7:45 My alarm rings in my ear like an alarm going of at a fire station. Whack! I hit the snooze button. 5 mins later off it goes again. Whack I hit it again but this time I actually get up. I grab all of my riding gear and head down to the kitchen for the final prep before I make my way to the race. I get stuck into 3 bagels with peanut butter and nutella for breakfast! It's at this point whilst eating my bagels I look at my phone and look at a msg "sorry bud can't make it to the race have fun" Shit! I have entered a race and have no way of getting there. With a few phone calls later I get a lift! With the crisis over it's time go get to the race.
Arriving at the race headquarters, I grabbed out my bike and gear, leant it up against the car and look in the car next to us and notice a rather pimp part spec on a frame that was polished silver! What was it? The gentleman got out of the car and I turned to him and said "Rocky Mountain Element 29?" http://www.bikes.com His reply was "Wow quick to pick that up weren't you? Can't tell you anymore because its top secret and I'd have to kill you!" We had a good chat about the bike and general bike lingo to go with it! Told him about the guys from Rocky Mountain Australia http://www.adventurebrands.co.nz and how pumped they are on the bike but have never been over here to the heart of Mountain biking. (P.S Guys from Rocky Mountain Australia you have been invited over with open arms to Canada and they will help you out when you make it over! )
With my chat done it was time to get on with the race.
The 5min bell went off and it was time to get in the pack, ready for the start. I jumped into my awesome Sugoi Nicks http://www.sugoi.com/usa/eng along with my Trailmix jersey and socks http://www.trailmix.com.au. Speeches done the 30sec bell was rung.
The siren went off and we were away. I was mid-pack not too fussed as we were going out on the open road for the first leg of the race. I hit the road and see that there was around 500m to the leaders and that's where I wanted to be. Lock out front and rear was on, the head went down and my inner roadie came out. I bridged the gap quickly and jumped on the end of the leaders for a rest. Sitting in around 40th I was happy with my position. We hit the 1st climb and the 29 was off! I cruised up the climb saving energy and still riding hard and just bopping along in my own world. Hit the top of the climb and gave a round of high 5s to the spectators and the descent was on.
Flying down Radio Trail I sent a rock drop and came out at with loads of people picking off 2 more riders. The trail was congested with the standard "I can ride up a hill fast but not down" people. As I got on to one guys tire and knew the section coming up and one place to pass, there was a female voice yelling at me "close the gap, pass him, I want this gap closed, I want to pass, Hurry up." Hearing this I saw an opportunity to pass the guy and get away from this annoying lady. "On you right" I yelled, I went to pass and he moved over right. Awesome I said in my head well I'm either going to pass and get away or crash. WHAM, SNAP, BANG, Dead silence, I chase some stars around for a few seconds, I then hear chains slapping away, skidding tyres, and the odd voice say oooohhhh. A lot of riders pass none stopping to give a hand until on super nice guy stopped. Are you OK, is what most people yell. His words were, "Oh Shit this guy is really hurt!"
I opened my eyes to see him standing over me, "are you hurt?" he asked. "I think I'm ok" I responded. "Well all I could see was the whites of your eyes and blood coming from your mouth" "I think you're hurt" He kept saying! "Nah I'm all good, Have a awesome race, you have done so much to help me, I'll Be Ok". An easy 5 min passed and it was at this point I convinced him to go and carry on. Right, some serious Luke time has to happen so I can judge how hurt I really am! I checked out my collar bone and it was ok, I lift my bike with my arm to make sure it was strong. Riders have passed and really started to thin out so I walked up to the clearing to make sure I could walk and move free.
