With the Island Cup finals race canceled due to snow the previous weekend, my motivation for a final race was a little low to say the least. I shamefully admit that if Regan hadn't promised me an Ikea date I probably would have opted to sleep in all weekend and enjoy some relaxing mtb miles. But I can't pass up Ikea!!! Haha.
After a quick couple laps of the course on Mahon Park in North Van, we quickly shower up and head out to Ikea!!!! Yippee...hehe. In our excitement to go shopping, yes Regan was actually excited to go shopping, we didn't really plan our food very well. About an hour into our roaming the huge store we were so famished that Ikea meatballs were about I could think about.....but they definitely weren't as good as I remember them being. Yes this was part of my pre-race meal...haha, but we did go out for some real food after we finished with Ikea.
Race day....chilly 5 degrees, but no rain :) Not sure what to wear, definitely jealous of the thermal skinsuit. Unfortunately big guns Wendy Simms and Catharine Pendrel were no shows, but the field was still filled with other fast mountain biker chicks. Off the gun I found my pedal quickly and powered out of the gate....I know I have a good start so I try to take advantage of it as often as possible. Through the first corner, a quick glance over my shoulder shows Jean Ann Berkenpas (formally McKirdy) right on my wheel. She's breathing down my neck, tight on my wheel for the first lap and I urge my legs to keep the pressure on.
Through the tight grassy corners I find sweet spot and flow the corner surprisingly nicely, making putting a little time between us. Through the nasty soupy mud blog and up the back side of the course which is all slightly up hill and momentum sucking, I keep the pace up, well as much as possible through here, standing out of corners and pushing myself on the uphills. Slowly I find myself opening up a gap between myself and Jean Ann, but I also find myself getting a little fatigued and the start/finish corner almost tosses me twice in a row..haha, that woulda been good to see :) I won my first BC Provincial Champion Jersey.
Regan's race was an awesome battle for 3rd place, with 3 guys, Regan, fellow Islander Jamie Cameron and another Steed Cycles racer were back and forth continuously for the entire race. In the end Regan finish 5th in his first ever Provincial Championships race, then was so stoked when we got home that he had the energy to do a great write up for Pedal Mag.
For my sad bitter news, I just received word that I'm being passed up yet again for carding :'(
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