Really?! Three months since my last blog?! I'm shocked...but not that surprised.
If anything can make time go quickly it's immersing yourself in training towards an imminent goal. This year has simply disappeared in a whir of spinning cranks, lifting weights and core exercises. So much so that I find this next bit hard to believe. There is now only two months to go until we line up on that start line in Fernie. Two months!!
Am I ready? Time will tell. Do I feel ready? Absolutely. Bring it on!
Much has happened since my last blog (not surprised in three months I hear you cry!). Team What Mountain Bike Red Cloud is now complete and training has moved to a whole new level of intensity.
As you may have seen in the latest issue of What Mountain Bike magazine, Gordon Dickson from Lanark in Scotland is the lucky man joining me in our TransRockies quest for Stay Strong (I say lucky, Gordon having trained with me may say something else!).
We've been busy swapping notes and grabbing rides together wherever and whenever we can and I have to say, he's a dream team mate in many respects. Laid back, committed and a great bike rider, he's just the ticket to make Team What Mountain Bike Red Cloud tick. Of all the decisions I've made so far in preparation for this event, choosing Gordon as the winner of Ticket to the TransRockies could be the best one yet.
Don't get me wrong, any one of the finalists in the competition would have been great - I truly mean that. But Gordon has an air of calm about him and a skillset on the bike that compliments my own in many ways.
And after that introduction Gordon...you owe me a fiver.
As for that other big decision, that of bike choice, again I could not be happier. The ASR5 is a true flying machine...in every sense of the word...but more of that later. It's quick, responsive, light and so far (touching wood as I type) 100% reliable despite some serious training miles under its wheels. Even the wheels - that I did have some initial doubts about - have won me over having survived some serious riding without a single issue.
Another strength of the Yeti is just that...its strength. It's built like a tank, despite its more Ferrari like weight and handling. I can say this from first hand experience. How come? You know I mentioned it's a flying machine? Well....
There I was training over at Afan. Skyline was order of the day and I was making up some serious time on a late start. The bike was sweet, my legs were on form and all was well. The long climbs of Skyline make for pretty good TransRockies training so was grinning and bearing the fire roads whilst loving the singletrack that came along from time to time to break up the monotony.
On one such piece of singletrack, I dropped down a descent through some trees towards a switchback over a stream when suddenly from the corner of my eye I spied some movement. Now in the Rockies at this point I'd be reaching for the bear spray and preparing for Yogi and Boo Boo to jump out at me, but this was Wales. Sheep and squirrels aren't quite so scary! So safe in the knowledge I wasn't about to become dinner for something I continued. Then, a split second later, I saw him. A rider had slowed right down on the descent and moved across to the side of the trail. Then with no warning decided to pull out in front of me just as I got to him. On went the brakes, down came my feet and out came a range of my finest expletives before hitting a rock and flying...bike and all...swan like towards impending doom on the rocks in the stream below.
After what seemed like an age (time really does slow down when you think you're about to break bones) I landed on the base of my back on the rocks below. My biggest concern? Broken bones? No. Cut head? No.
BETTY!!!
Yep, Betty the Yeti had joined me on my break for freedom off the trail edge and was laying in the stream to my left. I jumped up and grabbed her from the frozen water (getting creative with my writing now) and to my surprise she had survived the fall on to sharp rocks with nothing more than a small dent and a bit of lost paint. I checked the frame and swingarm for any other signs of damage. Nothing.
That's when, and only then, I realised I had actually quite badly hurt myself. But it's all about priorities in those situations. The bike is always queen.
You see, with something like the TransRockies, protecting the bike is key. Your body is its engine so you kind of need that working too of course, but without your bike, you have a VERY long walk home. It's a partnership - both you and your bike need to work. One's no good without the other.
The Afan excursion and my own version of cordless bungee jumping proved two things to me. Firstly, I chose a very strong bike, and secondly, things can go SO wrong in a heartbeat. One careless mistake by yourself or another rider and you're in trouble. Preservation is key. At Afan I was lucky...my bike was OK and I got away with bad bruising and a strong feeling of guilt for questioning the parentage of the other rider (sorry if you read this). In Canada I may not be so lucky.
Ride within limits is the mantra. If something looks borderline rideable don't be a hero. Get off and walk a few metres. Better to finish last than not finish at all.
With training weekends with Gordon lined up and a lot more equipment buying to still do, preparation for the biggest challenge of my life continues apace. We may finish last, we may not but we're both determined to finish.
I WILL be updating this blog on a more regular basis from here on out - so much is happening after all - and our team blog will be going live on Bike Radar very shortly (details to follow). But in the mean time, safe riding and enjoy yourself out there.
Cheers
Mark
