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!