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

Race day is always a little odd for me, especially when I’m the one doing the organizing and driving. That first couple of hours feels like a potential stress-bomb just waiting to go off.

Inevitably, I sleep in. It doesn’t matter how early I set the alarm for, my body just won’t agree to getting up. The Tremblant event was no different, and I soon found myself wishing I had just woken up earlier. Making the day a little more challenging, we had to check out of our room and I had to whip a second lap in the truck to pick up the other Team BC members. In the end I think we actually arrived on time, perhaps just 15min off our planned arrival time, but it didn’t feel smooth!

Dave Hord, last minute drive-train adjustment

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Walking the course at Treblant, you are struck with the realization that the course is long. Trying to memorize the course was incredibly difficult. Usually I can walk a course and memorize the shape and the lines I think are the ones to take…all in one shot. I realized on the way up that there was no way I was going to be able to memorize both at one time. Out came the notebook (blackberry, actually) and I worked on memorizing each section, then writing it down on the blackberry. By the time we were at the bottom, I could only remember the general shape of the the top, but not the lines I had chosen. Just before going to bed I was able to tie it all together using my notes and what I had remembered.

Graham, working on memorizing

Part of me wonders how the rest of the team did it. I know I was the only one taking notes, and memorizing a course is something I’ve been practicing for years. Scott and Miranda had the advantage of walking the course twice, but I suspect the rest of the boys are using a combinations of generalization, memorization and “I’ll learn it tomorrow when I ride it”.

Mir

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Finally! We are no longer prisoners in our room with nothing to do except homework! Today was our walk of the Tremblant course. The day started out with a sleep-in, mostly because my alarm didn’t reach that part of my brain which finally accepts it’s time to get up. After a leisurely start, we headed up the course.

To be completely truthful, though, it’s 12:30 and I’m tired. I can’t come up with anything to write…so until I get around to doing it for the MMR site, here are some photos. Dave is going to bed! (Honestly not a coincidence that Tamsin, Diane AND Della have all emailed me today to make sure I’m taking care of myself )

Photo by Craig

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Checking out the net today (while sitting on a laundry machine waiting for email to download), I came across some more Bromont coverage that features our riders…

Sick Lines featured a short story on Bromont, and the final picture (which was up on the front page on Monday) is Graham White doing the rock-line that pulled 10 or more riders away on stretchers.

While over on Pink Bike Miranda’s podium photo was featured…

-Dave

Not much exciting going on here in Tremblant…

I’ve been working for OAW in front of the fireplace, while Craig and Clinton have been working on their homework. (ha! see, it does actually happen!)

We did a little bit of review regarding Bromont, and what we can learn from that for Tremblant…but other then that and a 45min spin on the bike today…we’re all chomping at the bit to walk the course and rider our bikes.

Oh, it’s raining. LOTS of rain. It’s weird how the west coast is supposed to be known as the ‘wet’ coast…and yet here we are and the team is blown away by how much heavy rain has fallen since we arrived. And it’s STILL raining!! Geesh.

The internet still sucks…this is where I have to work if I need the ‘net…

-Dave

On the MMR Site:

Mad March Racing

-Dave

It would truly be a pitty if one were to fly all the way out east an only ever ride one trail on Bromont. If you’re from the east (Canada at least), you likely regard Bromont as one of the best places to ride out here. Personally, I’d place the fun factor somewhere between Camp Fortune and Bromont…each has their individual delights.

I tried to convince the group that we should go riding on Monday before packing up, but they weren’t having any of it. The forecast was for rain, and lift tickets were $37 bucks. Apparently everyone was too broke to go riding…but certainly not too broke to have their eyes light up with that “please!?!” look in the beer isle. Anyways, I digress…

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Race day at Bromont was not without it’s carnage…

Our group started the damage when Craig has a wee little bail in practice. Okay, so he slid and rolled down the pro-line and it wasn’t wee at all…but regardless, Craig bailed in practice. He rolled up to me and explained he had a bit of a bail, and his wrist hurt. At the time, I didn’t think it was too serious, but got him some ice anyways. Shortly thereafter I knew it was moderately serious. Craig was in no small amount of pain, though his race run was a mere hour away. I asked him to grip my finger with his hand, and received barely more then an infant squeeze as his whole body spasmed in pain.

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Hmmm, how do you go back and write something 2.5 days later? Honestly, I just can’t. So instead…here’s the BC Cycling Press Release cut and copied, followed by some photos from the day!

Apologies to Steve and Graham, who aren’t on the provincial team and thus are left out of this post…

Steve Bursey…at least he got a photo here!

-Dave

BC MOUNTAIN BIKERS TAKE TO THE PODIUM IN BROMONT

Riding in the first Canada Cup of the season, BC riders made their west coast presence known … in a big way! With eight podium finishes, and more top ten times, BC riders are showing themselves to be a leading force on the National scene.

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