Monthly Archive for December, 2007

Stuff I Learned

Published on December 31, 2007 in Biking and Thoughts. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

So in my really good conversation with Tim on the way home from Diegem yesterday, I picked up some really good thoughts:

Your bike is a tool. The difference between $1000 wheels and $300 is not going to make you faster. Take that $700 and travel and do more, bigger, harder races. This one has been hard for me to learn… you all know I like my nice stuff, but this is something I really want to work on!

You need to go and do hard stuff. Do hard races. Fidea races Qinghai Lake, with some of the biggest mountains anywhere. Niels Albert does lots and lots Belgian road races and does well. These guys just race hard.

You need to take time off after the cross season. Even a month or two.  I remember Tom Boonen saying he was taking 8 weeks off at the end of the road season.  Then go hard through the road season.  But you’re always thinking about cross.  Your cross season is based on what you do in the summer.  Once you start racing cross, it’s hard to train.  So you need to work hard in the summer getting ready for cyclocross.

And you have to come to Europe.  I think anybody would realize that after a couple races over here.  The courses are all different.  The skills are different, technique is different.  The fields are a million times stronger and you will grow leaps and bounds.  And it’s fun!

I think that’s all.  At least that’s all I can remember.  Next up is all the things that I’ve learned from Marc Boudreau…

Insuadibilis

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Diegem

Published on December 30, 2007 in Biking. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

What a huge difference between today and two days ago.  I was still a wreck, but I had lots of time.  Jos is sick, so Tim and I dropped off Rebecca at the airport.  So we ended up at the race venue with way too much time to spare.

Then, of course, on the day I need my permission letter from the CCA, it’s not in my bag.  Crap!  “That donkey from Canada doesn’t have his letter!”  I was actually a little scared of Tim at this point.  We were trying to think of every possible option.  Marc’s iphone eventually came to the rescue and they accepted the version on the iphone.  Thanks Apple!  Thanks Marc!  THANKS TIM!  Sorry for all the hassles.

Then I had pretty perfect prep… got a good two laps in, liked the course, sat in the car for a bit, got everything figured out, jumped on the trainer for a solid warmup, then went to the line.  I got called up in the second row and I think I really used it to my advantage.  I had made a couple of performance goals, care of Marc again, for today.  I think I came up with a couple as I was riding too.  But I had a great start–I didn’t lose too many positions and I didn’t get jammed up on the first corner.  I felt great.  I was on Kyle’s wheel and ended up in his group.  I couldn’t quite make it to the front, but I had a great first two laps and still felt good.  Performance goal met!

But then I got dropped from the group on the climb and made a few dumb mistakes, dropped my chain.  Crap!  I was maybe going to be able to close the gap, but not now.  So keep riding hard.  Great fourth lap.  Started feeling really good in the corners, no front brake.  Just great.  Keep giong hard, pass a guy on the last lap, and I didn’t get lapped!  Woohoo!

Then we watched the elite men race in the dark.  That was super cool.  Just a wicked race.  I love this race!

I had an awesome conversation with Tim on the way home about cycling and everything.  I’ll try and post some thoughts tomorrow so I don’t bombard you with too much stuff at once!

I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has helped me get to where I am!  Most of all I want to thank my parents for all their support–financially, emotionally, and in every other way.  I also want to thank my coach, Bruce, for all his support with training and always saying the right thing!  And thanks to everyone else!!!!  There are too many of you to name!  I love you all!

Insuadibilis

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Cross

Published on December 29, 2007 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , .

So I think a few things passed through my brain at the race yesterday…

Alberta/Canada/North America could probably not run a race like yesterdays. Yes, Iimg_5726.jpg think we could attract fans with beer and frites (like hockey, baseball, football). But yesterday’s race was a mess… Alberta would not allow something like that to happen.

Yesterday’s race also pretty much destroyed the field. Not only from the race, but also from the spectators. Now we don’t get mud like that at home, usually. But how do we combat that?img_5610.jpg

And we were also parked in the middle of the city. Residents would not stand for this kind of behaviour…img_5567.jpg

 

Insuadibilis

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Azencross

Published on December 28, 2007 in Biking. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , .

I’m tired.  I raced one of the biggest cyclocross races of the year today.  It was pretty cool.

But I had a terrible morning leading up to my noon start…  First, we got stuck in some traffic on the way there and didn’t pull in until about 10:30, then sign-on took forever, then we had make our way through the mess to get to the parking.  Meanwhile, I’m trying to change my clothes and shoes in the car.  We park, get the bikes off the roof… no time to preride!  Crap!  So I mess around trying to figure out wheels I think I want to use and pressure, not knowing anything about the course conditions… Then I don’t even have to time make a worthwhile trainer warmup.  So I roll around the roads, then jump on the course, only 20 minutes before my start.  Some nice mud, I get to the start with a muddy bike and I have to pee and I don’t know what tyres I want to use.

So I go with what I have and I just go pee in the middle of the road.  I feel like a mess.  Then I think they use the GVA ranking for the start order, because I was way the heck in the back.  Aaahhh.  So I’ve said it before, starting position matters.  But it really matters when you’re farther back than 3rd row or so.   I actually stopped, holding my bike, on one the run-ups.   Gross!

But I kept givin’er!  Marc and Jos were awesome in pits.  I hardly used my front brake after the first 2 laps or so.  I rode most things “slow in, fast out!”  And I rode the whoops much to my liking!  Process goals met!  Lapped, behind Canadians, behind Americans, outside top 40.  Outcome goals not met.  Still, a positive race.  I suffered hard and I had fun.

