Canada Games

Since Manitoba media has gone to the cottage for the weekend, there are no news coverage of the latest success.

Leah Kirchmann and Karlee Gendron took gold and silver respectively in women's criterium at Canada Games in Summerside, PEI. The race was a track style points race but on a criterium course. Leah took the win with 29 points and Karlee's 15 points were enough for silver medal. Quebec's Karol-Ann Canuel came close to silver medal, but had to settle for bronze with 13 points.

Leah came close to a medal already in women's road race where she finished fourth in the sprint, so gold in criterium was well deserved prize for hard work. Both Leah and Karlee definitely have what it takes to make it even in senior ranks in this hard sport. Strong finishes in road race against semi-pro girls and gold and silver in criterium is a very strong performance.

Hats off I say.

TransRockies Sponsor

So I figured that now it would be about time to announce our TR sponsor. It's not really your ordinary weekend race so good support group is vital. I'm not quite sure but there is a chance that our title sponsor is first of its kind at least in the sport of cycling.

So I'm proud to announce that our title sponsor will be Where to Wee...Never heard of Where to Wee? I was unaware of Where to Wee as well and just learned what it was only couple of weeks ago. Well, in short, Where to Wee comes to rescue when you get into the ultimate emergency.

From Where to Wee website.

Where to Wee is an application for your iPhone or iPod Touch that helps you quickly find nearby washrooms. Whether it’s a road-trip that never seems to end, or an endless line in front of the women’s washroom: when you gotta go, you gotta go. But what if you’ve really gotta go, and there’s no washroom in the know? What’s a bursting bladder to do?

Where to Wee has you covered. An iPhone app designed with your #1 and #2 needs in mind, Where to Wee gives the closest washroom to you, what other people have rated it, and lets you rate your own experience, based on a (nearly) scientific rating system. Where to Wee is the difference between an extremely “authentic” dive-bar washroom, complete with permanent “mystery stains,” and that clean, modern bathroom down the street that smells like three types of exotic flowers.

Where to Wee's features:

• Uses your current location to find nearby washrooms
• Intensive search capabilities help you find the best washrooms
• See all nearby washrooms on an integrated map
• Rate and add new washrooms (both good and bad) to spread the word
• Keep clear of places that have no washroom (or should have no washroom), saving you time (and effort)

In my own words. Where to Wee is an iPhone App that will use GPS, user input and iPhone maps to point the app user to the nearest restroom. I like how it has two dimensions, it helps you when you need it most and once the most urgent need is satisfied, you can take part to making application better or planning your next "move". It's like having restroom directory and restroom reading in one package...and it fits in your pocket. I think I'll get the beta version for testing and once I've actually used this product of genius mind(s), I can give much better user report/review. And of course you can find more information about this app at http://www.wheretowee.com/

So our kits are probably green or greenish. We'll have our first team meeting next week to lay down our war plan. Our number one team will race in +80 category and me and Daniel will race in the open category. Need to start training how to race with a backpack.

Reach the Beach Report

So my family came over for a visit after Reach the Beach and the following weeks were filled with non-online activities so now it's about time to get back to this.

Reach the Beach was a nice race. First 20km on gravel roads and then hitting the soft sand on the ATV trails. I never really noticed how slow and soft the sand was while riding those trails on an ATV. On a bike though...that sand was a killer. Good thing though because otherwise the flat course would have been pretty easy.

How the race unfolded. At the start of the first sand section, me Paddy and Dave D got away from the bunch. Maybe 5km later Dave got dropped for some reason. Then we just rode what felt like forever towards Grand Beach. I had to chase back Paddy once after a short break, but that wasn't too bad. Bad thing were the run up and the creek crossing some 15-20km from the finish. Those two obstacles seemed to freeze my legs and Paddy got away. I didn't really have a chance against him because there was one last run up just 2-3km before the finish and he would have dropped me there for sure. So at the end I lost bit over 3 minutes to Paddy and Dave came in some 5 minutes after me.

I'm trying to publish a GPS map/file of this at some point, but iPhone app isn't that easy to play with.

And after my family flew back home to Finland, I did Manitoba Provincial Road Race again. It was bit frustrating race again. I started having massive cramps after 40km and had to deal with those for a while. On the last lap I attacked away from what was left of the race and no one came with me or tried to chase. So there I was, with massive cramps and couldn't believe that the others just let me go. I was unable to ride hard at all because the cramps hit once I tried to give it some gas. Oh well...I guess I'll get another plate on the trophy and that's pretty cool.

Now it's off to a 'cross season. After my somewhat non existent road season, I'll start training for 'cross and hoping to do Jim Horton GP and Nationals double in Edmonton in October. I have no idea how fast the guys are going but I'm pretty sure they are pretty fast.

Next weekend MTB provincials on Saturday and Muddy Waters 100 on Sunday. I'll put my MTB cassette back on my Anthem for sure, the climbs are steep at Birch.