Why do I do this to myself??

So... haven't really ridden all that much lately (except for commuting to school once a week) and have been wanting to get back into Cyclocross this year ... but always afraid of how much it's going to hurt!!!
So with only a couple weeks left until Provincials, I figured it was time to clip in and make it happen... so I found a nice, new, "friendly" CX race in Vaughn that looked like fun.  It wasn't an Official OCA CX Event, so I figured it would be a bit less attended - and a bit less embarrassing when I sucked!!!
But, the nice weather brought out a big crowd, and the usual crew of riders who inflict great pain, but there was no-where to hide!!!
So off I go with the M1's and the Elites for 9 laps of the course.... 9 times through the sand, 9 times up the Belgian Run Up, 9 times up the Headwind Climb, 9 times over the log barriers, and 9 times the suffering!!!

This is when I was feeling good...

I wasn't quite able to hold onto Rob Holmgren's wheel, as much as I wanted to, but figured he had a bunch of races in his legs and deserved to be ahead of me.  So after passing several people who crashed on the uphill rutted slope (it wasn't that hard, was it?) I tried to hold off Anton Varabei near the end, but had NO GAS left in the tank, or strength left in my back... and was quite pleased to come across the line in 3rd for M1... maybe I'm not that bad after all!?!?!?!
Great to see lots of riders out at a new event, and all the details they put into the race to make it a fun one... except I missed the BBQ and had to settle for a cold Double Weiner Hot Dog as recovery food...

This is when I wanted to stop and throw up...

So now that I remember how it works, I might just make the drive to St. Catherine's for Provincials.... as long as it's warm, and smooth, and no-one starts fast, and poorly attended.... Then maybe I'll have a chance!!!

Epic day for RFK!!!

So under threatening skies on a wet weekend.... the annual Ride for Karen still pressed on.  It's always a great day on a bike and worth the effort required to raise some money and roll for 160km.... and this year was one of the most epic days yet!!!

After collecting refundable bottles for 3 days with the Boys, and raising over $350, it was time to do the Work and get on the bike.  With a small-ish group this year, we headed out from Markham Fair Grounds in cold rain and wind.  Right away there was a group at the front that wanted to generate some body heat and pinned it!!!!
Steve "Rango" Heck and I found ourselves chasing hard from the start.... and 20min of Race Pace later finally caught onto the group at a stop light... not how I wanted to start my ride!!!

It was interesting seeing a few riders bail out after a few Km's and head back home... and not that I blame them, but I would have a hard time telling my sponsors that I didn't do the ride because the weather wasn't nice... sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do....
We made our way north and west and north and east and finally stopped for a quick lunch in Zephr.... and a dramatic loss of body heat!!!

After heading east and south and east and south some more, we finally made it back to Markham, and Jonny B was pretty much cracked by that point!!!  Not enough food and too many calories used from shivering put my in the Tired Locker.....
Always great to put some food back in the body and rest the legs with some the great people who support Ride for Karen.  Funny how the most tired part of my body after the ride was my neck.... from keeping shoulders shrugged to keep the rain out and shivering!!

As an added Bonus, because attendance was smaller due to the weather, I was given 4 tinfoil trays of fruit to take to my Cross Country kids at school....
Special thanks to Kirk and Kris for all their work... and how committed they are to making a difference in the lives of kids with cancer....

Provincials - Laying it all down...

So Ontario Provincials happened the weekend before Labour Day (sorry for the late post - need to catch up on a few!!) back up in beautiful Collingwood at Highlands Nordic.... always a tough course with lots of climbing and some very rewarding singletrack descents.  This year was no disappointment, with many course additions and some classic favorites!!  The weather dried up througout the day after a previous day rain storm and made for great conditions and improving traction as the day went on.....

As always, Rob went hard right from the gun... up the short grunt climb to the long grunt climb... and after bridging up before the singletrack, I decided to see what I could make of the day... the legs felt good, the tires were great, and it's always worth the risk to Go 'Til You Blow at a bigger race like Provs....
So it was Barnes at the front, pushing the pace and quickly creating a gap between Rob and I and the rest of the field.... and I did my best to attack all the uphills while laying off the brakes in the singletrack...

