The Mountain

Yesterday it happened, it finally happened. Round the Mountain Race in Kimberley, B.C. http://www.roundthemountain.ca/ This was going to be one of the closest races that I would have all year to where I live. This means knowing the trail. This means knowing my competitors. This means a healthy amount of stress going into the race. And stress there was.

A couple of days before the race the nerves started going. Home turf is a pretty big thing. There aren't very many races that are this close to home so the pressure was on. A quick pre-ride the night before in the Community Forest gave me the chance to test my skills changing a tubeless tire for the first time, something that hasn't been a problem since I started with them a few months ago. So at least I got that out of the way. But I still knew that the course the next day was going to be rocky, it was going to be rough. This was something else that I worried about the night before. A single flat or bike problem could mean getting on the podium or not. Whew, pressure. I wasn't too sure that podium was an option judging by how big the event was going to be, drawing people from all over the Kootenays. But podium would be sweet. Bragging rights. Yeah!

The morning of the event was good. Just like any other Sunday race morning but sunnier. It was going to be a good day. After getting the last things ready for the race, I headed out to Kimberley not knowing what was about to happen.

The scene was set. I arrived to the registration area with a huge amount of people gathered already. The Round The Mountain crew put on an insane event! There was music, there was beer gardens, there was food, all providing a great atmosphere. Thanks to all the organizers and volunteers for putting on a great event and bringing people together in the biking community in the Kootenays!

Start of the Round The Mountain event in Kimberley, B.C. 

Start of the Round The Mountain event in Kimberley, B.C.

The start was called. A couple of minutes until the real deal was going to go down. By this time all the nervousness was gone. It was now or never so why even be worried about it? The countdown came, 5,4,3,2,1. Fifty racers were off to see what the 20km Round The Mountain would hold for them.

Start of the Round The Mountain event in Kimberley, B.C.

Right off the bat I was side by side with one of my main competitors. This was a person that I had the sights set on for quite some time now. Someone who has been part of the riding scene for a while and competed in many events. Someone who has beat me in previous races. This was the next person on the list to try to beat. I started to pull away from him on the first climb. YES!

This race seemed to be broken up into three different sections for me. The first being a long steady climb starting out on a dirt road and breaking into single track. I think this might have been my strongest section because I couldn't hear anyone behind me or see anyone during a few peeks back. The second section brought the rough stuff filled with plenty of roots and rocks. This was the toughest section for me by far. In this area I didn't hear anyone and may have not been putting 110% forward because of that. I remember getting to the halfway mark and still not hearing or seeing anyone near me. But they were not far.

During one of the rocky climbs another racer caught up to me struggling to get up the rocky hill. I figured it was a way better idea to run it rather then bike it, making up a bit of time. Seeing another racer behind me brought all the adrenaline back and I thought to myself  that I didn't make it that far to lose it now! The finish line was right there right?! It wasn't. The race started to get really tough and interesting just over halfway through the 20km course.

The gnarly rock sections brought the tech!

There were two rock slide sections that had a trail busted through them. A perfect spot to rip a hole in the sidewall of a tire. Momentum was key here, just keep the pedals turning and keep the tires off the sharp edges! This slowed me down a bunch and other competitors started to come into view behind me.

Finally came the third section. I was pretty tired by this point after giving the previous 17 km all my strength. This section brought us back onto smoother trails where I started to feel back in my game again. It's pretty easy to start doing stupid things out there purely from a lack of energy. And I definitely had a couple stumbles because of that. On what I thought was the final kilometer, the trail was covered with wood chips. This made it seem like I was biking through mud and took the remaining energy from me. There were a couple of small climbs in here which is where I think I made up some more time giving me a strong lead for the finish. Who would of ever thought that I might podium? And by this point I was leading! It felt really good and I rode that wave right to the finish line where I finished 25 seconds faster then the next competitor! There was a huge gathering of people and the announcer called me as the fastest person to go Round The Mountain. Yes. So good! Results -> http://www.obasen.nu/winsplits/online/en/default.asp?page=table&databaseId=17720&categoryId=0

My friend Steph who ran Round The Mountain and kicked ass, and me. 

