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!