Cheakamus Challenge

A few weeks ago Mark and I headed down to Squamish with race director Grant Lamont to do a bit of much needed trail work on the race course to get it ready for the big day.
As a reward (in addition to food and beer) Grant kindly offered us both a spot in the race - well, who are we to refuse a reason to be riding the King of Classics celebration of pain?!

A nice shot of mark leading out the pack at the start

The Cheakamus Challenge is one of those races that just hurts. It starts off as a nice jolly pack ride up the Paradise Valley and turns into a 'see colours and puke' series of climbs before the finish in Creekside.73km, 2000m of vertical in just shy of 4 hours... ouch.

This was my 4th year of the race with each one getting progressively quicker but no less painful. Cramps foudn me again in the heat this year but at least I didn't end up having to sit down in the shade and share a powerbar at the top of Tunnel Vision with Mark this year.

From 61st overall in 2003, to 3rd in catagory for 2004 and 2005 to 20th Overall and 2nd in catagory for 2006... pain definately celebrated!
The Ransom was in race guise again weighing in at 29lbs, so I'm pretty happy to be the first rider on a bike over 25lbs and probably the first in dignity saving baggy shorts too ;)