Day 7: Whistler

by Diana

Here we are, finally, at the cusp of finishing this 7-day race! Squamish was a ton of fun, but the 53 km., technical course left me tired and hurting somewhat from a fall on my right side. As the race started, I was excited to finish, but somehow knew the 26-kilometre course would feel long. Little did I know!

Joanna and I had both ridden the course before, so knew what to expect – a relatively mellow start up a logging road, then up one side and down the other of Cheakamus Creek. From there, an uphill traverse and short, but steep logging road to Tunnel Vision, a fun downhill back to Whistler Village. Some road, up a technical trail, then down through some roots and rolls to the finish line.

The congested start let up on the logging road, but soon reverted to log-jams as the tired riders balked at relatively easy up-hills or bridges. The steep logging road stymied everyone but my Joanna, who earned applause as she was the only rider to stay on her bike up the entire road. I was keen to get moving down Tunnel Vision, a ride I had loved on the training run. Unfortunately, my sore ribs had me riding very cautiously and what should have been a relatively easy roll down some rocks ended with me splayed across the trail, landing on my sore ribs, with my front brake lever snapped off.

I started my retreat back up to the logging road, where I thought help might be found. A bike patroller intercepted us, though, and gave me my options – go back to the logging road and get a ride to the bottom, forfeiting my chance at a finish of the BC Bike Race, or rely on my rear brakes to get me down the 2 kilometers to the Aid Station, where the Shimano techs could help me out. There was no way I was giving up now, with less than 10 kms. of this 300 km ride remaining!

Joanna led on, and I gingerly made my way down the course, cursing my brakes as I walked down stuff I knew full well I could easily ride. A little later, Joanna revealed that her rear brakes were not working, getting worse as the ride went on. We were both pretty keen to see that Aid Station!

The Shimano techs were clear – neither of these bikes would make it to the finish line. My brakes were irreparable and part of Joanna’s frame was cracked. They quickly whisked out a couple of loaner Rocky Mountain bikes, switched pedals and sent us on our way.  Not before I stopped at the Medic tent, though, and swallowed a hand full of pain killers.

Off we went, with just one uphill and a downhill run between us and the finish line. Joanna gave me regular updates: “Just 4 kilometers to go, Mom.” “Just one kilometre left of uphill and we’re home free.” I could practically taste the finish line! Unused to the loaner bike, Joanna slipped on a rock, badly twisting her ankle with just 3.5 kms. to go. True to her nature, she wiped away the tears, grit her teeth and told the medic, “Just give me some drugs and let me ride!”

At this point, we could hear the cheering at the finish line. We manoeuvered the rooty downhill, landing on the final, off-camber rocky section leading to the trail home. I could hardly believe we were done, but yes, there was the finish line! There were Don, Karen and Dave cheering us on! We raised our arms, crossing the line (about an hour later than expected) with hands locked, huge smiles on our faces. Volunteers placed the coveted BC Bike Race belt buckle over our necks, amid smiles, hugs, tears and hoots of excitement. Our dear friends Peter and Anne, Mickey and the unexpected appearance of Kia made for an amazing reception committee.

We did it! What a week, what an experience! Now for the celebrating!

Day 6: Squamish

by Joanna

Squamish is the last long day of the BC Bike Race, rated a favourite in past years. We were excited to get started! The 20 K to the first Aid Station were easy, breezy, flowy and fun. It was beautiful riding along and up perfectly crafted trails. It would have been even more fun without the log-jam of riders and slow train up Fifty Shades of Green, but on day 6, people were slowing down. Somewhere along the way I noticed some crazy Rastafarians on the side of the trail, urging me on. Hearing my name, I turned back to see Mom’s friends, Don, Karen and David, jamming out. (I knew they looked familiar!)

After a pit stop at the Aid Station, we had a long climb on logging roads. I knew the best downhill of the week was coming – Half Nelson – so I was eager to push on. Mom didn’t quite have the energy I did, but was happily peddling along at talking pace with our new buddies, Shea and Dave. Half Nelson and Pseudo Tsuga were a blast (as expected)! In a flash, we were at the 2^nd Aid Station. Ahead of us, we had a few punchy climbs into some of the more technical trails of the week – Powerhouse Plunge and Hoods in the Woods.

Everything was rideable, but after nearly a week of hard riding, the powerful Plunge took Mom down. I heard a gasp from behind and slowed to confirm its’ source. I dropped my bike and ran back, holding Mom in my arms as she struggled to catch her breath, and assuring her it would be okay, in a bit of role reversal. With some water and a few Shot Blocks, she was back on her bike like a champ, despite sore ribs, for the final 10 K of the day.

I had ridden the route before, but had forgotten what was left, thinking we were home free. Although not difficult, the final 7 K of single-track seemed to take an eternity. I said, “Almost there!” so many times Mom stopped believing me. We made it to the finish line in just over 5 ½ hours. Despite the slow finish, I declared Squamish my favourite day of the week, and was pretty pumped on our ride. Mom was feeling pretty sore and drained. But we were both happy to take advantage of the higher-end Base Camp that we returned to in Squamish. We feasted on some wood-fired pizza and soaked in the hot tub and pools at the aquatic centre, preparing for our final day – Whistler. 