There were a few times where I was able to get a gap in the trees, only to have it stolen away by early lapped riders that forced me to ride slower than my preferred pace... After a few laps I knew that it was only a matter of time until I was able to get a gap that stuck since it seemed like I was having a strong day, and that gap came at the start of the 3rd lap... after the long flowing and fast singletrack to the kicker uphill I had just enough space to not be held up and stuff a few riders between us...

More and more lapped riders came and went as I kept pushing hard and ignoring the sore back and punched legs that wanted to cramp..... but a couple Hammer Gels and a Stubborn Attitude is all it takes to ignore those!!!
By half way through the last lap, I had caught Danny Sutter who was leading the 30-39 Master Category, and thought that I could use him as my Rider to Run Away From until my ambition was restricted by my ever nearing Self-Implosion.... a bit of tunnel vision and shivers told me to just hang on Danny's wheel and get to the finish in 1 piece!!!
After getting my Poop in a Group, I was able to hang with Danny and finish with a comfortable lead and another Provincial Champion Jersey to my name!!!

Thanks to Supefly Racing for another great season of races.... and always nice to see an upgrade in the Master prizes - I won a DOG!!!

Might as well....

So while we were spending a beautiful week at the cottage, one of our neighbours came by the dock to ask if I wanted to join them for the MEC Michael Barry ride... and never one to turn down a good ride - I said SURE!!!
Turns out it was a bit of a "Private" event with only 250 riders allowed in, and a waiting list. But then again, who wouldn't want to ride for 160km around Muskoka with Michael Barry???
The weather forcast was beautiful, but the morning was locked down by fog coming across the lake in the boat... pretty nice life eh??  But the weather cleared and the sun dominated the skies, keeping us sweaty and thirsty for day.

The route started at the Warf in Gravenhurst and headed north to Bala, through Port Carling, past Winderemere ("Hey... I can almost see the cottage from here....") before making it's way through Bracebridge and back into Gravenhurst.  All familiar roads to me, and a great day on the bike.
To avoid a large cluster of riders affecting traffic and causing a safety risk, the organizers decided to send the riders out in groups of 12 with 1min between.  Good idea, but I knew no-one in the group and was sent out with a bunch of people who were more there to rub shoulders with Michael Barry than push the pace.  So I lead for a while heading up towards Bala when a pair of ambitious riders from a group behind caught up and blew past.... "OK Boys... It's ON!!!"
So I up go, pulling past these ambitious riders with a long train on my wheel...
"OK Barnes... this is a good strong tempo pace. Hmmm, there's about 30 riders on your wheel."
"Well, no-one wants to pull through, so lets keep the pace. Oh wait, there's only 20 riders now."
"You're in your groove now Barnes.  Good thing you don't need help because there's only 10 riders on your wheel now..."
"Well Barnes, we made it to Bala... oh wait... there's only 5 of us!!!"
So it was down to small group for the next 40km until the rest stop, where I waited for a few minutes to get my bike tuned.  Apparently my Tempo Pace was not appreciated since none of the riders in my small group waited for me!!!

40 Feelings Hurt Km's later, I caught back onto the only 2 guys who pulled through and helped me earlier, so I finally found some people to help out as we rolled through Bracebridge and onto the scenic Muskoka Beach Road to the finish.....
End of the day, it was a 156km (we got ripped off!!!) ride in just under 5hrs.... followed by some Muskoka Cream Ale (passed mine along to another rider....) some french fries and a veggie wrap.
As I was heading back to the car with my food (getting in the lake was ALL I could think about...) I passed by Michael.... then went back and grabbed this Selfie with him....

Funny guy Michael is.... "Should we take another?  I think the sun was behind us and it might now show our faces well.....".... "OK Michael..... but then I have to leave..."
Look for the ride next year, the plans are to have it grow for a few years and then make it into a Grand Fondo.... it was fun!!!

Back to Bucky!!

After a couple year break.... the OCup Series returned to the infamous Buckwallow Cycling Center in Gravenhurst to shake up the riders with it's rocks and roots and technical trails!!!
Bucky has always been a great place to ride.... and a tough place to race.... and this year was no different.  With a few additions for the 1:30 race that saw us tackling West D'Nile and Spur Line every lap, it made for a race that required total focus from start to finish.

