Test of Metal is a race in Squamish (40mins south of Whistler), and is a yearly mountain bike race that sells out in 45mins with 800 participants for this 67km single track craziness of a race.
I was given the in’s and out’s of how to make the race easier with so many participants. The key was to start above mid-pack, hammer as hard as you could up the 20-30mins climb up the road from the start line to get a good position, and then the group bottlenecks into the first single track where you will get a rest through there as everyone gets stuck behind each other and not chance to pass. I did just this, and felt I was in an ok position. With the rain coming down and the course extremely wet and muddy, the race was on its way. The first 45min+ of single track was heaps fun but wanted to pass and move faster. At my first chance of passing I made my move, and then we came to our first real downhill section. The trail was lined with supporters cheering us on, it was overwhelming. We hit what was called nine-mile, which I had not yet experienced, apparently 9mile of complete climbing. Yes it was hard and my bike was not working at the all best with by gears locking up all the time. After 45mins+ of climbing and numbness in the legs and when you just begin to think you are at the top, they throw in an even steeper single track climb to just kick you in the guts!! ha ha. But then it was a sensational downhill, fast at the beginning and very cold, we were hammering it down, then came the technical single track downhill of “Powerhouse Plunge”, I somehow killed this section, was loving every minute of it through the slippery wet muddy track, yahooing and screaming all the way down !!
This is when it hurt, you hit the bottom of the 40min + downhill, and then hit the feed zone where everyone is cheering you through and you can stop to re-fuel, you start to get the legs working after the long downhill, and every single muscle in your legs seises up ............ ahhh never felt anything like it. I push through it, and have one more section left, “crumpet woods” a very up and down trail section, the legs are numb the body it ready to finish but the trails are still super fun. I cross the line and have never felt my legs in so much pain, not even the 3 day race in Costa Rica “La Ruta”. To find out later I placed 1st in my age group 20-29. I was over the moon. Such a fun event and the mecca of single track in BC, Canada. To think now I had to start our 6 day race, one week from now up in Prince Rupert ............. it was time for a recovery week!!
I was given the in’s and out’s of how to make the race easier with so many participants. The key was to start above mid-pack, hammer as hard as you could up the 20-30mins climb up the road from the start line to get a good position, and then the group bottlenecks into the first single track where you will get a rest through there as everyone gets stuck behind each other and not chance to pass. I did just this, and felt I was in an ok position. With the rain coming down and the course extremely wet and muddy, the race was on its way. The first 45min+ of single track was heaps fun but wanted to pass and move faster. At my first chance of passing I made my move, and then we came to our first real downhill section. The trail was lined with supporters cheering us on, it was overwhelming. We hit what was called nine-mile, which I had not yet experienced, apparently 9mile of complete climbing. Yes it was hard and my bike was not working at the all best with by gears locking up all the time. After 45mins+ of climbing and numbness in the legs and when you just begin to think you are at the top, they throw in an even steeper single track climb to just kick you in the guts!! ha ha. But then it was a sensational downhill, fast at the beginning and very cold, we were hammering it down, then came the technical single track downhill of “Powerhouse Plunge”, I somehow killed this section, was loving every minute of it through the slippery wet muddy track, yahooing and screaming all the way down !!
This is when it hurt, you hit the bottom of the 40min + downhill, and then hit the feed zone where everyone is cheering you through and you can stop to re-fuel, you start to get the legs working after the long downhill, and every single muscle in your legs seises up ............ ahhh never felt anything like it. I push through it, and have one more section left, “crumpet woods” a very up and down trail section, the legs are numb the body it ready to finish but the trails are still super fun. I cross the line and have never felt my legs in so much pain, not even the 3 day race in Costa Rica “La Ruta”. To find out later I placed 1st in my age group 20-29. I was over the moon. Such a fun event and the mecca of single track in BC, Canada. To think now I had to start our 6 day race, one week from now up in Prince Rupert ............. it was time for a recovery week!!
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