Start of mountain bike race season!

 After some exiting spring skiing mission, now is time to but the planks away and get back on 2 wheels! The mountain bike season started a bit on a sour note for me with a small head injury while riding the Salty Dog race course a month prior to the event.  Fortunately, thank you to Amy and Helios Physiotherapy and Massage, the whiplash and minor concussion were addressed so I had enough time to get back on the bike and get ready for the first events of the season.The season started with the #1 Arrow Helicopter XC race put together by the Revelstoke Cycling Association Race committee. Close to 30 people gathered for the event. The course took us through some of the lower trails like Hemlock Grove, Quarry and Yew R Here part of the Macpherson trail network. It was great to see so many people out even in the rain. Thank you to Bart and Chloe for their work putting the calendar together again this year and to all the volunteers behind the event!

Results can be found here:http://bikerevelstoke.org/enter/?p=3067

  

Arrow Helicopter XC Race
Picture by Kip Wiley

A few days later was the annual 6 hours Enduro Salty Dog in Salmon Arm. As per the previous years, XC racers from all over drove to the South Canoe trail network to take part in the event. While we gather at 6:30 am for the drive on Sunday may 13^th, the sun was already out and promised to be shining all day.  Of course, it was the first warm day of spring and god did it ever get hot! After getting installed and all geared up, I met up with my favorite XC racing buddy, Michael Robinson who came from the Coast to race. All racers lined up on a field below the trail network for the start. It was amazing to be part of a group of 400 riders ready to get sweaty and dusty over the following 360 minutes.  The trails were in amazing shape and fellow racers were really friendly, cheering one another especially towards the end of the event.  It was great to bump into Revelstoke racers, most wearing the new RCA kit. It was also super to bump into Michael has he lapped me toward to the end of the event! I had a good race, keeping in my mind the word “consistency” and also being mindful of any dizziness due to the head/neck injury. The upper body was the least of my concern when I started to get massive leg cramps around the 6-7^th lap.  I completed 8 laps (same as last year) but 9 minutes faster, which I was happy about.

A particular thank you to: Al from Skookum for fixing my bike and making it race ready

Giant for the sweet Anthem Advance 1

Amy at Helios for being so good at what she does!

Brad at Hammer for providing product to the Ski Mountaineering team, which I found very useful during the race! 

Congrats to all the people who took part in the event. A big thank you to all the volunteers and Skookum for organizing the event (Tom & Greg).  Congrats to all the Revy people! Bart Jarmula, Courtney Rennie, Atsuko Knight, Pete Smiley, Tom Madlung, Richard Mulligan, Rich Hamilton, Rory Luxmoore, Amy Guidinger & Sarah Newton,… I know I’m forgetting a few people here because there was a lot of us out there…Here are some of the results for the Solo Category Solo Expert W

1^st  Jenn Schulz (Congrats, I know she was really going for it!)

2^nd Mel Bernier

3^rd Fernie Fix 

Solo Expert M

1^st Michael Robinson!!!! Yeahhh! Good work buddy, you smashed it!

2^nd Luke Way

3^rd Peter Watson 

Full Results here:http://www.zone4.ca/results.asp?id=4885 Next stop, Nimby 50 in Pemberton on May 26^th!