On the long double track start, it was clear that ex-moto racer Brett Maxwell wanted to have a clear track, and took off from Rob and I very early in the race.  Once we lost sight of Brett before the 1/2 lap mark, I looked at Rob and asked "Where did he go????"

So it was down to Rob and I to fight it out for 2nd place, and I did my best to lead the race since I felt like I was riding the technical parts quite well.  It also helped that Barry let me use his Superfly 100 Dually!!!!  Always nice to feel less abused during the race....

Around and around we went, to the taunting comments of spectators like "Are you guys trying to catch Maxwell?" and "I thought you guys were fast?"... and those comments were from our families!!
But Trying we were and Not As Fast that day we also were... and it became apparent that Rob and I would be sprinting from the exit of Spur Line to the start of Moose Mayhem since there really was nowhere to pass after that.

I came out with a head of steam and an ambitious mind, trying to keep Rob behind me, but around a bend where my legs decided that we needed to sit... Rob snuck around under some pine branches to take the lead....
"C'Mon Barnes... Pay attention!!"
"Sorry Ambitious Barnes who forgets that his legs are cooked and back is cramping and triceps are fried and shoulders are giving out and....."

So I put up a Sprint Effort to hold Robs wheel to the finish line, but had to be content with a 3rd place on the day..... a bit disappointed.

The Kids also had a bit of a disappointing day also.... with Luke taking a Slip and Slide head first fall down a technical double track descent, and Jake flatting early in the race and walking for an hour to find the finish line with only a toad as his friend....
Barnes family : 0 for 3 at Bucky this year...

Ride for Karen is coming!!!

I know that I have more than a few posts to catch up on..... but here's the first and most important for now.....

It's almost that time of year again.... time for the Ride for Karen!!!

It's a great ride that raises money to send kids with cancer to camps in the Muskoka region... letting them experience what we all love and dream about - playing in the lake, walking in the forest, trying waterskiing, riding in a boat....

I will be once again supporting Kirk and Kris on Sept 13th in their efforts to make a positive impact on the lives of children, and add to the over $2Million dollars they have already raised!!!

Details for the ride can be found at www.rideforkaren.com

I am reaching out for your help in achieving my personal fund-raising goal of $1000 this year, and any help is appreciated!!

A secure link to my personal fund-raising page can be found below.

Jon Barnes Ride for Karen

Thanks in advance.... and be sure to check back for my Post Ride Post!!!

Good way to spend a day...

Went for a nice Family Ride last week... Rode from Edwards Gardens to the Distillary District for some great burritos.

Then continued over to Ashbridges Bay for a chilly swim in the Big Lake.... 

Everyone had lots of fun.... And a bike is always the best way to get around T.!!

8hrs of Playing in the sun and rain!!

Well... since I was fully recovered from Nationals (the drive home was just as tiring as the race!!) it was time for the 8hr race at Hardwood... sponsored by Trek and Hammer Nutrition!!
Barry wanted a couple strong Teams in the race, so we threw together a combination of youth, experience, power and finesse.... Yes I was the "Experience" and it made me mad enough to YELL!!

Adam Morka, Peter Glassford, Sarah Fabbro and myself... not a bad Trek Crew to light up the trails!!
The day started hot and muggy, and got worse from there!!  Sun pounded down on us as we heated up the course, and Adam was our first racer, coming in and giving me a 45sec lead to play with - always a nice feeling!!  A hot lap for me and then it was time for Pete to throw it down, and Sarah to kick up some dust!!  After all of our first single laps, we had a strong lead already, so it was time to start doing Double Laps to give everyone on the Team a chance to rest and prepare for an extended effort.

As it started coming to the wire, we didn't change strategies at all, keeping our sequence and lap numbers the same.  Sarah was able to fight off our Chasers and gave PG a 1min lead going into the last lap - a difference that Very few riders in the country came make up on Pete!!
With time to spare and a perfect track after some quick rain showers, the day was done and we made  Barry happy by taking the Top Step... where all the Young Kids take Selfies!!!

