Is Tomorrow the next day?!?

I miss these words!!! I laughed many times about this comment from my 4 through 5 year old son. He is now 6 and this question has ceased to exist.

This entry is to wake up the one and only un-alienated reader of this blog.... Me... I sit here stressed, angry, work obsessed, and out of shape. So angry that instead of playing with my son I was working on a way to prove my point regarding a work issue of less importance...

Then came the reality check. I poked him in the side, in return I received "oh, you aren't on the phone Daddy? You have been on the phone all day..." this broke my heart. We almost instantly began a miniature snowball fight (not sure which craft these little white pop-pom's on the ottoman came from) but they definitely came in handy!! From there we goofed off and had a good time until his bed time.

I have always been a "work to live, don't live for work" guy but somehow recently got pulled in. I have been set straight!!!

Tomorrow truly is the next day!!! It will be awesome!!

I'm out...

What are you?!? Crazy?!?

Today I showed up at the office as I always do, maybe I rode my bicycle a little slower. Maybe I took extra care around corners. I may have even worn a balaclava and goggles. I felt a little cold while putting out the garbage and recycling...

At the office I was confronted by many people. Some with red faces, white fingers, ears of many colours. Many of these people with icicle covered hair. I heard many things.

"You are crazy cycling in this", "my car didn't even heat up by the time I got to work", "my face froze on the way from the parking lot", etc....

Well, this was my morning. I woke up,  ate breakfast, packed my lunch. From there I did 2 of my 3 S's of morning and brushed my teeth (basic morning rituals). I threw my work clothes in my backpack and dressed for the commute. I added an extra pair of tights and switched from glasses to goggles.

After putting out the garbage, recycling, etc... I hopped on the CX bike and rode to work (Typical Tuesday).  I was aware of my surroundings, took care to stay in the unploughed bike lanes,etc... 

Long story short, not only was I warm my whole ride, I got to have a hot shower on arrival. lost my train of thought... I'm out...

Required fixes...

I sit here weighing well over what I should, the mirror and scale currently not my friend. Amazing how quickly this can occur.

This year I have ridden more KM's than I ever have before. I have landed on podiums unlike other seasons. I have generally ridden faster and further than ever before. I have also cut corners in many ways.

There is a new 1'st floor shower at the office where I used to climb to the 9th. I convinced myself that the further ride in allowed me the laziness of skipping the stair climb. I have eaten more white starch this year. I also gave up office boxing classes as they were cancelled for many months then resumed at 7:15am vs the previous lunch hour classes. I chose the 20K ride in instead of the boxing. 

Today I sit here in core/back pain after playing x-box kinect boxing with the kids for the past couple days. There was also some snow shovelling but these things should not be making me feel this way. I am faster than the past few years at hockey but there is more huffing/puffing on the bench.

All in all I think I may have not allowed proper recoup time in the past but the training was better. This upcoming year I hope to increase the 9th floor showers back to 3 days a week (vs previous 5). After a 2 week holiday I do get the luxury of creating a new schedule.

All in all my last 8 hour race was amazing and I was able to keep my head straight and land in 3rd place which is my best Solo SS finish yet. I also was able to finish 3rd in my last CX masters race of the year even with a ridiculous slow start and a silly bail.

I guess the point of this post is kind of cliche, but my NY Resolution is to push myself to get back into race shape. Hoping that I can ride as fast/faster in "race shape" than i can in pear shape...

All for now, I'm out.... 

Not gone, just quiet

I have been doing a little blogging on a new blog lately and leaving this one quiet. As it is CX season I have been working with others in the area to start up a practice night. I am new at this sport and this little initiative over at KWCX Blog has brought out some more experienced riders to learn from. Follow our fun over there during the quiet time here. 

I do however have my last 8 hour SSMTB race of the season next weekend and will likely post a post race report here. Wait for it...

I'm out... 

Sometime I ride slow Sometimes I ride quick.....

