Adventure Racing!

Here we are at the finish line of our first MOMAR!



 

My neighbour, Vanessa, and I have spent a fair amount of time in the trails on Gabriola training for various athletic events.  First on our list was the Ride to Conquer Cancer, after that we thought we'd try a triathlon which we completed at Shawnigan Lake this spring with our friend Julie.  After training through the summer, we headed up to Cumberland to complete our first MOMAR (Mind over mountain adventure race), alongside over 450 racers.  We signed up for the sport course, a 30km trek that included kayaking, running and mountain biking, all while trying to map read to ensure we didn't miss a checkpoint and that we were headed in the right direction.  It was a gorgeous day, at 9:05 we received our map so we could start planning our route, at 10:30 we were in our kayak waiting for the countdown to begin, what seemed to be an hour later we were back on land ready to start our trail run.   The run had lots of elevation (I mean a lot) and eventually led us back to town to start the mountain bike trek, this was about the hardest hill I have ever done (actually, I think it was called a mountain) and had everyone hiking their bikes for at least a portion of the gruelling uphill grind. After a few more checkpoints we were back running again to find the next checkpoint, all the while trying to get a chance to take a glimpse of the gorgeous scenery around us.  For the last leg of our adventure we were back on the mountain bikes, wow there are a lot of good riders out there and a lot of bridges, ramps, and teeter-totters in those trails.  After 5:34 we crossed the line with smiles on our faces, and still remaining "Island View Besties".  Of course, we'll be signing up again, with husbands in tow and hopefully a few more islanders on the course. 

The GYM @ Twin Beaches

It's been a bit wet on the trails lately and when the rain pours in the morning I sometimes reconsider my plan to put on my runners and step outside.  I've been contemplating a gym membership but because I love to be in the outdoors, I've kept putting it off. Yesterday, after I finished a course my husband picked me up with this punch card to the gym @ Twin Beaches on Gabriola.  As you can see I haven't used it yet, but it looks like a great gym that I look forward to going to.

A walk in the Elder Cedar Nature Reserve

The Elder Cedar Nature Reserve is located just off North Road in the southern end of Gabriola, near Degnen Rd.  There is a walking loop that leads you through the the forest wetland and some rare species.   The terrain is fairly level, with a small bridge and stepping stones to cross the stream, it is single track trails and they ask that you walk carefully and stay on the paths.  We recently walked the trails and it's approximately a 25 minute walk.

Night RIDE on the trails

There are so many adventures waiting right outside the door, it's just finding enough daylight hours.  We ran out yesterday, so we decided to try out the bike lights and head out on the trails.  We went on the trails off Degnen & South Road, the paths are wide and have a few good size puddles, which just make for more of an adventure.  We'll definitely make this an activity that we do more often and hope to drag some of our friends with us on our next night ride.  One more thing to do on Gabriola !.

A walk in the Elder Cedar Nature Reserve.

This is a beautiful park located just off of North Road (near Degnen Road) on Gabriola Island.  The single trail loops through part of the 65-acre reserve, taking you through the lush forest, on small bridges and stepping across the river on large stones. 
I've gone with my kids many times and it takes us about 30-40 minutes, we do stop along the way to take a look at things as we go (and there is also a geo-cache located in these woods), so you may find it quicker.  You are asked to go by foot only and stay on the trail in this park, due to the delicate ecosystem.
Here is a link to Randy Young's website, he has mapped out a lot of Gabriola's amazing trails and his website is a fantastic resource if you want to explore the trails on the Island.
Submitted by: Tina Lynch

The Marathon.

It's now been almost two weeks since I ran my first marathon, a goal I've held for as long as I can remember. This year, I knew that this would be the year for me to do it. I've realized over the past few years that life can change in an instant, and I knew that I was in a time of my life when I had the physical ability to complete it.

I joined the Running Room in Nanaimo and completed my first half marathon in the Spring of 2009 and continued the training for the Victoria Marathon.

Some weeks of training went better than others, and there were a few little challenges that would pop up (limited sleep,work,young children, sunshine, camping, life, etc). I really enjoyed the process, and for me the nerves built as October 11 drew nearer, I was lucky enough to have the pressure of creating enough paintings for the Gallery Tour to distract me. On Saturday night, Lesley Standerwick, Keli Stapp and I packed up the car, left Gabriola and headed for Victoria.

My anxiety hit as we we're driving and I realized that I was in the car with two personal trainers- what was I thinking ? I started to relax as they brought out a two pound bag of jelly beans for the drive and told me that we we're going to have dinner at 9 when we got to Victoria, this was more my style.

The three of us completed our first marathons on October 11th. I couldn't imagine going through the process on my own and was so pleased to share this experience with such supportive and knowledgeable friends. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining, there was no wind, and we had friends and family there to cheer us on along the way. (Submitted by: Tina Lynch)