If you want to see just how unpredictable (and unlucky) life is, plan an ultra.
For starters, I moved to Alberta - the land of SNOW - in November 2021. The town had a small High School gym that resembled something you'd find in a Best Western weight room, and a stationary bike with a non-adjustable seat and one broken pedal. Things were looking bleak. My first ride outside resulted in 110KM winds (not uncommon in the area) that sent me sideways into the ditch. I had barely ridden for 20 minutes before calling my Mom for rescue.
In February I moved to Utah where the stationary bikes were a little more functional but still as boring. Having the attention span of a toddler meant I'd pedal indoors for maybe 10 minutes before convincing myself it had been an hour and returning to lift weights.
The first week of March the weather was just perfect. Snow had melted and the air wasn't bitter. I took my bike out for its first spin of the year and remembered why I had picked up cycling in the first place. Amazing trails were just outside my door and I felt optimistic about my last few months of training.
...and then my bike broke.
I was a few weeks away from going back to Canada and no stores in Utah could have the parts ordered and it repaired in that timeline. I had also purchased a flight to Iceland to cycle the country and knew I would be investing in a touring bike, so opted that I would pack this bike and just wait until I purchased a new one before resuming training.
...but there's also a bike shortage. Like...a really bad one.
BC seemed to be my only option for finding one, but they were selling within hours of being posted - which meant I either had to buy it at the starting line or purchase without seeing it. So I bought my Brodie gravel bike unseen and crossed my fingers for the best.
We were a few weeks away at this point and I was feeling confident I could have everything prepared for takeoff.
That's when I discovered my car insurance was about to expire...and I was in a different province where it couldn't be renewed. I had 48 hours to quickly pack my things, finalize details for the Therapeuo and hit the road. At the time, I thought this was an enormous punch in my plans, but it ended up being one of the best mishaps.
Lesson #1 | Be Familiar With Your Gear
I was able to spend that week on the Island cycling which led to vital discoveries, including my non-existent brakes, my flesh-eating cleats and cycling routes that were 100x better than our original plan.
I phoned my cycling partner, Kaylee, and convinced the team to reroute within 72 hours of leaving. This was one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Lesson #2 | Don't Be Afraid To Make Changes
Things started getting crazy when my family decided to have a big gathering just days before I set out. This isn't something I wanted to miss, considering I was moving after the Therapeuo and didn't know when I'd see them again. That being said, there are two things I don't mess around with before ultras: My sleep and my diet.
Both these things got thrown out the window when we all met up - because who likes to be the kid who leaves early? Or brings carrot sticks while everyone else is pounding cheetos? Not me. Additionally, my brother brought his boat and my love for wakeboarding overrode my common sense. Needless to say I woke up the next morning, exhausted, feeling sick to my stomach and totally paralyzed from the day on the water.
Lesson #3 | Stick To Your Schedule
It was Sunday night when I said goodbye to the family and set my alarm for 6AM. I would be heading to the airport to pick up Kaylee and her Mom before jumping on the evening sailing to the Island. The Therapeuo would start early Tuesday morning and I could feel the anxiety rising within. As I was going to bed I got hit with a wave of nausea but didn't think anything of it. "I'm just tired..."
I threw up the entire night.
When my alarm went off I panicked.
I hadn't slept more than a few hours and felt dehydrated and disgusting. My whole body was shivering and aches were shooting through every joint. I couldn't believe how awful I felt. I threw my backpack in the car, then ran back inside the cabin to throw up again. My Mom tried persuading me to delay but instead just fuelled my fire.
Lesson #4 | What You Focus On Expands
I drove the entire 2 hours with the windows down, hoping the fresh air would fend off the nausea. It worked. I made it to the airport without anymore puking (thank goodness) and loaded the team up.
I faked feeling good and tried making conversation while my whole body screamed to be smothered under blankets watching Netflix and drinking Ginger Ale. People think the mindsets for ultras are developed at the starting line, but they're actually built months in advance. Being sick wasn't going to persuade me off my bike. At this point, I was already committed and everything else felt so nonchalant.
The remainder of the day was spent getting our gear sorted and snacks purchased (snacks are a big deal my friends). As you can imagine, I had 0 appetite and spent the whole day just trying to drink one bottle of vitamin water. I finally was brave enough to eat a sandwich for dinner, but otherwise food was still of the devil to my stomach.
Lesson #5 | Listen To Your Gut
By evening I was so pissed of everyone telling me I couldn't bike that the furnace within started raging. If you haven't realized yet, reverse psychology works like a C H A R M on Sav.
The habit of creating tunnel focus had been created during training and I applied that same strategy to tune into my own head and body. Headphones went in, lights went out and I let the intense sensation of fear, excitement and curiosity flood my entire body. I was asleep in seconds.
Unfortunately 2AM rolled around and I was back in the bathroom throwing up, shaking and wondering how on earth I'd wake up and cycle in just 4 hours...
But that's a story for another day 👇🏽
W A T C H T H E V I D E O H E R E
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