Ah, it is nice to be home. What a whirlwind weekend. The bag is unpacked. Laundry is on. Murphy the cat of the house is snuggled in and happy to have his people back. So today was the second day of racing at Centennial Park. Today it was all about the hill. In my opinion there was a bit too much hill in this race – but whatever – it is the same for everyone.

Marc and I got to the race course early enough to get three laps in before the first race. This helps me tremendously to ride with Marc – he can help me with my lines and we can relax a bit shaking out our legs and not feel too rushed. I chilled out in the car a bit – listened to 102.1, pinned numbers and ate my pre-race meal. Then it was back on the course again for a couple more laps – this time we went out with Steve aka Fearless Leader. We didn’t have a lot of time but managed to get in a few more good laps.

The junior boys raced the second race this morning. I have to say that Conor was most impressive today. Talk about billygoat – he went up that hill like it was nothing. He rode super well – finished 2nd – way to go Conor. Keirnan suffered an early race crash and banged up his arm, but he hung tough, dug deep and kept it going. Karl rode strong today as well. Great to see these young guys out there – very inspiring – I remember when they were little guys goofing around. Now they are all business. Keep it up guys.

Marc, Steve and Rob were up next. Marc was definitely looking for a good race today – since yesterday was derailed for him… The separation happened super fast. The first time up the hill to be exact. Peter M., Steve, and Marc basically separated themselves nicely from the field. Peter put in a big attack the second time up the hill and put himself solidly into first place. Steve came really close to bringing him back and was ripping up the course. Marc rode super well – he was in no man’s land for quite a while in third place – with a pack desperately chasing him from behind. With two laps to go, first and second place were a done deal – now the race was on for third. Marc was caught by two guys (a guy from Toronto and Craig) – they raced together – letting it come down to the sprint. Marc finished 4th. A very solid ride. I was super impressed with how he rode. Congrats Marc! Rob had an excellent ride – he looked super strong and his face was all focus and determination. Unfortunately he had some bad luck on the last lap and rolled his tubular – this cost him some places. Ah well, the rest of the race was awesome – good ride Rob. Congrats to all the guys from Ottawa who raced in the M1 races this weekend – excellent riding from the “Eastern Ontario” racers.

My race was up next. I admit, I wasn’t too excited to be racing. A pep talk from Ingrid Coney definitely helped and convinced me to line up. I’ve written a race report. Suffice it to say – my first lap was not very good – I got faster as the race went on. I finished 11th. Lots of good lessons – positives and areas to work on. I learned a lot about my racing this weekend. Lots of lessons that I’m hoping to put to use next weekend in New Jersey.

We hung out and watched the elite men’s race. Tim J. put on a clinic. The race behind him was pretty hot with Andy J.M. fighting it out in the end with J-Pow. Marc and I watched on the hill – helping to stretch the tape every now and then.

We quickly hit the road – a quick stop at Sbucks and it was onto the 401. We made excellent time and made it home before 9:00. And now, it is time for bed. (I know there are lots of photos out there – I’ll post links tomorrow – sorry – I need some sleep now.) Thanks again for the cheering and support this weekend. I met a lot of cool people this weekend. I was inspired watching the junior boys and masters women race. I’m super happy for Marc and Steve – some awesome riding – Steve was second on both days, Marc recovered well from a mechanical that would have made a lot of other racers drop out. Thanks for the inspiration, the great examples, the help before and after the race, and most importantly for helping me see clearly where I was and where I’m going. What an amazing journey.

Ah, it is that great time of the evening. The bikes are clean and ready to go. The laundry is done and the skinsuits are drying. The hotel room is relatively tidy. Supper has been eaten. Sandwiches and bottles are ready for Sunday. Time to relax and digest the day.

Marc and I hit the race course pretty early this morning (9:00) as we didn’t pre-ride yesterday (decided to work instead). We got in three laps of the course with Marc helping me out with lines and tips. Definitely worth getting there early to get some nice easy laps in. Registered and headed back to the car to chill out. I really don’t mind arriving early – I can get some laps in, get my numbers, get some of the time-consuming race day stuff done (pin numbers on, try out tires and wheels, etc.). I chilled out in the car – listened to music and had my pre-race meal.

