Riding on the Track

The fall and winter seasons are often a time of change, and restructuring, a time to try some new things, refresh, and pan for the next race season. This fall I once again hit the local ‘cross scene, for some very fun racing with some of my favorite people, but also changed things up by trying out a little riding on the track. The track is what has been the biggest change and newest challenge. After participating in a National Team development camp at the Burnaby Velodrome, and gaining a few basic skills, I was invited to head down to LA to participate in another camp with the National Team, from the 22nd to the 27th. It is a huge honor, to have the opportunity to ride with some world class athletes, especially when being so new to the track. I am really looking forward to facing some new challenges and learning some new skills over the next week.

A little about what I have been doing on the track:

Over the last two weeks at the track, I have spent most of the time training for team pursuits. We have been practicing exchanges, starts, and doing a bit of motor pacing. I also had the chance to do my first night of racing on Friday last week, at the Bare Bones weekend of track racing. I tried my luck in a couple of the Women’s and B Omnium races, which included a scratch race, miss and out, points race, and tempo race. These are all new events to me, and I found they are very fun games.

Here is a little information about what I learned these races are:

Scratch race: this is basically a condensed road race. What really matters is who crosses the line first at the end of the designated lap count. What makes it more exciting than the typical road race, is that on a 200m track, it is faster, tighter and attacks have the potential of lapping the pack.

Miss and out: in this race, every other lap the last rider to cross the line is eliminated from the group. As the group gets smaller, the sprints get more intense at the end of those laps. When it is down to 2 riders, there is a 3 lap to go count, with the winner of that sprint taking the race.

Points Race: This is a race with a set number of laps, and sprints on designated laps, every 10th lap. Points go to 1st (3 points), 2nd (2) and 3rd (1) in each sprint, with the final sprint being worth the most points. Additionally, if a rider, or group of riders laps the pack, they gain 20 points, so lapping the group is a great, if you can do it. I attempted it in the B race, and gained about 2/3rds of a lap, before I began to fade and the pace in the group was ramped back up. It cost me big time, and I was not even able to get back in the group when they came by me. Taking a lap is hard! Especially if you are alone!

Tempo race: This is similar to a points race, except every lap is worth one point, but only to the first rider through (so if you are going to ride at the front or sprint for a lap, make sure you make your effort worthwhile and win it). The last lap is worth more points, and points go to 1st (3 points), 2nd (2) and 3rd(1). I raced this with the women’s group, and actually won! I went into the final lap tied for points, but luckily won the final sprint to gain enough points for the win.

Over the next five days I will be challenged to learn some new skills. I am excited about riding on the track in LA, which I hear is smooth, fast, and 50m longer than Burnaby’s. The warm weather will also be a bonus, as the season of wind and rain has hit the Wet Coast. Last week’s Wednesday night ride at Buntzen Lake felt like a monsoon!

Other notes:
On Friday night this week, I had the privilege of receiving the award for Female Mountain Bike Athlete of the year, which was a good surprise.

Mike joined me for the awards dinner, and won a British Cycling Team vest in the draw prizes.

Jeanine, Pete, Mike and I all raced the Escape Velocity Grand Prix of Cross, in Burnaby last Saturday. Pete won the U17 boy’s race, Jeanine took 2nd in the C Women’s category, and I unfortunately was the only A woman racing, but had a fun time mixing it up with the B men. Good, muddy, wet, cold times. Thanks to the Whalens for the post race coffee! It was much needed and much appreciated.

Pete shows off his prize sunglasses.

My bike, all ready to warm up on the rollers. This is one thing I need practice doing.

Mike "riding the rollers". Gumboots are necessary.

Fall Training in Monsoon Season

It's not officially called "monsoon" season, but November on BC's South Coast is typically marked by a series of rain and wind storms all running into one another. It rains constantly for days on end, it never really gets light out, fields flood, roads develop lakes... ah home, sweet home! Despite the miserable weather, I will go insane if I don't get outside, so I layer up and brave the storm, just like last night.


Perfect forecast for a night MTB ride. Bring it on!

You think I'm crazy for going out last night with that weather forecast? Nah, I wasn't the only one. If everyone's doing it, it's gotta be somewhat normal, no? That's right, Paul, Jean Ann, Mike, Steve, Ryan N., Ryan J., and I all said "To hell with the weather, we're going biking!" and went for a fast-paced MTB ride at Buntzen Lake. It had to be fast-paced in order for us not to freeze. I rode from home and was soaked to the bone within 10 minutes, despite rain jacket, booties, XC ski gloves, etc.