The finish was great. After a couple of beer, a burrito, and many conversations with new friends, it was time to pack it in and take the 30 minute drive home. Today was a good day. Today didn't go anywhere near how I expected it to and I was okay with that. Very okay.

I probably don't thank the people around me enough that help me and keep me stoked on riding my bike. Opus Bike www.opusbike.com has provided me with a sweet rig that keeps amazing me on it's handling abilities and the new terrain that it can conquer. From the smooth singletrack of the Spokane 24hr race to Kimberley's tecky, rocky, rooty Round The Mountain race, the Opus model that I ride, the Stakh, has yet to let me down. And I don't think it will.
Favorit Cycles www.favorit-cycles.com has been an awesome job and has allowed me the time to get in the training, and of course the races. Thanks boss!
And all my friends. Keeping the stoke going is what it's all about. Pushing to the next level is what it's all about. And the support I get from all of you is what it's all about. Boo yeah!

That kinda sounds like some corny Hollywood speech. I don't think that actors mean it, I do!

Next up, the BC Cup XC on July 2nd in Panorama. This one's going to be big. I bet there will be some pros there that I might be able to take some tips off of.

On another note, Cranbrook is getting together a new riding club. Name? WILDHORSE riding club. It's about time this area jumps to the next level and gets a designated riding club that brings a base to the mountain biking that happens in the area. Keep an eye and an ear out for the club. Things are just in the making but are ramping up quickly.

The up and coming Wildhorse Bike Club

Thanks for reading my blog.

Peace out.

Race Pace

Wowzers! Just came back from an awesome trip to Kamloops. And just finding out how I did in the race I went to out there, The North Face Dirty Feet 6 Hour Enduro!

The weekend started off poor. Missed the alarm clock Saturday morning by a hour and a half, which in turn meant a hour and a half less riding in Kamloops. Terrible. When I did finally wake up at 6:30 in the am, Colin (a good riding buddy from Cranbrook) and myself started the 7.5 hour trek to Kamloops. It was a good drive up there until we got to the Rogers Pass. Near the top the car started to overheat so we pulled over, popped the hood and realized we were low on coolant. Perfect. Any coolant in the car of any kind? Nope! Wait a sec. Colin bought a Nestea at the last gas station. That should work! It is still keeping my car cool this very minute.

We got into Kamloops in the early afternoon, just in time to check out the local bike shops. Very cool stuff out there and lots of friendly people in the shops. But we didn't come to Kamloops to shop, it was time to bike. First up, RIO!

This picture is not taken on Rio, rather it is the bike (2010 Opus Clutch 2) that made short work of Rio!

Rio is a downhill trail located just outside of Kamloops. I used to be into downhill riding a lot more then I am now, but this trail is the one that keeps bringing me back. It winds down the middle of a gully and is crazy fast. This 6" Opus is perfect for it. So on the Saturday before the race we got in some more gravity rides as well. The other trail network we played around on was the Bike Ranch. http://www.city.kamloops.bc.ca/bikeranch/index.shtml This is a crazy cool network of trails that brings both beginner and more advanced trails together within city limits! Lots of fun was had there. We had to shuttle everything as there was only the two of us. Check out this guy next time your in town - Mostly Mental Shuttles. Good rates and good times.

The Opus Stakh 1 right after she was built

The loaded Focus. 4 bikes, 2 riders

Sunday Sunday Sunday. Sunday was to be a good day. We woke up early again to get to the park where the race was being held. Start time was 10am. The nerves definately go off waiting for the start gun to go. Checking out all the competition, wondering what the trail is going to be like, making sure my rig is in perfect running order, and so on. If there is something to worry about before a race, I probably worry about it.

Then the start gun goes off and everything changes.

Right off the bat everyone is trying to prove to everyone else that they are better then them and trying to jokey for the best position. Laps here were 12.7km long and the course was smooth, dry, and fast. Nothing too technical, but some nasty short steep hill sections. Average lap times for me were around 45 minutes. There was this one young punk that was probably 6 or 7 years younger then me that I kept duelling with. He was fast for his size! Just as I would start letting off the gas a bit because there was no one around me to let me know what my pace was like, he would pass me. This angered me. How could such a young kid be such a good rider already? Anyway, this made me realize that I can't let off the gas at all. Go until I can't go anymore. He slowly passed me on a hill climb, I looked over and realized who he was, and I was on the gas again, and didn't let go until the end of the 6 hours. In the end I only beat him my just over a minute. Oh well, good lesson learned.

