Just a quick post to say: wow – what a great couple of days of being a bike rider. From getting out and doing long rides solo and with friends to watching the Tour of Flanders to hearing stories from others about their training adventures to catching up with fellow cyclists via their blogs – the whole thing really just puts a smile on my face.

Call me corny or sentimental – I really don’t care. I just really am having a good time of it.

Today’s ride sealed the weekend for me. Great ride with a good group of people. Good conversation. A few laughs and jokes. Headwind and tailwind. And plans to do it again next weekend. Perfect.

Other highlight of the weekend was seeing my dad’s reaction when he picked up his new bike at The Cyclery. It is the perfect bike for him and he was just so excited to take out for a spin around the block before driving home. I’m really looking forward to hearing about his rides this summer.

A good weekend. A great weekend for us bike racers. Can’t wait for next weekend.

Ah, there really is nothing quite like the open road. Even if it really isn’t that warm yet and our Spring is destined to be cool and soggy – you just can’t beat the feeling of the wind on your skin and the freckles that pop out after a few hours in the sun. It is hard to explain to a non-cyclist the feeling of road under the tires, the whir of the pedals, and the blurring of the scenery as I roll along. I think these “emotions” can be summed up with one word “living”. Yes, living and getting out there and soaking it all in.

Today the roads are wet and the chances are that I’ll be out riding in the rain. I did have a momentary fleeting thought about riding the trainer and staying warm and dry. But luckily it was a fleeting thought. I will get out and ride in this very spring-like weather. I’m addicted to the emotions and spirit of the road. There is no going back for me.

As I kid growing up in northern Saskatchewan, I used to beg my parents to let me get my bike out by my birthday. Yes, I had to beg, hope, and plead to get my bike out by the middle of April. Snow was everywhere and it seemed it lasted forever in that small little town. Well, now here it is the first of April and I don’t have to beg, plead and hope – nope I can just put on the layers of spandex and get out there and just do it.

I guess you can tell that I’ve had a few good days of training and that I’m looking forward to the things to come. Yes, this is exactly where I’m at. The next few weeks of training are looking to be awesome – I’m getting into some intensity and my all-time favorite – long rides. I know that I’m happy with the bike and where I’m feeling because yesterday when I rolled past my little cyclo-cross training park, I wondered if it was too early to break out the barrier and to practice mounts, dismounts, and all the little things that make cyclo-cross so damn perfect?

Yes, spring is here and I couldn’t be happier. Good time to be a bike racer. Great time to be able to get out and absorb the emotions the bike affords us. Even better time to appreciate it all. Alright, time to ride!

As you can probably guess, there really isn’t that much happening right now. I’m riding. I’m training. I’m waiting for the real spring to arrive. I’m about to move into a new phase of training – I’ll find out more today but I’m anticipating longer rides, more tempo work-outs and maybe some threshold. Whatever it is, I’ll be more than happy to do it.

So I thought that since I really don’t have much new to tell you about, that I’d tell you about some of the places and people I like to visit on the WWW – some cycling related, some food/cooking related, some book/reading related, and other simply fall in the miscellaneous category.

Cycling: here’s a snapshot of some of the cycling blogs I follow:

• Todd Wells
• Red Kite Prayer
• Catharine Pendrel
• Cycling Tips

Food: I like to cook and eat good healthy food – here is where I get recipes and inspiration:

• 101 Cookbooks
• Oh She Glows
• Peas and Thank-You
• Serious Eats
• Vegan Delicious

Books/Reading: I read. I read a lot – about everything and anything:

• The Morning News
• National Post – Afterward
• Powell’s
• The Tyee
• Salon

Miscellaneous: sites I visit because they are interesting and make me scratch my head:

• Yarn Harlot
• Chris Jones
• I Have UC
• Frugal Traveler

(Of course it goes without saying that it is worth visiting my sponsors’ web sites for good food to eat, clothes to keep you looking sharp, equipment to protect your body, bikes to make you go fast, a bike shop that keeps everything together and clicking, and top-notch coaching to give you the training you need to bring out your best.)

So there you have it – some of things out there that I dig. Happy pedaling!

I really wish I could tell you all about the amazing outdoor riding I’ve done this week… but sadly I can’t. I did manage to get outside on Tuesday and was it ever windy out there! I was hoping the weather man would be wrong and things would have warmed up by now but it really seems to be getting colder.

So it has been down to the basement for me. I appreciate how riding the trainer and rollers does have its benefits – particularly when it comes to having to do specific intervals at  specific wattage ranges – but I have to tell you, I’m a bit sick of this trainer and roller business.

I’ve ridden indoors the last three days with one thought in my head: “on the weekend I’ll be able to ride in the warm sun”. Well, it doesn’t look it is going to happen. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for Sunday and a solid group ride. But if it is a “high” that is still below zero, the trainer it will be. I know, I know – I live in Ottawa in Canada and last March was unseasonably warm, but I think this is pushing things just a bit.

Apart from whining about the weather, things have been going really well. I was worried the long ride on Sunday might tire me out a bit too much, but with the one planned rest day on Monday, I was good to go on Tuesday. This is a really good feeling. My wattage numbers might not be where I’d like them, but it is only March and I want to be blazing full blast in September… Besides as Marc pointed out, I did get handle the ride on Sunday fairly well.

Progress is good and I just have to remember that I’m preparing for September and not April. I’d still like to get out for some early season races, but if it doesn’t happen, well no big deal. I need to feel confident in my fitness and strength before I can line up and race so I’ll put in the time to get me where I want to be. Same as usual really.

In other news, I’ve had some excellent discussions with my sponsors about the upcoming cyclo-cross season. I’m pretty stoked to say that once again I’ll be eating Clif Bars, keeping my brain protected thanks to Giro/OGC, racing around in the latest in cycling clothing thanks to Champion Systems Canada, getting the best coaching there is thanks to Bell Lap Coaching – all with the support of the top bike shop in Ottawa – The Cyclery. This being said, I am interested in bringing a new sponsor (or two) on board so if you have any suggestions or contacts, I’d love to hear from you.

(And since I haven’t plugged it in a while… Did you know that I wrote a book? Yep – it is called An Unlikely Elite and is available in PDF and EPUB formats. Download it, read it and tell me what you think.)

Wow – I think the wind blew me away out there! That was a wickedly windy ride out there. Truth be told, if I’d known how windy it was, I probably would have just ridden the rollers. But I’m glad I got out there and battled the spring winds – good for the heart and soul.

Marc put my SRM and a big 53-tooth chain ring on my Stevens ‘cross bike yesterday. Hmm, it is a bit surprising to see those power numbers and cadence numbers again. I’ve been data-less since November when my SRM met an untimely death – but it is now back to its top form and is doing its part to keep me honest. I like to think that it was the wind that was skewing my numbers and also I reminded myself of the ever-important spring riding mantra “it is Spring”. The 53-tooth chain ring took some getting used to again as well. Spinning a 42-tooth chain ring is definitely easier and friendlier. Again “it is Spring”.

Today was one of those rides that reminds me how much I love riding and racing my bike. It was kind of cold, it was damn windy, and I was struggling. But I got through it and did the work-out. I could have turned back, but I didn’t. This is a good thing.

On another note, I’m really happy that cycling season is hotting up again – this means lots of action on my favorite cyclist’s blogs. Although I’m not racing right now, I feel like I can live vicariously through some pretty awesome racers. Nice also to read that we’re not the only ones dealing with a lingering winter.

Alright, I best be off. Hopefully soon enough I’ll have the odd race report to post up here. Or at the very least, tales of some epic rides. Really looking forward to the long days in the saddle again. Keep the rubber side down.