Wow that week flew by! I was(still am) a mess from that crash on the weekend. My head still is pounding, especially when I bend over! (I am trying to get fire wood wrapped up before going to Europe, so take that however you want). I was supposed to not really ride that much this week.... Ya that's it. I am loving the great weather and I am supposed to "take it easy" uh? nope. I have to cram in all my big rides that I didn't get ticked off the list this year. So it's cram time! Plus I am heading Europe next week so that means I really have to get fit this week! It's great, get fit and get to see some of the country I only see on maybe one or two rides a year!
I am running a bit out of time here, Laundry is almost done(at laundromat) and basically I apparently burned a massive pile of calories this week. Check this out, in one ride I burnt over 5 grand worth! My new training program is called "get off your butt and ride"(rant coming up). All these people are always looking for the fastest, laziest way to get fit(or un-fat) and its simple, just go do it. Anything, frig it doesn't have to be a bike it can be anything just go do something. There is no healthy way to get "healthy" other than doing what we are physically and mechanically designed to do, MOVE! People are seriously willing to PAY to lose weight and get in shape, just move more and eat less. You even save some cash on the lesser amount of grub your consuming.
Anyways hopefully nobody found my rant offensive, I am just tired of seeing gimmicks on the tube, in magazines etc. All trying to sell you "health". Ya that's it.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Monday, August 31, 2009
Whaa happened?
Yesterday was our Ontario world championships! It was a great course, maybe one of the best Kelso courses to date, it was fast and had good flow.
I had a solid start with mike g pinning it super hard up the crappy grassy section! We quickly grouped back together at the base of the first climb. The pace that was being set was quick as the group of 4 of us (Garrigan, Watson, Glassford and myself) all rode together for the most part of the race. Mike G and Peter put a few really solid efforts in the first lap and Watson gave'er on the lap around. Peter and mike pounded really hard up the climb on the end of the third lap opening up a slight gap on Watson and me. I shut it down pretty quick at the top of climb and I actually felt good. Much better than the first 3 laps. Part way through the 4th lap I got to the front and put in a good effort, as I was feeling better as the race was going on. Kelso is such a fast course that if you try and ride away from anyone you quickly get realed back in because usually by that point in the race we are lapping riders and get caught quickly in the singletrack.
So halfway through the last lap it was still a 3 man race and we were all trying to figure out how the race wad going to play out in our heads (at least I was). Then it happened! Not sure what exactly did happen but all I know is that I hit the deck really freaking hard! Watson was right on my wheel and apparently I clipped a tree, which shot me face first into the second tree( I hit the left side of my head, cheek bone and temple area). Then I did a nose dive head first into the dirt. I don't remember anything really except Watson handing me my bike! (thanks man). I got up pretty shaken and did a "all systems check" once I got back on my bike. My head really hurt bad. I feel frusterated for crashing and especially in such a mindless section of the course. I rode in feeling weird, I guess it's kinda hard to explain but basically croozed in for third place. I had lost the edge to fight for the win as both Peter and Andrew were both riding really strong. At the end of the day it was a great race and a fun battle.
I awoke this morning thinking, hmmm I wonder how I am going to feel when I get out of bed? Yep, crap. Yay, everything hurts especially my right knee, which is crazzy swollen! My face feels like I was in a bar fight last night and it didn't go so well for me.
Anyways enough of me being a baby and complaining so much. Good ride this weekend boys. After all that's why it is called the "Ontario world championships".
-- Post From My iPhone
I had a solid start with mike g pinning it super hard up the crappy grassy section! We quickly grouped back together at the base of the first climb. The pace that was being set was quick as the group of 4 of us (Garrigan, Watson, Glassford and myself) all rode together for the most part of the race. Mike G and Peter put a few really solid efforts in the first lap and Watson gave'er on the lap around. Peter and mike pounded really hard up the climb on the end of the third lap opening up a slight gap on Watson and me. I shut it down pretty quick at the top of climb and I actually felt good. Much better than the first 3 laps. Part way through the 4th lap I got to the front and put in a good effort, as I was feeling better as the race was going on. Kelso is such a fast course that if you try and ride away from anyone you quickly get realed back in because usually by that point in the race we are lapping riders and get caught quickly in the singletrack.
So halfway through the last lap it was still a 3 man race and we were all trying to figure out how the race wad going to play out in our heads (at least I was). Then it happened! Not sure what exactly did happen but all I know is that I hit the deck really freaking hard! Watson was right on my wheel and apparently I clipped a tree, which shot me face first into the second tree( I hit the left side of my head, cheek bone and temple area). Then I did a nose dive head first into the dirt. I don't remember anything really except Watson handing me my bike! (thanks man). I got up pretty shaken and did a "all systems check" once I got back on my bike. My head really hurt bad. I feel frusterated for crashing and especially in such a mindless section of the course. I rode in feeling weird, I guess it's kinda hard to explain but basically croozed in for third place. I had lost the edge to fight for the win as both Peter and Andrew were both riding really strong. At the end of the day it was a great race and a fun battle.
