Nothing like Thursday. Especially when it follows a tough day on Wednesday. I admit it – that ride yesterday beat me up. I was tired. I dragged myself through yoga. Oh and ‘cross practice – I skipped it. But don’t worry I was out at the crack of dawn with Marc and Steve – ripping up some mad skillz.

We set up a pretty tricky off-camber turning section complete with a high-speed uphill dismount. Gee – what were we simulating (perhaps the stair run-up from the day one race at Toronto last year?). So a good session. Got lots of great tips from the boys. They are super helpful and are constantly pointing out large and small changes I can make to improve my racing. Today it was about body language. Use my upper body. I ride in a rather stiff position – basically not using my upper body to muscle and accelerate my bike. So I thought about integrating my upper body during the drill and staying relaxed – definitely made a difference. Especially on the steep climb. (Now the trick is to remember to do this when my heart and lungs are in my throat and my legs are screaming.)

Then for my second ride of the day, I hit up the trusty road bike. Nice and easy recovery ride. The sun was shining. Slight wind. Leg warmers. No hat. Ipod tuned to some perfect tunes. A very pleasant ride. Just what I needed to digest the morning, clear the head and get set for the busy day.

Lots going on right now. We are getting the final plans in place for our upcoming trip to Belgium. It is amazing how much planning has to go into such a trip. Even though we did the same trip last year, there are still lots of little things to get sorted. Bike bags. Transport to the airport. Cat sitting. Packing considerations. Oh, and the day before we leave I have to return the car (the lease is up). Because we are maniacs we’ve decided to race in Rhode Island, drive home on Sunday and then leave for Belgium on Tuesday. Hence the planning.

The pre-registration list is finally available for the Toronto races this weekend. You can download it from the forums on Cyclocross Ontario. Looks like a pretty strong elite men’s field. Should be some fun racing to watch. The elite women’s field is small but still very powerful. Excellent racing to come. And the bonus to this weekend is being able to hook up with my little brother (the one and only Hubert of Whiskas fame) and his wife. Gregory and Liz are awesome fans and super excellent at cheering – it will help to hear my name shouted all over the course.

Hmm, what else is going one? Oh the medium jersey is sold. Thanks so much for the emails – wish I had more medium jerseys to sell. I have three large jerseys left. Stumbled across this pretty interesting web site the other day: Culinary Competitor. Check it out – some super tasty looking recipes there.

Okay, I best jet. I have to get myself down to The Cyclery to pick up some recovery drink, a new lid, and to talk road bikes (yep time to start thinking about what I’m going to ride next year – I’ll miss my Isaac). Check out the ‘cross bikes and accessories available at The Cyclery – some super good deals and not to mention sweet bikes available.