Is This A Logo??

Is This A Logo??

Tuesday 30 September 2014

Fall Epic 8 Hour MTB Relay Race....the Review

So Fig and I tag teamed the other two 8 Hour races this year, but as the organizers were not holding a series of the three 8 Hour races (which we were gunning for)...we decided to try something different for this race.

As it ended up Fig found himself joining CptSydor and VVagabond who needed another male for their 4 person mixed team.  I got challenged by Unglued to solo the 8 hour on a rigid single speed...by his  words..."like a real man"...(sounds really funny...those words with a British accent...).

Anyways, so I set out in search of a rigid single speed to borrow...and was quickly satisfied by misconceptionz, who had one to lend.  So...nervously registered as solo singlespeed the week before the race....and spent that week trying to become familiar with a new-to-me rigid singlespeed ride.

Come race day this was the steed...



Parked beside me was this gent...



Dskunk....one of the fastest fellows on a singlespeed in these parts...so I knew I was about to get my butt handed to me.

Even my new skin suit wouldn't likely help...



Maybe I should have worn what I used to wear....



OK...maybe not...

Then at race time line up in the paddock...Martin to my left, Jeremiah to my right...CptSydor in front of me...just great, in the centre of all these fast guys!

I kinda felt like....
















Anyways you get the idea...

I was a little nervous...and had not had a chance to pre-ride the course so was completly in the dark about what to expect...

But then bang....we were off...

And I actually hung in there fairly well...a great first few laps...

A couple of early climbs were not too tough...

A couple of roots to climb over mid-course...not too tough...

A very rough new trail through a hay field...shook the heck out of the hands on the rigid...

A fast but rooty decent into some sandy curves shook the hands and shoulders some more...

Then Wiggly...a twisty climb...was tough but doable on the singlespeed for the first 7 or 8 laps...then it became a wall...screaming at me to get off and walk in the later laps...

The last two kms....a welcome descent into the finish...

Emily Batty passed me on lap 4 (and again on lap 10)...only mention it because it's not every day you get passed by a world cupper and it may not ever happen again (yeah...cuz I am going to be that fast...).



Finish lap 9...heading into lap 10...I drop off my now dry camelback for a refill (yes, my cambelback also contains my tools, tube, etc.); and continue on lap 10 while my 'crew' refilled by camelback.  (FYI...my 'crew' consisted of my wife 'Lois', my mother mamaRiot who is visiting from Saskatchewan, and my son Matt who is visiting from Windsor).

FYI...this is what is going on in Saskatchewan right now...




Gotta throw some good cultural info in, by government standards....

Anyways, that jerk Murphy decided to come out on my lap with me...just as I was starting up Wiggly it happened....a flat...about as far from the start/finish as I could get...and no tools...

So run, run, run...for a half hour or more...in carbon shoes...fun eh!  Not so much...and I got passed by about 13 million other racers...many offered to help (Jerehmiah, CptSydor, Stefan, Unglued, 13Stone, Kevin, Dskunk...and others) but didn't have the tools I needed.  Finally, Ondrej comes up on me...and asks what I need...and offers to help;  first I asked him what place he was in...

He said, "I'm in fourth".  I said, "Get the hell going, man!"...Ondrej is very competetive and was killing himself to get on the podium...so with the threat of a Metis backlash he continued but graciously left me his supplies.  Another racer stopped to make sure I had what I needed;  then Martin stopped to make sure I was doing the right job and to mention he was physically finished anyway and was calling an end to his race.

Within minutes I was repaired and back on to finish lap 10...which turned out to be an hour and sixteen minute lap...rather than a thirty-something minute lap...

And the running had cooked me...I finished up lap 11 with not enough time or energy to get in another lap before race finish.  11 laps with the flat...when I should have been able to push out 12 or 13...disappointed but it's part of the game...

Dskunk skunked me with 14 laps...and came in second overall in singlespeed solo!!  Congrats Dave!!
Serious taught me a serious lesson with 13 laps...
Unglued got that 12th lap in ahead of me...

But there will be a next time.  I really enjoyed the singlespeed experience...and now have one of my own on order...

Is it too early to look forward to next year??

Other notes of mention...(C-sharp?....Post-it??...Dear John???...)

JeffS and his daughter KT came in second in the Two Person mixed Cat...and came in second to...Emily Batty and Adam Morka....two pros!!  Very cool!!!  But the podium is like home to Jeff now...and will be for KT...






(Hey thanks Jeff for 'letting' me use your pics!!!)

And CptSydors team of VVagabond, Fig, and Anouchka??...came in FIRST in the Four Person mixed Cat...Very nice!!



Oggie!!!???  Was a no-show.  Oggie, you were missed!

And Ondrej???  He did it....he destroyed himself but fought to make third place...by seconds!!  Well done Ondrej...and thank you for the help!!!   :)



And finally...another thank you to misconceptionz for letting me borrow the bike...though Lois may not be so happy I am now adding another arrow to my quiver...

So now what???



OK then...until next time...

