Literally and figuratively it is go time. I’m ready to go. My bag is packed. Bikes are ready. Wheels are in wheel bags. Trainer has been tested. Got the bucket of stuff ready (rags, cleaning products, oil, lube, spare bits, etc.). Trainer wheel is ready (thanks Jos). Tire decisions have been considered and discussed. Bikes are shiny and clean. I’ve crammed every piece of Ottawa Cross and KingsBridge clothing into my gear bag. Sandwiches for the road are made. Got some fruit as well. Tasty recovery drink has been procured. Oh yeah – you know it – Cecemel. Nothing better than a Cecemel after a race.

Legs feel good. Brain is fresh. Lungs and heart are pumping full blast. Had a great ride today. Explored some of my favorite training roads in and around the Blauberg forest. Pedaled past a creamery (that’s what I’m calling it!) – they make/sell ice cream, yogurt, milk, cheese, etc. – definitely need to check it out next week. Had a generally perfect ride. Listened to some great podcasts again – fascinating discussion with Michael Chabon on NPR.

I’ve got the race course imprinted on my brain. Thanks to watching/studying a video of last year’s World Cup. Last year was crazy muddy. And based on the weather forecast for this weekend, it looks to be another epic mud day. Good. I wanted one of these early. I love mud. I love mud. The course looks very challenging but not crazy. Some steep climbs, fast descents, tricky corners, a few places where you can get some speed up, crazy stairs. Really, a typical cyclo-cross course. It is gonna be good.

I had a great talk with my coach today. Poor guy I talked his ear off – this is what happens sometimes. We had a great chat. Talked about my week, how my legs feel, how my brain feels, etc. Typical coach/athlete talks. Extra bonus is that he and his fiance are hosting Marc this weekend for the Northampton racing action. Thanks Steve and Darcy for taking in Marc! Remember the hug!

Well, I best be off. I want to unwind a bit and talk to my favorite guy. I’ll leave you with some words from my coach – they apply to all of you out there racing this weekend:

“Go Like Hell”

Got out for a great ride today. On order was 2.5 hours with a 30 minute block of tempo. I really enjoy this ride. It allows me to go for a longish ride and to get in a dose of intensity. Nothing too hard and nothing too long. Just enough to get the juices flowing and remind me that I’m a bike racer.

I had planned on the group ride – but the tire issue took precedence. So I went out mid-morning – the wind was fierce and it was raining. Not optimum. But so what – I’m in Belgium! I really didn’t care or notice the weather. It was just so nice to be outside riding my bike.

I hit up one of my favorite routes that took me through Ramsel, onto the bicycle path, and then onto the great canal bicycle path. Perfect route for today’s work-out. I love riding along the canal. It literally goes on forever. If I was feeling so inspired, I could follow it to Antwerp (but I think I’ll take the car…). Only saw a few other cyclists out this morning. Suppose the weather was a deterrent. Did see some wobbly young roller bladers and a few joggers. To keep me company on the ride I was plugged into some of my favorite CBC and NPR podcasts.

The rest of the day went by pretty quickly. Very short walk over to the health food store to check it out. I managed to get some almond milk and a jar of tahini. This health food store in Blauberg is pretty darn good. They stock some interesting pasta – sweet potato spelt pasta and some interesting looking cereal – contains quinoa and goji berries. I think I’ll be frequenting this little shop quite a bit. Got the tire fixed on the car. Thank goodness! Also got my phone almost sorted out. Managed to switch chips. Now just need to get the minutes I bought loaded onto the phone.

After all of this I decided to nap. Why not? I was feeling tired. So nap it was. I hooked up to CBC Radio and snoozed while listening to The Current and Q. I really do appreciate technology. Especially when I’m so far from my loved ones and friends. I can easily stay in touch and it helps stave off any feelings of loneliness.

Well, I’m off to watch the Nommay World Cup from last year. Marc put it on my computer so I best watch it so I know what to expect this weekend. If memory serves me correctly, it was an epic mudfest last year. Cool. Mud is a leg-sucker. I’ll need to remember to keep my legs turning over – I have a bad habit of over gearing myself and trying to power through everything. I’m really feeling like I just want to get my first race here done. Not sure why I’m feeling this. Guess because it has been a long time since I’ve raced with such a stacked field. Should be a good one.

Thanks for reading. I really appreciate your continued support and enthusiasm. It helps me a lot when I’m out there riding and getting ready for some big races. Keep pedaling. Safe travels if you’re off to Northampton this weekend for the Cycle-Smart International Races. Looks like big numbers of riders will be out to race. The course changes sound very interesting. I’ll be thinking of you guys this weekend (Marc, Steve, Josee, Conor, Karl, Derrick, Natasha, and Rebecca). Make sure you hit hard!

There is nothing quite like going home. While technically I am not at home (Ottawa or Nipawin) – I consider Blauberg to be pretty close to being home. I have been here so much in the last three years, that I’m totally comfortable here. I walk into the little grocery store next door and the ladies recognize me. I popped into the bakery down the street and the lady there remembered me. Went to 4Bikes today and the owner Peter, remembered me and started asking about my season. Nice. Really nice.

Experiences like this make it so much easier for me to be here alone. I am alone but I do know some people and can have a short conversation with someone. Plus, Jos and Tim are just down the street – these guys are awesome and have made each trip I’ve had here so much better.