Day 5: Fun and Fast!

by Joanna

Day 5 brought us back onto my home trails in North Vancouver, and it felt awesome! I had ridden the course several times, and Mom also had the opportunity to ride it twice when she was in town for her training visit. The trickiness of day 5 was that, while it was short (15km), it was likely more technical than most racers are used to. We felt excited going into today knowing that we could handle the course, and knowing that it would be fast! (Training times were around the 2:20 mark.)

When we got to the park (after sleeping in beds last night!)  I realized I had forgotten my bike shoes at home. Nooo!! Thank goodness my boyfriend (hero) Kia came to the rescue and dropped them off about 15 minutes before race start. And while waiting, I was distracted with nearly the whole lululemon strategy team coming out to cheer us on. They even had signs that said, “Go Jo Mamma!”. It was so great to see them, and have them rooting for us at the start line.

We seeded ourselves at the front of our blue corral, knowing we would want to get ahead of some riders that wouldn’t have experience with the trails. We agreed we would get a quick start and peddle hard up the first 3.5km climb. And that’s exactly what we did. The race started us in waves today – 5 riders every 15 seconds. We teamed up with three other riders we had ridden with on other days. Mom was fast off the start line and led the pack! When we got to Old Buck, there was a steady stream of climbers. The pace was good, so we slipped in line and peddle, peddle, peddled. Then the fun started! Pingu was the first downhill. It’s a quick one, but a fun one. Then we rode up a double track (past some cheering penguins) and up a downtrail until we had to get off for a 10 minute hike-a-bike. More down for the next 30 minutes or so, and into the techy-part. Despite having ridden the route clean on my own, the adrenaline, other riders hopping off bikes, and wetness of the trail made this my toughest go at it. I came off the bike a couple of times, once landing thigh to rock (icing that as I type). I managed to break my shoe too, but rode down the rest of the way and sped along the road to the aid station where we would pull out our trusty duct tape. Our team work was strong today – we were communicating lots on the trail, and of course worked together to tape my shoe back together. After a reasonably quick pit stop at the aid station, we peeled off and came upon the lululemon cheer squad minutes later. They were cheering like mad and even gave us a bit of help getting up the hill. We declined the beer that was offered though!

The next section of the trail had us traversing to an awesome climb, Good Sir Martin. I felt super strong climbing the familiar trail, and mom wasn’t far behind. After a quick check-in at the top, we were off on the final decent, John Deer. My Opa (Mom’s Dad) had a John Deer tractor when I was a kid, and they always remind me of him, so we did this trail for Opa, which had me almost emotional as we took off. I think he would have been proud. This section of the trail was a timed downhill, and it was exhilarating! We came through the finish line at a time of 2:08, and when I told Mom the time, the smile on her face was as big as ever. It also put us on the podium in third place for the second time this week, which we must admit, is pretty fun.

Day 4: Sechelt to Langdale

by Joanna

Day 4 was another long one, thanks partially to a silly fall I had just 2k off the start line. It was a “rolling start”, since the first few km’s were down a hill with several turns on the paved road. With the strange start I wasn’t exactly sure when to start my Garmin to track the course, so when a patroller approached to my left, I turned to ask if the race had started. As I turned my head, I unknowingly drifted right and my wheel hit Mom’s back wheel…and I lost it. I completely slid out on the pavement. The road rash was the least of my concerns. I just wanted to get moving again. But the patrollers (rightly) bandaged me up. What was worse than hurting myself though, I hurt my bike. My derailleur was damaged, and I couldn’t shift properly. We tried to straighten it out, but couldn’t fix the issue, so I rode the first 20km to the aid station jumping gears. I managed, and sped ahead of Mom for the last 3km to get to the Shimano mechanic tent at aid station 1. For the second time on this race, they saved my butt. They managed to fix it up so that it was riding fairly well for the rest of the day. At the end of the day my Scott Genius will go to the guys at Obsession Bikes for a new derailleur casing and cable. These guys are working literally all night to undo all the damage we do during the day. We’re so grateful to have James and the team looking after us.

Aside from that little blunder, the trails were fun today! Lots of climbing but beautiful single track. After losing time, I was interested in pushing things a bit, hoping not to be on the bike for as long as yesterday. But after the chat with my teammate yesterday, I was conscious of sticking to “ride” pace versus “race” pace. We took our time at aid stations and ate and drank lots, finishing the 52km and 1500m of climbing in 5 hrs 48 minutes. Mom had a blast of a day, while it was a bit of a lower key one for me. I must admit though the final 12km of downhill coming into the ferry terminal at Langdale was pretty thrilling riding. Both Mom and I agree we would love to go back and ride the Sunshine Coast again!

Day 4 was the first day that I really felt drained. I came across the finish line feeling exhausted. Thankfully, it was just a short ferry ride back to Vancouver. Home!! We had planned to camp during the whole race, but with Mom not sleeping all that well in the tent, and less than ideal weather for much of the week, a real bed sounded like heaven. Kia picked us up at Base Camp in North Van, and seeing him definitely perked me up! It was so nice to be home and have both Don and Kia with us for support.

Day 4 means we’re over the hump - 3 more days to go!

Day 3: Gettin’ ‘er Done

by Diana

Joanna and I were lucky enough to score a sea-plane ride from Powell River to Earl’s Cove, the start of Day 3. The clouds cleared shortly before take-off, so we had gorgeous views of the Sunshine Coast and its many islands. By race-time, though, the rain had started again.

