I’m already planning and scheming for 2017… all in attempts to reach 1 lofty goal: complete the BC Bike Race.  7 days of mountain bike single track racing in British Columbia.

I’ve read some others recap the race; broken hands, twisted roots, slippery rocks.  Not to mention the mileage and elevation gain alone.  (One day last year was 36miles with 5,000+ feet of climbing.) Seven days… sleeping in a tent with 599 of my closest friends.

In truth, I’m not all that interested in ‘racing’ the race – I’ll leave that to the folks that get paid to wear a logo on their chest.  My goal is to complete it without (major) injury and enjoy the process.  I don’t want it to be so painful that my head is down missing the beautiful forest or so tired that I’m napping during the ferry rides to the next stage.  I want to have enough energy to soak it all in.

What’s stopping me?  Nothing but myself.  Here in Southern California we have a very different style of riding.  We’re a desert climate – jagged rocks, short technical climbs and downhills have you looking out for cactus, sand and snakes.  Oh, and there’s that J.O.B. thing that tends to steal prime workout hours.  And since I’m whining, I’ve recently had 2 major surgeries.

So I’m planning for my 2017 loft goal.  Looking for races that give me a certain mileage and climb, places where there’s great riding and also have dog-friendly cabins so that I can work remotely and train in the evening, devising training cycles that will likely leave my legs feeling like lead (this part has already started).

If we didn’t have lofty goals, we likely wouldn’t find out what we’re really capable of.  If you don’t try – you don’t find out.

Thanks for the prompt wordpress elves!