I put my bikes together this morning. Had an issue with the headset on one of my bikes, so I decided to take it into 4Bikes to get sorted. Then since I was taking in one bike, decided it would be smart to take in the other bike to get checked out. I don’t want them to collapse under me this weekend, so decided to err on the careful side. Couldn’t pick them up until 4:00, so I only managed a short little ride. Enough to spin the legs out and feel the fresh air on my cheeks.

I have to say it was pretty awesome to be rolling along the road. I forgot how nice it is to ride here. Amazing bicycle paths. The attention and respect of motorists. It all makes for very pleasant riding. I was going to go on the group ride tomorrow but plans have changed. I need to get the tire sorted tomorrow (went today and told to return on Wednesday) – and the timing of this conflicts with the group ride. Oh well, the group ride won’t disappear so I’ll just have to wait until next Tuesday for my first ride with the group.

Things are coming together for the weekend. Jos is coming to help me out with the pit, logistics, etc. This is a massive help to me. It looks like Nommay will be muddy – so I definitely cannot solo this race. Plus it will be great to have some company during the drive. I’m sure between the two of us, we have enough stories to fill up the drive. Great to see that Nikki Harris is racing this weekend. She had some super form this summer but had a crash at the Road World Champs. Should make for a fun weekend – racing and catching up with friends.

Not much else going on. Been busy with the errands this morning and then getting unpacked and settled in here. Time to sign off from the computer and chill out. Think a movie is in order. Have a good one. If you see Marc – give him a hug for me!

Yikes what an insane trip I’ve had. Pretty much every leg of it was met with some head scratching and little hiccup. But the good news is, I’m here. Sitting at the grand dining table in Blauberg, staring at a bunch of cycling trophies and flowers that were won by the likes of Mark Cavendish and Bradley Wiggins. Doesn’t get more solid than that.

So the trip. Well, I wrote all about it over at Victoria’s Island. But in case you don’t want to click over there (you should by the way – more interesting writing happening at my first home on the WWW), here is the day:
1. Pay an extra $500 at the Air Canada check-in desk: $225 x 2 for extra bags + $50 x 2 for bikes.
2. Make a medical emergency landing in Halifax. Stuck in Halifax for 1 hour.
3. Land in Frankfurt at 9:30 a.m. I miss my connection by 15 minutes.
4. Wait for 3.5 hours for next flight to Brussels.
5. This flight is delayed by 30 minutes.
6. Land in Brussels. No bikes. File baggage claim.
7. Get flat tire in rental car. Get tire fixed.
8. Rescued by Jos.

Just heard that my bikes have been found. They will be delivered tonight. Need to stay awake now!

The good news is I’m here. Everything worked out. I’ve got some groceries. I’m sitting down in front of the computer. I’ve got a good day planned for tomorrow. Thursday looks good as well (group ride). Bonus is I get to race the World Cup in Nommay, France this weekend. Really it doesn’t get much better than this. Well, some fine Belgian bread would help – but this will have to wait until Wednesday morning.

A crazy block of travel is in the books. I miss Marc like crazy. But he’ll be here soon enough. Until then I need to put my head down and get some excellent races in the books.

Alright, this is all I have for today. Sorry for the brevity. I’m feeling a bit punchy so I’m kind of afraid of what might come out of these fingers. Really I need sleep. But really I need my bikes more.

Today is the day. Hopping on the plane in a few hours. Off to the land of cyclo-cross. So so lucky. So fortunate to be able to do this. It is finally sinking in that I’m doing this. I guess I kind of take it for granted that I’m doing this. I mean, it only makes sense to me. I want to do something to the maximum, so figure out what that maximum is, pursue it, and then do it. But I forget that this is not always possible for people – or even imaginable. Guess I really am lucky in more ways than one.

I’m really feeling ready for this trip. This is my time. I can feel it. My body is strong. My mind is here. Confidence is high. Legs are fresh. Lungs and heart are ready to go. As I was driving home from some errands today, I started to think about the upcoming racing. I broke out into a massive smile. This is massive for me. In years past, I would have started to stress and worry about the race and what “could happen”. Not any more. Nope, I don’t have these thoughts. Rather I look forward to the races. I want to race, rip my legs off, rip your legs, test myself, scare myself, push my limits.

This is just where I need to be right now. How did I reach this nirvana? Don’t know. Suppose it is a culmination of the hardwork on and off the bike. Maybe my racing experience is starting to shine through? (Yes, I know in the relative grand scheme of things, I don’t have heaps of racing experience…) But maybe I’m finally ready and able to learn from the bike? Don’t know really how I reached this point. But I’m super glad I’ve found it. I imagine this is what the women who are always on the podium feel like. A wave of confidence and restfulness – knowing that they (I) am doing the right thing?

Whatever it is, I’m going to roll with it.

I really need to get get going – leaving for the airport in a few minutes. But before I do, please be sure to check out my sponsors:
– KingsBridge Disaster Recovery
– The Cyclery
– Outdoor Gear Canada
– Clif Bar
– Bell Lap Coaching

Without these fine companies, I would not be where I am. Many many thanks to: Skip, Vince, Dave, Eric, and Steve.