But lets backpedal to the days where I was not so willing to embrace the rain... yes, it felt like only last week... because it was only last week! I split town, hellbent on staying dry, because I saw the long-range forecast for home and it looked ugly. And I timed it well, I got out just before the insanity started, shooting the gap between weather systems and arriving at my family's cottage in Naramata relatively unscathed. The following morning, I went for the most beautiful, sunny, dry road ride along Okanagan and Skaha Lakes, sans jacket, booties or headband. Ah, such a luxury!

That night, good friend Catherine "Viper", Matt, Jeanine, and Ryan joined me for a weekend of great mountain biking and great company, which included yummy home-cooked meals, fresh bread, apples roasted over an open fire, Naramata wine, heated games of Snakes n' Ladders and Cheat. And did I mention we stayed dry?! We tore it up on the super fun trails in the Three Blind Mice area in Penticton - these paths are twisty, dry, fast, rocky, and often afford great views of Okanagan Lake. Evan made the trip from Peachland one day to join us on the two-wheeled giggle-fest. That day, Evan and Matt both double-flatted and a curious figure was seen running through the woods (see Evan Guthrie's facebook) - was it a Sasquatch???

It was only too-soon before everyone had to go home, but I was still trying to escape the rain, so I headed to Kamloops, where precipitation is low and friends are fast (as in good friends and quick bikers as well). I decided to take a shortcut from the cottage via the "Back Way," a long ascent on gravel road, which meets up with the old Kettle Valley Railway (decomissioned, no more tracks). I followed the KVR for several pot-holed, snowy km's in the Outback to the Kelowna turnoff, and then headed into that city, continued north through Vernon, and then west to Kamloops, where I almost had fresh venison on my hood. Whew, that was close!

Baking Swiss bread with Kika in Kamloops

In Kamloops, I was taken in by Catharine, Coach Keith, Matt, Viper, Olly, Isaah, and Marmalade and they gave me a tour of their local gym and the town. On one mountain bike ride, we were spotted by a photographer, and our photo made it into the Kamloops newspaper!

Riding with the Kamloops yocals...

The trails in Kamloops were dry, tacky, and very strenuous, especially considering Catharine and Viper are riding super fast these days... ouch! It was good for me though, and I had tons of fun railing their trails, many of which they built themselves. On Remembrance Day, a bunch of us went for a very enjoyable ride and I got to sample some amazing pieces of singletrack.

It's always sunny in Kamloops! (l-r): Pete, Catherine, Keith, Catharine.

Catharine prepares post-ride shakes - yum!

Doing some hardcore post-ride recovery in the moon boots...

I headed home on Thursday, as there was already snow on the Coquihalla - the main highway connecting the Interior with the Coast. Thursday was sunny and probably the best day to drive, but not before I squeezed in another sunny ride - this time on the road - with Viper. Catharine joined us for about 35mins, but she pulled the plug early. Guess we were just too fast, eh Viper (we wish)?!

I flatted on some train tracks, but changing a flat isn't so bad when it's sunny out...

... and when you have a buddy to help you pump!

At home, it's back to the grind, and as you can see by the forecast displayed above, back to the rain. It's not all doom and gloom, however. Once in a while it stops raining long enough to fit in a mostly precipitation-free ride. On Saturday, Ryan and I hit SFU and only got drizzled and hailed on a little.... Sunday Leah and I weren't so lucky. How about 4 degrees and pouring? Oh, and how about a little bit of wind (50kph gusts) and snow at higher elevations. We were going to ride Triple Crown on Burke, but we hit snow and weren't able to get traction on the climb... so we turned around and rode Frank's instead before packing it in and opting for hot soup at home. Thanks Mom! :-)

Here are some photos from pre-monsoon rides this fall, when forecasts read more like: "cloudy with a 60% chance of showers" (believe me, this is much more favourable than "rain at times heavy").

Catherine "Viper" and Matt stop by on their way home from Victoria for a sunny MTB ride in Port Moody.

The Local Ride gang of dirt lovers hit up Red Mountain in Mission (l-r): Ryan, Paul, Jean Ann, Jeanine, Mike, Sandra.