Big race day here today. The Kalmthout World Cup is a popular race for riders and fans. The course lends itself to a very exciting and fast race. Good for spectators and racers. Today the extra dimension of snow, more snow, and even more snow – made the day that much more for everyone. The morning was pretty calm without a few flakes but by the time we raced at 1:30, we were battling some massive snow flakes and lots of ice. It was so bad the organizers had to order a snowplow and salt truck!

Today was a good day. My race went okay. Not terrible. Not first class. But definitely a step in the right direction. I’m not super satisfied with my ride because I made some mistakes that cost me today. The old adage that “the slowest way around a course is on your ass” definitely rung true for me today. I’ve written a full race report. Click over and give it a read.

Before I go any further I have to thank a bunch of people. First off, many many thanks to Marc for giving up his race today to come out and support me all day. Marc did everything for me today. Cleaned bikes. Calmed nerves. Prepped tires. Checked tire pressure. Worked the pits. Reminded me to stop talking and to get changed. Gave me lots of positive reinforcement after the race. Not to mention he battled the crazy traffic this morning and drove home at the end of the day. This race today wouldn’t have been doable without Marc’s help and experience. Thanks Marc!

Next on the thank-you list are our housemates Rachael and Brad. They were rockstars today – took my warm-up clothing at the start, were out on the course cheering me on, and were around in case we needed anything last minute. So thanks so much Rachael and Brad for the help! Much appreciated.

Many many thanks to Luc for more photos and for hanging out with us all day. Luc was an expert at taking us around the course during the men’s race to find the best spots to watch. Thanks Luc! Super awesome to have a new friend here in Belgium.

Huge thanks to Karl and Ken Hoppner for their cheering and for helping out at the start. Karl raced his first race in Belgium today. And he did really well. Congrats Karl on a fine race! In addition to racing today, Karl and his dad Ken helped me out by being at the start with extra wheels and a pump. Then they were all over the course cheering me on. Thanks guys! Super awesome to have some hometown support out there today.

Also thanks as usual to Rudy. I didn’t talk to him today but I heard him cheering me on and giving more advice on the course. One thing he said today really stuck in my brain “pedal – don’t be afraid”. This is a sure sign that I was tensing up. It is not that I’m afraid – rather, I’m trying to hard… My brain is thinking. My shoulders get tense. My feet stop moving. So, I’m super happy that Rudy said this to me during the race – it is a reminder of the work to be done.

So the day was good. I crashed a lot. I’ve got road rash now. A rip in my fancy Sealskin gloves. More bruises on my legs. But I came out of it a better racer. I learned more about my limits and riding on the edge of my technical abilities. I had some success on the course and a few missteps. This is bike racing. I had a good start. I rode some sections faster than I could have ever thought of. I crashed into trees, course barriers, and tripped over my self. Can’t ask for much more. Looking forward to taking the lessons I learned today and putting them into practice in Zolder at the next World Cup.

Small steps is all I can ask for. I would love to have giant steps forward. But if there is one thing I’ve learned these past two months, is that true learning and improvement comes slowly but surely. Nose to the grindstone is all I can do.

Okay, enough blathering and philosophizing, here are some awesome photos. Many thanks to Luc for the pictures.

Well, it has been a busy couple of days. Hence the lack of updating and writing on this little web site. Sorry for this. In fact, I didn’t even get on the computer on Friday! I know – terrible.

Friday was taken over with racing. Just as it should be for a bike racer. We set off early on Friday with hopes of avoiding the rush hour and making it through the ridiculously slow winter driving… Neither happened. But we still made it to the Scheldecross race venue with plenty of time to land a solid parking spot and to get in a few laps. I really wasn’t too excited about the race this year. A big hill was added. This introduced two descents that I was not jazzed about. But Marc is a smart and patient man. He took me out and got me down the descents on my first try! A massive win and breakthrough for me. The race? Well it went okay. Could have and should have been better. But I’m considering it to be a win for me. I crossed a major hurdle on Friday. I’m not a fan of unstable, fast, or “scary” descents. They are my nemesis. But I beat this fear back with a big stick and came out on top. Some races, this is all I can ask for.

