Today has been a most excellent day so far. (Well apart from when I fell down the stairs this morning…) But falling aside, this has just been a really good Thursday.

Kicked things off with a fun cyclo-cross practice session at Mooney’s Bay. I have to say – I really love helping people out and teaching them the skills I’ve learned over the years of racing and training for cyclo-cross. It is such a tremendous feeling to see people push their limits, learn a new skill, and simply smiling as they’re pedaling along. We had a really good session this morning. We worked on turning – including sweeping turns and tripoding and tight turns, then it was time to do some dismounts and mounts. Both Andrew and Sophie are looking good with their dismounts and mounts so it was time to push our boundaries a bit. We set up an uphill dismount that included a tricky downhill left corner into the barrier once up and over the barrier came a quick right turn down the hill. We played around with this, trying different techniques and testing ourselves. Soon enough they were cruising into the barrier, having only used their rear brake and with constant pedaling were keeping their rear wheels from slipping out. Next up was off-camber turning – again more focus on continually pedaling, looking ahead, light brake pressure and learning to modulate speed. To close off the session I set up a 5 by 4 grid on the face of the hill and we practiced uphill turning and downhill turning – I find this is a great drill since it allows you to practice so many key skills at once: looking ahead, constant pedal pressure, turning, learning to let your bike “fall”, and pushing your limits with downhill turning speed. All in all, an excellent session. Amazing what you can cover in 90 minutes. Thanks Andrew and Sophie for coming out – it truly was a great way to start my day. (I really do get a rush from teaching people and seeing them learn.)

To round out the day, it is also new bike day! Yay! Many thanks to Vince at The Cyclery and Stevens Bikes Canada for the new bike. I now have two brand spanking-new Stevens Carbon Team DA bikes in my garage. Pretty darn sweet. I’m stoked to race these bike this weekend. Already from the training I’ve done, I’ve found the bike to be super responsive and it turns really smoothly. Not to mention that is is nice and light – I barely notice it when I pick it up and put it on my shoulder. The paint job is sharp and the extra finishing touches just make the Stevens Carbon Team DA look super fast and smooth.

To close off the day, I’m hooking up with young Karl for some cyclo-cross skills action and some video taping action. Lets hope the rain holds off for a little bit. What a soggy week we’ve had. Amazing September rolls in and all of a sudden the sun, heat, and calm days are gone. Lets hope we get a bit more heat before the month is out!

Pretty excited to race this weekend. I’m not putting any pressure on myself for the races. I just want to go out and leave it all on the course. If I do this, I know a good performance and outcome will follow.

Alright, I best be off. I’m heading to the garage to put pedals on the new bike and to play around a bit. Fun on bikes – doesn’t get much better.

(Check back this weekend for race reports.)

Yes, that’s right – on Sunday instead of doing a double day, I did a triple day. Oh yeah – three work-outs in one day. And yes, I feel it in my legs right now. What a good feeling. Reminds me of how spot-on Sunday’s training was.

I started the day in the cool and frosty early morning with fun and fast times on my Stevens Carbon Team DA. I took my trusty bike off to my favorite training grounds. It was time to do some drills and work on specific techniques. The cool weather meant that there really wasn’t anyone out. Just me, the sand, the singletrack, and my bike. Perfect training scenario. I did drill after drill – focusing on speed on the remount, quick acceleration of the bike, sprinting onto the saddle, fast dismounts, and speedy/nervy descending. A great training session.

I rolled home, chomped down a few Clif Shot Bloks and then laced up my running shoes. Time for some running and hills sprints. Now I admit that I wondered aloud if I needed to do this run since I had done a fair bit of running in the woods. But Marc gently guided me out the door… Boy am I ever happy I did this work-out. Yes, I was a bit tired but I needed it. Hill sprints are not a strength for me. I tend to run like a slow lumbering elephant – so bouncing up a hill does not come naturally. This was a work-out for the legs and the mind. I focused on high knees, light feet, and running through the top of the hill. In the end it was very cathartic – I listened to my breathe and told myself that a nap was waiting for me.

A quick shower and a few bowls of puffed rice and almond milk later (I know not the most exciting meal – but what can I do?) and I was stretched out on the couch “reading”. Sooner than I wanted my watch beeped and it was time to get out for the grand finale. A 90 minute ride with the focus being on cyclo-cross starts. Perfect way to finish off the day of training. I put my road wheels on my ‘cross bike and hit up some very quiet training roads. I guess the cool weather kept most people inside since I didn’t see anyone out. On my agenda were four 30 second all-out give-it-all-I’ve-got ‘cross starts. And yes, I gave it all I had. Lets just say its a good thing I had a tailwind on the way home.

So there you have it – this was my Sunday triple. Couldn’t have been better. To round out the day we hooked up with the fastest couple in Barrhaven for a night out at the movies and dinner. Lets just say our movie choice could have been better (The Expendables) but the company and the food made up for it. If you haven’t seen The Expendables, my suggestion – don’t. We were all wondering how we ended up choosing this movie… Ah well. But one thing I can say is this – if you have food allergies/restrictions and are looking for a restaurant that will accommodate you – go to Milestone’s. Amazing service and advice.

As for today? Well it is my rest day. So I’m about to head out to my local park to do a short skills session – just to loosen up the legs and to help reinforce the skills I practiced yesterday. I’m also playing around with my saddle height and I’ve got some new shoes that I need to break-in. Tonight I’m off to Chelsea for a cyclo-cross practice session. Really looking forward to this – a great group of people are coming out again. Tonight we’re tackling the sand run-up and uphill dismounts. I expect smiles all around. I’m holding another cyclo-cross practice session on Thursday so if you’re interested in some early morning training and learning – drop me an email. Again huge smiles and fun times guaranteed.

Yesterday I had an excellent road ride. I was out turning the pedals on some of my favorite local training roads. Quiet roads with a few dips, rises, twists and turns. The houses along the way are familiar with many friendly nods exchanged between myself and the people out tending to the big lawns and simply soaking up the fresh air. Really, it was just a ride – nothing spectacular. Familiar, comfortable, and soothing. But then a funny thing happened to me. Just as I was getting back into my suburb and rolling through the busy suburban streets, a wave of emotion took over. I felt my eyes filling up. A strange tickle appeared at the back of my throat. All of a sudden I was thinking about how fast the time has gone and how soon enough I’ll be gone. Following the road not often taken. I realized that pretty soon I would be leaving all this familiarity for another kind. A kind where the roads have less dips and rises but more twists and turns. A place where there are more cyclists than cars (or so it seems). Yes, I’m excited to go. But I’m sad to leave. Life is good here. I ride. I train. I am with my favorite guy. Bitterweet. Really just bittersweet. This season is looking so bright for me. But sometimes it is hard to see this for the things I’ll miss and leave behind. So, as I pedaled along my familiar roads, I had tears in my eyes, swelling in my heart, and a tickle in my throat. I can only wonder what today’s ride will give me.

(With thanks to the bike.)