On July 4 I crossed the finish line in Whistler for the BC Bike Race. By the numbers, this was a 7 day, 320km & 10,000 meter elevation mountain bike adventure that took me just under 37 total hours to complete.
Here were 600 or so participants from 24 different countries, and only 14% female riders. But what it really was for me, was the culmination of over 2 years of joy, frustration, pain and perseverance and being able to prove to myself that yes, I am THAT strong.
I can’t believe how quickly the week went by. One minute I’m sitting on the steps in Horseshoe Bay waiting for the ferry talking to some really nice Aussie dudes, and the next thing I know there’s 8 of us around the table at the wrap-up banquet sharing stories and comparing war wounds, and making sure we are connected on Strava & friends on Facebook.
It was truly an amazing 7 days of riding and I am so fortunate to have had the opportunity to do this race. But like all things in life, it’s the journey not the destination from which we take our lessons.
Flashing back to February 2013 and meeting with Kris at IFPM for the first time, I had a singular lofty goal – to finish the BC Bike Race in 2014. I set a schedule for 2 days/week personal training and started to see improvements in my strength and fitness. I got back into road riding and completed the Gran Fondo in Penticton that summer with the IFPM team. The day after that event, registration opened for the BC Bike Race. I remember sitting in my hotel room, logging into my iPad and filling out the registration form. The race would go on to reach capacity in under 2 weeks.
At the end of December 2013 I had my coaches and schedule lined up so we would be ready to hit the ground rolling for focused training starting in January for the event at the end of June. Sometimes though, fate has something different planned. What seemed like a relatively minor – if inconvenient – calf injury sustained skiing in Whistler in early January developed into a potentially life-threatening complication. A huge blood clot had formed in my femoral vein in my right leg and quietly pieces were breaking off and lodging in my lungs. At the end of February I was having pretty significant chest pain and difficulty breathing and after a visit to the ER for a CT scan I was diagnosed with multiple pulmonary embolisms, a partially collapsed lung lobe and pleural effusion. I was immediately admitted to Eagle Ridge Hospital and started on Warfarin. I was discharged after a few days with a prescription for oral warfarin and instructions to avoid any moderate to high impact activities or sports where head or body trauma was likely.
Just like that my mountain biking was over – at least for the next 6 months. Fortunately the crew at the BC Bike Race were very understanding and I was allowed to move my registration to 2015. Once my calf was fully healed and I was cleared by my doctors for cardio work I got on the road bike again and did some epic events. The Mount Baker ride with the IFPM team was a really fun & challenging day and the 270km Doppio Fondo in Victoria was an amazing experience and a major test of endurance.
In mid-July I was given a clean bill of health and could stop the oral Warfarin. I got back on that mountain bike & hit the trails as soon as I could!
When January 2015 came around it was all systems go with sessions at IF and outside on the bikes. The weeks flew by filled with indoor Computrainer sessions, hill repeats, and consecutive days of longer and longer mountain bike rides. It did get hard to find friends who wanted to do 40+ kilometers on the dirt more than once a week!
Suddenly it was June 28 and the start of Day 1 in Cumberland. I had my plan for the week and I needed to stick to it – there were 7 long days of riding ahead. I felt ready and had trust in our preparation, but when you’re talking that many hours on the trails, there’s so much that can go wrong.
Each day had its own unique challenges, from the 41C and running out of water on Day 1 to the crazy sketchy descents of Day 3 and a nasty crash on Day 6, but also lots of victories as well. Being able to spin out the pain from the cramps on Day 2, nailing that switchback climb that everyone else was walking on Day 4, schooling the boys on the North Shore on Day 5, and being completely overwhelmed with emotion coming to the finish line on Day 7. Each day I faced it head on and I came through stronger than ever.
It has been an epic journey with a really amazing finish. I can’t thank the team at IFPM enough for helping me succeed; I had the dream and they believed I could do it, and together we made it happen.
Leah Montgomery
IF Member
Innovative Fitness Port Moody
