Nimby 50 2015: Hot.

Enter the off-season.  XC mountain bike racing in BC and skimo racing are very closely matched - about 2 or 2.5 hours and 1500 meters climbed per race, won on the climbs and lost on the descents.

It was a pretty harsh transition this year - for the first time I had focused almost entirely on skiing all winter, didn't commute much, and then took two weeks off after the Ken Jones Classic.  The first real ride afterwards, Caroline dropped me without trying.   A very convenient work trip at the end of April became a week long training camp on the coast, and I seemed to find my legs by the end.   May was hot, which led perfectly into this years Nimby 50:

(I make a very brief appearance around 1:28.  Look closely.)

The race starts with a few kilometers on the highway. I was basically spun out almost immediately, but the middle of the pack was a good place to get dragged along.

It wasn't an overly eventful race.  Since I had been trying to beat the girls all ski season, I decided to stick with the theme this summer... no luck this time.

It was dusty.  Put your front tire into the trench and follow it down sort of dusty.  At one point on the Red Bull downtime I was caught by the guy behind me, who was being a total wad about getting by.  I found a spot to get out of his way, he passed, and within 100 meters had cramped and fallen off his bike.  Highlight of my race, I think.  Full disclosure: I did not stop or offer any assistance.  I may have made an obscene gesture as I passed.


Heat mismanagement, a crashy moment, and some cramps on the final gravel path (karma?) cost me some time near the end of the race.  I finished 4 minutes over my sub-3 hour goal.  Disappointing, but it turns out this was good enough for 3rd in my age group... which I was not expecting, and missed the podium as I was busy sleeping in the grass.




Picture me on the viewers left.


Results here.