Just a quick note to let you all know that I’m still here, waiting for the snow to melt. This weather is really doing a number on the outdoor bike riding opportunities. I had a few really awesome and challenging mountain bike rides. So yesterday after three days of what felt like constant snow, I rolled my mountain bike out and hit up the trusty neighbourhood trails.

Well to put it simply, the trails were not rideable. At least not by me. The nice firm hard-packed snow had turned to soupy slush. I could ride for five feet and then I’d sink into the slop and have to clip out and then get going again. Really it felt like riding in the deep sand dunes at Koksijde… Part of me new it would be good to keep trying, because clearly there is a way to ride in these conditions, and a skill that probably would transfer to sand riding. But it was really hard work and rather frustrating. I reminded myself that I’m still in my rest and recovery phase and that this type of riding probably doesn’t fit into the “easy relaxed loose riding”. I decided to check out some of the bike paths around the Sportsplex… I forgot that I don’t live in Belgium. Rather I live in Ottawa, Ontario where the bike paths aren’t plowed…

All this to say, I’ll try again tomorrow. The plan is to hit up the Sportsplex trails again and learn how to ride in the sinking sloppy slush. This will be a useful skill to learn and should be transferable to the ‘cross bike. If anything, I’ll get out and spin my legs for a bit.

Tuesday is the day. The day I start training again. I’m so looking forward to Tuesday. And yes, I’m looking forward to the trainer. I just need to get back on the saddle and start working towards my 2010 – 2011 season goals. To say that I’m stoked for the upcoming season would be an understatement. This past season was pretty darn good so I’m charged up to see what the next season brings.

Have a good weekend. And cross your fingers for some decent riding weather. If this warm weather keeps up, we’ll be able to ride outside on our road bikes pretty soon…

Dudes, it is almost time to start training again. Yes, I know most of you are training right now. Maybe you’re at a training camp somewhere warm or sweating it out on your trainer. Some of you are probably already racing on the road. Not me. I’m in my off-season break. This time when I don’t ride and I attempt to “not think” about bikes. So far so good. This is week four of the break. And thankfully, the last week of the break.

Call me crazy but I’m kind of looking forward to riding the trainer in the basement. My last race was on Jan. 31 and I’ve ridden only three times since. Granted those three rides were pretty darn awesome. Lots of fun. I dug my old mountain bike out of the garage and hit up the snowy trails down the street from my place. What fun! I’d never ridden in the snow much before (apart from the odd ‘cross race…). I really enjoy being out there spinning my legs out and getting a feel for the mountain bike.

My brain is clear. My heart is pumping. And I’m pretty sure I’m smiling. It is so refreshing to be out amongst the trees, birds, squirrels and blue sky. It is really quite warm in the woods as well. The extra bonus is that crashing in the snow isn’t that bad since the snow is rather deep!

Had a great talk with my coach Steve Weller of Bell Lap Coaching yesterday. This guy has been instrumental in my success on the bike. He really knows his stuff and most importantly he has the ability to pull me back when I want to just go out and ride and ride and ride… Steve is also excellent at really listening to what I’m saying – hearing between the words. We talked about the plans for the next few months and the summer. We’ve made a few tentative plans and have once again decided to change things up this spring/summer. Last year I hit the gym for some serious weight lifting. This year, we’re switching gears a bit and instead of the gym, I’ll be spending more time in the yoga studio, running, mountain biking, and working on core strength. All this with the goal of making a faster, stronger, and more technical cyclo-cross racer. Looks like I might even go to camp. Yep – mountain bike camp. Pretty cool eh?

My “training” resumes next week. But this first four weeks will be pretty loose. Some calm easy rides to ease back into things. I’ll be going to yoga 3 – 4 times a week and adding a new core strengthening program. Also some fun snowy mountain bike rides in the calendar. To say I’m looking forward to the next four weeks would be an understatement!

And in more exciting news… I’m going to Florida at the end of March. Four days in Orlando. Cool. I’m going down to help support KingsBridge at the Disaster Recovery Journal Spring World conference. KingsBridge is not only a long-time sponsor of mine but also a leader in disaster recovery and business continuity software. We’ll be in booth 510.

A little while ago I also hinted at a new team for the 2010 – 2011 season. Well, things are coming together really well and in a few weeks I’ll be posting a press release with full details. Let it be known that I’m pretty darn excited about the upcoming season and really am quite overwhelmed with the support from my sponsors. Feeling pretty fortunate and lucky.

(P.S. let me know if you’re up for a snowy mountain bike ride this weekend. I’m looking for new places to ride so any suggestions are appreciated.)

Ah, my first Saturday at home in a very very long time. What a great day! A steady day with lots of time to noodle around plus time spent just having plain old fun!

