20/09/2026
Stage 2 - One of the toughest stages of Trans BC Enduro , and possibly the toughest day i’ve had to endure so far… here’s just the first 1.5mins!
A carry-on mechanical problem from the previous day on Stage 1 meant i had to walk a lot and lost huge chunks of time, and mentally wasn’t in the right space before rushing prematurely into a very pedally and un-flowy Stage 2 (this one). Tried to make up for it on Stage 3 - the longest stage of the whole week filled with enough features and physicality that i started feeling good again - but it was not enough. And to top it off, my camera malfunctioned & failed to capture Stage 3.
I dropped to P16 in Men’s 40+ and out of the 50th Percentile in the overall. Great riders and great friendships were present, so while i felt bummed about what happened so late in the race, i also remembered the positives and how to manage my perspective.
I learned good lessons from today (and from the whole race, and my whole BC trip, really):
1. there is a difference between using equipment hard as possible, and knowing all about the intricacies of equipment to THEN use it as hard as possible
2. having goals helps with motivation, but it also means being prepared for the possibility of being let down
3. kindness can be met with disdain, dismissal, or simply create openings for a mistake to occur
4. wrong timing and missed opportunities do not matter as much as being patient and kind to oneself
5. coming back again to BC & ride bikes is always on the cards
6. there probably isn’t such a thing as “a bad day on a mountain bike” if we really think about it
