Newest Bakke - Maggie!

We got Maggie from a farm this week. 9 weeks old. We've never seen so much energy. She weights less than a cup of coffee. After the scary car ride home and a first night in life alone in laundry room, we discovered we certainly didn't have a wallflower. The next hour was a power hour of running, jumping, mauling a fluffy bow tie toy, 45 mins of solid hyperactivity with a dingle ball. Marvin chased her until she ducked and ran under his legs when he tried a head on pounce. It was ninja like. Suddenly from behind she turned the tables and chased him until he was too tired to move 20 mins later. She's 1/9th his size and just owned him.  When he eats, she walks under his legs and eats under him from his dish. When he has a toy, she goes and plays with it too. She out jumps him to places in the house he can't get to and has very clever play fight techniques. No fear.  I don't think he was expecting it. She also purrs like a tractor, can climb anything, and has love to give. The good thing is he seems to be love having a friend despite being befuddled by such a bundle of energy and confidence.

BC Bike Race 2014 Day 7 - Whistler

I had comfortable time gaps front and back, especially for a short stage, so didn't have that on my mind like many other racers today. Plus it's not like I'm fighting for a podium spot, it appears I'm due for the round number 25. Cooler morning, and first day where my legs felt sore. I pushed hard yesterday and was "within" or "better" than my 5 minutes per hour Bunnin ratio. 

We climbed right up easy does it and my legs felt like cement. I was really going backwards. Felt better when we got to the flatter portion, then ducked into the downhill trails. Only issue was on one of the fast longer alumnus a guy bit it really hard about 3 riders up. I started stopping traffic behind right away. He was out cold, and had [presumably] slid his front tire either by braking or just wet slipperiness on the bridge and put the noggan into the adjacent tree at a pretty good speed. Ouch. Typical procedure is not to move someone, but people put him on the bridge lying down as the way he came to a stop was rag dolled across bridge with back on it and limbs drooping over both sides which didn't seem appropriate to leave. I knew trail enough to know the gravel service road was a bit ahead so walked through woods around bridge once everything was settled. Once a dozen or so riders were there a doctor and first aid responder were in the rider mix. I told first person with walkie talkie his name and number that his partner in the race had provided. After that you kind of shrug and realize you aren't going to be much help so proceeded on. Slowly. Every wet rock and bridge looked different after that. 

Eventually got down, did the 180 back up the climb, and legs again felt like cement after they'd done the first long descent then got asked to steep climb again. 

Transferred into the Lost Lake trails and felt better, tons of fun winding through the technical. Then before I knew it it's back to the finish. 

Shawn was in, Jon was shortly after, and then this proud mountain biker came in with big smiles for finishing her first BC Bike Race. There's always room for improvement for any rider, but even being able to navigate a solid week of west coast trials means someone is a good enough technical rider to ride just about anything!  Cindy is twice my ranking as she's 12thvin women and I'm 24th, same as last year but in what I feel was a harder field. 

BC Bike Race 2014 Day 6 - Squamish

Nice morning, warm but not hot. Good riding weather. Squamish always is a fast start, the couple km's of pavement flat then climb really let's it ramp up. My legs felt good off the start, everyone was swarming the sides of the peloton but I felt on the climb it's sort out fast so didn't waste energy. Once we hit the steep pitch I could see Shawn ahead, then looked up to see Kris Sneddon. Despite the face that the field was stretched out already, he went from seated to standing there and continued to gap everyone. 

We ducked into trails and I had my first wipeout of the year - strongly aided by a guest rider. Yuck. Its good marketing, and I know they get a speech before that they're guests and to chill, but they don't. Got back on, and next corner was a left 90 degree at the bottom of a gravel path.  Buddy a few riders up somehow navigates this superman style in his stomach. Not fun on gravel. 

Nice trails after that, good climbing in "Rupert's" followed by some granite slab features. Took me like 20 minutes to make it back to about where I had been. Had some good wheels to work with on the gravel road commute over to half Nelson, which has had a lot of work done to it from last year, amazing quality tables and pump track style jumps. 

Really didn't light it up on the enduro, I was feeling weak at that point and had eating just before, but couldn't focus or pedal enough to make that count. Oh well. Got my act together for the crumpet woods climbs and had a respectable finish. 

Cindy had a longer day, said she was climbing great but struggled still with speed on the powerhouse plunge that's just one snarled bunch of roots and rocks from start to finish with no smooth areas outside the bridges. 

BC Bike Race 2014 Day 5 - Sechelt to Langdale - Highway 102!

Little cooler this morning, few clouds in the sky. I woke up without leg soreness. Was cautiously optimistic. We saw on overall results that Cindy had moved up several spots in GC which excited her. 

Warmup felt good. Legs felt comfortable. I sat in group until the gravel put climb and just went forward up that steep pitch without really thinking about it. The cautious optimism turned out to be valid. I credit it mostly to the Frank's Red Hot sauce available for the first time last night!

