Tag Archives: training

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

August 6, 2010

Posted under

Uncategorized

Comments

Leave a comment

Ache

That’s what I have right now. A good hard ache in my legs. That ache that reminds you of the ride you did earlier in the day. Walking up the stairs, your legs feel a bit heavy. Walking down the stairs, well your legs feel down right angry. Stretching your quads brings on this deep feeling reminding you of how hard you made the bike go. Suffice it to say, a good ache. An ache that is an indicator of time well spent. Kind of like an “ice cream headache” – hurts so good because it is so darn worth it! (Uhm, yes for the record I love ice cream and gelato – I could eat it everyday – chocolate, chocolate peanut butter, chocolate mint, chocolate with hot fudge sauce – I think you get the idea…)

Basically, I had one of those rides that brings on the ache during and after the ride. Today was “testing” day – a chance to measure myself against the SRM and see where my hard training has taken me. Admittedly, I’m not a fan of tests. That same anxiety I used to get in high school and university during testing time, also happens during bike testing time. I know it is silly. But I chalk this up to my type A personality – always wanting to do and be better – never quite satisfied with the outcome or result.

The test went okay. Not the most ideal day for a test – ridiculous winds up here in Ottawa. I decided to do the efforts into a crosswind – the headwind was just too darn strong. All in all, it went well. For a test, that is. Immediately following the last effort, I was feeling a bit rotten – I wasn’t 100 per cent happy with the numbers that I was producing. But this is normal for me, never 100 per cent satisfied. I can tell now from the ache in my legs and my overall fatigue that it was a good, hard, solid effort.

I’ve got an excellent weekend of training to look forward to. Saturday is a double day with a morning run… Yes, run. Time to condition the legs and brain to the efforts required in a few weeks. Chances are that within a little over a month, I’ll be doing some darn hard running with a bike on my shoulder and a helmet on my head. So no time like the present to get out and do some “light jogging”. In the afternoon I’ll be out working on ‘cross starts and getting in a long ride. Sunday is another interval day featuring, start efforts, threshold riding, sprints and some sweet recovery time. A good weekend indeed.

So remember that video I told you about? Well, I’ve finally got myself organized and opened a YouTube account and uploaded the video. Now, there isn’t any fancy music with the video nor are there any crazy descents/crashes. It is really just a video of me riding around my newest ‘cross training loop. Anyway, here it is:

I plan to shoot more video of different training loops, skill sessions and even some warm-up laps from various races. Some videos will be more exciting than others, so stay tuned.

Well, time to shut the lid on this little black Mac and take a break from the computer. I’ve got the movie: Race Across the Sky to watch. Oh, have you seen the Shut Up Legs t-shirts? I so want one of these – but I don’t think they’re available anymore. Hmm, maybe I should make some Ottawa Cross – Shut Up Legs t-shirts – now that would be cool….

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

July 26, 2010

Posted under

Uncategorized

Comments

5 Comments

Progress

It is kind of hard to believe that we’re in the last week of July. The summer is whipping by and soon enough it will be fall and time for long-sleeve skinsuits and Dugasts. You know what this means, planning, training, and thinking ahead.

I’ve had a great few weeks of training. My niggling wrist injury is behind me now and the bumps and bruises from my wipe-out on the wet bridge are starting to fade. I’ve been getting out on my ‘cross bike five out of seven days. Sometimes this is for a ‘cross ride on the singletrack and doubletrack trails and other times it is for a focused one hour or 45 minute skills session. I’m seeing some good progress. Getting faster, feeling more smooth, and my confidence is catching up with my fitness.

Last night I was flipping through an old copy of Road magazine (can’t remember the month) but this one features an interview with Tim Johnson and one with Katie Compton. I’ve read these interviews so many times that I kind of overlooked the rest of the issue. Last night, I read an article with the catch phrase “What motivates you?” – wow this is an excellent article. Definitely gave my brain a work-out and forced me to really think about and be honest about what motivates me.

This reading coupled with a great supper-time conversation with Marc about the upcoming season and what I need to do to race where I “want to” had the effect I expected…. I woke up this morning with my brain swirling with excitement and eagerness to get out and ride. To attack the flags and barriers faster, to lean my bike further, to pedal faster, to sprint harder, and to do just do everything I’ve been doing better.

Last year was a great season for me – I realized a big goal and had some break-throughs on the bike. But I still need more. I need to get over my fears of technical descents. I need to not let the course beat me. I need to let go of the brakes. I need to always be pedaling and looking ahead. Only positive thoughts can enter my brain. I need to remember that I have the tools, the skills, and the desire and to put these into use at each and every race and training session. This is the season when I need to see “real” growth – my time to be the racer that I know is inside me.

Yes, this is exciting. And kind of scary. But I’m tired of holding myself back. I need to let myself go – relax on the bike, pedal hard, focus on the course and let the bike do its thing. This year that descent at the Zolder World Cup will not phase me. This year the deep frozen mud ruts will not be an issue – just put my wheels in them and pedal. This year soft and squishy corners will not cause me to overbrake and needlessly slow down.

