If you know Derrick, you know that he has a need to impersonate everyone. One of his impersonations that he does all the time is Borat saying "hi five". So for the last 3 laps of the world cup yesterday in Montreal that's all that stuck in my head as one of the girls in the group with me had this sponsor written across the back of her shorts saying "High Five Nutrition". I couldn't get Borat out of my head.
The world cup results weren't that great but I finished, and compared to last year that's a big improvement. Out of 112 starters, 62 finished and 33 of them weren't over the time limit. It was raining again yesterday morning and all I could picture in my head was last years crash at the start of the decent. As we started the race the skies cleared up but the roads were still wet and there were a few crashes here and there. I even got a chop to my ribs by rider as I told her I was moving in to avoid the gates through the start finish and she told me to F off and then gave a shot with her fist to my ribs......nice. I had a super hard time keeping my position on the fast technical downhills and flats to the start/finish line and start of the climb each lap. First 3 laps were a success on the climb and I was in the top 20 or so and on the third lap it split and I was in the top 15. Although Emma Pooley was off the front from the gun, the race was still on to chase her. The pack came back together on the downhill again and I found myself going backwards towards the start of the next lap and climb. It was all strung out and for whatever reason for the first couple laps I was so cautious in the turns as I had my rear wheel fish tale a few times and couldn't find the right breaking power. I think I was some how thinking I was on a cross bike and kept on using both the front and rear break causing the rear wheel to fish tale. Anyways we start the climb on the 4th lap of 11 and I am not in the pack anymore and ride through about 50 girls going up the climb to eventually get in the pack I pretty much finish with but I couldn't get back into the top 40. The pack that I am in doesn't want to work together so later on I get off with a teammate and 3 other girls and luckily we did as we were pretty much the last group to get to finish the race. I win our group sprint and end up 46th overall but over the time limit. The group for top 35 was just in front and we spent the last 3 laps seeing them at the turn around consistently 1 minute in front of us.
So not bad for my second WC on the road and first one I finished. I got to say thanks to all the Ottawa fans and also my parents that I had cheering for me on the climb, it was nice to see some familiar faces when I was thinking should I finish or call it a day and not dig a hole for the next two weeks of stage racing.
Speaking of digging a hole, once again Derrick's Mom and youngest nephew were sick with a stomach flu (yeah, diarrhea and vomiting, that fun stuff). This was last week and I spent all week panicking that I was going to get it. Sure enough Friday at 5 am, my stomach awoke me doing circles and I force fed myself all day on Friday refusing to throw up. I had nausea and a huge splintering headache all day and night. Saturday morning was the same thing when I ate my breakfast before the WC. I pounded it back and then the only other think I had before the race (noon start) was a power bar. I spent the first 3 laps trying not to throw up in my mouth and no it wasn't because the pace was so high. Maybe my cornering skills were slightly off cause of the nausea, who knows. Last night and this morning violent pains started to attack my stomach until I couldn't hold it in any longer and have ran to the bathroom, oh about 10 times since 8 am this morning and it is only 9 o'clock as I type this post.
So here is the thing, in the past I would just suck things up and as long as I'm not running to the bathroom tomorrow and I can physically do the race I would start the stage race in Montreal. Probably not racing to my full potential for about 3 days and then setting myself a little back on recovering for the PEI stage race that starts on next Sunday. Any advice on what I should do? My team has no pressure on us for any of these races, that was the first thing our manager told us yesterday morning before the world cup. He said "so here is the team plan for today, you guys do your best and there is no pressure or anything on you, if you have to drop out that is okay, we are not a professional team and we are just here to learn from our experiences". It was probably the nicest thing he couldn't of possibly said to us before the race and in turn we probably had our best results yet for the WC from the team with 3 of us finishing but over the time cut.
So let me know on any comments or thoughts, I guess it all depends on how long the running to the bathroom lasts and how much food I can keep down to day to recover from yesterdays race and prepare for the next two stage races. I did weigh myself this morning to find out I have lost almost 5 lbs in 1 day........not good. Should I skip out on the stage race that starts tomorrow in Montreal and ends on Thursday and be fully ready to go at PEI next Sunday, or suck it up and do them both?
I talked to Derrick last night as he is at the Charlevoix GP, he finished 5th in the TT yesterday only 2 or 3 seconds off of second and 13 off of first, so he will start the road race today and be in full contention of winning the race. I wish him all the best and will be thinking of him all day. I know his stomach was doing some circles on Friday as well, hopefully he was stronger than me and isn't sick today.
NCE
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
Diggity
Hey Blog fans. I think Natasha is about this close to loosing it! She's running around the office wearing blue wooly slippers flexing her little chicken legs. It's pretty funny actually cause this time last year she was almost in a state of panic before the World Cup. It's amazing to see how people handle stress differently as they evolve through out the years. Not sure if I said this before but now, when she walks up to the podium, she's so relaxed, smiling, happy. What a change from a few years ago, where upon walki9ng up to the podium she looked like Alison form Cycle 10 America's Next Top Model walking down the runway(not good).
What does that have to do with diggity? Not really sure...What does anything have to do with anything really for that matter? Ok, I'm starting to feel like Jean Paul Satre laying the foundations for Existentialism through blogging, but even Radio Head tried that in their video for "Just" you know the one with all the people laying in the street.
It's amazing what taking a weekend off racing can do for energy levels...either that or I've had way too much coffee this morning. That's debatable. Word on the street is that RWR is going to have a a new guest rider very soon. I can't let the cat out of the bag, it's Aaron Fillion, but all I can say is that he is going to be a babies daddy June 5th, he used to be a teammate of mine, he is super strong and he used to ride for the OBC. Sorry that's all I can say about that, no more clues.
