Salty Dog loop

[Majo]

MTB riders,

Have you been riding at the Salty Dog loop yet this year.  Any scoop about the trails conditions?  I wish to go ride 2-3 laps there next weekend.  Anyone wants to join?

Majo

[PeterW]

Haven't heard, but would love to hear too!

[Schulzy]

I believe there is still some snow on the Salty trails!! Hopefully it will clear up in the next few weeks. What about a BP training camp on the Salty trails over Easter? I am off work from April 21-25 and will be doing some serious Mtn bike practice if anyone wants to join! We could ride Salty, Ellison And Kelowna trails???
Jen

[Majo]

I am planning to be riding at the SD loop on Saturdays asap...  So I should see you there!  Let me know if you wish to car pool or plan a bbq feast at the end of the day riding...! 

[StephenU]

You guys can all ride and I will have the lawn chairs out, hibache fired up, burgers cooking, drinks cooling (PB if Simon shows up on his road bike) and Donuts for dessert.  (Macaroons for Horn)

Fatter-Quail

[Majo]

Sounds good except for the donuts!!!

[W Ellis]

Salty dog loop is open , some trees down on upper trail . It's dry & fast. Mabey pack a chainsaw so I don't have to......

[StephenU]

I would be happy carry a 25 lb chainsaw on my back!!  Let's do it. i

[Majo]

Thank you for the info.  Let me know if you want to join Darcy, Ray and myself next Saturday (April 9).  Darcy and Ray are ALWAYS keen on cutting trees crossing trails - but they will only carry a small hand saw so depending of the size of your tree they may get it out of the way before you need to    We are planning to leave Vernon by 10:00 am. 
Majo

[W Ellis]

Don't worry about the down trees , I'll take Ron down the trail and he will most Likely hit every tree making the trail perfect, but if you want packing a 25 lb chainsaw might be good for the quail legs, just make sure you fire that bad boy up before you put it in the camleback, you could even run mix fuel .....

[Majo]

Went yesterday finally.  Thank you to who cut the trees down and cleaned up the trails. 

[GinnySellars]

So....how dit go Majo?! Fun? How did you feel after a winter on the trainer?

[Andrew]

I am on call all through Easter...which means I can ride around and around the Salty Dog tras with anyone who wants to come out for a training camp. Luke might be in town, and I have room on my floor for $20/night which goes to my landlords of the small basement suite where I stay in SA.

My only other commitments are some play dates with Maddy at the jungle gymn, and taking care of the tan I am developing in Mallorca. Bring on the Cannondales and the 29ers!!!

[Majo]

Okay.  Majo started to ride on her MTB outside last Thursday.  Woohoo!  What an energy booster!  Ginny is now challenging me on more volume into my training.  I did a 3h ride on Thursday (a mix of paved, gravel & log roads and MTB single tracks), a 2h50 ride on Saturday on the road going off purposely on the gravel/grass on the sides 1/3 of the time, and a 3h20 MTB single tracks on Sun.  Well, Thursday when I was leaving the house my first thoughts was that my bike was broken as I was spinning too easily (I found) on the biggest ring.  It just looked all fine so I rode away to Kal Park to follow Ginny’s plan.  I felt awesome beside I felt a bit more chicken than I know myself capable to do into the more technical sections, which is acceptable at the start of the season.  I surprised myself climbing The Wall and The Switchbacks on my middle ring…  When I tried that in the past it just felt too much power draining, so it wouldn’t last more than 30 seconds.  I would also only use my biggest ring on non-technical downhill sections and on the flat roads.  Thursday I found myself using the 3 rings in the single tracks so I was very pleased.  Saturday when I went to my “road ride” I was mostly on the big ring on flats and climbs, but sometimes switching to the middle ring going up.  The other thing I noticed was that my leg effort on the bike felt very smooth, more like had a 3h long continuous revolutions after another without any break in rhythm.  That was cool:  It felt like my pedals were just springing back alone toward my bum; so my hamstrings could work evenly in synch with my quads (they were last year aching and making me feel miserable after 1-2 hours of riding).  Yes Ginny, I see how much the cadence work ON MY TRAINER has been helping me.  My Sunday ride certainly felt pretty good for a first 3 laps in a row ride at the Salty Dog loop and second time out on the MTB trails this year.  But it would have felt much better if I didn’t have to switch my Saturday and Sunday training plans, as per I had a social event to attend to on Saturday…  So I would have had a day off before I rode the Salty Dog trails…  But it is still all good training.  I actually I was excited to find the mental and physical power to make it up successfully around a tight switchback I was usually getting off my bike as I was just picturing myself tumbling back down over that tree stump… And finally losing more time!  SO OVERALL, Majo is doing pretty good as she found her confidence back to be able to show up at her planned races and have FUN as it why she trains and races!  Finally, I have to mention that I have tested the E-Load products “Heat Endurance” and “Fly” in my last 3 workouts and I like them very much.  I normally have no trouble with my stomach during races and training but I appreciated the fact that the taste was barely noticeable (like fresh lemon) and that it was not viscous or sticky at all (ratio: 32ml of E-load “Heat Endurance” + 48ml of E-load “Fly” into 700ml of water).  I felt good the whole time but as I like to eat solid food when I exercise for a long period, I had a carb snack of approximately 100Kcal after every 90-120 minutes.  I would also like to mention that I luckily used the E-loads Discs in my season of 2010, in the very hot days of “Race the Stoke to Get Spanked” & “Gear Jammer” MTB races.  At the Stoke, it was the first time I started to experiment what I would call the first stages of muscle cramping where my Quads, Sartorius or perhaps Gracilis started to twinge at two occasions.  Each time I took some E-loads Discs right away and in a couple of minutes the sensation was completely gone (I actually just stop for the time to find the E-loads discs and that was it).  At the GJammer, I once had the same muscles going suddenly into waves of cramping, so I took again some E-loads Discs and I was very quickly ready to go again (just the time to swallow more and more  water with the E-loads Discs and chew on a piece of water melon).  I am convinced the E-loads Discs saved my times at the races at both occasions.  Anyhow, thank you for reading. 
I am going with Darcy and perhaps Cindy and Brock to the Salty Dog loop again next Saturday.  Darcy wants to rip 5 laps and myself 4…  Anyone wants to join?  You can email me: majorielauzon@yahoo.ca
Note: We plan to go every Saturday until the Salty Dog race…  We would love to ride a bit with you Andrew!

[StephenU]

The Quail is into a super mega wkd of salty laparoonies! I would be keen to start the epic salty festival on fri!!! Who is in? Also planning a return on sun and maybe even Monday!
Super Quail!