rolling rolling rolling

Been top secret training that's not really secret. The wide tire bikes have been hanging since the 24 hour after cleaning, it's been somewhat structured time on the road bike doing a few of those workouts that make the legs ach and lungs bleed, unfortunatly I'm not powerful enough right now, but I'm working on it.

I've been loving the road, there is something so simple about it. No prep, no driving, no thinking, just turn the legs. Of course the perk of an excessive amount of recently paved roads that nobody uses is a bonus.


A week till the next test of the legs, hopping to have them working a little better. A few big rides planned for the long weekend. Top secret training for sure


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24 hour Summer Solstice

I found myself in a change of rolls this year. It was a nice change and a great weekend but for some reason though I still feel almost as exhausted racing on a corporate team as I do racing solo or tag. It might be my lack of fitness, the beer I drank in between laps, the lack of sleeping. What ever, I had fun.

I got the privilege of riding with the Racedayrush.com crew, great guys. With 7 of us it meant a good rest between laps. It also meant lots of time to wander around and enjoy all the festivities that I normally don't get to see.

First lap was late afternoon, rocked the 29er. Description of the course, fast and extremely dry. After many years of being rained on we had the exact opposite, no complaints here. The corners were about as slippery as in previous years. Fast laps, longer than in previous years which I think most were happy about, half decent performance of my legs but far from where they used to be. Didn't care, had fun.

Returned to the dualie for the night. I love night riding, maybe it's because with the exposure lights it's not really dark. Love my dualie, first night lap was pretty much episode free, lots of traffic but passing was easy with everyone knowing what to do. Everyone was friendly, seemed like lots of first time racers and potentially first time night riders, great to see.

My second night lap was on going along smoothly until just over the midway point, at roughly 3 in the morning every solo is going through those demon hours, I caught up with one who seemed to be doing well with the demons, then they struck. Reached out of the darkness and knocked him down, I found myself on the ground right behind him. Made sure he was ok, got him back on his bike and then motored on. A few seconds late I felt weak, It wnt me, it was the bike. In the tumble my rear rotor got bent, a quick once over had me a little concerned, of course I didn't have any tools on me to attempt to resolve it. Tried to bend it back, it was beyond that, screw it ride it you wuss. The downhills were fine, it was that drag on the uphills and flats that started to take a toll on the legs, was happy that it was cool, only a minute or so slower with all the extra fun.

Team was on track for a podium, everyone picked it up on their last laps. Solid gap over 4th, not catching 2nd. 3rd is a great finish out of 99 teams. Smack talked Mr. Wagler and the milk kids on the podium, if your going to finish behind a team you don't mind it being them.

End of the day, had a great weekend, glad I had the opportunity to race with a great group of guys. Return to the road bike this week. Couple weeks till the next adventure.
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slip slide melting

The life in a nut shell, road my fixie in the rain Tuesday, got a little scared when I hear thunder and saw lightning while being on a steel framed bike. I t want doing that when I left, I don't normally poke at the mother nature bees nest like that.

Solidly weak 2.5 hour road ride in the wall of heat yesterday. Legs felt like rubber, power was nonexistent, still climbed a couple thousand feet but questioned my power tap and hoped it was out of calibration,of course it wasn't.

I'm playing this weekend, rocking the Summer Solstice with the Racedayrush.com crew. Nice being on a team for a change, rest, real rest between laps, should be fun. Looking forward to the social side of the 24 hour, something I normally don't get to see.

A return to the little wheel bike, seems that the next couple Ontario cup races are dualie friendly. Add in a couple other potential events that a longer than a short ride, it's time to get used to the Anthem again. It will take about 30 seconds, like putting on your favorite sweater, It always just fits.

Weekend is coming, should be good


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I'm not dead

I've just been on a holiday. Vacation time came right when I needed it, both from the bike and the company. So what have I been doing you may ask, I've been working, first up was painting the house. Two days on a later in the heat pretty much killed me but I kept motoring along with many other "need to get done".










The checklist got smaller and my play time increased.

