Photo highlights from the BC Bike Race

Our Ryders Sponsor

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.

Day 4 - A Feat

I think this was the longest day of my life. 4:30am wake up call, two ferry rides and a 7 hour bike run in the hot baking sun!
It took all my energy to get my bike fixed - thanks to Thomas, eat and get myself to bed!

Day 3

We got off course today due to course tampering. Some smart ass kids on ATV's were picking up the signs and ribbons and moving them. We knew as soon as we went up the gravel hill that we were off course. Luckily for us one of our support motor bikes came along, but he wanted us to wait until before sending us off down the right trial in case there was more tampering along the way. We were like a flock of 20 sheep all following the leader. We eventually went on our way, only to find more misplaced markers leading us to a road without a marshal...a sure sign we were not on the BC Bike race route. We eventually found our way...it just made for a longer day in the hot sun. Kat was quite frustrated too, as the screws in her cleats had fallen out so she didn't know whether she could free her foot when needed.



I gave Kat a challenge today, to do 3 things that scared her. She got up to 6 and a half. (That's what you get for calling number 7 before the top of the hill!)

Another rider named Jeff took a video of me while waiting for our teamates.

Day 2

Today I realized that it was not going to be a race, but a ride. I had to take my racer hat off and reset my goals for this adventure. I now understand what years of racing have taught me. There was a lot of congestion on the trail today and I realized that I aim to work my way around people on the trail.
Today we came across a guy who was sick on the side of the trail. His partner was way ahead, so Kat gave me the go to ride on ahead and let his partner know so I raced ahead to the first feed station. That was fun.

We started in Nanaimo this morning. The photos will give you an idea of how many people BC Bike Race had to organize on an off Ferries and to be on the start line and ready in time.

day 1 BC bike race

all body parts intact. today was a feat for  kat after getting stitches on the trail pipeline last week. iI was like a race horse chomping at the bit and she renedrenew me in pacing me for the next 6 days. the racer instinct in me was tempted to pwork my way around the funnel of people. iI loved the technical aspect of it today. Totally my cup of tea.

BC BIKE RACE

Well, the countdown is on. My race partner Kat is on the plane and we are getting ready for the most epic adventure in our lives so far.

A seven day mountain bike race.

We are racing it as a team. As we are sponsored by Ryders Eyewear, we are calling ourselves the Ryders Riders.

I feel ready for it. I've done the preparation and am feeling good. I may not say this three days into the race, or even two. This event is not so much about being a race to us, but to see how our bodies handle the physical challenge of riding hard on technical trails for 7 days. It will be about keeping the bike and bodies in one piece!

I did 135km ride this past weekend around Okanagan lake, organized by Gary Horsting. My ride was just shy of the planned route, American Century ride (100miles) due to a sore knee from riding a bike loaned to me by the Olympia cycle for the weekend. Last year I came back exhausted from doing it. This year I felt good. It's neat to feel fit.

Kat's been sick, so once she arrives, the week ahead will be about resting and eating. While I was over in New Zealand in April she was doing 100km days back to back, so I have no doubt she has the fitness to pull through this race. Matching my technical skills with my incredibly fit partner, I think we will be a good match for the race.

First Ride of the season

Well, it was the first ride of the season for some, the first for others into the double digits, and of course for one lucky one who had the privilege of riding in NZ this past month, it was the first ride to Salmon Arm this year. One of us girls may have gained a few pounds over the winter, and while we were thrilled she could join us we were even more surprised when she lead the last hill with an extra 20lbs!

It was a good day out with the girls on bikes, and we all managed the loop from Armstrong to Salmon Arm and back with smiles on our faces, especially when we hit the cafe afterwards to eat some goodies!

the start

da girls

water break

the top of the hill!

it seems there were a few bare belly's today - very cute Kira

Ski Patrol

When I moved back to Canada, I said to myself, "Some really good mountain bikers come from Canada, and they live in Quebec where there is lots of snow, so what do they DO for the winter?"

That is when I decided to learn to cross country ski, to keep training throughout the winter, and still be outdoors. I found it to be hard work.

This year, I took on ski patrol, at Silver Star (downhill) and at Sovereign Lake Nordic Centre. It was the first year offering patrol at SLNC and it was an enjoyable experience, spending a day on the hill, either skiing or chatting with members in the lodge.