PLAYING OUTSIDE

Catching- Up

2009-11-25T18:23:00.000-08:00

Baseball sucks!

Top of the World - GOLDEN HINDE

Island Cross the Rock #1 Beban Park

Momar Cumberland Glory

Jump the Fire! Jump the Fire!

Since the BC Bike Race and my last paintball post my racing schedule have been pretty erratic and injury filled. A week after Paintball and with my sights set on some 100 milers in Oregon, I suffered a pretty serious knee injury playing booze baseball in a farmers field at my Dad's office party. My goals changed considerably as I went from racing to just being able to ride the bike. After dislocating my kneecap, and tearing the medial and lateral ligaments, I was unsure how stable the knee would heal. Fortunately things continued to steadily improve and I was running and riding again by the end of August

At the end of August, Jeff, Jay, my little brother James and I decided to tackle the Golden Hinde, Vancouver Island's tallest peak. It was a good test for the knee, and base training for the upcoming Momar Cumberland. Despite terrible weather the trip was a success and Jeff and I summitted successfully, Jay partially overcame his crippling fear of heights and James rekindled his love for the outdoors

September started like normal. With my knee back to normal, training commenced for Momar and Cross on The Rocks (Vancouver Island's Famous Cross Series) The Cumberland MOMAR

went fantastic. Kristenn and I, decided to challenge Jeff and Jay for Momar glory and we narrowly missed defeated the handsome Helly duo, crossing the line less than a minute behind them. Kristenn had a fantastic day as our team of two was less than 15 minutes

behind the overall leaders.

My Cross season started strong. Turning 35 this summer I thought I'd start my season in Masters and work my way back to the Expert category. My first race went really well and I felt strong finishing in 2nd place. The race was held at Beban Park in Nanaimo, and the course was fantastic, featuring the exciting BMX track section.

Following the first race of the cross season I was stoked and even started doing something I've never done in the past, cross specific training. That must have been my first mistake. On my way down to Norm Thibault's house for a 7am training session. I t-boned a deer riding upwards of 50km hour. Time seemed to freeze as my bike catapulted over the dumb little doe and I remember feeling its fur brush my cheek, right before I was pile drivered into the pavement. Totally in shock I jumped back on my bike and rolled down the rest of the 200m to Norm's. Norm thought it was completely hilarious that I had managed to completely tear out the left ass-cheek of my spandex and was quick to snap a photo before getting me to the hospital.

After spending most of the day in hospital with my Mom, thanks mom. The doctors informed me that although I had bruised my kidneys and damaged soft tissue in my back that my spine and pelvis were intact. Up until now, I've never had back issues. I don't recommend them. It's been a slow recovery and probably not helped by playing hockey in a mens league twice a week.

I made my return to the bike on October 31st for the NUTCASE INTERCONTINENTAL SINGLE SPEED CROSS CHAMPIONSHIP OF THE UNIVERSE Norm and Wendy's psychotic brain child. The race was a lot of fun, but I did not enjoy the the 500m Lemans start, too much jarring on my tender back. The highlight of the race was easily the random pyrotechnic show which consisted of the organizers throwing and shooting fireworks at the racers. Jumping the fire pit was also pretty cool.

Following the race, I suffered a bit of a setback with my back and stayed off the bike, missing the Duncan and Victoria cross races. I returned for the season finale at Shawnigan Lake School a.k.a. Hogwarts. The course was wet and muddy, but fantastic. If you've never raced cross on the Island you need to put it on your list. Norm and Wendy put together amazing events, and despite my stubborn misgivings about the sport, they have gradually transformed me into a devotee. My race went well, and after being shadowed by a persistent Victoria rider for the majority of the race, I was finally able to drop the hammer and gain a small gap that allowed me to finish in first place. Despite feeling like a bit of a sandbagger for racing masters and not expert, I was super happy with my race after only being on the bike 5 times since my accident. I was thankful for men's league hockey and the fitness I was able to salvage. With winter upon us I'm looking forward to playing in the snow. 1st race of the season Mount Washington Yeti Snowshoe Race. Can't wait. Cheers Justin

The Rock City Rumble: Carey and Norm's Paintball Party

2009-07-16T09:20:00.000-07:00

The Girls and Birchy

Riemer blending into his surroundings

Norona "Stone Cold Killer"

"The Crew"

F@#%#ing Riemer

I won't lie. I haven't been all that motivated to train, or even ride my bike since the B.C. Bike Race. Instead I've focused my efforts on organizing the Rock City Rumble, a unique party to celebrate the birthdays of Carey and Norm. Carey's b-day is on June 30th and unfortunately I was stuck in Cumberland trying to drag my ass through a 7 day mountain bike race. Carey was so graceful and understanding in allowing me to defer her birthday to a later date. Prior to the race, Wendy Simms and I had brainstormed and idea to combine birthdays and go play some paintball. We split the duties according to our strengths, Wendy with her artistic talents took charge of t-shirt design, flag construction, arm-band creation and promotion. I was in charge of procuring the weapons, and course construction. My parents were kind enough to allow us to use their 18acre property in Linley Valley, a sacred green space nestled in the center of Nanaimo. The course itself consisted of two hilltop bases, a creek with a gully reminiscent of a WW1 trench, a fence line, an open well, an abandoned car, stinging nettles and lots of trees and rocks. Sunday the 12th unfolded perfectly, the guests arrived on time as requested and by 1:30 PM all 25 of us were taking a tour of the course. I assumed my P.E. teacher voice, with a few f-bombs thrown in to set a good drill seargent tone, as I explained the boundaries and rules of the game. Wendy and I had chosen the teams the night before, Carey the Crippler and the Blood Thugs wore red armbands and Norm's Nazi Nutbusters wore Yellow Armbands. By 2pm we were ready for the 1st game, capture the flag. Like a kid waiting for Christmas, the night before I remained awake into the wee hours, thinking up strategies to vanquish our opponents. As the first game began, I suggested we set up a defensive perimeter and slowly move outward. We dug in around our base and watched as Jeff Riemer , barely perceptible in full guilly suit and Jay Latiff came charging up the left flank right into range of our shooters. Not to brag but, Norm Nazi Nailers kicked ass in the 1st three games. We had scheduled a BBQ at 6 pm, but there was no stopping us and we played almost until dark. It was awesome, and not without some carnage. The biggest challenge was preventing the masks from fogging up. In one game, my mask fogged so badly that I could barely make out shapes. I was higher up on the slope and I was being shot at by Dave Norona from behind a tree near the creek. As I couldn't really see him, I decided to charge down the hill and get in real close for a kill. I started sprinting toward the tree where I thought he was, firing wildly in his direction. Then "WHAM", suddenly I felt like I had hit an invisible wall and I was thrown five feet back onto my backside. With my fogged mask, I missed the presence of the wire fence that separated me from Norona. The day was awesome, and my dad cooked up a feast, highlighted by his famous Mac and Cheese, as my mom dressed in leather chaps and motorcycle jacket amassed kill after kill on the course. Thanks to everyone for coming out and putting together such amazing costumes. Can't wait for next year.

