BC Bike Race Here We Come!

It's been a long time in coming, but of the three contenders we laid out in November, the BC Bike Race has won out, we're registered, and all systems are GO. As you can see from the marketing hype above, we chose BC Bike because we were searching for "The Ultimate Singletrack Experience". We also clearly also wanted the most expensive race, and the one that comes earliest on the calendar. We felt that both these secondary factors would motivate us to train more...

But seriously, BCBR (as it will henceforth be referred to), is going to be an epic adventure. 7 days of some of the most intense racing in North America, in one of the most incredible locations on earth. (how's that for marketing hype?) For those of you who have been reading closely, you may remember us talking a lot about the Breck-Epic and a blogger grant competition. While the contest was in the process of being delayed for two months, Eric and I got to really thinking about what we wanted out of this adventure, and realized that a full 7-Day point-point event was the sort of challenge that made us drool in a way that no cloverleaf 5 day event ever could. That being said, Mike McCormack will be putting on a great event on a good budget, and if you want something that fits into a little more sane schedule, the Breck-Epic will be the race to ride this year.

Now that all the choosing is over, it is time to get serious about preparation. The "Freebase" period went on a little longer than expected, and with me on the opposite side of the globe for nearly 2 months, base didn't really get started the way it should have, but the training plan has been resurrected and Eric found a battery for his HRM (though getting him to wear it is like getting a 2year old to wear a bib on spaghetti night) so we'll be talking (and doing) plenty of training in the near future. I'm going to go out on a limb and set the pretty aggressive goal of a top 20 GC finish, which I think is attainable if we stay motivated. We may not have all the gear of the pro teams:
(This is Gary Fisher - Cannondale from BCBR 2008) but with a good work ethic and maybe some help from a local shop, we'll be tangling with the big boys come Independence Day.

And on that note, I have some ridin' to do...