What else is new? Well I noticed that my shoes were falling apart, well Shawn Clarke actually said he noticed the back of my trustee Shimano shoes were cut and carbon was hanging off the sole...so I figured it was time to pony up for a new pair. We don't have a shoe sponsor this year, so I figured if I 'm actually gonna have a buy a pair, I'll get the cats meow shoes....
Yah that's what I said...When Mike Flavor Flavel crackle lacka opened the boxed, I was so excited, I couldn't even get the buckle open for a few moments.
Which I may say, Mike knows more about frigin shoes, pedals, and bikes than almost anyone I know.
Alright....later. I gotta go look at my shoes.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Dropping Chains
So another victory for me in a sprint on stage 3 at St Raymond. After the race Joanie told me I always win from breaks in the sprint. Not really sure what that means, but it really comes down to when I am free and in a break of a few girls, I know my teammate Karol Ann has sacrificed her day for me and is left in the pack which is some what easy and boring for her. So if I'm the one that makes the break, I better sure hell make sure I win as I know she would do the same for me. It's like I am racing for the both of us. We sure have had some great success between the two of us this year. I won Ste-Martine, she won Brossard from a break and then I won the 3rd stage of this weekend while she took the stage 2 win in the TT. Saturdays stage one should have been a win but some bad luck was encountered. So out of all the Quebec races this year we have only not won one between the two of us.
On Saturday, first stage of 70km, I initiated a move and got a break of 6 of us rolling well. We had put a minute already into the pack in 10km. Then we started the significant climb of the stage and I dropped my chain. I thought dropping chains was left for cross season, but this is the second time this has happened to me in a road race. And of course the break wasn't going to wait for me. The worst part was I spent the last 5km of the break telling the girls how to keep things rolling and pull through. So as I dropped my chain I tried twice to bring it up with my shifters, nope no go, this usually works 90 % of the time, but not today. So I spent another 1 minute getting off my bike and unhooking it from being stuck to my SRM under the bottom bracket. I'm so careful with my shifting as well as I run a 50/34 and the spacing is off a bit on my SRM so I know this can happen from time to time. Derrick did install a new chain on Friday and because I had to set up my TT bike and ride it before the race I didn't make sure it was okay and good to go before the race. So it was partly my fault for not checking things through, but good call to change my chain as I heard about 3 people in the men's races breaking their chains, it was that time of year when the bikes had seen a good month of racing and things needed to be checked over.
Anyways the break roles off, I look behind and see the pack not 10 seconds behind me. One of my teammates launches from the pack and says she will help me and does get me out of site from the pack again but I'm left alone to try to get back to the break after about 2 minutes of her help. The first time gap I hear is 2 minutes. I got 40 km to catch and I try, I should of just went back to the pack but I didn't and I end up catching 3 girls who fell of the break as it blew to pieces towards the end. I never catch the lead two and spent 40 km of riding alone at tempo to come third. Probably not the smartest thing to do before having to do a 10 km TT later in the same day and then another stage on Sunday.
So TT, I decide to use a disc and was probably the biggest mistake and a costly error. Not only that, but out of all the girls there, I am the only one with out a trainer and I get soaked warming up in the torrential downfall of rain. There also late on the start times and I end up sitting in a car 20 minutes before I go to stop my shivering, so basically no warmup for a short TT. I start and I felt like I had never road a bike before as the disc made me go from left to right on the road in the high winds. End up giving it a half effort and still somehow came in third. Karol Ann won it which was awesome for us. She told me before the TT that she was going to rock it as when I was off dangling in the middle of the road race in the morning, she told me she did nothing in the pack and it was easy and would be ready to win the TT.
So stage 3 (Sundays race) was all or nothing for me. I was going to win no matter what for the team and for myself. It was another break and 4 of us rolled off on the climb half way through the race. I took Derrick's advice to be smart and never did more than my share of work in the break. I even skipped a few pulls in the last 10 km, mainly because I had no gels this weekend and it took me about 2 minutes to unwrap a stupid 40 calorie fruit bar sitting on the back of the break. Never again to I want to be gel-less in a race. I found myself a lacking a little calories throughout the weekend and not the zippiest at the end. But for once I was patient coming into the finish and waited and waited and one girl went and then another girl went as I just followed wheels and then I went and drove all the way to the line.
Ended up 3rd overall as I could never make up the time I lost on the first day to the two leaders after I dropped my chain. They both ended being in the break with me on the last stage so I knew I wouldn't get the time back and my only shot was to win the stage. I gotto to say though that the racing in Quebec is really high quality and not the easiest anymore. There are a lot of full teams working together and the race starts hard from the gun. Everyone wants to try things and having 50 people in the race makes it hard to know what's going to work and stick and what won't. I'm really glad I sat out Niagara and didn't do the negative Ontario racing that averages a pathetic 32 km/hour. And then because it is so negative the race organizers cut a lap off midway through the race. Quebec has definitely got the race scene going in the right direction, no wonder they produce so many accomplished bike racers.
All in all the weekend was not bad for having only 4 girls on the squad for the race and there was at least 4 teams in the race that outnumbered us. We took 2 of the 3 stage wins, 2 3rd places and then came 3rd and 4th overall.
Now I get to relax a little, take a weekend off and pre-pare for the biggest part of my season to begin. In two weeks it's the World Cup followed with the Montreal Stage race and PEI stage race. This week calls for the Ottawa training crit with maybe a hard group ride on the weekend. Looking forward to not pinning on numbers for a week and going to my parents to see my sis and her husband who I haven't seen in over 6 months.