Rock Steady: A summary of my 2009 BC BIKE RACE experience

2009-07-06T10:09:00.000-07:00

Chase hanging out with the Boys at the start of Day 2

Riemer Ripping it! Day 6

The Steed Cycle Boys - Finish of Day 6

Day 2 - Suffering. I wish I hadn't played hockey last night.

Day 4 - Ferry Ride

Day 5: Wendy's Fisheye shot

Day 6: Squamish, Pushing hard

I just got home last night from my 3rd edition of the BC BIKE RACE. My race partner Jeff Riemer and I raced again as TEAM HELLY HANSEN VANCOUVER ISLAND, but we also rocked our bike sponsors colours from STEED CYCLES and ARROWSMITH BIKES. The course was amazing this year, and while it was shorter the added singletrack really took a toll on the riders. In the end we finished 8th overall, and while I felt we didn't have any spectacularly fast days, we didn't have any slow ones either, we were rock steady. As I did last year, I thought I would do a day by day summary of the event in point form.

Day 0 - Registration
- 8:30 AM - Ferry, travelling in the Frontrunners van with Norm, Pete, Wendy and Marty
- Fighting Vancouver traffic always reminds me why I left the mainland.
- Spent the day looking for parking and waiting in lines 1 though 16B to complete the sign in.
- Pre-ride of the Pipeline - Jeff takes an epic bail - Norm shatters his headset - I've forgotten how burly the shore is, but I still love it.
- Dinner with Dave Norona, Kim and Jason Sandquist at the Cactus Club
- Thanks for the hospitality Dave, your couch rocks and "OLD SCHOOL" is the best pre-race movie ever.

Stage 1 - The North Shore
- Can't believe how many big name pros are out.
- Competition is pretty intimidating
- Kim Steed looks stoked, but nervous
- Learning from last year's mistake we sign in early and we seed in the front row for the start.
- Race starts hard - I always hate the 1st half hour of these races
- The trail "Severed Dick" is super fun - I take the hard line down the chute and almost crash - lovin it.
- Hook up with Kim Steed, for the middle part of the race. The dude is a rock star on the shore, tons of people cheering.
- Have an awesome ride down "Pipeline" with Kim, he rips it.
- Solid finish - nothing special - finish @ 1hr 52 minutes - around 10th spot
- Catch the 3pm boat back to Nanaimo
- Play ice hockey - get to meet Kyla's brother Scott Hartnell - he watches our game and babysits Chase with Carey
- Have an awesome game and score a great goal, diving through the crease.
- Not sure playing hockey was a good idea.

Stage 2: Nanaimo to Parksville
- Wake up in my own bed - relaxed morning
- Ride down to the ferry from my house
- Roll out from the ferry, very sketchy riding on the road, worried about crashing
- Hit the trails of the Abyss, it's a beautiful sunny day, and the trails are in amazing shape, really enjoy this part of the ride. Jeff gets ahead and rides behind Geoff Kabush for a while, pretty cool.
- Start to fall apart a little bit after the NAD trail, get caught by the Luna girls and I'm holding Jeff back.
- My energy returns by aid 2, our good buddy Big Jay follows us to Parksville and we start to rip again, awesome to have his company and moral support.
- Finish strong in Parksville. 3hrs 54 minutes
- Back home, to get ready for stage 3.
- Big Jay cleans and works on my bike, freehub is toast - Wendy and Norm graciously bail me out again.
- Thanks guys - I have the best friends.

Stage 3: Cumberland
- All packed up and ready to join the race, felt a little weird staying at home, almost more stressful
- Feeling pretty tired - average start - work my way back up to Norm and Pete. Ride in a group with Robbin Dutton and his partner Andy.
- Steady work on the climb - but good rip on the descent , and we pick up a bunch of teams.
- Solid transition back to the Cumberland trails, starting to feel pretty shattered but happy to be ripping down Cumberland's amazing trail network.
- Horrible crash at the end of "Short and Curly" - Catch my pedal, over the bars on a downhill corner and headfirst into a fresh cut log.
- Smash my helmet and face. Super hard impact, felt like I lost my teeth. Riemer yells at me "Can you still see?" I reply "yeah, but it hurts" He responds "Then get on your bike and quit being a f@#$ing pussy" I comply.
- Good finish - 3hrs 24 minutes
- Good dinner at "Carmies" - Home cooked buffet
- Thanks Carey for bringing me a new helmet from home and happy birthday.
- My head and neck hurt, I go to sleep feeling dizzy.
- Thanks Lisa and Curtis for letting me sleep on your couch

