Before the Race
We built this into the season as one of the main goals (alongside High Cascades 100). I knew BWR would be a sufferfest from last year's San Diego edition, so the mindset was respect the course, go steady, and manage the day.
Logistics were a little adventure of their own: we drove from Seattle, ferried to Nanaimo, and stayed in Chemainus. It turned into a family affair—my parents came up, and Scarlett raced the shorter distance. Plenty of friends made the trip too (Vicente and Ira from BWR SD)—we never saw Vicente on course; he was up the road all day. I pre-rode the final big climb the day before, which proved clutch for pacing and for bracing mentally for the gnarly, braking-heavy descent to follow.
Plan of attack: ride an endurance pace, keep the lid on early, fuel consistently, and stay smooth through the technical bits. With a long day inevitable, patience mattered more than fireworks.
On the front of a group for a long road section. At this point in the race, we had already lost contact with the main group because of the backup in the single track
Race Narrative
Start & Early Trails
We didn't push up far enough before the first singletrack and paid for it—pace got bogged down and passing was tough. It wasn't catastrophic, just a reminder that BWR rewards assertive positioning before the narrow stuff.
Middle Sectors: Pitches, Puncture, and Patience
Around ~80 miles came a savage quarter-mile kicker (~200 ft, ~15% average). I stayed on the bike and ground through while a lot of folks walked. Somewhere in there I noticed a small puncture with a bit of sealant splash—never fully opened up, but it made me a little paranoid for a while.
Aid timing bit me at the first stop: I rolled in at the rear of a group and had to wait. If I'd anticipated and gone to the front spigot first, I'd have moved through much quicker. Little choices like that add up on a nine-hour day.
This was me preriding the first single track section of the course a few days before. This section was an important part of to get to first to avoid slow traffic.
Cowichan Valley Trail Train
On the way back along the Cowichan Valley Trail we lit it up—big group, ~18–20 mph for about an hour. Shadows and crossings kept it sketchy, but we stayed clean. Eventually the pace shed riders until it was just my friend and me. There was a strong rider on a mountain bike we were determined to shake—between aero socks, narrower 40 cm bars, and a tidy position, we finally got daylight.
Route & elevation
Grade
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Distance
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Elevation
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Time
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Final Climb & Rowdy Descent
The late-race climb I'd pre-ridden took ~43 minutes—steady and well paced. Cresting that, the descent was brutally bumpy and unforgiving. I rode the brakes a lot (hands cooked) and just focused on staying upright. A few singletrack bits near the end felt extra hard with the fatigue—pure BWR grit mode.
The Run-In
I felt better than last year's BWR overall, with enough left to push the last efforts. On the final climb my power was still decent, and we managed the closing miles well. My friend dropped me on a late rise and kindly waited at the top—good vibes to the finish.
My friend Ira and I with a fist bump at the finish line.
Gear & Fuel
Bike & Kit
- Frame/Wheels: Santa Cruz Stigmata, Roval CLX gravel wheels
- Drivetrain: Shimano Di2 12‑speed — 50/34 & 11–34
- Cockpit/Contact: Easton EC70 aero bar & seatpost; S-Works MTB shoes
- Power/Head unit: Garmin power meter pedals
- Apparel: Rapha Pro Team kit, aero socks
Tires
- Tufo Thundero 40c — fast-rolling, confident on mixed surfaces. I even fielded questions about them mid-race. Had a small puncture that sealed without drama.
Hydration & Fuel
- Hydration: Osprey pack + two 26 oz bottles
- On-course fluids: ~8 bottles GU Roctane, ~2 bottles Skratch
- Gels: ~9 GU gels
- Carb target: ~82 g/hr (kept me steady; would keep this ballpark for future BWRs)
Numbers & Highlights
Race notebookView dataClose
Normalized Power
212 watts
Elevation Gain
12,665 ft
Avg Heart Rate
144 bpm
Distance
135.43 miles
Elapsed Time
09:17:13
Moving Time
08:43:47
Avg Speed
15.51 mph
Avg Power
173 watts
Time Stopped
00:33:26
Time in power zonesView dataClose
Not pedaling
0 watts
2:18:39
Active Recovery
2–161 watts
1:35:18
Endurance
161–218 watts
1:39:59
Tempo
218–262 watts
1:39:06
Threshold
262–305 watts
1:03:56
VO2max
305–348 watts
33:45
Anaerobic Capacity
348+ watts
26:30
Takeaway: pacing was controlled and durable—enough to keep the needle up late and still ride the steep ramp at ~80 miles and the 43-minute late climb without imploding.
What Went Well
- All-day steadiness. Managed the long day without blowing up; better sensations than previous BWR.
- Pre-ride intel. Knowing the last climb/descent saved energy and lowered risk.
- Tire choice. Thundero 40s were money—fast, predictable, self-sealed a nick.
- Group riding gains. Efficient hour-long train on the trail section netted serious time.
- Mindset. Stayed patient through slow singletrack and aid hiccups; kept the day moving.
Needs Improvement
- Aid station tactics. Enter from the front, prioritize fast refill, and get rolling—earns free minutes.
- Early positioning. Be more assertive ahead of first singletrack to avoid traffic.
- Descent management. Hands/brake fade late—consider pad/rotor check pre-race, hand conditioning, and line choice to carry speed with less braking.
- Pacing “free speed.” There were sections I could have pressed a bit more without risking the endgame—especially mid-race tempo.
Power CurveView chartClose
Results
21st in Men 35–44 (82 in field) • 89th overall • 262 finishers, ~40 DNFs
Emotionally, this felt like a step forward: same BWR brutality, more composure and control. I'm happy with the ride and see clear, actionable places to save minutes next time.