TR 3 Race within the race

Check this out:

40+ men Final

8	Lonn Bate	346	2:36:56 (12)	2:50:05 (8)	2:44:26 (7)	8:11:28	+1:18:49.0
9	Mike Johnston	310	2:28:34 (10)	2:54:16 (9)	2:56:20 (8)	8:19:10	+1:26:31.0
10	Jesse Mong	342	2:23:26 (8)	2:59:15 (13)	2:56:49 (9)	8:19:31	+1:26:52.0
11	Steve Walsh	309	2:28:22 (9)	2:57:34 (10)	2:58:33 (11)	8:24:29	+1:31:50.0

4 guys battling for a position in the top 10. NASCAR calls this "The Chase".  Lonn Bate came down with his wife and 2 kids and put in a great day 3 to move up a spot or two. Jesse Mong won the Go Pro cam for best story-Day 1 got stung by 15 wasp and wne tot hospital, Day 2 broke something on his bike, Day 3-went for a ride after the stage was done. Steve Walsh has drank a "mistake beer" every night. Sorry Mike don't know your tale. The number in brackets de-note their position in the GC at the start of the day. 

You can bet these fellas know exactly who each other are and mark them all day. They know how many seconds down or in front they are and try to exploit their strengths and hide the "areas of opportunities".

Pretty cool to see this kind of competition. If these guys were the top four the media would lose their minds for such a good race, so keep an eye on the full results and watch the shuffle.

In saying that I am remiss for not mentioning  3rd place John O'Sannassy. Very solid efforts each day and with his knowledge of the trails flew the DH. Very nice guy and won the fastest Fernie Rider.

Men's open

9	Shawn Bunnin	321	2:01:21 (8)	2:20:49 (9)	2:29:55 (13)	6:52:06	+50:06.0
10	Sébastien Cadieux-Duval	323	2:04:15 (10)	2:30:32 (14)	2:17:52 (5)	6:52:40	+50:40.0
11	Peter Watson	394	2:07:09 (15)	2:23:57 (13)	2:23:40 (10)	6:54:47	+52:47.0
12	Travis Hauck	315	2:06:53 (14)	2:22:25 (12)	2:26:40 (12)	6:55:59	+53:59.0

 Women's open

1 Second????? Really 1 Second!!!!!!!!

9	Linda Green	396	3:19:34 (8)	3:52:07 (10)	4:13:12 (12)	11:24:54	+3:32:56.0
10	Carthy Chan	324	3:19:35 (9)	3:52:07 (9)	4:13:12 (13)	11:24:55	+3:32:57.0
11	Lisa Kalischuk-Tymensen	373	3:24:55 (12)	3:57:55 (11)	4:10:16 (11)	11:33:07	+3:41:09.0

Day 3 -TR3 The Fat Lady has Sung

C'est Tout, C'est Fini!!!


3 times going head to head with Ian in Fernie. Shut out like the un-cool guy in Vegas by the bouncer.

I begged ( my legs), I bribed ( my head with treats), i lied (and said I felt good), I cried ( in private of course-not like This guy), but to no avail. 2nd again. Ian and I went back and forth more times than a ping pong ball today and I think I gave him a good race. I tried, I tried.

I am reading this book called The Procrastination Equation. The first 40 pages spoke heavy to me. Yes, it's about work and stuff but if you hold it in the right light it reads like a how to race book. Goal setting!!!!! I have used this in the past but it brought it to the forefront with some new angles.

GOALS: Day 1- ignore all else and try for a personal best, if I had a good one ya never know.
Day 2- up Gorby road in middle ring 2 over
Day 3-attack 3 times. First attack off the start to see if i could catch a good train on the flatter sections. Attack 2-the Downhills Megasauras and Verboten to see if I could make the break. i was able to hold a good gap with Travis setting a pace for me all the way to Island Lake lodge and then again near the summit. Attack 3? well didn't really plan that one. attacked a rolling portion of the last climb but my bad. It lead right into the bottom of a very steep climb and then hike a bike. Ian rode away with the beautiful Bow Vally watershed as his back drop.