Stage 4: Earl's Cove - Sechelt
- Hump day
- 4:30 AM - Start - 2 busses and 2 ferries later - we arrive at the start line - good breakfast - thanks BC FERRIES
- 11 AM - Start - Thanks again Wendy for the bottle of purple gatorade - I'm determined not to cramp or dehydrate today.
- Good start - hard as always - ride with Geogia Gould and Ryan Trebon -
- Trebon - makes fun of me for not riding the steep climbs
- Feeling really good and start to pick off teams. Lots of teams seem to be suffering mechanicals.
- Dre Hestler graciously stops to help his Rocky Mountain teammates who broke a pedal.
- Stage seems to drag on forever.
- Ride last half with Jeremy Grasby, who is killing us riding a singlespeed.
- Jeremy asks if Jeff is riding the downhill with his brakes on, Jeff responds by crashing into a tree. Thanks Jeremy!
- Good solid finish - 4hrs 4minutes
- First night camping in tent city - don't sleep very well, miss Carey and Chase

Stage 5: Sechelt-Langdale
- Muffin and Burrito for breakfast - burrito sits heavy in my stomach, but tastes good
- Solid start - wind up through a gravel pit, pretty cool to see the co-operation between industry and sport/recreation.
- Hang in there, not feeling great.
- Forest singletrack climb, forever, thankful for the forest cover, nice and cool. I melt in the sun.
- Start to feel stronger, picking up teams.
- Downhill comes faster than I remembered, this might have something to do with the shortened course.
- Amazing descent to the ferry, a little thinly flagged so we take a few wrong turns which adds to the stress level.
- Good finish - probably our strongest day - 2hrs 59 minutes
- Catch the 1:30 boat to Horseshoe Bay- Catch the bus to Squamish
- Hook up with Chris Birch and go do laundry and get a sandwich at Tim Horton's
- Pasta dinner - hang out in the rec center -
- Another terrible sleep in tent city - keep having to get up to piss.

Stage 6: Squamish
- Big breakfast - hanging out with good friends, Lisa and Dawn, Birchy, Bart and Simon.
- Carey and Chase arrive just before the start, so good to see them, can't wait to be done.
- Hard start up to Perth -
- Trebon mocks me again, this time for using my small ring on the Rock and Roll hill bypass
- Climbs feel super hard today - rip the downhill
- Solid ride of the "Plunge" ,but put my foot down for a second, very unlike me.
- The climb up to "Hoods in the Woods" hurts me, and I turn it down a notch.
- Catch up to Jeff at the end of the rocking descent.
- Familiar singletrack to the finish - loving it and I keep thinking that I'm so happy I finally finished the TEST OF METAL under 3hrs this year.
- Another good strong finish, but nothing spectacular today. 3hrs 11 minutes.
- Another great day of spectacular singletrack, but my legs are feeling tired.
- Pack up into Jeff's Subaru, and Kristenn, Jeff, Carey, Chase and I head to our hotel room in Whistler
- Avalanche Pizza for dinner.
- Awesome evening, relaxing by the pool with Pete, Norm and Wendy

Stage 7: Whistler
- Final day, looking forward to being done.
- Hard start - straight up - downhill not very inspiring
- Beautiful fast open singletrack along the river. Great cheering by Kristenn, Carey, Chase and Wendy.
- Trying hard to hold on to Jeff's wheel and being pushed by the talented Jeremy Grasby, who seems way to relaxed and happy, for someone who has raced his bike hard for 4 days and is riding a singlespeed.
- Amazing singletrack downhill to finish back at Creekside.
- Cool belt buckle, presented by race organizer Dean Payne
- Lots of smiles, great to congratulate and catch up with everyone.
- Feels good to be done, but it always seems a little anti-climatic.
- Chase gets lots of attention from Grasby's adorable daughters Ella and Chloe.
- Tasty burger at Dusty's pub on the patio with Bart, plans are made for a winter back country ski trip in Revelstoke
- Back to the hotel for beers and a swim.
- Miss having the banquet, but awesome dinner with Pete, Norm and Wendy in the Village at "21"
- Go to the movies - "Transformers 2" - felt like watching somebody play a video game for 2 and half hours.
- Midnight 7-11 icecream run and then introduced Norm and Wendy to "Kenny Powers"

Thanks again to all the people who made 2010 version of BC BIKE RACE possible:

- The amazing volunteers who worked tirelessly day after day.
- The race directors and their crews, who prepared day after day of amazing singletrack courses
- Marc Campbell and Helly Hansen - for their amazing support
- Kim Steed and Steed Cycles - for keeping me in bikes and gear
- Norm and Wendy - for all their support - rides, feeds, xtr wheels
- My race partner Jeff Riemer "The T800" - for his steady no bullshit approach to racing and life
- Carey and Chase - for always being there when I needed them the most.

Cheers Justin

MONKEY OFF MY BACK: Breaking 3hrs at the TEST

2009-06-25T17:07:00.000-07:00

Always suffering!

Maybe this watermelon will make my legs stop cramping.

