Once apon a time last year...

Today had me thinking a lot of last year's trip to Belgium. As I'm sure you've heard me moan and groan about it, let's just say it wasn't easy. About 1 week from now is the time I started to crack and realistically I was fed up. Not too much happens in January in Europe, race wise. There's a pretty big gap from the X mas Cross blitz to Worlds. Well if you're European you've got Nationals, but there are a few World Cups and that's about it. I think the plan next year will be to come home in January and maybe send Tasha back just before Worlds.

So what do I remember about Belgium? Well I remember buying lots of canned tuna. Easy to find, healthy, and most importantly cost effective. Our classic Belgian meal, cook whole wheat pasta, mix a can of tuna, frozen peas, sprinkle a little cheese. We eat that over and over, cause we could make it for like 3-4 Euros.

I remember walking to the Delhaize and freezing my ass off walking home with groceries and getting an arm workout in doing so. Felt like college all over again (without the hangovers).

I also remember riding the Roubaix World Cup and just sucking really bad. People talk about going over for "the experience" but for me there is only so much ass kicking I can take. There are definitely good things about these experiences, but realistically , I think I learned more this year racing at the front of races in North America. Perhaps the courses are not quite as technical in North America, but unless you win on a pretty consistent basis there is obviously something challenging enough about the courses that makes it tough. Right? Sometimes we'll go through a course and Tasha will say that she didn't think it was too technical, then I'll say "did you have to use your brakes" if there answer is yes, well then try going through the section full gas..."now is technical"?

So do I miss eating mud and freezing and being poor? No way. Maybe I miss the spectacle of races, cause for sure that can not be matched. But even with Sponsorship it's an expensive endeavour to get your ass kicked, repeatedly. We are still paying for last years trip on our credit cards.

Not to say that we are any richer here, cause if I was I would not live in my parents basement.
But at least it's warm, well in the basement anyways.

To tell you the truth June does seem like a long time from now, but really it's not. Realistically once you get to a certain level you have to push really hard to get that next few seconds, couple watts or what not.

But that's what our sport is about. It's about trying to beat people that you are not supposed, it's about lots of people being in awesome shape, but having a day, a race a week where your awesomness is more awesome.

I don't really have a big conclusion to this. But I know this is the year where all the pieces of the puzzle come together.

I had great races last year, I still think about the Toronto weekend, attacking the Cannondale boys leading the race thinking wholy shit I have a gap! I think about Tour de Beauce attacking on the last lap up La Grand Allee in QC city, just shy off the win. Man, there were a few times I was really close. But that's why I'm at home putting days of work in, so that those "almost had it's" turn in to "got it". I just have to do the work. It hurts a lot, but so does loosing.

DSJ