Friday, July 31, 2009
Intermontane day 5 - time to show some respect.....
Here is a link to a fellow rider that have pulled out http://tracksidenews.blogspot.com/. My response to her was;
"I 100% support you in your decision to leave the race and I was very surprised in the little response in the riders meeting during the discussion. I was very close to not racing on day 4 but ended up riding as I love to ride and so far in the event I had very little fun. I did enjoy the trails yesterday, but felt wrong by starting and going through the finish line. Today I will pull out as well, in support of all of us that have spent time and money to come out for this event. There are many events we could have chosen, but we chose this one. These sorts of events are a business and if you promise a product you need to deliver. In my field there is no way I could get away with attempting something I didn't know anything about. I think we all have the some rights here, but we can not keep showing up at the start line. Unfortunately or fortunately, there is only one day left. I'd love to ride the hills, but I can do that on my own time, lets not support this race until it shows some professionalism and come clean."
So with that, I'm out! I would like to thank all the volunteers and people around the event that has been pulled in to this mess with all best intentions. With out these people no event can go on and there would be no races on any level, so thank you!
Happy Riding!
kate
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Day 4 Intermontane - to bad it took 3 trials...
As for my day. I started with same game plan, go easy when road and save legs for fun single track. It worked well, it was about 40 km before any real fun, and after that it was 30 km of great fun. Still tough as it was up and down on roots and loose rocks, before ten km of fun fast down hill. I was smiling all the way down. Unfortunately another Canondale guy went down very hard and was sent to hospital. I hope he is ok. At the last feed I'd passed three girls and many guys so I was pleased. And I thought it would be a cruise to the finish. But they took us up behind TRU for some more climbs and more fun downhill. Had a great day but after almost hundred km I was happy to get back to the cooling tub and my support.
Tomorrow is a TT, so of course not gone be easy as ill just be getting into my one pace that I have and the race will be over! Will be fun day though if all goes well, new format for me with staggered start and only 20 km or so. My goal will be not to get passed by too many of the faster riders behind me.
Happy Riding!
kate
Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.
Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Day 3 Intermontane - bit of a joke..
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Day 2 Intermontane - more heat and more...
The course didn't have too much to offer again today, a little bit more single track way in the end, but after the first few major climbs they took us down on some really fast double track/roady sections, pretty disappointed to loose all that gain so quickly on a road!!
Yesterday I got a bee stuck in my jersey and it stung me a few times before it found its way out, and funny enough, I got one in again today! I'm staring to believe my green and yellow outfit looks like a flower, and maybe I smell like a flower too :) Only one sting today though.
Sue Butler is riding strong and yesterday was way ahead and took the win again today, as for my self I'm not sure how much time I lost, but quiet a bit. Had a bit of a break while fixing a chain break for a rider, and my pace was nice and slow! But in the end I had a nice and safe day in heat I'm not handling to well, which is more important. I hope to have some fun tomorrow, as I've heard it might be a ride with some technical descents! 85 km long and 2300 meters of gain, we'll head up to almost 2000 meters, so maybe we'll be in some trees even! They might start us at 7 am which will help a bit with the heat. So I'm looking forward to tomorrows ride! Try to be better prepared so Meredith doesn't have to rush back to hotel to get race food 10 minutes before start! I just blame the heat :)
Meredith and the dogs are doing great as support, I love coming down the last bit of trail and seeing them there. While I'm out riding, they enjoy some of what Kamloops have to offer of lakes and hikes. Today they went to Pauls lake for a dip, much needed to cool off! In the afternoons the dogs are just done, I think the head wipes them out as well. Or maybe they are just bored out of their mind wondering when we're going back to McMurray so they can come riding too.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Day 1 Intermontane
Tomorrow is just over 60 km and about same gain as today.
Happy riding!
kate
Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.
Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Day 0 - registration and running around....
I'm not sure how ill get on my bike for five days in mid to upper thirty degrees! Today I failed on my pre ride, when I walked out of my nice cool room with my bike and just made it to the lobby to cool off again. Well all in the same hot boat!
