Kingston Trophy 2019

June 1st was the early last stop of the Substance Projects marathon race series. And as per usual was out doing course work...well as best as could due to the recovering from the getting crushed by a car.

Race day I entered the Short Course 17km again as it was the smarter decision. Not much one can say as had to ride as hard as could yet be careful of my knee. And am still trying to get the riding feel I usually have to come back. So it was a harder ride then usual for even the 17km.

It  is hard to accept mediocre races when you know you could be better and in your mind should be. This is why after the previous race coming to a decision that maybe was meant to be. And something my Lapdog team mate Barry stated after riding the LSC in May after I finished it.

I showed up to both races in reality angry and fed up. Angry because some self entitled prat tried to crush me with a vehicle. In truth it was me showing I wasn't a fully broken mess and saying fuck you to it all.  Because in my head it was one more thing taken away by a shitty human who will never be punished. And because laying around would have been worse for the second case of PTSD I now have.

So while I did get the medal again and got a PR on a section of the course. After was the decision that had put off.  The decision was to not race till 2020 and just focus on riding and trying to ride stuff. Not worry about mileage at all while try to figure out the mess that is my body.

Long Sock Classic 2019

10 weeks to come into the 2019 Long Sock Classic with a different mindset and many unknown body factors. 10 weeks since crushed by a car driven by a hit and run driver.

Race day after driving down with a barely 3 day old knee brace lined up with the short course 17km group. Reality I had no goals nor any expectations as had no handling time and only begun working on the mess my body became on March 4th. Plus had really no trail time on the new bike.

Once the race started and despite an initial faster then normal start began the grind. There was no flow or right mindset. It was pretty much a fight to try and ride trail while trying to get some kind of flow going. Had to stop 4 times to adjust the knee brace as it was not just right yet. Hoofing it up up to many hills as was paranoid about my knee.

It took 13km before I came even close to getting anything that felt close to what I know works. So for maybe 4 km kind of felt some flow but no power. Kind of understandable as spent 10 weeks starting the process of post getting crushed by a car recovery. And finally the finish line. While it was good to be out was kind of frustrating as legs felt like garbage.

After hanging out for a while with teammates found out that had placed 3rd in the short course open category.  So had an unexpected bonus to the day. Kind of a break from dealing with the crap from the few weeks prior.

March 4th 2019 A Bad Day

7 years and 7 months since I was last hit by a car in Ontario. Which was March 4th 2019 of getting hit.

Warning link has blood.

Pinball

March 4th of 2019 was taken out by a hit and run driver who left me to suffer at the side of the road. All I heard was the sound of an engine revving then it was tumbling and landing in pain and bleeding on the sidewalk. I was taken to the ER at KGH with a possible spine, cervical, and head trauma or concussion. Eye was swollen and potential knee damage.

While the physical injuries heal and head was cleared of fractured skull that is not the end of it all. Because while physical injuries have healed and everyone talks like it is all good. Reality is the mental injury which no one sees takes longer. And about a week after the bad dreams started. While I don't recall those bad dreams I know they happen as I don't sleep as well that night.

And nearly 2 months later while am down to waiting on my MRI. I still haven't even ridden on the sidewalk near traffic. Am worried that I will have a bad interaction and end up in jail. People will say things like be the better person. Or you will get over it. That is nonsense. Knowing what I know now. I won't just get over it or move on. All I will be able to do is work on ways to manage the mental effects of being left to die on the sidewalk.

It will be hard to heal the mental side but will be easier talking to a counsellor to at least better manage it better.

Current goals...

Long Sock Classic May 18th at Ganaraska
  Kingston Trophy June 1st

Simply ride to places via the sidewalk.

And figure it out as best as can as it progresses.

Minus 29 Hike

On Saturday Jan 19th with the minus 29 temperatures that would cause my freehub to take a sick day. In an effort to do something headed out to hike into the Swampatorium. Boredom and such being the avoidance exercise.

Minus 29 Frozen Few Hike

And since I never have been in there with snow on the ground figured it was worth an effort.

I haven't gotten in there in winter but it was good to take a look. Have been told that one can backcountry ski across the swamp when it is this frozen.

The minis 29 cold didn't even get through the old school Mountain Equipment Co-Op heavy fleece mountaineering pants. WOOO.  of course with this level of cold one does feel a bit chilled no matter what. Now to stalk the weather forecast to aim for the recce ski up the Hwy 2 Hydroline to Oddessa and see how close it actually gets.

2018 Northumberland Humbler Half Marathon

Saturday Sept 29th 2018 was the final race in the Substance Projects Half Marathon Series at the Northumberland Forest. While initially had planned to drive down and camp in the Dirtbag Ute to make life easier. ended up going early in the morning. Oh well.