Kicked the day off bright and early with some Olympic highlight watching. I confess, I’m an Olympics addict. I can’t help myself – I just love watching these athletes at the top of their sports out there competing. Can’t imagine how it must feel to compete at the Olympics. It really is the biggest show on Earth! Funny, each time they show an athlete win a medal or show one of those “get to know the athlete” stories, I get all teary eyed. Can’t help it. (I like to think I’m not the only person this is happening to…)

I took the Olympic inspiration with me this morning to my hot power yoga class. My first hot power yoga class in a very long time. I can’t even remember the last time I went to class. It was just what I needed. Challenging but soothing. I was craving the heat of the hot room and my muscles really appreciated the deep stretch. It was also great to catch up with so many people. The energy in a yoga studio can be contagious. Especially at MountainGoat Yoga – this is a great yoga studio with a very fresh and relaxed vibe.

Relaxed for a bit with the Saturday newspapers. Another Saturday habit that I had been missing. I only purchase the weekend papers (otherwise I read online) and really enjoy taking my time to read the latest news and feature articles. Then it was time for some riding. Yes, riding.

After my mountain bike ride on Thursday, I knew I had to get out again for another one. What fun! I hit up the trails down the road for a bit and then explored my old ‘cross training grounds. A good hard ride. Some of the snow was pretty deep so it was a bit of a slog. But I’m pretty sure I was smiling the entire time. Came across a couple of skiers and a couple of walkers. Smiles all around. Nothing like being out in the fresh air and enjoying nature. Especially on a winter day.

Rest of the day has been spent poking around in shops and enjoying a smooth lunch at one of our favorite lunch spots. I came home with a new toy. My very own Bialetti. Yay! I’ve wanted one of these for a while. I just made my first pot of coffee in it. The house smells so nice right now. Nothing like the smell of fresh coffee.

Alright, I best be off. Hope your Saturday is going as well as mine. Good to be home. Great times on the bike. I’m sure Sunday will be just as sweet. One more week of the off-season and then I’ll be back at it on the trainer in the basement. If the weather holds, I predict I’ll be braving the elements as much as possible. Fresh air easily trumps pedaling in place while watching television (though it is an excuse to watch more Olympics!).

I did it. Took the old mountain bike out for a snow ride yesterday. What fun! I had a blast. It had been a very long time since I’d ridden my trusty mountain bike. 2005 I think was the last time. This was when I dabbled in some mountain bike racing. Maybe it should have been called mountain bike crashing…

I’d be fine in training. Could clean the tricky stuff and get over most obstacles and trails, etc. But during a race? Nope. I became a crash fest. It became apparent that once in the “red zone” I couldn’t make smart decisions. This meant I was taking crazy lines, too aggressive lines, and just generally tripping all over myself. After one too many crashes, bent rear derailleurs, broken disk brakes, scrapes, bruises, and much frustration – I put that bike in the garage.

Well, it is time. Time to get the bike out. To get out on the trails and face my demons. Time to put myself in that “red zone” and train my body and brain to react and respond appropriately. I know this will help a great deal with my cyclo-cross racing. In fact, I’m wondering if these old mountain biking demons are hidden deep down in my psyche and are causing me to be overly cautious on my ‘cross bike. Just a thought. Regardless, I’m committed to those fat tires and getting out there and pushing my limits.

What I would really like is to be able to transition from my mountain bike to my ‘cross bike on the mountain bike trails. This would be awesome. This would be a real indicator of my improvement – technical skills, confidence, and pedaling smarts. We’ll see if it can be done.

But don’t worry. This doesn’t mean that I won’t be out on my road bike this summer. I’ll be there. Doing the occasional road race or criterium. I’ll be out at the Tuesday night training crits. And I’ll be there for the long weekend rides to Merrickville. I’ll just be spending some time on my mountain bike as well. Oh and I’ll be riding my ‘cross bike too. Uhm, it looks like I’ve got a busy spring and summer ahead of me. Perfect! I’ll also be squeezing in a regular yoga practice to help keep my muscles long, lean and flexible.

I can’t hardly wait.

Plan for today was to hit up the woods with my trusty mountain bike. Well, it didn’t happen. Woke up to some fresh snow on the ground… Not a lot but enough to make the ride more “slog” than fun. But, the bike is all primed and ready for Thursday. Pedals are on. Tires are pumped up. I’m such a keener that I’ve even got my riding clothes all laid out.

Yep – I want to ride. I miss pedaling and feeling the wind on my face. I miss the smell of the sun. I really miss that dull ache that a good hard ride gives you. So Thursday it is. The forecast is calling for flurries, but I’m ignoring this. Power of positive thinking and I’ll be out there messing around in the woods.

I’m in the last bit of my “recovery block”. This is the longest break I’ve ever taken – 3 weeks. The first week really dragged. The second week was action-packed with lots of walking and sightseeing in London, England. This third week has been pretty good full of catching up with friends, relaxing, unpacking, and watching the Olympics. But, can I let you in on a little secret?

I really really want to ride my bike. I want to ride it so badly I’m actually looking forward to riding the trainer in the basement.

I take this desire to ride, sweat, and ache as a good thing. A really good thing. It tells me that the fire that got me to where I am is still burning bright and fierce. Can you feel it?