Chapeau Mr. Auld, Chapeau

I have heard some grumblings about today's stage and i have to ask, did you look around? Today wasn't about the sweetest single track you have ever ridden it was the VIEWS. It is pretty cool to ascend thru a mountain pass and have the world's biggest painting in front of you. Also, to know that the water that falls on the south side runs south to the Elk and then  the USA and the north to the Bow and Calgary's drinking water. Peeing only allowed on south side. Reaching the summit of Mt Baldy you can see all the terrain we have been riding the last 3 days. Cool!

It's a bit of foreshadowing for the TR4. I'm biased but think the views are even better.  Wait till Jumping Pound/ Cox Hill. hehe I wrote Cox.

Pray we don't get this again. hahaha

Kidding This may be the best year for weather ever!!


Congrats to Mical Dyck for wrapping up the Solo Women's Category in style. That make 4 years at TR and 4 first places. Wow!!!!!!!

Keep an eye on the 100+ category on theTR7. Top 3 teams are only separated by 15mins and they are jostling stage positions!! More coverage to the "real people" riders of the world.

Open men's team close but I think will open up when Big John and Steph get on home turf.

And me??? well, I get to battle someone new. stay tuned dear reader, stay tuned.

TR3 Day 2-More of the good stuff

Start line 14C, perfect. So with the "peleton" all sorted we rolled out for a nice mix of TR of old and new.

Out of town turn left Power Line Climb. At least it sorted the crowd. Had Ian in the sights, thought of making a move cause I was feeling okay. Glad i didn't, soon I was breathing out my ears.

I know we all have our opinions on climbs. We all think we would like them a little shorter, a little less steep, less rooty, a little less exposed. Yep, if you got your wish you be a triathlete. ( owwww big dig, i will hear form Luke and Cal on that one) Again, were do they sit. Well the first and biggest climb was at the start when we had at least some energy. The rest of the day I found to be manageable.

On the low angle climbs I feel like this:

But more likely look like this:

Could have been the new Acai Pomegranate Honey Stingers, or the residual giddiness from BrokeBack but I truly did feel Hedonistic on Hedonism. There comes a time in each day of racing when I know exactly where i am and how far I have to go. Coming down Hedonism I realized I was going to make it and was feeling good. That was my day, I just got comfortable being uncomfortable and rode. Big Smile, fast descents, Peter from Balanced point as a rabbit that flicked in and out of view.

Thoughts go out to victims of some serious crashes today. Evan, Felix and Devon heal well, heal fast.

21 seconds separated 1st from 2nd in the 80+ men. Unfortunately, Devon crashed hard and was unable to finish. Pat and Craig take first, who knows how it would have turned out but man that would have been exciting to watch. Pat and Craig will have to ride hard to keep 1st.

Alana and Nic had a good ride. They are having fun and there is fast in fun.

Looks like the weather is going to hold. Of all years it is perfect. In 2003 it was 30-32C and we rode the exposed power line and avoided wild fires, not kidding. 2009 I rained every day but the last into Fernie.

TransRockies 2005 Hydro Therapy:

Worth the Pain!!!! Thanks for the first hit Evan!!

TR3 Day #1

I was going thru my phone photos last night and was having a blast remembering all the good stuff since last year. I have been training on a pretty dedicated program for over 6 years now. It was time for a break. I just wasn't excited about any races or events.
The same season for 3 years in a row brought on stagnation. It was time to shake things up. No BCBR, Salty Dog as a team, Deadgoat Giver 8tor as a team...... oh now that's a good one.

 i paired with My old buddy Paul Robertson after days of hard negotiation that the 8 is too long. I was to do the first 4 hours and he the last. Simple. Alana was away so I had to take care of myself, not good. Beers Friday. Lazy Saturday, sleep in for start of race Sunday, WTF. Yep!! woke up 30 mins before the start of the race. Phone calls, texts, mad driving, screeech to stop, Ted Anderson valet parks car, drop jeans, saddle bike, GO!!!! Fun to see everyone, lots of taunts from crowd. ( don't worry I know who you are and I will be the one with the Mic at Beans and Barley). Paul arrives and has a good laugh, throws down some seriously good lap and leaves one lap on the table so he can drink a beer with me. you dont's have to start early or stay late to have a good time.