We met the other riders at the ferry terminal and rode the 58 kms over to Sechelt, our base camp that night. Day 3 felt like a mountain biking expedition, rather than a ride. Lots of logging roads and double-track, with a few, very short single track trails. There were some lovely moments – including my dear friend Deb Dovgala surprising us at the terminal. (Thanks, so much, Deb!!) Some of the views from high above the ocean were spectacular – one even stopping the racers to take pictures, which I had yet to see.

On the whole, though, it was a long slog. By the time we reached the long down-hill into Sechelt, we had ridden 5 hours, and I was bagged. Five hours of fun single-track is exciting, invigorating even. Five hours of dull climbing had drained me. Joanna embraced the downhill, calling out, “Let’s give ‘er, Mom!” I replied, “I’m not sure I have much more to give,” but Joanna was gone. Her North Shore experience set her up to shred the technical, muddy, rooty trail. I could find no flow, slipping in the large exposed roots, stepping off my bike frequently and sinking ankle-deep into the mud more than once.

Generally, Jo and I have been good at checking in with her other, waiting at intersections and riding as a team. I think Joanna had had enough of this long day, and wanted to get it over. Not seeing her along the way, I sunk deeper into a funk. (The fact that I had only gotten 3-4 hours sleep the previous two nights, amid my snoring camp-mates and the pounding rain, didn’t help.) By the time I saw her waiting, I was ready for a full-on melt-down. It wasn’t pretty.

Recovering somewhat, I finished the ride and we crossed the finish line a little over 6 hours in. We were greeted by lots of other long faces and comments of “Glad that’s over!”.  I think the organizers could easily lose this stage of the BCBR with no complaints!

I heard good things about Day 4 from Deb (who had supported her buddy Andrea Quinlan in the BCBR two years ago). “It’s just your kind of trail,” she said. “You’ll love it.” After a pretty demoralizing day, I headed to bed, looking forward to better rides ahead.

Day 2: Jo Mamma with a Podium Finish!

Powell River hosted day 2 of BCBR. The community really came out in full force. Despite our late ferry arrival last night (10:30pm) bell ringer and bag pipers were there to greet us. We walked to our ocean side camp ground felling like celebs.

The trail today was a walk in the park compared to yesterday, and what we're used to to riding in North Van and Rossland. We peddled through beautiful forest on loamy single track for most of the day. Residents again went all out. Riding past a beautiful waterfall on a fun uptrack, we were greeted by dozens of hula clad dancers hooting, hollering, and serving tropical punch. Later in the ride, a 1950s style diner sprang from the woods with costumed "staff". A fun new downhill, Death Rattle, livened up the second half of the ride.

Despite mom's insistance that she was "riding" not "racing", Jo managed to kick Mamma into competitive gear for the final stretch. With a good chunk of road to cover, Mom slipped into Joanna's draft and we gave 'er, coming into the final trails pedalling hard and fast. We were pleased with our time of 4hrs and 16 minutes to cover the 52km of this stage. We didn't know how pleased, however, until the stage awards kicked off. "And in the women's team category, 3rd place goes to Jo Mamma!" Diana discovered she kinda likes being in the podium. We may have ignited a competitor! As for how many teams are in the field, let's just say more than three ;).

We're eating like queens at the aid stations and in town. We feel very well taken care of by the BCBR team, and by the lululemon family. And our bikes are being well taken care of by Obsession Bikes each night.

Day 1: All the smiles and all mud

We're on our way! Day 1 in Cumberland brought 45km's and 1159m elevation in a finish time of 4hr 40mins.

We woke up to the rain so weren't surprised with all the mud and slippery roots en route. The excitement and laughs along the way more than made up for it. 

We seeded ourselves toward the back of the pack, estimating to finish in 5 hrs. The first 13k were climbing up a logging road, and then onto a quick single track climb and descent. To get past the pile-ups and slow moving crowd at the back of the pack, we barely stopped at the first aid station. A quick banana and PB&J and we peddled on. 

The following two thirds of the ride were much more free flowing, with some fun technical downhills, super fun pump flow, and more climbing, this time mostly on lovely switch back. We loved it all, except for a particularly muddy, rooty section that was chewed up beyond recognition of a trail. 600 riders can do that, I suppose. 

The final trail, crafty butcher, was mom's favourite, with the smooth rock bringing back memories of early day riding in the Gatineau Hills, near Ottawa. 

Mom had to mention pacing several times, as we discovered Joanna definitely has a "race face" (surprise, surprise). 

Both we and our bikes were coated in mud by the time we came across the finish line. The mud treatment is an added service to the BCBR this year! Our finish time today will seed us in the blue group for the rest of the race, just ahead of the last group. Were not last! 

We're now off to Powell River, home for the next two nights. The forecast is calling for more rain. Lots of it. Not ideal, but I'm sure we'll make the best of it, just like we did today.

Day 0: Anticipation

We're tucked into our tent amid hundreds of others in an epic tent city. We've just spent the day traveling from North Vancouver to Cumberland. After our "bike camp pep rally" where we learned the rules of the game, we were off for a gorgeous ferry crossing. Fingers crossed today's weather holds, but the forecast is not promising.

Anticipation expressed in many different ways and languages fills the air. We've met people from New Zealand to Austria to those in our backyards. Everyone is here for different reasons, with different goals, and different challenges. But everyone seems to be here for a one of a kind adventure. The camradiarie is already building: our neighbours offer help with phone chargers, air mattress pumps, advice and laughs.

