THANKS TO DAVE NORONA FOR TAKING THE TIME TO TAKE THE FOOTAGE, EDIT, AND POST THESE VIDEOS THROUGHOUT EACH DAY OF THE BCBR http://www.noronalife.com/blog/
DAY 1
DAY 2
DAY 3
DAY 4
DAY 5
DAY 6
DAY 7
Monday, July 6, 2009
Day # 7 and Wrap Up - BC Bike Race
Day 7 was true punishment - but with relief I didn't have to completely distroy myself. With Karen now out of the race, the next girl back was a few hours. I still pushed hard - how could you not be working hard when off the start line we had a 45min+ head to the handlebar climb - part hike a bike - that you dreaded to look up as all your would see was more hill !
The sun was shinning strong and it was heating up. Some fun downhill in the middle around Cheakamus River and then back to head to the handlebar up Highline trail where focus had to be on otherwise your back wheel would slip on the steep loose gravel road and you would be hiking the bike again. Into Tunnel Vision, with a fun rockface rolling drop into more cool single track down to our last 2km pavement climb to do our final descent of the 7 days into Whistler Creekside.
For was was meant to be a relative short day of 30km, with the elevation gains it still took 2hrs 40mins. It was quite amusing getting some comments from other riders during the day. They would come by me asking if I was ok and if maybe I had a flat tire or something (eg really asking why was I riding slow today and that I shouldn't be back in the pack with them !!) ha ha - I guess as mentioned above I didn't have to truly push it today - just played it safe to cross the line to keep 1st place :)
Thanks to all following for the week.
Will see what photos I can find that were taken and post sometime this week.
Overview:
The sun was shinning strong and it was heating up. Some fun downhill in the middle around Cheakamus River and then back to head to the handlebar up Highline trail where focus had to be on otherwise your back wheel would slip on the steep loose gravel road and you would be hiking the bike again. Into Tunnel Vision, with a fun rockface rolling drop into more cool single track down to our last 2km pavement climb to do our final descent of the 7 days into Whistler Creekside.
For was was meant to be a relative short day of 30km, with the elevation gains it still took 2hrs 40mins. It was quite amusing getting some comments from other riders during the day. They would come by me asking if I was ok and if maybe I had a flat tire or something (eg really asking why was I riding slow today and that I shouldn't be back in the pack with them !!) ha ha - I guess as mentioned above I didn't have to truly push it today - just played it safe to cross the line to keep 1st place :)
Thanks to all following for the week.
Will see what photos I can find that were taken and post sometime this week.
Overview:
- Absolutely outstanding organsation from BCBR. The logistics and volunteers that went into this event was mind blowing and it all ran unbelievably smooth
- Best Day - by far Day # 3 in Cumberland - tons of fast fun single track with no brutle hills
- Worst Day - by far Day # 4 (Earls Cove to Sechelt), most elevation, hotest day, and coming down off a high from day # 3 !!
Friday, July 3, 2009
Day # 6 - BC Bike Race
I am very excited that there is now only 1 day to go!
Today was a fun day, bunch of trails I knew and most of the course I knew so that helped a ton. Start was better then I expected and slightly different route then I thought it was. Some great single track that I haven't ridden in a while and got a clean run on all the long downhills. Then the last 1/4 I was really feeling it. My new plan to make myself eat more didn't work. I pulled apart a powerbar into bit sizes pieces and put under the leg part of my bike shorts so I could nibble at it on the first half of the course to stop the bonking towards the end like the last few days. But to find 10mins into the race it had melted and blended into my shorts from the heat of the day and heat of my skin - no powerbar for me, just 3 gels :(
So yes the last 1/4 was a struggle but all in all, had a good day and kept the pace strong.
Karen came in about 3mins ahead of me (although she is no longer ranked due to her broken frame and only completing half the course yesterday, so was a little more fresh), so I would have been going into tomorrow with about a 10min lead if she was still in. But now I just have to play it safe and finish the course tomorrow to take the win.
I am definitely completing wiped, I feel ok while out on course but afterwards I can barely function!!
Am up in Whistler now, relaxing at a friends house, had a nap, some sushi, washed bike, and will soak in some epson salts and off to bed. Short day tomorrow, only 25km, but about a 1hour steep steep climb off the start, something like 600m elevation in 5km's - ahhhh - but then its all rockin fun after that !
http://www.bcbikerace.com/Media/Blog/
http://www.noronalife.com/blog/?p=339
http://www.facebook.com/inbox/?ref=mb#/profile.php?id=503751095&ref=profile
Megan
Today was a fun day, bunch of trails I knew and most of the course I knew so that helped a ton. Start was better then I expected and slightly different route then I thought it was. Some great single track that I haven't ridden in a while and got a clean run on all the long downhills. Then the last 1/4 I was really feeling it. My new plan to make myself eat more didn't work. I pulled apart a powerbar into bit sizes pieces and put under the leg part of my bike shorts so I could nibble at it on the first half of the course to stop the bonking towards the end like the last few days. But to find 10mins into the race it had melted and blended into my shorts from the heat of the day and heat of my skin - no powerbar for me, just 3 gels :(
So yes the last 1/4 was a struggle but all in all, had a good day and kept the pace strong.
