Training Log Archive: revy

Girls were out of town in Osoyoos cycling so Brook invited the guys to ride in Salmon Arm. Today we (Brook, Stuart, Sean and I) rode out to Mabel Lake via Grandview Bench. A very nice ride at a steady pace for most of it. I cracked my pedal about 40km and it survived until Grindrod on the way home (at which point it broke completely and fell off). Had to limp home soft pedaling after that as I only had a small nub left to push on. Cloudy forecast but no rain and temperature was pleasant. The ride is fairly scenic - not too much traffic at this time of year. Lots of ups and downs which certainly added up by the end of the day. Legs felt pretty good.

Greenbelt with Milo.

Wanted to ride Maple Syrup again as the first attempt left me a little underwhelmed. Unfortunately the lower section plus Solar Coaster are still closed due to logging post fire (last summer) and major windstorm (winter). So many fresh cuts I could see - looked like a major event. Climbed at tempo to the top (10 minute warm up then 35 min hard). Enjoyed the upper section of Maple Syrup. Being on a better bike, having different expectations and riding it fast and non stop helped. The closure forced me to traverse and climb to Tony's Arbutus which I had wanted to check out anyway. A little more old school but quite fun. I don't think I took the main line in a couple spots (there are more trails out there than shown on TF). I think this trail has much better views than Maple Syrup.

Nice run through the ravine and then past Royal Oak to the bog then along a green belt section to Emily Carr park and back up the hill to finish. Felt decent running which was nice.

Casual ride with my parents to the Observatory and back through the back roads around Elk Lake. The climb is quite nice with good views up top. Felt like I was in Europe again for a short while... I didn't realize the observatory was so old (and used to be the second biggest telescope in the world when built).

A varied ride on the Norco from Cordova Bay to Willis Point, Munn Road and around Hartland. A mix of pavement, gravel, dirt and singletrack. At points almost felt like I was on a spring cycling trip in Europe exploring back roads... at other times less so as I went off road. Nice weather again and an interesting ride. Bike can manage on technical trails but need to go slow. Overall quite capable though and feels road bike-ish on pavement (other than the wide tires). The climb from the beach was rather stiff but the loop was nice and Ross-Durrance Road is very nice as well. Connected some roads with sections of hiking trail that likely weren't legal but didn't see any no bike signs nor did I see anyone. Bike was fairly comfortable for the second ride on the bike. Used my Garmin radar for the first time and initial impression is that it is great. Often was getting an extra several seconds before I heard the car myself.

Another short evening rally with my dad. Hand eye coordination was better but legs were tired.

From my parents place down to Beaver Lake and back.

Hartland solo ride. Good steady ride in bluebird weather. Wasn't pushing too hard but given the punchy climbs it ended up being quite a strength/hill workout. Hit most of the classics plus a trip over the summit and around on Mons/Legend. Legend is a fun trail but one that requires a certain frame of mind as it is more slow tech than fast flow. If you don't have the power to stay on your bike it could be a very frustrating ride. the climb up breathless is also probably a walk for most people. I was certainly feeling all the power moves by the end...

East Sooke regional park coastal trail with the family. Nice scenery of Johnstone Strait and the Olympics. Quintessential island scenery with arbutus groves, rock outcrops and salal. The trail is pretty rugged with lots of clambering up and down rocks.

Tennis with my dad. It has been a while... luckily I still remember how to hit the ball (though a bit rusty).