NCE
St Raymond
Who knew that St Raymond was close to Quebec city? Not me. Natasha had planned on doing this race with her team and I just went last minute as I didn't have a car to get to Ottawa for the RWR TTT. We got in a little late on Friday night and I had a sinus infection/chest infection so I had smeared vicks vapo rub all over my chest and neck to help me sleep, but I ended up getting some it in my eye as well, not fun, eyes burning, can't sleep, can't breath, next time I'll have to remember to wash my hands after smearing the Vicks.
Anyways, Saturday's course was 103 km circuit race around a lake, undulating with some steep pitches. I did the square route of nothing for the first half of the race as the plan was to play my cards right as I was solo. I stuck to plan for the most part but then I started to get into the mix and I covered some moves and I Joel Dion P attacked and I launched an effort to join him. We were rolling strong and we had a good gap and we committed to it. It's wasn't really what I wanted to do, be off the front for 30km in the first stage, but all the Quebec teams were present and there was a possibility that they would not chase as hard or underestimate us. Not sure if they did or not, but we got caught a couple km's out and tried to mix it up for the finale, but obviously off the front for that time, my chances were limited, so I just rollled in.
Saturday night's TT was a 10 km out and back rain drenched, pot hole infested, windy stretch.
I went pretty well though, considering the mornings effort and placed 6th or 7th. Not bad considering I was frozen, soaked and the tri spoke was rubbing on the brake pad slightly after the turnaround, I tried to fix it twice, but obviously doing that at 50 km an hour in the rain could be pretty catastrophic.
SO the stage was set for Sunday 130 km stage and it started on a hill and when I say started, it was full gas up the hill and the break was gone. Shit. I knew there was possibility of an early break during a multi stage leg cracker, it works to hit them before the porridge is in the gut, but the GC leader Charles Dion was still in the group so I didn't totally panic. I thought we were rolling moderately fast and then heard that the break had 1 minute, then 2, then almost four. Well then I thought it was almost over, JS had to have a nature break and he picked a bad place to come off his bike, but I figured since the day was a write off I'd go too and then we'd be two to chase back. Taking a year off our lives, we chased back with 0.0% help of the three cars and moto following the race, they actually went out of their way to not help us get back, strange, but I guess that's how they run their show.
I notice that the "fake tempo" of the group is not also fake as we avg'd almost 40 km/hr for the first two hours...hummmm...the break had a a few minutes on us, the circuit is crazy windy...shit...I better start eating and drinking this is gonna get hard. Not one minute later does Planet Energy echelon into a wind section and splits the field in tow, leaving me in the latter half too far back to join, I try crossing solo, but realize that the pack would chase me down, so I let myself get sucked back by the second half and then rested and as soon as the two groups made contact went directly to the front and guys were blowing like land mines and not before too long we went really hard up a steep climb and the break was made. We rolled through hard. Way too hard considering I only had two bottles all day and we ran out of gels so I tried to eat fruit bars.
I was figuring out how I was going to beat the guys in the break as all the guys had a more than descent kick. Not sure if I just kind of gave up a little before the end but I figured I'd wait it out and cover if someone took a flyer and then went off that, well it didn't pan out and the pace was about 20 km/hr before the sprint and I had nothing in the legs. I mean nothing.
So not the way I wanted to end the day, but I think I would have been 5th on the stage.
I ended up 4th in the GC and made a couple hundred bucks for my efforts. I was actually shocked as there is never any money at the QC races, but this one paid really well, so I didn't leave empty handed.
I wanted to hit my head on the steering wheel as it is the second time this year I was in the break and don't finish it off right. Especially since I always nag Natasha to finish it off strong. I should have stuck to plan for the weekend and I would have came out further ahead. On the bright side I was one guy with no support(bottles, feeds) and I beat alot of guys who had 5 teammates, so not too bad, just not perfect.
But I do love racing in Quebec as the racing is hard, the courses a little treacherous, but all in good fun and I always walk away saying it was a good race. Usually the guy who wins deserves it and it's fair.
I'll let Tash tell her version as she rode strong as well...
DSJ
I'm really looking forward to racing with the whole team at Charlevoix and hopefully the guys can help me stick that one.
Anyways, Saturday's course was 103 km circuit race around a lake, undulating with some steep pitches. I did the square route of nothing for the first half of the race as the plan was to play my cards right as I was solo. I stuck to plan for the most part but then I started to get into the mix and I covered some moves and I Joel Dion P attacked and I launched an effort to join him. We were rolling strong and we had a good gap and we committed to it. It's wasn't really what I wanted to do, be off the front for 30km in the first stage, but all the Quebec teams were present and there was a possibility that they would not chase as hard or underestimate us. Not sure if they did or not, but we got caught a couple km's out and tried to mix it up for the finale, but obviously off the front for that time, my chances were limited, so I just rollled in.
Saturday night's TT was a 10 km out and back rain drenched, pot hole infested, windy stretch.
I went pretty well though, considering the mornings effort and placed 6th or 7th. Not bad considering I was frozen, soaked and the tri spoke was rubbing on the brake pad slightly after the turnaround, I tried to fix it twice, but obviously doing that at 50 km an hour in the rain could be pretty catastrophic.
SO the stage was set for Sunday 130 km stage and it started on a hill and when I say started, it was full gas up the hill and the break was gone. Shit. I knew there was possibility of an early break during a multi stage leg cracker, it works to hit them before the porridge is in the gut, but the GC leader Charles Dion was still in the group so I didn't totally panic. I thought we were rolling moderately fast and then heard that the break had 1 minute, then 2, then almost four. Well then I thought it was almost over, JS had to have a nature break and he picked a bad place to come off his bike, but I figured since the day was a write off I'd go too and then we'd be two to chase back. Taking a year off our lives, we chased back with 0.0% help of the three cars and moto following the race, they actually went out of their way to not help us get back, strange, but I guess that's how they run their show.