Sometimes I ride slow sometimes I ride quick
I'm sweeter and thicker than a chico stick
Here's an ice cream cone honey take a lick
I go to Bay Plaza and mash sum shit!
Wore my Sidi shoes so I can stomp sum clips
Scandalous get a wiff of this mist
Just like the Yar Boys now I'm blissed
I feel good per say good state of mind
Ride a Red Kona and I makes it mine
I love it when I ride my line!
Go to Tavern on the Green have a glass of wine
He say, she say I heard it through the grapevine
No static, got a SS kinda like an automatic
Too much of anything makes you an addict
Smooth B Greg Nice Slick Nick click
Sometimes I ride slow sometimes I ride quick...
Sometimes I ride slow sometimes I ride quick
I was on 125 and Saint Nick
Waiting on a cab, standing in the rain
Screw it all ride my bike no pain
She got the best of me
What was her destiny?
Maybe she should ride to her destiny...
My mind is in a blur
Cause you could never pay me to think this would occur
Me and this girl Jane Doe was living together
We were inseparable, noone could sever
At least that's what I thought
But later I fought with her cassette
And almost ended up in the next heat
When I was on the road racing shit getting wins
She was on my ride getting cranky with her friends
And even when she crashed my whip I didn't flip
My man Slick Nick said Smooth you're starting to slip
Time went on I started noticing weight loss
Then I had to ask her was she riding the bike more
At first she said no, then she said yo Smooth I'm sorry
But I keep having to ride mo!!!
I need speed!!
And I said woah little hottie
I'm not Trek, Kona or Specalized
I don't ride , and furthermore you're making me broke
I'll send you to training and I won't tell your folks
And what do you know
In 18 months she came home and I let her back in
And now riding faster again... and again.... and again...

A week of challenges, food and fun...

Started to post this last week and got caught up in life and it was left with only photos and a title... The last couple weeks saw a couple of new challenges for me. Challenge one was highlighted in my last post (Mi first road century). It wag good times but already talked about at end so on I move.

Saw an acquaintance's FB profile pic of a ridiculous burger contest in town and wanted to try it. Thursday (week before last) my wife asked if I wanted to go there for dinner. The guy in who tried it and posted to FB had failed to finish the beast BTW.

 So we went over to Mel's Diner and I toyed with the idea of the challenge. A 3 pound burger with all the trimmings on what seems to be a loaf of bread (I generally don't eat bread or buns on my burgers except after a long ride/race. I went to town on the burger and in just under the allotted hour it was complete. I was not the owner of a big t-shirt that tells me I can eat a whole lot of food... All in all good times and no requirement of food for a couple days...

Next was Tour de Creemore, a ride I was doing with a friend who is training for LeTape Du Tour stage 11 - Albertville. The 100km would have been my longest ever road ride had I not decided to do Tour de Grand on a whim the Sunday before. It did however have a challenge built into it. Scenic Caves road up the Blue Mountain was like nothing I have climbed before. Like most things in life and cycling though it only hurt until 5 minutes after it was over.

It was a great ride and a beautiful day on the bike. Hard to believe his coach had him ride 78km to the start line of the ride and then an additional 2 hour ride later in the day.Good luck in France Willie!!

That's it for now... I'm out...

Last minute ride - Tour de Grande

Saturday evening I was sitting on the couch with the laptop trying to decide what was on the schedule for Sunday. More just comfy on the couch with TV and laptop. I remembered Pat at Brauns Bicycles had told me I should do Tour de Grande as a good weekend ride. "Sunday is supposed to be an awesome day". I opened the page and read the info and that was it. I shall ride.
 The odd story here is my little-no road riding experience. I have pedalled bikes on pavement yes, but never ridden in a proper group road ride with all of the intricacies. I just installed slick tires on my CX bike on Thursday so this was a good way to test them out. The closest I have done is the Paris to Ancaster race twice. I know little about pulling or riding in a group who are pulling you. I am just amazed at how a strong guy can bridge the gap between groups and all you have to do is get in behind (oh and take your turn every so often too).

I was lucky to ride with an awesome group of strong riders who helped me ride faster than I would have expected I could. There was an unfortunate bail around 50K though that got in my head. The guy beside me wiped out on a water bottle and a nasty chain reaction from there. A few of us stopped until we knew things were under control. We then started back up not thinking we would find the pack again. Someone then took the lead and pulled us back up. I was amazed that this was possible. Later in the ride I found myself falling off the back of the group and was perplexed by how difficult it was to just make up a couple bike lengths afterwards. I fought back on and made sure not to do that again. In the end I was happy with the time on my cyclocomputer of 4:28:05 for my first century. The Blackberry GPS is slightly off this time and I am ok with that too :-). What a great day on the bike!!

I could ramble on all day but that's all for now... I'm out...