Many many thanks for the cheering, the encouragement, the friendly smiles, etc. It was super cool to meet Luc and his daughter. Luc was took a bunch of photos of me at Averbode and did the same yesterday. So with many thanks to Luc and Kelly, here are some photos from Scheldecross. (And yes, that is snow on the ground and those are my bare legs – I forgot to put on my leg warmers… But I’m a tough Canadian!)

After the race we hooked up with Ken and Karl Hoppner of Ottawa. They had arrived in Antwerp on Thursday for some Christmas cyclo-cross racing. Scheldecross was their first Belgium ‘cross race. It was awesome to hear some friendly voices from home out there on the course. After watching a bit of the men’s race, we went over to Ken and Karl’s swank house in downtown Antwerp. We hung out with them and then Ken treated us to dinner at the Hippodrome. A pretty fabulous restaurant across from the Museum of Modern Art. Thanks Ken and Karl – we had a great night.

Today was all about ‘cross racing again. As it should be! Marc raced in Lichtervelde this morning – so we took off bright and early to get to his race. A smooth drive and a warm cafe made it all easy peasy. Extra bonus was hooking up with our pal Rene Swinnen. We had been hoping to run into Rene earlier this season, but today it was. It was great to catch up with him and many thanks to his friend for helping me out with the pit today. We also saw some of our other Belgian cyclo-cross friends. Always nice when people remember you and take the time to ask how you are doing. Really makes you feel comfortable and welcome. Marc had a good race and finished 7th! After his race we quickly hopped in the car and drove to Kalmthout.

I needed to pre-ride the Kalmthout World Cup course and get my numbers. Made it there quite easily and immediately ran into more friends. Saw Rudy pedaling along the bicycle path – he looked cold! Then we saw Nikoline and Jacob (who are staying here) and then we saw Karl! Hung out with these guys for a bit – chatting and getting ready to ride. Rudy reminded me to remember my leg warmers for Sunday… No more bare legs in the -10 celsius! I did a couple laps with Karl – thanks for going so slowly Karl! Then I hooked up with Rudy for a few laps – he gave me some super good pointer and reminders. Then I rode with Marc for a lap and a bit. He helped me a lot with conquering one tricky fly-over. Then it was off to the number pick-up. On the way I bumped into Serge (my friend and mechanic at Koksijde) and then I caught up a bit with Geoff Proctor from the U.S. Crazy how many people you get to know over the years. Got the numbers and various passes with no trouble and then it was back home for bike cleaning, laundry, and food.

All in all, a most excellent day. I’m looking forward to racing tomorrow. The course is fast. I have to remember to stay relaxed and to keep pedaling. If I can do these two things, my outcome will be heading in the right direction. Also need to focus on re-accelerating and of course, the all mighty start…

We are leaving early tomorrow so that Marc can pit for Karl at his first Belgian race. I’m not complaining – I like to arrive nice and early. Gives me time to relax, talk to people and soak it all in. Have a good one. Check back tomorrow for a race report from the Kalmthout World Cup.

As most of you know, I’ve been here in Belgium since November 3. I’ve been racing, training, thinking, smiling, and just trying to get as much into my brain as possible. This means asking questions. Listening to lots of advice. Trying things. Failing. Succeeding. And then doing it all over again.

This my third season of racing cyclo-cross in Belgium. While I haven’t been ripping up the results sheet, I have made some big strides forward. My fitness is in a great spot. My head is screwed on tight. My technical skills are improving. And I’m hungry. Actually, make that starving. I’m starving for improvement. For gains. For that extra bit of success. I really just want to learn and “get it” so that I can put everything together and ride like I know I can.

This is not easy. In fact it is damn hard. For me to make this jump, I actually need to un-learn some of the things I’ve been doing. And then I need to learn new skills. This cannot be done over night. Baby steps is all I can take. Sometimes it is hard to remember this. 10,000 hours as the deep thinker Gladwell pointed out. But what if you don’t have 10,000 hours?

