Training is now back in full swing. I had four weeks of simply “easing” back into riding. Getting my body and brain used to the rhythms of the pedals and the firmness of the bike seat. Now I’m full on into building fitness and starting to work on the different energy systems. My favorite part of this phase of training are the long rides. There is nothing quite like going out for three or four hours. Your brain, if you’re lucky, turns off. You hone in on the music or podcasts, take in the scenery, and enjoy the sensations of your body. It also feels darn good to look down at the power meter after a long ride and see how far I’ve ridden.

After a relaxing rest day on Monday, I got in a solid 2.5 hours on the bike this afternoon. I’m still in Lakefield, so I headed out of town towards Peterborough and hopped onto Country Rd. 23 towards Buckhorn. A right turn a bit later took me to Selwyn and then another right turn and I was in Bridgenorth. Nice ride across the causeway taking in the amazing homes along the lake and I was on some pretty good roads. One thing I can say about the riding around here – it is not flat. Definitely rolling. Kinda wish I could ride on such roads all the time at home. Little bit of rain but I was well dressed so it wasn’t a big deal. Got in some excellent tempo intervals and enjoyed being outside.

Tomorrow looks to be another good training day with three hours on deck and some sprint intervals thrown in for some extra action. Think I’ll head out in the same direction and explore a bit further. Fun times indeed.

So as I was poking around the WWW today, I came across a web site called Fast and Female. This is an organization created by Chandra Crawford to help young girls/teenagers get involved and stay involved in sports and active living. The web site is very well done and it looks like an excellent organization. As I was poking around, I came across a page titled: Mental Edge. Go read this page (Resources -> Mental Edge). It has excellent. Applies to athletes male or female and of all skill levels.

The racing action really picks up this weekend in Ontario with a ton of events on the calendar. If you’re in Ottawa and are planning on racing in the Clarence-Rockland Classic – be sure to register today. Organized by Ride with Rendall, this is sure to be an excellent event. And you can’t beat the meal at the end of racing on gravel roads! Visit the OCA web site to register.