It was great to watch the Ride with Rendall junior race – those boys were awesome today. Riding super strong. Focused and determined. I’m impressed. Thrilled to see how they are progressing – as racers and human beings.

Marc was up at 12. The plan was for me to do the pits for him and then take off to warm-up for my race (I raced right after him). Well, I’m at the car getting organized to head to the pit, when Conor alerts me to Marc’s situation. Broken bike. Yep, right after the barriers. The rear derailleur snapped. Darn. Marc was riding super well and in an excellent position. It was a long run to the pit. A very long run to the pit. Thanks to Conor I made it to the pit with time to spare and thanks to Josie J.M., we did a flawless bike hand-off. As there was nothing I could do with Marc’s bike, I got changed and rode around to warm-up and cheer on the Ottawa gang. Steve rode super well – he was in a bit of negative situation with another ride but made the best of the situation. Attacked and rode to second place. Congrats Steve!

Robbie O. had a solid ride. Drilling it and showing off his mad mountain bike skills. Dave and Marc L. looked solid out there as well. (Thanks Dave for the zip ties.) Oh, by the way – so Marc came into the pit very solidly in last place – so far behind. Well, he ended up finished 19th and he passed 18 guys! Yikes that is a serious ride. Congrats Marc – I know Sunday will be better.

My race went fairly well. I had a good race. Still not a great race but a good race. The best part about my race today was my start. It rocked. I finally got it together and had a good solid start. I’ve posted a race report.

A fun day at the races. A very cool course with lots of twists and turns, challenging slippery climbs, fast barriers. Well organized. As close to on schedule as a bike race can be. Lots of people out on the course cheering and taking pictures. Massive shout out to Gregory and Liz for making the trek out to Etobicoke for the races – we soo appreciate your cheering and support.

Tomorrow we’re racing at Centennial Park again – but this time on the other side of the park with the infamous hill. Should be good. Looking forward to it. If you’re in Toronto and have nothing to do – come out and watch the racing. You’ll be hooked.

Good luck to everyone racing in Almonte tomorrow. Rip it up and have some fun.

So it is the day before a race. Well, the day before a double-header weekend. I’ve just gone through my “the day before the race” rituals.

In short order they are: do an opening work-out, pack race bag, pack other stuff needed, shave legs. That’s it. Pretty simple stuff. I basically do this before every race weekend. Simple. Safe. No surprises here and I pretty much always pack the same things. Yes, right down to the same t-shirts and pants. This way, I know I’ve got everything and don’t really need to think. Keeps the error ratio down. Shave legs – I like to do this the day before a race (obviously I won’t do this again on Saturday…). Not sure where I got this habit. Probably from racing on the road for a couple of months in Belgium. I heard an old-wives tale that one should never shave their legs on race day – something about draining much needed energy.

So, I comprise – the day before. Oh yah, one more thing I do – pull on the compression socks. Especially for car and plane travel. These nylon stockings may not look pretty but they keep my legs from puffing up and prevent that dead feeling.

Just about to dash out the door. Sorry for the short post. I’ll most likely see some of you in Toronto. Safe travel. If you’re racing in Almonte this weekend – have fun and pedal hard. Okay, I’m out. Thanks for reading.

Trying to keep thing simple…

Nothing like Thursday. Especially when it follows a tough day on Wednesday. I admit it – that ride yesterday beat me up. I was tired. I dragged myself through yoga. Oh and ‘cross practice – I skipped it. But don’t worry I was out at the crack of dawn with Marc and Steve – ripping up some mad skillz.

We set up a pretty tricky off-camber turning section complete with a high-speed uphill dismount. Gee – what were we simulating (perhaps the stair run-up from the day one race at Toronto last year?). So a good session. Got lots of great tips from the boys. They are super helpful and are constantly pointing out large and small changes I can make to improve my racing. Today it was about body language. Use my upper body. I ride in a rather stiff position – basically not using my upper body to muscle and accelerate my bike. So I thought about integrating my upper body during the drill and staying relaxed – definitely made a difference. Especially on the steep climb. (Now the trick is to remember to do this when my heart and lungs are in my throat and my legs are screaming.)

