Golden 24

The first 24 hour race of the season and second race, Salty Dog 6 hour was the first. I was excited to get things rolling and catch up with some good friends and fellow racers.

I headed out to Golden a few days early to get some more time in on the course and hang out at our awesome cabin at Cedar House Chalets.  It was a no joke course with some technical terrain and descent vert gain, approx. 1500 ft in 14.5 km. The rest of the crew showed up a few days later. We grabbed our pits, got pre race lap in and shared some laughs before things got crazy. Steve, Andrew & I were racing Solo. Our pit crew would be busy!

View from chalet. Hot tub came in handy!

Race morning was clear but the forecast did not look promising with a lot of rain predicated. The good news was support crew was top notch with Coach Shaun and Ryan, Worlds 24 Hour age cat champ and girlfriend Madison. There would be no nonsense with this team ;-). Now I just had to race for 24 hours.

Coach & Ryan 

It was time to get to the start line for the dreaded Le Mans run. It was a long one, followed by a lap around the run course on bike before hitting the actual course. I got into a fairly good position after the run and had a smooth first lap. The next few were nice and consistent, starting to settle into the course.

I could tell the weather was starting to turn and the pit crew said I had to grab some kind of layer before heading out on the next lap. Good thing as the sky opened up and I was pretty much soaked after that one. From here on it pretty much continued to rain and I even saw some snow on the back end of the course!

Back at the pit to grab another bottle of Infinit and some more layers, was told to ride smart and was doing well in comparison to the other solo women. But the carnage was starting to happen with crashes and literally sliding down True Value/3k. It was getting so greasy! I told the crew felt like had no brakes. The response "you probably don't but you are not alone". Translation.... grab a bottle and get back on your bike ;-).

It was time to mount lights and switch out some more layers. I will call this my "dark" lap. Felt like it took 30 minutes to get my layers on and get sorted out. The crew pretty much just starred at me for awhile as I fumbled around trying to get shoe covers on, pants over shoes, etc. I was getting cranky so don't think they really knew what to do with me ;-). I started to come around a bit and we worked together to get sorted with clothes & lights. All the while the photographer was shooting away and random people were coming by asking if I was going out again.

This is when things started to get interesting on the course. Darkness, pouring rain and fatigue settling in. I decided to walk some of the more technical sections as a mode of survival. Walking down a section of Trial & Error there was a "spotter" at the bottom. He said "good call the last 4 out of 5 riders have crashed". LOL!

It was basically the same theme throughout the night just trying to stay up right and grab whatever layers I could. I really had no idea what time it was or how long it was taking me to get around the course once my Garmin died. The crew said had a good lead on the women's field and could stop for a break on the next lap if needed. I felt a little rejuvenated with that news. The sun started to come up towards the end of the lap, which always feels good.

Coming into the transition tent glanced at the clock and saw there was approximately four hours left of racing. The time I got lights off and layers sorted figured would only have time for one more lap. Ryan didn't think it was needed to secure my position but you never know so I was going back out. The rain had finally stopped so that was a bonus.

Felt pretty good at the beginning of lap but that shortly dissipated making my way through the greasy course. I was sure happy to be back at the final climb and finish things off. Big hugs and high fives from the pit crew. Then I sat down and tried to wrap my head around what just happened. It was one of the toughest courses I have seen for a 24 hour solo. Then you throw in the conditions, which made for a long and tough race both mentally and physically. I was a little crazy at this point sporting my shower cap, which probably could have been useful to wear while actually racing ;-).

The rest of the crew began to trickle in with Steve taking the win for Solo 40+ and Andrew Open Men. It was a podium sweep for the Forward Momentum crew! Sarah also had a great race taking 3rd for Solo Women. You don't get these kind of results without a world class coach and kick ass pit crew! Thanks Shaun, Ryan & Madison. Also a big thanks to Specialized Canada, Infinit Nutrition Canada and Exposure Lights USA for your continued support. Finally thanks to all the volunteers and Trans Rockies for putting on a great event. It was great to see so many familiar faces on the course and around the transition tent. It is all the little things that add up to make the experience a memorable one.