Dinner was local, fresh and delicious. After yoga thanks to lululemon we're feeling relaxed and ready for a good sleep.

As Ready as I'll Ever Be

by Joanna

I'm sitting here at home diligently reviewing my packing list. I've done this more times than I can remember. But since I'm "tapering", that's about all that's left to do. Mom is due any minute, driving in from Rossland. 2 more sleeps. 2 MORE SLEEPS!

Countless hours on the bike - both mountain and road, solo and with friends - endless spin classes, PowerFit classes, playlists, yoga, meditation, energy bars, chiro treatments, massages, pep talks... They're all under my belt. And I feel...calm. Shockingly! I feel at ease with what I've done and optimistic about what's ahead. The declaration 'Balanced in greatness' came to me through goal coaching and has been something that has guided my training. I knew that with my goal of completing the BC Bike Race I was pushing for something big, something great, but I also knew all that any of this would be for is: happiness...Joy...Connecting...And growing. With that in mind, I've focused on embracing balance through the lead up to the BCBR. Attempting not to sacrifice relationships, adventures, opportunities, work and most importantly, my sanity, as I work toward this thing of greatness. I haven't always been successful in this attempt and there have no doubt been ups and downs (see: any previous post!), and yet here I am - and I feel fit, I feel happy, and I feel balanced.

I can't wait to see what's ahead. 7 days of riding bikes, experiencing parts of this great province we've never seen, meeting new people, and strengthening my bond with my amazing mom.

Mom, your commitment to this journey (ahem, once we got there) has been inspiring. I could not be more proud of you, or more excited to share this experience with you. Now let's go make some memories!

---

Diana and I will be blogging throughout our ride. Follow along for a day-by-day play of the literal and figurative ups and downs. Thanks for reading and for all the virtual support we've received :)

The Countdown - 10 days to Go!

by Diana

Almost at $2000 towards my $5000 fundraising goal! Thanks all you wonderful, generous supporters!!

Next week at this time, we will have dropped off our bikes, picked up our BC Bike Race roller bags and be doing the final packing for a week-long adventure. Do we feel confident or scared? Tired or full of excitement and energy? Answer: All of the above!

My final big training days are done. I’ve ridden very close to the heights and lengths of the longest BCBR days, tested out some of the stages, lifted thousands of pounds of weights, done hundreds of burpies, push-ups and umpteen other moves in the gym. I’m ready.

Well, I thought I was ready until Sunday’s ride, which felt like a real set-back. The hardest climb up Red Mountain in a long, long time. The heat and large lunch I ate did not help! On the way down - two falls! I’m afraid my new cleats were not releasing from the pedals as easily as they should have. New shoes, new cleats, re-built pedals. I thought I had given myself enough time to break them in. Not so sure now. No matter – yesterday’s flat ride, in which I clipped in and released at least 500 times should help! And besides, there are always my old stand-by shoes. They have taken me over many, many kilometers and ground up countless climbs. The old faithfuls are definitely coming along! True, the soles were ripped almost in half two years ago, but the Shoe Goo is holding remarkably well!

Am I nervous? Undoubtedly. Do I think I could have trained harder? Probably. But I’ve done as much as I reasonably could. My body is as ready as it can be. My bike is ready – new tires, new brake pads, re-built pedals, brake and shifting cables adjusted. Thanks to my two awesome local bike shops, Gerrick’s and Revolution! My clothes are ready – great lululemon riding kits, a new rain jacket, new shoes, even new riding socks! Am I mentally ready? I think so, but I’ve never done anything like this before. Time will tell.

Now it’s rest time. A few light spins, lots of sleep and more eating. Get the body well rested and strong for a week of punishment. Hope the tent en route is quiet and comfy, and that sleep comes easily; hope my nervous stomach doesn’t get the better of me. Do yoga and breathe deeply. Think about how much fun this is going to be! A week on my bike amid the most beautiful scenery imaginable, beside my best sports buddy, Joanna. BCBR, bring it on! 

A Reflection on Challenges

by Diana

The BC Bike Race is by far the most challenging physical feat I have ever attempted. Ten years ago, I faced a very different and way more serious challenge – breast cancer. I used humour and as much physical activity as I could handle to get through surgery, chemo-therapy, radiation and hormonal treatment. Clearly, mine is a success story.  Upon diagnosis, my goal was to get in the best shape I could to handle the treatment ahead. A friend of mine, Marjorie Vendrig, was training for a triathlon. She suggested that I join her, for as much as I could do. So, just about every day, I got out for varying lengths of activity: a run, a swim or a bike ride. Three weeks after finishing chemotherapy, I completed my first, ‘try-a-tri’, a mini- triathlon.

Even better, I found I had very few side-effects from the chemo. My energy was good and I only threw up once the whole time. Digging into the research, I learned that exercise is a proven way to reduce the side-effects of chemo. I’ve been preaching that message to my affected friends ever since.

In addition to limiting the side effects of treatment, physical activity is an important element in cancer prevention. This race may be taking it a bit far (!!), but since I am committed to doing it, I would like to make it far more than simply a personal sports goal. I’d like to combine it with that other passion of mine – cancer prevention. There is so much we can do to prevent cancer, and so little focus on the prevention side – still!

