HARDwood

My first legit Canada Cup, I did the race at Hardwood three times now but unless you're Cadet/Junior Ex or Elite it's not really a Canada Cup. Right from the start there was definitely a HUGE difference from an O-Cup, I took the start climb way too easy trying not to burn out by the top. Lesson learned, pin it right to the first bottleneck then grab your bike, throw it over your shoulders and yell "Tasses-toi mon collise" as you plow through the field.

Once into the first singletrack it was all downhill from there, literally. I thought that I would have plenty of energy and I was so pumped to get going but I just couldn't get there. I was riding like a knob and climbing like a plug, therefore, making up not a single spot in the first lap. Caught a couple guys on the opening climb, but once back into the trail I was useless. For laps 2-4 I had times where I would feel amazing, but they were short-lived and soon I would be feeling like a shithawk trying to fly low enough to stay out of the shitstorm.

The best part of the race was when I jumped the biggest gap on the BMX descent, just before the second berm. I know it's nothing, but I haven't jumped a bike like that since my days riding the Raleigh CT special, destroyed pretty much every part on that thing. Good thing my sister had the same bike so I could just use it for spare parts.

Anyways, so lap 5 and 6 were awful. I was riding with Jamie Wagler for a bit and we were closing in on a couple guys but next thing I knew he was gone and I was nothing more than a pilon on the trail for anyone coming up to pass me. I got a last burst of energy just before the BMX descent and sprinted a guy at the end that actually ended up being a sprint to not be the last finisher. I can proudly say I crushed it and crossed the line a whopping 55th, oh well, it was so much fun to experience a Canada Cup, hopefully do a few more next year.

The weekend was alot of fun, felt amazing on the pre-ride Saturday which made for some fun riding. Highlight was definitely showing up at the fanciest place I've ever been too in my life wearing my french socks and Jamaican kicks, me and DeCal with our matching O-Cup shirts. I swear we were the only ones in there not wearing a suit and tie. First they wanted to tell us that they were booked til 8, but they couldn't even say it seriously as we looked around at 30 empty tables. Then the waitresse tells DeCal "so, I'm guessing you guys don't need a wine list", I guess only little kids wear matching t-shirts these days. We got a pint of steamwhistle and the most amazing pasta dish I've ever had, ever. And I've had alot of pasta. Come to think of it, maybe it's not actually called pasta, but I call any dish with noodles pasta so that's that.

Solid weekend for team Lib. Meg on the box, Schmidt got a solid race in after some bad luck in Québec. De Cal finally broke his curse at that place, no broken frames so all was good.

Just finished my last exam today, this week I'll be on the mountain bike every day. Hopefully get a BG fit if there's enough room this week then it's nothing but spinach and anchoves to get down to race weight, gotta counteract the cinnamon buns and apple pie that made up the majority of my diet over the weekend.