These photos pretty much tell the rest of the story:

Done!

S-Works Fate took a beating but held up well.

Steve Solo 40+ Champ

Andrew Solo Open Men Champ

 Solo Open Women Podium

Great dinner with crew at Cedar House rocking the flannel podium shirts!

WEMBO World 24 Hour Championships

After some great riding in Fernie and racing over the summer it was time for the road trip to Weaverville, CA for the World Solo 24 Hour Championships. It would be my first Worlds and I was pumped! Arrived a few days early to get a few laps on the course and have some fun with fellow Canadian racers. We settled in at the Strawhouse, where owners Julia & Don made us feel right at home.

First lap on course

View at the Strawhouse 

Registration with the boys

Race day came quickly as it always does. The weather looked good, the only concern was high winds expected later in the day. Our group of five all pitted together with Steve and Sarah managing the pit.

Headed up to the start line, it was a nice treat not to have to do the traditional Le Mans start. It was definitely a fast start, the ladies were hammering. I tried not to get too wrapped up in it and settled in by the 2nd lap. I was putting out consistent laps and the Fate was handling well on the terrain. The course was challenging will the majority of the climbing upfront on a fire road with a couple steep pitches. It then levelled out on the road before dropping into the single track. The first section was fairly fresh and the corners were already getting blown out. Things would be interesting later in the race. The back end had some fun & fast sections where you could let it rip. All up approx. 1650 ft gain and 19 kilometres.

The temperatures were still good when it was time to mount Exposure lights, Reflex on bars and Diablo on helmet. I was feeling good and my nutrition was on point with Infinit and small sips of water. The first night lap took a bit to adjust to the darkness and dust. After a few more settled in and grabbed some layers along the way.

My eyes were really starting to water with the dust so I decided to stop and have them flushed out to be on the safe side. At that time I asked about Sonya Looney and if she lapped me. I was told to continue to do my own thing and ride my race. Grabbed another bottle, got back on my bike and faced the climb again. The wind was getting pretty strong towards the top of the climb and the dust was flying around on the road descent.

I began to suffer a bit in the wee hours of the morning but as soon as the sun came up it was like magic and started to come around. I still didn't know my position but figured was 4th or 5th. I saw a few of the Elite women on and off but was not entirely sure on positions. One racer said I was 3rd but didn't know if he had me confused with Kate, the other small one riding a Specialized.

The last few laps were challenging with the sun beating down on the road climb. I stopped at the Aid station at the top of the climb and dumped water over my head to try to cool down. Got back to the pits with plenty of time to complete another lap but would not be back in before noon to go out for another. I was good with that ;-).

In the end completed 16 laps, 304 kilometres, and approx. 25,400 ft elevation gain. Finished 5th Elite/Overall for women. It was a stacked Pro field with strong ladies from all around the world including adventure and mountain bike champs. It was so awesome to race with that caliber of women. They have inspired me to up my game.

With the champ Sonya Looney

Banquet and Awards - Some were more concerned with eating and drinking!

Our group had some strong results with Ryan Gardiner taking the win in his age category and Andrew Bovard banging it out on his single speed to grab 4th! This speaks volumes to the outstanding abilities of our coach Shaun Taylor of Forward Momentum Coaching.

Thank you to Steve & Sarah for the great pit support and encouragement during the entire race. As well, thank you to Coach, Specialized Canada, Infinit Nutrition Canada, my parents for looking after the dog and all the volunteers. There was a great vibe with fellow racers and volunteers really getting behind you. That makes a huge difference!

The road trip home was a lot of fun enjoying some good food, beverages and laughs with great friends. Finishing off the season with a top five at Worlds is definitely an accomplishment I am proud of but has left me wanting more out of next season. I look forward to the journey that lies ahead.

Mmmmmmm wine & pizza!

24 Hours Round the Clock 2015

It has been an extremely early biking season in BC, riding dry single track since February! So good to be getting miles in on the dirt.

