HAPPY HALLOWEEEEEEENNNNNNN

Alberta Pyschocross

Photo courtesy of the very talented photographer Patrick "not Doyle".

Everyone did however miss a shot of me landing flat on my face :)

A Healthy Chocolate!!!!

Who'd a thought....but it's great. For all you chocoholics out there:

www.mmmxocolate.com
www.hclpro.com/dbdyck

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

TR

Helllllooo!!!

Sorry everyone, I've been taking a little bit of a blogging hiatus, but I think it's time for a quick update.

Transrockies...definitely didn't start out the way that I had planned. Friday before the race I started to get funny guts, but I shrugged it off, thinking it was just a one day thing. But it only got worse, and I spent more and more time on the toilet. Then come Sunday morning while waiting in line to sign in at the start, I found myself throwing up in the rose bushes infront of everyone...lovely, I know. I decided to sit the first day out, and ended up getting 1.5L of IV and a good dose of gravol. The morning I was determined to ride...but I couldn't even keep breakfast in, so I decided to sit another day out and headed to the hospital for some advice and hopefuly medicine. Instead I got another litre of IV, another good dose of gravol, directions for just a clear liquid diet and the doctor told me that I wasn't going to be riding this week (I'd show her :)

I seriously considered packing it in a couple of times and heading home to my nice warm toilet versus the cold stinky outhouses that I was frequenting..I'm sorry, I know. Day three I got up, managed to keep down a little breakfast and suited up to join Dallas who had hammered the first two days (as long as I signed in with him in the morning, he was allowed to ride with another team and we would take the maximum time penalty). Day three was a 45km TT around Nipika, which worked out good because I could bail and be close to the finsih at all times if I got in trouble. It was an extremely slow and painful ride, but Dallas stuck it out with me (and my dad joined us), and we managed to finished our first stage as a team.....to which I celebrated by heading straight to the bathroom.

Things slowly got better through out the week. Day four was 109km to Whiteswan Lakes, and Dallas had to practically drag his girlfriend the distance...but we made it and finished in 6th. That night was the the first supper that I ate in five days...most of which I kept with me. Day five into Elkford was a tough day..we'll leave it at that. But it was the best damn supper that I'd ever eaten that night..and man did I eat a lot.....lots of lost and missed calories to make up for.

Day six into Blairmore was another long day, and we actually managed to race that day..yippeeeeee...and finished 2nd. And finally day seven into Fernie, we were both pretty shattered from our hammer ride the day before, but pulled off a 3rd place. To which we finished up 10th overall in the mixed category....not bad for starting out in last place and 6 hours behind after the first day.

I've been pretty shattered all week, practically just drooling in front of the tv or napping most of the day. Over a week later, I'm still feeling a deep down tired, but when I'm on the bike, I can definitely feel some good base fitness. This past weekend we did a great 5 hour hike to have lunch at the top of Grimm Pass...and my toes are still killing me...and a 3.5 hour road ride up Highwood Pass....my butt is still sore...yikes.

Getting ready for my last flight of the season, heading down south to Brian Head, Utah for this weekends final NMBS race of the 2008 season. Can't believe it's that time of year again.

I want to send out a huge thanks to Dallas for putting up with me and dragging me through the TR, and my parents for being the best damn support/cooking/everything crew at the TR. As well as everyone who helped and encouraged us along the way. I'd definitely do it again, I mean, it can't be that hard again...can it??

Transrockies

Just finishing up the last minute packing of all the gear needed for a seven day mountain bike ride through the Canadian Rockies. This year the Transrockies covers about 550km and rumored over 12000m of climbing (ouch...). Starting in Panorama, we'll make our way south and eventually end up in Fernie. Along the way we'll be making stops at the K2 Ranch in Invermere, two nights at the Nipika, the very remote Whiteswan Lakes, Elkford and the Crowsnest Pass.

Dallas and I are competing in a pretty stacked co-ed field and I hope our bodies and bikes hold out for the journey....as well as the good weather.