Opted for a mtb ride today since the trails won't be dry for much longer, oh yeah, and mountain biking kicks ass. It was an awesome day for anything actual, hot enough to make fighting a headwind on the road a fun challenge, almost a relief after sweating so bad in the trails.
I rode pretty hard until I got to Brock, decided to take the Bruce Trail after a little loop in the Dump. A really fun trail with some good log hops at the bottom, managed to make them all finally, a couple I had to question then man up and walk back then do it. Once I got out on Treemont rd. I started my tempo, did a couple hard climbs on the road before heading back into the trail. The first set of singletrack climbs right to the top of the escarpment, I had to take a little breather after that one, I felt the heat getting to me. After a couple minutes I got back on and continued the tempo out to Hydro Hill, got a call from Nat (The Coach's boss) and I was to meet them at Allanburg. So I pushed really hard through some trails, across the creek, very hard through the 8x12 and then finished it with an all out effort up Decew. Stopped at The Mill to top up the bottles.
Took the L2L gravel back to Allanburg where we met up with De Cal who was prepping for Springbank this weekend. Shot the shit then rode some trails for over an hour before heading back home along the canal trails. Of course, with not even 30s of trail left before we were to get on the pavement JF gets a rip in his tire, most likely from glass. The glueless patch actually held up for the last 3k. Perfect day for a 4 hour ride.
Just had a huge protein shake not too long ago and now I'm waiting for some potatoes and sausage to be ready. Gonna go to my grandpaps for Game 1 of the Mtl v Crosby series, can you believe they actually came back and beat Washington?
Tomorow is looking like a good day to get out for an early ride while its hot and before the rain comes.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Done... Now it begins
Finished off my last exam yesterday, 3 hours of philosophy, hopefully my brain hardens back up in a couple days. Took my last antibiotic this morning, hopefully they worked. Now that school is done for the next 4 months, I just have work and training to worry about. Most of the summer days will go something like; wake up/eat/work/eat/ride/eat/sleep, not very complicated. Work will consist of shovelling chicken shit or goat shit (yeah, there's a goat coupe too), cutting grass and gardening. Pretty good work, keeps me from sitting on my ass all day.
This week's training, back up to Tuesday night's race, lots of attacks right from the start. Lefebvre, Toews and Holtzman got away and when I bridged a small gap to Etzl we put the hammer down and looked back to see we had a gap. Noah joined us shortly, don't mess with his cadence. We were chassing for a lap until they got away from me and I was chassing solo for the rest of the race trying to stay away from Chown, Perry, Hokins and maybe others but I forget. Lefebvre dropped off the first group so I was chassing two guys who were chassing two guys. In the end, no one caught anyone. Some pretty big gaps in the field, wind sure played a big factor in that. I was feeling comfortable above theshold trying to hammer in the headwind, Perry is defenitely right that I have to learn how to hold a wheel in a corner, I'm getting tired of bridging 50m gaps after every turn.
An exam 2-5 pretty much screws up any training you have planned since I like to take a nap after a ride, can't really do that when writting an exam. After the exam I decided to chill out a bit and pick it back up today. I sent out an email to De Cal and Morka on Tuesday to see if I can get a ride set up on today, totally forgot to check my email until this morning. De Cal was probably already out riding since he had work, but Morka wasn't heading out til 11:30. We met at Mossimo's, did some good climbs, battled some good winds and finished off through the Hollows after 3 hours. The initial plan was to head to Jordan but I got a flat heading North on Effingham, luckily a lady rode by on her nice new Trek bike because my back-up tube didn't work and I couldn't use Morka's because he was on his hardtail. I did a doulbe patch job and somehow it worked, so we stuck around closer to home just to be safe. Good stuff.
I told him about my problem with race starts and he said that my warm-up is for sure a huge factor in that, his warm-ups are never under an hour. So I'll defenitely try that out before this weekend's race and see if I can actually breathe for the first 10 minutes.
Tomorow I would like to get out on the mtb before the rain comes, Pipelines might not be dry but it's worth a shot to check it out on my way North.
This week's training, back up to Tuesday night's race, lots of attacks right from the start. Lefebvre, Toews and Holtzman got away and when I bridged a small gap to Etzl we put the hammer down and looked back to see we had a gap. Noah joined us shortly, don't mess with his cadence. We were chassing for a lap until they got away from me and I was chassing solo for the rest of the race trying to stay away from Chown, Perry, Hokins and maybe others but I forget. Lefebvre dropped off the first group so I was chassing two guys who were chassing two guys. In the end, no one caught anyone. Some pretty big gaps in the field, wind sure played a big factor in that. I was feeling comfortable above theshold trying to hammer in the headwind, Perry is defenitely right that I have to learn how to hold a wheel in a corner, I'm getting tired of bridging 50m gaps after every turn.
