First off, my apologies for moaning about having a head cold. I know there are worse things out there and I was really just feeling sorry for myself. My thoughts are with Rob (aka slowdad) who on the cusp of pretty darn good cyclocross season ended up crashing on Wednesday during training and looks to be out for the season.

Yesterday I was stressing about missed work-outs and being ready to race this weekend and now when I read about my friend Rob and his likely season-ending injury, I realize how easy I have it. I don’t juggle a family and training and racing. I don’t have full-time work commitments that keep me at the office and off my bike. Nope, I’m one of the lucky ones – so a little cold really isn’t a big deal.

Sure it would be nice to not work at all (like a lot of my fellow competitors) but frankly I’d bored with all the free-time! Working helps me keep perspective on what I’m doing – I’m lucky to be racing my bike. I’m very fortunate to be traveling all over the place to race my bike. I’m very lucky to be be able to get out in the middle of the day for my training rides (as my tan lines prove). I think this perspective is something that a lot of us lose sight of.

No matter your circumstances, you are lucky in some way. I admit I’m luckier than most. Anyway, all this to say, it is always good to take stock and really look at what you have in your life and see what others don’t (and yes, this goes beyond bicycles…).

Sorry if this post seems a bit self-absorbed – I just really can’t believe that I have a cold. Why couldn’t I have a cold in May or June? Right now I don’t have time for a cold. I’ve got training, racing, and travel to do – there is no room for a cold…

I’m doing the smart thing and not riding my bike. But this is darn hard. My crazy brain keeps telling me that if I go out for a ride I might be able “sweat out the cold”… But luckily Marc and coach Steve aren’t cursed with my crazy brain – so I’m resting. I’m sleeping. I’m looking out the window at the bright blue sky and willing this cold out of my body.

To keep me busy, I’ve of course got lots of writing work to be done and a few of my favourite shows to watch on my iPad (big fan of anything with the words Top Chef in it and I’ve recently discovered Modern Family…). So that’s about it really. Sorry I can’t tell you about my work-outs this past week or something I’ve learned off or on the bike.

I do have to say that I’m looking forward to racing this Sunday in Rochester, New York. I’m pretty confident this cold will be gone by then – I’m sending it some “get lost vibes” in an effort to convince it to move along. Hope your week of training is going well and that life off the bike is as good as it is on the bike. Cold withstanding – life is pretty darn good.

Well, another weekend and another cyclocross race is in the legs and soul. Today was a fine day of racing and hanging out with good people. I’ve always liked racing at Catamount and today was no exception.

As usual there was a lot of climbing and lots of big wide fast corners – a good combination that requires lungs, determination, and some cornering skills. There were also the requisite big rocks to dodge and trees on courses, but this just adds to the spicyness of the day!

Got in a couple of early warm-up laps and then I cheered on Marc (thanks to Karl for doing the pits). Marc gad a solid race and was in a big chase group for most of the race. With a good ride Marc finished in 9th. Then his second race of the day started – helping me out with pre-race prep.

After a good warm-up and some positive talk from Marc I was ready to go. I managed to make myself a tad nervous but after chatting with a few people on the short ride to the start line I was okayish. Good roster of racers on the line and before I knew it, we were off! My start was sluggish and I spent the bulk of the first lap and a half catching and passing people. I managed to settle into a good rhythm and focused on the next person in front of me. In the end I got outsprinted at the line and finished 8th. I had caught and passed my competitor in the last 200 meters or so but didn’t have the gas to hold on.

Many thanks to the young guns for their cheering, to Marc for all his work, cheering and kind words. Big thanks to my parents for the cheers and photos!

A very big thank-you to Sophie for her very kind words after the race. It really was so nice.

Really good to connect with lots of friends again. Excellent day. A good ride but still lots of things that need improvement and refinement. The best thing about today was that I felt like a bike racer again. I raced calmly, didn’t panic, took some risks, kept on digging and really left it out there. In contrast to last week when I hated doing 5 laps – this week I wanted another one so I could keep on pushing things. So today was good but there are many lessons from the day and I feel lucky to be able to get out again and do it again.

Thanks for the emails, comments, Facebook posts and Tweets – these really do have an impact.

So the first race weekend of the 2011-2012 cyclocross season is in the books. More importantly the racing is in the legs and soul. I’ve had a few people ask me directly and obliquely about how I’m “really” feeling about my racing on the weekend.

Well, to be 100 per cent honest – I’m feeling: okay with it. Just as I wrote on this site on Saturday and Monday – I’m okay with the racing. I knew I wasn’t going to come back and be right where I was in 2009-2010 – I will get there again but it wasn’t going to happen in the first races of the season or even in the first few weekends of racing.

There is a big difference between racing and training. Yes, you and I drill ourselves in training but this is a very different sensation physically and mentally than having someone else push you to your limits in a race. It is this feeling that I forgot and I need to get familiar with again.

I’m very happy that I’ve decided to start my cyclocross season early so that when I get to my goal races, I’ll be ready to go and everything will be fine-tuned: pre-race prep, warm-up, starts, technical riding, mental sharpness, post-race recovery and training. All of these fit together to make up a puzzle – if one piece is missing, the puzzle isn’t going to look the way we want.

Right now my puzzle is coming together. The pieces are a bit jagged and a couple are missing – but with time and patience – the puzzle will come together. There is no point in panicking after one weekend of racing and only two months of training.

It will come. I will get there. Until then I have to set small goals and focus on building the best puzzle I can. So, not to worry – I’m okay with the weekend. It would have been awesome to come out and be right back where I was two years ago – but it didn’t happen. I will get there. No doubt in my mind.