What Happened?

Since the day I signed up a year ago, i have done something every day to get ready for the BC Bike Race. i was already starting to feel sad for this goal's exit from my life since it has all been so rewarding and i've met so many great people along the way. especially the ninjas!

so on the bright side, the goal has not exited from my life. we are leaning towards making a return campaign for 2015 and though i'm very sad 2014 did not turn out at all as planned, i'm already excited to use the lessons i've learned and another year of training to make 2015 even better.

it's hard for me to type so i'll keep this short but here's my version of events.

I woke up day 3 feeling a bit flat and decided to give myself permission to just do as the body wanted as the juices started flowing (or not flowing, depending). i did an abbreviated version of my daily warm up then got into the gates. i managed to sneak up a bit to grab a better position off the line since on the opening climbs, i was making good time. and wouldn't you know it, fitness kicked in and not even five minutes off the gun, i was ready to rock. had an awesome climb to the singletrack and then found a great group of kiwis to ride with.

til this day, singletrack was making me a bit trepidatious. so steep and gnarly, i was wondering if i was a mtb-er afterall. but powell river was my course. i passed a lot of people in the start wave ahead of me and i wasn't losing any time in the trails either. my bike was perfect for the terrain, and i was in that shit-eating grin state of mind. i was gleefully licking my lips at the results sheet i was confident would see me move up the standings.

our group began swallowing some riders off the back of the group ahead and it was my turn to find a chance to pass. the rider up asked if i'd like by and so i looked up to assess my answer. i was in the middle of saying not yet, i'll let you know when my front wheel found a wet root hiding in the loam. it happened so fast i had no choice but to accept a tumble. but on the way down, i saw my crash zone was already occupied by a large, hard tree stump. i knew my head was in danger and my hand came out reflexively to protect my face. it got stuck on some part of the stump or a branch ... not sure, but ......warning: cringe worthy ....... i felt all of my fingers fold back on my hand and get stuck there while my head continued its -- now slower -- trajectory to the stump. i head butted it ever so softly, but i knew it was at the expense of broken bones.

fortunately, i had the good sense to crash in front of a doctor. thank you so much Ian for your optimism, and initial exam. once rider patrol caught up, we let Ian go to carry on his race. and i tried to ride out. strike one: i couldn't get my index finger to brake. who needs your rear brake anyway? i thought. strike two was shifting. i like this gear anyway, i told myself. but strike three? i could no longer climb, so i tearfully had to let my bcbr go for this year. when i made it close to the road, i was met by the med team who are amazing, paramedics, trauma docs and mtb lovers. they were willing to let me continue, to their credit, fully understanding that its hard for any racer to give up the ghost. with a steep enduro to come, and strong broken bones suspicions, i figured i would just get something else broken. you can't imagine how hard it is to get in the waiting pick up. true empathizers, they had a cup of scotch waiting for me too.

then it was off to the hospital. xrays. fractures to metacarpal (across the joint, sadly) and scaphoid. cast applied to keep it immobilized until they can xray again in ten days. full damage will/should be visible then. probably off the bike for awhile, which is a bummer because i also just got my usac pro upgrade.

the support team has been amazing and at first i was really sad i'd let them down, but when i needed them more than ever they were/are here and now we get to spend more time together anyway. would love to share more ... especially thank yous to the race, the crew, Team Kris and everyone who has sent messages but i'm still getting used to being a lefty so that's all for now.

thanks for following ...

breakfast on my last day with the cheerleaders

the best campsite so far - willingdon beach

pre race yoga

my view from the gates

my injured paw and some amazing artwork by bcbr volunteer Jen who drove me to the horse pistol

getting my fibreglass fitted

goodnight bcbr. see you next year. 

Update: BCBR So Far

Lying in the RV with my legs up and since I'm terrible at napping, I thought I'd get some more words and photos up from our good times so far. Of course they do no justice - this event is pretty next level in every sense. 