This race would be different as aside from the Paul's Dirty Enduro racing is done by labour day weekend. By end of September it is fun time on bikes.

As always follow my older and wiser pre race plan of arriving maybe 45 minutes before the half marathon start. Why arrive early and have to kill more time and over think even further? How about Nope. After getting the plate and getting the bike ready.

Got off to a better start then usual and as always rode the first half conservatively as I start racing truly at the aid station for the last half. Of course with the first half going smoothly have to screw up for the first time at a Substance Projects race over shooting a turn at an intersection. Once back up to the rest and back in flow got to the aid station and the road crossing.

Cross the road and in the immortal words of Phil Liggett...the preliminaries are over. Now the work begins to maintain flow while pushing it for the next 15km. Knowing that will reel in many as so many burn it all in the first half.  Nailed all the downhills and corners. Caught a a few racers who slowed down in the second half....never blow it all in the first half.

Back across the road crossing and down the sand road to the turn onto the last few KM's of singletrack. After the singletrack was the finish. Good day at the races with a 3rd in Clydesdale for the day and with the second year as Ontario Half Marathon Clydesdale champ. Wooo

El Bandito

El Bandito 70k report from July 2018....

El Bandito 68.42km

Just so we are clear....me and 60k or more that involves Ganaraksa Forest is not a good time.

Not counting injury from a crash 4 months ago this was simply a training event to simply do the 70k distance. No hurry no rush who cares about the time. And to simply get one 60k plus event in involving the Ganaraska that wasn't an exercise in extreme mental toughness.

End result...despite one leg cramp on Thertell Rd...the first hill after Cold Springs Camp Road. No other issues of pain, cramping, or what not. Got in one event involving Ganaraska that wasn't looking for a new level of suck.

Drank beer, ate food, heckled Barry,. And then feats of strength with Dan to tear down....apparently carrying 70 pound steel bollards for 200m x5 is a good idea at the end of the day.

Happy that got 70k involving Ganaraska that wasn't a fight. No...I have no interest in further pushing my chances at that distance in the Ganaraska area again.

Besides sticking to 40k will get one to the cold beer sooner.

Kingston Trophy Half Marathon 2019

Once again it is the Kingston Trophy on the home trails. With a different course then the last 2 years. And unlike last year not doing it 3 weeks out from a stay at Humberview Hospital with a lacerated kidney.

Start was good and despite the usual 30 rider DVP style parking lot when it went to singletrack the first 3k went well. But then it decided to get interesting.

Noticed a little play in the pedals on one corner and when I looked down something wasn't right. Stopped and discovered that somehow my crank bolt had backed off and cranks was shifting around. Grabbed the tools , backed off the bolts, punched the crank back into place, stuck the blade of my knife in the plastic bolt and cranked it tight, tightened the bolts, and back to work. Not sorry that quitting is not in my race vocabulary.

Back on the bike and having been past by a bunch of riders it was catch up. And DFL in the Clydesdale Cat Or more accurately hunt each one down...one at a time. And to wait patiently for the rock and tech that was coming. Knowing that most will have gunned it to hard before it or to worried about the Pete's Loop bit of foreplay before it truly begins. Came out of that section of Home Loop and turned left onto Burbrook. Just before the exit had passed a racer who would be irritating shortly after.

Rode through the water on Burbrook and just slightly after got past by the rider I passed earlier. Who rode by in a hurry and  popped into the woods. Have no idea what was in his thoughts but....he gets to the climb barely starts. And decides to stop, dismount, and stand in the middle of the climb as I come riding up. He just stared at me as I rode up, dismounted, and moved rapidly past him. Got to the top and into Pete's Loop where truly the race begins. Rode Pete's well with flow. Nailed the downhill switchbacks Rob cut a few days prior. Past the aid station to head into the next 2 sections Route 66 and The Ridge.

Rode both well despite at one point smacking a tree on one downhill. Kept hunting down riders and picking them off one at a time. Nailed the Route 66 downhill exit perfectly. The Ridge went well and caught 2 Clyde cat guys in there. On the Ridge descent caught 2 guys riding duallys. At one point could briefly see Team Colin.

After that it was exit loop to Burbrook and into Rooney's in reverse still making up time and slowly reeling in 2 more guys. Get to the aid station 2  which was pretty much the end of the singletrack and began the farm field march of ugh. Only got passed by one guy in all the fields and lost contact with Colin and Simone the RCAF pilot. The Sandbox went well and the last km's where good. Didn't go all out as I knew after climbing up from the sandbox could see a huge gap between me and anyone behind. Caught and passed one more before the finish and was done.

End result was after major mechanical and having to hunt down half the field got first in Clydesdale. Don't know the math what this means in the series standings. Next up is the local 6 hour again then the Humbler.