I awoke this morning thinking, hmmm I wonder how I am going to feel when I get out of bed? Yep, crap. Yay, everything hurts especially my right knee, which is crazzy swollen! My face feels like I was in a bar fight last night and it didn't go so well for me.
Anyways enough of me being a baby and complaining so much. Good ride this weekend boys. After all that's why it is called the "Ontario world championships".
-- Post From My iPhone
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Pics.
Lots of great training this last few weeks. Provincials are this weekend, then I am off to Europe for the last two World Cups. Here are some pics of what has been happening lately. I got out for a few days on Georgian Bay for a great kayak trip. We had amazing weather! All sunshine and wind! Yay.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Stranded in this spooky town.
I really didn't realize that it has been almost two weeks since I updated my blog. Working from today backwards I will fill you in on what's been happening, okay here we go.
Today I got the new issue of Whats Up Muskoka and found it amusing that my mug was on the front cover! Cool! The photos used in the mag are from the Canmore Canada cup a couple of months ago. Both images are from Brad Chisholm ( thanks Brad) great shots! The article was written by Sandy Lockhart and is very well done! (thanks Sandy).
Sunday was O Cup #5 at mountainview in midland. I don't even have a race report for that because it is really hard to explain what 6 min of racing feels like, other than it sucks. All the prep, from me and everyone else that was there for me, to only get 6 min of racing in before you have a "un- fixable" mechanical. I ripped my rear derailer right off! It would of taken me forever to run to the tech zone, so I opted to pull out. I really hate opting to pull out, it is not a good feeling. I didn't know what to do? Yell? Did that. Throw bike? Na not my style, or sportsman like. Cry? Not imortant enough of a race. Also I don't cry. Ever. To tough I guess (kidding on the last one).
So that led me to my record time around lake muskoka of 2hr14 min or avg 39.1km/hr. I drove home, warmed up riding into town and pinned it. I did the loop clockwise and dodged crazzy thunderstorms everywhere. I made it from gravenhurst to port carling in just under 1hr!! That was fun. I could of come home after my 6 min of racing and turned to "the bottle" which I almost did, but instead I went and did something more productive. Although I did have a handful of "lo carb" wobbly pops when I got home after my ride. They were much better after my ride then they would of been if I didn't drill myself before hand.
The world cup in Bromont was muddy. Everything was able to be ridden and that was way better than the Canada cup there a month ago! The euro's are so friggin fast! and there are so many fast guys it's insane. Cycling in Europe is much different than in north America. Anyways I was sick at the world cup at saint Anne and I was still sick in bromont and that was way to frusterating to express. I still had a solid ride finishing 50th.
I forget everything else that has happened recently, so on that note I am going to go cut the lawn.
Peace
-- Post From My iPhone
Today I got the new issue of Whats Up Muskoka and found it amusing that my mug was on the front cover! Cool! The photos used in the mag are from the Canmore Canada cup a couple of months ago. Both images are from Brad Chisholm ( thanks Brad) great shots! The article was written by Sandy Lockhart and is very well done! (thanks Sandy).
Sunday was O Cup #5 at mountainview in midland. I don't even have a race report for that because it is really hard to explain what 6 min of racing feels like, other than it sucks. All the prep, from me and everyone else that was there for me, to only get 6 min of racing in before you have a "un- fixable" mechanical. I ripped my rear derailer right off! It would of taken me forever to run to the tech zone, so I opted to pull out. I really hate opting to pull out, it is not a good feeling. I didn't know what to do? Yell? Did that. Throw bike? Na not my style, or sportsman like. Cry? Not imortant enough of a race. Also I don't cry. Ever. To tough I guess (kidding on the last one).
So that led me to my record time around lake muskoka of 2hr14 min or avg 39.1km/hr. I drove home, warmed up riding into town and pinned it. I did the loop clockwise and dodged crazzy thunderstorms everywhere. I made it from gravenhurst to port carling in just under 1hr!! That was fun. I could of come home after my 6 min of racing and turned to "the bottle" which I almost did, but instead I went and did something more productive. Although I did have a handful of "lo carb" wobbly pops when I got home after my ride. They were much better after my ride then they would of been if I didn't drill myself before hand.
