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| 7 stages and a tour of BC |
I'd heard a lot about BC Bike Race and had sort of been weighing whether I thought I had it in me to do it. I had just experienced the thrill of finishing my first stage race, Trans Rockies TR3. Three days in Fernie. That awesome feeling drove me to decide I could do this BCBR thing.
And so it began! Nothing left to do but spend a year training, bike shopping, training, rehabbing from a back injury, planning, recon'ing, and anticipating. And then the day was here.
Day Zero
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| Sarah and Sonya Looney |
A good omen for the week was set when the boys were setting up to assemble bikes and we were getting our gear repacked into the race rollie bags. I looked up and saw Sonya Looney (Pro Rider - Team Topeak-Ergon) walking up to us behind Sarah. She was looking for a hair band. Sarah's a big fan so it was cool meet and chat with her for a few minutes.
Other highlights of the day included running into Mo (I'd met Mo in May on a recon trip -- she guided us through the North Shore trails, Squamish, and Whistler), enjoying a wicked burger at Brown's Socialhouse for lunch, and the racer briefing later in the day. We ran into some issues getting built bikes, rollie bags, and three chicks to the hotel but a taxi van and some help from Fran got us there.
Day One
North Vancouver: 35kms | 1380m | 3hrs57 | Strava | Video
There seemed to be a nervousness amongst the organizers around this stage. As I understand it, there was a stage here in a prior year and racers were in over their heads on the burly trails and much walking was done. That could be lore for all I know but regardless, there's nothing like the North Shore for riding. And with people from all over the world, it would be, as Sarah says, a brick to the head for a lot of riders.Picking up that vibe out of the racer meeting, I was really glad I'd come out to pre-ride some trails in May with Coach Martha. I knew what to expect, with the exception of Expresso, which was finished just in time for the race.
After a shit show of a morning trying to get ourselves, our bags, and our bikes to the start line in the single Prius the cab company initially sent us, we were finally at the start line. We were off in waves, to spread out the riders. Just after our start there was a collision behind me and some bodies down. Through the whole stage I was hoping Lynda wasn't in that mess. I found out later she'd braked in time and gotten around the pile up.
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| Cumberland tent city. |
I finished the stage and got busy hydrating while getting busy with the clean up, bike check in, and bus loading. Then it was onto the ferry and Cumberland-bound. No time to put your feet up and try to recover properly after this stage ... the ferry ride was used to stand in line for an hour to buy food. Then we docked and got on another school bus to head to our first camp in Cumberland right at bedtime.
Day Two
Cumberland: 48kms | 1137m | 4hrs26 | Strava | Video
Cumberland -- the only island stage -- made me smile a whole lot more. I took some sinus pills and some Advil and hoped for the best with the headache that stuck with me most of the week. It cleared for the ride and I really enjoyed most of the trails. I especially enjoyed the jungle-like descent. Couldn't tell ya what the trail was called but it was after the fresh-cut bog trail we bounced around on at the top for a while. 
I think I was also the only one who enjoyed the tour through the start/finish area half-way through the stage before we popped out on a long hot fire road climb. I was feeling strong and kept it in the big ring passing people all the way up who were feeling the heat and maybe a little irritation over riding away from the finish line. I saw some carnage on this stage. Some of the bridges were coated in mud and a little sketchy. I by-passed or crossed a few of those on foot to be safe. On one in particular I stopped, dismounted, and a fellow came up behind me and said not to worry, it was easy. Then he slid off the side of it and fell six feet to the rocks below. He was shaken up but he got up. Then another fellow said something similar and crashed off the other side. And, I kid you not, then a third guy did the same thing. I picked my way through some mud beside the bridge, remounted, and carried on. It's a long race! My goal was riding clean ... even if that mean not riding some features!