Two weeks prior to this race headed out to Salmon Arm, BC for the 6 hour Salty Dog race. It was a hot and dusty one. I was pumped to get 8 laps in and take the win for Solo Women overall. Eighty-four kilometres on some technical terrain was a good training block. 

Mmmmmm apple pie!

Headed out to Rossland a few days before the race with fellow 24 hour racer and friend Ryan, to hang out with our coach. We had some good times on the trails, enjoyed some great coffee and of course had a few laughs.

We arrived in Spokane Friday to set up the pit and get a pre race lap in. The course was in good shape. There was a new section of single track added after Strawberry Fields. It was super fresh and would be very dusty and slow race day.

Made our way to my favourite Huckleberry's to stock up on food and beverages. Then it was back to the hotel to finish the race prep.

Race day was clear and it was going to be a hot one! Finished setting up the pit and getting everything sorted. We were unsupported so lights, layers and bottles of Infinit Nutrition were all ready to go. The morning always goes fast and before you know it's time to line up at the start. I got to the front of the line for the run. The gun went off and it was go time. A short run then on to the bike to start the 15 mile loop. Of course the first lap is always a little crazy but it did space out towards the back end of the course. Back to the pit in good time, grabbed a bottle of Infinit and back out to do it all again.

Ryan & I ready to go!

Start of the lap

After a few laps the heat was definitely starting to take a bit of a toll so decided to slow the pace. I didn't want to slow down too much, knew things were tight between myself, Jari Kirkland and Chelsey Magness.

Grabbing sips of water along with my Infinit every lap seemed to help with the hydration. With the heat it was key to have proper fuel. I was confident that my Infinit would get my through.

Things were moving along pretty good and it was time to mount lights. I kept the stop pretty quick grabbing lights and gave chain a quick lube. When I rolled into the pit next lap Amber, Ryan's partner was there. She had completed a running race in Canmore and then drove all the way to Spokane. Wow what a girl! It was nice surprise to see a familiar face.

Next lap, I put on some layers and had a quick chat with Amber. She said I was doing well and thought  I was 2nd. I wasn't really sure as I knew Jari and I were battling it out back and forth. I didn't know where Chelsey was sitting.

I just kept trying to push through during the night enjoying the cooler temperatures. The dust was pretty bad and it was tricky at times to see with it reflecting off the lights. I stopped a couple of laps and  wiped my eyes with a wet cloth.

There is always one lap where you wonder what the hell you are doing and if you are going to be able to continue. For me it was the lap just before the sun came up. Amber & I struggled getting my arm warmers over my watch and transponder, LOL. It was a team effort to lube the chain, one rotating the crank and one applying lube. In my blurry state I had to ask if the lube was actually coming out ;-)?

That next lap was a little better and I was ready to take layers off and get rid of my lights. From that lap on was starting to feel pretty good and lap times were getting faster. I was in 3rd and just had to keep on riding. Easy right?!  I asked about 4th but was told no concern there. I ran into a female Solo rider the next  lap and she said was battling for 4th or 5th.

On my last lap Amber passed me a bottle and said I had to go right away as 4th was on me. I was in shock! Took off like a crazy person and was riding as fast as I could looking over my shoulder from time to time. I was going over the conversation I had with the Solo girl who said she had completed 13 laps. I was on 17. Hugh?!! A guy did a brutal pass on the new single track section and took me down. I was annoyed but no time to get too excited, had to get back on my bike and get to the finish!

In the end it turns out 4th was close but I was 3 laps up. Oh well, it's always a good test to see what is left in the tank at the end. I guess there was still a bit ;-). Wow, what a challenging race with the heat and a very competitive women's field. I took 3rd with a total time of 24:17:52 (huge improvement over last year's time), 17 laps, and 410 kilometres. Ryan won for Solo men overall!

Solo Women

It was amazing to have some Fernie friends cheering me on into the wee hours of the night! As well, the other racers and volunteers really get into it creating an amazing vibe. It really is the little things that make a difference when you are out there alone struggling with the mental and physical challenges. Dreaming of the podium wine is also helpful ;-).

Thank you to Amber, Coach Shaun, Infinit Nutrition, Specialized and of course my family for supporting me. I could not have done it without you! I look forward to the next adventure.