This is my girl before our first day. In case you missed it, I drew Gerhard's birthday for a race number which makes me smile every time. Day one's stage was gnarly. If I was a hiker, I would consider completing the course an accomplishment, so steep/rooty/slippery were some of the descents/drops. With my beloved Top Fuel, I felt like i'd brought a knife to a gun fight. The North Shore is no joke and it was quite the welcome for us racers. Ok bcbr! You have my attention. ;) 

These pink ribbons are our guides on course. Despite remote trails, technical terrain and long courses, they are perfectly placed and I've never felt a shadow of a doubt that I was headed the right way. Love it. This one was photographed on our opening section day one. A little ways after this, we had a bear on the course (I could have sworn I heard him woof while preriding). 

This is an after picture ... Despite super wet weather, BC mud is very forgiving and rarely cakes up which makes it kind of fun, actually. 

Here's the Open Women's podium (my category). Day one saw Wendy Simms (2013 BCBR Champ) in third, Endurance pro Sonya Looney in 2nd and Olympian Lea Davison with the win. I came 12th. 

At the end of each stage, I've learned the procedure is: eat something, drink, bike wash (you can do it yourself or a volunteer group will take a donation to do it for you), then eat something, drink something, shower. Eat drink sit. 

Here's the bike wash. Whatever you do, don't get showered and cleaned up first. I found out the hard way it's an excellent method for getting clean clothes soaked and muddy. 

When you're bike is clean, dry it, lube it, then these fine volunteers pack it into the transport trucks to move to the next stage. The organization behind tearing down and rebuilding base camp is astounding. 

We're on the move! Our first ferry ride. Met lots of awesome people on board and ate chips with my feet against a wall so I was happy. 

We spent the night at mama and papa bear Gross's house eating eating and eating. The Team Kris RV went ahead to Powell River and the Gross family took over support crew duties like champs. 

Annnnd, welcome to day two! Sorry for the foggy pic. My phone was in my sweaty pocket ;) 

Reposed San Diego today (not pictured: my Sock Guy Arch Ride socks)

My favorite male cheerleader and me post race. 

My day was much more manageable today. Loved the singletrack though still felt a little outgunned bike wise. Dropper posts are mandatory here. Mandatory. Enjoyed the climbs and then went my own [safe] pace down the descents. Starting to get the hang of this BC singletrack but it's been a very humbling experience. Until yesterday, I was fairly certain I am a decent (maybe even good?) bike rider. Now I am not so sure, haha. 

And here is our home for the next two nights! Powell River is lovely so far. Looking forward to a 49km stage tomorrow followed by a dip in the pacific for my aching legs. The support team is headed out on a salmon fishing mission so with any luck, we'll have something special for dinner tomorrow! 

PS - blogged from my iPhone! Please forgive typos and formatting :) 

Day 0: Ready.... Set ...

Ground zero on day zero. The hour is upon us! Started the day with a trip to Argyle school for the hub bub of registration. So exciting to see all the racers streaming in and the stacks of red racer bags and yoga mats ready for us to pack up. 

Inside our race packets were lots of great goodies, but these are by far the awesomest features: top tube stickers of each stage profile. So valuable. 

Down in the staging area the kids' races got started. So cute and exciting to see little rippers. Reminded me of the Pink Helmet Posse. 

Little girls on bikes!! Yes!!

Here are the little dudes getting it done. My favourite was the kid in the dragon costume. 

Dad couldn't walk by the podium without giving it a try. 

The contents of my racer package. My number, 218 is of extra special significance because 02.18 is Gerhard's birthday! Thanks universe! 

Ran through some openers today before I got rained on again. It's been raining a lot and we're expecting to race Stage One in the mud. 

Making my fav rice cakes, of course! 

Our racer safety meeting featuring the most hilarious discussion about piss, shit and bear attacks I have ever encountered. Thanks Brooks!

Home sweet home! Final prep now underway and here's our amazing palace on wheels. Plus my trusty steed. 

And check out this crew!! Gerhard arrived tonight so our team is complete. And my brother-in-law Reinholt is here for good cheer and good vibes, too. Super excited to get rolling! Bed time :) 

Let's Ride!!

