First 2 sites of the morning

Read carefully!

Jeff bit of a rough start

I wrote one of ny best blogs describing my adventure but it didn't save. I will try to get you the back story but here is the recap of day 1

Day 1 

3km group ride then a stop at the army base entrance. 10a start with stiff climb to start then rolling up. Didn't go too deep but kept tempo up and stuck with a few guys. Caught up to Auman went over top with 2 guys. My down billing was terrible to start and US guy yelling go go. Let them pass. 

Came around corner and there was the Himalayan mountaion range. Long decent,hands hurt, got flat right near bottom. Put tube in went a few fewer and got second flat. Kate and Erik passed me as well as others. Got going and made good time in the river valley. New game of dodging trucks, cars, motorcycles, dogs, cats, goats people, puddles and potholes. 

Caught up to Erik had to stop and clean chain, he gave me lube for chain. Worked magic, other rider attacked as we exchanged lube, bad form. Ride him down and then passed on final hill on the day. 

Thought day was only going to be 29km but it was 29miles. Was pretty angry climbing last 6km hill. Was hot and steep and long. Kept a nice pace and caught 2guys. Kate beat me in and has impressed many. Crossed finish line and went start to store for coke. 

Couldn't find hotel, ride around mountain top town for a bit.  Kate secured honeymoon suite with a view. Had a nice lunch. Showered and hung around in towel. Bags didn't get here for 2 hours after we arrived. Legs up for a bit, bags arrived Dressed and then cleaned bike. Santos helped with getting new tread on and good to go. 

Testing the Gear and Body

It was a good week getting things sorted out for the Yak Attack. I had another full week of training and work but the fatigue levels are were they should be, something i will really need to keep an eye on.

I think chronic fatigue is one of the biggest detriments for athletes. When you are new to a sport or training regime it easy to realize gains but this doesn't mean you should. A steady progressive march towards your goals is better than binge training. I have written down my plan and i am going to stick to it. Can I do more each workout, yes, should I? No. i am going to build right up to the last weekend and take a break and taper. I have rest weeks built into my program and rest days that I will adhere to. I can't afford to get sick or injured in the next month. I just wrote that for 2 reasons, one so that i remember to do it and 2 to maybe share that everyone, even the coach takes rest time. "trai

Last weekend was the first big back to back days. Saturday I rode tempo to Bragg Creek and back. Beautiful, warm, blue sky day. Which can only mean one thing-Chinook winds!! i just kept thinking about how bad the winds might be in Nepal in the steep river valleys. Amazing how perspective changes everything. Didn't even care about the head wind.

I had just explained to my cycling class the benefits of Tempo riding and how we used to do the "Tempo Challenge" on cold Saturday mornings. we would break it up into 20 minute intervals and I would provide a buffet table of snacks and drinks. the big challenge was to get to 120 minutes of Tempo and that was my goal Saturday. Felt good going out and coming back, must of been to power snack at Cinnamon spoons.

Sunday Alana and I were off to Canmore to get me some 45Nrth Wolvhammer winter biking boots. Lots of the Phat tyre crowd, including Kate and Greg have these and go on about them. A stop into Rebound cycle a consultation with Technical Adviser Ryan Draper and I was off with a size 44 and some awesome BarMitts. Thanks for getting me set up for the cold weather!!

Alana and I decided to hike Ha Ling Peak with the new Yak Attack Back Pack (fun to say twice, go on, try it)

 Good thing I won't have to worry about tress in Nepal!

 Ahh this is more like the Yak Attack!!

 Looking down Goat Creek towards Banff, no you can't actually see Banff

About 1.5 hours up, will be more like 3-4 on stage 7.

My coach making sure I didn't turn around too soon, cracking the whip on the poor Mule!!

Minutes old and comfortable as all get out, Thanks Ryan and Rebound!!

On our way out of town we dropped by to say hi to Greg and Flora and they sat us down and made real cocao and organic corn chowder!! It's nice when your friends know exactly what you need.

How to train for the Yak Attack

In this Episode Jeff will try to shed some light on how to train for a race in Nepal where they describe your day, not in % single track, double track, or road, but in % rideable!

It looks like this race is divided into 3 different flavors, the first 3 days are at an altitude similar to Calgary so will be pedal spinning racing. the next 4 days, one of which is an acclimation day, are survival. This includes the 17,760 foot pass! and a lot of hiking. Then it appears we just go down hill until a group ride on the last day.

