Please let me vent........

Just one post to allow the frustration I am feeling out!! Living in southern Ontario the mountain bike trails are limited. Only a handful of parks have trail systems and only a couple have climbing. That being said we can not afford to lose any riding areas. Well apparently in Lasalle, mountain bike riding is of little importance and the one trail system that mountain bikers built and maintain has now been banned. Brunet Park woodlot is prohibited from cyclist. Jay and I (along with approx. 15 other bikers) attended a town council meeting where the proposal to ban mountain biking from the town owned park was being put forth. They (one man in particular) claim there is damage being done to the woodlot. A couple of bike clubs and individuals have put many hours in the maintenance of the trails and the conservation of the woodlot that surrounds the trails. A code of conduct has been widely spread and it is to be followed in order to preserve the trail and environment. It is these responsible cyclist that clear the obstacles and fill in the holes that have been made on the trails by the small handful of disrespectful 'kids'. This trail hooks up to a main trail system that runs throughout the town and attaches Lasalle and Windsor parks. A safe environment for kids to ride their bikes and enjoy mountain biking. 2 cyclist spoke on behalf of the cycling community at the meeting in hopes of shedding light and bringing reason as to why these trails should remain cyclist friendly. Their argument seems to have fallen on deaf ears. Why does it have to be so complicated? We go to the States often to ride and somehow manage to share the trails with hikers, horseback riders and cyclist! There's never been a conflict and we all win, enjoying nature in a variety of ways. In a time when physical activity is at a low with children we should be encouraging and providing a safe and fun environment. Teach them to respect nature not ban them from it!! So now the town will put up barriers and post signs so no cyclist can ride on the Brunet off road trails. That handful of 'bratty kids' will still go in and create obstacles and dig their holes (because this restricted riding will not effect them), there will be more damage done to trails as they jump the barriers and create new cut through trails and in the end there will be no responsible riders there to help clean up and fill in the trails because remember we have been banned!!

Cheers,

Sue

A, B, C, and D's of Highland Park...............

No this is not some instructional, how to ride at Highland Park but rather the names of the loops in the trail system. Jay and I decided last minute on Friday, Sept. 18 to head over to Michigan for a ride. We had been to Highland a couple of times in the past but each time later in the year and the trail was usually covered in leaves. We just wanted something different and thought we would give it a go! So to Highland it was in this awesome mid 70° weather. The trails were in great shape, really dry and pretty loose with only a few leaves on the ground which allowed for the rock and root covered trail to be fully visible. No surprise bumps this time! Loop 'A' is a shorter loop and has some fun climbing and descents and flows nicely. Loop 'B' comes off of 'A' and is the longest of the loops. This is the loop you don't want to miss. It is fun and flows with quick little climbs and technical rocky/rooty downhills. I caught myself shouting out to Jay (with a huge grin on my face), how awesome the ride was! Perma' smile I guess describes it best. A few log piles to 'bunnyhop' over (I can pat myself on the back because I am totally hoppin'!), and rocks to drop off of. So much fun!! I like the feeling of getting air (who'd of thunk it?), I get it now!! More then 1/2 way through loop 'B' comes loop 'C'. This loop is tighter, more switchback, less speed, however still sticks to the up and down trail system of Highland with a bit of technical in the mix. The enter and exit of loop 'C' is at the same spot, so back to 'B' without missing a step or pedal stroke for that matter! From this point, loop 'B' is fast and next thing you know you are dropping off your final rocks and back at the trail head. Loop 'D' shoots off of 'B' however I skipped it for today. Instead, I decided to head back out and take in loop 'A' and 'B' one more time. What a blast!! Jay and I both agree that we will be riding Highland more often. We had a great day, learning the a,b,c's has never been this much fun!! Can't wait until the next time when maybe I will add 'd' to my 4 letter alphabet!!

Cheers,

Sue

Race mode for a little longer........

No posts in a couple of weeks? Wow.....my intentions when I first started the blog was not to let it sit idle for more then a week. Tap myself in the hand and start typing! ;)

After provincials I took a week off from thinking race. With all the hype leading up to provincials I was a bit "mentally race" drained. If that makes any sense? Jay and I rode some of the local single track. Fun rides, keeping the legs moving. Come this past week, I got back on top of my climbing and tempo rides. My race season is not over yet!

