National champs

As athletes, there are so many reasons that can prevent us from racing, such as illness or injury. When we've done the preparation, the bike is in working order, the body is ready, it's really devastating to hear the words from the officials mouth that tell you you won't be on the start line that day.

As tempted as I was to go and mope, I knew that I should put it aside for the moment and support Simon as he raced in the men's race. Being on the side line allowed me to watch some amazing Canadian riders in action.

For the national championships, the women's start list seemed small to me. With a start line of 16 riders, only the best had shown up.

The women's race started at such a fast pace that a part of me wondered if I could have kept up. Catharine Pendrel took the lead effortlessly as the strong rider she is. Check out Catherine's blog for her story of the race.

The men's race might have been another story, with so many strong men in the field to challenge our world cup racer, Geoff Kabush. The leaders stayed close together until about lap 3 (if I remember right) when Geoff demonstrated what power is. He came through the start/finish area and I watched as he changed his position slightly and just turned the power on, and pulled away from everyone a pedal stroke at a time. It was amazing to watch.

Photo highlights from the BC Bike Race

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Brent Martin was the real winner of the BC Bike Race. After starting Day 1 sick with the flu - or food poisoning. He completed the course, went home to bed and started Day 2 on his bike.....half way through Brent got the energy liquid that many of us tried to fake heatstroke symptoms in hope of getting hooked up.
Many IV's later he was back on his bike for Day 3.
By Day 4, so Kat and I were pleasantly surprised to see his smiling face on the start line...without a bike, taking photos. He decided to take a rest day.....but was back on the bike for day 6.

Lines from the BC Bike Race

"You know that tree back there....the one on the left?.................I hugged it.

"I'm on my 10th wind."

"I'm even panting going down hill" (Day 5)

"You know the funny thing..." (Funny was omitted from our allowed words by day 5)

"There's some sweet flowy single track coming up! You'll love it." (never mind the steep uphill beforehand)

Day 7

We were on a high today! I think adrenaline kicked in and we kept riding strong. The tons of hill climbing that today's stage involved didn't really bother us because it made for some great single track downhill.
The best and last stage of the day the photographer Dave Silver followed me down the trail and commented on how well I was riding and wished that he could shoot while riding behind me. I wished he could have too. Then he would have gotten a shot of the low tree limb before he ran into it with his helmet :)

Just before the last climb there were some stairs we had to climb up. There was a spectator standing at the top making comments at us for not riding up. I commented that I could do it if I was a trials rider before clueing in that it was my friend Ryan who had come to watch.

Day 6

I started with a smile on my face today and it didn't go away. I knew there would be some great single track DH and because of that I didn't mind the long climb up. I love the techinical single track. Today showed me that even though we are tired we are getting stronger. I now prefer to ride up steep hills that at the beginning of the week I would have got off to have walked up.

Kat has improved 100%. She's riding stuff she wouldn't have on day 1. I rode the trail Powerhouse Plunge clean today. That was a first for me.

Day 5 - Out of Fuel

I had no fuel in the tank today. I think the long day prior and not having a great sleep didn't help.
I was walking up a hill - think that gave it away to Kat that I was tired. She went ahead and I sat down on the side of the trail and took a moment. I ate my sharkies and decided which colour I like the best. I found my energy again and then Kat had her tired time in the humid hill climb.

At about noon I woke up on my bike ....just in time for the wicked down hill section right into Gibson's ferry.