Parry Sound Round 2 XC.....MUD and RUTS!

Another HOT HOT HOT one at Parry Sound XC yesterday. Walked the moto track before the event and was pretty intimidated by some of the doubles and wasn't quite sure where we were popping in to the woods off of the moto track start. Let's talk start......HOLESHOT!!!!!!!!

Kept first place with a sizeable lead going into the woods where I held 4 th place for the first 2 laps and then saw 6th after completing my third and final lap.

Recap

This bike is a rocket off of the start...e-start and YOWZAAAA...kept the jumps to a minium and doubled the last jump before having to hit the binders to enter the forest...wasn't prepared for that. The "RIVER CROSSING" that was announced at the end of the rider's meeting was definitely in the back of my mind and i actually let off the pace to get one of my Vet B guys to show me the way but didn't need to wait long as the first super slick double downhill section had us caught up the Novice group in front of us. Bikes already strewn all over the place and I was SO SO close to running over a down bike or rider on that first decent. Each pass after that was bike free and a blast to hammer down from there.

River crossing came and went...deepest crossing I've done...check. Cue mud bogs and slippery trail EVERYWHERE?!?!?!?!? Rode most of the first lap in map 1 and changed to Map 2 as soon as I could and what a difference. Completed the first lap and saw I was 4th....confirmed.....Vet B men are uber skilled and talented field this year.

I now mentally prepared myself for the Downhill section....fun and fast....Mud bogs....tractored through...and now all of the climbs and base of climbs were becoming deeply rutted and MUDDY. This is where it got real.

At the end of a grass GP track there were a couple "marshalls" volunteers motioning to slow down...rider in front of me slowed right down and I followed suit. I came to see a bunch of people around a fallen rider who was receiving Chest Compressions...SHIT.....I almost stopped the race right there......He was a silver haired fellow who I later found out was a Vet C rider by the name of Jeff Golden. Rest in Peace Jeff. I recall seeing this guy walk the pits before the event and noted he was an older fellow. Apparently it was a heart attack and he was a true enthusiast who may have left this dimension the way he wanted...doing what he loved. It F'ed with me mentally for the remainder of that lap and it was on my mind intermittently for the remaining 2 laps I finished.

Conditions were degrading REALLY quickly on the third lap. The last section was an especially griding battle with bike eating ruts that stopped you and bike in your tracks. Did I mention it was HOT AS HELL TOO???? So, all things considered, I pulled over after crossing the line at the third lap and I believe Blair Sharpless himself rode over to me to chat to ensure I was doing all right. Decided, it wasn't my kind of conditions...I'm definitely not a mud rider and don't really enjoy slipping around and getting stuck on hills with riders strewn all about. Told Blair it was time for me to pull the pin but an experience nonetheless.

Placing...8th with only 3 laps. 7th place got 4 laps and the leaders managed 5 laps. Good for them. Looking forward to Anthill which is flat and fast...my kind a rrrrrrRACING!

Plan - FREE FLOW XC HOMEFIELD ADVANTAGE - in effect

Was a little harder get act together to get out to Free Flow this afternoon. Gathering with friends a.k.a beeeeeeers......managed to escape to get one last ride before the weekend. A great ride. Video tells it all:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2GCdnuS7yE&t=187s

One week from XC race #2 in Parry Sound....seat time NEEDED....ACHEIVED!

I managed to get out to an area that is about an hour away from me, Limerick Forest, to get that much needed 2 hours of riding that will reassure me that we are good to go for next weekend. Some magic happened....I got there and had the forest all to myself for the majority of my ride. The second "magical" componenet was drinking a Red Bull before the ride and the FINAL "Magical" component was deciding to listen to music during a a ride...game changer.....This will be my new approach when I am out riding solo from now ON!

Was going to pack it in after about an hour and half then bumped into a guy who was new to the Rick and gave him a bit of tour. Pass it on I say...have had the opportunity to ride these trails with others who showed ME the way. Always have time for a newbie to the "Rick". A little video of the loop I was looping over and over and over :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1lH7Z5XF-Y

Wednesday Post Work Ride at Free Flow

Been keeping a close ear to the ground as to when the XC trails would open at Free Flow moto and XC park. This past Wednesday I managed to get out after work and get the first loops of the first half of the XC trails. The other half is apparently off limits due to some ditches that were dug for some fiber optic cable..may be a while since they open.

Bought the full access pass for this place in anticipation I would be riding regularly to prepare for this season...mother nature has had some other agenda. Grateful that I still have the opportunity to ride about 5-6 km of the trail whenever I can get out there. Work has been super busy and life with family also has limited any "free time" to ride. Next week is really a write off and probably won't get out until the 16th. That's NUTS?!?!?!?!

Bike is still running well and just noticed that my first crash at the minipine took it's toll on my left foot peg along with the radiator mounts and plastics....it actually DENTED in the front of the peg...GOPRO definitely didn't capture the impact to justice.

So...plan is to get some Mt. Bike crosstraining and the one activity that I dread and doing my best to pretend I enjoy...running....now...if only beer drinking helped fitness....