Registration went by quick, we never found good dogfood but Mer almost came out with another puppy! Bike is ready and fridge filled with goodies! Think I'm as ready as I will be. Mer had a glass of wine and as ready as she will be stringing away on her guitar. Dogs had a swim and some nice junk food so as ready as they will be, both currently wiped out from the heat.
Stage one is 74 km and 2300 m of gain and that's about all I know besides it will be hot!
Happy riding!
kate
Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.
Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Fw: Jasper wild life
Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.
-----Original Message-----
From: "Kate" <k4kicker@hotmail.com>
Date: Sun, 26 Jul 2009 02:58:45
To: <go@blogspot.com>
Subject: Jasper wild life
So after a long drive and a few wild life sightings we made it to Kamloops and the hotel, well, Toby and I did while Mer and SQ drove so fast while taking photos that they missed the exit! And almost run into me! Lesson learned she says. Now we're waiting for our complaint verdict. Our room smell like smoke though non smoking and there are no other pet rooms. When I booked way back (I know, quiet unusual for me to be prepared like this) I was guaranteed no smelly rooms.
Dogs and people are hungry so if we don't have to fine a new hotel there will be dinner soon.
Happy riding.
kate
Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.
Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.
Friday, July 24, 2009
En Route to Intermontane
We enjoyed a good Italian dinner with gelato at the end. And spend a little time finding a hotel with OLN, but lucked out. Now all four of us is ready for the sleep and on the road after hopefully a good stage of the tour in the morning.
To backtrack just a second to last blog. The test was a joke in the sense I had no idea how it went, which is it then ethical to accept a pass? Well maybe I will have to write again, if so then no need to ponder on that. Very possible.
Happy riding!
kate
Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.
Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
12 hrs to test...
Done some shorter rides to keep legs moving a little and they feel ok. Tuesday will be last day of any real effort and then its time to pack up for Kamloops. They have posted start list and I'm gone have a tough shot on top three even five. They have put out some big price money and that seem to have worked to attract some good folks even first year. Good stuff, looking forward to it.
Well better get on with the Law!
Happy riding
kate
Sent wirelessly from my BlackBerry device on the Bell network.
Envoyé sans fil par mon terminal mobile BlackBerry sur le réseau de Bell.
Friday, July 17, 2009
The blog that never updates...
As for a the race it self, Steve and I partnered up well. We had our scuffs but nothing that couldn't be worked out and in the end it just thought us a few things about working together. I think we had it all figured out by the last day :) He finally pushed me up every single hill, so I could work on my tan and start recovering for a week of building deck. Thanks to Steve I now have a great deck to study in the sunshine for my Monday exam. Joke a side, I lucked out with partner and support crew, couldn't have asked for anything better or more. And already signed up for next years single track adventure of the BC bike race! Steve? you in yet?
We also lucked out in so many other things, weather! perfect every day until I left Monday morning in rain, and it rained hard and didn't stop until I hit Fort McMurray a Tuesday night.
We had no issues with our green machines! With one week of riding some terrain that can be very hard on the machines I'd say that is luck and some smooth riding helps of course. I'm staring to really enjoy the Titus X more and more, and I'm sure very soon it'll be my new favorite bike! It definitely got more attention along with our outfits than Steve and I as riders did through out the week :)
We had no cougar or bear issues, we had no major crashes, just some minor that hurt the pride more than anything. So in a week long race what else can you ask for!?
I even made it up the last little hill in to Edmonton and Hardcore store on empty with a trailer!
Back in Fort McMurray I've been busy building a lower deck in my yard. It took a bit of trial and error to get done, but now I have a dirt free yard, almost and can focus on my APEGGA exam for Monday. That gives me 3 full days of study!! Hopefully that'll do it! Not too much riding lately, but to study efficiently breaks are required, so what better break than a nice trail ride!
Have to get the legs back in the motion. Only 1 week until departure for the next stage race, Intermontane in Kamloops. 5 days of riding trails I've never been on. Have no real idea of what to expect, so just going with an open mind and hope for not too hot weather and some fun riding.
until next time...
happy riding,
kate