Some Exciting News.........

So, as Derrick just posted, we have been training super hard since back from Belgium. We're back to our boring, simple, but I must add, pretty great lives. Yeah, training hard inside on the computrainer in the winter is really boring. But I do know that the foundation for the season is built right now. I know that I don't need rediculous hours of base training, just lots of muscle crushing workouts. I keep on thinking things will get easier and then I keep on pushing out more watts in my workouts each week and things are getting harder. I am really suprising myself this year, I keep on thinking there is no way I can go any harder and I keep on doing it each week. I don't know what racing cyclo-cross has done to me or what kind of motivation it has given me, but I am ripping myself and my legs apart more and more each week. Probably the reason all this is possible is that I share a lot of this with my best friend, who's also my training partner and now something else. He is the reason some things may be getting harder but sometimes can be seen as getting easier.

Okay, what does this have to do with the exciting news? Well this someone who is very close, and very special to me finally asked me something today. Derrick asked me to marry him! And anybody who knows us, knows I have been a waiting a long time for this. Of course I said yes, and am the most happiest ever. I know the reasoning of waiting so long, as are lives together are pretty perfect and there was no need to change things. But finally

Derrick and I wanted to commit to our lives together. So, needless to say there aren't any wedding plans yet, but we are going to plan to be married by 3 years from today!

deposits and transactions

So I know we havn't been posting alot. Although winter is kind of boring, it's a good chance to train our brains out and get ready for the summer and fall. Most of the time I have to train so hard I usually hate Ken (who writes our program), freak out on Natasha and generally end up feeling lethargic at work. I often feel like passing out, falling asleep or generally not even wanting to leave the house after a few hours on the computrainner.

Yesterdays workout made feel like I was hit by a truck and dragged along a bumpy Quebec road, thrashing into potholes and tasting the salt that has been cemented into the tarmack.
So that was great. Today I reallized that I probably should have eat a little more for dinner last night cause I felt aweful in the first 10 minutes of my ride. So I blamed Natasha for not eating enough carbs last night and then realized that she is not my mom and appologized for being a jack ass and blaming her for my mistakes. In retrospect I realized that I did eat enough, that no matter how much I ate, I was going to feel like ass today, then I just shut my big mouth and silently suffered and 90 minutes lated into the ride voila, I felt better and everything was alright.

The good thing about training yourself into the ground is eventually you get stronger, for me it never really gets easier, it actually gets harder cause you just learn to shut up and bite your lip and taste the the pain even when it's sour. I think that's what it takes. You just have to shut the hell up and do WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO. Don't be A WHIMP. I think some people think this is what they want, to be competitive, but once they realize that there are alot of sacrifices, a lot of the time it's not going to be fun, they just pack it in. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I don't enjoy the process, the quest, but to tell you the truth I had no idea what I was getting into.

It's one thing to write goals and objectives and train and "try" to do your best. The hard part is slapping yourself in the face and digging for that extra 5%. It's not the minute thirty of the two minute interval that makes you strong, it's that last little bit where you tear yourself apart when you need to tell your brain to shut hell the hell up and just deal with it and submerge yourself in a bath of pain, that's the stuff right there that you do over and over and harder even when you can't...that's what I think it takes. That's the part that you have to love, you really have to be crazy to be good and be strong, but crazy about the right things.
You can read a book, use new techniques, blah blah blah, try different training, whatever, but at the end of the day you just have to be ready to deposit 100% into the preperation in order to withdrawl it when it counts.
I'm making my deposits, are you?
DS

Selling my souls and wheels for an SRM...

Hey all,
if some of you didn't hear, I have recently planted some "money tree seeds" in the backyard. I bought them from a Gypsy in Belgium, who lived in a Caravan and told me the money tree would grow to epic proportion if I planted them on Febuary 5th after sprinkling them with vinegar left on counter for 6 days. So I've planted them. But just in case the tree doesn't grow, I guess I'll sell some of my gear to finance an SRM.

Zipp 404.

I'm selling a pair of 404's, I'll include tires(new zipp aero tire with about 40km on it), dura ace skewers, and a slightly used Dura Ace 10speed casette all for the low price of 1100$! These wheels are just sitting in the basement and I will not be able to use them this season due to contractual obligations. Believe me it breaks my heart to sell them cuz they are awesome wheels, but to see them hanging on the cieling is even worse.