I am raising money for Prevent Cancer Now, a national non-profit focused entirely on cancer prevention, for which I have volunteered for years. My goal is to raise $5000 - that’s fifty cents per metre of climbing. I hate to even think how few pennies that amounts to per hour of training! Not too lofty a goal, I don’t think, for the momentous and valuable task of preventing our loved ones from getting cancer.

Prevent Cancer Now will devote the funds to its ongoing communications and advocacy work, and original research into the damaging effects of 2-chloropyridine, a persistent, toxic chemical that comes when neonicotinoids (the “bee-killing” pesticides) break down in the environment.

I try to remind myself every single day of how fortunate I am. My sister, Dagmar, and a number of my friends were not so fortunate and have passed away. No doubt, you have family and friends that have followed journeys with cancer, hopefully with happy endings, but perhaps not.

So please support my efforts, and support cancer prevention.

• For a tax receipt, please donate via the Hills of Erin Cancer Prevention Foundation, here: https://www.canadahelps.org/dn/8206. Click on the “General Fund” window, and switch to BC Bike Race Cancer Prevention Challenge)
• To donate directly to Prevent Cancer Now’s advocacy work (which is not eligible for a tax receipt), please donate via this secure website: https://2mev.com/prevent-cancer-now/pledge/457/ or send your cheque to Prevent Cancer Now, P.O. Box 23057 Springbank, Woodstock, Ontario  N4T 1R0.

Thanks so much for your generous support!

It's Crunch Time for Jo Mamma!

by Joanna

We have a team name, we have race kits, and we have... less than 3 weeks to go!

It's hard to believe that in less than 3 weeks team Jo Mamma will take off to conquer the longest single track mountain bike race in the world!!! To say we are excited is an understatement. This feat that we've been thinking about for more than a year now feels real; especially while training in our matchy-matchy, super cute lululemon cycling kits. If nothing else, we will 100% look the part.

Mom is visiting Vancouver this week, so we're in full on training mode. We've ridden the North Shore stage (with relative ease) and will ride it again tonight followed by the Whistler stage tomorrow and the Squamish stage on Sunday. It's a mini-training camp that will (hopefully) have us feeling ready to go by July 6th.

Overall, I'm feeling good. I've rebuilt my confidence over the past couple of weeks and have been riding well. Last weekend, I had a blast on a 45km Squamish ride with fellow lemons, Rowan, who is also riding the BCBR, and Mattie. The best part? I woke up with zero soreness or muscle fatigue, and felt ready to ride again the next day. Doing that for 7 days will certainly be more of a challenge, but I have confidence that my body can do this. I'm struggling a bit with residual pain from my fractured tailbone in December, but am seeing my chiropractor twice weekly for cold laser therapy and icing lots in the hopes that I'll start the race pain-free (and ideally finish that way too).

A couple of special thank you's to send out... One to the lovely Tanya Moryoussef, who can always be counted on for her whit, for coming up with our team name! We laugh every time we think about 'Jo Mamma' being called out on the stages. And to the rad Matt Simms for hooking us up with lulu kits, not to mention his helpful tips as a BCBR alum.

Oh Sweet Recovery Days!

by Diana

With less than a month away, I’m happy to report that training is going really well. Following the training schedule on the BC Bike Race website, I have just finished the peak training week – riding over 18 hours, including two 5-hour rides with climbs of over 1500 metres each. The really good news is that I am still smiling and not hurting too badly after these mega-rides! But, yes, my eyes do light up when I see the words “recovery day” on the schedule! No riding, just gentle yoga, and drinking and eating lots.

Recovery techniques are definitely helping. I’ve been reading a training book specific to endurance athletes and following as much of the “normal” advice as possible. So, no, I’m not looking into acupuncture or stem-cell injections to rejuvenate my muscles – yet. 
The usual advice about nutrition, sleep and icing injured or sore muscles seems pretty good. I’ve been trying to do some yoga every day and taking contrast showers. (After showering, turn the water to full-on cold for 30 seconds, then back to warm for a minute. Repeat twice. It really does make you feel alive!)

After a particularly hard ride last week, I thought I could benefit from an ice bath. I had heard of everyone from elite tennis players to local marathoners using them, so decided to give it a go. The ride involved a long climb at the beginning and another one at the end. My legs were quivering as I walked into my house. To the freezer, then the bathroom. The process went something like this:

1. Fill tub with cold water. Add ice from the three trays in my freezer.
2. Step into tub to submerse my legs. No, stop – turn on the heat in the house, first. Then submerse body. (Ooooh, that’s cold!!)
3. Breathe. Breathe deeply. In, out, in…Damn! Forgot that cup of hot tea my friend suggested. It’s okay. I’ll be fine, just fine.
4. Try to remember instructions. How long was I supposed to stay in this torture chamber? 5 minutes? 10? I’ll try for 15. That should be more than enough.
5. Grab book by the side of the tub. Distraction is good.
6. 12 minutes. Okay, that’s gotta be good enough. Emerge from tub. Rub red legs vigorously with towel.
7. Head for the hot shower. Oh wait. What did the instructions say? Flip quickly through training book. Right. No hot shower, “let your legs warm naturally”. Would running up and down the stairs count as ‘natural’? 