Catch up entries....minimal....but entries nonetheless

So it's CANADA DAY!!

LAST weekend's XC event was rescheduled due to trail conditions so I brought both bikes up to get a couple rides in. First one was with the POPS for about 45 min-1hr just meandering around a little loop of grass track and a bit of trail. Nothing too tangible. Luckily, I met up with a local land owner who has a pretty technical and challenging XC loop. TS and I connected for one loop of about 12 k. Had a bit of a "get off" the last km which made me realize...HEY...I haven't eaten anything since breakfast and it's nearing 2 pm. Another mistake.....I borught the enduro fanny pack vs camel back and was probably pretty dehydrated. Thanked TS for the ride and headed back to recoup and EAT and DRINK!

Then...the next week was a blur...last minute work trip out East did not help the health in ANY way. Nothing in the way of cardio happened throughout the week so this morning, WOAD session it had to be. Strapped on the Garmin watch and got my neighbourhood run in through some muggy and wet conditions. Still sweating as I type this out. No riding this weekend either UNLESS....we get home in a reasonable amount of time Monday and get a ride in at a nearby track. Think it's time to activate that FREEFLOW all access track pass. 20 hrs on the Husky and still blown away at how amazing this ride is! 3 MORE WEEKS UNTIL PARRY SOUND XC!!!!!!!!!!!

Notable training post

Cottage weekend came and gone. Brought both bikes up to get some ride time in between putting in the steps, platform and section of dock. Managed to "hydrate" along the way as well. Found some pretty sweet trail that can provide legitimate loops for weekend training. It was super hot....so hot, I couldn't trust my high pressure rad cap readings....pulled the pin earlier just to ensure I wasn't overheating but all seemed good in the end.

My 70 year old father got about 45 minutes of riding some perfect grass track with some elevation and a little dive into some dirt double track. The gas in the 144 is definitely not getting burned fast enough...may have to drain it and start fresh.

Here's the interesting piece. I hopped on the 144 for novelty to take a lap. FIrst....holy SHIT it's LOUD and second...I can't believe how much I have to turn the throttle in comparison to the TX. Looking forward to getting the 144 on a moto track to really rrrrring it out!

Local area, Free Flow XC and moto cancelled/rescheduled this weekend's event so...looks like I'll load the bikes up and bring them to the cottage once again. Coordinated a ride with a local there who owns a significant amt of land with a pretty decent XC loop. Plan is to get the POPs all tired out with a few loops and then meet up with this guy. Should be a good one. No more events until middle of next month?!?!?!?!?!? Looking foward to Parry Sound XC. Heard it has a little bit of everything!!

RJ's XC race Vet B 4th place!!!

Time to recap first of 7 XC events for 2017. Other than the "little letdown" of seeing the scoring tent record me at 3rd place when in actual fact....I came in 4th.....pretty fair day on the bike!

Headed up to Barrie the night before to minimize the drive fatigue associated with trying to get there the morning of. Stayed in the NO FRILLS Super 8 with my support guy a.k.a Pops and kept it low key. Morning of, got to RJ's facility around 7:30 to ensure I had LOADS of time to just get ready for the event. Registered and walked the first portion of the track right up to the entrance of the single track. My strategy after watching pretty much ALL you tube clips from the 2016 event was to get a good start to ensure I got in the woods in front of as many of these cats as I could. Start was successful...hit first corner in third place and thought I held this position right until the end?!?!?! Apparently there was another rider who had not been enterred into the system who bumped all of us one place. Bit of a let down at the end thinking I was stepping on the platform but....let's recap and not harp on the unfixable.

Right of the getgo, I followed a guy in the WRONG line and got a faceful of Mud blocking my left vision on my goggle....luckily the heat and dust over time seemed to rectify it. The race was pretty uneventful....I told myself NO CRASHES and did take my sweet time in the tight and twisty and behaved on the moto track.

This TX......don't know what else to say but this is magical. Suspension was dialed. Power then when needed and man on man does it chug. I did stall it on one of the steepest decents but meh....push the button and go time again.

I was pretty happy to see the checkers and did have some moments where I believe it was unsafe for me to still be on the bike on the last 1/4 of final lap. Mentally losing focus and was getting sloppy but all in all a great start to the first of 7 events for this season. NExt one in Parry SOund. Oh...just a 4.5 hr drive to get there but...it will be worth it to battle it out with a few faces and names I now know who I need to ensure I keep in front of ;) Another COors light is beckoning......

UPDATE.....Bryan Kwalchuk is a strong and proven Podium finisher in the Vet B class and he happened to have his GoPro on(i forgot mine) and appears he was right on MY ASS for most of the first lap!!!!!!!! He captured some GREAT footage until he passed me at minute 22 of this footage. THis is where the scoring gets odd...I saw 3rd place EVERY time I crossed the start finish. Bryan apparently crashed on the final lap and I ended up 4th even though the board kept telling me 3rd right up until the end. Sounds like I'll need to get the POPS to keep tabs at the line next event. Regarless......This confirms the competition will be fierce and looking forward to EACH AND EVERY MOMENT!!!!!!