Jeff's Sporting Life: July 2015

SingleTrack 6 MTB XC Race 2015: Stage 6 @ Three Blind Mice, Penticton BC

Friday July 31st, I finished 49th place out of 50 in Solo Open Men Results, It took me 3hrs 55mins, It was a total of 36 Kms. Total elevation gain 3,761 Feet. My average heart rate was 140 bpm and max was 174 bpm. The temperature was 33 deg C and sunny. Check out my garmin data here. Before the start I stopped in at the medical trailer and got some IB Profen extra strength. One of the therapists wrapped up my bruised right knee with red tape to try to help the pain be less. Today there was only one climb, oh and it was 22 km's long with some technical single track with rock slabs to ride over, a bit of fire road, gravel path and some pavement. There was a couple sections of the climb that was almost flat. A couple rocks I did not make it up so I limped up them. The first part of the descent was very steep and lots of rocks and sharp turns and I jumped off and limped on down best I could. There was a few down hill sections that I road and had a lot of fun on. They made the race a couple km's shorter today as once we were done the timed descent that was also todays finish line. I am so happy that I finished today. It was pure determination as my pain in my right knee was very high as I had no power to pedal and most of all it hurt like heck to run up or down sections of the course. Now I get a general classification as I finished all six days. A huge thanks to Transrockies for putting on the race and to all the volunteers for their effort to help make this bucket list dream come true.

Pic by http://raveneyephoto.com/.

This was not my finish time as we finished after the timed descent. Pic by http://raveneyephoto.com/.

The start for today in beautiful Penticton, on Lake Okanagan. We climbed up the mountain over by the Penticton sign.

SingleTrack 6 MTB XC Race 2015: Stage 5 @ Campbell Mtn, Penticton BC

Thursday July 30th, I finished 47th place out of 50 in Solo Open Men Results, It took me 3hrs 38mins, It was a total of 36 Kms. Total elevation gain 4,209 Feet. My average heart rate was 147 bpm and max was 181 bpm. The temperature was 32 deg C and sunny. Check out my garmin data here. The race organisers are calling this race a neutral result. I asked the crew at the timing tent what it means and they said that today's result just will not count in the overall general classification. This happened because there was over fifty racers that went the wrong way on the course. All I know is my elevation and distance matched the tec guide so I know that I made all the right turns and I finished today. Before the start I stopped in at the medical trailer and got some IB Profen extra strength. Then I saw one of the therapists and she wrapped up my bruised right knee with red tape to try to help the pain be less. We started out the day with a 7 km long climb that was off camber and a few spots I had to run the bike up, it was technical. Once at the top of the mountain we did a really cool fast and fun flowing descent with big high berms. Then before the climb back up the mountain there was a section where we road on a trail that if you fall you would go a long way down resulting in serious injury, so I just scooted along it so there was no risk. There was great views of Lake Okanagan. I grinded out another day and thought I did well considering my right knee bruise. I really enjoyed these trails. A huge thanks to Transrockies for putting on the race and to all the volunteers for their effort to help make this bucket list dream come true.

Pic by http://raveneyephoto.com/.

This was where our start/finish was today in beautiful Penticton, on Lake Okanagan

SingleTrack 6 MTB XC Race 2015: Stage 4 @ Myra Bellevue, Kelowna‏ BC

Wednesday July 29th, I finished 48th place out of 50 in Solo Open Men Results, It took me 5hrs 25mins, It was a total of 43 Kms. Total elevation gain 4,944 Feet. My average heart rate was 145 bpm and max was 180 bpm. The temperature was 31 deg C sunny with a few clouds. Check out my garmin data here. We started right out of the gate with a eight km long climb on single track trails. Then we hit the five km timed descent where the trails were fast and flowy. Then after that we did another eight km climb on different single track technical trails. Once at the top we descended for the next ten km's. To finish up the day we climbed back up another five km's. The trails were filled with lots of rock slabs and loose dry dirt. There was some really steep down hill and up hill sections where I had to run down and up because I knew I could not ride them. I did ride some steep descents that I did not think I could ride. My right knee is very bruised and it was getting really sore with every pedal stroke today, It happened on day one when I wiped out. I had to battle out there as I was in so much pain. I did not want to quit, but just grind it out. The views were spectacular at the top of the mountain looking over Lake Okanagan. There was a deer on the trail today. A huge thanks to Transrockies for putting on the race and to all the volunteers for their effort to help make this bucket list dream come true.

Pic by http://raveneyephoto.com/.

This was where the race started today. The view from the top of the mountain was breath taking.