Once I finally warmed up again, it did feel good. And, I was ready to ride the next morning. Excellent! It really is a wonder that I still look forward to my rides. They tend to be social affairs, usually with 2 or 3 groups of friends back-to-back. Most still answer my calls or texts. Am I slightly obsessive about this? Probably. But at least I have a good feeling now that I’m actually going to enjoy this journey with Joanna!

Crashes, Cracks, and Bumps in the Training Road

by Joanna

The last time we posted, we were coming off a solid training week in Rossland and I was feeling awesome! Coming back to Vancouver, I was riding Seymour often, and feeling super confident on the BCBR North Shore stage. Riding buddies started commenting on my performance too. And perhaps I let my confidence surpass my ability once or twice... it was time for a check.

Highs and lows are true in all aspects of life, and certainly in sport, but I've never experienced them as intensely and frequently as in mountain biking.

Low #1: the crash

Coming off some R&R (and maybe one too many Margaritas) with friends in Scottsdale, Arizona, I was back on the trails last Wednesday. The ride was going fairly well, but somewhere near the end coming down 'Severed D', I went over the handlebars while mishandling a drop. I've had many falls off the bike, but I've never done a header over the handlebars. In some ways, it felt like a rite of passage as a mountain biker, but one that doesn’t need to happen again! I came out dirty, bloody, and bruised, not to mention fairly dazed and thankful for my helmet. But I was in one piece.

Low #2: the crack
With a flat tire on my bike and after the impact it had taken, it felt like time to take it in to see the doc (aka Lou) at Obsession Bikes for what I thought would be a routine tune up. That is, until I was informed that I'd cracked my frame. My beautiful, brand new, carbon frame. The chain stay was cracked 3/4 of the way through. I immediately knew when it had happened - on a tumble I had taken into rocks on the Columbia River trail near Rossland. We'd checked out my bike then, and noticed only scratches. I felt terrible for not noticing the crack sooner, and for continuing to ride hard, which likely made things worse. The silver lining in my more recent crash became clear - it led me to take the bike in before the crack got any worse. And thankfully Obsession is able to fix it up to be better than new.

Without a bike this week, the guys at Obsession graciously offered to take me out on their Tuesday night ride and set me up on a bike. Getting back on the bike after my crash, on a new bike, with an exceptionally strong crew, on trails I'd never ridden was a serious challenge. I was not riding well, and although my body was healing, my ego felt injured. I am grateful to James who recognized the skill gap and got me back to the trucks safely. Nonetheless, I got home feeling discouraged. A few chats with colleagues today had me feeling better and eager to get back on track. "What had I learned?" was the question they asked. And here it is:

1. Mental toughness will be just as important as physical toughness (if not more) on this race. This past week provided some serious training in mental toughness!

2. Confidence-building rides are key. After a crash, stick to an easy ride to boost the confidence back up. (I'm looking forward to doing this as soon as I get my bike back!)
3. I'm surrounded by an amazing and supportive community for which I am extremely grateful.

And now I'm ready for a good ‘ol mtn bike high!

Eight Weeks Away! Gulp.

As team-mates, Joanna and Diana will be joined at the hip (well, maybe at the handlebars) for the 7 days of the BCBR. As such, we’ve decided to make this blog a joint effort as well. This edition is brought to you by Diana. We hope you enjoy it!


The BC Bike Race course for 2016 was announced this week. It’s still a grueling 300 kms, climbing over 10,000 metres. In an unexpected twist, though, the North Van leg has been reduced to only 15 kms, with a mere 857 metre elevation gain. Hmm. I’m sure this is some fiendish scheme to lull us riders into a false sense of security. Joanna is in Rossland this week so we can train together, but she will get right onto investigating the devilish deception this stage of the race presents upon her return home.

With spring, the winter cardio and strength-building phase of training has morphed into full-on bike time. Joanna’s spin time and Diana’s ski training have been replaced with road riding, and, increasingly, mountain biking. “Train in the sport you’re participating in,” they say. So the week went like this:

• Day 1 - Dodging rain and cold temperatures on road bikes, climbing to Nancy Greene Summit. Plus an evening strength class.
• Day 2 - Mountain biking alongside the beautiful Columbia River. Not much climbing, but a trail with its own technical bits and hazards, as Joanna’s sore knee can attest to.
• Day 3 - Starting at a fresh 6:40 in the morning, a 4-hr. ride up Red Mountain (yes, where we ski). Now, 4 hours on Strava (an app that measures how long you ride, how far you ride and how much you’ve climbed) means 4 hours of peddling. The clock stops when you do, so given the required rests here and there, a 4 hour ride usually takes about 5. We rode for close to 4 hours (just over 3 on the Strava), climbing over 1000 metres.
• Day 4, a “rest day” - an easy two-hour road ride
• Day 5 - another 4-hour mountain bike ride, 37 km and 1100+ metres of elevation gain.

I felt pretty good about our Day 3 ride, sure that we were starting to approach BCBR elevations, if not distances. Alas, climbs of less than a 1000 metres are a rarity in BCBR – just two of the seven days. A couple more are just over 1000, and three days require climbs of about 2000 metres or more. Our epic ride amounted to the same distance and elevation as the final, shorter day in Whistler. Sigh.

