BCBR Stage 4

Stage 4: Sechelt to Langdale, 48.6km, 1400m D+ 

In a mountain bike stage race, you never know how you will feel. Sometimes, even if you are super tired, your body can surprise you and feel awesome. Other times, well, it can also feel horrible. Today was neither of these two options. I felt kind of in the middle.  

This morning, I had a hard time getting out of bed and was wondering how I'd get it together to jump on the bike. I soon realized there is nothing a cup of Barista coffee and some french toasts from David can't cure! My brain was still feeling a bit groggy at the start, but I was optimistic things would turn around, especially since my legs were feeling okay. 

In the morning, I carefully studied the course profile. It was going up and down, and up and down and up and down with a mix of trails and fire roads and some more ups and downs. After that deep and detailed study of the course, my strategy for the day was very elaborate: See how things go and how I feel and respond accordingly. Rocket science right here. 

Race: 

• At the start, given my groggy brain, I decided to not go too hard. Still, it was pretty steep and I had to pedal at a pretty decent pace to stay in touch with our usual group. I still made sure to keep it somewhat comfortable...(According to my Garmin, that was 275w AVG for 10 min...which is usually  not that comfortable for me, but I guess all these BCBR hard hours are starting to pay off? Or I'm so tired that my heart rate doesn't go up and it feels easier...Whatever, I won't complain!) 
• After 30 min..."Hmm still don't feel amazing, but the pace isn't too high. That's fine with me, let's just fake it for as long as possible and follow". 
• Hielke (3rd girl overall and Netherlands Marathon MTB champ - cool girl) rode with us for about the first 45 min- 1h. 
• Still following Katka.
• In my head: "Nowadays everybody wanna talk like they got something to say...Did they forget about Dre." Thanks Eminem for the song distraction.  
• An hour in, I started feeling better. Took the lead a few times. 
• THESE TRAILS ARE FUN!!!!! 
• "....But nothing comes up when they move their lips" Some more Eminem stuck in my head.
• Feeling better and better as the time goes by and having a blast in the trails exchanging the lead with Katka. 
• At 37km, we had been climbing for 2 km and I could see on my profile that we should be climbing for another 2-3km. Katerina and I were climbing together, I was at the front and feeling pretty good.
• Suddenly, I got an idea. Maybe I can try to attack? (I never had the guts to attack her before...I really look up to her and somehow it never quite felt right). I know that's stupid and she told me many times she'd be happy if I attacked the hell out of her.
• Inside dialogue: "Nah, don't attack." "Yeah, you should totally do it Magh" "Nah..." "Oh come on, at least try, otherwise you will regret". "Okay. If I do, I have to go quickly". 
• "I'm going!" Open a tiny gap. "AHHHH Keep pushing Magh!" I get over a roller, and the road is flat..."Crap, that wasn't the plan...Keep pushing anyway!" 
• Anyway, it didn't work. Once we hit the flat, Katka came back to me. I almost laughed at myself. 
• 2km later, we sprinted to get first in the last singletrack downhill. I got it. 
• Messed up in the first corner, she goes by. Not impressed with myself: "Wow. Newbie moves festival Magh..." 
• Shredding fun singletrack descent together until "AHHH!!" I crashed and fell off a bridge. "UGHH" breathe cut for a second. 
• Katerina is the nicest person ever. "Are you okay!?" "UGh, I think so!" She stopped and ran to come and rescue me from under the bridge. She makes sure I'm okay and we start riding again. 5 min later, she crashed. I stopped, make sure she is okay. "Lets just get to the bottom of this one and have fun!" 
• We finished together. 
   

Today was a super fun stage with amazing trails and fun fire road climbs. I'm super happy with the race. Mostly, I'm super grateful Katerina stopped to help me when I fell off the small bridge. That was a perfect opportunity for her to gain more time on me (especially after I had just attacked her), but instead she ran to help me. When she crashed shortly afterwards, I immediately stopped. It didn't even cross my mind to keep going. I care about her a lot more than about the competition, and I think she feels the same way. Never doubted that, but I sure appreciate it! In my book, good friends are a lot more important than a yellow t-shirt. BTW, I'm happy to report we are both okay, except for the fact that I might have a bruised boob. 