I've raced the Test of Metal so many times I've lost count, and barring the first two years in which my goal was to simply finish, I can remember wanting to finish under 3hrs. The Test, in my opinion is one of the best organized and community supported races on the planet. What makes it unique in B.C. is the consistency of the course allowing, racers to match and compare their times year after year. In all honesty while I love the race, it has not been good to me. Over the years I've suffered 2 broken chains, 6 flat tires, 2 torn sidewalls, 1 front brake failure, 1 bout of diarrhea, 2 dehydrations, 4 bonks and a separated shoulder. One memorable year, having a fantastic race, I finished 9th in elite, won $150 in cash, but still only posted a time 3:02. Last year, when the course was running extremely fast, I clocked a 3:01 and change. It was a heartbreaker, having to wait an entire year just for another chance to check off another box on the bucket list. Lining up at the start this year, I was confident in my fitness, but fearful of the countless things that could go wrong: flat tire, broken chain, cougar attack. The race went great, with the exception of the lid of my water bottle popping off, expelling half a bottle of orange gatorade on my jersey and not into my thirsty body. My water bottle fiasco may have contributed to some cramping at the end of the race, but I suppose it wouldn't feel like the Test if you didn't cramp in Crumpit woods. In any case that's all done with now and my usual feelings of regret and despair associated with the TEST have now been replaced with a deep sense of personal satisfaction. Thanks to the organizers and amazing volunteers who continue to make the Test of Metal one of the most consistent and best races in the world.

Favorite Peru Pics

2009-06-01T06:25:00.000-07:00

This spring I was fortunate to travel to Peru for a bike adventure of a lifetime, with a fantastic group of people. The trip was simply amazing. Here are a few of my favorite pics.

Jeff and Justin in Peru 2009 - Unbelievable!

IceMan - riding with aviators

Pre-Inca tombs

Ride at your own risk!

104 year old woman - direct ancestor of the Incas

Rider up! You're blocking the trail

Rammer at 14,000 + feet

Riemer (T800) Clearly not impressed with the pre-inca ruins

The boys - hanging out in the Andes

El Parro

Machu Pichu - Sacrificial table

Chris - feeling a little green

El Jefe and the Giant Reign - Amazing bike for the trip

Sick as dog, being cured by Coca Tea

Cusco

Finger Puppets

Finishing the ride

The Horseman

Sacred Valley

Indiana Jeff and the Raiders of the lost bike

Who are you?

Terrifying view from the bus window - Scariest ride of my life

We drove up that!

Stuck in the mud!

Norona making friends

Artsy shot

Ridin it! Canadian!

Cusco - back alley

Lunch break - mid ride

The locals

Fuelled by Pisco Sours

Dave trying to rip off the money exchange man

Big Mountain Adventures

Inca Kola - outsells Coke in Peru - tastes like cream soda

Lovin Lima

Fish, calamari, beans and rice - I love the food in Peru

Robots in Disguise

Heading for the Pacific

Doc Andrew

Whatever was in that bottle almost killed me

Me, almost dead!

So sick - note the chalky/green complexion

Ventana del Diablo - A hidden pre-inca Cave

Another artsy shot

Back in Action

2009-03-10T16:06:00.000-07:00

3rd place at Mt. Washington Yeti

Winter riding with the Team

Another 3rd Place at Seymour

Big Mountain Battle Sun Peaks, on Tele Skis

It's been an awesome winter, much more active than I had anticipated with the new challenge of being a dad. Despite the ups and downs of fatherhood, ups = Chase rules, downs = not so much sleep, I've managed to stay quite active. I can probably thank Riemer for dragging me out of the house every week, to go tackle a new adventure and keeping my ass in shape. This winter saw some early season racing in the form of a the Yeti snowshoe series, where our Vancouver Island team won every event. Also Jeff and I teamed up to try our hand at the Big Mountain Battle ski race at Sunpeaks. We're looking forward to checking out the next Big Mountain Battle race Steven's pass this weekend on our way down to Utah. We've made the transition to "Big Bikes" and I'll be sporting me newly acquired 6"Giant Reign 1 from Steed Cycles next week at Gooseberry Mesa. This is quite a departure for me, as I'm most comfortable with about 80mm of front and rear travel. With an invite to a mountain bike trip in Peru this April from Dean Payne, Dre Hestler and the boys I thought I should buck up and go big. Also this spring, I'm looking forward to racing in the Island Cup events - including Hammerfest. Jeff and I just confirmed our entry into this year's edition of the BC Bike Race, which looks to be even better as they've changed the 1st three days to include much more singletrack. We're also looking to compete in both the Squamish and Cumberland Momar's hopefully as a team of 4 with Carey and Kristenn. Finally and perhaps most importantly I would like to finally break the 3hr Test of Metal barrier which has evaded me for the last 10 years. Last year I posted a time of 3:01, so I'm looking for a little revenge. Huge thanks to Steed Cycles for setting me up with 2 beautiful Giant bikes this season (pics to follow) and to Helly Hansen for their great support. Cheers Justin

BIG WEEKEND: Momar and The Ramble

2008-09-28T20:40:00.000-07:00

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.

Out of Retirement: Cross Season has started

2008-09-14T21:54:00.000-07:00

I'm pulling a Brett Favre, after the birth of Chase on July 31st, I announced to Carey that I was finished with racing. 6 weeks later, I'm back. Retirement was ok for a while, but it didn't fit me well. It was an awesome day, after getting our token 3hrs of sleep, Carey and I packed Chase in the car and headed out for Race #1 of the Cross on the Rock series at Diver Lake in Nanaimo. Most importantly this was to be Carey's 1st race in almost 10 months. Despite playing hockey the night before she skipped the beginners race and jumped right into the fray, braving the women's field. I was super proud of her as she finished a respectable 7th overall, and was starting to close the gap on the pack ahead. My race started great, Riemer and I were duking it out with Thibault running 5,6 and 7th. Running through a sand pit/swingset area, I decided to make a play for most agressive rider award (I want another pair of Chuck Taylors) and cut Jeff off, sending him into the swingset. Laughing he quickly retaliated by pushing his bike forward, tripping me up, and carnage ensued as we tangled with 2 other riders who were not impressed with our antics. Unfortunately our goofing around resulted in a flat tire for yours truly. Stopping at the pit station I ran through all the flagging in search of Carey's bike to steal her rear wheel. After slapping it on I realized it was flat and I had to reinflate. My new goal was to try not finish last. Unfortunately every time I thought I was catching a racer, they would drop out. Finishing last, 15th out of 18, I was pretty happy, it was a good hard race. The course rocked, Norm Thibault and his crew did another amazing job and the best thing about finishing last is there's no where to go but up.

