Ironman Muskoka Bike Course Report

Tuesday - 10K run
Wednesday - 1 hour of lane swimming
Thursday - Rest

Friday - The plan was to travel to Huntsville and ride the 94K Muskoka Ironman 70.3 bike course. Then stop at Balsam Lake for an open water swim on the way home.

The Muskoka bike course is supposed to be the toughest on the 70.3 circuit and we both wanted to check it out. So a pre-ride was in order.

Danger and I loaded up the bikes and headed for Deerhurst early Friday morning. Takes about 2.5 hours to get there. Arrived got changed, went to put a little more air in the tires and the pump was not working. Right there we should have known something was up and packed up and headed home. Used some cylinders and headed out. The weather was fantastic. Sunny around 24C. Within the first 5 minutes my chain came off. Now when you are clipped in and your chain comes off the first thing that comes to your mind has to be to get a foot out or you are going over. No problem, snapped out a foot. Put my chain back on and off we go. Every time I was in a low gear...say 1-3 and going up a hill my chain would come off. We were about 10K in and decided to double back to a marina we passed and borrow a screwdriver to make a few adjustments. So we did that. Did not help. So I figured I would stay in the bigger gears and get up the hills somehow. Even then going up the hills my chain would come up....did not matter what gear I was in. On the flats in the big gears...no problem. Going slow up the hills with load on the chain and it would come off. It easily came off over 20 times.

Didn't come that far to not ride the course so just had to make the best of it. The course is fantastic. Nice scenery and though there are lots of hills...there are not any monsters. But from start to finish there are lots of them. Maybe living and training in the Durham region helps where we have hills everywhere. Danger and I both agreed that we don't see what all the fuss is about the bike course. It is more than manageable. It will not be a problem. About half way through the bike course I see this thing in the ditch about 150 meters ahead of us. Oh 5hit.....its a bear cub. It comes up on the road...crosses and disappears in the woods. Danger though this was very cool since he has never seen a bear before. He thought it was cool until I told him that the big Momma bear can't be too far away and she would be very protective of her cub. So we booked it out of there while looking over our shoulders.

At the 70K mark going up a hill...in a big gear.....cranking for all I can...the chain comes off. I was hammering on the down stroke with all my weight to one side. Over I go....Danger heard the chain and looked back just in time to see me bouncing off the road. Road rash on the knee...elbow.....hip....finger and my arm jammed into my ribs. Is this a test???? Luckily did not wreck my new kit. Got up put the chain back on...by now my hands look like I am a full time mechanic. Onward we go....at the 81K mark.....going up another hill...the chain snaps. So now I am not going anywhere. Give Danger the keys to the truck and off he goes. Danger was having gear issues and was stuck in the same gear for the last part of the course. Sounded like his casette or back wheel was going to fall off. We both could not believe it.

So picture this...stranded on a country road in Muskoka...woods everywhere...no houses....just saw a bear about 45 minutes ago.....and I figure I won't see Danger again for at least 45 minutes....Can it get any worse.......AND then the black flies come at me. Man those things are as big as pennies. So I cover up as much as I can....helmet on....grab two sticks and start swinging at them. To my amazement I knock a few out of mid air. Its cause they are so big. Kept the black flies at bay, but there were these other smaller ones that bite like mad. Every time I heard rustling in the woods I was like ok...here comes the bear to finish the day off for me. 50 minutes later I see the truck coming to get me. By then I am covered in bites....and when they bite you bleed. So I have blood marks as well. Got changed and into the truck. Drove the last 14K of the bike course to see what it was like. There are hills all the way to the end.

So it was an interesting day to say the least. BUT I did get to ride the course and do not have to worry about it anymore. It will be ok.

For today I leave you with this.........I am resilient.

BW