An exam 2-5 pretty much screws up any training you have planned since I like to take a nap after a ride, can't really do that when writting an exam. After the exam I decided to chill out a bit and pick it back up today. I sent out an email to De Cal and Morka on Tuesday to see if I can get a ride set up on today, totally forgot to check my email until this morning. De Cal was probably already out riding since he had work, but Morka wasn't heading out til 11:30. We met at Mossimo's, did some good climbs, battled some good winds and finished off through the Hollows after 3 hours. The initial plan was to head to Jordan but I got a flat heading North on Effingham, luckily a lady rode by on her nice new Trek bike because my back-up tube didn't work and I couldn't use Morka's because he was on his hardtail. I did a doulbe patch job and somehow it worked, so we stuck around closer to home just to be safe. Good stuff.
I told him about my problem with race starts and he said that my warm-up is for sure a huge factor in that, his warm-ups are never under an hour. So I'll defenitely try that out before this weekend's race and see if I can actually breathe for the first 10 minutes.
Tomorow I would like to get out on the mtb before the rain comes, Pipelines might not be dry but it's worth a shot to check it out on my way North.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
O-Cup #1 Mansfield
A couple days late, but with 4 exams sandwiched in 6 days I haven't had much time for anything. After studying Saturday, then writting an exam from 2-5, then rushing to get a chain for tonights World Cup to make it to work for 5:30, getting everything ready was left to Sunday morning. Good thing I race at 1:30 now because it was tight. We (me and pap) made it to the course just before 1 and I got signed in and peeled a layer off. Warmed up for a bit solo, then with Morka, then solo again, I got in the starting pen at the very pack. So here's a vid of the start to explain part of how the beginning of my race went. Yeah, that's me, third last.
The pace wasn't very high at all but I always tend to breathe uncontollably at the start no matter how fast it is. Weird, it's not the nerves, maybe a shitty warm up technique? Or I am just brutal at starts, I'll find out in a few races. The first lap went by very quick even fealing as shitty as I was, I started to feel better on the opening climb the second time around but once back in the trails I was just fealing tired and I had lost count of the amount of crashes. I was riding with Jeff Moote when the front Elite guys came by, that was cool to see. The third time up the climb I felt awesome, this is where my race started. A couple stupid moves, but nothing major, started picking guys off and was making very good use of the big ring.
The last time up the climb I pinned in and started fealing very good. My fourth lap was my fastest lap (besides the shortened first one) and I started picking off more and more guys, I dropped my chain for the third or fourth time on one of the steep climbs, but a little on-the-go fix and remount combination ment that I didn't loose much ground at all.
I had no idea where I was, I was hoping top 10, but that didn't end up being the case. Ended up 17th out of 30. Not too bad for my first expert race, hopefully get in the top 10 at Albion and start making my way up to the podium by August.
There was no time for socializing afterwards because I was getting some sort of energy exchange/mind clearing. Pretty cool stuff, did it work? Not sure, I was able to breathe better afterwards but that could have been caused simply by the rest and the fact that I was no longer inhaling second-hand dust. Who knows? Let's just leave it at that.
Just like any race, some good things learned. I'm defenitely going to get in a much longer warm up by arriving at last 2 hours early to have some time to chill and get on the trainer for 30min before spinning around and doing some tempo/sprints. Handlebars Spring Mountain Bike Classic this weekend with Chown, he's doing it on his cross bike, should be a quick race.
Props to Etzl for his podium in Cadet ex, De Cal for a strong ride for his first time in Elite, Derek M. just missing a podium, and Jeff K. cracking the top 10 in masters. Sorry if I missed anyone, I'm studying for my philosophy exam so my brain is a little fuzzy.
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Rode hard, ate a lot, bed time
Just got back from an awesome ride not too long ago, ate a whole lot and now I'm lying in my bed completely spent. In a good way.
Got a little later start then I would have liked, but sleeping is the shit. I was still out before 12 which is very good for me when it's a solo ride. I started off with the usual Bauer/L2L trails to get to St. Catharines. I knew it was going to be a sick ride right from the first stretch of trail along the canal, everything was completely dry and I was riding sections much faster than I could last year. Finally using the berms instead of my breaks and pumping in and out of the ruts instead of sketching out and loosing momentum.
Once North, I started off with the Mill trail then got to the Short Hills through Driftwood. The trail comes out on Wiley rd. and at the top there is a gate to go around for the main path OR there is some singletrack going right. Lately I've been exploring quite a bit so I took it until I came to camp Wetaskawin, I was having flashbacks of being there as a little fella in grade 7 and 8. That was our junior high bonding trip, I was always so excited to go because of all the salamanders I would catch and bring home.