The North Face Dirty Feet 6 Hour Enduro - Kamloops, B.C. -  Kenna Cartwright Park  

Boo Yeah!

There was a wack load of learning in this race. Another thing for me was to stop being stupid and drink more. During the first 3 laps I only drank 1 water bottle. That's stupid. I don't even really know what my reasoning was. I just get racing and don't think about things too much, including how rehydrating is going to affect me in the laps to come. Bring lots of bottles, drink lots. Easy. After the 4th lap I drank a bottle every lap and my times increased a bunch. And I felt a whole lot stronger in each lap.

Another thing I learned was to shut off a certain portion of my mind. During the race the first couple laps were easy because I was still at full strength and times were fast. But as the race continues and energy decreases, it's really easy to start thinking negatively about a lot of things including things outside of the race. This can't happen. It brings a person down and starts affecting their performance. Focus on the race, focus on the outcome. Do what I want to do. Simple right? Not so much. I got into this state of mind, just focusing on the race and next thing you know I am layed out in one of the high speed corners and my derailleur hanger is bent. Perfect. A simple tweak and it was all good but maybe a person can focus too much on a race. I don't think I am there yet.

Lessons Learned:
1) Put on the gas the whole time, don't go average pace. Max it out!
2) Stop being stupid - drink lots.
3) Be in race pace mode in my mind

Overall I was really happy with how I raced this race. Somewhere during the last lap I looked at my computer and realized that when this 6 hours was all said and done I was going to do over 100km. YEAH! That gave me even more stoke and my last lap was one of my faster ones. We couldn't stick around for the results as we had a 7.5 hour trip home. I had to wait a couple days for the results but in the end it was worth it. I ended up 4th in my category and had the 3rd fastest lap time of any of the solo competitors. Yeah.

The North Face Dirty Feet 6 Hour Enduro - Kamloops, B.C. -  Kenna Cartwright Park

Big news! Yesterday I went on my first group road ride to get some cross training in. Awesome. So fast. Good group of people. Roads could be a little smoother for sure. I kind of feel a bit responsible for 3 flat tires during the ride (none were mine), but I was the newby, how was I to know I was supposed to be pointing out the holes in the road?

Next mission, Round The Mountain in Kimberley. Excellent trail, excellent riders. Going to be a tough go but there is some home terf to defend here. I bet lots of people are going to be in it to win it. Training is well underway, we shall see what happens.

Over and out.

2011 Season. So far...

Still early into 2011, it has already been a kick ass season.

I spent a bit of time training throughout the winter, mostly doing outdoor things like backcountry skiing. I knew I wanted to ramp up my game for the season to come and racing my bike even more this year was definately a given. There was handfull of times that I tried to get on the bike trainer, it's just too boring.

I always just imagined being sponsored by a company and getting to ride my bike all over the world. That came a bit more into reality when we searched for a sponsor this past winter. Due to a couple of awesome people (you know who you are) I got hooked up with a sponsorship from Opus Bicycles. http://www.opusbike.com/ . This was pretty insane. This only happened to far luckier and talented people then me right? It took a while to get my bike, but that was okay cause there was snow on the ground still anyway.
So, when the snow finally started to melt this season I did feel a bit groggy because of the lack of training, but that was cured by getting on my bike, a lot.

Moab riding

Before the snow melted in Cranbrook, a bunch of us planned a trip down to Moab, where the snow was long melted. The trip was crazy good! I have never been that far south and just too see the landscape and meet the locals was great. The biking was unbelieveable as well. We did all the local favorites (Porcupine Rim, Slickrock, etc.) and I was stoked to be riding my bike in such a foreign place and getting a head start on the riding season.

Then came the first race.