I notice that the "fake tempo" of the group is not also fake as we avg'd almost 40 km/hr for the first two hours...hummmm...the break had a a few minutes on us, the circuit is crazy windy...shit...I better start eating and drinking this is gonna get hard. Not one minute later does Planet Energy echelon into a wind section and splits the field in tow, leaving me in the latter half too far back to join, I try crossing solo, but realize that the pack would chase me down, so I let myself get sucked back by the second half and then rested and as soon as the two groups made contact went directly to the front and guys were blowing like land mines and not before too long we went really hard up a steep climb and the break was made. We rolled through hard. Way too hard considering I only had two bottles all day and we ran out of gels so I tried to eat fruit bars.
I was figuring out how I was going to beat the guys in the break as all the guys had a more than descent kick. Not sure if I just kind of gave up a little before the end but I figured I'd wait it out and cover if someone took a flyer and then went off that, well it didn't pan out and the pace was about 20 km/hr before the sprint and I had nothing in the legs. I mean nothing.
So not the way I wanted to end the day, but I think I would have been 5th on the stage.
I ended up 4th in the GC and made a couple hundred bucks for my efforts. I was actually shocked as there is never any money at the QC races, but this one paid really well, so I didn't leave empty handed.
I wanted to hit my head on the steering wheel as it is the second time this year I was in the break and don't finish it off right. Especially since I always nag Natasha to finish it off strong. I should have stuck to plan for the weekend and I would have came out further ahead. On the bright side I was one guy with no support(bottles, feeds) and I beat alot of guys who had 5 teammates, so not too bad, just not perfect.
But I do love racing in Quebec as the racing is hard, the courses a little treacherous, but all in good fun and I always walk away saying it was a good race. Usually the guy who wins deserves it and it's fair.
I'll let Tash tell her version as she rode strong as well...
DSJ
I'm really looking forward to racing with the whole team at Charlevoix and hopefully the guys can help me stick that one.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
10 more and counting
As the days go by and the road season is full on it's way, I'm trying to be a more regular "blogger". I'm not one for posts and don't like to write the same things over and over again "training hard, racing hard, getting sick now and again". Yes everyone knows we train hard, get sick once in awhile and then bounce back and get some wins. Bike racing is not the easiest sport. And sometimes when you feel like you can have a great race and everything is there it doesn't all pan out that way.
Speaking of sickness (yeah I said I wouldn't talk about this) but 10 more penicillin pills to take. Dam, I can't wait for Saturday morning when I don't have to swallow anymore of them. I actual. I figured it would be good for Derrick and I both to miss it this week and take out 3 hourly took them out of the container this morning and counted how many were left. The strep is gone and I'm starting to feel good again. I must say I missed doing the park loop last night thoughs of travel from the week. We only spent 14 hours in the car to do one race this weekend, isn't that enough!
Did a sprint workout instead last night, first one of the year. Not a short sprint workout, but long stuff. They were thirty second sprints and pretty hard to finish them. Our new coach told us the other day that Tuesday's should be the day to work on our weaknesses, whatever we had trouble with from the past weekends race. Sounds good, down hill 60 km/hour 30 second sprints, that's what we did in C-wall last night. The lady walking with her I-pod on the road must of thought we were mental. The two of us side by side (okay maybe not for the whole 30 seconds as I can't sprint as hard as Derrick) grunting down the middle of the road at 60 k.
Tonight we are going to do the local TT. C-wall has TT's every Wednesday and Thursday night, different distances each week. And for the www.resultsCHECKERS.com out there, you won't be able to find the results of how fast Derrick went, so don't waste your time. That's the best part, tonight for me its just my road bike, a set of deep dish wheels, no disc, no arrow helmet or even arrow bars for that matter. Why, well my key race of the year is the UCI stage race in PEI. We're not allow to use anything areo for the TT there so what better way to pratice but in my own back yard. What's even better is I'm sure the winds out in Cornwall are pretty close to how the winds are in PEI.
Other than that, this weekend I'm going to the stage race in Quebec (Ste-Raymond). I think it is pretty important that I keep on racing with my teammates to prevent things like this past weekend from happening again. Although I did want to go to Niagara to do the O-cup as I was really itching to do a hard 2 minute climb lap after lap, but I guess that would be training my strength. Climbing really isn't my problem, so I'll have to pass on this race this year. Ste-Raymond should be fun, two 80 + km races with and 8 km TT sandwiched in between the two all put together on Saturday and Sunday. This 8 km TT I will be using a TT bike, speaking of it, it is calling my name to set it up. Gotta go.
NCE
Speaking of sickness (yeah I said I wouldn't talk about this) but 10 more penicillin pills to take. Dam, I can't wait for Saturday morning when I don't have to swallow anymore of them. I actual. I figured it would be good for Derrick and I both to miss it this week and take out 3 hourly took them out of the container this morning and counted how many were left. The strep is gone and I'm starting to feel good again. I must say I missed doing the park loop last night thoughs of travel from the week. We only spent 14 hours in the car to do one race this weekend, isn't that enough!
Did a sprint workout instead last night, first one of the year. Not a short sprint workout, but long stuff. They were thirty second sprints and pretty hard to finish them. Our new coach told us the other day that Tuesday's should be the day to work on our weaknesses, whatever we had trouble with from the past weekends race. Sounds good, down hill 60 km/hour 30 second sprints, that's what we did in C-wall last night. The lady walking with her I-pod on the road must of thought we were mental. The two of us side by side (okay maybe not for the whole 30 seconds as I can't sprint as hard as Derrick) grunting down the middle of the road at 60 k.
