So on Sunday I had a not so great day on the bike. I fought the bike and my body for the entire ride. Well Monday was a rest day and I gladly soaked up all of the rest I could. Today it was back out on the bike… I wasn’t sure what to expect.

Well the good news is I felt really good. Had an excellent ride and was able to get through my sprint intervals really well. The big question remains: how will I feel tomorrow. Time will tell I guess. I’m crossing my fingers that Sunday was a “one-off” and that I can handle hard back-to-back days.

I’m getting used to the rolling nature of the roads around Lakefield and Peterborough. Unlike riding from Ottawa/Barrhaven where flat is pretty much the way it goes, the roads here are rarely flat. There aren’t super steep climbs but the rollers can get to you after a while – especially for a dedicated flatlander like me…

I’ve been slow to post this (my apologies Dawn) but if you’re looking for a mountain bike, my friend Dawn is selling one. Here are the specs on her bike:

Garry Fisher HifiPlus GS.   Good all round mountain bike.  Size 15.5″, with a Bontrager Relic fork, Fox float RP3 shock, Juicy 3 brakes, Shimano Deore shifters.  It is in excellent condition and has been ridden barely 100km.  Price is $1200.00.

If you are interested, please call 819 827-3520 and ask for Dawn or e-mail p.bettinni at yahoo.ca

Dawn has also got a BMX bike for sale over at PinkBike.com. The BMX is We the People Primate and is priced at $450.00.  It has some nice additions, like a Tree sprocket and a purple chain and other little items to lighten it up.

So there you have it – if you’re looking for a mountain bike or a BMX – check out Dawn’s bikes.

(I’m secretly thinking about taking up BMX riding this summer. Rumor on the street in Belgium is that BMX riding/racing helps a lot with cyclo-cross skills and may just help me find that elusive acceleration and cornering skills that I’m looking for…)

Well, I’m off to put my legs up and think positive thoughts for tomorrows ride. Looks like I’ve got tempo intervals on deck. Whatever it is – I’ll take it. Much better than the alternative.

There comes a time during spring riding when I’m crossing the ever so fine line of being overdressed and just right. You’ll notice that I didn’t suggest that I’d ever be underdressed. I never ever underdress. I have a thing about being cold so for me during the spring I’m usually riding a round with a bright red face because I’ve got on too many layers or if I’m lucky the flush is coming only from my effort rather than too many layers of high-tech fabrics. Well, it seems we’ve reached this time of the year.

Saturday I was just right. No gloves. No hat. Leg warmers and one pair of shorts. (Yes, I’ve been known to double-short on occasion – I don’t want my legs to get cold…) Perhaps I did have one too many layers up top and maybe I didn’t need the buff/neck tube thingamajig. But everyone needs a little bit of a comfort blanket now and then.

So Saturday was spectacularly warm and very welcomed. Sunday not so much. It rained. It poured. The wind was fierce. But thanks to my overdressing tendencies I was just fine – nothing Sealskin socks and gloves, double shoe covers, thermal tights, waterproof MEC pants (yes the baggy ones), three layers, plus a thermal jacket, plus a rain cape – couldn’t protect me from.

The only thing I battled on my solo three hour journey on Sunday was my brain. Seems like my body isn’t on the same page as me right now. I want to be able to do back-to-back hard and long days. I want this right now. I believe I should have this right now. Problem is – I don’t. My body isn’t ready. So instead of admitting this during my self-induced pity and sufferfest on Sunday, I did something that I know I should never ever do – I gave up on myself. I did think for a bit that I was under fueled so I took this opportunity to find solace and energy in two cans of Coke (yes, I know) and the most delicious “gas station brownie” ever (you know the one in the cellophane wrapper that is super gooey and every so chocolatey). Well this infusion of sugar and chocolate did nothing for my legs but it did put me in a bit of sugar coma for a bit – enough to get me home, if every so slowly.

This getting back on track or rebuilding fitness or whatever you want to call it – well, it isn’t fun. Now I know why comebacks are such a big deal. It is hard to comeback. It so much easier to get better or to improve rather than rebuild and then get even better from there. So yesterday was a bit of not-fun day. But it is all about perspective. My day was still pretty darn good considering I was able to get out and ride my bike for three hours – slow pace and crazy brain notwithstanding.

As one of my taekwon-do coaches said to me after I lost a sparring competition “It takes losing to appreciate how much you value winning”.

Just a quick post to let you know that life has been a bit crazy since Monday. We found out on Monday that my dad had a heart attack on Sunday… He didn’t learn this himself until going to the hospital on Monday…

Marc and I drove to Lakefield on Monday and I’ll likely be here until next week. My dad is off to Toronto today via ambulance and he will have a stent inserted on Thursday. He will be home on Friday.

Suffice it to say, it has been a tiring week so far with not much else happening. Please send all your thoughts off to Toronto to be with my dad as he goes through this surgery.

Many thanks to the amazing staff at the Peterborough General Hospital. As well thanks to all the people here in Lakefield and from far-away (Nipawin) for the phone calls, the visits, the food – everything is deeply appreciated.

Just a quick post to say: wow – what a great couple of days of being a bike rider. From getting out and doing long rides solo and with friends to watching the Tour of Flanders to hearing stories from others about their training adventures to catching up with fellow cyclists via their blogs – the whole thing really just puts a smile on my face.

Call me corny or sentimental – I really don’t care. I just really am having a good time of it.

Today’s ride sealed the weekend for me. Great ride with a good group of people. Good conversation. A few laughs and jokes. Headwind and tailwind. And plans to do it again next weekend. Perfect.

Other highlight of the weekend was seeing my dad’s reaction when he picked up his new bike at The Cyclery. It is the perfect bike for him and he was just so excited to take out for a spin around the block before driving home. I’m really looking forward to hearing about his rides this summer.

A good weekend. A great weekend for us bike racers. Can’t wait for next weekend.

Ah, there really is nothing quite like the open road. Even if it really isn’t that warm yet and our Spring is destined to be cool and soggy – you just can’t beat the feeling of the wind on your skin and the freckles that pop out after a few hours in the sun. It is hard to explain to a non-cyclist the feeling of road under the tires, the whir of the pedals, and the blurring of the scenery as I roll along. I think these “emotions” can be summed up with one word “living”. Yes, living and getting out there and soaking it all in.

Today the roads are wet and the chances are that I’ll be out riding in the rain. I did have a momentary fleeting thought about riding the trainer and staying warm and dry. But luckily it was a fleeting thought. I will get out and ride in this very spring-like weather. I’m addicted to the emotions and spirit of the road. There is no going back for me.

As I kid growing up in northern Saskatchewan, I used to beg my parents to let me get my bike out by my birthday. Yes, I had to beg, hope, and plead to get my bike out by the middle of April. Snow was everywhere and it seemed it lasted forever in that small little town. Well, now here it is the first of April and I don’t have to beg, plead and hope – nope I can just put on the layers of spandex and get out there and just do it.

I guess you can tell that I’ve had a few good days of training and that I’m looking forward to the things to come. Yes, this is exactly where I’m at. The next few weeks of training are looking to be awesome – I’m getting into some intensity and my all-time favorite – long rides. I know that I’m happy with the bike and where I’m feeling because yesterday when I rolled past my little cyclo-cross training park, I wondered if it was too early to break out the barrier and to practice mounts, dismounts, and all the little things that make cyclo-cross so damn perfect?

Yes, spring is here and I couldn’t be happier. Good time to be a bike racer. Great time to be able to get out and absorb the emotions the bike affords us. Even better time to appreciate it all. Alright, time to ride!