Cardiac classic: the need for a super hero?!

We were greeted with sunshine today which was a nice change from all this rain we have been having. I was debating which riding jersey to wear today. After all the rain I figure it was time to take the super hero jersey out for a spin. Super Groover was taken out of the closet and matching socks to go with it. The cardiac classic is a 25 km mountain bike race that take place on Burnaby mountain. As the name would indicate, we have to go up this monster climb 3 times. I was racing in the 30-39 age group and was in the first wave. As usual the pace is crazy at the start and I had a hard time keeping with the front riders. I settled at my racing pace and went on to the first climb. The down hill is a nice mix of technical single track and open road. I was riding on the 29 er today and the big wheels where nice over the technical portions. By the 3rd time going up the hill, I was looking forward to the finish line. I would cross in 1:59:40 which was almost 5 min faster than my time last year. Not sure whe I placed but I was happy with my time. For you stat savvy, I burned 2000 calories, climbed 3500 feet of elevation gain over the 25 km. Next weekend I will be at Jericho beech for the Subaru sprint triathlon. This race hold a special place for me as it was my very first triathlon back in 2007. Happy trails!

Carpe Diem

Test of Metal, the aftermath!

I decided to ride the new steed for the race. After a quick training ride Thursday I figure I had nothing to loose. I woke up to the sound of rain saturday morning which did not make me very happy. After arriving in Squamish, the rain had stop but I knew that the course would be wet and close tona 1000 riders, the trail could get chewed up pretty quickly. The gun went off at 11 on the nose and the mad pace on the pavement too place in order to get to the trails with good riders. I wish I could have been a bit faster as I got caught in a long line where riders were not going very fast. Once it opened up, I started gaining some ground but had to fix my quick release on my rear wheel. I continued until the big climb and after, the dreaded plunge, a black diamond, technical single track. The big wheels worked awesome and despite the slick roots and terrain, I was happy with how it went. About 10 min from the end, my saddle bag unhooked and I hade to put it in my jersey. I would finish the race in 3:32:22 good for 28/155 in my age group and 186/826 overall. I was hoping for a faster time but considering that it was wet, muddy and that I was riding a new bike, I'm satisfied with the result. A big congrats to my friend Susan from Portland who finished her first test of metal and did great. I will be racing locally next weekend at the cardiac classic on Burnaby mountain. This race is part of the BC cup and I will be racing masters. As its name suggest, there is some good climbs! Happy trails!

Carpe Diem

Gear 2.0 29er mountain bike

It's official, there has been an addition to stable Fortier. A new racing steed, Norco Jubei SL mountain bike with 29 inch wheels on a hard tail frame. This carbon fiber beauty weight less than 25 lbs. I haven't done many changes but it did put a 2x10 crank. Traditionally mountain bike comes with 3 rings on the crank. By going with only 2, the thought is that it will lighten the bike and cut some of the duplication of gears. I also extended the front fork to 100 mm of travel. The 29 inch wheels on the other hand are supposed to give you more speed on the flats, more controls in the trail and a better absorption on a hard tail frame. I got this bike mainly for Xterra races as the mountain biking is usually a little less technical than what we see in BC. I just can't decide if I should do the Test of Metal on the new bike or not. This will probably be a game day decision. Speaking of game day, Go Canucks Go! Happy trails

Carpe Diem

Oliver, the aftermath!

Sunday morning came in early as I made my way to transition for 6 am. I got a great racking spot, just by the bike exit. After having set my transition, I put my wetsuit on and headed to the water. The water was not too cold and it promised to be a hot and sunny day. I decided to seed myself on the inside for the swim, looking back now I was not too happy about my choice. I exited the water in 40 min. I made my way to transition and started the 93 km bike section. After my first lap of two, my rear wheel suddenly locked on me. I managed not to crash into find out that my rear tire was shredded which meant that it was it for me. I already had resigned myself to call it when the neutral car service pulled over. The boys from the bike barn came to the rescue and changed tube and tire. I then got back on my bike tried to make out the 5-8 minutes that I had lost. Another quick transition to the run but by then the heat started to be punishing. I finished the race in 5 hours 20 min, good for 23/74 in my age group and 113 out of 780 racers. I have mixed feeling about my race. I was having a good day on the bike but the mechanical broke my rhythm. My run was not as good as last year but the heat was a factor. Such is life in racing. I would be amiss not to congratulate my friend Rebecca and Roy who had a great race although he needed a trip to the medic tent for dehydration. Finally a big congrats to my frien Ann who finished her first half ironman. I'm sure they all seized the day. As for me, the next race is on June 18 for the test of metal, a 67km mountain biking race in beautiful Squamish. Happy trails!

Carpe Diem

Oliver half iron

It has been a while since I posted anything. A combination of no race and a busy work schedule is what caused it. This weekend I will be attending the Oliver half ironman on Sunday. This will be the second year I do this race. Oliver is a 2000 m swim, 93 km bike and a 21.1 km run. It is supposed to be nice which would be a change from all the rain we have been getting. As usual, I have my goals for each leg but I will share those after the race. Let's hope the summer arrives soon so we can all enjoy the sun. More races are on their way so stay tuned! Happy Trails!

Carpe Diem