This is where the Garry and James magic came into play. Stage done, and the bikes were handed over to them. Sweet! They'd be cleaned, tuned, inspected, and ready to go for the next stage. With Cumberland done, we cleaned up, fueled up then got on the buses, then a ferry, and cruised to Powell River, where we'd be staying put for two nights.When we docked in Powell River we were greeted by hundreds of locals, bag pipes, a drum group, and snacks as we passed by shops on our march to tent city. What a great memory with the sun setting and all the cheering, waving, smiling people welcoming us to their town. I felt like they were mistaking us for Olympians. Catharine Pendrel was racing in the event ...
Day Three
Powell River: 49kms | 886m | 3hrs43 | Strava | Video
not as punishing on the climbs. The best climb of the day was through the new bridge section of the Aloha Trail. The locals were out in grass skirts and coconut bras hooping and hollering and cheering us all through the climb. I seemed to blink and was through it, realizing I'd been pushing hard through all the cheering and had to pull it back a bit and catch my breath. The stage ended where it finished, on the shore in a beautiful park that was our tent city for one more night.We had a little time to chill out after this stage as we weren't moving anywhere. This meant there was time for ice cream and mini putt with G&J before bed. Not a bad Canada Day!
Day Four
Earl's Cove to Sechelt: 59kms | 1375m | 5hrs13 | Strava | Video
The relaxing afternoon/evening in Powell River was in stark contrast to Day Four. The wake-up rooster call on the loudspeaker came early. It was off to breakfast on the school bus, and then to the ferry over to Earl's Cove for our first point-to-point stage. The Queen Stage. Hump day.
The start line was right off the ferry, straight up hill, and under the hot noon sun. While we waited for the start count down even the camera-wielding drone seemed to give into the heat as it crashed into a rock-face while getting some footage of the start.
This was the day that required the mind to win over body. I knew it was going to be long and hot and I felt pretty good starting out ... I stayed in the saddle and let the lungs work hard as I passed people walking up hills. It became clear before long though that I wasn't going to be able to sustain that. There was just too much climbing without any recovery opportunity. So I fell in line and marched on with everyone else to the first descent.
It was a fast fire road (ish) type of descent. Yellow grass and sharp fist-sized rocks. You knew they were sharp because literally dozens of guys were pulled off to the side fixing flats. I just kept telling myself to ride it smooth and easy and find clean lines to get through without a mechanical. And I managed to do that. Until the next climb came into sight. It reminded me of those old photos of the Chilkoot Trail Stampeders hauling their supplies up and over the Chilkoot Pass ... a long line of walkers climbing in pace. Only in this picture you could tell it was scorching hot and dusty.
That's how the first 20kms played out. And then we got into the relief of the cool dark forest and onto some singletrack, where we screeched to a hault and stood there a while in a bottleneck. Of course a couple people thought this was not really a fate they should endure with the rest of us, so they picked up their bikes and started to walk past everyone else. Like usual, a few witty folks spoke up and knocked some sense into them. Racer-brain ... fogs the logic a little. Not sure where they thought they could get to.Turns out there was a high-consequence long narrow bridge to cross ahead that everyone was walking, followed by a techie climb. I was happy to enjoy the shade and the walk for a bit before carrying on.
This was a few minutes shy of being my longest stage. It was harder than the rest. Really tough to keep the cranks moving and not give in to the desire to sit down for a bit and rest. I didn't even stop at the aid station except to quickly grab a chunk of banana. I know that stopping doesn't work for me. Starting again is just too hard.
Eventually I caught up to the Ryders Sasquatch crew, which is always a welcome sign because it means you're near the Enduro, which I knew was near the end of the stage. They were already out of costume but they still had the big furry feet sticking out of their pants, which made me smile. Then there was trumpet guy and affirmation gal ... the only "cheering" encountered on the trail that day. Not long after that I hit pavement and knew I was closing in on the finish line. Tough day.
