I am at home recovering at the moment from surgery repairing my 'handle bar hernia' and the other (congenital) hernia that the surgeon found while operating.

It's been a week so far, and walking up the stairs each day is my exercise, and walking to the end of the road and back. I wonder how long it will take until I become ancy and grumpy. It's been snowing for days... can't wait to try out the new snowshoes! Will have to wait until the 24th to get the ok.

autumn update

well, I've been off this blog for a long time now, since I had a crash on my nice easy trail at home. A tree jumped out and grabbed my handlebar taking me down with the bike. After being carried out (fortunately Justin was with me) I was off the bike for a month. I managed to get back on my bike in time to teach the bike skills clinic I had organised. It went really well, with eight women feeling much more confident on their bikes after a few technique tips.

I'm now back into a full schedule of training, with swimming and running included as it is getting cold out. I was looking forward to the month of December to get some snowshoeing and xc skiing in, but..... I met with he surgeon yesterday and yes, I do in fact have a small handlebar hernia, which will require an operation. I feel way to young to say that 'h' word. Not handlbar... the other one. So that will happen in December. It's nothing major, more of a nuisance than anything, but it will be good to have it done while I have time to heal.

Canmore

I haven't been on for awhile, but I have still been riding and racing. This past weekend I raced in Canmore in super hot weather. It was a challenge to finish it without heat stroke. Research says that in hot weather the best fluid to take in is tepid with electrolytes in it. My dad handed me my tepid sports drink at the start of each lap, and all I could think about was the cold water on offer about half way through the lap at the second feed zone. It was so refreshing to the dry mouth and cooling on the back.

The course was full of climbing... it felt like there was more climbing than downhill and the decents were fast and fun. The top decents needed to be carefully navigagated, while the bottom decents were fast dusty coal chutes.

It was great to have my parents there watching the race and the satisfaction of finishing a race in such intense heat.

Mont-Saint-Anne World Cup

I was touching elbows with the World's best mountain bikers this weekend. Trying to support kiwi rider, Justin Price and helping out with the media coverage made for a busy weekend. As mtn bikers, we need all the press we can get. This weekend, there was coverage for the athletes from all over the world.

check out http://www.velirium.com/media/press for my contribution to the weekend.

Many of the riders were unhappy with the UCI this weekend for penalizing late riders by starting them at the back of the pack. There was rumor of a slow start lap in the women's race to protest, but I think when the riders got on the start line there drive to win overtook the will to protest and the race was on.

Collecting really fast riders together can be a recipe for crashes, and there was no shortage of those this weekend. The women's started off with a crash within 10 seconds of the start, involving Kiara Bisaro. Later Marie-Hélene crashed trying to pass a Chinese rider. However some amazing riding came out of the races, with international podium finishes, and our Canadians placing well. Geoff Kabush, 3rd. Marie Hélene 4th, and Catherine Pendrel 12th.

Hardwood race

Well... my plan to finish in 2:10 wasn't going to happen considering the heat of the day. I think I started my last lap when I planned to be finished. My first lap felt slower than my pre-ride the day before. It was one of those days when I felt like I could have had a minime version of myself running the course faster than I could ride it. I drank a bottle on the start line and am pretty sure I had sweat it out before the bell went off.

There were a few racers that were sent off to hospital with heat stroke, but none of them were on the Chinese women's team that showed up to the race. On the third lap I hear a quiet voice behind me say 'hello'then 'thank-you' as she rode by. The three of them managed to lap me.

A big thank-you to Kevin from Norco who fed me and fixed my rear derailer on the first feed as I came into it with no rear gears! I was thinking it was going to be a long race with only my front derailer.

I'll attach some photos... one of a guy about to bite it on what they call the 'Bone shaker' and of myself at the bottom of the section in my new Sugoi outfit.

Hardwood tomorrow

Hardwood Canada cup is tomorrow.
My goal is to take 15 min off my last race time. I know it's a totally different course but the aniticipated lap times will be about the same. 4 laps to do.

This is a power course. not technical like the last three, so I'm hoping that it may be my strength. I've done some good training in the last few weeks to lead up to this, so I'm feeling strong and I'm feeling really positive about this race.

we'll see what tomorrow brings....

Vermont

I have a new idea for our medical system…. We should have emergency outlets in the US for places that are heavily populated with Canadian visitors. I headed to Burke, Vermont on Sunday with a group of mtn bikers from the club at Bromont. It seems to be a popular weekend destination for Quebequois. It seemed the others on the trails were more likely to open their mouths and have French pop out than English. I can imagine that many of these people did not have insurance for the day. I know I didn’t. What would happen if someone in the group was to break a leg? It would have been a painful drive back across the border…. I wonder if they let you across the border if you are displaying signs of shock.

Anyhow, had a good day of biking. There were two options for the area. A big hill climb with 45 min of downhill or a flatter area with lots of twists, turns and roots. We took the later having a few young kids with us. It was raining when we first arrived so the roots were slippery. At one point I got mud in my eye then slipped on a root and landed on my derrier! I’m sure it wouldn’t have hurt as much if I hadn’t done hill reps the day before.

There was a trail called Widow’s peak. Annie in our group turned and asked me what the word in English would be for her husband if she wrote herself off on the trail. I told her I couldn’t think of an English word for male widow… is there? So therefore she needed to ride it well, and not slip down the off camber part full of clay.

Anyhow, it was a good day out and ended up being sunny at the end of the day, so a dip in the cold river was very rewarding for the bruised bottom.

Club race Bromont

I remember years ago, showing up to a Toonie race in Vancouver to race. There was one other girl racing. At the end I asked the organiser, how far ahead of me was she? Her response, "20 minutes," totally disheartened me... until she said, "but she is pro-elite." "Oh."