Once out of town, we were in non stop single track climbing. Amazing. I knew I was having a respectable day when 2h in I was ahead of Brian Cooke. He said he was pacing afte a hard day yesterday but I'll take what I can get. He cracked me on the gravel road after aid 2, and I didn't see any other riders until the finish. 

Highway 102 was as buff and as fun as ever. Then we exited to some new cut trail which I'll refer to as Sneddon Special Chunder. Acute angles, soft moss, up and over logs and roots. Full body riding that takes effort to flow. I like that stuff. 

Hard to beat days like that on a bike. 

Jon, Cindy and Shawn had solid rides and Chambers had an incident that led to a few more scrapes!

BC Bike Race 2014 Day 4 - Earl's Cove to the infernos of hell, err Sechelt

Yesterday post race we did glorious nothing. Lied on grass, overlooking the ocean and island, among giant trees, and  talked. But it was comfortably intermittent as it can be when relaxed and among friends. 

Cindy and I float planed over which allowed me to join in an hour long conference call to start with some relaxation. 

Race got going before noon. It was hot. In start queue sun without air movement my GPS said 33. Riding in shade it was saying 27, later it was 30 in the sun. That's hot for me. BakingBakke is a situation I don't thrive on. 

Paced moderate off start, which worked for me at the end of the day. Made conversation. Felt dripping sweat, arms just glistened. Kept drinking. 

It all worked at the end, didn't cramp or blow up, but didn't really have any fast bits.  Ending singletrack I kept seeing Wendy but just couldn't close it, right to finish she was 20 seconds ahead. So smooth. 

Shawn felt the effects of heat, Jon had a satisfactory birthday ride all things considered. Cindy came in smiling as usual and didn't look too worse for wear. 

Happy birthday Jon!  Sunny day riding with friends is still good, although I'm sure it'd be better with more skin!

BC Bike Race 2014 Day 3 - Powell River steals our hearts

We're doing more evening commuting this year to facilitate that first day on the shore. We arrived at Powell River as the 9:30pm sun was low over the ocean. People were lining the dock to see us in. Drums were playing. Bagpipes were playing. As we walked along Main Street to camp old ladies had bowls of sliced water melon to hand out. I think it's slow here so people like to see this stuff, but beyond that there's a community spirit I just don't see and feel elsewhere. It's really amazing. The world I function in daily doesn't take time for things like that much.  It's too bad. 

Beauty trails and beauty day. Everyone has smiles on. Jon rode and finished. Shawn was fast. Cindy rode happy. 

Powell River is such an awesome place to ride. Here's temporary home. 

BC Bike Race 2014 Day 2 - Cumberland

First, here's some approximate results for day 1. There's issue with some timing chips it seems. Deep field this year, lots of fast riders. 

Cumberland single track was awesome. Challenge was getting to it. I felt great off the start and was moving forward, Jon was feeling greater and moving forward faster.  Then the lights went out.  I think parky heat, and in retrospect I think I burned what was in my legs, then the too recent breakfast I had with the proteins first and carbs after blocked more easy energy from going in fast enough. It was like I hit the rewind button I was going backward so fast.  Singletrack salvation finally arrived where I could substitute skill for engine and had time to let the stomach catch up. After the first long section we popped out to road and I felt good starting to pedal forward. Approaching aid 1 a guy came backwards up the road saying we were all going wrong way; fortunately I was with a Cumberland native who said we were fine. Dropped into trials again and got bottlenecks behind two guys. Cumberland guy asked if he could pass, I moved over and said sure but I don't think you're going to have luck with the two up front. That was status quo for a while until there was a huge drop/roll out and a chicken line around. Everyone took the chicken line except Cumberland guy and he passed the two. Move of the day! It opened up after and I rode back up to Cumberland guy. 

Came through start finish and out to climb 2. I was snacking and a train came up with two Swiss guys on front who were drilling it up the climb. I got on, held them for 2/3 until everyone else was gone except me and Lea Davison. We rode together till we saw Nutbrown. Umm, he looked ragged. I said dig in and hold on. But I didn't see his battle scars given which side I passed him on. Ore on that later. 

Caught the two Swiss guys I. Single track, they had ok side letting me by after I told them how good of road climbers they were. Last few km were chasing Brian Cooke through the cleared forest plateau but I couldn't make any time on him (unsurprising really!).  Finished say a minute back from him but don't know. Would be a lower place than day one given the start blow up but survived and recovered at end. 

So back to Jon. He rolls in and I see has lots of blood and dirt on arms. He was trying to stretch cramps by bracing foot on saddle, but his saddle is broken at back and his foot slid off and into his rear wheel. On gravel. At 50kph. Ugh. Ohh Jon I feel your pain. 

I didn't have camera then. Here's the after shots of medical. We washed his bike and got dinner to go. He'll still ride. Second photocopy shot of x ray shows the gravel bits that are still in his arm after doctors spent lots of time cleaning. 

Chambers suffered with the ribs and Bunnin is rocking it. 

Stage 2 results.