Tomorrow is the North Vancouver stage and I'll do my best to not fall off any bridge! Should be fun :) 

Sam Schultz is a cool guy! Dave has been enjoying riding and taking some race pics :) 

Tim has been here all week and it's been fun catching up with him!

Ferry! 

BCBR Day 3

Phew! I am tired tonight.

Stage 3: Earls Cove to Sechelt. 57km, 1400m D+ 

Day 3 was a point to point race from the ferry terminal in Earls Cove to the town of Sechelt. Everyone talks about that day as the hardest of the week, because it is longer than other stages and there is a lot of climbing. Still, it was quite a nice day and we had a good time out there on the fire roads and trails of the Sunshine Coast of BC. 

I started out fast as I thought I could maybe get away from Katerina, but didn't want to go over my limit because I knew it was going to be a long day. Obviously, that didn't work out! She was right there, so I slowed down and we rode together for a very long time. We had a pretty good group of about 10 (all guys except the 2 of us) and it was nice to have company out there on these open roads. 

The course was mostly on fire roads and power lines today, but all these long pedalling sections were separated by some fun singletrack trails, which was a nice way to break things up. Katka and I exchanged the lead at the front of our group all day. Sometimes it was really hard and I wondered how I'd get to the end, and other times it was quite comfortable and I enjoyed myself and took these opportunity to eat (I discovered the Vanilla CLIF Shot this week - it tastes like cake and I love it). In times when it gets really hard, I always convince myself to hang on just a little longer telling myself that the next descent can't be that much further! 

Our group got smaller and smaller throughout the day, until it was only the 2 of us with Brett, a nice Aussie guy. I went in front in the second to last climb and tried to go fast to see if I could get rid of Katerina...of course, that did not work out! She led the next downhill section, and even though it wasn't easy, I had a blast following her. With 5 km to go, we hit a super steep singletrack climb and Katka led it at a pretty fast pace. "Just hang on a tiny bit longer Maghs, you can do this". I was suffering. I hung a bit longer, and a bit longer again until I just cracked. She opened a tiny gap and when she realized it, she accelerated and the gap grew bigger. I did my best to keep it together until the end and suffered pretty bad to finish about a minute back. 

So if you were wondering how to crack Katerina. Well, don't ask me! I have not figured that out yet hahaha! If you wonder how to crack me; ask her! 

In all honesty though, it's a very friendly competition. Of course I want to beat her, and I think she also wants me to try my best to beat her. But at the end of the day, I learn a ton from her and we have lots of fun. 

I was cracked and tired after todays' stage. All I wanted was to eat a burger, so we went to McDonalds. After that, we hung out a the CLIF lounge at the finish line and chatted with other racers, sharing stories of the day - another good day at BCBR!

See you tomorrow! 
 

Suffering. Photo by David :) 

Burger

The aftermath. 4 empty gels and dirty clothes. 

Stretching at the CLIF lounge. 

Podium with Katerina and Hielke. 

BCBR Day 2

Stage 2 - Powell River. 51km, 765m D+ 

BC Bike Race is more than just a race. It's pretty much the best summer camp you can imagine...at least for me! 

After the first day in Cumberland, we took the ferry to Powell River where our basecamp for the night was in a park facing the Pacific Ocean. Everyday, once the race is over, people from the event (racers, volunteer and crew alike) are hanging out outside, chatting, swimming, relaxing or visiting the cute little towns we get to visit. All the towns we visit through the race are extremely welcoming and Powell River is no exception; as racers were walking out of the ferry to the campsite last night, hundreds of locals from the community were outside to cheer and welcome us. It was quite the parade! 

Stage 2 promised to be quite different from Day 1; the course was not climbing as much and subsequently wasn't descending as much. Instead, we were treated to rolling terrain and lots of singletracks covered in roots and trails twisting through mossy trees and loamy forest. It was very pretty and fun! 