Okay, let’s take the optimistic view – we’re almost prepared for 4 of the 7 days, and we’ve got a whole 7 weeks left to train for the others. And while this challenge was not my idea (See BCBR: A Death Wish or a Bonding Opportunity?) today, I thanked Joanna for getting me involved in the BCBR. It’s been such fun riding with her! I’m seeing the fitness benefits already and know there are more to come. Yes, there will surely be sore muscles, bruises and tears, but I’m hoping once those tears of happiness start to flow at the end, the nastiness will fade into the background. Kind of like child-birth, you know?

Let me tell you 'bout my (second) best friend

by Joanna

When I think about being in the BC Bike Race and the fatigue and mental stamina it's going to require, I immediately feel so grateful that I'll have my mom there with me. She will be my rock, no question; and I am training hard with the goal of being hers. Doing this alongside her makes me so frickin' excited!!!

OK, now that I've covered numero uno, let me me tell you about my second best friend on this race: the beautiful piece of machinery that will be under me every day. Having ridden my new baby (yes, it's pretty much my baby...it even slept in my bedroom with me for the first few months) on the north shore, and on some of the same trails that we'll hit on day 5 of the race, I can report that I am SO happy with my big purchase. My friend Brad introduced me to James (the owner at Obsession Bikes) and that introduction most certainly changed how I'll perform (read: survive) on the course come July. James led the tech team at BCBR last year, and Brad worked alongside him. As it came time to purchase a new bike, I couldn't find a more qualified adviser if I tried! 

So, I knew I needed a new bike... and frankly, that's about all I knew. These machines are uber sophisticated, and I had a lot of decisions to make. Trail or XC? 27.5 or 29 inch wheels? Carbon or aluminum? How much travel front and back? What brand was best? The list goes on (and gets far more technical). I had demo'd a few bikes already, but still felt overwhelmed with the decision. Thankfully, James had all the time in the world to explain the nitty gritty of what I should be considering, and what they had that might fit. We chatted in the store, we chatted on the phone, and we chatted on bikes. After building a baseline level of knowledge, and narrowing the field to 3 bikes, it really came down to how each bike felt. I would have had a great ride on any of the bikes I was considering in the end, but the one I was most excited about, and most comfortable on, was the Scott Genius LT 700. And she is a beauty!

To geek out a bit on the details... it's an all-mountain trail bike, carbon frame, 160mm travel (front and rear) with 27.5" wheels. If you really want to geek out, there's a review here. To be honest, I didn't expect to buy a bike with this much travel, but I was amazed at how well it climbed, and fell in love with the cushy, cruisy feel on the downs. That, plus the "brain", the remote lockout that allows you to adjust the settings on your front and rear shock from your handle bars (which is totally unique to this bike), had me sold. 

Once she was mine, Shawn at Obsession sized me on the bike and made countless adjustments until it felt just right.

The result? Super fun rides with uphills that feel like I'm floating and downhills that make me feel invincible. 

Mega thanks to James, Shawn and everyone at Obsession. You guys rock! Which reminds me...I need to hit you up for more soft gear. See you soon :)

When the Butt Meets the Seat

by Joanna

The race is only 4 months away. It’s no longer some far off feat…it’s time for the rubber to meet the road, or in my case, for my butt to meet the seat.

I was out for my first ride of the year last weekend on Mt. Seymour. It had the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Among the good: My brand spankin’ new top of the line Scott Genius bike from Obsession Bikes!! (More about that next week.) My colleague Sian who got me out there (one of the best things about having lululemon sponsor me in this race is the amazing community that I have the support of… No shortage of riding buddies!) And the wind and rain on my face in those moments when everything just clicks.

The bad: Those moments when things just don’t click…literally. I’m new to clip-in pedals, and while I totally see the value in having them for this race, we’re not quite friends yet. I know it will just take more time in the seat, and look forward to the day when clipping in on the fly feels seamless.

The ugly: well that would be me, soaked by rain and covered in mud. Again, something I’ll get more than used to this spring (and truthfully, something I kind of revel in).

My big takeaway from the ride is that I still have a long way to go. With only two seasons of riding under my belt, I sometimes get that nagging voice in my head that says something along the lines of “who do you think you are, there’s no way you’re good enough to do this”. Luckily I recognize it’s nothing more than a little voice, and one that I can turn off at that.

Appreciatively, it drives me to work harder. My training has picked up significantly in the past couple of weeks. My tailbone (broken in December) is almost back to 100%, thank goodness. I signed up for an unlimited ride membership at Eastwood and have been spinning 4 times a week. I don’t know what I would do without that amazing place – They let me know it was my "spinniversary" last week and I’ve grown so attached to it over the past year. I love you Eastwood! I’m also weight training at Elite Performance with PowerFit twice a week, and again, I’m so grateful for their brilliant training and fitness knowledge. (Pst – come work out with me there, I coach Mondays at 6am!). Right now I’m focused on driving my overall fitness and getting leaner. Pretty soon the more intentional longer rides and trail rides will take priority.

The countdown is on!!

“The more difficult the victory, the greater the happiness in winning.” – Pele 

Mom's guest Post - "BCBR: A Death Wish or a Bonding Opportunity?"

by Diana

Have you ever had one of those conversations where you walk away with a totally different message than the other party? Joanna and I had one of those last year, apparently. Joanna told me of her ambition to someday do the BC Bike Race – a 7-day, 50-60 km a day ride, with elevation gains of between 1,000-2,000 meters a day. “Good for you,” I said, adding that I never had those sorts of athletic ambitions.

