Death Race

So this past weekend was the big bike race that I was "training" for. It was good, but I have to admit, I was totally scared the days leading up to it. I was worried about sucking it up and not pulling through for the team, and scared I was going to mangle myself and just general pre-race paranoia..

I went to Toronto friday night, Meg and Wylie were coming down for the weekend and I wanted to spend as much time with them as I could. I also wanted to be able to get up a bit later and not have to drive for 2 hours in the morning and then have to bike all day. So, I left at about 7:45, and arrived at the race site at 9am. It was happening just past Barrie at a place called Hardwood Hills, about an hour and a bit from my aunt and uncle's house at the north end of Toronto. I had to pull over part way up highway 400 to double check my hood which is currently being held closed with a bungee cord. I had visions of the hood flying up, smashing the windshield and me not being able to drive etc etc etc. On my drive up I passed a bunch of cars and trucks with hardcore mountain bikes attached to them.

I had no idea what to expect of the race, and pulling in the gates at the site I was ready to back out. Kate found me and I parked my car, wrestled my bike out of the backseat and took the packaging off my brand new bike helmet. (I hate bike helments. I doubt I'll even wear the one I bought again.) And then we waited.

Leah was running late, and then stuck in traffic (there was an accident on the road just after I went by. I think a bunch of bikes fell off someone's truck). While we were waiting we kinda walked around and checked out the whole thing. I had to sign a waiver and give them $5 for some "insurance" or something. I don't know exactly what. All I know is I paid 5 bucks for a blue sticker that went on the number plate on my bike. Not quite sure what that was about.

Kate was going first, and then Ange, and then me and then Leah. When 10am rolled around and Kate was leaving to go, we walked down to the start of the race and it was explained to me how it would all happen. Basically, we would bike up this hill, and then when we were done our lap, have to dismount at the checkpoint, take this little magnet and place it on this reader so that it would record our time and then pass the magnet off to the next person, who would run up this hill, get back on their bike and go down a bit of a hill and up the giant hill.

Kate did 2 laps her first go, and then Ange went and then it was my turn. I was ready for Ange when she got back, and I grabbed the time chip and grabbed my bike and ran up the hill. My heart was pounding and I was biking like a mad woman. Kate had suggested I keep my bike in the easiest gear so thats what I did. I was so revved up for the race that I started out going so hard and I was hyperventilating and it sucked SO much. I thought I was going to die. I've never huffed and puffed so much, I just couldn't breathe normally at all. There I was, slowly making my way up the hill (a long, gradual incline with loose woodchips and sand), sounding like I was going to have a heart attack, telling myself in my head to just breathe normally, and so I'd try to concentrate on breathing but that was hard while also concentrating on biking... I ended up walking a fair amount of the first major hill.

Despite the crazy scary beginning of the race, I had a blast once I was on the actual trails. It was a lot of single track snaking through the trees, up and down hills, with rocks and stumps in the way. I realized I really love the single track stuff, it's like a rollercoaster. The thrill of whipping your bike around tight corners is super exhilarating. Fully explains why my body is so sore today too, yanking the handlebars side to side..

I made it through my first lap in 50 min, and I was half tempted to go for another lap right away, but when I saw Leah waiting for me at the finish line I decided I'd much rather get off my bike and take a rest.

The second lap was so much easier for a couple reasons. I at least knew the trail this time and knew what to expect. I also decided to bike in 2nd gear instead of first, as this is what I am more used to. I tend to climb hills standing up on the bike, not sitting. I've always done it this way. I actually really prefer keeping my bike in the hardest gear. I don't know if it's a mental thing or what, but I like to have to work to climb the big hills. So, with that in mind, I took off on my second lap in second gear and remembered to not put all my effort into the first bit. I then used my whole body strength to get up the hill without getting off my bike, and then the next couple as well. I still huffed and puffed, but felt so much more comfortable biking.

I finished the second lap in 45 min, so that made me feel good. As a team we did 9 laps in the 8 hours, which isn't too bad at all. Technically we only raced 7 hours and 40 min (we didn't have time to do another lap before the end of the race.) If my math is correct, that averages out to be about 11.74 km an hour. (Crap... I was trying to figure out how fast I personally went, but now my math skills have left me...if you can figure out how fast I was going, please let me know!!)...

I was so exhausted after the race yesterday, and this morning felt like I had got hit by a truck. But the experience itself was awesome. I came away with a few scratches and a few bruises, but nothing compared to what I thought I might get.
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And now it's getting late and I really should end this...