Phew, what an awesome couple of days. I’m still on a bit of a high from securing a number of sponsors for the upcoming season. Couple this with some awesome rides and work-outs in the weight room – and I’m feeling pretty darn fine. It is amazing what a positive attitude can do. Little niggly problems are overlooked and my eyes are clearly focused on the prize.

I must admit I was less than thrilled about getting out for a ride yesterday afternoon. I was a bit tired from my gym work-out (suppose this happens when I up the weight on every exercise!) and I had a lot of stuff to get done that night. The weather wasn’t that appealing either – a second day in the rain was not that thrilling. But, I pushed these excuses aside and got out on my bike. I’m super happy that I did. Really, there is no way that I would skip a ride or work-out… But sometimes I think about it. I know I’m not alone in this. This is a normal feeling, from recreational athletes to elite athletes. The couch maybe appealing but only for a few moments, until the guilt and remorse sets in (at least for me). So I got out in the rain and grit and had an excellent road ride. 8 x 5 x 1 tempo intervals. Yes, painful as it sounds. But so very rewarding to do this work-out.

So what else is happening? Well, there is a lot of road racing coming up here in Eastern Canada: Montreal World Cup on Saturday, Tour of Grand Montreal and the Tour of PEI. None of which I’m doing. Tough decisions (well not so much for the World Cup – that course is not appealing to me!). But the smart decision since the road season is not my focus. Tough to remember at times. Especially now when I feeling super fit and riding really well. But this restraint will pay off in the fall and winter. This is what I’m focused on.

So Kevin and Sheri just got back from a pretty cool trip to Italy and Spain. They watched some of the Giro, hung out in Girona with the Canadian Garmin Boys and rode their bikes up some massive mountains. Sheri did this in style wearing an Ottawa Cross jersey. So here are some pics to get you motivated to get out on your bike (perhaps even plan a trip to Europe…). Thanks for the pics – much appreciated.

Christian Maier and Sheri Jay

Sheri and Christian re-fuel

Sheri at the Summit of Col de l'Izoard