May 31 - More Uphills, Hot n Sunny

Today we left Kamloops and rode to Cash Chreek. It was a beautiful day with full sun and temperatures that reached 27 during our ride and up to 30 after lunch. Before we hit the road some old friends came to send us off. Nancy and Dave, who opened their home to me years and ago when the National Championships were in Sun Peaks, came to say hello and wish me well for the rest of the ride. It was great to see them again, it has been over 6 years since I saw them last.

Today's ride felt like we were always going either uphill or downhill. There were some amazing views of lakes and golf courses surrounded by desert like hills. The hills went quite well and I felt strong which was great. Although my muscles felt a little flat after a day off, my knees and lungs were much better! I'm certain this cold is on it's last legs! Another good things as we face the hardest days yet.

The girls are really sticking together right now and working hard to make sure everyone finishes. On the hills there is always a pretty massive separation in the group, but we always wait at the top, spinning out our legs out so we can start the descent together. The heat may become a factor, but for today it was ok.

We're now on our way to the dunk our legs in cold water to help speed up recovery.

Tomorrow we'll be facing a 2 hour climb to start the day, followed by a nice descent then two more, steep but short climbs. The next day...well...I don't even think there is a word that can properly describe how much it may hurt. I'm just wishing I had a granny gear!!!!! :)

Till tomorrow,

K

May 30- Day off, Massage, Media, Dinner with Kids

The day off in Kamloops was a pretty chill (yet busy) day for everyone. Many of the athletes played nine holes of golf, others got massages, and others went for a relaxed recovery ride on their bikes. As for myself, my day started with a long chat on Skype with my boyfriend David. It was great to connect via video after a few days of only texting. After a long chat, I had a relaxed breakfast then I went into town for a massage. Still feeling sick I enjoyed a day to give my body some rest.

At around 3pm we all gathered and went to a local GM dealership for for media event with some signing and photo ops. It was a beautiful day with full sunshine and 30 degrees. To be honest, I couldn't handle to sun for too long, so I gathered with the others in the shade whenever possible.

After the GM conference, we went to dunk our legs in the river again, physio then dinner with the local Kamloops Ski racers! It was a wonderful dinner with steak and all the fixings! I really enjoyed the evening with more laughter than I could handle. I crashed soon after dinner very tired and hoping to be set to go for the next ride.

Only 3 days left of riding!

May 29 - Rode into Kamloops, A few Big Hills, One Crash

Today began with a surprising wake up call at 6:30am delivered to all rooms....ah the joys of training under Mike Fichta! No, seriously though, it was a great day that was very, very full. We started our day leaving Mike Wiegele's at 8:30am, rode 106km that had a few hills that were unexpected but good. I am really happy with how I'm riding now and feel more and more like a cyclist. The groups are great as we learn to draft more and more effectively trying different styles and techniques. The group as a whole is impressive, you can really see the different strengths of everyone. It's been great and I have such respect for all my teammates.

Today we had one crash with Christina Lutenburger going down pretty hard (followed by Manny flying over her and impressively landing on his feet). Luckily no one else got wrapped up in the crash and Lusti walked away with a few scratches and one big goose egg over her right eye.


After the ride we had a snack at the Dairy Queen in Clearwater and awaited the designated time of departure. (I had a physio treatment from Julie on the picnic table outside, pretty funny but very needed) We then loaded up the trucks and vans and drove for about 1h towards Kamloops. We drove this section because of the lack of shoulder, gravel, and high number of transport trucks. About 10km outside of Kamloops we unpacked the vans, got back on our bikes, and rode 10km into Kamloops' Husky station for a media appearance. It was a lot of work for one camera and one reporter. Still, they were very hospitable in welcoming us to the city.



From there we moved into our University dorm rooms for the night! Before you get any ideas into your head, this place is beautiful and brand new! It only opened 4 days ago and the rooms and amazingly spacious and comfortable. Not your regular dorm rooms.

From there we quickly changed and went down to the river to dunk our legs in the cold water to aid recovery. This is a picture of Emily Desforges and she soaked her legs while trying to cover up her skin that got burned on today's sunny ride.

Now, it was dinner time with the Mayor of Kamloops! This was a pleasant meal that wasn't full of formalities, which was nice after a long day. Finally, I ended my day with Julie and more physio, then e-mails, and finally bloging.