Victory: Chase Mckinley Mark is born and doing well

2008-08-08T07:54:00.000-07:00

I can't remember ever being so happy or as proud as I am following the birth of our son Chase Mckinley Mark. Chase was born on July 31st, a day after his dad's birthday. Originally a twin, his brother Hayden Vinson, like his sister Denali, passed with no warning. Again, like with Denali, doctors had no explanation as ultrasounds had indicated that he was a perfectly healthy little baby. Hayden left us the week after the BC Bike Race at 30 weeks. Once again I felt my world turn upside down, as Carey and I relived the pain of losing another child. Our doctors felt the best course of action was to let Chase mature as much as possible, so our summer schedule became daily visits to the hospital for heart monitoring and ultrasounds. The plan was to take Chase to about 34 weeks then induce labour. As we had lost two seemingly healthly babies in utero already, in many ways Chase felt like a ticking time bomb, and we would rarely sleep as every hour we would check for fetal movement. Finally the day came, Thursday, July 31st, 2008. Carey was induced and following 15hrs of labour, which she rocked, Chase was naturally delivered, Hayden followed. 13 medical professionals were in the room for the delivery. The neonatal team sprung into action the second Chase came out and rushed him to the warmer. With a birth weight of 5 lbs Chase's lungs were unfortunately not as mature as the rest of his body. He looked like his papa after climbing 9 mile. He was rushed down to the neonatal ward where he was given assisted breathing through prongs in his nose. Hayden delivered shortly after, and unlike some of the doctors had hypothesized, he showed no obvious signs of abnormalites or birth defects. With autopsy results still pending, his passing, like Denali's may remain another medical mystery. After we lost Denali it snowed for 4 days straight, we have always associated her with snow, our little winter princess. Hayden was born during an uncharacteristic hot streak, so he will become our little summer spirit.

Chase's breathing remained laboured throughout the night. He gripped my finger firmly as I encouraged him to stay with us. In record time, Carey was up out of bed and joined us in the neonatal ward. She was so proud and happy, despite his struggles. In the morning the doctors informed us that due to his labored breathing and staffing issues that he was going to be transferred to Victoria. Not a good sign, just as I was letting my self relax and enjoy the feeling of being a father, it felt like we couldn't catch a break. Trying to remain positive, we informed Chase that his first road trip would be in true rockstar fashion as he and Carey were to be transported via Helijet.

Chase and Carey arrived safely in Victoria while I followed by car. Chase's lungs were not improving so he had to intubated. It was a very hard time as I was feeling like he was slipping away. The NICU (Neonatal Intensive Care Unit) in Victoria was amazing. The highly trained staff, nurses and doctors were both caring and warm. Chase's condition began to slowly improve. Within 24hrs he was switched from ventilator to assisted breathing. 48 hrs later he was breathing on his own. In keeping with his rockstar status, he booked some time under the tanning lights to fight off jaundice. Premature babies usually stuggle at first with their breathing and next with feeding. Chase's breathing challenges were shortly overcome and like a true Mark he has experienced little trouble eating. He has already bottle fed and last night got his first encounter with the breast.

His stay at the hospital will probably last another couple of weeks, as he grows and strengthens. Carey and I will holiday in Victoria until we're transferred back to Nanaimo. Carey's doing great, and has already started running. While I write this from Nanaimo, she's adamantly requested that I prepare her a mountain bike so she can start riding again.

On the racing front, my season appears to be over. Following the fiasco that was the Shawnigan lake Momar, I've decided to try to end my racing year on a positive note, so Carey, Kristenn, Jeff and I will race Cumberland as a team of 4. Carey and Kristenn's powerful skills of navigation should ensure that Jeff and I stay on track this go around. I'm looking forward to it. I'd like to send a huge shout out to our friends and family who have been incredibly supportive over the last couple of weeks. Thank you so much for all of the positive wishes you've sent our way, and I apologize for being so despondent. Until today, I've been holed up in Victory General Hospital with no internet or phonelist. Good luck to the crew racing at the TransRockies and to everyone else preparing for an event. JMAR OUT

Race Report: BC BIKE RACE

2008-07-07T12:51:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a week. The 2008 version of the BC Bike Race was incredible, an awesome event, and I'm feel very fortunate to have participated in it. Here is a day by day run down of the highs and lows of the week.

Day 0 - Check In @ Shawnigan Lake

Highs
1. Amazing gear bags by Dakine - awesome shwag - jerseys, handlebar, stinger bars, Crank Brothers tool

2. Beautiful weather and setting

3. Seeing all my friends.

Lows
1. Getting booted out of our camping spot

Day 1 - Shawnigan Lake to Lake Cowichan

Highs
1. New Giant Anthem felt awesome

2. 2 liters of Saline administered through an IV - Thanks Andrew

3. Great cheering from Trevor and Luke on the climb

4. The finish line sprint

Lows
1. Grass in my drivetrain

2. 30 + deg weather - leading to dehydration/heat stroke and severe meltdown costing us over an hour.

