WHAT THE MUCK?

That was one of the team names at the Muddy Buddy race. Along with team "This Mucks" and the Streakers (2 girls who were wearing beige coloured running suits with maple leaves taped to 'strategic' parts of their bodies), me sis and I were reppin' the Chan Clan in this cool race. It was quite a gorgeous route, as most of it coursed through a forest. In fact, I'd say that this was a mini adventure race, as the running was mainly trail running and the biking was pretty technical. The obstacles.... well, you had your usual fare of tire hopping, balance beaming and mud pit slinking. But, the weirdest one was obstacle #4. Borrowing a chapter from Fear Factor, participants got to choose between eating 8 crackers or half a dog biscuit. And then you had to wash it down with a half cup of cola! I do believe my sis now has a better appreciation of what her yellow Lab snacks on!

Actually, the race was just a small part of the short visit to the 'other' side of the Rockies. I had a great time cruising around with D and got to meet some of her friends. We stayed at B & B's for the first night, where I was introduced to an electric motor assisted bike. At first, I was uninterested, maybe even critical, as I supposedly pride myself to being a purist rider. I once got passed on a steep hill by someone riding what looked like a hybrid bicycle-scooter and remember trying to convince myself that I enjoy the ripping pain in my legs. But this was different; it wain't yo typical granny cycle. B had retrofitted his mountain bike with an encased, brushless motor that fits on the hub. He persuaded me to try it and I was skeptical at first. The thing was heavy, weighing nearly 70 pounds. But the moment I tapped the throttle switch on the handle bar, I took off like a jack rabbit! I was still pedalling, but now I was going twice or three times as fast!! It's great because you don't need to run it all the time, just when you need a little boost, like to first get going or up a steep hill. B no longer requires a car, except for really long road trips. He's fashioned a chariot type cart that has a big plastic bin on it for his groceries. His commute to work is nearly 40km round trip and he can ride in any weather (Vancouver weather is pretty temperate all year round). He's actually tinkered with a number of these motors and has already retrofitted 3 other bikes (typical engineer!). His next project, a recumbent bicycle enclosed in a fibreglass body. This way, he is even more protected from the elements and has more cargo room! Actually, the whole concept of this Velomobile, as they're called, led to a very lengthy discussion about the definition of bicycles and the provincial Motor Vehicle Act!

Well, there's no corresponding video blog becuase I'm totally swamped with month-end and quarter-end at work, so I fear that by the time I actually get around to doing one, much of this information will be stale. I've also just got connected with a really cool organization and will be doing some volunteer work for them. More to come on that!










At the start line; there's my sis taking the first leg of the bike ride.









About a minute later, the runners were started. I'm there somewhere, I swear!









How the race got its name! The final obstacle was crawling through this mud pool. Yummy! That's not me (I guess I didn't get muddy enough to warrant the photographer wasting digital space on his camera!), but it absolutely captures the spirit of this race.













I didn't really get that muddy; still it was a lot of fun (and a lot of fun trying to get it out of my shoes!)










Yeah, the Chan Clan!











Taking a stroll along English Bay Park after some good Thai food at The Banana Leaf.














A short visit to the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden in downtown Vancouver after post race dim sum in Chinatown.










A nice meal of oysters, West Coast seafood and Quail's Gate Chardonnay at Cafe Brio. Wine selection courtesy of one Dr. Gedalof from Toronto via my sis' Crackberry!