Tonight we are going to do the local TT. C-wall has TT's every Wednesday and Thursday night, different distances each week. And for the www.resultsCHECKERS.com out there, you won't be able to find the results of how fast Derrick went, so don't waste your time. That's the best part, tonight for me its just my road bike, a set of deep dish wheels, no disc, no arrow helmet or even arrow bars for that matter. Why, well my key race of the year is the UCI stage race in PEI. We're not allow to use anything areo for the TT there so what better way to pratice but in my own back yard. What's even better is I'm sure the winds out in Cornwall are pretty close to how the winds are in PEI.
Other than that, this weekend I'm going to the stage race in Quebec (Ste-Raymond). I think it is pretty important that I keep on racing with my teammates to prevent things like this past weekend from happening again. Although I did want to go to Niagara to do the O-cup as I was really itching to do a hard 2 minute climb lap after lap, but I guess that would be training my strength. Climbing really isn't my problem, so I'll have to pass on this race this year. Ste-Raymond should be fun, two 80 + km races with and 8 km TT sandwiched in between the two all put together on Saturday and Sunday. This 8 km TT I will be using a TT bike, speaking of it, it is calling my name to set it up. Gotta go.
NCE
Monday, May 11, 2009
Ste-Martine Sprint photo's
Okay, so Karol - Ann, my super awesome leadout teammate show'd me these pics on the weekend and I had to put them on the blog. Okay so she didn't lead me out here, but when I ask her to do things for me like set tempo up a climb or catch someone, I have faith. I basically just have to get on her wheel and close my eyes and the next minute I know we are there.
The sprint above is only a two up sprint from two weeks ago, but I did spend half of the race away and did the majority of the work in the break.
This weekend at Bear Mountain I was little disappointed with how I road as a team with my two of my teammates. I feel like even though Karol Ann and I have a language barrier we connect and get things. But at Bear Mountain everything team wise went wrong. The race was down to 15 girls the third of four times up a long 10 minute climb and we had 3 girls in it (me, Karol-Ann and Mary). It was perfect so I started lighting it up a bit, I attacked on the climb got caught and then followed two more attacks. Mary was climbing well and at the front of the group, Karol Ann was digging to stay on each lap. I figured I covered two things and just finished telling Mary who to watch out for (2 girls). 1 goes and I tell her to go, she does and I hesitate but get on it. 3rd response to an attack in a row now. Okay, the other girl goes and the other responds again, this time again I wait to see if Mary goes. She doesn't and I watch the two roll away as Mary kind of slow's down the pace. After the race she told me she couldn't and I guess it was bad on my half to think everyone was okay to cover things.
I thought as a team we could still bring the break back on the downhill and flats, but nothing is organized well and as a team we were doing everything as the other girls in the group sat on. What to do now, the best was just to attack and get one of us off for 3rd place or can try and bridge across. Everytime I attack, nobody went after I got caught, I think everyone is exhausted on my team and the other girls in the group just want to keep everything together for the finish.
So last time up the climb, I tell Karol Ann to set tempo for 10 minutes to try and shed a couple girls, doesn't work and I think we are going harder on the front as 1-2 up the climb than those on the back. I tell Mary and Karol Ann that we need to just keep on attacking to the finish about 10 km out until one of us gets free. Mary goes up a false flat and a girl goes with her, and then the girls rides right through her and Mary gets dropped. I see this all happen about 100m up the road and just want to shut my eyes.
I wait to see if some left in the group wants to chase, no not really, the gap gets bigger and the finish is 5km away. So then Karol - Ann chases the girl in 3rd back. She goes so hard and I'm right on her wheel with 5 girls on me. We catch the girl in 3rd at 1 km from the finish as it starts to go down hill. As we catch her, Karol Ann is done and now I can't lead her out and she can't finish leading me out. She peels off and the girl caught is also in the way. One of the girls behind attacks and I see sideways and almost black out to get on her wheel. I get on and 5 us are left coming to the finish line at 72 km/hour. I try to go to the left but have a wheel in my way and can't go. Emma from Ultra Link gets the 3rd spot at the line. Really bummed out and really hard on myself and probably a bit on my team. For me, Derrick keeps on saying your sick, you have Strep throat. But I can't except that as an excuse. I'm not even half way through my anti-biotics, but really I don't look sick, I'm fine, but I was second guessing my efforts in the race a bit. I didn't want to really fully commit to my attacks or solo attempts as I just didn't want to be sick again this week. It was really frustrating to race how I did on the weekend. I couldn't help being hard on myself though, I saw the race dynamics and I thought I could communicate things well. Because of misscommunication on my part, I guess I failed to realized how much the team was suffering and if they could respond. The positive thing was that we are always having atleast 3 girls in the moves of the races, now if only we can all get together and work together I think we are going to have some fantastic results.
NCE
Bear Mountain
Well, we just got back from NY after racing the Bear Mountain Spring Classic.
If you've never done this race, it's a little reminiscent of the OBC GP, but basically double the climb, about a 10 minute climb.
It's a good race, for the men 160 km, women do 90. But for some reason they put the finish on a downhill, which makes the hills almost irrelevant in the end.
I was racing solo, so I had to play my cards right. I was ultra conservative the first 2 hours of the race, then got into position for tagging some moves and attacking. For some reason felt like I was a little marked, I couldn't get any room, and guys just kept on chasing me. Sure enough right after I attacked, a few guys rolled off, as I thought "as if...". But so a break went, they had a pretty solid gap, almost 2 minutes. I contributed to a little of the chase then left it for the last lap and fired off a bullet. I sensed that it was strung out on the hill, then drove the pace attacked a few times, got off and closed a minute gap on the hill, bridging to the leaders at the top. I think this was good and bad as I felt so frigin strong, I attacked the break shortly after reaching them. I kept on trying to break free as I knew the finishing sprint was a crap shoot. But it was more of a crap shoot than I thought as I was caught a little off as I misjudged the final km, thinking that there was another series of climbs to attack on and the group ended up rolling at 74 km an hour fanned across the road, I was two bikes away from where I needed to be. Shit.
