Ticking off

No I'm not in a foul mood, of course intervals on the vomit machine isn't exactly my favorite thing to be doing. When you need pen and paper to keep track of how many you've done or the unfortunate side of what is left to do I'm not in the most pleasant frame of mind. It was in those rest sections I started to think about what I'm training for this year. What races will I be playing at, what ones will I be spectating, etc etc etc. A good chunk of the season has been planned out but not set in paper, until now. Sort of. Maybe. Almost.

Looking at the schedule the next on the agenda will be Homage to Ice, had great fun last year, good early season test of the legs. I will say that I miss the Uxbridge Icebreaker, so many good memories. Homage will also be used to see how trail marking will be for a race further on in the season. Every event Dan seems to be getting even better.

The first of the tentative races of the year will be Paris to Ancaster. Why tentative, I'm going to be fully entertained by two skinny men in spandex on a beach cruising tandem. If the twins are there to defend their win last year I'm going and planning on riding with them just to spend 60 km laughing. A suggestion was made in one of those random conversations about video taping it, possibilities?

I'm still back in forth on which race to do in May, the 100 miler is getting very very tempting. As mentioned it will depend more on who is going and how the marking will be. Of course the following weekend is the 8 hour in the same location. It may be a coin toss, there is the potential of being at both with the 8 hour turning into a tag with Shannon. Maybe, not sure still lots of time to decide.

24 hour of Solstice, I'm pretty sure with all the rambling, bickering and arguing Tristan and I have teamed up for another kick at the can for the tag team. Yes you can eat what you want, yes you went to fast on the first lap. A couple weeks of rest will be had before the next race. I've thought about Lost in the Rocks in Trees many times. I've heard it's a destructive course to bikes, I'm still thinking about it but I'm pretty sure it will be the Summer 8 hour at Hardwood. There could be two solo's in the pits. More more on that as the season moves along. This lead into August.

Will I defend the 9 hour of Mountainview title, hard to say. The plan at this point is to do Hot August Nights with Shannon tag. Weekends are limited, time will tell. Heading into the fall, pretty much simple answer. Hardwood fall 8 hour solo, will attempt to win the solo category for the 3rd year in a row. Normally I call it a season after this with the Hardwood Single track Challenge just thrown in for fun, this race may still be in the cards but the highlight of the year could be this. Shannon and I are Australia bound in October, a wedding is part of it, a race could also be part of it. Some riding will be happening no matter what but I'm hoping to play with the Aussi's in their backyard. Currently looking for something in the 3-6 hour range. Any suggestions? We are going to be in the north western side of the country but that doesn't restrict much. I may need to get some packing lessons from Mr. Watson as I take on my hockey career for that flight.

As for Ontario and Canada Cups this year, I'll be away cheering Shannon on at some running races on a couple of those weekends so at this point they will be game day type decisions on what I hit up or spectate. Of course provincials at the new venue may be a must do. As for cyclocross, my one race a year will probably be continued again for the 2011 season. I won't even list the thoughts on the marathon series, it's there, it's always in the cards, they are like the O-cups as game day type play.

Links and to do list will be put up shortly. So much for a chill race season for 2011.