Ah, now it's time for bed....I can't wait!

Oh ya, tomorrow's a day off!!!!! (from riding that is)

K

May 28 - 90km Ride, to Mike Wiegele's, Beach Volleyball

Another day, another hundred K. Well, almost. I had a great day out on the bike as we enjoyed some tail wind, some head wind, and nice rolly terrain. Today I rode with all the girls in one big pack. Emily Brydon was the only one absent as she started off her day with the boys. Although we faced some nasty conditions on the shoulder of the highway at times, the girls ran a tight group considering how much experience we have. I found today was a good recovery day for me and my joints as I adapt to this kind of volume. My muscle and stamina feel great, but my knees' ligaments are not used to this! Physio has been key for everyone.

Our route today took us from Valemount to Mike Wiegele's Heli Skiing resort. Although we won't be doing any Heli Skiing, we are enjoying these beautiful log cabins for the night! This afternoon we also had some laughs as we all tried to play some beach volleyball. It was great.

As far as my health goes, I'm still coughing quite a bit but it's getting better and better. I'm happy to say my voice is back to normal as well!

Next destination...Kamloops.

May 27 - 130km ride, rain, lost one

I'm Back! Today I rode with the group, covering 130km's from Jasper to Valemount and I felt amazingly good. Luckily my lungs were clearer than when I rode yesterday, otherwise I don't think I would have made it. The day started with a fun descent from the hostel, but unfortunately this descent cost us one athlete. Larisa Yurkiw had, what I heard, was a pretty scary crash that launched her into the woods. Luckily she came away with only a severe bruise on her thigh, although it is likely severe enough that she will not be riding anymore.

For the first 70km I rode in a group of 7, without knowledge of Larisa's crash, as we faced heavy rains with some wind. I ate more dirt today than I have through all my life. I felt lucky to be in a group that was working so well together, it made the ride go quickly. With 3 boys and 4 girls it was a nice mix. Although in the first 10km I had several rooky mistakes as I got into it; dropped water bottle in the rain, chain fell off the cassette, and nearly taking out Emily as I tried to get food from my back pouch. Luckily, I got into the rhythm from there though.

Mostly today, I was just happy to be out on my bike, I was mostly smiles...even with the rain:) At 64km mark everyone took a short break, changed clothing, refilled water bottles, ate, washed off as much mud as possible, then we hit the road again. Some of the athletes didn't change clothing and wanted to get going quickly. Those, including myself, who did change clothing weren't finished fast enough to continue the ride with them. So, when we were ready to hit the road again it was a group of 4. The other girls hadn't reached the rest point yet.

So, the rest of the ride consisted of a group of 4. I was amazed at how much more work it was, especially when the head winds picked up for the last 30km. Still, we worked well together and we had some fun on the big descents and worked hard on the ascents.

My body appears to have survived the first day fairly well. My right knee is quite sore from overuse, but with icing and physio I hope it won't become cumulatively worse.

Till next time!

K

May 25 & 26 - Jasper Hostel, Day Off, Short Ride, Soccer

Yesterday was a long ride of 150km's with one very big climb which ended in Jasper. Unfortunately I was still unable to ride and found it hard watching from the sidelines. However, I was impressed with the group and was very inspired. Most of the girls started the ride 45km into it, skipping the massive climb, but Emily Brydon, Brigitte Acton. and Christina Lustenburger did the climb with great success. Today (a day off for everyone in Jasper) I got out on my bike for just over an hour to test the lungs and get back on my bike. Jay Keddy came with me, which was great since he had some awesome pointers and was very supportive as I hacked up a lung. Still, I felt pretty good and did one pretty big climb without too much trouble. I'll be back riding with the group tomorrow for a relatively flat 120km ride.

Currently we are staying at the Jasper hostel. Yes, I said hostel. We are all in big rooms filled with lots of bunk beds. (Luckily the girls have a separate dorm though!) In many respects it's been pretty nice with everyone pitching in for meals, and overall living. Yesterday evening we had a small campfire with smoores (spl?) and all. Not everyone joined in, but I certainly loved being by the fire. Sadly, (or not so sadly) I may be leaving the communal living environment for tonight with Lusti. She also came down with this bug so we may leave to help stop the spreading of germs.

During our day off we played soccer with the locals racers. It was a great opportunity to meet them, spend some time hanging out and enjoy a great BBQ lunch! This picture is of Meg Ryley and one the young Jasper Ski stars guarding the net!