 That's the kind of season I was looking for and have just gone with it. I have labeled it the Summer of Fun, Jon Firth the says " the summer of Jeff". i may not be as strong but i feel fresh.

Gluten free beer that tastes like beer!!

TR3 Day 1-the 40min uphill TT

 I would like to dis spell a inbred cycling myth. The TransRockies is just long road riding on your MTB. WRONG!! The TR has morphed, changed, evolved, while still being the TR.

When I saw last years course layout I was giddy. Tons of quality single track, cow shit bypasses, epic Bragg Creek single track and of course 3 days in Fernie!!!But how to explain that to others. I tried and will try again.

 I like the idea of the Day 1 TT right up to about 28 minutes into it. Don't get me wrong the course is great, it's just...well 28 minutes into any TT sucks. It also coincides with where Ian Auld passed me, within 30 meters of where he passed my in the F3. i think he has magical powers and is able to quantum flux the space-time continuum.

 i won't make you sit thru the course profile but it goes up for a while, down for a while and then across. Some pleasant surprises: the dry trials, the great fans and volunteers, the weather, and Coal Discovery-East to West. Single track climb to ST descent, to great cross country, to road, yes road.

Let's pause and talk about this. Come on, what's your first reaction to my use of the word "road" in a MTB race?? ah geez, come on, really???
 Here's the thing, you don't think you want it but secretly you do, like that powder blue terry cloth leisure suit you have been eying up at Value village. If you did 32km of non-stop ST you would be a bag of shit. Where would you eat, where would you drink, where could you take a break, phyicaly and mentally???? 2 hours of ST would be like 2 hours of championship timed puzzle making. you would be fired. So remember that and think about it's placement in the race.
Today it was perfect. about 2/3 of the way you got 3-4 km of road. I ate, I drank, I stretched out the lower back that was killing me. and just as I got my poop in a group. BAM!!! back down Coal Discovery Trial(East to West) the way it should be ridden. Lovely Day 1 TR, simply Lovely.
 if you are too lazy to go to the Site-. The fast guys were fast, and us old boys were relatively fast.

Random Pictures: Where I get the good stuff before the race:

Really Aaron, you haven't hit them up for sponsorship??? Gels make good tire boots in a jam:

Nipika XC skiing I was going to drop into this tight chute but didn't think the skis would hold up to it.

A Little back story and thenTransRockies 2012

New Moon, New Bike, New TR Course, New Post! This is going to be good. "So be a long time since I left ya With a strong rhyme to step ta" Thought I would actually try this again. Going to try the short and sweet angle and maybe keep up with it. Been a good spring and summer. Training volume way down, fun factor way up, good head space, and the new ride is well......after 20 min it felt like "my bike"

Finding there is a lot of fast in PHUN. Started the year with a boys trip to Sedona. My brothers first bike trip and it was awesome. For a flatlander he sure can descent well. Andrew and Jason were perfect compadres for this. Lots of laughs!!!

Went back south to Phoenix and met up with the girls. They were riding awesome and it's so fun to see other people on our little "camps" Took them to Los Favritos. Best burritos ever.

Rode a lot for fun and even had my first shuttle run ever!!! Was my bday weekend and Zeech, Lance, Di, Rob, Marty, My Bro Mark, and Alana of course. it's in June so of course it rained. Didn't affect us one bit.

Race season has been very very good to me. Alana and I did a team for Salty Dog. good for the head and got to watch and support those who have helped me over the years. I think i will back story each day and update as well. Already have the thoughts but it's time to go for ice cream. Happy Cow here we come!!!