As I was sitting here eating my morning oatmeal and listening to CBC Radio I realized how very relaxed I feel this morning. This reminded me of my much earlier racing days back in the mid-90s when I was so nervous on the morning of a race, I could barely eat anything. I remember Marc trying to convince me to just eat one bagel. Now, many years later, I feel much less stressed and anxious on race morning.

Yes of course I still have my neuroses on race day morning but they seem to appear in different ways…

On Saturday while Marc was trying to watch the hockey game, I insisted he review all the cycling gear I had spread out on the floor – was I missing anything? should I not take something? In fact I even listed off everything I was thinking of packing. Marc responded with “You have way too much stuff.” This sent a quiver of panic through my body – too much stuff? but what should I take out? In the end I crammed everything into my race bag… (except the Murphy and the full face helmet)

After the dust had settled on the “what to pack” dilemma, I then started to think about my pre-race warm-up. It has been two years since I’ve done a road race. I feel like I’ve never raced before… When it comes to cyclo-cross I know exactly what I’ll do on race day and how and when I’ll warm up for the race. But I really have no idea what to do for road races. So of course, Marc was peppered with more questions – how long should I warm up for? should I do openers? should I ride hard? easy? Finally Marc simply said “don’t worry about it. It’s a road race.”. Yikes – what does this mean?

Yes, so there is some nervous energy happening it is just manifesting itself differently than it did many years ago. I like to believe I’m less nervous now than when I was a young twenty-something – but honestly I’m not so sure. I’m guessing that I’ll chatter non-stop to Marc all the way to Calabogie and then try to make casual small talk on the start line as we wait for the gun to go off.

Yep, still nervous. Still excited. Still ready to race. All systems are go.

Well, as many of you know I registered for the Clarence-Rockland Classic with a stomach full of butterflies. Well, as the big day neared I actually became less nervous and was simply looking forward to getting out and riding a new-to-me event.

First off – a big thanks to the Ride With Rendall team and their crew of volunteers – the event was super well-organized and from my perspective went off without a hitch. There were two wheel trucks with a couple of very busy volunteers and the post-race food looked to be very good (I didn’t stay for the post-race meal – had to get home to Marc who has walking pneumonia…). Each and every corner was well marked and typically managed by at least three people – very impressive. The cheering from these folks helped a lot.

So, as for the race/ride? Well I was a bit nervous about an all-category event – it has been a long time since I’ve done this type of event. I was rather nervous about how fast the “fast” guys would go out and was pleased to still be with the group by the third gravel climb. But, this is where and when I realized that I’m not a fan of gravel… I quickly remembered how much I dislike turning on gravel roads (yes, poor bike handling skills) and unfortunately, I packed it in mentally. My legs were there – but my heart and spirit were not. I ended up simply riding the event – at times I rode with others and had some good conversations – many thanks to young Felix for the fast wheel on one of the paved sections. I was very happy to connect with my long-time friend Pierre at the end of the race and we rolled into together. Very nice to ride with Robyn and Tanya as well – some great company out there.

Am I disappointed? Not sure. I definitely didn’t have the competitive “spirit” that I usually have and I didn’t really have that “dig deep” attitude that helps me so much. I think really, it was simply a type of racing that is not for me. I’m happy I did it. It was great to connect with so many people and to chat with others. It was awesome to see the smiling faces and spirit of all the folks out for the day. I think I’ll stick to paved roads and cyclo-cross courses for a while though.

So thanks for the encouragement and convincing me to do the event. I’m happy I did it. Learned some valuable lessons that I’m sure I’ll be writing about in the days to come. I just registered for the Calabogie Classic and I’m looking forward to some road racing as well as a little bit of BMX action this summer.

I’ve got butterflies in my belly and every time I think about registering for this Sunday’s race, my heart beats a bit faster. Yes, I have a good ‘ol suitcase of nerves right now. It feels like a very long time since I’ve raced on the road and I’m feeling a tad nervous and actually downright afraid of it all.

I’m not sure where and why these nerves are showing up. I know that they’re not rational and thanks to the Chimp Paradox by Dr. Steve Peters I understand that I should be able to control these feelings. But right now I simply can’t. I have the registration page for the Clarence-Rockland Classic this Sunday open in my browser but I just haven’t clicked submit yet…

My head is full of what ifs. What if I’m not ready to race (it is the first race – I’m as ready as I’ll be)? What if I get a cold (Marc currently has one)? What if the weather is terrible (oh right – the worse the weather the better for me)? What if I can’t do it (of course I can do it)?