Here's how the race panned out for me: 

• Start. My strategy was to try to get in front and go fast from the gun. It started on pavement and those strong guys offer a good wind shelter and "free" speed. 
• "It's so dusty I don't see anything. No worries, just trust that guy you've never met in front of you."
• After about 20 min, I have a little gap on other girls. 
• Turn around and see Katka is coming.
• We ride together for a while.
• Take a second to look up: "Wow! So pretty! Looks like an enchanted forest". 
• Keep riding behind Katka in the trail. She's going fast. "Phew, this is hard. Doing good Magh!"
• A bit later... "Ahh!" I crashed.
• Jump back on the bike and start chasing. try to break "Crap I can't find my brake." 
• Stop and fix my break. Get back on bike and can't see Katka. 
• "Oh well, guess I'm riding by myself for the rest of the day". 
• "Wait a minute...If it was Katerina, she would totally find a way to catch up to me. Maybe I can do it too." 
• Chase mode.
• 30 min later: "OMG I see a yellow jersey!"  Catch up to yellow jersey. It's a master man. 
• Keep chasing. "OMG, another yellow jersey and that is definitely Katka!" 
• Ride together until the finish. in my mind "Hmm okay. I'll try to get her on the sprint." 
• 1 km to go. I prepare for the sprint... Then Katka says: "Hey, you take this one. You deserve it." 
• Me: Really?! Okay, I guess I won't argue with that. Thank you :) 

After the race, we ate some snacks from the finishing tent and then I ate some more snacks that Dave had prepared for me. We got changed in our swimming suit pretty quickly and jumped in the ocean to cool off and relax from the race. It was awesome and felt like a true summer camp!  

Our day finished with another beautiful ferry ride and we are now at a campsite in Earls Cove; chilling, stretching, eating dinner and relaxing until tomorrow. Also, David is baking a cake and it smells awesome in the RV. Day 3 waits for us with one of the toughest and longest stage of the week - can't wait! 

Cheers! 

BCBR tent city at Powell River

Every night, there is a yoga session at Basecamp

Chasing

Post race ocean swim! 

Beautiful ferry ride

Nap time. 

Good night! 

BCBR Stage 1

Stage 1: Cumberland - 44.8km, 1054m D+

Exactly one week ago, Dave and I were talking during our ride and we thought maybe it could be cool to go out to BC and train there before Nationals. Immediately, I remembered that Troy Wells had told me that Benjamin Sonntag (fellow Clif Bar athlete) was injured and that his BC Bike Race registration might be up for grabs.

So after a couple of calls, thanks to Clif Bar, Ben and BCBR organization’s generosity, I was in for the race! That night, Dave and I modified our Nationals flights, rented an RV, and on Monday, we were in the plane heading for our second BC Bike Race. It was a last call, but I couldn't have been happier to be back at this incredible 7 days stage race event. 

The first stage of the race saw us starting in beautiful Cumberland. When I raced in 2014 as a team with Catharine Pendrel, Cumberland had been one of my favorite stages. This year’s course was a bit different, but in my opinion, it was even better than I remembered...or maybe I am just able to enjoy the technical trails better than I was 3 years ago? 

On the start line this morning, the atmosphere was electric as all 600+ riders were getting ready and feeling excited to start the stage race. I wasn’t nervous at all, but I was definitely excited and fired up to get things started and to see what the trails would be like!

• Start.
• Fire road climb for the first 12km. I go in front, Katka follows. "Hmm I'm feeling good!" "But let's not go too hard too early Magh." 
• We reach the top. Katka and I have a gap on the third girl.
• Hit the first couple singletrack descents.
• Next 30 min: Can’t stop smiling. “These are some of the coolest trails I’ve ever ridden!”
• People are cheering. It’s awesome.
• Still riding with Katka. Thinking to myself: “This is fun”.
• We hit a section where we are surrounded by tall purple flowers and have gorgeous views of snowy mountain peaks. Katka says: “This place is gorgeous”.
• I secretly want to stop and take a picture of her riding through this magnificent scenery. Instead, I just take it in and keep riding. 
• About 10km to go, we hit a flat-ish, super rooty and twisty section… I have a hard time keeping up. "I am being pretty bad at this right now". 
• Thinking to myself how I can do this better. “Try to use your body Magh. Look ahead, pump with your arms and legs. Katerina has so much flow, try to imitate her”.
• Can’t figure that section out. Lose sight of Katka. Mess up a few times.
• Finally come out of that section. See her a couple hundred meters ahead on the climb.
• “Try to catch up!” Gap stays the same.
• She beats me by about 2-3 mins.

