found an interesting quote today that holds some value when your aspirations take a temporary tail spin.
"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all." Dale Carnegie
Power test went very well the other day achieved a PB & am excited to see what additional fitness can be generated between now & race season.
enjoy the holidays!
The Sponge
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Riders Making It Happen In Canada!
Training away laying those base miles consistently. Got a power test on Monday with the Birdman so it will good to see where I'm at.
I'm pumped to announce joining Calgary Cycle's Top Gear roster for 2011! The team has great leadership & has recently announced some substantial roster additions like Chris Mcneil & Mark Mcdonald formerly with H&R Block cycling now with Top Gear. The direction of the team is clear & I intend on applying all my efforts on following that direction.
Congratulations to Lachlan Holmes for making the 2011 H&R Block elite cycling team. I trained with this guy & he is super strong on pulling away on hills. A humble rider & I wish him the best.
Another congrats goes out to Jamie Sparling getting a pro contract with Team Raleigh for 2011. This guy is gonna do some great things for Canada in the near future.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Consistency
Off season consistency is something I have struggled with in the past.
Besides being sick this past week I have been able to get 2-4 rides per week in which is what I'm aiming for rolling into the off season.
When the white powder starts falling down on Alberta it will be the focus to keep the mileage up in the winter months so that I can continue with progressing towards a strong base build for 2011
Besides being sick this past week I have been able to get 2-4 rides per week in which is what I'm aiming for rolling into the off season.
When the white powder starts falling down on Alberta it will be the focus to keep the mileage up in the winter months so that I can continue with progressing towards a strong base build for 2011
Friday, September 10, 2010
Cross Season & Off Season Plans
Been an interesting past 4 weeks as training has been minimal at best due to the hematoma that hasn't yet completely diminished.
I also happened to cut open my hand the other day with a window scraper which required 4 stitches which meant no cross bike riding for a week unless I wanted the wound to re-open.
I am excited to get on the cross bike for mid week mayhem & potentially race a few ABA races before cross season is over. I don't know how competitive I can be in the Sport category (where I will start) with pretty much a 4 week injury hiatus but I will try to work back into it.
This off season will be a mixture of Base Training with Coach/Triathlete Jon Bird's ETS Cycling class at the talisman centre 3 days a week where the primary focus will be building fitness & lowering the heart rate over the off season.
I have some lofty goals in 2011 & I want to note them now.
1) Become Eligible for Cat 3 racing early season
2) Win a race (Time Trial, Crit or Road Race)
3)3 Top 5 finishes
4) The loftiest of them all is attempting to acquire enough ABA points to become eligible for Cat 1/2 before the end of the 2011 season.
A lot of hard work ahead.
I also happened to cut open my hand the other day with a window scraper which required 4 stitches which meant no cross bike riding for a week unless I wanted the wound to re-open.
I am excited to get on the cross bike for mid week mayhem & potentially race a few ABA races before cross season is over. I don't know how competitive I can be in the Sport category (where I will start) with pretty much a 4 week injury hiatus but I will try to work back into it.
This off season will be a mixture of Base Training with Coach/Triathlete Jon Bird's ETS Cycling class at the talisman centre 3 days a week where the primary focus will be building fitness & lowering the heart rate over the off season.
I have some lofty goals in 2011 & I want to note them now.
1) Become Eligible for Cat 3 racing early season
2) Win a race (Time Trial, Crit or Road Race)
3)3 Top 5 finishes
4) The loftiest of them all is attempting to acquire enough ABA points to become eligible for Cat 1/2 before the end of the 2011 season.
A lot of hard work ahead.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
BIRDMAN!
Congrats to Jon Bird with an 8th overall at nationals posting him the 5th Canadian only 3 minutes behind the likes of Simon Whitfield & Kyle Jones!
Proud of ya Birdman hope this puts you near the top of the list to make the national team in 2011!
Caught In My Own Carnage
Saturday was the Speed Theory Jason Lapierre Memorial cycling criterium hosted in downtown Calgary.
The Criterium was a good tempo in Cat 4 & I stayed near the front in top 8 for the entire race waiting for the last lap. Burnt a few matches trying to get a break with Samuel With Juventus but we got caught so I needed the 3rd match to be burnt on the final sprint. Final lap came & I was getting aggressive for positioning on the first corner. In 4th place trying to prevent any rider from blocking me out of the draft I took the corner on an agressive line & clipped my pedal & the rest is history. Apparently I flew in the air, the bike flew in the air & the adrenaline got me off the race course instantly. I just kept thinking that i was in perfect positioning & a bit of shock prevented me from realizing I just crashed hard.
Went to the hospital last night for Xrays & assessment of the cantaloupe sized swelling on my left hip. Popped blood vessel (hematoma) caused the swelling & doc says ice, ice , ice!!! Hopefully it will go down soon enough so I can get on the bike in time for Cross Season!.
Here are a few pics of the Crit & the aftermath of bruising/swelling.
Congrats to Mike Hoang for winning the Cat5 Crit in honourable fashion on a lone breakaway!