Mark Cavendish is my one of my new favourite riders.  He’s a fan of, just do it!  If you just go out and do it, you will get better.  Have fun.  If you’re not the best, who cares?  Just go out and do it.  I’d like to say that I respect Spencer Smitheman for going to race in France for 8 months.  I’d like to say I don’t respect people who don’t go for it for the sake of thinking they’re not good enough.  If you don’t love it or there is some other reason, you’re still good.  But really people, just go out and ride!  And have fun!

Insuadibilis

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I found it again…

Published on December 27, 2007 in Biking and Thoughts. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

I remembered what I was going to write about:

I wanted to say that over the last while I have been on being more outgoing (in a good way). I’ve been working on not being scared at just going up to people and talking to them.

At Scheldecross last Friday, when I was trying to figure out what tyre pressure to ride, I just rode to Jon Page’s setup and started talking to his mechanics and I learned a lot about tyre selection and pressure selection for that course and other courses.

Then I went up to Richard, who owns Dugast now, to ask him if he had any tyres. He said no, so I asked him about the sidewall protectant–he showed me, told me about, said it was 3.50, but told me to take that one for a sample. That’s what you get for just putting yourself out there.

So I’ll keep working on it from my end. And you, just go up and talk to people. Don’t be scared, the worst they can do is say no.

Insuadibilis

ps. Here are a couple pictures of me from the world cup yesterday. Thanks Jos.

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I am losing my brain

Published on December 27, 2007 in Life. 1 Comment

So I’ve been sitting here for 5 minutes trying desperately to remember what I had wanted to write about.  Then I was talking to Vicki and could not get any words out.  There have been other times when I just can’t think of what I wanted to say or can’t get anything out if I know what I want to say.

Being here just makes me lazy.  But it’s good.

Insuadibilis

ps. this is the worst blog post I have ever written

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I dunno…

Published on December 26, 2007 in Biking. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , .

The Hofstade World Cup was today.  It was pretty sweet.  I woke up early.  I had set my watch alarm and Vicki lent me her cell phone… but you know how when you’re worried about waking up, you just keep waking up?  Yeah, that’s what happened this morning.

But I was a little tired.  Driving there, I didn’t really feel like doing anything.  But once I got there and started getting ready, I was getting so amped.  I jumped on the course to find it significantly different from the day before–a lot more difficult and a lot of stuff had to be run that we were riding yesterday.

I got a good couple laps in and got my warm up.  I had a pit guy set up.  And I thought I was going to have a really good start position, but then I checked the rules yesterday, and I was thought I was going to be way back there.  So I was happy to get a second row call up.  Now I just had to do what Marc was telling me and book it and don’t let anybody push me around and get ready to fun stuff and get into the sand aggressively!

I felt great for the first bit.  I don’t think I got into the sand in the top 15.  But things were going pretty well.  I started suffering pretty bad after about two laps.  Running through the sand just felt so slow… Jos did a good pit change for me (thanks Jos!).  But I just kept chugging along, feeling not too bad, having fun riding around the course.  Then Niels lapped me.  What?!?!?!?  Already?!?!?!?  Whoa!!!  This guy’s on fire!

So, I finish out the lap and get off the course.   Goals:

1) Don’t get lapped…..nope.

2) Be the top Canadian….Check.

3) Beat an American…..Check.

4) Top 40…..Check.

What the?!?!? Get home and check the results, 17th!!!!  Are you for serious!?!?!?  Now I’m not sure if they made a mistake.  But I will definitely take 17th.  Woohoo!!!!

There’s some really fun things that go on at World Cups…

I can’t believe the number of people watching Sven warm up.img_5523.jpg  All these people are standing around watching a guy ride a trainer.

img_5532.jpgAnd the outdoor urinals.  And the people using the fence…. Aaahhh.img_5530.jpg

And Heule always has the cool stuff!img_5519.jpg

Insuadibilis

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Hofstade WC

Published on December 25, 2007 in Biking. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

n673257230_502960_3637.jpgMerry Christmas to me! I got to go ride the Hofstade World Cup course for tomorrow!

n673257230_502939_7974.jpgIt’s an awesome course! At first glance it was great! The sand is very rideable this year. Everything else is good and rideable. It should be fast, but not dumb and straight. Just perfect! Now I just have to see how close to the front I get to start and if I can hold it until the sand! Wooo!!!!

Insuadibilis

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MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Published on December 25, 2007 in Life. 0 Comments Tags: .

I hope you all have a wonderful day with family and friends!

Insuadibilis

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Road trip

Published on December 25, 2007 in Biking and Life. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , .

So much for my new post every day plan… I guess I shouldn’t bombard you all with too much junk anyway…

But I had a couple good recovery rides. My legs are starting to feel normal again. And the weather has been warmer. It’s creeping well zero above now.

Today we had an early ride, a quick trip to the grocery store, then Marc, Vicki, and I headed to Hopmans Fietsgigant Mega Sportstore in Bergen op Zoom. It happens to be the second biggest bike shop in Europe, with four and a half floors. They had tons and tons of clothes, parts, bikes, everything! It was sweet! But don’t worry I didn’t spend too much money.

We decided to walk around the town because it was pretty cool! I got to go into a bodum store, which was pretty sweet. Too expensive though. Then we went to this media store. It was good, but just another big electronics store and nothing was really cheaper.

But we got to see a cool town and have some fun. Definitely filled another day pretty easily.

Tonight we’re going to the Christmas Eve church service. I’ll let you know how that goes…

And I got to talk to/see my whole family on skype this morning when they were at Carrie and Mike’s for brunch. Sweet!

Plan for Christmas is to get up and go to the bakery, clean my bikes, go to Hofstade to register and ride the course, then hit the sack early to get a good sleep before the World Cup!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Insuadibilis

ps. Oops.  I pressed save, not publish, so it’s a little late…

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