This year I put together a race schedule and on the top of the list was the Herron Park XC down in Kalispell, Montana. The day called for rain, and lots of it. About a half hour before the race began, the clouds cleared and the light broke through. I knew this was going to be a good day.

The course was smooth and not a lot of elevation gain, not at all like what I am used to in B.C. It was fast and a lot of double track. Many good riders. I found myself in a pace that I was not used to right off the start gun. I guess this was a result of it being the first race of the season and wanting to show Opus what I can do. There was a longer climb right off the bat, not too steep. Somewhere near the top I found my pace and settled into a groove after giving up a couple places. There was a longer descent right after that eventually breaking into a shorter uphill back to the start line. I did feel a lot better on the second and third laps after finding my pace and hauling ass as much as I could. As a result I finished 8th out of a field of 27 riders in Cat 2. Not knowing what to expect in a race such as this, I was pretty happy with the result.

Herron Park XC - Kalispell Montana - May 22nd 2011

It was a great weekend not only in that I was biking which might be my one true love, but that a bunch of good friends came out to support and also race. Results are posted here: http://www.usacycling.org/results/?permit=2011-1740

Herron Park XC - Kalispell Montana - May 22nd 2011

Then came the second race of the season.

With a bunch of training leading up to this next race, it is always easy to say that I did not train enough or hard enough. But it was a go none the less. This one was in Spokane, and again I found myself doing a race that I have not done before, a 24 hour race. We had a great team, all of us were mainly out for the fun which soon turned into a small competition between us.

Spokane 24hrs Round and Round - May 28th 2011

Again, the course was smooth and fast. Laps were 23km long and got completed in about 55 minutes. It sure was a different thing to be riding my bike at 2:30 in the morning with all sorts of lights attatched to my bike and helmet. But it was sure worth it. Our team "Dusty Bottoms" ranked 4th out of 16 teams in our category which was 5 person CO-ED. But what was even more awesome was that I pulled through with the fastest times on our team. OH YEAH! Here is a list of the results, look under 5 person Co-Ed: http://www.cadencesportsonline.com/pdf/371_overall.pdf

Now it is time to prepare for the next task on June 19th. The North Face 6 Hour Enduro in Kamloops, B.C. I have done a couple of enduros in the past and they are different for sure. Not really about speed, more about endurance. 6 hours can be a really long time if I give it all right away. Whatever the case I am stoked for it. Here is a video to stoke you!

How I Got Here

After spending 20 years in small town Coaldale, A.B. I figured it was time to make some changes in my life, you know, go somewhere, do something. After taking an environmental sciences program at Lethbridge College, I got a job offer and place to stay with some great friends that had already been living in Cranbrook for a while. I packed up all my belongings and made my way 4 hours from home to grow some new roots.



Self  Loader - working on one of the blocks I would layout

 Cranbrook was interesting at first. It was the dead of winter and I barely knew anyone and I definatly didn't know what to do out here. I recieved a job at a resource company doing forestry work which was really cool and a lot of time was spent outside discovering new areas to play. That job was just a short term though and soon I found myself looking for new work. But there was something else that was coming into the scene with the summer months approaching, mountain biking.

I was trying to fit in somewhere in Cranbrook. I didn't look too many places before I found a newly opened bike shop, Favorit Cycles. I started hanging out there more and more and met some really cool people who are still really great friends. While partaking in one of the cases of beer I would bring by the shop on weekend nights, I found myself buying a new rig to get ready for the summer.

From then to now is history, literally. A lot of really great things have happened developing my riding. From many biking trips to places far, far away (Moab, Seven Summits - Rossland, Kamloops, Golden, Panorama, Salmon Arm, Transrockies - Southeastern B.C to Southwestern A.B.) to riding in what is now my backyard, I have put in many kilometers and loved almost every moment of it.

Seven Summits - Sept. 2008

Riding in my own backyard - Cranbrook, B.C.



Over the past couple of seasons riding has meant more and more to me and becoming more a part of my life. In the 2010 season I entered a handfull of races (Transrockies, Kootenay Krusher, Salty Dog, Sufferfest, Lungbuster) and have really enjoyed them and didn't do to shabby. Winter came way too soon that year and once again it was time to find something different to do for the winter months.