One of my favorite things about the Cheakamus Challenge is that it starts in Squamish and ends in Whistler so my wife and daughter come and meet me at the finish line. It gives me a chance to grab a photo with Cara at the end of the race. The Cheak Challenge remains one of my favorite events to do because you get some pretty nice flowy single track and some great views along the course. It is not a technical ride, and even less so this year with the removal of a big section of Trash because of Olympic construction, but it is long and has a ton of climbing. I getmy ass handed to me every year by all the riders that can climb but don't necessarily know how to handle the bike once things get rough.
The race really starts to open up once you get through Brandywine Falls. There are more and more sections of the Sea to Sky Trail added each year and this is as smooth and flowy as you can find in Squamish or Whistler. It is also in this section where you will find the best feed station at any local race. I look forward to downing a can of Coke, a couple of chocolate chip cookies and finish it off with banana and watermelon.
I was able to set a personal best this time round coming in at 4:13. Maybe next year I will get my ass on the road and learn how to climb to try and break the 4 hour mark.
Thanks again to the crew at Steed Cycles for the great ride in the AnthemX. It is an amazing XC bike and I look forward to racing it again next year.
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