September 24, 2011

The Whistler GF will be indelibly imprinted in my memory for reasons both very positive and negative. Positive from these standpoints:

It was super cool to be a part of such a massive event and to always be at or near the front of the main non-pro peloton. It had been a while since I’d pushed my body and mind to such high levels of intensity and as always, I loved that!

The after party! It started with Red Truck beer tent, then continued later with having dinner with the race director, cycling legends Alex Stieda, Leonard Zinn and Bob Roll. Thanks Benny for arranging this!

Now the negative and it’s really only one: my ride to Whistler was hugely stressful from the moment I clipped in to the finish line. Too many strong riders with not enough space to cycle. Hence, I couldn’t relax without the fear of crashing (witnessed 3 that were too close for comfort!). Could it have been because every one & their dog wanted to do this event? Or that I saw many licensed riders of whom were higher than Category 4. Or that there were more than a few very capable riders with very little pack riding skill? All I know is that it made my trip more unenjoyable than I expected.

Would I do this Fondo again? Ask me again next year. I heard many a story of how much fun the aid stations were, particularly in Squamish. If I wasn’t so focused on getting to Whistler asap, I’d have certainly wined & dined like a majority did. Will I ever be able to chill and stop being so bloody competitive?!?!

To your best effort –

PS: My graphics guy can be a bit of a joker 🙂