Wow, Bonkers.

After some internal arguments influenced by factors outside the scope of this blog, I decided to get up at the crack of dawn, and drag my ass (and my boyfriend's ... sorry babe) to Mansfield for a couple hours of late season suffering in the annual Winter Wow.

And I was pleasantly surprised.

The first 90 minutes were AMAZING. I was flying! Not suffering at all! I rode the trails like a Jedi, hopping logs, carving corners and passing all kinds of folks. I led the ladies off the start and didn't see any of them again for over an hour.

My climbing was on, and I even got up the famous "sandy climb". A man came up behind me and after a few minutes I asked him if he'd like to get by, and he said "Are you kidding? you're setting my pace!"

Not to mention the GLORIOUS weather we got. Honestly, it was some of the best riding all season. Perfect dirt!

I was pretty stoked, to say the least.

Unfortunately, the race was over two and a half hours long, so I ended up paying back the first 90 minutes in spades.

I have never bonked like that in my life! I was so far gone it was almost fun. That is until all the time I'd put into the competition sling-shotted back at me in the last 4km. Except for Rachel. Rachel was the first lady I met on the trails, and she caught me after my best efforts to drop the Queen of Cross on the mostly flat, slightly hilly, logging roads -- about half way. (Guess I should have seen that coming!) I think that's about when I began my decline.

Two more went by while I wobbled around at walking pace. It was like trying to ride while you have the worst case of spins imaginable. I couldn't get my body positioned over the bike properly and instead just kind of held on. My vision was like something out of the Blair Witch Project, my tummy was upset, and whenever I tried to put on the gas, I got a dead-pedal.

If I thought I could've found my way back to the chalet by a direct route other than the one that was marked, I probably would have DNF'd. Luckily, the good thing about feeling that BAD is the sense of euphoria that comes with it, so I just giggled to myself until I found the finish line.

I went to the van hoping to find G, but he was off seeking warmth in the chalet. Unable to go any further I laid the bike down. Then I laid down. And took a nap. In the grass. Wow, indeed.

Once I regained consciousness, not sure how long later, I hobbled over to the chalet for the Chili feed. I teetered through the line-up and was revived by brownies and sugary yellow juice. (Maybe peach?)

In the end I came fourth (56th overall), and you can find the full results here. I heard a rumour that WOW Mtb will also post up their photos from the day.

Despite the calamity, I had a really fun time. I wondered how much I had left from 2009, and found out that I've got just about an hour of juice in the tank. (No WONDER people are drawn to cross!)

And so the work begins to turn my hour of red-zone capabilities into two or three. Exciting stuff!!

PS - Daffyd's already emailed about RPM's BASE CAMP program -- let me know if you'd like a spot!

Winter WOW

This weekend is the annual Winter WOW: the race that has historically been the end of my season ... or the beginning of the next.

This year, since I have been a lazy, H1N1 afflicted couch potato, I guess we'll call it the kick-off to 2010.

If you're interested in lining up on Sunday, here are the details:

• Day of registration fee: $50 in cash or credit (no cheques!)
• Location: Mansfield, 40km of no-laps single track! Never the same trail twice, folks!
• Start time: 10am, in two waves
• Extra incentive: Chili feed included in your entry fee (with BROWNIE!)

Interesting observation I hesitate to make, lest I jinx the whole thing, but I only get to race this thing about every-other-year because every-other-year, I've sold my bike by the time the race comes around.

So let me paint you a picture ...

• 2004 - I raced, bare arms and knee warmers
• 2005 and 2006 - I didn't race but I think it was wet and cold
• 2007 - I raced, and it was more than ten degrees out and sunny
• 2008 - I sold my bike and didn't race ... it was a suffer fest pushing through unrideable fresh snow.
• 2009 - Planning on showing up (especially now that I've posted it) and the forecast is looking like a repeat of '07.

... things that make me go "hmmmm". I wish I had the same kind of luck for Ocups!

Hope lots of ladies come out (KK ... I'm talking to you!!)

Still Hungry!

G and I returned from the rugged terrain of Northern Ontario, reluctantly, and have now been back at it for more than a week. Someone I met this week put it great: "vacation is funny ... you get back and you think, 'uh, why was all this so important again?'"

But for the most part, the 'vacation effect' has been super duper positive. Didn't realize how I tired I was until I'd had a break from everything and got that wonderful "recharge" feeling. Ah! So that's what it feels like to be me!

However, finding an outlet for my new energy has forced me to broaden my horizons. My shoulder is still bunged up from the Mountainview crash so riding is on the back burner. My chiro tried accupuncture the other day. He said we'd plateaued in recovery and thus decided to try something more invasive. Translate: I told him I stopped doing my exercises as diligently (since there were no races to keep me honest) and he punished me by sticking needles into my shoulder. Anyway, since then I feel more tweaked than ever so that's a battle. I still ride to work, but anything longer than an hour results in a lot of advil.

That said, I have surveyed the lay of the land and there are a few items on my hit list:

First, Hardwood Hills is running a "Single Track Challenge" for the first time. It's 50km, no loops, and takes place Oct 18.

Then there's the Winter WOW, a really fun event as long as it doesn't snow. And it hasn't the past two times I've done it (but I tend to do it only every other year because on the odds I've got a bike, and the evens, it's already been sold). So that's at Mansfield, Nov 22 and guess what! There's a chili cookout afterwards.

If I'd had my act together I'd consider the Squeezer, but maybe next year. Same goes for Crank the Shield -- by all accounts an awesome second year for Ontario's only stage race. Sweet.

So that's it for me, hope everyone's well and enjoying happy trails. Fall riding is really my favourite. No stress, great colours, perfect temperatures.

I'll leave you with a few shots from "What I did on my summer vacation":

A she-wolf stands watch

Playing on bikes-with-motors, we stopped at the river to check things out

Hiking up our "mountain" and looking out over the rock race to Lake Superior