Now I'm back in Calgary, wearing the TransRockies finishers T-shirt, still with a hacking cough from the mountain dust and a few scars to remind me of the most epic week ever. The final 2 days were awesome. The Friday (Stage 6) was the longest stage at 116km with the 2 highest climbs of the race. Both over 2000m. It's difficult to describe how physically demanding this stage was. Best just to point out that the organisers removed the time limit!
The stage for me will be remembered for the smoke. There were raging forest fires not far away and at times the smell of burning forests was overwhelming and filled our lungs with noxious sulphurous fumes. At other times it was just hazey and added to the dust that had been stinging our eyes and suffocating our lungs all week. THe climbs were hard, lasting hours not minutes. The descents made it all worth it though.
Our strategy was survival as Meg still wasn't right, having been pretty wiped out by her fever, and since there was no way we'd catch the second place team we decided to just ride steady and enjoy it. Meg smiled all day - the first time so far! We cruised over the line in just under 7.5hrs and stole the boys pizza as they slept in the shade having wiped themselves out with the effort. Sweet!
Time to relax!!
|
Stage 7
The final day was a fast and furious 50km. I was taking no prisoners that day and stormed past all the chain gangs on the open stretches, pulling Meg with me. We pushed fairly hard on the climbs and did our thing on the down hill and singletrack, I just tried to keep Meg in sight. As we came into the final bit of singletrack we were riding right behind the Caniwi girls (in second). Meg saw red and sprinted off, dust balling out from her back tyre. I got stuck behind some slower guys and broke all etiquette by hollering that I had to pass and I had to pass NOW. They let me and I watched my heart rate sore to over 170 as I caught up the other 3 girls.
On the final attack however, disaster struck. Meg saw a gap that was less than Meg-sized and clipped handlebars with a guy, taking down the riders on both sides of her. The dust on the trail was black and as she slowly stood back up she was covered head to foot in soot, teeth and all. We rode steadily through the final kilometer and finished 15 seconds behind the Caniwi girls, who immediately handed us champagne on the line and shared lots of hugs and photos.
So now we're back in Calgary feeling hung over from the after party, deflated from the adrenaline crash and endlessly hungry. I am itching to get back on my bike again and show off my new climbing ability. The TransRockies was beautiful, epic, hard, emotional and enchanting. Sign me up again!
I'd like to say a massive thank you to all the people who supported me in getting here, surviving and keeping me rubber side down. These include JT, Minx, Chris from Schwalbe, Ben from Palligap (for the Torq Bars that kept us climbing!), Rob from Extreme Endurance, Rob's parents from driving the RV and making endless cheese rolls and all the awesome people who raced the TransRockies and enabled me and Meg ride the race of our lives.
Fi x