SingleTrack 6 MTB XC Race 2015: Stage 3 @ Kalamalka Lake, Vernon BC

Tuesday July 28th, I finished 48th place out of 50 in Solo Open Men Results, It took me 4hrs 41mins, It was a total of 45 Kms. Total elevation gain 4,724 Feet. My average heart rate was 157 bpm and max was 184 bpm. The temperature was 27 deg C sunny with a few clouds. Check out my garmin data here. We started out on a paved road followed by a small climb where I moved up many spots. Then there was a two km down hill section and I jumped off my bike and ran down parts of it, many racers passed by me. Then today's race saw us climb for the next 12 km's on technical single track with rocks and roots, sharp turns, steep sections, switch backs and I found myself pass well over thirty racers as I hit my pace and stride. When I got to the top I thought I was day dreaming when there was a couple of cow's and a bull on the course. Then there was a series of really steep technical descents that had lots of rock slabs and roots and I again jumped off my bike and ran down most of it and the parts I could ride I went slower on. A lot of those same racers I passed by on the long climb passed me on the descent. There was amazing views looking at the lake and it was blue. A huge thanks to Transrockies for putting on the race and to all the volunteers for their effort to help make this bucket list dream come true.

Pic by http://raveneyephoto.com/.

I saw this view during the race. Pic by http://raveneyephoto.com/.

This is Kalamalka Lake, and was less than one km from our start, the water is so blue.

SingleTrack 6 MTB XC Race 2015: Stage 2 @ Silver Star, Vernon BC

Monday July 27th, I finished 45th place out of 50 in Solo Open Men Results, It took me 3hrs 47mins, It was a total of 40 Kms. Total elevation gain 3,779 Feet. My average heart rate was 156 bpm and max was 182 bpm. The temperature was 19 deg C with a mix of sun and clouds. Check out my garmin data here. Silver Star is a down hill ski resort in winter and a mountain bike park in summer. They have built single track XC trails there so it is not just down hill mountain biking. The trails were in mint condition. They had a lot of flow built into them. My favorite was the pump track for one km as you can just let it rip down there. There was some long climbs mixed into the fold. I felt good on todays stage. A huge thanks to Transrockies for putting on the race and to all the volunteers for their effort to help make this bucket list dream come true.

Pic by http://raveneyephoto.com/.

As you can see the Downhill Mountain Bike riders get to use the chair lift. Not us as our Legs are the lift.

SingleTrack 6 MTB XC Race 2015: Stage 1 @ Salmon Arm, BC

Sunday July 26th, I finished 47th place out of 50 in Solo Open Men Results, It took me 4hrs 33mins, It was a total of 40 Kms. Total elevation gain 5,136 Feet. My average heart rate was 164 bpm and max was 194 bpm. The temperature was 16 deg C and cloudy. Check out my garmin data here. The race started out with a long climb most of it was on a fire road. Then there was about a three km decent where at the bottom of it I went right over the handle bars landed on my right knee and hit/grazed my helmet on the ground. It definitely slowed me down a bit as I lost my confidence on the down hill sections. Then we climbed to the twenty km mark of the race. Some of the climb was hike a bike as many racers had to walk/run their bikes up. Then the climb went to a fire road, it was a long climb. We started to slowly descend down and the rain the night before made some of the roots pretty slippery. I went down again on another wipe out and slid down on my side. The final ten km's was sections from a popular race Salty Dog and I road this part better and re gained my confidence on the down hill sections. I found today hard. A huge thanks to Transrockies for putting on the race and to all the volunteers for their effort to help make this bucket list dream come true.

Pic by http://raveneyephoto.com/.

I took this after the race, it is very close to the start line today.

July 2015 Training

Sun 19th, MTB ride @ Mill Creek Ravine for 2hrs (Zone's 1-4) Average heart rate =143 Max =187, Elevation gain 1,148 feet. Km's 20

Sat 18th, Road ride to Uncas School for 2hrs (Zone 1/2), Average heart rate =138 Max =162, Elevation gain 653 feet. Km's 55

Sat 11th, Road ride to Uncas School for 2hrs (Zone 1/2), Average heart rate =134 Max =152, Elevation gain 611 feet. Km's 50

Sun 5th, MTB Inter Club ride UC to Gold Bar Park for 4hrs (Zone's 1-4) Average heart rate =157 Max =194, Elevation gain 2,805 feet. Km's 40

Sat 4th, Road ride w/ parents to Northern Bear Golf for 4hrs (Zone's 1-4), Average heart rate =147 Max =185, Elevation gain 1,230 feet. Km's 101

Labels