3. Mandatory rain jacket falling out of my pocket and getting caught in my gears not once but 3 times.

Day 2 - Lake Cowichan to Port Alberni

Highs
1 - 85km of riding in a pack

2 - 2km of Port Alberni Singletrack

3 - Not being the one to crack today

4 - Pizza Hut pizza compliments of Carey at the finish

Lows
1 - Almost crashing off a bridge

2 - Inhaling way too much dust

3 - Flood light and generator keeping me from sleeping

Day 3 - Port Alberni to Cumberland

Highs
1 - Finishing with Cumberland Singletrack - best on the Island

2 - River Crossings - nice and cold

3 - Seeing my Mom - thanks for the Sushi picnic

4 - Great Middle Eastern dinner

5 - Staying at Curtis and Lisa's, celebrating Carey's Birthday - hmm icecream cake.

Lows
1 - The 1st 2/3 of the race - too much fire road

2 - The last 2km of fire road before the singletrack

3 - Feeling nauseous from riding too much fire road in the hot sun - " My hallergies to this f#$#ing fire road"

Day 4 Cumberland - Earl's Cove - Sechelt
Highs
1 - Amazing course - Amazing fresh cut singletrack - big improvement on last year's course

2 - Top 10 overall finish

3 - Not getting beat by a girl for the first time all week - Sorry Wendy

4 - Beating Tinker

Lows
1 - Starting to race well, but being so far back in the GC

2 - 4:30 Am Wake up

Day 5 - Sechelt to Langdale - The Ratrace trails

Highs
1 - Finishing 7th overall - our best finish of the race

2 - Amazing comeback after recovering from sheared off derailleur

3- Amazing descent into Langdale

4. Not cracking and keeping up to Jeff's relentless pace

5. My bike the Giant Anthem rocks in the singletrack

Lows
1. Getting hit hard from behind on the road doing 40km/h downhill almost crashing, having my derailleur smashed off and demoing my XTR rear wheel $$$$

2. Having to catch and pass the entire field - way too hard of a start

3. Having to grovel for a new rear wheel - Thanks Pete from Rocky Mountain - you rock

Day 6 Squamish

Highs
1 - Best course of the week - Best of Gearjammer + Best of Test

2- Top 10 finish - 8th overall 3:43

3. Overcast - perfect conditions

4. Hammering 9mile after 5 days of hard riding - I wish I could have ridden it that well for the Test

5. Great meal - Greek Feast

6. Swimming in the Pool

7. Hanging out eating appies and drinking beers at the Executive

8. Dave Norona - hearing him describe his epic end over end crash on the Zero Bike (prototype electric motocross bike. ) I'm glad you didn't get electrocuted Dave.

Lows
NONE

Day 7 Whistler

Highs
1. Great course - amazing singletrack

2. Finishing 10th overall for the day

3. Belt Buckle - finishing medal

4. Wrestling with Niole on the grass

5. Being done

6. After party - giving out prizes with Norona and hanging out with good friends, thanks for the Redbull and Vodka Tom.

Lows
1. Flat tire on the 1st descent

2. Being done - having to go home.

All in all it was a great race, and my partner Jeff Riemer was amazing. Looking at the GC overall results I realized that my blowup on the 1st day cost us dearly and kept us from a top 10 finish. Whatever, everyone has problems and we had a great week. Huge kudos to Carey for the amazing support and putting up with 4 tired racers all week. Big thanks to the organizers and amazing volunteers. Also big thanks to Marc Campbell of Helly Hansen for the amazing opportunity and support and to Kim Steed and Steed cycles for setting me up with great gear from Giant/Sram/Giro. Can't wait for next year.

3:01:21 Test of Metal Race Report

2008-06-16T16:39:00.000-07:00

3:01:21 - Not quite enough to get it down. Despite a solid race, I don't think I ever came out of my pedals, I just didn't have enough jam to finish under 3hrs. Despite a strong final hour, tired legs and a mediocre climb left me with too much of a deficit to make up. I suppose this means, I'm not allowed to retire for another year. Too bad I was really looking forward to an end to hill repeats, long winter rides, restrictive diets, oh well, life goes on.

On more positive note it was a fantastic weekend for my Vancouver Island friends and family. My mom racing in 60-65 category finished in 5:18 and won her category. My race partner Jeff, broke 3hrs and took first in his category. Arrowsmith Nanaimo buddies, Jay Latiff and Robin Dutton finished 1st and 3rd respectively. Wendy and Norm Thibault also had amazing races both cracking the 3hr hour barrier. Wendy was the first female rider to accomplish this. Sorry Wendy I tried real hard to NEVER DIE, but I just couldn't hang on.

The course this year was fast and in great shape, the organization was top notch. Huge thanks to the fantastic volunteers and spectators. Super huge thanks to Carey for spending the day in the feed zone, you're going to love the course next year.

Found this great 360deg. photo check it out.

JMAR360pic

RACE REPORT JMARK: Campbell River Marathon XC

2008-06-02T16:42:00.000-07:00

The alarm sounded at 5:00 AM. An hour into the drive up to Campbell River Carey and I drove thru a torrential downpour, I was very close to turning the car around and heading home. Having raced the day before in Sechelt, I was exhausted. Fortunately the weather improved as we rolled into Campbell River and I kept reassuring myself that I would benefit from the back to back races during the week of the BC BIKE RACE. Campbell River boasts one of the most challenging and gruelling courses I have ridden. The two 25km loops are almost entirely singletrack and they test not only your legs but your upper body and your concentration. Sections of the course are quite threatening as crash on the sharp rocks would most likely result in a trip to the local hospital. With tired legs I started the race as fast as I could. Trying to keep pace with Riemer, Hodgson and Latiff. 3 minutes into the race, I heard my tire deflate on a section of sharp rocks. 1st flat all race season, and it showed as I botched the first inflate and had to start over. 10 minutes later I set out again, this time in last place. In many ways this was a good thing, as it allowed me to refocus my goals for the race. I told myself that I wanted to work my way up to girls and then try to catch buddy Bill McMillan who's a strong veteran rider. I figured this would put me in the top 10. With tired legs I tried to ride consistently. Slowly I worked my way up through the pack. As I rode through the feed zone and lap point, I spotted a couple racers who had withdrawn, "Two less to catch up to" I thought to myself. I was told that I was in 7th place as I started my 2nd lap, it took 30 minutes of riding to catch up to Bill, who was having a stellar race. Content with 3rd place I eased back, and dropped a few notches on the suffer meter. I cruised into the finish a shocking 30 minutes behind Riemer, a little embarrassed by gap, but happy to be finished I kicked back and enjoyed being finished for the weekend. With 2 weeks to go before the TEST I can only hope that I'll be fit enough to put together a sub 3hr performance. Many thanks to the organizers and volunteers of this great race, one of Vancouver's best kept secrets.