The Criterium was a good tempo in Cat 4 & I stayed near the front in top 8 for the entire race waiting for the last lap. Burnt a few matches trying to get a break with Samuel With Juventus but we got caught so I needed the 3rd match to be burnt on the final sprint. Final lap came & I was getting aggressive for positioning on the first corner. In 4th place trying to prevent any rider from blocking me out of the draft I took the corner on an agressive line & clipped my pedal & the rest is history. Apparently I flew in the air, the bike flew in the air & the adrenaline got me off the race course instantly. I just kept thinking that i was in perfect positioning & a bit of shock prevented me from realizing I just crashed hard.
Went to the hospital last night for Xrays & assessment of the cantaloupe sized swelling on my left hip. Popped blood vessel (hematoma) caused the swelling & doc says ice, ice , ice!!! Hopefully it will go down soon enough so I can get on the bike in time for Cross Season!.
Here are a few pics of the Crit & the aftermath of bruising/swelling.
Congrats to Mike Hoang for winning the Cat5 Crit in honourable fashion on a lone breakaway!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Provincial Road Race Aug 15th
Had some interesting news 2 days prior to the race.
The carbon on my trek frame chain stay was delaminating & was serious enough for the boys at Calgary Cycle to take my bike away & tell me it needs to go to warranty.
Luckily Brad Smith lent me his sharp looking Scott CR1 to ride. I was pumped to ride on this machine as a substitute for the Trek.
Race was 95km long with a big hill on the course where a break away created.
I happened to push majority of the hill climb in the front with about 5 other riders so when 3 ERTC riders went at the top I jumped on the train.
We got a gap & a few other riders joined us as we tried extending the gap.
Unfortunately our work was in vein because 2 km later the entire group reintegrated which was frustrating. This seems to be inevitable in almost all of my races this season which will be a lesson as I race in the lower Cat's trying to make my way up.
I am on the fence now of wether I should go at all in a break as establishing a break needs every rider to be committed & have the ability/"desire" to spend time at the front.
So I have to wrestle with the idea of conserving even more than I am in order to have a chance to place well in sprints. Or I can attack late in the race & see If I blow up or not? Either choice will result in glory...or the "shoulda coulda woulda" effect.
I was feeling great majority of the race. Bonked a bit based on hydration as I began to sweat salt on my face which is always an indication I needed more electrolytes earlier in the race.
The race came down to a sprint & the final stretch had an initial hill in it that popped a few riders then a downhill led to a flat straight away.
I originally was in the top 4 but figured I'd drop back to get a draft which led to me being boxed in at the end. With the automatic DSQ if a rider crosses the median I had to contain my sprint. I originally wanted to follow the eventual winner from Bicisport (Justin Warsylewicz Silver Medalist in Turin 2006 for Speedskating!) but he was boxed in so I launched on the other side & was met with an ERTC rider going at the same time where we rubbed wheels & I had to wait for an opening then I could finally go through! Damn It!
7th place I am happy with for sure however left some "sprint room" out on the road today due to inexperience. The Scott bike was awesome but the raw reality is you have to race the bicycle that you train on in order to be completely confident in any race you enter.
The carbon on my trek frame chain stay was delaminating & was serious enough for the boys at Calgary Cycle to take my bike away & tell me it needs to go to warranty.
Luckily Brad Smith lent me his sharp looking Scott CR1 to ride. I was pumped to ride on this machine as a substitute for the Trek.
Race was 95km long with a big hill on the course where a break away created.
I happened to push majority of the hill climb in the front with about 5 other riders so when 3 ERTC riders went at the top I jumped on the train.
We got a gap & a few other riders joined us as we tried extending the gap.
Unfortunately our work was in vein because 2 km later the entire group reintegrated which was frustrating. This seems to be inevitable in almost all of my races this season which will be a lesson as I race in the lower Cat's trying to make my way up.
I am on the fence now of wether I should go at all in a break as establishing a break needs every rider to be committed & have the ability/"desire" to spend time at the front.
So I have to wrestle with the idea of conserving even more than I am in order to have a chance to place well in sprints. Or I can attack late in the race & see If I blow up or not? Either choice will result in glory...or the "shoulda coulda woulda" effect.
I was feeling great majority of the race. Bonked a bit based on hydration as I began to sweat salt on my face which is always an indication I needed more electrolytes earlier in the race.
The race came down to a sprint & the final stretch had an initial hill in it that popped a few riders then a downhill led to a flat straight away.
I originally was in the top 4 but figured I'd drop back to get a draft which led to me being boxed in at the end. With the automatic DSQ if a rider crosses the median I had to contain my sprint. I originally wanted to follow the eventual winner from Bicisport (Justin Warsylewicz Silver Medalist in Turin 2006 for Speedskating!) but he was boxed in so I launched on the other side & was met with an ERTC rider going at the same time where we rubbed wheels & I had to wait for an opening then I could finally go through! Damn It!
7th place I am happy with for sure however left some "sprint room" out on the road today due to inexperience. The Scott bike was awesome but the raw reality is you have to race the bicycle that you train on in order to be completely confident in any race you enter.
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