Our Canadian Cartel is Erik Bakke, Kate Aardal, Gerry "The Ger" McQuaig, and myself. Each of us has a lot of stage race experience but they are starting to freak me out with all the prep they are doing. UV bottle here, GPS maps there, Back pack where??? (more on the back pack below). Gerry is in perpetual fitness because he just never stops, Erik only needs to stop work at his high paced job and he gets in shape, and Kate is finishing her 3rd or 4th training camp, or something like that. I spent most of last summer and fall working so I did not get into my usual level of Base fitness. Cross was good because I could fake my way thru a 50 minute workout and a 1 hour race, but a 3 hour ride?? Let me tell you how that went....

2 Saturdays ago Erik, Kate and myself left Cadence at 9am and it was -9C. Dressing for the +3 high we were all a little cold to start and Kate wanted us to see how great of form she had developed down south. Erik and I held on and we enjoyed a nice 2.5 hour ride to Cochrane thru some of the back road, cross field, up coulee, down stream bed routes they make up.

By the time I got to Cochrane I was shelled, done, burnt, bonked, tired. I ate light but had 2 coffees with lots of cream and off we went. Blue skies and a west wind. Ah, that west wind held the snow and cold they were forecasting. Started as rain to get you wet, turned to cold and snow to freeze you and pushed you so hard you geared out so you couldn't generate any heat. Kate actually coasted for 5km without pedaling, even on the ups. Made it home, napped, ate, napped, ate. slept. Did not go on ride Sunday.

During the weeks I have been up early to make sure i can get my workouts done. They are pretty simple and short but that makes them attainable. Monday is 20 minutes at threshold, Wednesday is Tabattas ( high end 15 second intervals), Thursday is the class I teach in Currie Barracks and then its Saturday agian.

Last Saturday, when it was +9, Ryan Young and i headed out for a ride. No plan just a ride. We did some good tempo, met up with Warren Muir, had a lovely chat, met a new friend Gabrielle, who drafted us but did buy us a coffee in Bragg and then cooked it home. Eat, nap, eat, nap, eat, sleep.

I am trying to get in leg strength, Threshold, and tempo rides in hopes my body remembers what it can do.

What about the hiking Jeff??? Yes, the hiking. Well no use going hiking unless i am carrying my bike right??
So I have plans to go this weekend and this is what Alana and I have created.

I bought, cut and heated some plexi-glass to form a cradle that slides into the bladder poach on my Camel Back!!!! It is light weight, custom made to fit, and allows me to get the bike on and off without too much trouble. Also allows my hands to be free so I can get my hands out for the eventual fall that will happen.

Prototype ready! i will let you know how it goes.

Yak Attack 2014

What he is writing again?? Yep, it recently came to my attention that while being incredibly bored at work a few of the people in my cycling class read my blog. So I will try this again, thanks Jerry and Scott.

This blog started with my first trip to South Africa to do the Cape Epic in 2007. Fitting that I start writing again while preparing to go out and do another silly race over seas, the Yak Attack. It is a mountain bike race clockwise around the Annapurna hiking trial. How the H#$L did I hear of this?? Well, our good friend and adventure race star Carena Dean did this same race a few years back. She raced and her husband, Jeremy, hiked and took photos. Carena's blog.

The seed was planted. Move to Spring 2013- Craig Stappler suckered 8 of us to do the Water Valley 210. Jeff's account of his first WV210. Another merry day on the cross bikes covering 210km of pavement and gravel, with a 60 km stretch of no support. Riding beside adventure man Erik Bakke we talked of plans for the summer. Alana, my wife, and I have been looking to shake things up a bit and take a break from the multiple stage race summers. Erik took this away and came back with the Yak Atack. I said yes. Why?? Must have been drinking or just finished a set of hard intervals, either way I was out of my head.

I paid the deposit but was going to pull the plug several times but Alana, who has hiked the Annapurna circuit, kept me in the game. Promises of adventure, views, great people, scenery, riding, vistas, foreign lands, landscapes, yak butter tea............. So I am going because I think i may just find the reason I started this crazy game, ADVENTURE!!.

Cross Season in full effect

With the arrival of the Dark Knight cross race at Canada Olympic park, COP, you know it's cross season.