Anyways, got lost for a while but did alot of very long and steep climbs and descents so it wasn't all that bad, turned around a couple times and I was back at the gate. Not sure which loop I took but I ended up where we go down that sketchy descent with a sharp left turn at the bottom for the Squeezer. Followed that out to Decew that back tracked but instead of taking the L2L, I took the ATV trail that brings me to the Pipelines. Two super tough climbs later and I was heading home on rail trail.
I rode hard the whole 4 hours and climbed all the hills at race pace, once back on the rail trail to get home I took it easy though. Tomorow is the last chance we get for some early season mtbing, then it's rain and more rain for 2 days straight. May isn't really early season anymore, not mid but not early. Or maybe it is, whatever.
The next couple days will be pretty chill, 4 exams in 6 days starting tomorow. Awesome.
Got a little later start then I would have liked, but sleeping is the shit. I was still out before 12 which is very good for me when it's a solo ride. I started off with the usual Bauer/L2L trails to get to St. Catharines. I knew it was going to be a sick ride right from the first stretch of trail along the canal, everything was completely dry and I was riding sections much faster than I could last year. Finally using the berms instead of my breaks and pumping in and out of the ruts instead of sketching out and loosing momentum.
Once North, I started off with the Mill trail then got to the Short Hills through Driftwood. The trail comes out on Wiley rd. and at the top there is a gate to go around for the main path OR there is some singletrack going right. Lately I've been exploring quite a bit so I took it until I came to camp Wetaskawin, I was having flashbacks of being there as a little fella in grade 7 and 8. That was our junior high bonding trip, I was always so excited to go because of all the salamanders I would catch and bring home.
Anyways, got lost for a while but did alot of very long and steep climbs and descents so it wasn't all that bad, turned around a couple times and I was back at the gate. Not sure which loop I took but I ended up where we go down that sketchy descent with a sharp left turn at the bottom for the Squeezer. Followed that out to Decew that back tracked but instead of taking the L2L, I took the ATV trail that brings me to the Pipelines. Two super tough climbs later and I was heading home on rail trail.
I rode hard the whole 4 hours and climbed all the hills at race pace, once back on the rail trail to get home I took it easy though. Tomorow is the last chance we get for some early season mtbing, then it's rain and more rain for 2 days straight. May isn't really early season anymore, not mid but not early. Or maybe it is, whatever.
The next couple days will be pretty chill, 4 exams in 6 days starting tomorow. Awesome.
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
A little sidetracked (pun intended)
I would have slept in way past 12 today if the sun was shinning so bright right into my room. First off it was very annoying, but more importantly it ment that there was a possibility of riding the trails in the North. I started off by heading towards the Pipelines in Fonthill to find the ATV trail that should take me right to the L2L stuff. The plan was to take that North and after riding some trails I was going to take the L2L stretch and canal mtb trail home. I bombed down a hill and put the hammer down to get up one, then another, then another, I just kept pushing harder and harder while climbing and my descending skills were the best they've ever been. I had no idea which trail went where because the Pipelines were way too wet to ride last year.
Every time I came out onto a road I spun easy for a bit until I figured out where I was then went back in for some more fun. I had no idea that the place had so many trails. The climbs have to be the toughest in the region; very steep, suprisingly long, and lots of roots. There isn't any flat stuff, you're always riding on a ridge or climbing. There were some doubletrack descents that reminded me alot of a place like Mansfield or Ganaraska. One of them took me real close to the Hollows so I took a short road ride over to St. John's Conservation Area for some more climbing. I always wanted to take my bike there, but never got around to it. Very short but the climbs are very similar to those in the Pipelines.
I made my way back to the ATV trail and took it right to where the map said it would take me, Beaverdams where the red barn is. I took the L2L stretch and the mtb trail along the canal at tempo(ish) and held a good pace into the headwind for the rest of the way home. The ride was 3 hours but it felt much longer, anyone that lives in the region should defenitely ride those trails. There are a few creek crossings that aren't rideable but the hike-a-bike is pretty easy and there aren't bushes to walk through.
Tomorow I'll defenitely get an earlier start, up at 8 and hopefully out before 10. MTB fo sho, probably the Short Hills, Brock, 8x12, should be more like 4-5hrs.
Every time I came out onto a road I spun easy for a bit until I figured out where I was then went back in for some more fun. I had no idea that the place had so many trails. The climbs have to be the toughest in the region; very steep, suprisingly long, and lots of roots. There isn't any flat stuff, you're always riding on a ridge or climbing. There were some doubletrack descents that reminded me alot of a place like Mansfield or Ganaraska. One of them took me real close to the Hollows so I took a short road ride over to St. John's Conservation Area for some more climbing. I always wanted to take my bike there, but never got around to it. Very short but the climbs are very similar to those in the Pipelines.
