Dudes, I’m just feeling so good these days. Another excellent week of training is in the books. I’m over Friday’s bonk. Had a couple of days of great riding. Today is a rest day and then a few more easy days before I ramp up again.

Saturday I put my mountain bike in the car and made my way over to Swamp Trail on Hunt Club. This was my first mountain bike ride of the season (and in many years) so I wanted to ease into it a bit. Swamp Trail is a great way to get rolling on the mountain bike and then move onto more technical trails. This is exactly what I did. I pedaled and enjoyed nature and was well protected from the rain with the trees and greenery. I ended up making my way to Lime Kiln. I had attempted to ride Lime Kiln last year on my cyclo-cross bike, but found it to be too technical for me. New year, new training, so perfect time to get back out there. I had a fantastic ride. I was tested on all levels. Some of the sections at Lime Kiln are rather technical, others less so. The slippery rocks and roots added to the intensity of the ride. I had a blast. A few slide outs, a couple of loud gasps but more than anything – massive ear-to-ear grins loving being on my bike. Even the flat tire wasn’t a big deal. I had so much fun. Such a refreshing change to be out surrounded by nature and moving forward.

Sunday I was back on my road bike. Marc was racing at Calabogie and I had a four hour ride on my schedule. Perfect. So I rode to Calabogie. Well, lets just say, it was windy on Sunday. Really windy. I felt like I had the headwind in my face for the entire ride. There are also some steep winding climbs on County Rd 511. I was super conscious of my caloric intake after Friday’s disaster, so I ate and ate frequently. I think this helped a lot – I finished the ride feeling tired but not spent. I was able to keep my wattage high and the hills didn’t beat me down. My only problem was liquids – I had only two bottles and with the rising temperatures, I was starting to run low on liquid. I made it on two bottles but could have done with three bottles. A great ride indeed.

I felt a massive sense of accomplishment to do such a ride alone. It took a bit longer than planned (just under 4.5 hours) but it was worth it. I find that when I do hard/long rides, I feel so confident. These kinds of rides give me a boost. I feel powerful. I feel confident. I love looking at my power meter data and seeing how far I’ve come.

Cloud nine indeed. Great way to start another week of training.

Finally figured out why I feel so rough today. Plain and simple – I was dumb. I went out for my three hour ride with little to no carbohydrates in my system and only water in my bottles. To top it off, it was cold and raining. At about two hours into my ride, my power was jumping all over the place, my cadence was erratic and my stomach was grumbling. But like an idiot, I ignored the body signals.

“I only have an hour left, I don’t need to eat. I’ll just drink some water.” Well, when it came to the for the 30 minute tempo block, I was useless. I couldn’t keep the power numbers where I wanted, I was grinding away at 83 rpm. I was a slug on the bike. Of course by now, the hunger sensations were gone – guess my body was focusing on just getting me home.

Now, I had food. My jersey was loaded with Clif Shot Bloks and Clif Shot Gel. But I didn’t eat them. Nope. Just slugged back more water and berated myself for riding so poorly. I was convinced there was a problem with my power meter or maybe with the cadence magnet. That 175 watts felt like 400 watts and I just couldn’t understand why. I rested on Thursday. I concluded that I was just having a bad day on the bike.

I should have clued in when I got home and couldn’t decide on my lunch. Normally during my rides I’m planning my next meal. Assembling super salads, power smoothies, and crazy yogurt/fruit/nut bowls. Not this time. Food didn’t really enter my head. So I went for something simple: 6 stalks of celery with almond butter spread on them and then a bowl of All Bran with raspberries and chocolate protein powder. Yep, pretty darn dumb. After eating I really started to feel worse. Wicked headache. Wobbly legs. My eyesight was kind of funny. Just a general malaise. I slugged back more water (note by this time it was 1:00 and I hadn’t gone to the bathroom since 9:00…).

I guess I was in bonk city. I chatted with Marc and he informed me that celery and All Bran were not adequate carbohydrate sources after a three hour ride. Suppose he had a point… A two hour nap ensued and I just devoured two Luna Chocolate Peppermint Stick bars. I’m slowly feeling better.

I learned a hard lesson today. Eat when you feel hungry. Actually, eat before you feel hungry. Listen to your body. Don’t be a dummy about food. Sometimes I get caught in that “weight loss” syndrome of so many endurance athletes – trying to closely control my intake and cutting it very close with the carbohydrate intake. I suppose in a week where every ride (with the exception of Thursday’s recovery ride) was a minimum of three hours, I should have loosened my “rules” a bit.

Not the best day on the bike. But a valuable one.

I’m in the middle of a big week of riding. Actually this is my second week in a row of some pretty high volume and extra intensity. Initially when I looked at my plan, I was disappointed to see a short 90 minute ride on the schedule for today. I wanted to do a double-day – maybe 90 minutes in the morning and then a mountain bike ride in the afternoon. But I stuck to the plan. There is after all, a reason for the plan.

