Oh yeah baby, today was all about the sweet spot… As in sweet spot tempo intervals. This morning I was on the trainer at the crack of dawn pounding out the wattage. 3 x 12 minutes with accelerations every 3 minutes. Yes, my legs were kicking and screaming. I blocked out the leg tantrums and kept on drilling it. Telling myself this is good, you are going so hard, harder than ever, remember these sensations on the weekend. Amazing how quickly the time passed when my brain was not thinking about pain but rather thinking about the pay-off.

It wasn’t my choice to be on the trainer. But it is pretty frosty up here now, not good for doing intervals outside. I get chilled really easily and the last thing I needed or wanted was to be cold, sweaty, and 45 minutes from home. So it was an excellent ride. Watched last week’s episode of Grey’s and Law and Order. So it was doubly sweet – hard work-out and guilt-free television watching.

Unfortunately, no ‘cross practice for me tonight. I’m super busy at work and something has to give. It is a drag. But this is reality.

Just had a look at the pre-registration list for the USGP in New Jersey this weekend. Wow – talk about deep field. 42 women on Saturday and 40 on Sunday. I’m stoked. The better and stronger the field, the better and stronger I’ll be. I’m determined to not let the mistakes of the past haunt me this weekend. Funny, last night we were out with a good pal of ours and he was asking about our races in Toronto last weekend. I told him about my ride on Sunday and how I kept on getting faster and faster as the race went on. I couldn’t really explain why I couldn’t/wouldn’t go all out from the gun. Marc summed it up “You have to want it”.

Yep, therein lies another one of my problems right now. I had a super big goal this season. I didn’t make it – after my third race of the season. I set new goals. But somehow they don’t mean as much to me as the goal of racing in the World Champs did. Well, really this is all up to me. I’ve got to get my brain on straight and start wanting and riding like I want it. This is the weekend.

I just read Kathy’s race report from Plymouth. Wow – she has got me so fired up. Her race on Sunday was most impressive. I love the self-talk she used to motivate herself. Inspiring.

Okay, I best be off. The clock is ticking (still haven’t figured out how to make time stand still) and I’ve got lots on my “to do” list this afternoon. The perfect ending to this fine Wednesday will be the hour I spend in my hot power yoga class. (So long as we don’t do too many handstands – not a fan of being upside down.) Have a good one.

Not the best title to a blog post. But I really couldn’t come up with much else. Sorry.

So my post about excuses is getting a lot of traffic and generating some interesting feedback. Nice to know I’m not the only one who feels this way. As I was out riding in the snow today I thought more about the excusegame. The thing is – we choose to ride and race our bikes. No one makes us. The majority of us (particularly those of us living in North America), are well-educated and have decent if not good jobs. We really do this for fun. Yes, we’re serious about it – but really it is about the fun and community. Really, why else would I put on a thin spandex suit and race around in the mud and rain?

Okay, herein ends the excusegame rant. I know I typed something similar yesterday…

Got out for a smooth if somewhat chilly ride today. 90 minutes of recovery. The wind was wicked. Thank goodness for my compact crank. I really didn’t notice the cold (yes I was overdressed). It was kind of peaceful to be out there with empty roads, the rustling tree branches, and the whirring of the bike.

I’m working on getting my European race calendar finalized. Hoping to get it sorted tonight – then I’ll update the race calendar. All I can say at this point – is there is a lot of race action going on. I’ll be racing everything – UCI elite women’s races, junior boy’s races, masters men’s races, and a World Cup.
Basically, if there is a race – I’m doing it. The premise is that this will help me/force me to learn. Don’t know if you’ve ever raced ‘cross in Europe, but it really is “sink or swim”. Gotta learn the hard lessons fast – otherwise each race becomes rather miserable. I learned a lot last year and want to learn just as much (if not more) this time around. The highlight of the trip will be watching Marc race in the Master’s World Cyclo-Cross Championships in Mol, Belgium. It will be strange being there and not being able to race (can’t race if you have UCI points). Oh well, I can relax and support Marc (this means yell my lungs out as he pedals by and make him some super tasty nutella sandwiches for his pre-race meal).

Along with racing ‘cross, I’ll be hooking up with the coach of the Belgian junior team for weekly ‘cross practice. I trained with these guys last year and it was awesome. Hard. Fast. Friendly. Just what I needed – nice way to break up the week of training, racing and recovery. I’ll also be putting in lots of road miles – the Tuesday and Thursday group rides are a lot of fun – never know who you’ll get as a riding partner (once I rode with Neils Albert – he is super friendly and yes – he is as cute in person as he looks in the photos…).

Getting my SRM moved over to my spare bike. So this means the Isaac will be put away and I’ll be spending all my time riding my ‘cross bikes. I don’t know if I’ll record any race data with the SRM (the data would be very useful to see) – depends on what my chief pit man (Marc) suggests on this. But, it will be perfect to have my SRM while in Belgium and out training on the road. I don’t know about you, but I’m not very good at judging my exertion level – my legs are either feeling super comfortable or burning up with fire…

I noticed there are more photos from the weekend racing action posted on Canadian Cyclist. I’ve also heard and read some grumbling about the races this past weekend. This is a tough thing. Yes, it is good to be vocal, but there is a balance here. Keep this in mind please. Constructive is the only way to go.