Finishing second to Katerina is starting to become a familiar thing this season! However, a few months ago, I couldn’t even keep up with her for just a couple minutes on the mountain bike. She is quite a ripper in the trails and obviously, she is super strong, so it’s always a privilege (and pretty fun) when I get to ride/race with her.  We had a really great day!

Dave is not racing, so he went on a ride with our friend Mical Dyck and when I got back to the RV, he had prepared a recovery shake and delicious lunch. Yeah, he’s a keeper! I jumped in the shower, headed to the podium and we drove to the ferry where we got to soak our legs in the ocean before departure.

We are now on the ferry to Powell River where another sets of beautiful trails await us tomorrow for stage 2. I can't wait! 

Cheers. 

Woot! 

Doesn't that make you want to go ride? 

Riding sweet trails! 

Dave and I were super happy to see our good friends Mical and Reagan while in Cumberland. 

Hanging out at BaseCamp in Cumberland. 

David is preparing my bike at BaseCamp the night before the race. I chose the full suspension with a dropper post for this stage race as most trails are pretty rugged. The rear suspension is a back saver ;) 

Ocean ice bath while waiting for the ferry. 

I think ferries are cool. 

I should drink more beer

Chugging a beer when you are out of breath at the finish of an hour long race is hard. But that's exactly what you have to do to win the Blitz race in Bend, OR. Your time doesn't stop until that beer is empty and there is big money on the line, so you better drink fast! 

That race takes place in Bend and it's on an invite-only basis. Only about 20 women and 20 men take part in the race. We start in a parking lot at the top of a trailhead and race all the way down to a golf course where a table with glasses of local Deschutes Brewery beer awaits you. Hundreds of people line up the golf course and the atmosphere is quite spectacular, especially considering that it all happens on a Wednesday night. 

Inside the main race, there are other competitions that are all worth 500$ to whoever wins them:

• The Hole Shot which is awarded to the first person to enter the single track after the start; 
• The Speed Trap goes to the fastest person passing on a stretch of pavement towards the end (they have a speed radar to calculate that); 
• The biggest jump goes to the person who gets the most air on the last jump on the golf course;
• The Arm Wrestling competition: Once the race is over, all the racers gather on a stage for an arm wrestling tournament. 

That being said, you have to pick your battles. I was going for the overall race and the hole shot. 

From the gun, you have to do a lap of the parking lot before entering the trail. I was in front of the pack and in great position to get the hole shot, until Joanna Peterson took an inside line to cut in front of me and get the hole shot!  I was quite surprised by that. I had seen that line, but didn't think it was super legit, so I went for the real entrance of the singletrack and she outsmarted me to take the first 500$ of the night. I got "enduroed". It won't happen again! We all had a good laugh about that afterwards!

Going for the hole shot!! Pic by: Steve Henrich 

"WHATTT!!!!" Jojo enduro-ing me! (Nice work Jojo!) Pic by: Steve Henrich

She then moved to the side and let me go in front of her as we entered the first pedalling section of the race. Katka and I quickly got a gap and went found a good system: every time the one leading messed up, the other one would take the lead so we kept the momentum going. It wasn't a planned strategy, but it worked out perfectly as we exchanged the lead a few times. The rest of the race kind of went like this: 