To tell you the truth, I love winning and I hate loosing and this one hurt, as I was really happy about my effort to go across on the hill, but a little disappointed in myself that it was so close and just a little inattention cost me the win. Nature of the beast of I guess.
On the bright side, going across like that, to the break, was good. I said to myself at the bottom of the climb, the break is off, I've got one shot, I have to go so hard up this hill that I will either make it, or have to walk with my bike to the finish. Funny thing is, it's coming together, I've always been good at hard efforts 2/3 through the race but often lacked in anything after 4 hours as last year at Nationals I fell apart. This was just miscalculation today, nothing more. I wanted to win and it was close, but it keeps me hungry and focused and it will come. Maybe I tried a little too hard to take a solo win today, as this is the way I like to win, it feels more rewarding, but sometimes it's hard to just ride away from 120 guys, by yourself, who would have thought.
The result sheet said I was 8th, I could swear that there were not more than 5 guys ahead of me at the end, but really 6th, 8th, it's not really going to change anything, so I took I cheque and got out of there.
Funny that the speed on the downhill was 84 km/hr, into a a hairpin, but it didn't feel fast. 160 km didn't feel that long and the race didn't really feel fast. It was a little sketchy at points, but noticed that I was smiling and enjoying sketchiness, and feeling relaxed. Guess riding down mud cliffs in France does teach you something.
Tash was still on antibiotics and recovering from her strep, she says she feels fine, but she was 6th, so I beg to differ. We stayed in New Jersey with Mara and Randy, friends of Tasha's teammate Elisa, and they were really cool. Now I know why bagels and pizza are so good in NY and NJ...
Had a Red Bull on the drive home and time seem to fly...guess Red Bull gave me wings. OK that was pretty lame, but hey c'est la vie. Got home at 10:59 pm, funny as I said we would be home at 11.
Life in C wall is going to be a little different as Nephew Ethan is at his new home (Castle) a few lanes away. My mom is getting getting over the "flu". And when I say flu, I mean flu as she was really sick. So, that's about it.
Durka Durka
If you've never done this race, it's a little reminiscent of the OBC GP, but basically double the climb, about a 10 minute climb.
It's a good race, for the men 160 km, women do 90. But for some reason they put the finish on a downhill, which makes the hills almost irrelevant in the end.
I was racing solo, so I had to play my cards right. I was ultra conservative the first 2 hours of the race, then got into position for tagging some moves and attacking. For some reason felt like I was a little marked, I couldn't get any room, and guys just kept on chasing me. Sure enough right after I attacked, a few guys rolled off, as I thought "as if...". But so a break went, they had a pretty solid gap, almost 2 minutes. I contributed to a little of the chase then left it for the last lap and fired off a bullet. I sensed that it was strung out on the hill, then drove the pace attacked a few times, got off and closed a minute gap on the hill, bridging to the leaders at the top. I think this was good and bad as I felt so frigin strong, I attacked the break shortly after reaching them. I kept on trying to break free as I knew the finishing sprint was a crap shoot. But it was more of a crap shoot than I thought as I was caught a little off as I misjudged the final km, thinking that there was another series of climbs to attack on and the group ended up rolling at 74 km an hour fanned across the road, I was two bikes away from where I needed to be. Shit.
To tell you the truth, I love winning and I hate loosing and this one hurt, as I was really happy about my effort to go across on the hill, but a little disappointed in myself that it was so close and just a little inattention cost me the win. Nature of the beast of I guess.
On the bright side, going across like that, to the break, was good. I said to myself at the bottom of the climb, the break is off, I've got one shot, I have to go so hard up this hill that I will either make it, or have to walk with my bike to the finish. Funny thing is, it's coming together, I've always been good at hard efforts 2/3 through the race but often lacked in anything after 4 hours as last year at Nationals I fell apart. This was just miscalculation today, nothing more. I wanted to win and it was close, but it keeps me hungry and focused and it will come. Maybe I tried a little too hard to take a solo win today, as this is the way I like to win, it feels more rewarding, but sometimes it's hard to just ride away from 120 guys, by yourself, who would have thought.
The result sheet said I was 8th, I could swear that there were not more than 5 guys ahead of me at the end, but really 6th, 8th, it's not really going to change anything, so I took I cheque and got out of there.
Funny that the speed on the downhill was 84 km/hr, into a a hairpin, but it didn't feel fast. 160 km didn't feel that long and the race didn't really feel fast. It was a little sketchy at points, but noticed that I was smiling and enjoying sketchiness, and feeling relaxed. Guess riding down mud cliffs in France does teach you something.
Tash was still on antibiotics and recovering from her strep, she says she feels fine, but she was 6th, so I beg to differ. We stayed in New Jersey with Mara and Randy, friends of Tasha's teammate Elisa, and they were really cool. Now I know why bagels and pizza are so good in NY and NJ...
Had a Red Bull on the drive home and time seem to fly...guess Red Bull gave me wings. OK that was pretty lame, but hey c'est la vie. Got home at 10:59 pm, funny as I said we would be home at 11.
Life in C wall is going to be a little different as Nephew Ethan is at his new home (Castle) a few lanes away. My mom is getting getting over the "flu". And when I say flu, I mean flu as she was really sick. So, that's about it.