Now many years later the tables have turned and I've had my chance to be the fast girl. I participated in a club race at Bromont last night. It was fun to do. The club is really strong in the area. It's so good to see, especially with the number of kids they have participating, trying out for the Quebec team. I've really noted how much support Quebec offers it's riders. It's awesome.

Ottawa

Who needs a Swedish Sauna, when you can just visit Ottawa. It was so humid while I was there last week that there were awesome thunder and lightening storms each night as the humidity built up during the day.

I was visiting a couple of friends in Ottawa, one that I met on the plane to NZ last year. Really makes it a small world.

While I was there, I crossed the bridge, back to Quebec to ride in a big park in Gatineau.

http://www.canadascapital.gc.ca/bins/ncc_web_content_page.asp?cid=16297-16299-9970&lang=1

As I didn't know where I was going, I was quite relieved to have car pass me with a mtn bike on the roof. So I followed him into the park and ended up joining Bryan and his mates for a two hour hill climb.

I find there's a common misconception out there, that if you race elite, you are always fast. Sure, in general, someone who rides all the time is faster, but I think the real time that elite riders are fast are when they are fresh, and that is not often. My ride in Ottawa was day 7 of a hard training week with a race in the middle of it, so needless to say I was a bit fatigued, not to mention aclimatising to the swimming pool lurking in the air. phew. yeah, yeah, I'll stop mentioning the humidity in this part of the country by the time I return to my dry Okanagan :)

Mt. Tremblant

Mt. Tremblant is a neat place to visit. The village is set up quite uniquely with cobbelstone through the village and a gondola from the bottom to the top of the village, because it is built on such a steep incline. The best coffee is at the top of the village, and it's a good thing that I won't stay long here. $4.50 for a very small mocha. That's the Tremblant tax for you.

My race went well. I felt good for the first few laps and by the end of it I was smashed (i.e. tired) That's the way a race should go. I enjoyed the race and was happy that I did it. I still need to slash 17 min off my time, but I think that can be achievable in the next three weeks. My improvements are still in big incriments, whereas the top riders I'm sure struggle to take 5 min off their time.

Tonight is the first night that is has rained on me in the evening. Fortunately I have a shelter under the chairlift that I could make my dinner and an area inside to type away on my computer, so no complaints about living out of the van yet.

Pre Mont tremblant Race

I’ve decided that there is no medium whether in Quebec… only extremes. It’s either freezing cold, or super hot. In the last two days it has warmed up to be 32 humid degrees. I break out into a sweat just lifting my leg over the bar to get on my bike. At night under the light it looks like there is smoke in the air from the moisture that is lurking around. I think it wants to rain on the nice dry course.

The course is the same as last year. It’s a very technical course. One that you almost want a jockey strap to race in, girl or guy. There are many steep sections over big rocks that you get right over the back wheel for. Then there’s the wooden down ramp with hay bails beside it for those who fall off. It’s actually easier to ride it than walk down it. I’ve tried. The bars on the ramp are enough to numb your arms by the bottom of it, so you are very relaxed for the rocky section that follows. I love that it is so technical, and that there are sections that I don’t think I rode last year that I can this year. That’s the great thing about having repetitive courses, you get to know them, and you see the improvement.

I’ve been humming and hawing as to whether to race this weekend. I know that I am stronger than last year, so I’ve decided to race against myself, as I will have my last years time to beat.

Bromont

The Mtn Bike racing season in Canada seems to play out the same every year. Bromont is always cold and muddy. It rained in the week leading up to the race and fortunately it stayed dry race day to let some of the mud disapate.

The momentum for the season is building and the numbers on the start line increased for this race.

They say that you only get faster by riding with the fast riders. At this point in time I believe that I may have jumped too quickly into the deep end.

I love the sport. I'm just not fast enough.

One thing that I really appreciate about this sport.... when I've lost my confidence in my ability to race, the fact that one of the podium riders can approach me, ask my how my race went and offer support. I could never see this happening in road racing.

Baie St Paul Race

It felt like summer when I left the Okanagan and drove across the country to winter in Quebec. 69 hours of driving to get to Baie St. Paul. Thank goodness I had help with the driving, otherwise I may not have made it here in 5 days.

The course at Baie St. Paul had changed from last years technical course (which I had my big crash on last season.) The reason: because there was still snow on the higher trails. The course organisers were busy doing snow removal so that we could have the race on the weekend.

It wasn't a very technical course, but a fun one to start the season on. The numbers on the start line were few, but the names spoke for themselves as some of the world's best were there. For me, after 5 days of sitting in the van, I felt like I had forgotten my legs back in BC. It was a good race to start with.

On a side note, I recomend anyone interested in Art to visit Baie St. Paul. There are as many galleries in the small little town as there are Starbucks in Vancouver. In BC if you were to tell someone that you were an artist they would ask, "but what do you do?" In the Quebec city area, I believe the common response would be, "Oh you're an artist too."

My mtn bike profile

Getting the van ready

I'm getting ready to start my trip across Canada. It's amazing how easy it is to transform a plain old van into a living space for myself for the next few months. People hold a lot of nostaligia with the idea of living out of a van, travelling across the country. I've had many comments filled with envy at what I am doing.

Getting up in the middle of the cold night to go pee isn't part of this nostagia I don't think.

My parents have been my biggest help with getting ready to go. Dad with the carpentry and repairs (and Mom with the meal breaks.)

A few things took a few tries to bulid. When using a 'level' to make a table top, it helps to first start with the van on a level surface.