Onto New Jersey. I’m looking to improve on my result at these races last year. Last year my race goal was simple – don’t get lapped by Georgia Gould. (My favorite American racer, by the way.) This year, I’ve set my eyes a bit higher – a top 15 would be amazing and awesome. This is my goal. We’ll see what happens. I can only control my performance. To achieve this goal, I need to stay focused on my big lesson from the Toronto weekend: aggression.

Or maybe this should be titled – The Mindgame? Or how about – The Excusegame?

So as you probably know I’m home from a weekend of ‘cross racing in Toronto. Some decent fields out for the M1, elite women’s and elite men’s fields. Cool. Just what us bike racers want – lots of tough competition. The deeper the field, the better I feel about my result. Sure it is nice to get a “top result” but this for me feels somewhat diluted when the depth of field really isn’t there. My 11th place results this year feel much better than the 7th and 9th place results I had at these races last year.

Okay, so why The Excusegame? Well it seems to me that if you ever want to hear a list of excuses as to why you competitors aren’t going so well, simply sign up for a bike race. I’ve never heard so many excuses for why people didn’t get the results they expected this weekend. I might sound a bit callous here, but common people – everyone has stuff going on in their lives. No one is living the “ideal bike racer” life. The bulk of us work full-time, juggle family life, and race our bike at the elite level every weekend. It is a small margin that are actual “pros” – getting paid to race their bikes and train.

This weekend I was treated to a litany of excuses for poor results – a lot of times before the race had even started. I was so tempted to speak my mind. But I’m polite and I don’t want to come off as sounding rude and unfeeling. But if I hear one more person tell me how hard it is to work, train, travel, and race, I’m going to vomit in my mouth. (Yikes that is harsh – but this is how I feel.)

Maybe next time, I’ll whip out some excuses of my own. How about: hmm, I started racing my bike three years ago and as a Masters racer (now I race elite), I work 50 plus hours a week (usually M – Th because we are driving on Fridays), I’ve had four herniated discs, I’ve dropped 20 lbs this past season, oh and my knee is still quite sore. Do you think these are valid excuses? How about adding in – this year my cat died very suddenly, I was run off the road by an eighteen-wheeler, and my iron levels are really low.

I know this is stretching things a bit – but this is how I feel when I hear people rhyming off all the reasons why they didn’t do as well as they think they should. Really, people – are you a bike racer? Yes – okay then get on your bike and race. Stop talking and get pedaling. Everyone has crap going on. No one – not even the pros have it easy. Just be thankful that you can travel all around North America and Europe to race your bike. Lots of people out there would love to do what you’re doing. Get over yourself and think about your situation. I mean really think about your situation and how good you have it.

(Okay this ends the rant. Sorry for the negativity – I really try not to be negative on this site, but sometimes I need to let it all out.)

Check out the photos page. I posted a bunch of links to photos from the racing action this weekend. If you have pics from the Toronto races – send me an email – I’ll post a link to your site. Thanks to all the photographers out there. Along with the fantastic cheering, the photos help a lot as well.

On deck for today – recovery. Sweet sweet recovery. 90 minutes of rolling, pedaling, and listening to my iPod. The weather is decent – dry, sunny, light wind. Perfect for a spin. Tonight I’ll round things off with a solid hot power yoga session.

This weekend we’re racing in New Jersey. Cool. Talk about deep field. It will be a tough one. I’ve got lots of little changes I want to make to my racing this weekend. I think they can pretty much be summed up with one word: aggression. Better start. Attacking the course all the time. Fighting for lines. Drilling the legs and lungs. Looking ahead on the course. Turning the legs over faster – no more grinding. Stoked to race.

Ah, it is nice to be home. What a whirlwind weekend. The bag is unpacked. Laundry is on. Murphy the cat of the house is snuggled in and happy to have his people back. So today was the second day of racing at Centennial Park. Today it was all about the hill. In my opinion there was a bit too much hill in this race – but whatever – it is the same for everyone.

Marc and I got to the race course early enough to get three laps in before the first race. This helps me tremendously to ride with Marc – he can help me with my lines and we can relax a bit shaking out our legs and not feel too rushed. I chilled out in the car a bit – listened to 102.1, pinned numbers and ate my pre-race meal. Then it was back on the course again for a couple more laps – this time we went out with Steve aka Fearless Leader. We didn’t have a lot of time but managed to get in a few more good laps.

The junior boys raced the second race this morning. I have to say that Conor was most impressive today. Talk about billygoat – he went up that hill like it was nothing. He rode super well – finished 2nd – way to go Conor. Keirnan suffered an early race crash and banged up his arm, but he hung tough, dug deep and kept it going. Karl rode strong today as well. Great to see these young guys out there – very inspiring – I remember when they were little guys goofing around. Now they are all business. Keep it up guys.