Durka Durka
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Mental
So what's mental, Derrick says me sometimes..........
but get this, SO, I haven't been feeling a 100 % lately, or the past couple weeks. I got a cold two weeks ago and then this sore throat thing, that seems to swell up only at night causing it hard for me to breathe or swallow and of course sleep. It goes and comes, but this weekend I felt pretty rotten at the crit at Brossard. The most odd part about me being sick is yep, I complain a bit (okay maybe a lot), but on the surface I always look fine. You'll see me do the local "A" loop or the "A" crit in Ottawa and I still look my normal self. I did feel a little spacey and sorry if someone talked to me last night and I wasn't all there. That's kind of been my number one symptom the last week or so, just a bit off and not able to focus or comprehend well.
Yesterday after the not so great feelings on the weekend, tired and drained, I went to the hospital, as Derrick made me (he was wrong about his illness a month ago and he didn't want to be wrong about me). I went to the Emerg in Cornwall as we don't have a family doctor in Cornwall. It wasn't really urgent or anything as I felt like I was wasting the hospitals time, but Derrick said don't worry, you'll wait 3 hours and get checked out and least you'll know if anything is wrong with you, he reminded me that is why I have a health card.
I saw the doc after about 3 hours, he did a throat swab, and took a blood test for mono. 60 minutes later he called me back in and said I don't have mono and that I looked fine, probably just a viral infection that is still lingering as they can last for up to 3 weeks. Or even the odd chance that I had some allergies.
I saw the doc after about 3 hours, he did a throat swab, and took a blood test for mono. 60 minutes later he called me back in and said I don't have mono and that I looked fine, probably just a viral infection that is still lingering as they can last for up to 3 weeks. Or even the odd chance that I had some allergies.
Okay so things are good, decide to go to the "A" crit, and I just sat in this week instead of trying to go with anything like I did two weeks ago. Way, way easier this time, although the average speed was 44km hour and it was super jerky. I was able to move up at the end and kind of sprint even though I was still 25 people back, but I figured once I moved up I should always do some what of a sprint through the final corner.
So, back to the mental part. This morning, feeling okay, the hospital calls, and tells me I have a positive result on my throat swab for strep throat and I need to go get antibiotics. Derricks scratching his head and thinking, you don't look sick, you complain your a little off but really you don't look like you have strep. How on earth does that happen...........athletes bodies work in way different ways than the average person. It's probably kind of the same thing that happened in Europe cross season. I got sick but I looked fine a day later so I race a World Cup, not the smartest thing to do and makes things just linger for a lot longer. I think we are so use to all the training and hard workouts that when we get sick we fight until the death. Who knows how long I've had strep, probably not the smartest that I have be training super hard lately but I guess what ever doesn't kill me will make me somewhat stronger.............. one can only hope!
Oh yeah, thanks Uncle Vince for the cool Cyclery socks last night. They totally match my kit and I won't wear black socks with white shoes anymore and be a Lance lookalike! I always want to make people laugh a little bit, like last night I left the band aid on my arm from the blood work in the a.m. I had thoughts of taking it off in the middle of the race and hitting my arm hard and then attacking. I kind of forgot though in the lackadaisical mind I have had lately, it would of been pretty funny if I did though, there is always a bit of Derrick's shenanigans that rub off on me a bit.
NCE
Oh yeah, thanks Uncle Vince for the cool Cyclery socks last night. They totally match my kit and I won't wear black socks with white shoes anymore and be a Lance lookalike! I always want to make people laugh a little bit, like last night I left the band aid on my arm from the blood work in the a.m. I had thoughts of taking it off in the middle of the race and hitting my arm hard and then attacking. I kind of forgot though in the lackadaisical mind I have had lately, it would of been pretty funny if I did though, there is always a bit of Derrick's shenanigans that rub off on me a bit.
NCE
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Brossard
We headed to Montreal for the crit "cross the bridge in Brossard. Tasha left early and I hooked up with the Despatties for a quick shopping trip at Ogilvy's before my race, well I watched the shopping.
Tash raced in the morning and her team pulled off another one. Tash wasn't 100% as she has been fighting off an illness(please don't be mono) and she rolled in the pack as the win was secure with Audrey and Karol Ann up the road.
I told young Matt D that crit racing was unlike anything he would have ever done, and I think he had a good time, but found himself a little further back than he would have liked, he'll do some time with us and we'll have him up there in a few weeks. He comes from a tri background, and he's a super strong kid, it just takes some time to get it. I told him a few stories, but I should have just showed him my bilateral hip scars from learning the ropes or the pavement the hard way...oh well.
The RWR Elite team assembled in the car park for a quick meeting before the crit and layed out the plan for the day. I think we did a fairly good job at representing. We definitely need to coordinate a few things a little better, as we arn't racing entirely as a team, but part of that is my fault. I have to say I'm used to racing as a little bit of a mercenary and I get a little excitable when I'm feeling good. I think if Marc and I would have better coordinated our efforts we had potential on a podium for sure, as opposed to both of us rolling for the top ten.
I started to crack the whip the last ten minutes but maybe hit it one time too many on the last lap and got behind one of the VW lead out guys who sat up so my chance of really mixing it up in the sprint were about 0% as he opened a 6 foot gap into one of the last corners. I decided to have a go a few times in the last couple laps cause I knew Charles D had done "the square root of nothing" all race and he would light it up in the last 300 meters. But the pace was pretty high and my 90% attack was a little futile as it just got me out of what would have been about 3rd wheel and the perfect place to dispute the sprint. It's easy to say I should have done this or that, but if I would have waited for the sprint and not won either I would have said, ah I should have hit it in the last lap. So what is the moral....win and then there is no question...ez enough right...sure.