I'm also getting rid of a pair of Ksyrium sslc(the silver ones with lots of letters I can never get it right) anyways those are about 2 years old, they been used pretty good, but they are bomb proof, these would make an awesome set of cross wheels, make me an offer.

Also SIDI genius carbon road shoes, 70$, size 42...they are like slippers, I used to like a flexy shoe, but these days I'm into maximum stiffness.

Get it...selling my souls...haha. There is no better promotion than self promotion.
derrickstjohn@hotmail.com

Other than that Tash and I are going to PEAK today to do some testing. If I puke after my test I will consider it a success. Anything less will be considered a failure.

Up to by DSJ

So just in case anyone is wondering what we have been up to...

Tasha is still "damaged" her cast stinks so bad that sometimes when we are sitting on the couch I get a whiff of it and it reminds me of a stale box of "bits and bites" fried bacon and wet dog combined. So let's just say I'm not sure who is more anxious to get it taken off. Also she has not done any dishes for weeks, or made any food, she just looks at me with puppy dog eyes, raises her cast and says I can't.

I have been insanely grumpy, losing weight, not fun. I am in Shwarma withdrawls...they said smoking was hard to kick,not like I smoke, but if it's harder than giving up Shwarma Palace chicken platter, man thank you baby Jesus that I never started!

So I am almost content with my manorexia. Hopefully it will pay off later this year. I know it may not seem obvious, but when I was in Europe, I was looking around at the start line and this voice said "You are 10 lbs too heavy to race these guys". I wanted to tell the person to F off, until I realized it was my own voice. So instead of making excuses, I had to take matters into my own hands and take some goodness out of my mouth. I'm so friggin sick of eating carrots and celery...not to mention it would be nice to be full, but I just remeber how bad I got my ass kicked in Europe and I cut up some more celery and pour a tall glass of water...mmmmmm oh how I love vegetables.

So other than that....You have to watch "The Peaceful Warrior" with Nick Nolte, he looks kinda ruff, not sure if he's on the wagon or out of rehab, but this movie is about a gymnast and it's actually suprisingly good. There are pretty intense moments in the movie and it has to have some of the greatest quotes ever for athletes.

"A warrior does not give up what he loves, he finds the love in what he does"

"A warrior is not about perfection or victory or invulernerability, he is about absolute invulnerability"

Other than that I've also been reading "The gum thief" by Canadian author and artist, Douglas Copeland...the book looks kinda girly, it has a white and pink cover but it's about this goth chick that works at Staples and this older man who's life has gone to shit. Natasha made fun of me for buying a book that looks like a chick book, but I'm sure this guy wasn't thinking "yah I'll write this book and make a white and pink cover", I'm sure that's some young advo type person's idea. So what ever, so it looks girly, it's pink big deal it's not like I'm reading Sisterhood of the travelling pants or the Yah Yah sisters or a book with Fabio on the cover.
It sounds kind lame but it's quite clever and it's worth the twenty three bucks, it's quite whitty and you'll find yourself lauhing alot. I'm not really one to read fiction, I usually read books that are observations on society and that make me look highly intelligent and usually regard much popular fiction as boring and lose interest after 100 pages, but hopefully this one will keep me interested in all 237 pages.

Can't wait to see how the Canaucks do at World's this weekend...Good luck.

Derrick's interview

Anybody who is interested, Derrick got a pretty amazing interview posted on pedal mag today. Check it out at http://www.pedalmag.com/index.php?module=Section&action=viewdetail&item_id=12495 It's his turn to be semi-famous this week...........although, if you can read German, go see this
http://www.stevensbikes.de/teams/node/100
Also, just want to give a big, awesome, huge, mega, mack-daddy, criss-cross will make you jump jump, super shout out to Wendy Simms. We knew she could repeat her 5th place finish at the last world cup this past weekend in Hoogerheide. That was totally awesome. We will be bringing out all the voodoo magic for you to come on the podium this weekend at Worlds, eating rice cakes and shaking our shaman sticks.
Natasha

Top 10

Firstly, congrats to Wendy simms, for a 5th place at the World Cup in France. Knowing how hard a WC is, that is a huge accomplishment. Ironically as we were driving back from Toronto today, I predicted that she would come 5th. Crazy stuff.

