BC Stage Race Day 5

After a miserable day in the saddle on Day 4, I was curious as to whether the body would recover quickly enough to rebound for Day 5.  The added challenge was that the field had a late finish on Day 4 (at around 6 for me) and then a quick turn around for a 9 a,m, start the following day - it was going to be interesting....I was just hoping I could mettle through it if the legs did not comply.  The good news was the Day 5 was a shorter day distance-wise, although it packed a punch with over 1400 meters of elevation gain in the short 38 km.

The other potential good news was that we were hearing that Day 5 was going to be shortened due to part of the trail being wet and un-rideable.  The reality was that they removed the trail portion but ended up adding a road section so that the stage actually ended up being 41km as opposed to the original 38 km.

The race start was a 6km lead-out on road which then turned into dirt road and then into some of the sweetest, smoothest, funnest singletrack I have ever been on.  Day 5 was my favorite day of the race so far.  It was just super fun and the legs had bounced back from the BONK the day before.  Just before we hit the last climb of the day, I shifted into an easier gear to get up a hill and my chain froze!  I immediately got off the bike and noticed that one of my chain links was bent!!!  I moved my bike off the trail and went to work removing a link....3 removed links later, I had my chain back together and just prayed it would hold out until the end of the race and that it would not skip around too much.

At this point I had watched many a racer go by and I had a little adrenaline to start chasing down people again.  I had lost about 15 minutes on the side of the trail fixing my chain and it was time to get moving.  The video-grapher happened to stop while I was fixing my chain and prepped me with a couple of lines for the daily videos that they were making...of course I managed to flub the line so there goes any Hollywood aspirations...weah

It was good to get back on the bike and reel people in...I slowly caught and passed over 30 folks that had passed me while doing some trailside bike fixing...but my mind kept thinking that the hope of staying on the first page of the results were slipping away.  The Day 4 BONK and the Day 5 trail maintenance were losing precious time and slipping down the results page...

I had heard that Day 5 was the payoff for the grueling Day 4 and I have to admit that in this case they were dead on.  Day 5 provided a much needed attitude adjustment to where the riding put a big smile back on my face because it was just FUN!  

We crossed so many ladder bridges - some of which were 12 ft up, others that were railed and bermed, others that were super skinny, yet others nice and big....just BIG BIG fun!  There was a ton of work that went into these trails as I lost count of all the wooden ladders and bridges that we traversed.  I kept thinking I should have mounted the Go Pro but I had tucked it away after Day 1...

At this point, there were 2 days left and the goal of finishing was getting tantalizing closer - thoughts would creep into my head of riding safely so as to not risk the possibility of not finishing....of course that never really happens because you get in the moment and dial it all in.

After the race, I took my bike to the mechanics so they could replace the chain and possible other drivetrain components if needed.  They would work on it overnight and then my chain problem would be resolved for the morning start in Squamish for Day 6.  Little did I know what was in store on Day 6.   For now, it was time to bask in the glory of a phenomenal day of riding.