BIG WEEKEND: Momar and The Ramble

Team Helly Hansen Vancouver Island At the Finish


KMag and Jeff showing off their better sides

So where are we again? A little team nav meeting



What a weekend. First off let me say how proud I am of Carey for her amazing effort yesterday at the Cumberland Momar. Despite a dreary forecast, the weather cleared as we set off on the kayak/canoe stage 1. For the final Momar of the season Team Helly Hansen Vancouver Island decided to race as a mixed team of four. Something that was new to me. Jeff Riemer, his partner Kristenn Magnusson, Carey and myself, comandeered a plastic "Tugboat" of a kayak and Jeff and Kristenn's canoe. I happily volunteered to man the kayak with Carey leaving Jeff and Kristenn to their canoe. With the choppy waters, I was thankful to be in a stable boat albeit heavy boat. Finishing the kayak stage midpack we picked up an orienteering map and explored the steep rocky trails in search of checkpoints. Approx. 1hr later suffering one wasp sting and a sprained ankle we climbed on our bikes, stoked too ride some of Cumberland's finest trails. Kristenn was a machine on the climb, setting the pace and Jeff and I tried to help Carey as best we could, both wondering how far we could push her until she snapped. The second trek felt long, and again allowed us to explore some amazing downhill trails. Carey seemed to get stronger as the race progressed, and at times I felt myself wishing she'd slow down, so I could take a break. With Carey leading us through the final singletrack on our bikes we arrived back in town, to pick up the 3 last checkpoints. We finished 2nd in the mixed team of 4 behind Dart/Nunn. I was really happy, it was a great race in an amazing venue. I also really enjoyed racing as a team of 4. It seemed to add a really cool dynamic, that made for a super fun yet competitive day. Huge shout out to Tasaka, his staff and all the fantastic volunteers, for the best Cumberland race yet.

Despite not being a fan of using alarm clocks on the weekends, Sunday morning was another early start. Prepping my bike, and toasting a bagel, which I ended up leaving on the counter, I set out for Fletcher's farm in Errington, the site of the Island Marathon XC classic "The Ramble" formerly known as the "Rhododendron Ramble", formerly known as "The Rowbotham Ramble. Logging keeps forching route changes for this epic, hence the name changes. The course is approx. 85km and can be best described as Vancouver Island's answer to the Cheakamus Challenge, except with three 5 minute stops for Tea, Crumpets and a violin quartet, an Iron Maiden metal tribute and a cookie break. The course is long and grueling. With the beautiful weather the race was attended by 85 diehards, including my mom, who after her 60th bday decided to attempt the race for the first time. Mary's a machine, finishing in about 7hrs. I raced the first half of the day with Wendy Simms, until she dropped me on the climb. Fortunately I managed to avoid the flats and wrong turns that seemed to plague the rest of the field and surprisingly finished in 2nd place overall. The post race meal was brilliant, the organic soup was outstanding. Huge thanks to the wonderful volunteers and organizers of the Arrowsmith Mountain Bike Club, including Kristenn and Jeff who spent countless hours setting the race up. Can't wait for cyclocross in Victoria next weekend. Should be another beauty.