plan on enjoying it. I suppose you call it a race, but really for me I’m there to ride. My goal is to make every cut-off time and not make any volunteers or BC Bike Race staff wait for me. Also, to ensure I get’er done each day so I have enough time to recover for the next day.
Now I can say I’ve ridden the North Shore in Vancouver, a bit of the trails in Nanaimo, a lot in Cumberland, a little in Powell River, nothing at all on the Sunshine Coast, a smidgen of Squamish and some of Whistler. So what am I looking forward to most? Honestly, I have to say sweating, getting the heart pumping and breathing in all that beautiful fresh forest air. Getting in a 2-6 hour work out a day: BONUS!
When I dropped the dog off to my girlfriend, Irma’s house tonight I told her about my tailgater position in all the races I’ve done. That got her mind going.
“Call yourself the Last But Not Least Club!” she said.
We headed to the computer thinking about the Tortoise and the Hair… slow and steady wins the race.
Then we found this one: The race is not given to the swift nor the strong but he who endures until the end. (http://wiki.answers.com)
That’ll be me.

Note: The Prologue starts on Saturday, June 26th in North Vancouver with Day 1 beginning in Nanaimo June 27. For more information visit www.bcbikerace.com