By Jasper Blake
May 8, 2007 -- 2006 Ironman Canada Champion Jasper Blake is contributing to Triathletemag.com monthly as he prepares for the 2007 season, where he hopes to add another Ironman title to his resume and to tackle the inaugural Subaru Victoria International Half Iron on May 26th, (www.Lifesport.ca) and Subaru Vancouver International Half Iron September 16th (www.LifeSport.ca). Jasper loans his insights as a full time elite athlete on training the big miles, with a keen eye for the lighter side of triathlon.
There are some special rides in this world and quite often they are defined by the food you can acquire along the way. The old guys have it figured out – long rides cut in half by the regular stop at some great local place to gossip about politics and how hard life was 50 years ago.
One ride we do snakes along the Southern coastline of Vancouver Island and ends in a quaint little town called Port Renfrew. From Victoria to Port Renfrew and back you are looking at a ride time of about eight hours. The ride is hilly to say the least and can often be combined with a torrential downpour. From Victoria we descend into the small town of Sooke. Sooke is a sleepy village perched right on the ocean with spectacular views of the Olympic mountain range. Sooke Harbor house is one of those legendary luxury spots where you can spend half a grand for the night eating gourmet cuisine and sleeping in a sweet bed with your honey.
From Sooke the road twists and turns for about 40km and finally descends into one of the islands surfing hotspots; Jordan River. Jordan River is one of those places we should be thankful has no direct fast highway access, for it would surely be swallowed up by developers and lose its rustic roots. Camper vans line the beach and the only sound you’ll hear is the rhythm of the surf beating against the shore. The surfing here is supposed to be good, but I speak from second hand experience, on account of my lack of surfing prowess.
Jordan River is our turning point on most days but often we will tackle the next 50km of road that ends abruptly in Port Renfrew. Jordan River is a good two-and-a-half hours into the journey and makes for a nice five hour round trip. On several occasions I have ended up here on the verge of chewing my own arm off due to hunger. If you can make it this far however you are in for a treat. There is a small shack on the side of the road that is famous for one of the greatest treats on the island. For a buck you can get a Surfer Ball baked in house and fresh out of the oven. A Surfer Ball is a pound of chocolate chip, coconut and sugar cookie dough that’s about the size of a baseball. When you are hungry it’s the greatest thing on earth and when you have finished eating it, it’s the most disgusting thing on earth.
Surfer Balls are reserved for two rides, the epic ones to Port Renfrew and the ones where you screw up your nutrition and start bonking. They are a months worth of sugar, chocolate and butter in one tasty treat. You can wash it down with a cheap cup of coffee from the same canteen. Believe me, when you combine these two vices you are off to the races. The ride home can be a rare display of human vigor fueled by sugar, caffeine and the most calorie dense cookie in the world.
The Surfer Ball and coffee mix creates one of two states for your trek home:
You can get home faster than you ever have with a stony bug eyed focus. This will be combined with the overwhelming feeling that on this day you could beat the crap out of anyone, scale any peak and bench as much as Mike Tyson.
The second state is not so enjoyable. Your body will slowly turn on you for the injustice you have just presented it. After an initial high you will crash miserably and limp back home. The ride home is not easy, since you climb and descend the entire way at a significant grade.
Engaging in Surfer Ball behavior is risky business. On one hand, you end up a focused fighting machine. On the other, you end up feeling wretched. The one saving grace is that this might be one of the most incredible coastal rides you will ever do so you can puke your guts out over some cliff that looks out to the ocean.
So roll the dice if you dare, or chose the smart option and just take one home for later to share with your family.
Jasper Blake is a long time national team athlete and Ironman Champion. Jasper is supported by:
Gleukos- www.gleukos.com
Adidas- www.adidas.com
Orbea- www.orbea.com
Shimano- www.shimano.com
7Systems- www.7systems.ca
Rudy Project- www.rudyproject.com
Computrainer- www.computrainer.com