Well, in my case you listen and keep your eyes open. This is what I did yesterday. Wednesday is the “woods” day. So Marc and I loaded up the Kangoo and made our way to Floreal Lichtaart (Kasterlee) to train on the cyclo-cross course. I’ve written about this place before but it is worth repeating that this place is the “bomb” for training. The course has pretty much all the aspects of any type of cyclo-cross course you will come across. Fast descents. Tight corners. Sandy climbs. Steep run-ups. And depending on the weather – mud or frozen rutted ground.

Here is a photo I took of the map attached to a post in the parking lot. It shows all the trails and riding you can do from the parking lot.

Marc and I rode around together with Marc giving me some great pointers on how I can improve and most importantly giving me massive heaps of encouragement. This makes such a difference when along with being told what to change, you’re reminded of how far you’ve come. After a bit of riding we hooked up with Bert and the fast Masters gang. This is where the real learning came in. Bert didn’t say much. He didn’t have to because his advice, will realize a different level of riding for me – if I can make the change.

So what did Bert say? He said:

“Let your bike do the work. Don’t be so stiff in the arms and the shoulders. Let your bike do it.”

Sounds simple doesn’t it? In essence it is. But in practice, it is hard to do. I’m working on it. I’m focusing on lightly gripping the bars. On relaxing my upper body. On looking ahead and taking a photograph of the course so I don’t stiffen up when I get nervous or start thinking. I’m focusing on constantly pedaling – this way the forward momentum will help me roll over and through things like mud, ruts, roots, etc.

Funny how the best advice is often the most simple advice. Doesn’t get much better. I’ll be out there again today working towards my 10, 000 hours and putting my bike to work.

It is now official:

Canadian Cycling Association press release

Many thanks to my sponsors for their support and confidence:

– The Cyclery

– KingsBridge Disaster Recovery

– Bell Lap Coaching

– Outdoor Gear Canada

– Clif Bar

– Stevens

When I saw the word “rest” on my training plan I was a bit nervous. I’m not very good at resting. I’m one of those athletes that likes to do lots of load, lots of intensity, lots and lots of everything. I’m one of those. I’m not so good at taking days off or recovering. So when I saw the word rest for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, I was a bit perplexed. What does this really mean? I don’t like resting or taking days off the bike.

But after talking with my coach and understanding why I need to rest. Essentially to get the most bang for my body’s buck with the last four weeks of load, I need to give it some time to re-charge and get ready for the next phase. Makes sense. But still. Rest? Not ride? Hmmm.

Well, wouldn’t you know it, as ususal, Coach Steve was on the money. Today I woke up and really I was ready for the rest. Today I could ride – 60 – 90 minutes at a recovery/sightseeing pace. Perfect. The timing worked perfectly as two more housemates arrived yesterday. So I took advantage of a nice slow ride to show them around. We even stopped at a nearby cafe for some food and warm drinks. A true recovery/rest ride.

But I have to admit, it is still a challenge. I’m so conditioned to be out there riding hard or at least riding for a long time or even doing a double day. But I’m listening to the expert and taking it easy. This reminds me of some words of advice Tim Harris gave me last year “the hardest thing for a cyclist to do is to not ride”. How true. Especially now when I look at my race calendar and see some big races coming up. The temptation is to get out there and practice technical skills, to throw in some start intervals, and to get some long time in the saddle. But in reality this is not going to help my racing in the next few weeks. Probably it will just make me tired.

So I’m resting. Did the easy ride. Just about to go stretch out these old bones and muscles with some yoga. Then I’ll plunk myself down on the couch and do some reading. Come to think of it, I could get used to this! Ah well, plenty of time for a real rest in February when we’re home in the land of snow. Right now I’ll enjoy these few days and get ready for the upcoming races and get myself organized for the World Championships.

I’m racing on Friday at Scheldecros and then on Sunday at the Kalmthout World Cup, so be sure to swing by and say hello if you see me warming up or after the race. And of course if you’re watching the races – be sure to cheer loudly when I ride by. Happy pedaling or maybe if you’re lucky – happy resting!