Marc, Steve and Rob were up next. Marc was definitely looking for a good race today – since yesterday was derailed for him… The separation happened super fast. The first time up the hill to be exact. Peter M., Steve, and Marc basically separated themselves nicely from the field. Peter put in a big attack the second time up the hill and put himself solidly into first place. Steve came really close to bringing him back and was ripping up the course. Marc rode super well – he was in no man’s land for quite a while in third place – with a pack desperately chasing him from behind. With two laps to go, first and second place were a done deal – now the race was on for third. Marc was caught by two guys (a guy from Toronto and Craig) – they raced together – letting it come down to the sprint. Marc finished 4th. A very solid ride. I was super impressed with how he rode. Congrats Marc! Rob had an excellent ride – he looked super strong and his face was all focus and determination. Unfortunately he had some bad luck on the last lap and rolled his tubular – this cost him some places. Ah well, the rest of the race was awesome – good ride Rob. Congrats to all the guys from Ottawa who raced in the M1 races this weekend – excellent riding from the “Eastern Ontario” racers.

My race was up next. I admit, I wasn’t too excited to be racing. A pep talk from Ingrid Coney definitely helped and convinced me to line up. I’ve written a race report. Suffice it to say – my first lap was not very good – I got faster as the race went on. I finished 11th. Lots of good lessons – positives and areas to work on. I learned a lot about my racing this weekend. Lots of lessons that I’m hoping to put to use next weekend in New Jersey.

We hung out and watched the elite men’s race. Tim J. put on a clinic. The race behind him was pretty hot with Andy J.M. fighting it out in the end with J-Pow. Marc and I watched on the hill – helping to stretch the tape every now and then.

We quickly hit the road – a quick stop at Sbucks and it was onto the 401. We made excellent time and made it home before 9:00. And now, it is time for bed. (I know there are lots of photos out there – I’ll post links tomorrow – sorry – I need some sleep now.) Thanks again for the cheering and support this weekend. I met a lot of cool people this weekend. I was inspired watching the junior boys and masters women race. I’m super happy for Marc and Steve – some awesome riding – Steve was second on both days, Marc recovered well from a mechanical that would have made a lot of other racers drop out. Thanks for the inspiration, the great examples, the help before and after the race, and most importantly for helping me see clearly where I was and where I’m going. What an amazing journey.

Ah, it is that great time of the evening. The bikes are clean and ready to go. The laundry is done and the skinsuits are drying. The hotel room is relatively tidy. Supper has been eaten. Sandwiches and bottles are ready for Sunday. Time to relax and digest the day.

Marc and I hit the race course pretty early this morning (9:00) as we didn’t pre-ride yesterday (decided to work instead). We got in three laps of the course with Marc helping me out with lines and tips. Definitely worth getting there early to get some nice easy laps in. Registered and headed back to the car to chill out. I really don’t mind arriving early – I can get some laps in, get my numbers, get some of the time-consuming race day stuff done (pin numbers on, try out tires and wheels, etc.). I chilled out in the car – listened to music and had my pre-race meal.

It was great to watch the Ride with Rendall junior race – those boys were awesome today. Riding super strong. Focused and determined. I’m impressed. Thrilled to see how they are progressing – as racers and human beings.

Marc was up at 12. The plan was for me to do the pits for him and then take off to warm-up for my race (I raced right after him). Well, I’m at the car getting organized to head to the pit, when Conor alerts me to Marc’s situation. Broken bike. Yep, right after the barriers. The rear derailleur snapped. Darn. Marc was riding super well and in an excellent position. It was a long run to the pit. A very long run to the pit. Thanks to Conor I made it to the pit with time to spare and thanks to Josie J.M., we did a flawless bike hand-off. As there was nothing I could do with Marc’s bike, I got changed and rode around to warm-up and cheer on the Ottawa gang. Steve rode super well – he was in a bit of negative situation with another ride but made the best of the situation. Attacked and rode to second place. Congrats Steve!

Robbie O. had a solid ride. Drilling it and showing off his mad mountain bike skills. Dave and Marc L. looked solid out there as well. (Thanks Dave for the zip ties.) Oh, by the way – so Marc came into the pit very solidly in last place – so far behind. Well, he ended up finished 19th and he passed 18 guys! Yikes that is a serious ride. Congrats Marc – I know Sunday will be better.

My race went fairly well. I had a good race. Still not a great race but a good race. The best part about my race today was my start. It rocked. I finally got it together and had a good solid start. I’ve posted a race report.

A fun day at the races. A very cool course with lots of twists and turns, challenging slippery climbs, fast barriers. Well organized. As close to on schedule as a bike race can be. Lots of people out on the course cheering and taking pictures. Massive shout out to Gregory and Liz for making the trek out to Etobicoke for the races – we soo appreciate your cheering and support.

Tomorrow we’re racing at Centennial Park again – but this time on the other side of the park with the infamous hill. Should be good. Looking forward to it. If you’re in Toronto and have nothing to do – come out and watch the racing. You’ll be hooked.

Good luck to everyone racing in Almonte tomorrow. Rip it up and have some fun.