This means, surprise surprise, I started to ride. Two back to back 2.5 hour road rides, each with some company. Some solid climbing in Oro,some tired legs afterward.


That's when it really set in, Saturday morning. It was hot already,I had a short idea of my ride which changed only a few minutes into it. I felt good, I smiled. Headed out on the 29er for a mixed ride of pavement, gravel and atv trails. After 2.5 hours of Oro hills I found myself riding past the house right around the perfect time, not to stop but to refuel and continue along. No stopping me this day, I was in a zone.

Made my way to the south side of the wye marsh, as I turned in I knew there was no slowing down. The deer flies were violent. I'd come across them a few times earlier in the ride but was able to keep the pace fairly high, here in almost singletrack like conditions they got their chance to feed. I shortened up my visit to the marsh. Some time later as the clock rolled past the 4 hour mark I rolled down my driveway. The temptation to continue going was there, I do believe there will be more of these rides.



Finished up the day with this.

Last day of holidays, a few more things to be done today,ride tonight. Am I training again? Yes and no, will I be faster? Hopefully. The next run of Ontario cups are technically harder, to my benefit, if I can get my fitness up in the next few weeks I might be able to move myself closer to the goal of a couple top 10 finishes. I don't feel it's an unrealistic goal, I'm just looking forward to the rides.

Working with a new program, hopefully it works better,more photos, multipule paragraphs, etc etc.


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Have to pass

It's come to this, I'm still shaking my head but yet I actually expected it. Multipule things have lead to the decesion for me to skip the Ontario Cup race this weekend. I know there is a solid break coming but a short adventure in the big backyard on the big wheel gave me that gentle hint I needed. My hands are not a happ camper right now, old age, arthritis, over abuse etc etc has come into play and when I felt cramping and strain while on some long singletrack decents I knew for my own well being they need a rest. The plan, weak but realistic, my road bike is my friend. I've never really stressed bout being able to ride the trails. I have a month to be ready for Sudbury, I will train, sort of. I will ride my bike, I may ride it faster than I should sometimes, and slower than I should others, I will enjoy the scenery, I will chase down and pass anyone I see on a bike ahead of me. I will remind myself that this is not a job, it's fun. I will thank Sean Ruppel again for the impromptu talk in a random gas station that caused him to kill the world by over filling his tank. I do feel that Sean has a career as a shrink. What was said was private, if asked though I'll share the A couple key points. So where am I at, I'm a 39 year old used to be fast but remembering how much fun it is to ride a bike while not stressing that I put this many hours in so I can be borderline fast. I eat what I want, drnk what I want, have fun, enjoy life, race my bike from time to time, middle aged man. On a side note, I am planning on a 24 solo in the 40 plus catagory next year, I will train, I will have fun, I will push myself for me, not the podium. Of course that will still be in the background. Looks like the TCR is calling my name.

Canada Cup

Well that was fun, it's amazing how a course can go from fast to abusive with just a few rain drops. Didn't have the race I was hoping for but got what I expected. Weak warm up, my own fault but rolled in with the crew for what was yet again a crazy fast start. Felt not to bad, back of the lead group holding ground ok for the first half of the lap, then I got hot. The sun broke, I had opted for a second synthetic which 2 minutes in I knew was a bad idea. It was supposed to rain on us, the sun came out. Second lap had me in damage control already, took the next half a lap for my brain to kick in, half my drink in my stomach half on me. Started feeling better mid third lap and picked up the pace. Last lap I started to dig deep and push a harder on the double track, some extra risks on the single track, I knew the distance to the next rider, I can catch him. Stalled up going over a rock, front flip dismount into the woods shook me up enough to stop for a few seconds to find my head. Lost a spot, hammered and caught the rider, bike making weird noise, stopped, lost a spot to same guy. Cable touching, hammered caught him and dropped him on coffee run, crossed the line. Knee hurts, solid swelling this morning, generally sore today, still having problems with iPad/blog site merger. Couple days of playing then Albion followed by a week of holidays from work and a month till the next race. Maybe we can find some fitness for the second half of the season, maybe. I'm having fun, this year that's all that matters.