Aside from some great racing, our "rest" time was usually spent with Ryan Corry from Hammer Canada.  He and his fiance are on a cross-Canada trek (see what I did there...?) in the Hammer Mobile Party Bus and were available all day to talk Hammer, fuelling, hydration and life.  It was great hearing some of his stories from the Divide Race that he just completed - a ride from Canmore down the Great Divide to New Mexico - WOW!!!  Need proper Nutrition for That one!!!

Big thanks goes out to all the Trek racers, Barry and Ryan for all the support and motivation.... another great day on the bike!!!

Phew...

You know you've had a hard day on the bike when you end up looking THIS ugly!!

Nationals - a loooong drive but worth it!!

So.... making the drive out the St Felicien Quebec (3+hrs north of Trois Rivieres) takes some real committment... not only to the racing but to the drive!!!  But I had a great trip out with Zach Tatem Mechanical Master (check out his mobile bike repair company at Bicycle Repair Company) and made it there in just under 10hrs.... it's amazing how tired you can get from sitting around in a car!!
After settling into our Multiple Trek Canada Rooms, it was Friday and time to do a few laps on the course... a course that I have raced twice before and have always really enjoyed... quite possibly the best course I have raced..... and it was even better this year!!!
Awesome features, tough climbs, sketchy downhill chutes..... so much fun!!!  And as far as I could tell... all the Big Dog from previous Nationals were in attendance.... making for a real show down!!
Friday afternoon added another competitor to the race - Mother Nature.  She dropped a whole lot of rain on the course Friday evening and overnight, and it didn't let up for the Elite Women's race on Saturday morning.... or even the Elite Men's race in the afternoon.  Super Shout Out to the other Trek Canada racers for their performances - check them out at our Team Webpage at www.trekcanada.ca
The rain came down so hard on Saturday night before my race day that we lost power in the hotel.... gonna be fun!!

Once race time arrived, the rain had stopped, but the damage had been done.  A lot of slick and sticky mud would make it a great battle, and we were off for the starting charge up the long gravel climb of the start loop.  I knew that Rob would want to lead this out, and he was followed by Eric Jobin (usual battle partner) and Brian McKewon from New Brunswick who I have battled with before.  I was 4th wheel as we started the first lap, and noticed a small gap starting to form to Rob, so I jumped up to him and looked back to see that no-one else had bridged across.
Rob and Barnes... pretty common place...

We exchanged the lead a couple times, and knew that I would have to dig deep to stay with Rob on the long singletrack climb since he typically as more seated power than I do.  The first time up though wasn't that bad... and I was happy about that!!!  We swapped the lead a few more times before I took over at the start of the 2nd lap and made an effort to keep the pace high and maybe force some errors.  I went pretty good up the single track climb, and noticed that I couldn't hear Rob's breathing when I got to the double track at the top.  A quick glance back showed a gap of about 10 bike lengths, so I took Emily Batty's advice and used that double track to throw an attack to break away.  It was earlier in the race than I had hoped for ... but if Rob was having a bad day, then I had to take advantage of it!!

I finished the 2nd lap of 5 with a 30sec lead, and focused on riding smooth in the singletrack to avoid mistakes and putting as many people between us on the double track.  With a lap to go, my lead was almost 2min, and I realized that it was my race to lose.  I just had to keep it upright and with air in the tires.  It's a nice feeling to have a gap at the end knowing that the "Real" work was put in a few laps ago, so I continued to be aggressive on the doubletrack and flowed the trees nice and smooth....
Came across the line with a 2min lead for another National Championships.... over a local rider and McKewan in 3rd.... Rob really did have a tough day finishing 4th.

Happy to have conquered the mud, rocks, hills and competition.... and thankful for all those who help me get there.  Amazing sponsors like Trek Bicycle Store, Hammer Nutrition, ESI Grips and Bontrager, a great wife and kids who yell at me while I race (I could almost here them 10hrs away!!) and a great Team of racers who take care of each other even when we can't be together.... Makes for an amazing Trek Canada Team!!!

Bling Bling....

So... I made the final stop at the Trek Store Toronto before heading off to Nationals in Quebec... and was treated to not only a tuned up Superfly.... but also an Upgrade!!!

