Based on the chatter outside my window, it sounded as though today for most of the team started at about 8am. I didn’t have anything pressing to do, so I figured a sleep in till nine was warranted. Once up, I joined the rest of the crew for Breakfast and bike building.
bike building in the driveway…organized chaos! “Who has the 5mm??”
Oh man, today hurt. I admit I slipped back into my usual habit of packing at the last minute. How last minute? Well, I was washing the bike at 9:30, and started packing it as the sun went down. With that half completed I broke for a coffee, and then started laundry. Yeah, that’s right, laundry at 10pm. Once the bike was finished I merely had to pack the clothes, tools, spares, camera gear and computer gear. Pffft, no problem. Have I mentioned that I had to leave for the airport at 4:30am?
At about 4am today the rain started. And by rain, I mean RAIN. Not down-pouring west-coast rain, but constant heavy “where-does-all-this-water-come-from!?!” East-coast rain. Its heavy and steady, and the eavestroughs are ovcerflowing from the amount of rain.
Training started at 9am, and most of the crew beat me out of bed by 8.Exclaimations were made about the conditions, rain gear and armor was put on, and our riders headed out to practice.
First back was Kyle, who told me “it is GREASY out there.” Which, in typical Kyle fashion, was followd up by “so much fun!”
Harrison followed Kyle in, now using my rear wheel, and confirmed the conditions were nuts. As the rest of the riders streamed in I heard comments like “no one up there know how to ride this stuff…” Or “it is so slippery and awesome!”
A day like this, however, is not without its carnage. As we waited for everyone t come down, a knock on our door let us know Simon would be coming down on an ATV.
Standing at the first-aid tent waiting for him to come in was not fun…but I was happy to see him sitting up and smiling as he rolled in.
Diagnosis, a cut hand, a cut elbow and some stiches required. He should be fine for race time.
Tyler Allison has apparently gone down as well, and has broken his wrist…
Seeding Runs…
Trenton
Today was our first day of “early wake up”. We had to have the crew up and on the Gondola for 9am to go for practice before seeding runs. Harrison is actually pretty awesome in this respect. My alarm goes off, he gets up. My alarm goes off again, he gets me up! It’s a system which is working quite well…otherwise, there is no way in heck I’d be waking up to my alarm.
Seeding runs today were for our Jr. Ex and Elite Athletes, and rather then try and explain how things went (Fairly good for all), I’ll simply post some photos and results at the end. Following Seeding was practice for our U17 athletes, and I fully intended to do some runs with them…
Between trying to see what all the athletes are doing, prepping food and taking care of some OAW stuff…I have no time for photos or writing today!
Miranda Miller
I will say that practice is going well, the team looks strong and is riding well. My photos stink, but I’m not really concerned about that. Mechanically we’re having some issues. Nick blew a rear shock, both Clinton and Harrison have cracked rims. Scotts rear wheel is holding on for dear life and Simon is hoping his X-O rear deraillieur will stay together with two missing pivot clips. You know, the usual race-weekend stuff 
Clinton Gould
Each of our Jr. Ex and Elite athletes merely needs to make Seeding start tomorrow, and finish their run (even by walking). Following that we are going to fix the mechanical issues, even if it means stripping out my bike for parts. For now, however, I’m going to head to bed. Gotta be up at 7:30!
Miranda again
Trenton Zoobkoff
-Dave
P.S. Craig - How is the back? I got no texts today? 
Karting…redux
Okay, this is bad. It’s 12:40am, and the only reason Scott, Harrison and I are still up is because we were trying to determine the fairest way to see how we actually would have finished were it not for my epic crash.
We are all in agreement, Harrison included, that the wreck was awesome and hilarious, but certainly not the right race for it.
You would think after a day of walking and riding the course, we would all be tired enough to just want to hang out. But no, this is quebec and the laws are different. While the drinking age might be only 18, our crew wasn’t thinking about that…we were thinking about the fact that in Quebec, Kart speeds are regulated differently.
One of the best features of this province is it’s European-like love for all things motorsport. I once got pulled over in downtown montreal driving an unlicensed rally-car with no seat-belts…the cop who pulled me over couldn’t care less, he was hoping for the owners autograph!
Where was I? Oh right, Karting. Warwick had told me about the Karting track near Sainte-Anne. He had used it for a part of his movie “The Circus”, and told me we were going to have to check it out. With 150cc, 9hp, Karts this track promised to be pretty awesome. it also promised to be the first-time Harrison and I would be on level-ground for a race. With no prior knowledge of the track, it would all come down to who could learn the track quicker, and who would turn that knowledge into faster laps…
Today was course-walk, followed by some on-bike training in the afternoon.
The bromont course for nationals starts 3km down from the gondola. It’s a long hike to the start, but once you’re there the course quickly eliminates any complaining you were thinking of doing.
You start off in the woods, and we were all expecting traditional Quebec gnarly tech. What we go instead, however, was gnarly bermed corners and money booters. Following a rather long flowy section in the woods you exit onto the first of many ski-hill sections. The ski hill sections can best be described as fast, and rough. Super fast…like, rocket fast. Rough like cat-lake at times, to say I’m loving it would be an understatement.
Well, every good day should end with a blog post. Perhaps that’s not entirely true, but I did promise Craig that I would…and lets be honest, on a good week when work isn’t swamping me, I post all the time!
On Wednesday I jumped onto a plane with the Cycling BC downhill team. We’re out in Mont Sainte Anne to race the Canadian Nationals this weekend. Staying in my place is Simon, Trenton, Kyle, Scott, Miranda, Clinton and Harrison. Just down the way is Nick, Tyler and Max…which rounds out the crew that I’m coaching this weekend.
It’s amazing how 5 hours of sleep in your own bed eclipses two weeks worth of pull-out couch and the floor!
I’m always amused by the first morning after a long trip. No clean laundry? Right, I packed at 4am. No soap in the shower? Right, meant to pick that up before I left. Breakfast? I was completely unaware that bread could turn those colors. I’ve seen green before, but the white and yellow was an all new experience this morning! Lets not even discuss the milk situation.
Thank goodness I keep oatmeal in the cupboard!
-Dave
You are currently browsing the archives for the Road Trips category.
| Visit Dave's Flickr Account |