Three days at three hours per day

Saturday, June 12 – 40 kms in 3:07
Now that's more like it. Despite the rain the past few days, the trails on Bowen Island were in pretty good shape. The plan called for a three hour mountain bike ride and I went over the target by seven minutes.
I rode a tonne of single-track and also threw in a few big climbs. I was pleasantly surprised at how I managed to handle the technical descents. The rock gardens were less trouble than I remember them being last year. I suspect that the exercise that I've been doing have really helped my core strength and that has helped Keeping the bike upright and on track on those loose descents.
My one disappointment was my ride through Cape Roger Curtis. This 640 acre property was sold a few years ago for about $16 million. The zoning allows 59 10-acre lots. (Which would leave almost none of the area undisturbed and little parkland in this previously untouched corner of the island?) The owners proposed a more comprehensive development with over 500 residential units and thus a much larger built-out population. The development would include some community facilities and also a shopping precinct. And about ½ of the total land area would be turned into parkland. But it was not to be. It reminds me of the old joke. What is the difference between an environmentalist and a developer? The environmentalist has a house in the woods; the developer wants to build a house in the woods.
Anyway, what were formerly nice little single-track trails are now wide two-lane plus broad shoulder compressed gravel roads to cater to the logging trucks and construction vehicles. And where the roads have not been finished there are huge expanses of mud, just waiting to wash into the nearby streams.
But overall a great ride and I managed to stay in the saddle for lots of stuff that I have had to walk in the past.

 
Sunday, June 13 – 34 kms in 2:53
Another three-hour mountain bike ride. I missed the goal by 7 minutes, but was over on Saturday, so I think that meets the target.
Some of the same route as Saturday, but a bigger climb and a descent where I chickened out. as per usual. Near where the Skid Trail meets Hiker's Trail Road there is a rocky chute. And about ½ way down the chute there is a big sharp point rock on the right side. It is in exactly the right spot for me to come off on the drop and whack my head. I'm sure that hundreds, if not thousands of people have ridden this chute with no incident what so ever, but as I ride by myself so often I'm scared that I'll be the one person who dismembers themselves. I should just buy some armour and learn to ride stuff like that.
I could feel the effect of yesterday's ride as had to dismount in a few places I rode cleanly yesterday. And as this was day three of my 3-day riding camp I could feel some fatigue. Not really surprising at all. I really felt the effect of the previous day's riding on one of the final technical descents of the day. I was a bit off the ideal line and managed to T-bone my wheel and go over the bars. No major injury, but a crash always affects your confidence. I took it easy for the balance of the day and got home safe and sound. Nothing broken and the bike still intact.

 
Monday, June 14 – Rest day
In two months we'll all be sitting in Canmore wondering how we managed to make it through the past 7 days of riding. Many people will be crossing the TR off their "bucket list", and I'll be wondering how to convince my wife that an 8^th TR would really be a good idea.
Despite the lovely day, I followed the plan and stayed off the bike. But a few more days like this and I will be going a bit squirrelly. Summer in Vancouver is so nice, and to be off the bike is really a hardship. 10 years ago I don't think I'd have said that, but now I'm a 2-wheeled addict. I ride more distance each year than my wife drives.
One side effect of all of the riding is that I need lots of work done on my bikes. I took my Spinergy Cyclone wheels in to the shop to be overhauled before the TR. The rear wheel needed the most work and after some examination it was determined that it needed both a new axle and a new freehub body. The problem is that as my wheel was version two, and Spinergy is now up to version 4, they no longer have the parts. So now I'll have to swap the whole wheel. Luckily Spinergy does have a reasonable trade-in policy, but it will be a bit more expensive. But as I've said before, you really need to start the TR with a well maintained bike and all of the parts in very good condition.

 
Tuesday, June 15 – 23 kms in 1:05
Yeah, I got to do a 1 hour ride today. This consisted of a short jaunt up to the blood donor clinic, for number 260, and a follow-up ride down to Marine Drive. Nothing too strenuous, and as per usual I didn't feel any ill effects after my donation. In previous years I would have probably gone for a longer ride, but I'm trying to be good and stuck to Cory's plan.

 
Wednesday, June 16 – No ride, Daddy Duty
I accomplished half of Cory's plan for today. I was to do 30 minutes of upper body and core exercises and a 30 minute ride. As I was on daddy duty I didn't get the ride, but I did manage to work on the core. This stuff has to help. And along with lugging my daughter around I'm sure that I'll feel the benefits come August.