SV Pre-ride Course Report

I took a break from the final exams study today, and we traveled to good ol' Grand County, where there are now more brown trees than living green ones. Thank you pine beetles... it is only a matter of time before a lightening strike turns all of Fraser Valley into one big forest fire.

Anyway, we proceeded to dissect the course at Sol Vista, riding different sections at a time, in the hopes of linking them together for what may be the actual race course. The directions posted by MSC on the forums were absolutely no help at all, and I had to consult with the SV staff at the bike rental shop 3 times, before it started to make sense. Even then, they said they were not sure what the final decision would be on the trail selection for race day. I guess we'll just wait and see!

Despite the ambiguity, here is the description of the course, although I make the disclaimer that it is subject to change!

The start, and the first 4 miles or so are definitely for sure. The course begins with a 2-mile climb on the Nature's Way single track trail, from the base area, and ascends 1,000ft to the top of the ridge. (I'm not sure how they plan to spread the field out because there is not much room to pass on this single track). The trail makes a lot of sweeping switchbacks as it ascends, so you can definitely get a look at who is in front and behind you. The terrain is bumpy dirt (from the recent excavation of the trail), and some loose, sandy corners.

Once you reach the top, you make a right turn onto a dirt road (double track??) and traverse the ridge line. The first 1/4 mile is soft sand - make sure to keep those cranks turning or you are immediately sucked in, and this is after you haven't even begun to recover from the climb yet! For the next mile or so, the road gradually ascends, and this is a good big ring hammer section, as it is a false flat, but since the ground is less sandy, it seems fast.

(From here on, the course is questionable, but this seems like the general consensus from the 2 shop employees I talked to. Plus we ran into 4 RMR guys and Kenny D. who were riding this route). Next you reach single track, which is a bit undulating for about 1/2 mile, and then starts going downhill. The trail is sandy/gravelly at first, and then turns into bumpy, loose small rocks. The downhill is not difficult, but it is very twisty with tight turns and tight trees in the woods, so it keeps you on your toes. After about 1 mile, you reach a dirt road. Turn right, and another big ring crank fest for about 1/2 mile. You reach a slight uphill, and then take the single track on the left.

This single track section is a little slower than the previous downhill, as there are lots of small up and downhills, with tight corners, small rocks, a few roots, some gravel, and some sand. At the end of this section you reach a dirt road and make a sharp right, crank uphill for about 25 meters, and then take the single track on the left. Now you leave the forest and enter a recently logged area, with small trees, tight twisty corners, all while going downhill again.

You come out on a large dirt logging road, take a right and descend back to the base area. The logging road was just plowed, so it is loose, sandy, and although you can go fast, it takes effort to make sure you're not going to slide out in the sand.

All in all, the route we completed was about 8 miles. So if they are thinking about a 6 mile loop, they may route the course down some different single track from the top of the ridge line. It is all up in the air. The terrain is a bit of everything, and this makes the course deceivingly difficult. Because of either the switchbacks or tight twisty turns, there is not much time to rest, even on the downhill. It should be a good course, and will hopefully be well-marked!

Redemption

While it "would" be nice to sit back in the spectator chair and eat potato chips the rest of the summer, I am officially taking charge and ending this brooding. My Dad will never leave my daily thoughts, but instead of dwelling on the negative and 'what ifs,' I've decided to turn it into motivation and positive direction. My Dad was my idol and hero, and the only person I've ever looked up to. He was also the most supportive person of my goals and endeavors. In short, he would be pissed if he saw me not living up to my potential, or helping out a greater cause.

With that said, I am sacking my feelings of self pity and getting back on the bike. My fitness has been like a sinusoidal curve this season, but I'm not taking that as an excuse. When the gun goes off, I'll be out there to race, and do my best.

I know my Dad would be proud.

Chris ramping up

Chris is finally conquering his season-long injuries, and is getting some consistent time back in the saddle. He has his sights set on Sol Vista, and is ramping his training back up. I am proud of him! With finals in store for the next 3 weeks, and considering that the other unfortunate events of the summer are having quite an effect on me, I am taking on the coaching, wrenching, photography, feed staging, and moral support role for Chris. In other words, I am not racing for the remainder of the season.

I am in need of a fresh start. And some time off, and a breath of fresh air will do just that.

Tribute video to Dad

I continue to look at lots of pictures, remembering all the fun times.
So I decided to make a video. (Turn up sound)

TdF Fever!

It's one of my favorite times of year, Tour de France season! Chris bought the ElGato EyeTV 250 Plus the other day, just in time for the start. Basically it is a Tivo without the subscription, so we'll have everything recorded on the computer hard drive and then transfer to DVD for those long sessions on the trainer next winter. I get inspired watching the TdF, and we are already planning our vacation to France (TdF included) when I graduate from PT school in 2010!

In the meantime, it's been a tough go the last couple weeks- coming back to school, trying to get caught up, having a hard time concentrating, and suffering intense bouts of amnesia. I'm looking forward to just scraping by with the minimum 3.0, and putting this semester behind me.

I got back on the yeti the other day, for the first time in 6 weeks. I didn't think I would lose so much fitness, but Chris and I only made it 45min at 3 Sisters, before we called it quits. Maybe another day... In the midst of so much emotional pain, I just haven't had the gumption to put myself through the physical effort and pain required to actually ride hard, let alone compete. It's gonna take time...