Karen came in about 3mins ahead of me (although she is no longer ranked due to her broken frame and only completing half the course yesterday, so was a little more fresh), so I would have been going into tomorrow with about a 10min lead if she was still in. But now I just have to play it safe and finish the course tomorrow to take the win.
I am definitely completing wiped, I feel ok while out on course but afterwards I can barely function!!
Am up in Whistler now, relaxing at a friends house, had a nap, some sushi, washed bike, and will soak in some epson salts and off to bed. Short day tomorrow, only 25km, but about a 1hour steep steep climb off the start, something like 600m elevation in 5km's - ahhhh - but then its all rockin fun after that !
http://www.bcbikerace.com/Media/Blog/
http://www.noronalife.com/blog/?p=339
http://www.facebook.com/inbox/?ref=mb#/profile.php?id=503751095&ref=profile
Megan
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Day # 5 - BC Bike Race
Tough start today. Police escort but still sprint over short sharp hills through Sechelt with heart rate through the roof in the first 5 mins, then into a granny gear steep climb up through a construction zone. Single track started, although freshly made single track, equals very bumping and lots of effort to ride it! We were all over the place and felt like beginner riders ... haha.
So still climbing we came to our first fun descent. Karen was in front but I was confident I would catch her at the end of the day with the 10km downhill to the finish at the ferry, but to pass her half way through the course on the side of the trail with a snapped frame. She is out of the race.
We went into our last climb of the day, but this was a monster of a hill, luckly it was a trail climb and not fire and fully shaded as it was a smoken hot day out there. After the never ending hill, I was feeling wiped. I am not eating enough out there. My legs feel good, but my energy levels are super low. We came into the last food aid station to be told we were 3km's from the peak and it was all downhill after that. I was around a new crowd today (and yesterday) as my usual group are stronger climbers so were ahead of me. We hit the final descent for the day, a well talked about trail called 'hwy 102'. Wow this thing went forever. I was on a mission to catch the first ferry so I could get home earlier in Nth Van, I was loving the trail and caught a bunch of people. Parts where kind of sketchy with the condition we are in. eg not much co-ordination or balance left by day 5, so judgement and concentration had to be at 100% across the log bridges and tight turns.
I rolled into the finish and straight on the ferry. At home now, getting bike dialed at John Henry Bikes and sleeping in own bed before another early rise to head up to squamish for day 6. Another tough start for tomorrows course, straight into a pavement climb, so I will get stuck behind everyone when we bottle neck into single track, but will push as hard as I can to not drop back too far :)
Megan
So still climbing we came to our first fun descent. Karen was in front but I was confident I would catch her at the end of the day with the 10km downhill to the finish at the ferry, but to pass her half way through the course on the side of the trail with a snapped frame. She is out of the race.
We went into our last climb of the day, but this was a monster of a hill, luckly it was a trail climb and not fire and fully shaded as it was a smoken hot day out there. After the never ending hill, I was feeling wiped. I am not eating enough out there. My legs feel good, but my energy levels are super low. We came into the last food aid station to be told we were 3km's from the peak and it was all downhill after that. I was around a new crowd today (and yesterday) as my usual group are stronger climbers so were ahead of me. We hit the final descent for the day, a well talked about trail called 'hwy 102'. Wow this thing went forever. I was on a mission to catch the first ferry so I could get home earlier in Nth Van, I was loving the trail and caught a bunch of people. Parts where kind of sketchy with the condition we are in. eg not much co-ordination or balance left by day 5, so judgement and concentration had to be at 100% across the log bridges and tight turns.
I rolled into the finish and straight on the ferry. At home now, getting bike dialed at John Henry Bikes and sleeping in own bed before another early rise to head up to squamish for day 6. Another tough start for tomorrows course, straight into a pavement climb, so I will get stuck behind everyone when we bottle neck into single track, but will push as hard as I can to not drop back too far :)
Megan
Day # 4 - BC Bike Race
As I expected today was my least favourite day !
Not enough single track and way too much climbing ( and mostly on fire roads – or hike a bike single track), and very very minimal flowy fun downhill.
Everyone hurt today. Hot, long day, (5hrs), not enough food eaten and couldn’t wait for it to be over.
Shitty start into a pavement climb where everyone just blew by me …. Ha ha.
I was waiting all day for the girl Karen to pass me on the climbs but never saw her, so towards the end I had figured she snuck by me at somestage with out me knowing. And yep, she was at the finish line when I got there, came in 10mins earlier. So my lead is now down to only 13mins. Its going to be a tough last 3 days.
I have the advantage of knowing day 6 and 7’s course but there is still a bunch of climbing that she can make up the time. Tomorrows course has been cut down a little due to permit issues, and means one big climb has been taken out and more single track has been added, so this is good new !!
Tomorrow night I get to go home, sleep in my own bed and pick up my car before the Squamish day, and have a place to stay in Whistler the next night, so can get plenty of rest.
Excited for the well talked about last 7km of tomorrows course, some amazing single track down to the ferry terminal – I am sure that will bring a smile to my face ☺
Megan
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