The world cup in Bromont was muddy. Everything was able to be ridden and that was way better than the Canada cup there a month ago! The euro's are so friggin fast! and there are so many fast guys it's insane. Cycling in Europe is much different than in north America. Anyways I was sick at the world cup at saint Anne and I was still sick in bromont and that was way to frusterating to express. I still had a solid ride finishing 50th.
I forget everything else that has happened recently, so on that note I am going to go cut the lawn.
Peace
-- Post From My iPhone
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Take Two...
Ok, so Monday I typed this wicked race report and uploaded it to my blog, only to find out it never uploaded. It never saved, and I did save it. It just disappeared into cyberspace. Awesome! I love typing on a mini keypad (iPhone) for nothing. Anyways most of the time I am a pretty positive, glass half full kinda guy. But lately the weather sucks. Everyone is complaining about the weather," there's to much rain", "there is never any sun"," it's cold"," it's snowing" blah, blah, blah, and all rightfully so. I have had enough rain, I want to be "to hot" before winter is back again and then it's "to cold". Anyways not to sure where I am going with this, I am just kinda rambling.
I did 100km ride in the rain today. It sucked. Poured right from doorstep to doorstep. I did a really fun Mtb ride on home turf yesterday and that was rad. It looked like it was going to pour buckets, it didn't. I blew a corner going way to fast into a massive poison ivy patch. I am not itchy yet, that's a good thing because if you know me, you know what poison ivy does to me. Yay. Monday I sat in the team van for way to long. I hate driving. I had some homemade cookies when I got to my parents house, Charlotte made them and they were good. I had a couple more. So see I am really a positve guy, cause cookies and mountain biking are fun.
I had a crappy World Cup race last weekend and I am hoping for some better legs at the next round this weekend.
Peace.
-- Post From My iPhone
I did 100km ride in the rain today. It sucked. Poured right from doorstep to doorstep. I did a really fun Mtb ride on home turf yesterday and that was rad. It looked like it was going to pour buckets, it didn't. I blew a corner going way to fast into a massive poison ivy patch. I am not itchy yet, that's a good thing because if you know me, you know what poison ivy does to me. Yay. Monday I sat in the team van for way to long. I hate driving. I had some homemade cookies when I got to my parents house, Charlotte made them and they were good. I had a couple more. So see I am really a positve guy, cause cookies and mountain biking are fun.
I had a crappy World Cup race last weekend and I am hoping for some better legs at the next round this weekend.
Peace.
-- Post From My iPhone
Monday, July 20, 2009
Buckwallow O-Cup
Yesterday was Ontario Cup# 5 held close to my home in Muskoka, so I did have a bit of a home court advantage. Although their are enough fast guys racing in Ontario that all are talented enough bike racers, that a "home court" advantage is very minimal. Right now Ontario has 7 of the top 15 racers in Canada and that makes our provincial series really fast. Which in the log run is a good thing because we all feed off each other and are faster because of it.
I started my morning off tired, I slept like crap, it was one of those nights where you go to bed and just lay there thinking. I hate thinking when I should be sleeping!! Anways I was up early because Meg was doing the gravenhurst duathalon and it was my turn to be the cheering squad. Yay. The clouds looked like rain and it was cold out, I was tired and wanted to be back in bed. Super Yay! That aside Meg had a solid race finishing 2nd in her catagory! Despite not getting home until 2am from a catering the night before her race. After she had finished her race we ran to the car, tossed her gear in and hit the road for my race.
We started at 130 pm and with a full pro men's field here to give'er. Most of us are heading to the world cups the next two weekends and were all probably equally tired coming into this race, from prepping with some sort of traing block the week leading up to this weekends race. I had a decent start going to the front right before the first singletrack and with Ryan Atkins on my wheel we ended up with a good gap going through onto the 2nd lap. We worked pretty good together, which we had to if we wanted to stay infront of a likely train behind with serious horsepower all wanting to real us in. Ryan was really strong, especially in the singletrack, he was riding very well. Anyways with something like 3 or 4 min before the finish I made a quick attack into the last singletrack section and tried to keep it smooth all the way to the finish and we put it one last good effort up the short finishing stretch, Ryan hot on my heels. I looked back quickly as I crossed the finish to take the win and then looked back up and BAM! I was into a crowd of people!! I skidded right from the finish line and still managed to hit Haydon Boucher's girlfriend, Catherine. I completely shoulder checked her and I felt really bad for running straight into her. It was a sprint finish and I could not get stopped in time. Obviously it was an accident, but one guy took it I guess the wrong way and maybe thought that it was intentional ?? He even shoved me and called me a "$&@!:; idiot" and that the finish line was back there buddy and that I should be dq'ed!! Not to sure what his deal was but he kinda looked like a goof trying to be tough or something? Anyways Catherine was ok and we joked about it after. And who the dude was that pushed me? No clue? It almost through me off my feet!! Oh and apparently I had a bit of an excited bottle toss in the feed zone, I tossed it up at mark, it somehow hooked straight up in the air and into the crowd of people in the feed zone, I did not mean for that to happen either. Anways all in all a solid day out and next up is the two races which I most want to be in good form for, the two world cups.