Race Report: Island Cup XC Cobble Hill + Wakeboarding

2008-05-25T19:49:00.000-07:00

I'm not a huge fan of racing sick. I picked up a nasty bug this week, terrible sore throat and headache that just wouldn't quit. Wednesday and Thursday were spent on the couch and in bed. I never imagined that I could sleep so much. Friday, stir crazy I decided to ride with Jeff for a couple hours. Nothing like feeling like crap and having to keep pace with a greyhound. Saturday we checked out some new trails at Sproat Lake in the Port Alberni area and rode for a solid 3hrs. The trails were great, but my head felt like a football. After sleeping an epic 11hrs Saturday night I awoke feeling better than I had all week, but still suffering from a foggy head. Despite having very little desire to race, Care, Jeff and I made our way down to Cobble Hill. A little community just south of Duncan. The organizers were trying out a new venue. In previous years the race had been held on Maple Mountain. The start of the race was rather unique, as just under 50 racers lined up behind a rock barricade with a 2 foot gap. The course organizer warned us that a group of 8 equestrians had refused to heed warnings are were somewhere out on course. Gotta love island cup racing. The race started in a civilized fashion and there were no crashes as racers yielded to each other through the 2 foot gap in the barrier. Jeff Riemer, wisely deciding to start in the bushes on the other side of the rock barricade and was off like a shot. Not feeling super spry I decided for a back of the pack start. As we started on the climb I was feeling surprisingly strong and started working my way to the front. Passing 2nd place Matt Hewitt at the top of the climb, I decided to try to wheel Jeff back in. It did not go well. 30 seconds into the downhill I missed a turn and took 3 other racers off course. A minute later we reunited with the trail, a little confused where we had gone wrong. Hewitt passed and I had the pleasure of following him for the rest of the lap. It was getting a lesson on how to be smooth. Starting the 2nd lap Matt pulled over with a mechanical and I was almost disappointed as I knew I was faster on his wheel than on my own. Feeling relatively strong I rode on my own for most of the 2nd lap, catching up to Jeff briefly only when his pedal fell off during the climb. I knew this would provide some good ammunition for some ribbing about his mechanical ability, he is after all a mechanical engineer, and quite meticulous about his bike repair. I faded a bit on the 3rd and got caught by Island Cup all star Andrew Kent. Finishing the lap on my own I cruised in for a 3rd place finish. I was knackered, much too tired than I should have been for an hour and a half race. The organizers provided generous draw prizes and I didn't see a single horse the entire race. The course was fantastic, great hard climb and fast flowy singletrack. Bill Macmillan a strong veteran rider who participated in the race, made our day by inviting us to his place on Long Lake for some swimming and wakeboarding. I've never wakeboarded before, but I'm hooked. With my sorethroat and headache receding I'm looking forward to a solid week of training and next weekend's marathon race in Campbell River.

Cross one off the list: Momar #1 Race Report

2008-05-11T22:41:00.000-07:00

Years ago, when I was going through a difficult period in my life I decided to make a list. A list of 50 things that I wanted to do before my time was up. This weekend was a good weekend, because this weekend my list got shorter. My 6 six year quest to become a Momar champion has finally been realized and in the words of John Cougar Mellancamp "It hurt so good"

The race was tough. Race director Bryan Tasaka has already called it "The Hardest Momar Yet" The race was designed by adventure race legend Jen Segger-Gigg, who's course reflects her no-nonsense, tough it out style of racing. Starting at the recently constructed Squamish Quest University, the course began with a 1.5km Lemans style start. Past champs, Norm Thibault, Jason Sandquist, Gary Robbins and Todd Nowack set the brisk pace. Following a quick bike transition my race partner Jeff Riemer and I, most comfortable on the bikes, took the lead into the next transition where we were handed new maps for the navigation/orienteering stage. After our fiasco 2 weeks earlier at the Suburban Rush where we lost 15 minutes to Gary and Todd, of Helly/Momar on the navigation stage, we conceded to Todd's dominant orienteering skills and decided our best strategy was to try to follow our Helly Hansen brethren. Defending 3 concurrent titles, Todd and Gary were having none of it. With a pack of 7 racers watching the defending champs every move the pair slipped into the woods and literally vanished. Jeff and I attempted to follow, but ended up walking in circles, wondering where our copy cat strategy had gone wrong. Realizing that we were going to have to think for ourselves we set off half lost down the trail, before we could get into toom much trouble we ran into Bart Jamula, a strong navigator, and with a few tips and some crazy bushwacking, we emerged from the stage only 5 minutes behind Helly/Momar in 3rd place. With a return to the mountain bikes we were in good spirits. Personally I was little worried as the steep terrain of the navigation stage had really taken a toll on my legs.