That's all for now!

Cheers,
K

Thursday May 24 - Fresh Pow, Chest Cold

Well, the stories are pilling up already. This morning we rolled out of bed to find 10cm of fresh powder on the ground! The roads were still clear, although wet, so the decision was made to truck (bike) on. I was feeling sick last night and as I got worse through the day but I hoped it would pass after a good nights rest. Unfortunately for me, I slept a mere 3 hours, and woke up to realize I'd lost my voice and had a nasty cough. The doctor listened to my chest and made the call that I wouldn't be riding today (although I must admit that wasn't a hard choice - I was in bad shape). It was hard not starting this ride with everyone, and to watch the day pass as I rode in the RV with the team's cook, Chad, to the next motel. Since arriving, I have hunkered down in my room to rest since I hope to be back on my bike tomorrow.

Tonight we'll be resting at the Saskatchewan Crossing. Next stop, Jasper!

Fresh Snow....we should have brought our ski equipment!

Wednesday May 23rd - Media Launch, Snows falling

Today was a full day geared towards officially launching this bike trip! Yesterday wrapped up the fitness testing portion and today was all about the final preparations for the ride to begin tomorrow. A media event, held at COP Calgary, showcased all the athletes in our team jerseys symbolically riding off to a shotgun start. The two rides around COP were fairly indicative of what lays ahead, a bit of confusion, getting used to bikes, and cold fingers!

I am currently at the Lake Louise Inn settling in for my last nights rest before the grind begins. As I look out my window the snow is falling....yes...I said snow. The rules have been set that the only reasons we'll pull out from riding is for thunderstorms and snow. Tomorrow we'll face one of our easier days with only 90km's and no major climbs. The goal tomorrow is to learn how to ride as a group, figure out what group matches our ability, and to begin finding (however difficult it may be to find something you never possessed) our biking legs.

Some nights we'll be in hotels, other nights hostels. With no cell phone service through most of the ride and an obvious lack of regular internet access my updates may be less regular than I had hoped. However, unless otherwise noted, I'm still alive and riding somewhere between Lake Louise and Whistler! :)

My feelings heading into this ride include anxiety, excitement, curiosity, and drive. At the very least, after the next 10 days I'm sure we'll have many stories to tell. When it comes down to it, I'm extremely excited to start this journey. This is living.

K

2 Days and Counting

The bike trip is inching its way closer and closer to reality. It seems like every person I run into has different opinions of how it will go, how it will feel, tactics to use, and how hard it will actually be. After hearing all this information, including opinions of many pro riders, I've decided this is going to HURT! However, it's possible. Considering it was snowing this morning in Calgary, this trip may also be a lot colder than I've anticipated.

Tomorrow we'll be at the University of Calgary's lab for fitness testing. Hopefully it won't take too much out of our bodies so we'll be set to start this bike trip on Thursday.

I'll keep up with my blog as the bike trip progresses! So Stay Tuned....

Whistler Camp Over, Biking Begins

I'm just returning from what was likely the most efficient ski camp I've ever been on. We had, what felt like, the top of the world all to ourselves. Peak chair at Whistler was opened to us for 6 days, with only 10 athletes there, we enjoyed more space and freedom to train than I've ever experience. Our mornings started with a 5am wake up. This was followed by a 35min drive up the mountain then training from 7am through 11am. (The picture below was taken from the top of the road that had been dug out....we couldn't believe how much snow is still up there!)

We had rollers built, start exercises, Super G & DH tracks, brush courses, and of course...big air....or at least a Downhiller's version of Big Air! I enjoyed jumping more than I ever have before. I hit my longest jump just short of 50 metres in flight distance! The best part was that I loved ever second of it. I've never jumped so well, nor have I ever enjoyed it so much. Life up there was great with an atmosphere of hard work, excitement, and enjoyment. It was something most athletes dream of.

I'm now home for a few days and I have begun preparing for the Team's Big Bike trip from Lake Louise to Whistler. I have to admit I've enjoyed riding these last few days, although I'm not sure if I'm prepared for the mountain passes that lay ahead! Still, we'll be there together as a team battling the hills....only this time we'll be going UPHILL?.... who ever thought that was a good idea must have been nuts:)

I'll keep you up to date as the Ski Team's Tour begins!

Kelly