Don’t get me wrong – I love my sports! I’m out just about every day of the year skiing, riding, hiking or doing something else in the outdoors. I am definitely addicted to the rush I get after a particularly challenging bike ride or skate ski. I really like to feel I’m improving my fitness and strength, or at least maintaining it (at close to 60 years of age).

So, when Joanna excitedly called and told me that we were doing the BC Bike Race together, my reaction was somewhat underwhelming. The conversation went something like this, as I recall:

Joanna: “Mom, Mom! Lululemon is sponsoring me to do the BC Bike Race!”
Diana: “Wow, that’s amazing! Good for you.”
Joanna: “Good for US, Mom. We’re doing it together.”
Diana: “Together? I’m doing the BC Bike Race?”
Joanna: “Yes. My goal was to do the Race ‘alongside my mom’.”
Diana: “Oh.” (long pause)
Joanna: “You don’t sound very excited.”
Diana: “Um, well, I never said it was my goal, did I?”
Joanna: “Ya, ya. You remember that conversation we had a few months ago?”
Diana: “The one where I said it wasn’t really my ambition?”
Joanna: “Well, I remember you were quite excited about the prospect.”
Diana: “Oh. Ya, well maybe I can get excited. It really is something!” (said with half-hearted enthusiasm)

Hanging up the phone, I fell into total shock. The BC Bike Race – that’s something for really hard-core riders! I know people who have done it, and can only sit back in awe of them. Was I going to be one of those people? It seemed pretty far-fetched, impossible, in fact. I’m in decent shape, but not BC-Bike-Race-shape!

I told a few close friends what was up. The reaction ranged from, “Is your daughter trying to kill you?”,to “What, is this pay-back time for all the nasty things you did to her as a child?” to “Wow, that’s awesome that your daughter wants to do this with you.” My thoughts ranged between the two extremes.

Of course, I didn’t have to do this. I could ride along-side her on the final leg, maybe, or as part of her support team, perhaps. That would count wouldn’t it? But then, the nagging thought crept in that I would be denying my daughter her dream. And then the idea that, maybe, just maybe, I could get in good enough shape to not only do this race, but to actually enjoy it.

My friend, Deb, was fully supportive. “You can so do this, Diana,” she encouraged. Another friend, Andrea, had actually done it. We rode together one day last fall. “No problem,” she promised. “Just think of it as the BC Bike Ride – not Race. An all-inclusive vacation with your daughter.” Now that sounded better.

So, buoyed by my friends’ confidence (if not my own), I put together a training schedule and have, mostly, stuck to it. So far, it’s not that hard, mainly because it involves skiing, skiing and more skiing (my passion in life!). And not just sliding downhill, either! That would never cut it. I’m skate skiing 2-3 times a week, and am up to 2 hours a go now. I’m also touring lots, where I spend 9/10 of the time climbing up mountains and 1/10 enjoying the powder on the way down.

Spring has arrived this week, so I’ve gotten my road bike ready. I’m not a huge fan of road riding, but the valley is free of snow, and I have lots of friends offering to ride with me. So that’s good. (I tried a spin class, but it just reinforced my dislike for indoor exercise.) After a month or so of endurance riding on the roads, the trails will start to clear, and I do love mountain biking!

So I’ll just keep doing what I love – playing outdoors – and doing more of it. I just hope that’s enough to save my butt on this epic ride!

"I Complete the BC Bike Race Side-by-Side my Mom"

by Joanna

Last spring, I fully “got” the power of goal setting.

It had been a rough week. I was sick with a nasty flu, and hadn't been at work for a few days. Motivated by a special evening ahead (and a need to get out of my apartment) I picked myself up and managed to walk the 12 minutes to my desk. Sorting through emails a short time later, two colleagues, teeming with energy, came by my pod rallying excitement for the night ahead. We were launching our new brand book and although I knew little of what to expect, I knew it would be good. Kristi made a point of confirming that I would attend. Her energy rubbed off and I managed a genuine and excited smile, telling her I'd see her there. Ten more minutes of email checking and I was a zombie. Phone cab. Go to bed.

I rolled over in bed to see 5:30pm on my phone. I could just make it to the 5:45 cocktail hour. Really, cocktail hour? I'm not sure what, but something told me to pull myself together for the second time that day, and get to the book launch.

Thirty minutes later I was in the Queen Elizabeth Theatre with 1200 of my closest friends. We kicked things off with a meditation and heard speaker after inspiring speaker, grounding us in our Get Quiet. Live Loud. brand ethos. After Susan's raw sharing about vision & goals and authenticity, she told us that lululemon would be supporting a couple of our people with a goal they were working toward. I had no memory of submitting a 5-year goal when I RSVP'd for the event months earlier, but the next thing I knew, there it was:

Next to my photo, up on the screen, "I complete the BC Bike Race side-by-side my mom."

A camera on me. My name being read. Friends cheering. "Holy crap, that's me." I stood up absolutely overwhelmed. Susan said lululemon would be covering my race entry for the infamous BCBR, the longest single track mountain bike race in the world, for July 2016

Thoughts poured into my head: "how the heck did they get my goals?" / "I'm so pale, why didn't I put more makeup on?" / "Is this really happening?" / "that was a 5 year goal, not a one year goal!"... and the two that seemed to stick: "I am so lucky, this is so cool!" and "OMG, I guess I really have to do this now..."


"A goal is a dream with a deadline."
- Napolean Hill