The BC Bike Race Movie

Seven: The BC Bike Race Movie from BC Bike Race on Vimeo.

Pretty hyped after watching this. 40 minutes of frothing.

Day T-1: Make Mine An Expresso

Started today with drizzle in North Van but after over a year in the California sun, rain seemed novel! 

Shuttled the crew (ie mom and dad) to the Canadream HQ to pick up the RV then took off with duelling GPS systems (Siri:1, Garmin:0) to get the bike to the shop where I made an appt for pre race checks. 

The shop I picked was Obsession: Bikes since that's who will also be providing mechanical support throughout the week. 

While they worked on the bike, and mom and dad took a crash course in everything RV, I wandered the Esplanade and quay where I found evidence of BCBR everywhere. Also espresso, wifi and cheap Thai food. Perfect. 

Back at Obsession, shop dog toothy-smiled Reggie greeted me and we became fast friends while I waited for Myrosha to join me for a little preride. 

Myrosha and I grabbed the Expresso Express and let the bus do the climbing up Fromme. 

Stopped for a quick photo op before I got the bike too dirty. Ain't she gorgeous? Big thanks to Blaize at RIDE for getting her race-ready and the team at O:B for putting humpty dumpty together again.  

Trail selfies. I insisted. 

The entrance to Expresso, day one's Enduro Stage. Flowy, yes. Gnarly, also yes. The sudden downpour at the start didn't help my confidence, but I think it's gonna be fun on race day!

I love this pic because it's a clear delineation in space and time between when I had never ridden North Shore singletrack to now understanding what THAT'S all about. 

Sessioning this triple threat: wet rooty log-over, to wet rock, to wet ladder bridge. Myro is too fast for my iPhone. 

Back at the ranch, showered and finally dry again. Check out the sweet digs back at camp! 

Great (wet!) day. Thanks for the ride Myro!!

Wheels Up! Next Stop, Vancouver

"Have I done enough?" I asked Gerhard yesterday. "Just the right amount," he said. And with that, we have arrived on the eve of the long-awaited, much-anticipated 2014 BC Bike Race. Bucket list item, gnarly bike event and my first stage race. 

Home Sweet Home!

This is a quick post to say I'm packed and on my way. I can't thank everyone enough for their support, especially my PIT CREW EXTRAORDINAIRE, Mom, Dad and Gerhard in the RV with Mama Bear and Papa Bear Gross heading up our satellite operations in Cumberland. 

We're looking forward to seeing as many of our friends and family in BC as possible so be sure to get in touch if we haven't tracked you down yet. 

And if you can't be in BC but want to get in on the action, here is a quick run down of how you can "follow" us: 

BC Bike Race: 

Twitter: @BCBikerace

Instagram: @BCBikerace

Facebook

Website: Daily updates with results, pictures, videos and all the info.   

Me: 

Twitter/Instagram: @_KrisGross

Facebook 

Strava

Gerhard: 

Instagram: @gerhardmg

Facebook 

Mom: 

Facebook

Dad: 

Facebook

Useful Hashtags: 

#ultimatesingletrack #BCBR #BCBR2014 #ridelikeaninja #ninjaspotting

Up up and away! 

Our itinerary-ish: 

North Vancouver - June 26 until afternoon June 29th

Cumberland - Evening June 29th until Evening June 30th

Powell River - Evening June 30th until Morning July 2nd 

Earl's Cove to Sechelt - Morning July 2nd until  Morning July 3rd 

Sechelt to Langdale - Racing through to Squamish on July 3rd

Squamish - Afternoon July 3rd to Morning July 5th 

Whistler - Morning July 5th until Morning July 7th

And now some next-level awesomeness created by the talented Athena (with help from the talented Ian who made handy resized versions). Because my mom is awesome, she went all out and made this logo into T-shirts for us all to sport. I couldn't get everyone a T-shirt but if you want to show your support during the race, here are some options!

Facebook Profile Size

Square For Instagram or Facebok

Facebook Cover Size

Next stop Vancouver!!