Why were we in Toronto? Well I went to meet my new Teammates at Jet Fuel Coffee. So Jet Fuel is a coffee shop in Old Cabbage Town in Toronto off Bloor on Parliament st. Not sure why it is called Cabbage town, I'll get back to you on that one. Anyways the coffee is great, the shop is really cool. It's full of old cycling memorabilia like old trophies, pics, leaders jerseys and all kind of wacky art. It's a really laid back atmosphere and there is something really unique about it. The team itself has a lot of history and it is really cool to be part of it. I really don't want to sound like a total wanker, but it really makes me feel like I am going to be part of something and that whatever we do, it will be remembered, that it is part of something bigger kind of like being part of a mini legacy. Ok I know should slap myself upside the head cause that is total nerd talk fromage, but whatever, I've worked too hard to get to this point and I can spread a little cheese every now and then.

So I know I promised a 10 things I learned in Belgium list, but some of the stuff is only funny once you've been, so here are the.....

Top 10 things I've learned in 2007

10. Don't ever reach down and try to fix a speed sensor on your fork while racing a 250 km road race. This will most likely result in a severe crash which will make your face hit the pavement rather hard and you will loose lots of skin, also it is very hard to get blood off shimano road shoes. Look what happens



9. There are many reasons why Cross stage races do not exist. Doing 3 consecutive cross races in Europe is sure to make you feel like you have been run over by a garbage truck...or possibly even like a piece of garbage.

8. When in Europe...don't ever admit that someone was better than you. Even if you win, don't ever, under any condition, admit that you were a 100%. Always blame an extreme amount of training hours that week, fatigue from travel or an unknown viral illness as the culprite of your current state. Oh yah, the weather as well, say it was too hot or too cold or too humid and if none of those work you can say an old injury was flaring up. But always say that you think you will be in top form very soon and you can feel it coming.

7. Pastry tastes better in Belgium. Why? It seems like an ongoing theme, because they care. That is one of the biggest differences between North America and Europe, they pay more attention to detail because they care. Just as the pastry chef meticulously places each layer of cream, flaky crust and elegantly rolls it in delicious chocolate, this same care is taken to the making of all food, fashion and athletic endeavours. Why are Europeans such great cyclists? They care and they just don't give up and they will kill themselves to win (in more ways than one).

6. On being a professional cyclist. Man where do I start. I am not a professional cyclist. Who is a professional cyclist. I'll tell you, it is someone who makes a living racing. It is someone who is gets fired if they they suck. It is someone who views cycling as a job and takes it seriously. Racing your bike and not working does not one make a pro, it makes a cyclist who "enjoys" racing. Cause for the most part, there is nothing enjoyable about the actual race part. If you are having fun in a pro race you are most likely severely delusional about the efforts you are putting forth. Anything else than throwing up bile and feeling lactic acid seeping out your sternal notch and taking huge calculated risks without hesitation is not acceptable. Yah there are some elements of racing that are social, like small local races and such. You have to win a lot more than a few hundred bucks a year to be a pro. It undermines a lot of hard work that others put forward when anyone who has a credit card and a race license calls themselves a pro.

5. It is possible to be too easy on yourself.

4. There are two times to take it easy. The first on is something I like to call Monday. I know God said Sunday was a day of rest...but there is way too much racing Sundays...hence Monday.
The other, well it is called retirement.

3. You have to learn how to win, more importantly, you have to learn how you can win.

2. You have to lose. If you don't routinely race outside your comfort zone, you'll never achieve your potential.

1. Enjoy the journey just as much as the destination and it will be a good ride. You will get there if you really want it enough...eventually.


Here's the new kit, well last years kit until we get the new ones. It may look like I've been working out, but I just cropped the pic to look slender. Believe me I swear tonight was my last Shwarma until I loose 5lbs...diet starts tomorrow.

Natasha is semi-famous

Hey hey hey, check out my favorite Cross racer blazing the pages of pedal mag, hot off the press
http://www.pedalmag.com/index.php?module=Section&action=viewdetail&item_id=12413

Also check the blog soon, because I'll be releasing the Top 10 things I learned in Belgium list.
Later