Last weekend was a double header in Vic, which I quess doesn't happen very often so it was awesome I was here for it. Saturdays course was a little north at the Sluggett Corn Farm. It was a really neat course, very flat, very wet and very very very ...did I say very muddy. It had rained all night leading into the race so things were quaranteed to be at least mucky, but when you're sent about a 100m straight through a corn field, things tend to get a little more interesting. Despite of the course being really flat, there was a lot of running...I'd actually venture a guess that each lap was about half running half riding (grinding slowly through soggy grass). Oh yeah, the corn field running was knee deep...haha....no, I'm not kidding. There were only about 10 women, but Allison Sydor just happened to be one of them....Canadian National Champion...wait for it...at the age of 43....she's so amazing. She took the lead off the start and I gave everything I could just to stay with her...but she quickly pulled away and mixed in with all the master men (they started with us). It was quite comic trying to run through the muck, more like stagger...even better when someone beside you trips up and lip skids into knee deep mud (...though I do have to wonder how much poop was mixed in as fertilzer...don't want to know). I ended up finishing 2nd, 2 and a half mins behind Allison.
Sundays race was held at the Juan de Fuca recreation area, and this course, although slightly less mucky...at least before we started racing, had a lot more climbing. Again, off the start Allison took the lead and I managed to stick with her for the first half a lap. There was a slick mossy rock climb part way through the course, in which Allison was the only person I saw to climb (including the men)..she gapped me slightly here as I ran up behind her...but still managed to keep contact with her. However the downhill, switchbacking grass corners, which should be relatively comfortable for a mountain biker......I was totally useless at. After wiping out hard a couple times I ended up having to tip toe around each corner...I felt like a total beginner...oh well, it was really fun flailing in the mud :) Again I finished 2nd to Allison, this time a good 4 mins back.
Regan didn't have to work on sunday...yipppeee....so I dragged him kicking and screaming out to race as well....okay, not much persuasion needed there. He had a really solid race, up against some stiff competition....it's amazing how large the scene out here is considering the limited population to draw from. Finishing with his best cross finish yet...12th...yippeee.. Awesome Job !!!
Big thanks to Wendy and Norm for hosting the weekend...great job.
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