A Healthy Chocolate!!!!

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Bow 80

Despite the 2km of calf deep mud/cow poop slogging, the Bow 80 was yet again an awesome race. I'm so glad that it mad a come back this year. Pepper Harlton from Juventus and I rode together for the majority of the way to the first feed zone. From the first to second feed zone I managed to put a little time gap on her on the climb, but it was never a very big gap, so the pressure was on for the whole race. The last third of the race consisted of lots of mud and lots of pushing your bike through the mud...yuck. I finished in just under 6 hours, almost an hour slower then my time two years ago when it was dry. Crazy to think that the mud may have slowed me down that much because I honestly believe I'm stronger then 2 years ago. My only consolation is that I finished up in 14th position overall, and took my first "Queen of Kananaskis" belt buckle :)

I'm now recovering from my third gut bug hangover of the season, I know, awful stats, in hopes to finish the two cross races this weekend in Edmonton..only four weekends till cross nationals.

Wrapping it up

Alas, my bum is starting to heal..yippee. Two weeks ago, the last weekend in August, was the NMBS race of the year in Brian Head, Utah...nothing like 10,000 feet to kick your butt. I had a pretty good short track, won a preme, which in turn blew me up a little and dropped back to 10th. I finished 3rd overall in the short track series for 2008, not bad considering last year I got pulled from every single short track except one :) The xc was one big loop, 5 miles of climbing off the start, and some pretty wicked single track. I was riding really well, pacing well, until hitting a corner just a little too fast. Both wheels started to drift and I went down hard, tearing off my right butt cheek and skinning my elbow and knee. It was tough getting back in the groove, but I managed to settle in again and pick off a few more riders. I think I was moving up into 8th place, with 6th and 7th with in view, and I flatted...yuck. After wasting my CO2 and the tire only holding for a corner, I ended up running for almost an hour into the second feed zone...only to find that everyone had packed up and left (they thought I'd DNFed somewhere). One of the three guys left had a pump that I used, and finished the race 40 mins back...not too bad..hehe.

This past weekend was the XC8 at Buffalo Pound, SK. Super cool race. Dallas and I drove down and camped fri and sat nights. It was an 11km, I'd say 9o% single track loop, and I managed 8 laps. I finished my 8th lap three mins before the cut off to do another lap, and the girl was like "You can still do another lap"....to which I said.."nooooo, noooo I caaaan't" in a slurred voice. I was absolutely cooked and headed straight for the hamburger stand. I do have to say, I absolutely loved coming across "the bee" aka Tory a couple of times...she definitely mad me smile :)

I've entered the working world again...for now....if you can call what I'm doing work...well, it is really busy. I'm working mornings at Starbucks again, that means 5:30 am starts..yuck. So if you're in need of a good buzz in the morning..stop in and see me.

Tomorrow we find out if the Bow 80 is a go...keeping the fingers crossed.

Ciao