Just as the sun was setting Saturday, the music started, the lights came on, and Csonka kids fired up the smoke machine. This is such a unique event it's hard not to love it and get caught up in the amusement park feel of the thing. I over heard Dave Larson say that Ed Garvin misspelled Race and held a Rave instead.

The course was similar to years past but the Downhill pump track section was gone replaced by more corners and said smoke tunnel. You couldn't see a thing in there and I held my breathe for fear of some obscure lung illness.

I positioned well but was stuck behind other riders while the lead group rode made time. I actually felt good for this race. It normally takes me the whole season to start to get the speed in the legs but I am more rested and could feel the legs had some snap.

Down the twisty back section to the "toilet bowl" that takes you in a decreasing radius turn only to spit you out on the long sewer pipe of an uphill. The sand was s....l......o...w.... It felt like I was in purgatory just waiting to get to the other side. Around the trees and you are in the spotlight. Everyone lines up along the slope to see how you do with the hardest corner of the course, the log barriers that Rob Leeds and Brian Bain change each lap. Those 2 are your worst enemies and your biggest fans.

But it's not over there. If you succeed in in not smashing your knee into your stem, falling over your bars, dismounting, crashing, or being pushed over by said log heathens, there's the 2 foot drop over a log to survive. Yep, DH comes to cross racing.

Great Racing and great event.

is there a correlation between Top riders and Snobbery??

Interesting question, No?

We have all be subject to a shunning from a top rider at one time. They don't say hello when you see them at an event or race, or remember your name after you have met them several times. So does that make them a snob??

I am at a cross roads here, I like to think that I am not a snob but depends on when you meet me. Warming up for Nationals-no talking- focused, middle of hill repeats- no talking-can't, just finished race in which all wheels fell off- no talking-crying inside. So maybe take a look at the situation before passing judgement.

Not remembering your name, hmmmmm tough one. Maybe snob because they don't care to, maybe can't. Do you call your barrista a snob because they don't remember your name after you have told them countless times for call out? Elite racers race a lot. Therefore, they meet a lot of people. People look different between events, especially Independents who have no set kit. People look way different in civil attire as well. I almost rode past Keith Bayley when he had long hair.

Why the topic? I had someone tell me so-and-so is an ass because he never remembers me, Snob.

I have also been snubbed by countless Sport and Expert riders at events. Everyone is going thru the same feelings and emotions and are lost in the same thoughts, we just race at different times and for different lengths.

Instead of saying "I got snubbed by an Elite", try, "I got snubbed by another racer/rider".

Do you really care if they remember you. If you do keep introducing yourself and they will, I know. Try being "Mical's partner" for 2 years and see how many people remember your name.

A successful Bow 80

So over beers at Carson's 1st birthday party, Chris lent me his Single Speed to ride the Bow80. Yep, End of season dumb and drunk is all it took.

Discussed the gearing for way to long and in SS I think under is better then over. But I went over. A 32 up front with 18 on the back, on the 29er. Slow cadence and balance was key all day long, and lots of hiking.

A usual scattered start, borrowed bike didn't have water bottle cages so had to beg them off the fine folks at Bow Cycle. All the excitement and coffee kicked in 7 minutes before the start. Line up was too long so had to do my best imitation of:

Don't worry, ran deep in, used heel to dig hole, covered back up.

Just get to start see all the other SS and hang. Patrick Humeney, Sir Pat Doyle, Cesar. Ceasr and Pat take off but I don't know what to do so think " Sir Pat rides smart" and follow him. We caught the other fellows just before Prairie Creek and all rode together almost to the aid station on Powder face road.

Grabbed some water and it was only Sir Pat and I. i cannot believe how much I learned riding behind Sir Pat for the first 3rd of the race. He is a picture of conservative power, he always has it but never wastes it. Smooth on the ups, smooth on the down. It was like going to SS school. Unfortunately, like an ill prepared student, with a bad summer job, and spending too much at the bar, I didn't have tuition money for the second half of term and Sir Pat was finished teaching. Sir Pat dieseled away on the road and I never saw him again. He ended up 13 minutes ahead when it was over.