24 Hours in the Old Pueblo 2015

This race is always a challenging one to get ready for in the mist of a Canadian winter. However, this winter had been far from epic so I decided to go on the wait list the end of December. I was on pins and needles as didn't get in until two weeks before! But I was ready and excited to race on some dirt.

Ryan Gardiner and Andrew Bovard, two 24 hour hammers were already registered so I had some one else to suffer with. I met the boys at the 3C Ranch in Oracle a few days before the race. It was good to catch up and get settled in and enjoy some warm temperatures before the race.

We all headed to the race site Friday to get the tent set up and head out for a pre race lap. It was awesome to be on dirt again and the Fate felt really good on the course. Love the Roval Control SL wheels!

Back to the place to finish getting ready for the race and have a few laughs before the event. We were unsupported so it would just be the three of us slogging it out in the desert maybe catching a glimpse of each other in the pit or on course. We are all on Infinit Nutrition so it was just a matter of grabbing a bottle each lap, mounting lights and putting on some layers. Oh yeah and racing for 24 hours ;-)!

Getting ready for a 24 hour is a science ;-).

Race day came and it was a nice morning but there was a strong wind. After finishing setting up the pit we headed to the start line. This is a huge event with normally around 1,800 participants so the start is a bit of a gong show. We started a little further back to avoid the chaos. The gun went off and we were on our way. I tried to settle in fighting the head wind, which pretty much stayed until lights went one. Lap #2 was smoother and #3 lost about 10 minutes due to an injury on the Bitches. Unfortunately someone hurt themselves and waited at the top for the ambulance to clear. Hopefully he or she was ok. There seems to be a lot of injuries on this section of the course.

My pace was fairly steady after that until lights went on. I had a few incidents with "teamers" wanting to pass and ending up with some cactus in the fingers and leg. I didn't really want to stop to pull the cactus out but you can imagine the needles digging in just a little deeper with each pedal stroke. So I was sensible and stopped to pull out what I could. The most annoying thing was getting wheeled four times during the race. The majority of riders were inexperienced but one should have know better. I called out "You need to settle down". I was getting a little crusty!

Ok I will get off my soap box. I had no other real issues besides trying to find somewhere to pee in the middle of the desert ;-). Just kept grabbing my bottle of Infinit at the pit and rolling on through. My Exposure Diablo was already mounted on my spare helmet. Got my Reflex on the bars and away I went. It was still fairly warm so no real need for more clothes yet.






















I did grab a few layers later on just to make sure didn't get a chill on the back end of the course. Fairly early in the morning was starting to get in the hurt locker. I couldn't seem to turn any fast laps. I kept telling myself a slow lap is better than no lap. It was around that time saw Andrew on course. There was not a lot of chatting. I guess he knew I was suffering and continued hammering up the Bitches. I managed to push on and found some new energy later in the morning. The sun was coming up and it was great to take the lights and layers off. It was already warm.

I had no idea how I was doing in the race or really who all the players were. I asked the volunteers in the timing tent how many laps had completed and if they knew my position. At that point had completed 12 laps and no idea of my position. So just kept pushing on doing the best I could. I started to see some more ladies near the end of the race not sure if they were soloists or teamers. I also ran into Ryan. He came ripping behind me all fired up and yelling out John Wick. We were flying down His & Her trail and let him pass to continue his chasing. That was fun!

I was hoping to get 16 laps in but could tell later in the morning it would only be 15. The wind definitely played a factor. I continued to push the pace the best I could with lots of time to complete my final lap. It was great to finish but a little deflating with no familiar faces at the finish line. The boys were still out there hammering away. I made my way back to the pit sitting there in a bit of a daze waiting for them to finish. Andrew came in looking strong with a 4th place finish and Ryan shortly behind taking 7th. It wasn't until Andrew checked the results found out I was 2nd. I was pleased knowing had put my best effort forward.

Off to the awards and the Sierra Nevada beer tent for $1 pints! I am not really a beer person but anything tasted good after 24:23:24 hours, 18,000 ft of climbing and 389 kilometers!