Stay posted...and that's no bull!!


Tuesday 16 September 2014

Crank the Shield 2014...The Review

Well the Crank was all I expected it to be, and then some!  The course itself threw a little of everything at us...rocky double track, grass, gravel road, mud, water crossings, wood, rocks and roots, and sweet single track....and hills upon hills.  The three days threw enough challenges at us that of the 195 racers, 52 DNF'd at some point!!

For me the biggest challenge was the cold!!  But before I get too far ahead of myself, this is how the event panned out for me...

Day 1

Me, NewfieSteve, EnglishJim rolled in and registered (Jaimie, Giant, and PowerPaul came in a different vehicle), and got geared up.

The trusty steed...



Hands were shook, as the familiar faces of some of the other similar minded crazy characters cranking the shield were recognized...JeffS, Oggie, mtbmeister, KevinW, Jeremiah, Bob...

Of, course I like to imagine myself in that group, but they are all twice as fast as I am....for now...

I ain't lion...



OK...lame...I know.  Anyways this is what the Stage 1 course looked like...


So 70 kms later, starting from Haliburton Forest, over many damn hills (as you can see on the elevation chart above), the technical Normac trail, through too many mud bogs, through a deep beaver dam water crossing, over a short road section (I got to ride with Jeremiah until he dropped me), and through a rocky hydrocut...4hours and 13minutes later (about 10 minutes behind Giant...well done Giant!!)  I limped into the finish at Camp White Pine.  Finished Day 1 of the Crank...uninjured, and bike intact!!  I was in 7th place in my category.  No feed stations were harmed by me on this day.

Little did I realize that this may have been the easiest (and best weather) of the three days...

The crew from Cabin 7 (we stayed in cabins at Camp White Pine)...post stage 1 recovery...




Day 2

The biggest issue with day 2 was the weather.  Waking up to 5 degrees Celsius and a forecast of 20mm of rain (luckily??? we only ended up with about half of that) was less than pleasant.

This was the Stage 2 course.



The rain had turned the beginning singletrack (Glebe Trail), into a mudslide, and the combination of mud, roots, and rocks made for a significant challenge...I have a couple of extra bruises to attest to it.

In fact, EnglishJim took enough of a spill to call it quits for the day...

Not unlike this guy...



Actually there were several DNFs on day 2, due to injury, and hypothermia.  Luckily I had layered well...but the conditions did make me feel slow and heavy until I forced myself to stuff my food into my face to give me enough fuel to properly deal with the conditions, and I was able to kick it up somewhat for the last 20 kms or so.

At one point mtbmeister went flying past me on the singletrack.  He had flatted early and was working his way to the front where he belonged.  Here is proof...



At another point I came up to Giant who was also repairing a flat.  I stopped to help, he had spent his CO2...so I left him my CO2 and he continued with the repair.

With the brutal conditions, I was never so happy in any other race, to see the 1 km to go sign!!  5 hours 13 minutes....slow...but finished...and held on to 7th place in my category.  One feed station harmed on this day.

We started our cabin on fire to stay warm...




Day 2 recovery....



The actual beer keg for Day 2 recovery beverages...



A trail sign...




Day 3

This day started off COLD!!!!  It was actually below zero in the morning!!
The course started off with a COLD 13 km neutral start from Camp White Pine to Sir Sams Ski and Bike resort...and the sun started coming out to warm things up a little.  This was the day 3 course map...


The guys...at Sir Sams...PowerPaul, Steve, Jaimie...




This day started out with climbing up and down Sir Sam's ski hill 3 times.  It was great fun!!  Then it lead back into the hydrocut trail...the same one we did in day one....but the opposite direction.  This meant more damn mud bogs....and crossing the beaver dam.  Then it finished off with the technical, muddy Ben's Trail, and the Normac Trail.

I decided into this day to leave the real racing to the professionals.  I was firmly in 7th place...and the cold had me feeling very sluggish.  So I played it careful, especially in the technical trails.  4 hours, 6 minutes...I hung on to seventh....finishing just several minutes behind 6th.  Two feed stations were harmed.

I'm not so good at selfies but this is me after day 3...





It took a few minutes to recover...
OK, actual Post Day 3 recovery...(Thanks to JeffS for the pic)...





By the way...JeffS...fast!!!  Proof??  He took this home...



Also...Oggie would have been on the overall podium for Two Man 100+ except for an unfortunate mechanical on day 2.

Jeremiah was on the podium on day 3...and just minutes off from 3rd over all three days.




Overall, this was an awesome event...if it was easy it wouldn't be worth doing.  It was expertly run, great people participating (I am continuously blown away by the quality of the people that participate in this sport...), the volunteers, the locals cheering.  It was a true test of both physical and mental fortitude...and worth every cent it cost.

The rumour is that due to lack of participation this may be the last 3 day Crank the Shield...I truly hope that isn't true...as soon as they announce the next one...I am in.

It's two days after the race...I am still hurting...but will be back at it tomorrow.  One more race to go this season...

Stay posted!!