It looks like James has been watching "Pimp My Ride" .... and threw some wicked decals on my Rock Shox SID to match the High Viz on the rest of my bike.... SWEEEEET!!

The added colour is good for At Least 30sec faster per lap....

Albion OCup Ouch!!

The OCup series returned to Albion Hills after a few years off.... and it was another great day for racing.... and a tough course for all!!  The famous Green Monster has returned to bite our legs... followed by the Wall of Pain to cramp our backs and 2-step finishing hill to really make sure you're beaten up before starting the lap all over again!!!

A much better start this race... and gap was created with Rob and I very early.... but this time  we had company!!!  A strong CX and road rider was stuck to our wheels... and was able to bridge back up on the climbs after we created a gap in the trees...

I did my best to control the pace of the race.... take charge of the singletrack, hills and double track... but some lapped riders started to play with my Real Estate of Attacks.... and we were a group of 3 heading into the final lap...

On the 2nd last piece of single track - a smooth, flowing downhill in the big pine trees - I tried to come up with a plan to stay as lead wheel going into the very end and try to squeeze out a finishing sprint win...

"OK Barnes.... on the last climb, the left side is the smooth side, so lock out the fork, go hard up the left, force them to pass on the rough side and stand all the way to the singletrack...."

Or so that WAS the plan... because halfway through my thought process, I was interrupted by a tree saying "Hey... you're not paying attention, I think I'll grab your handlebar and throw you on the ground...."

Clip... Whoa... Thump.... Urgghhh..... followed by "Yeah, I'm OK guys..."

But my bike has some twisted handlebars and a warped front wheel.... good enough to twist back and roll carefully to the finish... but a good reminder to Focus Focus Focus like Barry always says.....

The Boys were back at it again.... with a tough start staring them in the face and a really fast, high speed course to power through....

Great day for Luke finishing up in his usual 6th spot, but closer to the racer in front of him...

Great day for Jake finishing up in 8th and making it through a ride WITHOUT crashing!!!  (Unlike his daddy...)

Creating Monsters!!!

After making the drive to Hardwood for 2 years... They finally talked me into making the drive and Coaching while I am at Hardwood... So glad they did!!  

I spend my time with the Bronze Race Crew from THT and love it!!  The kids are so much fun to be with... So excited to ride their bikes and learning so much.... It's great to be a part of the Group. 

With Hardwood being closed for the PanAm race Sunday (Go Emily!!) we spent our weekly training day at the Copand Forest... Great trails and great times... As long as you could out-ride the Mosquitos!!!  

Hardwood Slip 'n Slide!!

Hardwood Hills... a place that I have typically really enjoyed racing at and have done pretty well at... was the next stop on the CCup Circuit, and it was a great course.  Long and tough... tons of power climbs rewarded with fast descents, groomed singletrack and tough features.... and threatening skies to make it all that much more fun!!!

The day started off with some sprinkles of rain and humidity high enough to guarantee there would be no drying out of the course... so it was time to throw on the XR2's for added traction and insurance in the trees....

After a HORRIBLE start ... "Go.... Barnes is in too big a gear, Barnes bumps shoulders with the guy beside him,  Barnes has to put his foot back down, Barnes finally finds his pedal, Barnes is in 12th spot at the top of the first climb, Barnes has to burn a Match to catch back up to the lead wheels and a chance to make up for my stupid-ness...."

Rob and I were back and forth for a lot of the race... and I tried to take as much control as I could.... and found myself waiting patiently behind him, waiting for my chance to take the lead and try to get a gap... so that is what I did going up the Feed Zone Climb at the start of my 3rd lap.... got a small gap going into Big Z and was just focused on putting people between us...

 When the Real Rain hit, and the dirt turned into grease and I knew that it was to my advantage... evening out Rob's greater power and allowing me to continue to build my lead....
From that point on... it was time to push as hard as my tires would let me and keep it upright in the trees..... and I crossed the line muddy and happy... 2 W's in 2 Weeks!!!

The Kids had some good races in the morning also, and had to make up for some bad starts as well!!!  Chasing is never an easy thing, but Luke worked his way back up to 6th spot and Jake found himself finishing 8th overall.  As tough as those starting climbs are for the Adults... it's even tougher watching those kids push their bikes up them!!!  Great work all around by THT - representing well on our Home Soil!!