After 20 minutes of climbing on the bike, we were rewarded with some great downhill singletrack. The "Powerhouse plunge" rocked, recent trail maintenance has left it in amazing shape. I felt great, we quickly moved into 2nd place and caught Helly/Momar in crumpet woods. At the next transition we donned our runners yet again and trekked off toward the rappel with Gary and Todd in chase. Reaching the rappel together, Jeff and I were blessed with some good luck, as our rope was a little faster. Capitalizing on our quick rappel, we dropped the hammer and pushed hard on the 3km trail run back to the bikes. The effort all but buried me, in the excitement of the duel, I had neglected my water stores, and was beginning to suffer the consequences of dehydration with cramping starting in my calves, quads, and hamstrings. Jeff remained strong, and continued to push the pace on the remaining km's of the bike. Nearly missing a crucial junction, I was close to panic. With my head buried in suffering I yelled to Jeff, "We need to make sure we know where we're going" He stopped, took out the map and beckoned me to share in the navigation duties. Now slurring, fighting cramping legs, and clearly at the end of my tether, I yelled at him, "Find out where the hell we are, where we need to go and don't make any mistakes." Clearly the teacher in me coming out, I can only imagine what he was thinking. 2km later we approached the University, rounded the corner to where the race started only to find the street deserted. I was dreading that we'd blown it. Fortunately Jeff spotted a couple volunteers further up the hill. Completely scribbled at this point, with almost no patience I cursed Bryan and Jen under my breath as we were forced to once again drop our bikes and run to the top of the hill. With Gary and Todd safely behind up and the finish line finally in sight, I started to finally relax and enjoy the moment. After congratulating Jeff with a "way to gay" hug, I tried to hide how terrible I was feeling. Dehydration is a bitch, and my stomach was a mess. Still it was worth it. My superstar wife Carey 5 months pregnant with twin boys was there to greet and congratulate us. After having won the solo category last year, she decided to make the trip over from Nanaimo and volunteered all day at the first transition. She's a rockstar.

It was a great day for Helly Hansen sponsored teams, in addition to Team Helly Hansen Vancouver Island/Steed Cycles and Team Helly/Momar taking the top two spots overall,
Kristenn Magnusson, and Bobbie Taylor our Helly Hansen Vancouver Island sisters also finished in 1st place for the team of two women. Check out their racereport at www.teamvancouverisland.blogspot.com

Bryan Tasaka once again pulled off another amazing event. The banquet and after party was amazing. Dave Norona was great on the mic. Huge thanks to all the amazing volunteers and sponsors. It was great to have Steed Cycles come on board this year as a series sponsor and I'm looking forward to picking up my new SRAM/RockShox equipped Giants from the shop in a couple of weeks.

Time to take a step back from Adventure racing and focus on the bike, with Test of Metal and BC Bike Race rapidly approaching. JMAR OUT

COUNTRY CLUB CRAWL 08

2008-05-04T23:08:00.001-07:00

This is year two of the Country Club Crawl. The Crawl, inspired by events such as the Vomit Launch and the D-bay dangle is simply a challenge among friends to compete an epic day of outdoor activity in our local surroundings. These events have ranged from 5hr run/rides to the infamous 1998 version of the Vomit Launch which lasted over 12hrs for some, included dehydration, claimed bear attack and 11pm van rescue. This year's Crawl was aiming for diversity and was fully completed by Jeff Riemer, Kristenn Magnusson and Justin Mark in 8hrs thereabouts. Other stage participants included Carey Sather, Pete Sinclair, Helmut Mark and Dave Bergman.

Here's a couple pics from the 08 version of the Country Club Crawl

Stage 1: Canoe to Newcastle (It was a little rough)
Stage 2: 10km trail run on Newcastle
Stage 3: Canoe back to DBAY - (a little rough)
Stage 4: Mountain Bike Dumont to Rollercoaster - Down 3 creeks and back home
Stage 5: 10km Trail Run - Linley Valley
Stage 6: FIESTA

It was a great day, thanks Pete and Dave for making the trip. Thanks Helmo and Carey for all the great food.

Dirt Parking lots and open pit fires: Hammerfest race report

2008-05-01T10:40:00.000-07:00

With three races down the Island Cup XC mountain bike series is in full swing. This past weekend saw over one hundred cross country racers compete in the 15th annual edition of the Hammerfest. Island cup races are the epitome of grassroots racing. The $20.00 entry fee is sure to provide you with a shotgun shell littered dirt parking lot, an open pit bonfire and a free bowl of vegan broth. The course was excellent with tons of singletrack sections both up and down. I had a real hard time motivating myself to race, as my legs felt like bricks after having raced an adventure race in Port Moody "Suburban Rush" the day before with BC BIKE race partner and Team Helly Hansen Vancouver Island teamate Jeff Riemer. Fortunately/Unfortunately Carey had signed up to volunteer. The guilt of watching her pregnant with twins participate while I opted to sack out on the couch motivated my ass out the door. The race started slowly for me. I'm usually a quick off the start, fade later kind of racer, but there wasn't much left in the legs after burning them up on the hills of Port Moody the day before. Convincing myself that it was merely a training ride and to just to my best, I worked my way slowly through the pack until I found myself near the top 10 racing with the familiar faces of Andrew Kent and Fred Hodgson. My second lap was solid, but the wheels started to fall off on the 3rd. Enjoying the singletrack downhill, I cruised into the finish behind my buddy Fred. Riemer had a great race considering his efforts the day before, edging out Drew Mackenzie. Kevin Calhoun and the visiting Rocky Mountain squad took down the top 3. It was another awesome day of grassroots Vancouver Island Racing. The next race the Port Alberni Marathon is on May 18th, followed by Duncan a week later. I'm looking forward to the Country Club Crawl and the Squamish Momar on the upcoming weekends.

Justin Mark