So, come Sunday (yesterday), another race day (a bit last minute, I may add)............. Jay and I headed over to Addison Oaks, Oakland County, Michigan. The MMBA promoted this race, their yearly "Fall Classic". Beautiful weather and perfect trail conditions. Addison is at least 80% single track. It is a fun fast course. It was another race that I trained through seeing it as low priority. I had a good time and took 1st, Katerina Machacova (Team Fraser) 2nd and Lynn Alfs (Paint Creek Bicycles) claimed 3rd. My legs were strong and I held a nice steady pace. So the day wrapped up with Jay going out for a ride, a quick bite to eat and then home sweet home!

Cheers,

Sue

Ontario Provincial Championships - from another angle (worth the read)...............

(Provincial Championships Podium) (Provincial Overall Series Podium (minus Emily Batty))

A different point of view....

I asked Jay to write this blog for me as he always has some sort of smart ass comment about my quick race re-caps. Please feel free to comment and hold nothing back.............

Enjoy the post,

Sue


Keeping with the O-cup theme for 2009 the weather wasn't looking good for the Provincial Championships. We had planned on doing the usual leave from home Friday morning, arrive early afternoon, get some riding in, camp, chill, camp and then race day, but opted to travel up to Kelso on Thursday, ride and come back home. The decision was made due to the fact that the whole family was making the weekend trip and camping in the rain is simply no fun. On Thursday we arrived around 1600hrs and Sue turned a couple of her laps at a comfortable pace. She said her laps hovered around 28 minutes or so and she felt pretty good about the course. Paiten and I did a couple of laps of the 0830 course which included the opening climb up the gravel service road. The climb was loose rock and if you (Paiten) got caught straying off line it was tough to regain momentum. Paiten wasn't too happy with the climb and expressed it to me in the way only a twelve year old could. Once on top of the hill the trail began to flow more and Paiten forgot about the climb and her 'mood' quickly changed. The original idea was to do her course but it wasn't completely marked so we ended up straying on the 1330 course for a fair bit of the ride. From what I saw the course was going to be wide open and fast...depending on the weather.

Kelso is a completely different course than the rest of the O-cups. It is almost as unique as Buckwallow, but in a different way. You start with the opening climb which was anywhere from 4 to 6 minutes long depending what category you race in. From there you basically rode around on top of the escarpment which consisted of fast single track and even faster wide open flat double track. Then it was back down the hill on a strip of technical single track and right back up to the top and quickly back down again. Missing from the course was momentum robbing slow ups and quick downs of Hardwood, the free speed you can muster at Albion and Mansfield and the tough rooty/rocky technical riding we've all come to enjoy at Buckwallow. As discussed on the way home we all thought the course was in really good shape but were eager to see how the predicted weather and the opening climb would affect the outcome on race day.

On Saturday we arrived at the venue at around 1400hrs. Sue and I set up camp and just did nothing for the rest of the afternoon. The kids biked, fished, explored the side of the escarpment. Sue did get on her bike for a little bit and just rode around the parking lot and campground with the kids. I simply sat back and enjoyed my purchase from Bell's that I had been saving all week. That's one of the perks of not having to race the next day. We were hoping that Pak and Kim were going to come up and join us for the night but they opted out due to the distance and the anticipated rain. More Bell's (beer) for me!

Speaking of the weather I guess it had rained quite a bit the night before but the chances of rain for Saturday and Sunday had dropped compared to what was previously predicted.

On Sunday morning I was up early with Paiten and helped her over to the start of her race. When we arrived at the start Paiten was relieved to hear that Chico divided the Peewee boys and Peewee girls start into two separate staging areas. The starts are pretty chaotic due to the large field, so this was a good move for the young riders. I won't go into the details of the race because it doesn't really matter at this stage in the game. She crossed the finish line with a huge smile and she said she had a really good ride and made most of the opening climb. Good for her.

After Paiten's race I spent most of the morning working on Sue's bike getting it ready for her race at 1330. Sue went back to bed in the tent and slept for a couple more hours. I guess that's her way of dealing with the pre-race nerves. I learned that the course was in really good shape despite the rain on Friday night. The weather and course conditions plays such a big role in tire selection and tire selection in turn plays a big role in the bike's handling. The optimal tire set up would be a fast rolling tubeless tire for the hardpack conditions and occasional sharp rock. As luck would have it the bike was already set up with Shwalbe Racing Ralphs which saved me the trouble of having to change them and deal with the mess of the Stan's sealant which I had very little left.

Sleeping beauty woke up at about 1200hrs and began prepping for her race. She went over her water bottles with me for the feed zone (yes, I work on her bike and I feed her at the races) and she began to get ready. During Sue's warm-up Pak and Kim showed up at the camp site. They were only 24 hours late but it was still good to see them.

At around 1315hrs Myself, Pak, Kim and Sue's four genetically connected personal cheering section headed over to the venue. Pak, Kim and the kids walked up the hill to wait along the opening climb to cheer Sue on. I stayed at the starting area knowing that I would be handcuffed to the feed zone for the remainder of the race.

Sue was called up to the start line as she is second in overall points to Emily Batty (Trek) who was 1st but wasn't there for the race. Next to be called up was Catherine Vipond (Norco) who sits 3rd overall in the O-Cup points race. If we were to do the math the only way Sue could capture the overall title was to finish first at the Provincial Championships and Catherine would have to not show up or not finish. In order for Sue to come 2nd overall she would have to come first and beat Catherine which based on the last four previous years of racing is pretty much next to impossible. But this is mountain bike racing and anything can happen.

Before the race Sue said her legs felt pretty good and she thought she had a pretty good handle on the course. Her fitness comes on later in the season compared to most riders. She has a hard time getting more than 8 to 9 hours a week training in the off season and even less in the summer, so the accumulation of races that she does throughout the year is what steadily increases her fitness level. What never gets any better for Sue is her nerves. Sue puts alot of pressure on herself come race day and it usually takes about 20 or so minutes into the race before she begins to relax. Even though she cares how she places in a race she puts more emphasis on improving from the last race, having a good recovery on the climbs and good flow in the single track.

Sue's race started without a hitch. There were a couple unfamiliar faces at the start line which is usually the case for the Provincial Championships. High-level Cyclo-cross riders and road racers all of sudden think they can race a mountain bike at the elite level so they come out and give it a try. In my opinion this particular course, if any, would cater to the road or cyclo-cross racer. To be honest the more racers the better and its nice to see a growing interest in the sport.

From where I was standing Sue settled into around fourth or fifth up the climb. She told me before the race that she was just going to take it easy on the climb and push a little more in the single track that followed. The field went up over the top and out of sight. Then as a spectator I wait and wait and wait. Mountain bike racing is not a spectator friendly sport and over the last couple years I've learned how to sit and wait. I'll be honest it's not easy. There are some nerves involved as well. While wainting I sit and wonder how Sue's feeling. Did she prepare properly for the race? Did I make sure that I covered everything on her bike? What place is she in? Is she alright? Did she wipe out? Did she hurt herself? Did she have a mechanical? The list goes on and on and usually by the time I have thought of everything she comes around the corner and takes a water bottle.

The nice thing about the way the course was this year, you could see the racers twice per lap which broke up the wait. On the first lap when Sue came for her first feed she was sitting fourth about 40 seconds behind the leader, Catherine Vipond. She looked pretty strong but so did the other four women grouped around her. Sue tossed her used water bottle which was 3/4s full. She wasn't drinking enough and more importantly why am I standing here if she didn't need a water bottle? On the next lap she was in second but Catherine opened up a larger gap which was just over a minute. Close behind Sue was a cyclo-cross racer from Germany and just behind her was Ashley Barson (Coach Chris). It looked like Sue had her work cut our for her just to finish second. The third lap was the same with Catherine leading by just over a minute and a half. From what I saw Catherine was looking really strong and it would be her race. Sue had the German racer close on her wheel and Ashley was falling a little off the pace. On the final lap Sue had dropped the German racer and finished two minutes behind Catherine.

After the race Sue told me that she felt good and she had a pretty good ride. She said her second lap suffered a bit when a yellow jacket flew in her helmet and stung the front of her head. (flashbacks of when she was stung under the arm during a training ride and had a really bad reaction) She did what she could to get it out without stopping and hoped she would not have a bad reaction.

So that's it for another season in Ontario. Sue ended up finishing 3rd overall in the series behind Emily Batty and Catherine Vipond.

Jay


Okay to think I would sit back and not add my 2 cents is non-sense!! First, thanks Jay for posting, I held back on adding or deleting anything cuz' I did ask him to write. The race was nicely covered. I guess the only thing I could add is how I was feeling. I thought the course was fast and fun. The sting on the forehead took my mind off the legs as I focused on the constant burn and throbbing going on under the helmet. Sitting in 2nd at the time and still 2 laps to go, I prayed for no reaction. Phew, the bit of pain I could deal with. I also want to thank everyone who cheered for me. My London peeps, never disappoint! Pak, Kim and my family seemed to be strategically placed throughout the course, so that when I needed the push they let me have it!!! Hard to believe the 2009 O-Cup series is over!! As always Chico Racing did a fantastic job (top notch). However, I still have a couple big races to go and don't plan on slowing down until maybe December and then it will start all over again.

Cheers,

Sue

Fort Custer TT................

It was off to Fort Custer Michigan for a Michigan USAC Series Time Trial, on Sunday August 23, 2009. Tailwind promoted this event. The second last race in their 2009 race series. (In the collage above I took a picture of Mr. Tailwind, Robert Linden. I have mentioned him in previous posts and now there's a face to the name. He is a stand up guy, who's all about the sport.) I had never raced the TT at 'Custer' before so I was really going into this one not knowing what to expect. It was a 13 mile loop of double track, flowing single track and tight downhills and quick climbs. As we drove the 3 hours, the weather was not looking too good, but we lucked out! Once we arrived in Battle Creek there was no rain, just overcast and the temp a bit on the cool side. I actually had the arm and knee warmers on to warm up! My start time was 10:25:30 am. 2 by 2 we were set out in 30 sec. intervals. I stood at the line with an expert man and the count down from 5 took place. Only racing against the clock, you never know where you stand until the end. After a small blunder on the first turn I set into a nice pace. As I came into one of the opening quick climbs, my front end washed out in the sand and sent me off my bike. There's no time for wipe-outs in a TT and I knew my down had to turn quickly into an up. Fixed the gearing, the handlebar and back on the bike and attacking the climb. I had raced a cross country race at Fort Custer and this course was not looking familiar at all. Coming into a technical downhill/uphill/single track/off camber section (hard to describe because the trail sort of went up and down the side of a hill and just when you thought you could let the bike go you were braking....), I was feeling pretty good and then I lost my flow. I just wanted to get through this section clean. It was fun but I couldn't seem to figure it out. (That's why pre-riding a course is so important, especially for a tt where you only have one shot at it. You vs. the clock and one lap, you have to give it your all.) Anyhow, I got through it and picked my pace back up. I passed by where Jay was standing and he gave me my update. "3 seconds in front of 2nd place" is what I heard. At that point I knew I had to get out of the "just riding" mode and give more of a race pace effort. So onto the gas it was. I attacked the course, made some pretty sweet passes and hammered to the finish. Only to find out that Jay had said that I had "30 seconds on 2nd" not "3" like I thought he said. Nonetheless he pushed me and I managed to put another 19 seconds on 2nd. Taking the top of the podium by 49 sec.!! Phew. This was definitely not my best race, but a win is a win no matter how ugly it may have been. Jay and Paiten rode the first half of the course and they were pretty happy with their ride.
Another reason for taking in the western side of Michigan was to visit Bells Brewery. Fellow racers race on the Bells Brewery/Quiring Cycle Team and had told us about the small cafe that Bells has, known as the Eccentric Cafe. First stop was the General Store. We did a bit of shopping ;) and then headed to the Eccentric Cafe. Wouldn't you know it, we ran into Joe Brzuchanski (Bell's/Quiring Cycle) who bought Jay and I a beer and Paiten a soda!! (Super nice of him!! ;p) We had a quick bite to eat (delicious) then headed home. Great day, great fun, great people, great trails and great beer!!

Cheers,

Sue

DD's on Friday.......................

The double D's never disappoint!! Dirt Diva's out in full force! There was a great turnout on Friday with 10 of us attacking the trails (well maybe only 9 cuz' Kim was not allowed to be so aggressive! ;p) I arrived an hour early hoping to get some climbing in prior to the ride. Well that was literally a wash (I watched as the rain came down for a half hour before getting out on my bike.) So I quickly took advantage of the 30 minutes I had and did a bit of hills. The group met in the parking lot. Majority of the faces I recognized and a couple of new ones! Always good to see new ladies coming out!!! Kim the 'diva' herself came out as well, riding on her cyclo-cross bike. It was clear from the energy before we even got started that this ride was gonna' be fun! We covered all the single track at Malden, and found ways up to the top so we could let it 'rip' to the bottom. Fearless group of ladies I tell ya'! (A bit loud as well but it's all good! Remember I said Kim is back?! lol) There was only one small wipe-out to report, no injury and no one even yelled for me to get the camera over for a picture!
I cannot wrap this blog up without mentioning the snails!! Not 1 or 2 or 3 for that matter, there must have been thousands!!!! They were everywhere, in the grass, dirt, gravel, open areas, single track, you name it they were there. They really were unavoidable!! Sorry but they popped under our tires like sticks were being snapped. If they only knew how to move faster or out of the way on time. We had a guilty feeling but made ourselves feel better by saying it was population control. (Please no "I love snails, how dare you" emails/comments. We really are caring women who just wanted to ride and could do nothing to 'miss' them.) Fun, fun, fun ride.

"Look are we just gonna' sit here and talk about it or are we gonna' ride?"

Cheers,

Sue

On top at Pontiac!!!

After a week of little, to no recovery I thought it would be a great idea to throw a race in!! So, on Sunday, Jay, Stu (Norco), and myself headed to Pontiac, Michigan for the Michigan USAC race promoted by Tailwind Promotions. Pontiac is a great place to ride. The course is fast, flowing, rough, and after 3 laps hurts the body all over!! It was hot and humid!! Each lap is approx. 10 miles. I took in a quick warm up with Karey Collins (MPI-Main Street Racing), and did some chatty catch up! To the line for the 10:00 am start. At 'go' I missed my pedal twice before finally clipping in and then jumping in front of Karey who had grabbed the holeshot. I set into a steady pace, knowing what my legs could handle and hold. I have to say the legs were not fresh at all! There was 3 of us (myself, Karey and Katerina Machacova (Team Fraser) who stayed together for about the first 15 minutes and then I slowly began to pull away. With lap 1 down and about a 2 minute lead over 2nd place, Katerina, I just stayed steady. Lap 2 and I had about a 4 minute lead. I plugged away at lap 3. In the end I took the win. I need to thank Joe and Erin (Bell's Brewery) for the recovery drink ;)! A shout out to Robert Linden (Tailwind Promotions) and his crew for another fine race, and for looking into the hornet situation!! Michigan has a great/welcoming race scene and it's always so much fun to go over there!

Today..................off the bike and not even feeling guilty about it!!

Cheers,

Sue

Legs have a mind of their own.....................

Went out for what I was hoping to be a training ride with Stu (Norco) yesterday. I should have clued in that morning that the climbing intervals planned were not in the cards for my legs! I had yet to take a day off since the weekend race, rode Monday and pushed a good pace Tuesday. Perhaps my body was telling me I need a break, but it's that battle of "am I just being lazy" or "am I in need of recovery"? The mind games I play with myself! Stu and I met up at Malden and decided to ride some single track to warm the legs up. After about an hour we were ready for climbing intervals?! Should I say he was? My legs already feeling tired and weak, I started my first lap (5 laps was the goal). No matter how much I tried to convince myself my legs would be fine, they rebelled against me more. So not even 1/4 through the lap I switched into 'just ride' mode and finished the lap. I bailed out on the efforts and rode around the park, through more single track and cheered Stu as he pushed through his laps. After a couple of hours I loaded the bike up and headed home. I'm not sure what to make of my ride but I got my bike fix for the day. Mind over matter? That may not always be the case because sometimes my legs have a mind of their own!

Cheers,

Sue

A podium spot at O-Cup #6!!!!

Midland, ON was stop #6 on the Ontario mountain bike race series. Jay, Paiten, Stu (Norco) and myself were once again up early and on our way. Plans were to leave at 5:00 am but that meant 6:00 am (Stephens time, oops!) According to Mapquest we were in for about a 5 hour drive, not bad! The weather forecast leading up to the weekend was all over the map, one minute calling for rain, then heat, then clear, then thunderstorms........ I should know by now that my guess is as good as theirs! So to Mountainview Ski Hill we did go! Mountainview is known for its switchback climbs and descents and boasts some fast single track. Jay and Paiten went off on her course and I did 3 pre-laps getting used to the flow and trying to dial in the lines! I found the course fun and challenging. Contrary to last year, the climbs were not getting me!! Phew, maybe those climbing intervals of late have paid off!! The night brought great eating, relaxing, and a visit from 2 locals (Angela and Brandon, along with Stu). They joined us at camp for the bonfire until late in the evening. Before you knew it morning was upon us and we went back to the venue around 11:00 am to sign in and register Paiten. Jay and Paiten went out to ride some more and I spent time chatting (surprise, surprise) with fellow racers. The atmosphere was pretty laid back. Back to camp, more eating and chillin'. Jay and I sat around the bonfire under an umbrella at night, as the rain front moved in! Seemed to rain off and on throughout the night. At 7:10 am the watch alarm went off and I was waking Paiten up to have her get ready for her 8:30 am start. Not sure on how the morning was going to go, I stayed back at camp as Jay took her to the race. By 9:30 am they were back. Paiten was disappointed with her race (7th, still good!). She quickly snapped out of it and is ready to tackle the next one! Focus is on keeping it fun. Lightning and thunderstorm moved in around 10:30 am. I tell you the sky really opened up!! Jay and I found ourselves rethinking my tire selection! The tire choice was finally decided 30 minutes before the race. 1:30 pm, elite women to the line. The field was small but still strong, with Catherine Vipond (Norco) among the competition. At 'go' I didn't take the jump because the opening climb was one I just wanted to be steady going up so I could recovery at the top. The course was muddy, wet, and slick in sections, however there were open areas that looked like it had barely rained!! A stretch of about .5 km was not 'rideable', yep hike-a-bike it was! Staying on your feet was a challenge at times. There was one pitchy climb in particular that took everything just to get the bike up. I walked sideways, feet turned out, feet turned in, on my toes, and ended up on on my knees, just to get to the top! Some of the downhills were even more of a challenge with roots, rocks and off-camber trail. Fun, fun, fun!! After 4 laps I finished in 2nd! Yippee, a podium spot. Catherine Vipond (Norco) put in a strong race to take gold. I also need to mention that I have the best cheering section, our London, friends/fellow racers/riders. They give me the extra shout out and make sure that I don't back off. Their encouragement and cheers make me smile. This is what mountain biking is about!!
So you think the weekend events are over? Nope, we had to go back to camp to pack things up (thanks Stu for the help). Got things in the van and we were homeward bound. Approx. 30 minutes into our drive home we hit traffic and a huge storm. It down poured, and the thunder and lightning was crazy!!! It wasn't until we were about an hour from home that we finally saw things let up!!
It's sad to think I only have 1 more Ontario Cup race left this year! I feel like we just got started!!
Oh the good times, good times!!!

Cheers,

Sue

Sting, stang, stung............

Climbing intervals today!! Fun, fun, fun!! The issue with climbing in southern Ontario is that there is no place to go except (Malden Park, Windsor), an old landfill that was converted to a city park many years ago! The climbing was actually supposed to be yesterday but when I was warming up I got stung by a yellow jacket (at least that's what I think it was, cuz' even after tearing my jersey off I didn't get to see the little bugger!! arrgh). It got me 4 times before I was able to get the jersey off. No problem, the stinging sensation seemed to go away and I got through my first climbing loop (approx. 10 min.). I got about 1/4 of the way through lap #2 and pain started in the back of my neck and within a couple of minutes it traveled up the back of my head, ears and up to my temples. I thought I could finish the lap but it got too bad and I started to feel nauseous!! I headed back to the parked van where things weren't getting better. I thought my head was going to explode!! (OK exaggerated a tad but you get the picture!) I called Jay and he came from work! I sat in the van for 2 hours before the headache subsided enough for me to drive home. Yellow jacket - 1, Sue - 0...........
Today's climbing went without incident. It always feels good once it's over.
I tell ya' the need for improvement is never ending, I just keep plugging away!!

Cheers,

Sue

Last 10 days in review.......

July 17, 2009 - Jay, kids, Stu (Norco) and myself headed up to Buckwallow Cycling Centre in Bracebridge for O-Cup #5. We met up with friends of ours and their 3 children and set up camp. I pre-rode the course a couple of times and it was a blast. Super technical, very rocky, rooty and rough. Buckwallow never disappoints and this year was no exception. This is one of our favourite O-Cup venues. It gives me a chance to ride terrain that I rarely get to ride let alone race on. The weather was overcast with a quick downpour but overall nothing to complain about. Camping was fun and a bit busy with 7 kids keeping the campsite hoppin'!
July 18, 2009 - On Sat. I did another lap of the course and chilled the rest of the day. Jay and the kids took in their fair share of Buckwallow. Paiten took time to find flow on her race course. We had a surprise visit from my cousin, her husband and son. I was so excited to see them. We even forced them to stay for lunch. Speaking of food, our weekend menu for every meal was yummy and food was abundant! Shrimp, steak, chicken, potato salad, tuna salad, pancakes, sausage, burgers, bacon, eggs........ No need to go on and on, I think you get the picture! Delicious!!
July 19, 2009 - Race day.... The nerves, bathroom trips, zoned, focused! Paiten started the day off with her race. My girl took 4th and looked great out there!! She gets on her bike only on race weekends. I can't help to think what she would do if she put a bit of training in!! My 1:30 p.m. start came quickly! I was second called up to the line behind first Emily Batty (Trek). Go and we were off. I took the hole-shot and led out on the double track. I fell back into 4th by the first set of single track. Took me the 1st lap to find my flow. By the 4th lap my upper body was feeling the effects of the rough terrain. (I'm not complaining just stating a fact!!) (As a side note: The course brought us (elite riders) 'down' the section that 2 years ago was an 'up', where I dislocated my elbow. Funny though, on my pre-ride I was greeted by Sean (Chico Racing) who was standing at that spot and chatted with me as we replayed the accident of 2 years past.) Now back to the race..... I finished in 5th place. I was happy with my ride but not as pumped about my placing. Great fun, awesome course, the trail maintenance is second to none courtesy of the endless work of Mike (Buckwallow Cycling Centre, a.k.a Buckwallow guy) and top notch race promoters/event coordinators Chico Racing.
We decided to extend our stay and camp one more night. Jay was also able to get his fix of Buckwallow riding taking to the trails Sunday afternoon and Monday!
July 20, 2009 - Travel day and a very restless trip home for me!
July 21 - 26, 2009 - Greenway riding, easy spins, and climbing intervals with Stu and Paiten. (Boy, can she climb! This was her first actual training ride!) Sunday, I started the week off with hard efforts into a crazy wind. Sweet!!
So that's it, my last 10 days in review! Things are good, staying busy, having fun and still lovin' the ride!!

Cheers,

Sue

Time is a tickin'............

Just looked at the date and realized it's been 11 days 'sans' posts! Not because I haven't been doing anything but I just haven't had the chance. I've been taking in some great rides and having lots of fun. I just did an Ontario Cup race on the weekend and things went well. I'll post results and a summary real soon! No injuries to report (that's a good thing)! The race season is going by way too fast, someone please slow time down!!!

Cheers,

Sue

July 10 - Dirt Diva Ride

Not even the perk of having Kim (Ms. Dirt Diva) herself come to the ride enticed ladies to come out!! What's up with that? None the less the group may have been small, but brought out a new member, Shelley! Kim came to greet and did a bit of walking before leaving early. The ride was at Malden Park. With the inside/outside city workers on strike the park was overgrown. With all the overgrowth, the wildlife was out in full force!! Including the doe that allowed me to get within 5 feet of her for the pic. before she hopped off and snakes (not my favourite). I lead the ride and we covered the park's outer paved loop, all the single track, did some climbing, a couple of downhills and then we ventured off on the Windsor trail. We may have been a small in number, but we still managed to pull off a couple of wipe-outs. Donna in the rock section of the single track, where she landed on her tailbone (ouch!) and Steph on the Windsor paved trail! OK perhaps I was distracting her with my chatty bit, but she fell on her own and was proud of her little scratch! The rest of us (Shelley, Paiten and myself) stayed upright (phew!). Just as my face is healing the last thing I need is another mark. So there you have it, another Dirt Diva ride, more fun, more memories and lots more laughs!

Cheers,

Sue

At 'W.O.R.S.' for the weekend....

After leaving at midnight Thursday, driving 12 hours, a few stops, and crossing 4 states we finally made it to our destination, Eau Claire Wisconsin! Wisconsin boasts the largest state mountain bike series in the U.S.A., known as W.O.R.S. (Wisconsin Off-Road Race Series). Jay and I made the last minute decision to pack the kids up and give the race a 'go'. We pulled up early Friday to the expo center where the Chippewa Valley Firecracker Race venue was. We set up tent on the grounds and called it home for the weekend. It makes it so much easier to be able to stay right at the venue. After a quick lunch I headed out for my first pre-ride of the course. After getting lost (the course had not been totally marked yet) a couple of times I made it back to the campsite after 45 min.! Feeling like I was off course the majority of the time and like I had no flow I wasn't sure what to think of the course. So, Jay got ready and we went out together to ride it again. What a difference! More markings, the course flowed and it was a lot of fun!! There was not a lot of climbing, 70-75% of the 13 km loop was tight single track, a few bowls, a couple of small stream crossings, a few bridges throughout, a 30-40 foot rock garden and some open double track linking it all together. The course was different than what I am used to racing but non-the-less super fun. The kids had the freedom of roaming the grounds, Clayton and Nolan wore out the kids course (fun through the bush) while Nelson and Paiten took on the bigger stuff, and Jay he rode lots!! Friday night saw many 'tenters'/campers roll in. Saturday morning came and so did the people. By mid morning the 'W.O.R.S.' crew pulled up in trucks, and trailers and the venue began to unfold as the start/finish, commercial tents, sponsor signs, kids jump zone....... were put up. Jay took the kids to the indoor water park (next to the venue) for the morning/early afternoon as I chilled at camp. Around 1:45 p.m. I went for my last pre-ride of the course (all marked), and pushed with a bit more flow. Late Saturday afternoon and into the evening the kids played in the kids zone and were off and on their bikes. By 9:30 p.m. they had a bike movie playing on a 27' outdoor screen (reminiscent of the drive-in days). We pulled up our chairs and took in the movie. Family fun, what an event! The grounds were covered in campers/tents, this was bigger than what I had thought!! Sunday morning came and once again more cars were strolling in as the racers came in for the day of the big race. We went to the all-you-can-eat breakfast at the expo building ($5 got you eggs, pancakes, french toast, sausage, juice and cut up fresh fruit) great deal!! Jay registered Paiten for the 9 mile race, citizen category, under 14 (she was not happy at first because she wanted to do the shorter race), but dad knows best! She lined up with women/girls of all ages. Overall, in the citizen category, starting in different waves, there was 177 racers!!! She was off the line with a competitive face and I knew she would tear it up. She finished in 55 minutes, 4th in under 14, and 23rd overall (23 out of 177 racers!!!!!) She was the second youngest racer in the citizen category!!! We are so proud of her. Nelson opted not to race but cheered for his siblings, including Clayton and Nolan who took part in the kids race. Medals and happy kids was the outcome!! So, it was now time for me to get ready for my race. Race time 1:30....... Warm up, the whole pre-race routine and to the staging area. The field had 25 pro women!! That's a very big field and I was aware of the state race leaders and knew that the group of women would be strong. The national anthem was sang, elite men were off and then the elite women took the line. After call up, I still managed to make my way to the front line for the start. The announcer did his talk (rules, laps...) then, "one foot on the ground, one foot on the pedal, tires behind the line (as if my nerves weren't bad already), 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5 (silence)..........GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! He held 'go' for as long as his breath could hold. I took the hole shot. Just before the first turn Kyia Anderson popped out in front of me and pulled off a super fast sprint. I did not jump on it, and stayed back with whom I knew to be the series leader, Abigail Strigel. There was a group of about 4 of us that stayed together in the longer open starting loop. Kyia stayed on the gas and was soon out of sight. By the time we reached the first section of single track, Abigail had taken the front and I was behind. After hitting a branch with my left foot, I 'endoed' (no injuries and bike was fine), hugged a tree on a tight downhill, I came around in 3rd on the first lap. (Best part... after each lap there was a mist tunnel, ohhh, so refreshing!) On the second lap I started to make some ground up on the leaders, Jay along with spectators informed me that I was catching 2nd place. ( I wasn't sure at that point who was in 2nd, Kyia or Abigail) Still in 3rd after lap 2, I picked up my pace and started to find more flow as I increasingly got used to the course. On a climb in a section of open double track, I caught 2nd place Kyia. So the race would come to an end, Abigail 1st, Me 2nd, Kyia 3rd....... I was pretty happy with my ride! I needed to work on my single track so it was perfect timing for the race! It was an awesome weekend. Everyone had fun! We packed the van and by 7:00 p.m. we were homeward bound!! This time taking a couple of rest stops throughout the night (much needed power naps for Jay), we made it home by 9:00 a.m. Monday morning! Maxxis (our dog) welcomed us back home and the unpacking of the van began, fun!!!

Cheers,

Sue

Day 4 - Healing quickly....

Day 4 and my face is starting to look a little more normal. (That is not up for discussion, comments to yourself. lol) I have been putting Neosporin on religiously and it seems to be working. There is still some swelling and the bruising is starting to come out. It is still numb (frozen from the dentist type feeling) but little by little the feeling is coming back. Obviously this has not kept me off the bike!! I did interval work with Pak yesterday. We headed to the same 401 overpass as the last time and mixed up the intervals. It was a 2:1, 6:2, 8:2, 4:1 interval set. We pushed into a strong NW wind one way and than used it to our advantage on the return. Just when I thought we were done.......Pak throws in flat sprint intervals on a 1 km road. I could keep the intensity but felt the power diminish on our last sprint and that's when we called it a day. (Well it wasn't like we recovered all the way home because we still pushed the pace and when I thought my legs could go no more Pak encouraged me and I held on to the end.) Great ride, just what I needed!!

Cheers,

Sue