Then for my second ride of the day, I hit up the trusty road bike. Nice and easy recovery ride. The sun was shining. Slight wind. Leg warmers. No hat. Ipod tuned to some perfect tunes. A very pleasant ride. Just what I needed to digest the morning, clear the head and get set for the busy day.

Lots going on right now. We are getting the final plans in place for our upcoming trip to Belgium. It is amazing how much planning has to go into such a trip. Even though we did the same trip last year, there are still lots of little things to get sorted. Bike bags. Transport to the airport. Cat sitting. Packing considerations. Oh, and the day before we leave I have to return the car (the lease is up). Because we are maniacs we’ve decided to race in Rhode Island, drive home on Sunday and then leave for Belgium on Tuesday. Hence the planning.

The pre-registration list is finally available for the Toronto races this weekend. You can download it from the forums on Cyclocross Ontario. Looks like a pretty strong elite men’s field. Should be some fun racing to watch. The elite women’s field is small but still very powerful. Excellent racing to come. And the bonus to this weekend is being able to hook up with my little brother (the one and only Hubert of Whiskas fame) and his wife. Gregory and Liz are awesome fans and super excellent at cheering – it will help to hear my name shouted all over the course.

Hmm, what else is going one? Oh the medium jersey is sold. Thanks so much for the emails – wish I had more medium jerseys to sell. I have three large jerseys left. Stumbled across this pretty interesting web site the other day: Culinary Competitor. Check it out – some super tasty looking recipes there.

Okay, I best jet. I have to get myself down to The Cyclery to pick up some recovery drink, a new lid, and to talk road bikes (yep time to start thinking about what I’m going to ride next year – I’ll miss my Isaac). Check out the ‘cross bikes and accessories available at The Cyclery – some super good deals and not to mention sweet bikes available.

Lots going on these days. We are in the thick of the November ‘cross racing scene. Seems like we spend a lot of time packing, unpacking, laundry, packing, etc. Guess we should really count ourselves lucky that we have the luxury of being able to race and travel every weekend. I really love the racing and the travel isn’t that bad, but I must admit it will be nice to be in Belgium where the travel involves an hour long car drive as opposed to eight hours in a car.

We’ve finally recovered from the weekend of racing and traveling and are getting ready for this weekend. This weekend we are just heading up the 401 to Toronto. A couple of UCI races at Centennial Park in Etobicoke (suburb of Toronto). Really looking forward to the weekend. (I think I write this before every race!) This weekend I want to build on the things I learned from last week and keep improving. I had a few rough moments during my race on Saturday, but the bonus was I was able to recover from this and get a decent race in. Sunday was better but an early decision cost me a slightly better finish. So this weekend I want to keep these lessons in the back of my brain. Most importantly, I’m all about the start this weekend. Time to start like I know I can. I need to be more aggressive and not just “settle” for a weak start and then play the catch and pass game. My day on the bike would be much smoother if I could just get the start I know I have in my legs and not have to worry about getting caught in traffic.

Suppose this is why I race – to accomplish these small goals and to keep seeing progress.

Got out for an excellent ride yesterday on the road bike. I really wanted to open things up but, the day called for recovery. So that’s what I did. Today I’ve got some sweet spot intervals on deck – these ones leave me on the side of the road begging for mercy. Just what I want – I’ll be able to summon the feeling in my legs on the weekend. Then later tonight I’m off to ‘cross practice and then because I’m a maniac I’ll blast from ‘cross practice to my hot power yoga class. Jam-packed. In a good way.

So, I have some extra Ottawa Cross jerseys sitting here in a box. I feel a bit awkward writing about this, but I’d like to sell them. They are Champion Systems short sleeve full-zip European cut jerseys. I have three men’s large jerseys and one men’s medium jerseys. For sizing reference – I wear the men’s medium. If you would like to buy a jersey, drop me an email (I’m not setup on PayPal but I can do this). The cost per jersey is $45. (This ends the advertisement…)

I posted some links to photos from the Northampton weekend on the Photos page. Some pretty smooth pics there – thanks Paul Weiss and Martin Valiquette. If you have pics from the weekend – let me know an I’ll post a link to your site. Alright, I best blast. I’ve got a lot of training to do today – not to mention some paid writing.

See you in Toronto!