This year I will attack, attack and attack some more. I’ll attack my fears. I’ll attack the ruts, I’ll conquer the descents, I’ll let my bike float through the corners. I’ll race to my potential and then I’ll raise the bar again. I really don’t have a choice. I’m at the phase in my racing where I have to make these gains to see a difference in my race outcomes. Wattage is important but it doesn’t mean anything without the technical skills and confidence.

This is my season. I can feel it. To steal a few quotes/tattoos from a couple of very inspiring Canadian cyclists:
Svein Tuft: We Will Never Be Here Again (tattooed on his right forearm)
Christian Meier: Last Chance (tattooed on his left forearm)

I’ve been mulling over what words I would get tattooed on my left forearm… My options are:
Go Now
Now or Never
Hard Work Wins
Seize The Day

What about you? What would you get tattooed to keep you driving, striving, and achieving?

Standard

Posted by

Posted on

July 16, 2010

Posted under

Uncategorized

Comments

Leave a comment

This and That

I know it’s not a very ‘cross-focused title, but sometimes it is challenging to come up with a catchy title. I should be thinking of the search engines when creating my titles (so say the search engine optimization folks) but sometimes I just need to let my fingers do the talking. Okay, enough about the title, lets get onto the argy-bargey (thanks Phil, Paul and the cool dudes at the Velocast for this fine word)….

First off – big news – I have update my sponsors page. I’m honored to be supported by such a fine group of companies. Without their support, this sweet life I lead racing my cyclo-cross bike all over North American and Europe simply wouldn’t be possible. So click on over to the sponsor page to read about these great companies. Just to make it easy for you, I proudly present my sponsors for the 2010 – 2011 cyclo-cross season:
– KingsBridge Disaster Recovery: the leader in business continuity and disaster recovery planning software.
– The Cyclery: this Ottawa bike store has all your cycling needs covered and the friendliest mechanics in town.
– Stevens Bikes: the fastest cyclo-cross bikes around. Just ask the current Women’s World Champion.
– Outdoor Gear Company: dealers of fine Giro helmets and sweet Mavic shoes and wheels.
– Clif Bar: tasty Shot Bloks, Clif Bars, and Luna bars. You’ll never go hungry with Clif in you jersey pocket.
– Champion Systems: custom sublimated clothing for an affordable price – now there is no excuse for bad kit.
– Bell Lap Coaching: coach Steve has the skills, the knowledge and the dedication to take you to the next level.
– Oakley: Jawbone, Radar, Full Metal Jacket, Enduring… Plus smooth t’s, luggage, caps. Be fast and look good.

In keeping with the updates theme, I’ve also updated my 2010 – 2011 race calendar. I still need to fill out the racing while I’m in Belgium, but I’ve got the World Cup and elite women’s races listed. Like the past three seasons, I’ll be racing with the junior boys when there isn’t a women’s race on the calendar. Anyway, click on over so you can see where I’ll be out having fun and chasing my cyclo-cross dreams this season.

Have to say it is full-on cyclo-cross mode around here these days. Recovery rides are spent in the woods riding my trusty Stevens bike. The trick is of course on these recovery days to keep the legs from getting to excited… To do this, I focus on small things such as: eyes up at all times, constantly pedaling, riding with my hands on the tops rather than the hoods (to curb the over-braking tendencies), to only use the rear brake, and to focus on a high/smooth cadence. By doing this I’m able to maximize my time on the ‘cross bike – even though I’m not ripping around at top speed, I’m still training my body and mind with some crucial skills that come race day, will be second nature.

Today, though was not a recovery day… Nope it was all about that crucial first “45”. The start is perhaps one of the most important sections of the race. A solid start can help you get into a hard-charging group and often can help you avoid the “first corner” pile-ups that happen as the course narrows from the start/finish straight to the hole shot. If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you may remember that I have not had a good history with my starts. I’ve had trouble getting amped up for the start and for really putting all my energies into blasting off the line. Well, this is all history for me now. I’ve been working all summer on short intense sprints, my mental attitude to the starts, and really I’ve recognized that if I want to be in the race – I need to start better. So today I drilled myself into the ground with five 45 second start intervals. This may not sound like much but when each of those intervals is done at full gas, five is plenty. I like the numbers I’m seeing. I like the explosion I’m getting in my legs. I’m learning how to use the entire bike to propel me forward. I can tell already that my starts are going to be better this year. Great way to be feeling on this mid-July afternoon.

The rest of the training week is full of tempo intervals and lots of time in the saddle. Nothing like the Sunday long ride to put a smile on my face. I’ll also get out on my ‘cross bike each afternoon for a skill session. Focus will be on barriers, dismounts, mounts (flat and uphill) and uphill/downhill turning.

I’m really looking forward to getting back to Belgium. I wish I could be out riding at Averbode and Kasterlee this weekend! Not to mention hanging out with the ‘cross gang before and after the races. Soon enough though I’ll be back in Blauberg for a winter of racing, training, and soaking up life.