My favourite bike ride and other short stories

I started this blog as a means of sharing my Ironman training and maybe impart some advice and lessons learned. It then morphed into an opportunity to share my race reports...because there's nothing more important in your life than how fast I didn't go. As I type these things out, it usually causes me to reflect a lot more on where I'm at and what it all means to me.
But let's start with those race reports.

Jim Horner CX: I was up in Edmonton for Thanksgiving and staying 3 minutes from Millcreek Ravine, I couldn't skip the chance of doing the Jim Horner cyclocross last Saturday. I did a short warm up and lined up for the start. Three quarters of a lap later (about 7 minutes or so) I was walking over to the commissaire pushing my bike with one hand and holding my broken chain in the other.

Red Cross CX: Fortunately Red Bike put on a race at the same spot on Sunday. So after a quick repair at Hard Core bikes I was ready to go. I started at the back of the pack. A big group moved off the front quickly and it was only about half a lap before the group as strung out. It wasn't as technical as my previous venture at COP, but the course was still a tricky one ducking in and out of the ravine. I maybe didn't look as good as I felt when I yelled to my dad "you should try this". He just laughed. My goal was to not get lapped too early in the race (I know, pretty lofty expectations). Being used to tucking into aero position for kilometre after kilometre of straight roads, started a bit tentative on the technical turns. But as the laps ticked by, I started to find my rhythm and attacked the hills and corners. I made halfway through my final lap holding on before reality set in and the top two riders lapped my. But I'll count that as a successful day.

Blow Street CX: There was a race out in Blakiston Park (NW Calgary) yesterday. I was on the fence about signing up since I was doing the Gorilla run today. But I enjoy cyclocross too much to pass up the opportunity. It was a big field on a fairly flat, leaf-covered course. Again I started near the back but was moving up quite well. But on my second lap my new chain link came loose and that was the end of my day. Half of my cyclocross races have now ended with a broken chain! Oh well, just saved my legs for a strong race at today's 14km Gorilla Run.(slow start through the zoo, very fast last 2km).

My cycling has seen big improvements over the last year. To the point where my bike may be close to challenging the run if my run wasn't also improving. So I was stoked for our time trial at tri club this week. My 3 minute TT felt good. And then my 20 minute TT fell apart. With numbers only slightly higher than those of a year ago I spent the night questioning why. Am I finally burning out after IMC and a busy racing year?  Maybe that month in South America is just what the body needs to recover and refocus. Maybe Dezz and I will hire a couple of hybrids and take a leisurely bike ride, but that will probably be the extent of it.

Speaking of cycling abroad, Bicycling Magazine is celebrating their 50th year with an article on most memorable rides. Which got me thinking about mine. In 2008 Dezz and I did a short cycling tour in Crete, Greece. On day two we cycled about 5km. Our ride traversed some quiet, winding roads with a few uphills and what seemed like more downhills. We took a leisurely pace as you do when seeing a new country. After a long flowing decent we rounded a corner and came upon a small natural spring. We stopped for a photo opp and to take in the atmosphere. We felt like we could have been riding through the rainforest with the overhanging trees, and sound of water flowing, and not a single car passing us in our 15 minute pit stop. And then the rain started. We had a final climb into Argiroupolis up a steep, slick hill. Dezz literally was riding day 2 on clipless pedals (yep, we just bought her road shoes 3 days before we departed) and at the steepest pitch her bike just stopped. It was one of those slow motion falls we've all experienced first hand. But she jumped back on and pedaled to the top of the hill where we were greeted by a waiting Mercedes Benz.  This was the owners of our paradise for the night waiting to lead us up to his guest house. We walked our bikes the last few steps down the cobbled steps, stripped out of our wet clothes and into some dry gear, made a pot of tea and feasted on the fresh farm produce and bread they provided us. Had it not been for the potential adventures that awaited us the next day on our bicycles, we would still be in Argiroupolis. She's never come out and said it, but I have a sneaking suspicion this is the day my wife fell in love with cycling.

Losing my Cyclocross Virginity

Following IMC 2009 I decided to try cyclocross. This, of course, meant I NEEDED a new bike.  After a few a few visits to Bow Cycle, I decided my third bike in 3 years should maybe be secondhand. Two days before leaving for Spain I found a great deal...in Kelowna. I contacted the seller (a mechanic in a Kelowna bike shop) and said if the bike was still available when I returned, I'd really consider it. A week later, I was assembling my newest family member. 

Jump ahead 21 months and I was finally signed up for my first cyclocross race. On Saturday night I raced the newbie category at the Dark Knight Cyclocross out at Canada Olympic Park. I spent a whole 2 days training my mounts and dismounts and riding over some bumpy grass in Inglewood prior to the race. I was ready!  Cyclocross has a reputation of just being a really fun time, even among the more elite riders. So I wasn't too nervous. Until I saw the course!  I quickly realized the hundreds of kilometres I rode along straight roads in aero position wouldn't be of much assistance here. I signed my waiver, pinned my race number onto my jersey, pulled up my leg warmers, and headed out for a practice lap. I spent the last week watching cyclocross videos on YouTube...either everything looks easier on video or this is the hardest course in the entire universe. I'll settle for something in the middle.

My race started at 6pm so at least we'd be racing in daylight. In cyclocross, you don't do a set number of laps. Rather, it is a timed race and the number of laps is based on the pace of the first place rider after his/her first 2 laps. Seeding ourselves was fairly easy...there were only 8 noobs signed up. We started off on a gradual asphalt uphill. Two guys pulled away right off the front. A girl and I were next. And then everyone else dropped off the back early on.  The course consisted of grass, sand traps, a downhill dirt trail, tight corners, off-camber sections, and obstacles. I raced in my small chain ring and by the third lap I was hypoxic. It was a totally different type of fitness than I'm used to. But the adrenaline kept me going strong (well, maybe strong is too, um, strong a word). I was a bit tentative on the first couple of laps, but started to really go for it on the 3rd and 4th laps. By the 5th, I was spent and made a few tactical errors. But asides from 2 close calls, I survived the race without hitting the ground. I was in 3rd place for the first 3 1/2 laps, but the girl kept on my wheel most of the time ("come on Ally, you got him. Hey buddy, don't get chicked!") and after a short downhill, tight corner, and sharp uphill in the wrong gear, she finally made the jump. I stuck on her wheel for a bit but her road racing skills were obviously more suited to the technical course. Yup, I got chicked. But I was happy with my 4th place finish and not getting lapped. And Bow Cycle donated swag for the top 5 in each category.

The cyclocross vibe is totally different than triathlon. It's a real party vibe. They had a DJ spinning throughout the races (the elite dudes went at 9pm) and the post-race (or pre-race, or spectator) food consisted of pumpkin pie, whipped cream, chocolate, nibs, coffee and hot chocolate. Nice. Racers even wore costumes. I was amazed at how fast the elite guys were, but it was good to see that sometimes they slipped or wiped out too. I can't wait to do the next one.

Dark Knight video: