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As I woke up this morning to reflect on the race at Creemore yesterday, it hit me that I won't get to see so many amazing people for 5 weeks. After doing a
Well, here I sit, the day following the final stage of the 2008 BC Bike Race, and I'm still trying to come to terms with all that transpired in the last week. The short version is to follow right now, with a daily breakdown coming in time...which is exactly what I'll be taking right now, time. Time to heal, time to deal, time to appreciate, time to relax, and time to find that fire again. It's been a tough season so far. Here is my best, in hindsight, explanation of what lead to the premature ending of my BC Bike Race experience. -My broken finger lead to an inability to properly grasp my right hand grip -This in turn lead to an intense blister right in the palm of my hand -This forced me into an altered handling position to try and alleviate the pain -This was one contributing factor to my fall from my bike into a pile of rocks -The fall lead to a hematoma of my hip and a strained abdominal muscle. This all happened on day two, with just 3km to go in the stage. We were just over 200km into the event, with an additional 350 to go. (This pic has been taken one full week after the initial fall) I managed to make it to day five before officially calling it a race. The abdominal pains kept me up at night and would bring me to tears on numerous occasions. To cough or sneeze meant I had to completely compress the entire right side of my body, as it felt as though my lower right abdominal muscles would erupt from within me otherwise. (This pic was actually taken just a few hundred meters after my aforementioned bike crash) I can certainly take away a ton of positive experiences from this event, but for now, I just need to clear my head of any and all racing/training thoughts, ambitions and goals. I just need a bit of time to mentally relax and to physically recover. I feel completely destroyed on so many levels right now. Todd should be posting blog reports in the coming days as well. Thanks so much to everyone who made this race possible for us, Bryan Tasaka - Mind Over Mountain Adventure Racing, Marc Campbell - Helly Hansen, and Dean Payne - BC Bike Race. You guys all rock, and the race was a phenomenal experience, even with the issues I faced and the fact that I did not finish the entire course...357 days and counting... GR
FRONTRUNNERS GutBuster 004
Victoria, BC - Mt. Douglas
SUNDAY, July 6th, 2008
Start: 10:00am
There are two course options:
SHORT COURSE - A 6km run up to the top of Mt. Douglas (200m) for an amazing view over Victoria. Filled with great flowing single-track trails that is ideal for both runners and hikers.
LONG COURSE - 11km that features three summits to the top of Mt. Douglas. Each time will leave your breathless by both the views and the workout! You’re going to to LOVE this course!
and there are…
FOUR EASY WAYS TO REGISTER:
1. Register online
2. Download registration and mail it in
3. Drop off your entry at Frontrunners in Victoria, Nanaimo or Langford (must be dropped off by Thursday before race day).
4. Come early on Race Day
But this late in the game your only option is to get down there early tomorrow.
Stage 6: Squamish Highlights
The outdoor recreational capital of Canada (Squamish) hosted the BC Bike Race for the last 2 nights and served up the full meal deal of bountiful BC singletrack to racers. From punishing grunty climbs to “wooohooo”ing bermy downhill bliss, there was something for every rider on the Day 6 course. Some might call this the Squamish highlights tour, as the course consists of the Gearjammer and Test of Metal courses combined.
Read more here…
Stage 5: Cumberland to Langdale (Bus transfer to Sechelt)
July 2, 2008 Squamish, BC - BC Bike Race repeat competitors knew what was in store for Day 5 of the seven-day mountain bike stage race from Victoria to Whistler. In fact, they’ve been eagerly counting the days to get to this stage. And new comers quickly found out what all the hype was about.
Read more here…
Hi all. The forecast is calling for a low of 12 and warming up to 24 with cloudy periods. Some might be disappointed that there will not be the challenging
Stage 4: Cumberland to Sechelt
BC Bike Race staff showed their national pride by donning red and white garb to reflect Canada Day – the national holiday that celebrates Canadian independence from Britain. Red Canadian flag and ‘BOB’ (bear on bike) logo tattoos found their way onto many racers, staff and volunteers alike. With beautiful hot, sunny weather, why not celebrate Canada Day with a 67km mountain bike ride along the Sunshine Coast?!
Read more here…
Two upcoming events are looking for volunteers. The first is the Peak Challenge, a trail running race in North Vancouver that is serving as this year’s Canadian Mountain Running Championships. The second is the Mind Over Mountain Adventure Race (MOMAR) at Shawnigan Lake. The Peak Challenge is on July 19th and the MOMAR a week later on July 26th. Details are as follows:
Peak Challenge – July 19th
Organizers for the July 19th Peak Challenge in North Vancouver are looking for volunteers in the following areas:
Pre race:
Package Pickup- 4 at store
Course Flagging- 3
Day of:
Marshalls- 10- keeping people on the trail
Transition- 4- ensure exchange runs smoothly
Aid Station 3- 3 at each station: 9 total volunteers
Package Pickup- 3 race day- timing chips etc.
Gear Check- 2- at start of race (vehicle ie truck or minivan)
Finish- 2- food and coffee
First Aid- 2- 1 at finish, 1 at half way
All volunteers will receive a complementary pair of Sole socks, a free Run the North Shore race entry of their choice and an invitation to the Volunteer Appreciation Soiree at Taylor’s Crossing later this Fall. If interested contact Laura Jones at laura@northshoreathletics.com. For details on the race itself visit www.runthenorthshore.com .
Mind Over Mountain Adventure Race Shawnigan Lake – July 26th
Volunteer benefits include an invitation to the dinner and afterparty, a graphic t-shirt, and a bag filled with goodies.
Please sign up today as we only have a limited number of volunteer positions. Click here to register .
Stage 3: Port Alberni to Cumberland
BC Bike Race Stage 3 had an explosive send off as the local West Coast Rangers Black Powder Club fired dramatic black powder cannons to start the race. After a police controlled start through the city of Port Alberni, racers deked into a sampling of singletrack destined to whet their appetites and, more practically, thin out the field in the early stages.
Read more here…
Daily updates through the MOMAR blogGotta run...err ride! GR
Stage 2: Lake Cowichan to Port Alberni
Stage 2, the longest of the week, threw racers onto 124km of active logging road cutting through the Cowichan and Alberni valleys enroute to Port Alberni. Though the race profile appeared to highlight massive, gruelling climbs and descents, the actual elevation gain only capped out at 193m, making for a fast, undulating course.
Read more here…
Today was a great day! My goal was to complete three laps of White Rock Lake. The lake trail (pavement, asphalt) is about 9.25 miles, so my final mileage would be around 27.75 or so. My goal was to do the first two loops in 12:00 per mile, then maintain whatever speed I could for the last loop. I got up at 4:00 AM and was at the lake and ready to walk at 5:30. The first loop went well: 9.26 miles in 1:50:38, an 11:57 pace. Right on target. I was taking in calories every 30 minutes: Jelly Belly Sports Beans, a Vanilla PowerBar Gel, and part of a Clif Bar. I was carrying water in my Camelbak. I stopped at my car to refill my pack. I ate some potato chips and drank some gatorade. The next loop went even better than the first: 1:49:29, an 11:53 pace. The lap felt a little more labored than the first but overall it was relatively easy and smooth. Again I ate every 30 minutes: half of a PB&J sandwich, some more Sports Beans, then the other half of the sandwich. Again I stopped at my car to refill. I finished the gatorade, ate half of a PowerBar, drank some water, took two Advil and then started my final lap. Surprisingly, this loop was the best of all. I walked 3.75 miles in 44:18, an 11:49 pace. At this point I ran into some friends and a fellow coach from Team in Training, Dave and his wife Meg. We chatted very briefly (I love seeing people I know at the lake, especially TNT folks - it's like a big family). I started up again and felt faster than ever. I was doing a 10:30 pace and realized I needed to slow it down. I finished the rest of the loop 1:02:38, an 11:34 pace! Overall my pace for the day was 11:50, and I felt great. I was tired but not exhausted, and I wasn't sore at all. A big part of today's success was the weather. A mild cool front and rainstorm came through early this morning so the day was slightly cooler and overcast. The temps were in the low 70s when I started and were in the low- to mid-80s when I finished. I don't think I would have finished as strong if the weather had gotten warmer faster. Today's workout gave me some needed confidence going into my next race, Capt'n Karl's All Nighter (a 12 hour race starting at 7:30 PM on Saturday night, July 19). I still don't know how well I'll do, but I feel like if I control my pace I can feel strong throughout most of the race. I don't have any mileage goals for the race - I just want to stay on my feet the whole 12 hours and avoid any "death march" loops at a sluggish pace. Distance: 27.65 miles Time: 5:27:03 Pace: 11:50
FYI: A decision on the Floyd Landis case will be handed down tomorrow by the Court of Arbitration for Sport five days before the start of the Tour de France. Keep an eye on www.bicycling.com for the latest updates.
From CBCSports…
Olympic silver medallist Marie-Hélène Prémont topped the list of four athletes named Friday to Canada’s mountain biking team for the Beijing Games. Prémont, 30, from Chateau Richer, Que., placed second in the women’s cross country race in Athens in 2004. She finished fourth at last Sunday’s world championships in Italy, and has posted three World Cup top-10 finishes this season.
The other riders named Friday were Catharine Pendrel of Kamloops, B.C., (sixth at this year’s worlds), along with Victoria’s Geoff Kabush (14th) and Seamus McGrath of Carlisle, Ont., (24th).
"We are very excited by these four athletes that are going to Beijing," said Sean O’Donnell, manager of high performance programs for the Canadian Cycling Association. "All four athletes have a strong history of international performances.
"I think we go into Beijing, on both the women’s and men’s side, with a strong chance of earning at least one medal in each event. It’s a very strong team, an experienced team. I think that bodes well for Canada."
BCBR Stage 1 Race Update
Under brilliant blue skies and a hot summer sun, the BC Bike Race start gun fired to launch more than 400 riders from around the world into the first stage of the second annual multi-stage mountain bike event. Over the next 7 days, racers will cover stages totalling more than 550 kilometres as they race a combination of singletrack and logging roads from Victoria to Whistler.
Read more here…
Hi there, Every Canada Day, I dig out an old pair of Canada flag running shorts and celebrate the day with a run around the neighborhood. This year I'm
Our very own Gretchen Brugman (now training for the TRT100, her first 100) wrote an article about the cancelation of Western States. Donald Buraglio and myself were quoted. Be sure to read the whole article here. I have been debating whether or not it is proper etiquette to wear the 2008 Western States t-shirt that came in the race packet. I haven't done the race, so according to Bad Ben's rules of t-shirt etiquette, I shouldn't don the threads. But is there a special rule for canceled races? What do you guys think? I'm thinking no, it shouldn't be worn. But I comprimised by deciding that it was okay to wear the shirt for one day (today) for a memorial run along the Tahoe Rim Trail. The smoke isn't too bad up around Tahoe (still brutal around Foresthill), so I headed out for a casual 12 mile out-and-back. It was such a peaceful run, and I kept repeating "oh, that magic feeling...nowhere to go" from The Beatles' You Never Give Me Your Money. Sometimes it's good to not be tethered by a goal race. ;-) Added a few new races to the schedule - Angel Island 50k next week, the Napa to Sonoma 1/2 Marathon with Kik Armstrong two weeks after that, the brand new Skyline to the Sea 50k in September, and back to the Santa Barbara 9 Trails in November. I can't fit in a replacement 100m this year since all my key weekends are committed, so it sure felt good to sign up for 100 miles worth of races. As the case with entering Western States, I was instantly revitalized by projecting the adventures to be had. Onward and upward. I hope everyone is having a great weekend! - SD
June 28, 2008
I ran in the Logan Peak Trail Run. This was a tough 28-mile run on single-track and dirt roads up and around beautiful Logan Peak above Cache Valley in Northern Utah. I would compare this run to a tough 50K event. The elevation gain is over 7,000 feet and we had plenty of snow to run through.
It was probably silly for me to enter this run because I had not yet fully recovered from running the Bighorn 100 just one week ago, but I felt up to the challenge. My main reason for running this course was to preview the first tough 11 miles of the new Bear 100 course that will go end-to-end from Logan to Bear Lake.
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The following courtesy of Race Director Bob Hanlon…
The 2nd Annual Lonsdale Mile Race is put on by North Vancouver City Fire Fighters IAFF Local 296, Run The North Shore and North Shore Athletics and will take place on Tuesday July 01, 2008 on the North shore Canada Parade Route at 0900 hours. The event will start (0950 hours) just ahead of the parade at 165 East 13th street in front of North Vancouver City Fire Department. It will then proceed to Lonsdale, right to 17th Street, left to Jones Avenue, left to 16th Street, right onto the Mahon Park Running Track, finishing on the north apex of the track, just before the kids water park. There will be an awards presentation immediately following the race with an assortment of prizes for the athletes and volunteers.
Anyone 5 and older that can run/walk a mile is welcome to enter. We would like people to come out and support this event and the Canada Day Parade!
All Proceeds will be going to the British Columbia Professional Fire Fighters Burn Fund.
Anyone that would like to come and volunteer would be greatly appreciated! They can contact me if they are available;
Bob Hanlon - Race Director at; email bhanlon@cnv.org tel. Hm. 604 980-3207, Cell. 778 549-0100, Wk. 604 980-5021
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