Can't wait to see the PanAm Athletes battle it out on the same course..

Horseshoe CCup Hammer Fest!!

The first of a  Back to Back Canada Cup weekend started at Horseshoe Valley resort... and after last year's Mud Fest - it was great to see the sun shining and blue sky!!  We started the weekend with a Team Photo Shoot.... always fun trying to get all of us to smile at the same time!!

I have been working on my starts so that I don't have to use a Match to get back onto the faster starters, and was able to start clean and fast - and on the front set of wheels.
As we (Rob and I) started rolling, it was clear that we had broken away from the others fairly quickly and that it would be another battle of 2...

I decided that I wanted to take charge a bit more in the races - setting the pace, picking the lines and being in charge of passing lapped riders.... so I did my best to stay at the front and keep the foot on the gas.
I felt really good and put in a bunch of charges to test my legs, and knew that it would come down to a battle for the beginning of the final singletrack at the top of the long road climb.... but it would not come to that.

 Rob clipped something and flatted... giving me an uncontested ride to the end.  Thinking of Hardwood's race next weekend..... it doesn't mean that I could slow down at all, so I kept pushing hard and chasing anyone that I could see ahead of me.  I caught all but 1 of that Master 30-39 racers that started 2min ahead of us, and a great confidence boost going into some big races.
Now I just need to make sure that I eat properly and get some sleep during the 4 days in Montreal / Ottawa with the 120 Gr 8's that I'll be spending the next 4 days with!!!

The kids also had a great morning for a race, and we have been working hard on fitness, skill and race strategy.  Luke rode really well and pushed to keep up with the leaders, finishing a strong 6th place.

Jake made a come-back from his slow start to work up to 6th as well.  It's great to see the Boys (and the rest of the Hardwood Crew) ripping it up on the trails.  I'm loving coaching them and see everyone improve in their own ways.....

You don't have to be the best - you just need to always try your best!!!

Still at it!!!

Got the call the other week from the TDSB HPE Dept to bust out the Bunny Suit to rabbit the 5k Run / Walk. Started the day with the elementary kids and had a great time as usual... But it's funny to see how the high school kids are... 

"Yo... Bunny Man!!  Let's take a selfie that I can tweet"

"Yo ... Bunny Dude. That bike is the @&$#%!!"

"Yo .... Bunny. You must be sweatin' your @$$ off in that suit!"

Funny... But still love the suit and the fun that it brings...

Kicking it Kelso Style!!

After many years of avoiding the drive to Milton.... it was time once again to make the trip to a Classic Venue!!  One that I have always performed well on, if not always loved, it was time to climb the escarpment and blast the flats while still trying to dance through the rocks along the way. ...
Great weather awaited us, and with a smaller group on the start line due to the Bruce Country Road Race, it was myself and my Eric Jobin off the front... a Duet of Dirt.... my Partner in Pain.... my Brother on a Bike... my... Okay - I'll stop...

With a switchback climb that took us most the way to the top, it was full gas through the upper fields and some tough rocky sections before laying down the gas again....
We stayed together for the entire race, working our way through all of the 30-39 year old racers who started ahead of us before playing out our own strategies for taking the Win...
I knew that the later part of the race would be hard to pass on, so I made a strong effort to get away on the last section of double track... but let off the gas just enough to allow Eric to get around me before the trees narrowed, so I was forced to stay tight on him looking for every chance I could to pass.... but that time didn't come until the final uphill finish.... not enough time to get around so I had to settle for 2nd... even though Eric isn't technically in my category so I still got the Win.... but it still feels like I got beat!!

As all racers do.... I spent some time thinking about the race later that night to figure out where I went wrong...
"So Barnes.... what happened today?  Why didn't you get the Win?"
"Well Barnes... you never really took control of the race.  You need to stop waiting around for others to make a mistake or allow you to get away.... you need to Make those opportunities and Lead rather than Follow....."
"Yeah... I guess you're right Barnes.  I need to stop saving myself for later in the race instead of attacking... I'll always have enough to finish strong, so I need to stop being afraid."
"There's always next time Barnes...."