On another note, this post is from my phone with no spelling or grammer check. Yay. Thanks all for the solid cheers!!
I started my morning off tired, I slept like crap, it was one of those nights where you go to bed and just lay there thinking. I hate thinking when I should be sleeping!! Anways I was up early because Meg was doing the gravenhurst duathalon and it was my turn to be the cheering squad. Yay. The clouds looked like rain and it was cold out, I was tired and wanted to be back in bed. Super Yay! That aside Meg had a solid race finishing 2nd in her catagory! Despite not getting home until 2am from a catering the night before her race. After she had finished her race we ran to the car, tossed her gear in and hit the road for my race.
We started at 130 pm and with a full pro men's field here to give'er. Most of us are heading to the world cups the next two weekends and were all probably equally tired coming into this race, from prepping with some sort of traing block the week leading up to this weekends race. I had a decent start going to the front right before the first singletrack and with Ryan Atkins on my wheel we ended up with a good gap going through onto the 2nd lap. We worked pretty good together, which we had to if we wanted to stay infront of a likely train behind with serious horsepower all wanting to real us in. Ryan was really strong, especially in the singletrack, he was riding very well. Anyways with something like 3 or 4 min before the finish I made a quick attack into the last singletrack section and tried to keep it smooth all the way to the finish and we put it one last good effort up the short finishing stretch, Ryan hot on my heels. I looked back quickly as I crossed the finish to take the win and then looked back up and BAM! I was into a crowd of people!! I skidded right from the finish line and still managed to hit Haydon Boucher's girlfriend, Catherine. I completely shoulder checked her and I felt really bad for running straight into her. It was a sprint finish and I could not get stopped in time. Obviously it was an accident, but one guy took it I guess the wrong way and maybe thought that it was intentional ?? He even shoved me and called me a "$&@!:; idiot" and that the finish line was back there buddy and that I should be dq'ed!! Not to sure what his deal was but he kinda looked like a goof trying to be tough or something? Anyways Catherine was ok and we joked about it after. And who the dude was that pushed me? No clue? It almost through me off my feet!! Oh and apparently I had a bit of an excited bottle toss in the feed zone, I tossed it up at mark, it somehow hooked straight up in the air and into the crowd of people in the feed zone, I did not mean for that to happen either. Anways all in all a solid day out and next up is the two races which I most want to be in good form for, the two world cups.
On another note, this post is from my phone with no spelling or grammer check. Yay. Thanks all for the solid cheers!!
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Nationals, Quick update...Kind of.
Today was our Canadian National Mountain Bike Championships in Saint Felicien Quebec and on probably the best course we have ever raced on. The sky was threatening with heavy rain, which luckily only was a couple quick passing showers. Our field was stacked with the fastest, fittest and most experienced racers that our country has. Canada has a really strong field of pro men right now and you have to come into a day like today with a full book of matches and be ready to burn them all. There are so many guys with some serious horsepower that if you are having an "off" day or, if anything at all goes wrong your chewed up and spit out the back pretty fast.
I had a decent start, sitting right where I was comfortable, in and around 10th place. The laps seemed to fly by, and before I knew it we were emptying the tank going onto the last lap. I guess I was having so much fun on this amazing course!! Ya right, it is kind of hard to have "fun" while you are working so hard, your heart rate MAXED for 1hr 50min and you are feeling a pain that you are inducing on yourself, all to go a bit faster and chase while being chased. Long story short, it's business!. Anyways back to my race, I cruised across the finish line the 8th fastest pro man in the country today. I had a personal goal of top 5, and a "back up" goal of top 10. I guess I am happy with my result.
I had a decent start, sitting right where I was comfortable, in and around 10th place. The laps seemed to fly by, and before I knew it we were emptying the tank going onto the last lap. I guess I was having so much fun on this amazing course!! Ya right, it is kind of hard to have "fun" while you are working so hard, your heart rate MAXED for 1hr 50min and you are feeling a pain that you are inducing on yourself, all to go a bit faster and chase while being chased. Long story short, it's business!. Anyways back to my race, I cruised across the finish line the 8th fastest pro man in the country today. I had a personal goal of top 5, and a "back up" goal of top 10. I guess I am happy with my result.
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