That’s right – not altogether rational. But a suitcase of nerves normally isn’t rational. I know it is ridiculous to be nervous on Tuesday when the race isn’t until Sunday… Some say these nerves are a good thing because it shows I care about the race and I want to do well.

I’m nervous about the gravel roads. I’m nervous about the race format. I’m nervous about my fitness. I’m nervous about getting dropped and having to ride the race alone. I’m nervous.

Remember last week when I wrote about how I didn’t eat enough and suffered for it for the rest of the day? Well, thanks to feedback from you, comments on Facebook and other conversations – I’m slowly learning and getting this eating and riding thing sorted out. To put it simply – fuel is required when we ask our bodies to do challenging and uncomfortable things on the bike. And even though there are carbohydrates in vegetables and fruit – we need more than this to allow us to ride at our best.

The thing is, I’ve always known this… The problem is I get caught up in reading cooking and food blogs by people who aren’t cyclists… My energy and nutrient needs are different from the food blogger and recipe tester who is not riding his or her bike for two hours or more a day.

As much as I enjoy my morning smoothie I’ve gone back to the good ‘ol bowl of oatmeal. But this isn’t any old bowl of oatmeal. Nope mine has: chia seeds, Bioflavia, ground flax seeds, maca powder, sesame seeds, old-fashioned oats and some kind of fruit (chopped apple or frozen mango/strawberries). I mix it all up, pour a bunch of boiling water into the bowl, zap the mixture in the micro, add more water and let it sit overnight in the fridge. In the morning I add almond milk to this tasty bowl and sit down to slowly eat my bowl of carbohydrate goodness. (For you oatmeal fans – how do you create your tasty bowl of morning breakfast?)

In addition to this oatmeal habit, I’ve started paying closer attention to when I eat and when I ride. This is crucial because we need to give our bodies time to metabolize the food we eat before going out for a ride but we also don’t want to eat too early before riding. I think this really is a personal thing and we each need to determine what works best. Anyway, for me what I’m doing now is if I’ve got an intense afternoon ride to do, I make sure I add some beans, quinoa or rice to my normal veggie stir-fry at lunch. If I’m riding in the morning, I’ll eat a Luna bar about two hours before getting on my bike.

This brings us of course to recovery drinks/food. I posted a question asking about this on Facebook yesterday… (Many thanks to those of you who responded.) The use of a recovery drink/food/meal really seems to come down to how hard the ride was and how long it will before the next “real meal”. Again, everyone is unique in this aspect.

So, this in a nutshell, is what I’ve learned this week. As I start to get into my spring/summer road racing season, I’m sure I’ll learn more to share with you on this topic. It is a tricky thing eating and sport – particularly when we compete in a sport that has us all believing that “thinner is better” – chances are very high we all know a cyclist who has taken this attitude too far and has suffered as a result. So eat your carbs! Eat your veggies and fruit! Get some protein! Eat some fat – your body needs it! And of course eat some chocolate – you deserve it after all. (For some excellent recipes from a pro cyclist, visit Mo Bruno Roy’s website.)

Live Out Loud Everyday. This is the essence and mantra that Lolë is built around. Designing and creating clothing for real women that allows us to look and feel our best each and every day. The refreshing thing about this Canadian company is that they do more than sell clothes.

This is a company that is truly invested in being part of the community and showing women how we can all get the most out of life. The company celebrates achievement of all kinds and is committed to doing its part to make the world a better place. This might sound like lofty words for a clothing company – but this is the truth when it comes to Lolë.

It is for these very reasons (and of course, the darn fine clothes) that I’m very proud to be sponsored by Lolë and to represent the company as a Lolë ambassador. I’ve been part of the Lolë team for less than a year and so far everyone I’ve met and connected with through this company has been top-notch. From attending Lolë meet-ups to meeting company representatives, I’ve been impressed with every aspect of the company.

As for the clothes? Well the clothes are fantastic. They are designed for real women to wear – which means that us cyclists with muscles in our legs and bums can fit easily into their pants, capris and shorts. The tops come in a range of flattering cuts so whether you like a v-neck, scoop or round neck – you’ll find tops that have you looking your best. Many thanks to Lolë for keeping me looking good off the bike!

To learn more about this Quebec-based company, watch a couple of these videos:

Under An Eternal Sky

2011 Earth Hour Celebration

Visit Lolë’s Facebook page to stay up-to-date with new product arrivals, meet-ups and community involvement.

Live Out Loud Everyday: this sums up what I try to do each and everyday. Thanks Lolë for the support and for the belief in my dreams and goals.