I had a flat going down Poser Face, as was to be expected and Cesar and another SS passed me. Rode down with team mate Andy Paul how was on a hard tail and we both were tentative until the bottom. I had to open it up and get Cesar back in sight. I made a move on Elbow Springs and got to Sulphur before them. I knew that being over geared, Cesar was going to be faster up, and he was. He caught and passed me. We rode up lots of Pnuema together but he let me pass, which I gave him trouble for as he had me on the ropes. I took the lead, ate, drank, and attacked. Silly Cesar.

I tried to hold him off but I kept hearing this voice with a Venezuelan accent " I SEE YOU", to which I would reply " I HEAR YOU". This happened right until the top where it gets a little flat, I hammered and got into Special K ahead of him. I knew I could descend faster and rolled the dice. It worked. 2nd and Cesar took 3rd.

Congrats to Pam Pearson from Terrascape with a podium in the Wpmen's 40+ and to Alana, the only female Single Speeder. It is an open category but she is #1 in our hearts for the huge effort she threw down!!!!

What Have I done!!!

First I would like to thank Ryan Young for encouraging me to give it a go. Second , I would like to curse Ryan for encouraging me.

JOKERS!

With a fevorous and short training program I entered the Xterra Triathlon in beautiful Canmore. I got to pre-swim Friday but nothing could prepare me for what happened Sunday morning. I asked Luke Way for some advice and tried to follow it but alas, I forgot it. The water was brisk but not too bad so the frozen brain excuse is out.

The gun went and we were off. I found myself swimming right beside Dannel Kabush, This alone should have been a big red flag. I got about 150m into the swim and panicked. Not a rational thought in my head. Thinking too much and too fast. I had to tread water and the got punched and kicked for my silliness. I had to wave in a kayak and hang out for a minute or two. I wanted to quit but would have to swim to shore. I started again with the full intention to swim out the other side of Quarry Lake and walk back.

 Not actually me, I would have tears in my eyes. hahaha

As I went to execute this plan I found some clear water and relaxed a bit. I got my breathing under control and decided to just swim from Buoy to buoy, oh boy. After lap 1 of 3 I thought I was done, but with everyone cheering my on and Luke Way standing in the water coaxing me in I went out again. My lovely wife walked around the lake so i could have someone to look at. She kept giving me thumbs up and relax signs. It got better, not good just better.

Glad that's over!!!!


I left the water a shattered man but now it the bike. Home Turf . It went well and I will keep it short. Great course for a Tri, lots of fun, lots of slick roots, lots of roadies pulling off to side,

The run was, well....interesting. It always feels like I am running with rented legs and the first portion is all down hill. Throw your leg out front and hope that the small part of your brain that keeps you from falling on your face is working. I really enjoyed the run, very simple, very pure, very painful. Mike Vine, the champ, ran by my so fast I had to look at my feet to confirm that I was actually moving forward.

Don't quite have the smooth transition down. I was messing with my belt for a while.

So when the dust settled........ I was 17th overall and 2nd in my age category with a World's spot in Hawaii if I want it. I had some drinks and thought about it. All I could come up with is I need more drinks.

Congrats to Heath McCroy for his first place and Darren Robinson for 3rd. Great race as we could see each other throughout the run.

Ryan had a great first kick at the cat and our new friend Gary did great in his age category as well.

Thanks to Jason for all his help, Dee for her great photos, Zee, Ange, Colin, Holly, Beckham, Alana, for all the cheering.

The last Tri I did

It's on like, Donkey kong!!

So It's a go. i signed up for the Xterra and swam in Quarry lake this morning. Lucky for me I met a great guy form Ontario named Gary Swayze. I don't know if I would have been so brave if he wasn't going for a lap as well.

The water was surprisingly nice! I know! for a mountain lake i could still feel my hands when I came out. Jay, Dee, and Zee came down to watch and probably to life guard my newly found activity. Greg has lent me his NASA wetsuit and it basically swims itselfs. I just have to hold my breath when it turns my face in the water.

Dee grabbed her bike and joined us for a lap of the course. Oh what fun. It is a little dis-heartening knowing you are by-passing some of the sweet single track but one must remember that this is not a MTB race but a off road tri. The course is laid out well and has some classics and some fun new stuff. Lots of places to eat and drink. Way different then Ed's Single track enduros, where your head involuntarily moves side to side and up and down for days.

Semi-comfortable swim-Check
Pre-Ride-Check
Run- we will have to wait and see???????

Wish me luck and i hope i survive the washing machine start.