• Katka and I ride into people who are riding up the trails: "AHHHHH!!!"
• Teal catches up to us! "Yeah Teal!!"
• All three of us follow each other into the back-to-back drops section. BAM! "Ouch. Hit my suspension pretty hard. All good though!" 
• We accelerate in the pedalling section and eventually Teal lets us go. 
• Katka messes up. I go in front.
• I hit a pointy rock with my front tire and hear air coming out. I see a splash of Stans and the wheel finally seals. "Crap." I don't think I lost too much air, but then I kind of wash out a little bit in next few turns. "Gotta be careful Magh!" 
• I mess up, Katka goes in front. She messes up, I go in front. Repeat. 
• Suddenly a dog starts riding with us! "AHHH!!" He rides between us for at least a good minute! 
• Thinking to myself: "That trails so fun!" 
• "We are going too fast, I don't think I can drop Katerina." 
• Towards the end. Katerina yells : "I'm not sure if we are on the good trail anymore!" 
• Me: "No we're good! I see some orange markings on the trees!" 
• Little do I know, she is laughing to herself... I later learned that orange paint on trees had nothing to do with course marking. It was for logging purposes. Anyway, we were on the good trail! 
• Exit the trail and hit the pavement. Me: "Let's team up for the speed trap! I'll lead you out!" 
• Katka: "Okay. I'll slingshot around you." 
• We get to the speed trap...
• ..... 
• .....
• Katerina: "Never mind, I'm spun out!" 
• Me: "Me too!"
• I lead on the pavement. "Hmm, I should probably not leave it to the chugging...Katerina must be good at that."
• Still leading on pavement.  "Well that's stupid Magh. No way I can attack if I'm already pulling." Katerina gets around me on the last steep hill. I follow. We jump.  
• "Okay, I'll just follow her and try to relax and calm my breathing before the chugging." 
• "Who knows, I might be good at chugging beer!" Lets relax. Deep breaths. 
• Katka gets off her bike. I get off my bike. We start drinking. One sip: "Oh CRAP! I'm already out of breath. Come on come on hurry up Magh. Just chug it." 
• Looks a Katerina. She's already halfway done. I drank one sip. 
• She pauses to laugh at me. 
• "Come on come on Magh." "ooohh it's coming up my nose"  
• Katerina is done. "Crap I still have half of it left." I finish. "Phewww finally! Now I feel like burping." 
• We hug! "This was the best event EVER!" 
• Katerina: "I knew all these years of drinking would pay off one day!" (By out-chugging me, she won the race and earned 3000$, while I won 2000$ for 2nd place. It was a 1000$ chug-off.) 

The Chug in images. From Steve Henrich. 

We then hung out to watch the other girls and the men come to the finish and exchange race stories. Later that night, there was an arm wrestling tournament, which brought a lot of excitement amongst the racer and the crowd. Geoff Kabush was pretty impressive and won ever single rounds to take the victory. He later said: "I don't understand. I still can't believe I won that!". Meanwhile, Katerina and I both were eliminated in our first rounds. 

All in all, that was one of the best Wednesday nights ever! The mountain community is so fun. That event was a mixe of cross-country, enduro and downhill riders but the chemistry and camaraderie among all of us was quite special. I felt extremely privileged to be there and enjoy this event and share good stories with all these people. 

I really hope to be back next year. Until then, I'll go practice my beer chugging and arm wrestling skills... 

Huge thank you to Erik Eastland and The Blitz crew for putting on such a great event and giving us this amazing opportunity. Also thank you to Ryan who hosted us for a week and Katerina for organizing everything. 

Until next time, Bend! 

Note to self:

Here are some cool places you enjoyed in Bend, Magh. Make sure you hit them up next year! 

• Ocean Roll: The famous local specialty pastry. It's a croissant dough rolled with sugar and cardamom. I got to taste it at the Blackporch coffee. 
• Mother's Juice: Good salads, sandwiches and juices. Great lunch spot. 
• Chow breakfast place: Healthy and delicious breakfast options. 
• Spork: Kind of a healthy and fancy fast food for dinner. You order at the counter amongst many options of rice bowls/salads (I had a Korean bowl with rice, bbq ribs, fried egg, kimchi and veggies) before choosing your table. 
• For my parents: Remember to tell my parents that they should visit Bend. It is beautiful with its many giant conifer trees and snowy mountain peaks in the background. There are many golf courses that mom would enjoy and a lot of amazing trails that dad would love. Downtown is cute with many cute shops and good food!  

Ocean roll. 

Troy and Geoff in the finals of the arm wrestling.