It's now crunch time, what am I going to do? I was hurting a lot and about to throw in the towel, but instead I thought of local rider Nick Geddes http://www.norco.com/news/4258/a-bumpy-road-ahead-for-nick-geddes-get-well-nick who had come down with leukemia this year and James "Willo" Williamson http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/ex-world-champ-james-williamson-dies-at-cape-epic-25478 passing last year from a heart attack. Using their stories to motivate me I said to myself "Fuck it, It's been 10min now, Get on with it Luke!" Right, the bike test! If both wheels spin and gears work I'm riding no questions asked. Front wheels spin test "Dammit" it spins fine, Rear wheel spin test "DDDDamit" it spins as well, Gear check. Well that’s it I'm riding. I sucked it up and re-rode where I crashed and continued on
I made it to the start of Happy Trail, still spitting blood from my crash I saw friends Emma and Emily. I stopped had another chat and told them my story then picked up my water and kept riding. I got 8 corners in and saw Kevin "The Animal" Phelps. I pulled over and got of my bike and the seat lifted up. Within 5 min the seat was off and he was trying to get it fixed. 5 min later the sweep came up and had a chat. "You’re the hurt guy that won't give up", "ahhhh yeah that’s me" I replied. They checked me out for a further 10 min and said it's up to me to make the call if I want to ride on. They left me after I said "I'll be fine" and they then continue on with the race. As they left Emily and Emma showed up, looking at what going on Emily spoke out and said "would you like my seat". "Sure" changing over the seat and now 30min past the sweep riders i was on my way again.
I got in to my own little world and kept at it, thinking that I was going to ride the rest of my race. I was happy with this until I heard a faint voice come through the trees "Dam this is hard" it said. I turned around a few corners and there were the sweep riders! "What", "Youuuu!" "How are you still going?". "Never ever give up and always ride for fun" I replied. It then dawned on me!!! I was now back in the race and it was game on! From here on my sole goal was to not walk anything and see what I could do. 1, 2, 3, 4, 10, 20, 30, I lost count and just kicked it into overdrive. Made it to the top of the monster climb and just kept going. Over Night was next and before it I was almost done. "Holy FUCK dude, give err" were the words from the photographer as I came down the last descent making up lines left right and center. "Yeah boi! Sick lines" he shouts as I finish it off.
I motor up the road to our next trail where I climb every climb except one that no one made. Keeping my energy up with mix of GU chomps http://www.guenergy.com and Torq gels http://www.torqaustralia.com.au I push through the unbearable pain in my mouth: I was going strong and staying focused. I make it to the next feed zone and knowing there are 2 climbs left and I was facing the hardest climb of all I sucked in the big ones. Started in granny and got the job done. There was loads of support from people walking the climb, yelling "You're an animal!" "How are you still riding this" I just responded with "Never give up!". I ate up this No Err loop getting loose and wild on the muddy, mossy rocks. Flying past people left right and center the descent was over and the final climb was upon me. I was there: the last climb and no walks. One last Gel and the descent was one like donkey kong.
I hammered down with a huge smile on my face knowing I was almost done, with such a sweet bit of single track to finish the ride off with I found energy to do some doubles and jumps to the train track. Now I needed to call on the last bit of inner roadie to get me home. I hit the road drop my elbows to the grips put it in the DOG and see if I can spin out the 29. Legs burning still trying to spin it out I pass 3 more people all who tried to hang on to my wheel but couldn't. Right turn with a drift on to the grass I go pedaling all the way to the end and I cross the line. It was over the race was done. With a huge smile on my face I just wanted to rest. Eating as many bananas as I could and finding a nice spot on the grass to chill out for the evening I was set and didn’t have to go anywhere.
Prize time came around and I received a seat to replace the one I had broken, shortly after they asked who made the No Err climb. I stuck my hand up and then there was a look of shock on the commentators face, "you did it?" "You just don't give up do you?" I replied with "you never give up".
The final stats on my race were as follows:
Winning time Elite Male 2:15
Winning time 20-29 Male 2:33
My Time 3:36
My Category place in 20-29 18th out of 31
My overall place 156 out of 315
1 broken seat, 1 Broken seat post, 1 Riped Sugoi nicks, 1 Destroyed Trailmix jersey
Special thanks to Emily for the seat, the guy who helped me up, the vollies and marshals, Kevin for trying to fix the seat, http://www.whistleroutbackadventures.com/about.html ARBUTUS ROUTES for the 29 that got me through the race.
In finishing up, the drive home was short and sweet as the pain set in and adrenalin wore off. I had a everlasting ride that was now a memory. I later found myself looking out the window of the car and all I said to myself was "There you go Willow you will always live on and forever be in people’s lives"
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