Well, lets just say, my coach is one smart dude. Somehow he knew I’d be feeling a bit wiped out today. 90 minutes was just what I needed. I even did it at the recovery pace. I just pedaled, listened to my iPod and took in the scenery. Very relaxing ride. Suffice it to say, after today’s ride and a 30 minute walk to the local plaza, I’m tired.

Best get to bed soon because there is no rest for the weary on Friday. Nope – three hours with a 30 minute tempo block at the end. Should be a good one. I’m counting on the rain having stopped and the roads being nice and dry… Looking forward to the ride. This week I’ve been heading out towards Richmond and beyond. Think a Malakoff Road ride is in order tomorrow.

Weekend is shaping up nicely with a mountain bike ride and then a long four hours on Sunday. The plan for Sunday is to ride out to the Calabogie race track to watch Marc’s race. Only bummer is that Marc’s race starts at 11:30… So I’ll be leaving kind of early – but at least this way, I’ll get to watch Marc race.

Really, not much else happening. Just enjoying the training and remembering to be patient. I’ve got to say that I’m getting addicted to long rides. There is something to be said for solo four hour rides. Though by the end, I do find that I talk to myself. So long as I don’t answer back, I guess I’m okay…

So I’ve had a couple of good days of riding. Two days with two long rides, giving me a little over 6.5 hours to think, ruminate, and write in my brain as I pedal away. Funny what pops in and out of the old brain after a couple of hours of sitting on a bicycle seat….

I was listening to some pretty smart guys on a new-to-me podcast called Sporkful – really podcasts about food. Interesting topics were debated such as – what makes a good iced coffee?, the best type of peanut butter sandwich?, popcorn eating etiquette – so you get the idea. So in and out of my thoughts of food and my longing for a peanut butter, honey, and banana sandwich, my brain wandered to motivation.

Everyone has goals. In my opinion, each and every goal is a big goal. If the “thing” is big enough to be attached to the word goal, then it is a big deal. Goals are personal. But sometimes they need to be public. For some people, like me, I like to “put myself out there” – letting you know what is going on and what I’m shooting for. Others prefer to keep their goals close – this could be a privacy issue, a fear of failure, or just a whole “mind your own business” mantra. Whatever – the important thing is to have goals. Goals keep you going. They motivate you.

So as I was riding, my thoughts wandered to my neighbour. My neighbour is a technical writer (like me) and an author. He is working on a novel and has another one in the rumination phase. Anyway, he has developed a character that lives in Scotland, and my neighbour has always wanted to go to Scotland to fully research this character he has been developing for 26 years. And now he is going. Very cool. Very inspiring – here is a person who has been devoted to his writing and character for 26 years – some would have given up on the goal of visiting Scotland, finding excuses for why it “wasn’t possible”, “not realistic”, “a pipe dream”. But not Ross. He stuck with it and now he’s going. Dedication for 26 years. More motivation and inspiration for me – Ross is doing it – he is living his dream and seeing his goal come to fruition.

Really, if you look around closely and pay attention, you’ll find that you’re surrounded by motivation and inspiration. There are no excuses.

Thanks Ross, for the inspiration and dedication. Looking forward to hearing all about your trip.

Impossible Is Nothing.

My favorite shirt bears this Adidas mantra on the sleeves. The mantra really sums it up for me. Three simple words that just make sense. Take this mantra and apply it to anything. Sports. Music. Art. Life. Daily chores. Anything or anytime where you might be prompted to say, “I can’t do xxx, it is impossible,” or “It’s impossible, I’ll never be able to do it.”

Nope. Not the case. Just listen to and think about what the words really mean. Impossible Is Nothing. If I were a tattoo person, this could be worth some ink on the body. But I’ll stick to displaying this mantra on my favorite shirt. Funny, this mantra really does mean a lot to me, but when asked to put it in words, I’m struggling. Perhaps because it is so darn simple and honest. Or maybe because it really is not that simple at all.

For me, well it sums up my daily life. I’m at the bottom of big hill again – lots of new goals, new life path, and things on my list. It really does seem “impossible” but I know based on my own personal experience and success, that I can do it. I can get through/over whatever barriers pop up during this uphill climb. Impossible Is Nothing. Just Do It. Whatever mantra you use to keep you going, just make sure you truly believe it.

I’m feeling good these days. Legs are coming around. My head is on straight. Life off the bike is coming together really well. I’m surrounded by opportunity these days. Life is pretty darn good. But it helps to always be aware of what has been achieved and most importantly what is still on the list. No room for complacency. Not much time for self congratulation or back-slapping.

To get to the next level, it is key to keep my eyes firmly planted on that hill cluttered with barriers. Good things can only come from knocking them down.

Impossible Is Nothing for me.

And you?