So I was actually pretty happy as the pace was high (44km ish ) and the speed work has been paying off as I didn't feel under pressure until I started attacking and mixing it up. THe preperation is coming along well and I feel like like tools are there, just have to balance the patience and desire a little. ALso with Marc riding strong and Greg coming along, there is some extra fire power to work with this year, it's just to be able to capitalize an all the skill and strength.
WE stayed over at Elisa's (Natasha's teammate) place around Mont Royal, nice place has a really cool Japanese vibe to it. We did a little spin and Tash hung out at the Power Watts spin studio, training facility for the press conference/presentation of her team. I rode another bit along LAke shore and magically ended up in St Ann. If it wasn't for all the stop signs that would definitely be perfect riding. I was amazed at how nice of a ride it was through Lachine and Dorval. It looks way different on the waterfront than on the 20 a few hundred meteres over.
I even ended up having a chat with a guy on the way back, which is kind of rare for me, as most of the time when I ride, I just like to do my thing, but I tried dropping the guy a few time on Lake Shore and he kept on coming back, I mean he was blowing stop signs at 43 k an hour, but still, I was giving it some gas. Funny enough he was the National Team director for Swimming and he had a mutual friend in MR Louis Garneau.
Grabbed a little sandwich at the Atwater Market and headed back to the Wall. I had an hour before the hockey game started so I went to the driving range and proved to myself that I am no Tiger or Happy Gilmore for that matter. I'm supposed to go play golf with my ex brother in law, Ethan's dad and he's an awesome golfer, so gotta show up ready.
My secret plan is to perfect my swing, then maybe do some mini put to practice putting, do some bench press to get the power in my swing, watch golf video's and maybe get an Arnold Palmer shirt from Sears. I'll take one of my bad weather cycling gloves and just write "ping" on it with a sharpie and I should look the part. I'll cash in all mulligans and I should be good, right.
I'm seriously, I'm part Scottish and we invented that sport, so golf should be in my blood!
D
Tash raced in the morning and her team pulled off another one. Tash wasn't 100% as she has been fighting off an illness(please don't be mono) and she rolled in the pack as the win was secure with Audrey and Karol Ann up the road.
I told young Matt D that crit racing was unlike anything he would have ever done, and I think he had a good time, but found himself a little further back than he would have liked, he'll do some time with us and we'll have him up there in a few weeks. He comes from a tri background, and he's a super strong kid, it just takes some time to get it. I told him a few stories, but I should have just showed him my bilateral hip scars from learning the ropes or the pavement the hard way...oh well.
The RWR Elite team assembled in the car park for a quick meeting before the crit and layed out the plan for the day. I think we did a fairly good job at representing. We definitely need to coordinate a few things a little better, as we arn't racing entirely as a team, but part of that is my fault. I have to say I'm used to racing as a little bit of a mercenary and I get a little excitable when I'm feeling good. I think if Marc and I would have better coordinated our efforts we had potential on a podium for sure, as opposed to both of us rolling for the top ten.
I started to crack the whip the last ten minutes but maybe hit it one time too many on the last lap and got behind one of the VW lead out guys who sat up so my chance of really mixing it up in the sprint were about 0% as he opened a 6 foot gap into one of the last corners. I decided to have a go a few times in the last couple laps cause I knew Charles D had done "the square root of nothing" all race and he would light it up in the last 300 meters. But the pace was pretty high and my 90% attack was a little futile as it just got me out of what would have been about 3rd wheel and the perfect place to dispute the sprint. It's easy to say I should have done this or that, but if I would have waited for the sprint and not won either I would have said, ah I should have hit it in the last lap. So what is the moral....win and then there is no question...ez enough right...sure.
So I was actually pretty happy as the pace was high (44km ish ) and the speed work has been paying off as I didn't feel under pressure until I started attacking and mixing it up. THe preperation is coming along well and I feel like like tools are there, just have to balance the patience and desire a little. ALso with Marc riding strong and Greg coming along, there is some extra fire power to work with this year, it's just to be able to capitalize an all the skill and strength.
WE stayed over at Elisa's (Natasha's teammate) place around Mont Royal, nice place has a really cool Japanese vibe to it. We did a little spin and Tash hung out at the Power Watts spin studio, training facility for the press conference/presentation of her team. I rode another bit along LAke shore and magically ended up in St Ann. If it wasn't for all the stop signs that would definitely be perfect riding. I was amazed at how nice of a ride it was through Lachine and Dorval. It looks way different on the waterfront than on the 20 a few hundred meteres over.
I even ended up having a chat with a guy on the way back, which is kind of rare for me, as most of the time when I ride, I just like to do my thing, but I tried dropping the guy a few time on Lake Shore and he kept on coming back, I mean he was blowing stop signs at 43 k an hour, but still, I was giving it some gas. Funny enough he was the National Team director for Swimming and he had a mutual friend in MR Louis Garneau.
Grabbed a little sandwich at the Atwater Market and headed back to the Wall. I had an hour before the hockey game started so I went to the driving range and proved to myself that I am no Tiger or Happy Gilmore for that matter. I'm supposed to go play golf with my ex brother in law, Ethan's dad and he's an awesome golfer, so gotta show up ready.
My secret plan is to perfect my swing, then maybe do some mini put to practice putting, do some bench press to get the power in my swing, watch golf video's and maybe get an Arnold Palmer shirt from Sears. I'll take one of my bad weather cycling gloves and just write "ping" on it with a sharpie and I should look the part. I'll cash in all mulligans and I should be good, right.
I'm seriously, I'm part Scottish and we invented that sport, so golf should be in my blood!
D
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