Finally I’m getting to this little site and finding the time to write about this past weekend’s racing action. Sorry for the delay on this, my excuses really are a bit weak: sore finger and not a lot of time on my hands… None the less, here we are.

Sunday was a pretty decent day for a bike race. Particularly the season opener. It wasn’t terribly warm but not cold either. Typical April day really. I traveled solo to this race since Marc was down in Cambridge, N.Y. mixing it up at the Tour of Battenkill. Went through the typical pre-race stuff. Number pick-up. Chat and catch up with a few faces I hadn’t seen all winter. Key for me was a good warm-up. I’ve learned that my body likes a long warm-up. So off I went for 45 minutes of riding with a few tempo bursts thrown in. I also elected to follow my cyclo-cross warm-up method: warm-up in one set of clothing and then change into dry race clothing right before the race. This worked perfectly, I was able to roll to the start line in warm and comfortable clothing – I hate standing around in a damp sports bra and a clammy chamois.

So I’ve written a complete race report which you can read here…. In a nutshell, I missed the move. Frustrating, but such is bike racing. More lessons learned about reading a race and taking chances. Upside is that I felt super awesome. At no point was I feeling under pressure physically. This is what makes my error in missing the move even more annoying. Oh well, I’ve got lots more races to go… One drag about this race was that I lost all of my SRM data… Not sure what happened here – I most definitely pushed a button or two that I shouldn’t have.

I got in a decent little cool down after the race. Chugged my strawberry Recoverite and munched my post-race food. Mmm, liking the almond butter/banana tortilla wraps after a race. A nice little treat and chock full of protein and carbs. Made my way to the Sportsplex for my strength work-out.Yes, I did a weight work-out after the race. This was the plan – to tax my body heavily. Hence, the requirement for a solid cooldown and post-race food. Gym time was good. Legs felt pretty strong all things considered.

Rest of the day (not much left at this point) was pretty quiet. Long relaxing bath. Visit to the bookstore to browse the magazines and sip a warm drink. Murphy the cat and I enjoyed the backyard – he ate grass and I had some tasty Indian food. And that’s how it all went down.

Definitely so nice not to have to travel far for a race. Gotta like the easy 90 minute drive down the highway. The Ride with Rendall guys did super well at the Tour of Battenkill. They were in tough with a very elite field and an extremely challenging race course. Sounds like all the guys left it all out on the dirt roads and relentless climbs. Congrats for such strong racing. Extra congrats to Derrick SJ for going the distance – very impressive.

Next up for me is hopefully G.P. St. Martine this Sunday. I’m working on arranging a ride to the race – everyone else in the city is racing at Paris Roubaix… Hmm, I’m almost considering racing Paris Roubaix. Maybe the signs are pointing me towards this race. Not sure though. I don’t have fond memories of the race – but that was years ago (1995)… Maybe it is time to toe the line?

(Just got in from the first NRC training crit of the season. Where were you? Small group out tonight. Definitely made it a challenging ride. I died a few times out there. But survived it. Fun night was had. Thanks to Ross for running the races for us again this season.)

Check back tomorrow… Trouble typing tonight – sliced one of my fingers while chopping onion… Sorry for the delay.

So it is the night before the start of my 2009 road season. Having a pretty chilled out and relaxed evening. Thanks to my obsessive organizing, I’m pretty much all ready to go. The bag is packed – organized strategically. Bottles are ready – the super second bottle is looking pretty powerful. A wonderful mixture of flat Coke and water – my favorite late race drink. Post-race/recovery food is prepared. Nothing too special – three whole wheat tortillas with almond butter and slice banana, one apple, a bottle of strawberry Recoverite, and a can of Coke. It seems like a lot of food but I’m heading to the gym after the race for my weight work-out so I want to make sure I’ve got some decent calories in. I’ve got the driving directions sorted and the bike is prepped and ready to go.

Yep, I’m ready. Looking forward to racing. It is always nice to get the first race done. I have a pretty good idea of my fitness and my strengths right now. Now it is time to see what I can put together on race day. Smallish field tomorrow so it will be an interesting ride. The key for me will be to be smart. And to remember the number one rule: Don’t Panic.

The Ride with Rendall boys are down in Cambridge, N.Y. getting ready for the Tour of Battenkill. The elite men’s race is a big deal this year. I’m looking forward to hearing all about the race. I believe the guys race at 11 tomorrow – so send them some of your fast vibes and then remember to send me some a little bit later (my race starts at 11:18).

I read an interesting article about Denny Morrison (Canadian speedskater). This guy is committed. He does some pretty insane training. But the thing that stuck with me was this quote:

“Johann Koss came and told us ‘It’s not enough just to want it badly, you have to stay focused on the little things that can do it for you’,” Morrison said. “For me, as an Olympic athlete, when I am training, the training is all that matters. It’s what’s going to prepare me for the Olympic Games. It’s what keeps me training.”

Is your team doing the Tour de PEI or the Tour de Grand Montreal? Are you short a rider? Are you looking for a rider to fill in a gap on your roster? If so, drop me an email.

I was hoping to ride with the Ontario team, but just found this out (from the OCA web site):

One of the main goals of the Provincial cycling program is to provide opportunities for athletes to show their strengths and garner results on the National front. This allows athletes to pursue selection to trade teams or the National Team. At times, we are very successful, as athletes are picked up by Professional or CCA trade teams and/or qualify for spots on the National Team.

May 30 – Montreal World Cup
June 1 – 4 – Tour de Grand Montreal
June 7 – 11 – Tour de PEI

Nothing quite like double digits to bring a smile to a Canadian cyclist’s face. Gotta love these temperatures. Such a nice change of pace. Been getting in some excellent riding this week. Adjusting to the new training schedule – no more afternoon rides for me… Also getting used to doing my weights in the morning and then riding later in the day. Those double days are challenging but I know they’ll pay off in the long run.

Gotta say, I’m loving the weight room. The pythons are back. My legs are feeling sharper and stronger. My back is much stronger. Moving on to the next phase of lifting this week. Looking forward to seeing what the new program will hold.

This time of the racing season is very interesting. People like to talk. To talk about their winter training programs – how much or how little they did. Some people like to downplay themselves – essentially this way if they have a “bad” result they are justified. Others talk a mean streak but aren’t there at the end – all show no go/got flash but no dash. It is hard to not get sucked into listening to this kind of chatter. Especially with all the blogs/twitter/etc. action out there.

The best way to avoid this mess, is to subscribe to the mantra that the cyclists who are truly in the know subscribe to:

Shut up and let your legs do the talking.

Might be harsh – but so is life. This mantra is similar to one my old taekwon-do coach used to remind of us before/after/during competitions – “you’re only as good as your last result”.

Okay I don’t want to ramble on. Guess what I’m trying to say is really keep things in perspective: the bike, yourself, the bike race, and remember there is a great big world out there. Someone somewhere is always going to talk more smack or have a more flash bike – doesn’t mean that person will be stronger/better/smarter than you.

This weekend remember to pedal through the corners and stay off the brakes.

(P.S. best of luck to the Ride with Rendall crew this weekend – they are going to the Tour of Battenkill for some hardcore racing. I’ll be thinking of you guys on Sunday. Drive safe and pedal hard.)