Bruce Peninsula Multisport Race - Time estimated due to thunderstorm stoppage.
The BPMR travels the Bruce Peninsula from north to south. Last year I
described the race course in detail with photos and maps so I'll keep it brief this time. Bottom line: The Bruce Peninsula is a spectacular part of Ontario and the BPMR is a well-organized event with an epic race course. Do it!
I did a little 125 km warm-up last weekend at the Canadian Death Race so I wasn't sure how I'd be feeling. As it turned out, it was a minor injury that almost kept me from the start line - a painful blister under my big toenail. I hadn't worn shoes all week but tested them out on Friday night and made the final decision to race. (Shortly after that, I dropped my bike helmet on my toe and it bled profusely - sigh.) I spent quite awhile devising an intricate toe protection system using Leukotape and Second Skin.
Yahoo - a 3:30 a.m. alarm and a 4:30 a.m. race briefing to ensure that all racers make it down the peninsula before dark.
Even after a double espresso, I looked totally spaced out.
We had a long bus ride up to the start. The weather forecast wasn't promising but the waves on Georgian Bay were reasonable so Frankenjack made the call to go ahead with the beautiful 16K Leg 3 paddle.
We started at dawn from Cabot Head Lighthouse. (Photo by Hermes)
I knew the Death Race would affect me but wasn't sure how. As we headed off on our mountain bikes, I felt as if I'd been riding for several hours, not several minutes. This wasn't terrible since I'm *used* to riding for several hours but it was strange not to feel fresh at the start. The BPMR has varied and technical riding, and my body was missing the extra "gear" I normally use to power over larger obstacles and through deep mud. I hopped off my bike more than usual but it was manageable.
I made a Good Samaritan stop for several minutes to assist a fellow whose bike pump wasn't working. Even though today was supposed to be a "tour", not a "race" for me, I felt edgy watching other racers pass by!
Thunder started late in our bike ride and we were held at TA1 for about 80 minutes. Some of the faster racers had made it onto the next running leg and were held at the next TA. This provided an all-too-rare opportunity to read and comment on Facebook coverage of the race! :)
It's hard to stop mid-race but I am appreciative of the BPMR's serious policies regarding lightning and wish all events took the same precautions. We were eventually released onto the run with a time credit from our in/out SI punches.
The Bruce Trail run around Lion's Head may be the most technical run I've done, and today it was harder because the rocks and moss were slick from the heavy rain. Gratuitous thought the run was epic - worth the flight from California all on its own! Unexpectedly, I felt great running - nimble and relatively strong, even though conditions weren't as fast as last year.
Some louder thunder and even heavier rain started up in the middle of the run and I started thinking that the organizers would have to pull the plug on the event. I let my eating and drinking slide since I figured my day was almost over.
But it wasn't! The thunder stopped and the rain kept falling, so they didn't need to remove the paddling section completely. Instead they switched to an alternate plan where we paddled three loops of Little Lake totalling 5 km. I knew it wouldn't take much to make me hypothermic so I put on my light Salomon toque and arm warmers for the paddle. It felt like cheating to be out there in the V8 surfski; it helped me make up some time.
After the paddle, I put on a warm waterproof jacket and headed out on the alternate bike route to Hope Bay and the trails beyond. The most technical riding of the race is in this section, and eventually I was warm enough to ditch the jacket. It was nice to see 'Bent volunteering as a field marshal - in an actual cow field. Amazingly, I didn't fall on foot or bike all day in the slick conditions but I did manage to bang my injured toe against the end of my bike shoes a couple of times in this section. Both times it made me gasp for breath for a minute or two. PAIN!!
A woman arrived into the final bike/run TA shortly after I did, and I took off thinking she was right behind me. This was terrific, as it kept me pushing right to the finish line but in reality, she was hurting too much to turn it into a chase. I crossed the finish line soaked to the skin in pouring rain and feeling surprisingly OK.
Gratuitous and Ursula had finished long before in 2nd and 4th places overall.
It was great to see Hodgepodge at the finish and to say hello to Nelvia and BabyHodge afterward.
The overall podium was filled with friends - Getawaystix in 1st, Gratuitous in 2nd and Logie in 3rd. Congrats, guys! :)
Mique and Tom were the relay winners but I missed that pic! The one sad note of the day was that Chief slipped in the gravel on his bike and managed to gouge his knee enough to earn a trip to the hospital to get sewn up. Get well soon!
I was 2nd woman behind Ursula and mid-pack in the solos. Now that I've done my "active recovery" from the Death Race, I think I'll get more passive for awhile. Time for a break! :)