Day Five
Sechelt to Langdale: 41kms | 1356m | 4hrs29 | Strava | Video
I can't seem to remember much about Stage 5. Other than getting my knee taped that morning because I blew it up the day before. And that this was the stage where I made myself a promise that morning to just get on the bike. Just get on it ... start pedaling. If you do just that, you'll be ok. So I did. And I was. I found some rhythm after a while and did all right getting through this one. It was another point-to-point stage without any cheering on the trails. You don't know what a difference that makes until it's gone! It always makes me smile when people are out there rooting for you.I do remember having some conversations in my head about how Squamish was the next day. Squamish was the carrot. Get to Squamish and ride those fun trails we previewed in May. It worked! I got 'er done and rolled into the finish line hungry and eager to grab a shower and get on the next ferry -- the last ferry of the race -- to make our way by bus to Squamish. Garry and James were at the finish line for this stage and it was awesome to have them there cheering me in.
Day Six
Squamish: 52kms | 1830m | 5hrs17 | Strava | Video
Squamish. The Promised Land. Ha ha ... this was a long stage. In fact it was the day I was out on the trails the longest -- by only a couple minutes. But it didn't feel nearly as long as Day Four because it was designed to pay high dividends for every climb. You'd climb and descend, alternating, all day long. 
This was the day some douchebags nearly took me out on the Enduro section tearing down out of control. Karma stepped in though and 15 seconds later one of them was bounced off a tree and rolling around in the dirt. His buddy was dismounting to help him and I was about to as well when he just started giggling uncontrollably. So I figured the smart thing to do would be to get down off the trail and send help back up since they both just found it funny as hell. Turned out he was ok. I saw him riding the next day.Later on I went by the promised Bacon Man spot. There was no man but he'd left some bacon in a tray. It didn't look appetizing. Not to me anyway, but it may be no coincidence that's where the trail patrol guys were ushering us on quickly as there was a bear on the trail. Yep. No problemo with the hurrying it along thing ...
The thing about Stage Six is it's high fun factor and it's the day before Stage Seven, which is considered the Victory Lap.
UPDATE: I can't believe I forgot to talk about The Freshies. Day Six is the day where suddenly people are coming up behind you with fresh legs. You're wondering what the hell they managed to rustle up for breakfast. Are they doping? Why are they so chatty with each other and cruising by me like it's nothin'? Wait a second ... their bibs numbers are in the 800s. This is different! Turns out Day Six is Industry Day ... new folks have been let into the event to Guest Ride the stage. I missed that announcement, if there was one. Damn Freshies ... maybe they should be started 60 minutes behind the racers or something. It does a number on the brain to have them cruising past you when you've got 5 hard days of riding in your legs! They also, suspiciously, aren't sporting any therapy tape, band-aids, or bruises! LOL!
Day Seven
Whistler: 22kms | 769m | 2hrs17 | Strava | Video
Made it to Day Seven! Everyone's giddy! It's "only" 20kms! It's "only" 769m of climbing!They lied a little on the distance as it turned out. Cruelty! I was watching my Garmin tick off the kilometres and at 20km I was climbing when I knew the finish line was way below me! I might have had a mini temper tantrum on the inside.
Eventually the climbing ended and there was some fun descending through some features with a lot of cheering going on from familiar faces. And some faces poking out of a McDonald's hashbrown, a gingerbread man, some bacon, and an egg. You'd think I was maybe hallucinating but this was really happening. It, of course, made me laugh and smile. A great way to close things out as I headed for the finish line where I collected my finisher medal, which is, happily, a gorgeous belt buckle with the wicked BCBR logo on it.
That little grinning totem bear grippin' his handlebars is going places with me for a long time to come! I'm so proud of myself for doing this thing. I know a lot of people in the mountain biking community; many people who've inspired me over the two and a half years I've been riding. And a lot of them have a buckle like mine -- or a number of buckles like mine. So, sometimes it feels like it's kind of a common thing to possess; something not too hard to come by. That's not true of course. It's hard-earned for anyone, but some of these folks are a different breed. They're encouraging, helpful, and welcoming of newcomers into their sport. But they're showered and off the trails long before folks like me are approaching the finish line. So it can make you wonder how you'll manage to finish a race like this.
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| Something you just can't buy! |
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| What we came for... |
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| Day 7 Start Line with Lynda! |
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| Souvenirs |
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| Our tireless (ok, they look a little tired) support crew! |
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| Love this infographic by Lululemon. |