We enjoyed some Mexican in Oracle and had some fun in Phoenix before heading back to Canada. All in all a good race. I was pleased with my ability to stay focused and push on with no support or idea how I was doing in the race. It was mentally and physically challenging for sure! I was able to dig a little deeper and improve my lap times later in the morning. I love caffeine ;-)!

Thank you to Specialized Canada for your support. Also to Infinit Nutrition Canada, Darcy you really get behind your athletes. Also to Coach Shaun of Forward Momentum Coaching for your countless hours spent trying to perfect the Vegan diet, not to mention all the physical and mental preparation.

It is nice to come back to some dry single track this time of year. After some rest it feels good to get back out on the bike and enjoy a bit of down time before the next adventure.

25 Hours in Frog Hollow

Dave, Shaun & I loaded up Dave's truck in Fernie and started our road trip to Hurricane, UT. We had a few navigational challenges but eventually made it to our place in Toquerville (great Canadian name) ;-). Andrew & Ryan had already arrived from Jasper and the shenanigans had  begun.

Are we supposed to be in Bozeman?

Salt Lake City stop at Wholefoods

We headed out to the race course on Friday for a lap. It was warm and the course was in pretty good shape. A road climb to begin with some fun descending on Jem Trail. The next section climbed some rock ledges, more descending and a road section back to the transition tent. All up approx. 1100 ft elevation gain and 20 kilometres per lap.

Headed back to the place to do the usual race prep and catch up with the other Canadian racers who had arrived. In total there were eight of us racing solo, all unsupported.

The skies looked ominous race morning and the forecast was looking questionable with rains coming in. After setting up the pit and attending the racer meeting it was time to head to the start line. The Lemans start was fairly civil and before I knew it was on my bike heading up the road climb with Shaun & Ryan in the fore-front. A bit of a bottle neck on Jem Drops but it was smooth sailing after that.

Things were fairly uneventful for laps 1-8. I settled into my pace, grabbing layers and a bottle of Infinit, trying to reduce pit stops. The first main stop was to put on lights.  Mounted Exposure Reflex on the bars and Diablo was ready to go on my spare helmet. I was ready to head back out just as the rain started coming down. That lap was challenging with slippery rocks and sand turning into clay. Arriving back at the pit sat on my cooler for awhile trying to decide if I wanted to go back out. Before I could convince myself to stop,  got back on the Fate and headed out for some more suffering.

The rain eventually stopped and the wind was starting to dry things out nicely. I was getting into my groove again. After Lap #12 stopped at the pit to change my lights and take some layers off. Things were starting to warm up and I didn't want to overheat. I figured I only had a few more night laps and the sun would be coming up. After I left the pit,  looked at my watch and it was only 2:30am! Say what? I guess my timing was a bit of ;-).

Lap #13 is where things got nasty. Halfway into the lap the skies opened up again and this time it was sideways rain and hail on the back end of the course. A full on river was flowing down the trail and I was walking more than riding. My decision to take off my shoe covers and rain jacket was bitting me in the ass! I just wanted to get back to the pit in one piece not hurting myself or destroying my bike. As soon as I got back, jumped right in the truck. I was done!  Over the next hour the rest of the team rolled in and also pulled the pin but Ryan kept going.

Dave's bike - you get the idea

With just over 19 hours of racing  made the decision to stop. Later in the morning found out I was leading for solo women. Whether I would hold my position would depend on if 2nd place went back out. In the end she did and I was bumped to 2nd. Well that sucked but it was the right call at the time and I have no regrets. Of course it was disappointing not to have raced the full 25 hours but sometimes you have to put the podium aside and do what makes sense.

Still freezing!

Smiling even after the sufferfest! 

Solo Women

In the end, Canada represented well with 5 out of 8 athletes getting on the podium. Hats off to Ryan who continued to suffer through all of the elements and ride to a 3rd place finish for solo men.

We spent the next few days having some laughs, eating and trying to find good wine and beer in Utah!

Zion National Park

Getting our pizza on!

The gang outside our place