Day Seven!

We've finished the BC BIke Race with the seventh day of racing being at the biker's mecca of Whistler! After a few days of warning signs, I woke up this morning with a wicked head and chest cold. A shower and caffeine did little to perk me up but when we arrived at the Olympic Plaza, I was buoyed by a great vibe. Everyone was smiles, psyched up for the last day of racing. We knew it would be a hard day, but were comforted by the fact that the trails would be amazing and the end was near.

Today was the day to leave everything on the course. The start took us climbing up a gravel road for about 25 minutes and everyone was red-lining. I tried to get out as far in front as I could on the climb, so I could enter the technical singletrack in a good placement in regards to other women and with those who have compatible technical skills. We entered a fun technical descent and then a technical climb called Yummy Nummy. I found a situation, however, that was all-too familiar: bottlenecks and tried to stay calm while we rolled, walked or waited.

Finally, out on another dirt road for a big descent and then back into the woods on a local favorite trail called Comfortably Numb. Amazing rocky, ledgy descent, with open sections of rock where long stretches of rock became the trail. I loved this. It was dry and I was cleaning everything. I was so pumped! I was riding Whistler! I was almost done! The next three stretches of singletrack were beautiful, some bermed and swoopy, some with loose rocks and requiring short pops of climbing. Before big turns, I had a mantra I used to keep focus which I picked up at the downhill clinic I took before I left Vermont. Turn your head, turn your hips, tap the rear brake and let the bike whip around.

In the end, I finished second in 2:01 in the women's solo epic master's category, maintaining my overall third place in the race. Phil cranked, too, and finished 4th in 1:36, maintaining his seventh overall rank in the men's solo epic master's category. For the week, I had done 24:18 of racing and Phil had been on the bike for 19:57. Awesome!

We're proud.
We're tired.
We're happy.

We're off the the awards banquet!

Photos and details later...