I made my way back to the ATV trail and took it right to where the map said it would take me, Beaverdams where the red barn is. I took the L2L stretch and the mtb trail along the canal at tempo(ish) and held a good pace into the headwind for the rest of the way home. The ride was 3 hours but it felt much longer, anyone that lives in the region should defenitely ride those trails. There are a few creek crossings that aren't rideable but the hike-a-bike is pretty easy and there aren't bushes to walk through.
Tomorow I'll defenitely get an earlier start, up at 8 and hopefully out before 10. MTB fo sho, probably the Short Hills, Brock, 8x12, should be more like 4-5hrs.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Feeling good about not feeling good
Let me start off by saying that it was pretty brutal of me not to mention how good Nathan Chown did at the P2A. He barely gets any sleep, this time he didn't sleep for 2 days, and 6th place! Apparently he was sick on top of that, insane. This is especially brutal considering he's my team mate and all. Yeah, I didn't even mention that I'm racing for Handlebars CC this year. I'm super-pumped about it and I didn't even share the news.
So on to the first Tuesday night race of the year. Not much to report since I didn't race too long, I left the house at 5 and rode to the star, did half a lap and waited around until everyone got there. By this time I was pretty cold, but so was everyone else, the sun decided it didn't want to shine anymore. The start was pretty calm, I was fealing pretty good so I made my way to the front after there was an attack that got shut down and went off the front for a bit. I knew it wouldn't last longer than a minute.
The pace was pretty high on our first trip up Saylor's, at the top Noah was off the front solo and when Chown launched an attack the whole pack responded, minus me. I was chassing for a while and the gap wasn't growing but I knew I was only one surge away from being out of sight so I shut it down and headed back up Saylor's and called it a day. Rode back home with Willie Coyle and we had a good, unfinished, talk. Gear ratios and whatnot.
"Yeah Justin, it's all about leg speed. Have you ever seen that kid Noah pedal a bike? That guy does not know how good he is."
Agreed.
I was pretty bummed that I got dropped before the real jam started but that's cool. On the weekend I didn't even think I would be back on my bike before Mansfield causing me to miss another race. So everything is going much better than I thought, meds work good as far as I can tell. Oh yeah, forgot to mention that I was right about my sinus infection. So last week I was hit with a bad cold on top of the sinus infection (that I've probably had on and off for close to 2 years) on top of my ear infection. Nice.
So on to the first Tuesday night race of the year. Not much to report since I didn't race too long, I left the house at 5 and rode to the star, did half a lap and waited around until everyone got there. By this time I was pretty cold, but so was everyone else, the sun decided it didn't want to shine anymore. The start was pretty calm, I was fealing pretty good so I made my way to the front after there was an attack that got shut down and went off the front for a bit. I knew it wouldn't last longer than a minute.
The pace was pretty high on our first trip up Saylor's, at the top Noah was off the front solo and when Chown launched an attack the whole pack responded, minus me. I was chassing for a while and the gap wasn't growing but I knew I was only one surge away from being out of sight so I shut it down and headed back up Saylor's and called it a day. Rode back home with Willie Coyle and we had a good, unfinished, talk. Gear ratios and whatnot.
"Yeah Justin, it's all about leg speed. Have you ever seen that kid Noah pedal a bike? That guy does not know how good he is."
Agreed.
I was pretty bummed that I got dropped before the real jam started but that's cool. On the weekend I didn't even think I would be back on my bike before Mansfield causing me to miss another race. So everything is going much better than I thought, meds work good as far as I can tell. Oh yeah, forgot to mention that I was right about my sinus infection. So last week I was hit with a bad cold on top of the sinus infection (that I've probably had on and off for close to 2 years) on top of my ear infection. Nice.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Now that's what I'm talking about
Got out for just under 2 hours on the bike I'll be racing on this weekend, I haven't ridden it since November and it felt freakin awesome! So much nicer than my other mtb that I've been riding through the winter, defenitely going to get a wide bar for the beater.
I've pretty much got the fastest/funnest way to get through Welland to be on my way to Port, lots of hopping around once I get closer to downtown and a sweet but very short singletrack stretch to get me to the canal path. I put down some good hard efforts to open up, well, everything a bit so that I'm not a slug in the trails. The trails were super-dry and fast which made for some really fun trail riding, for the first time in a while I felt good. I was on freakin cloud 9 until there was 15 seconds left of trail to ride before I hit the path to head home and I heard a really high pitch sound, a very painful one, mentally that is. My rear tire was completely flat and after a quick check I found a nice big rip across the top and into the sidewall. Looked back on the trail to find scattered glass, I was so pissed, but now that I think back, at least it happened as close to Welland as possible (in the trail that is) and my mom was just leaving for her lunch hour when I called. Yeah, the more I think about it the more lucky I feel, walking home from Port would sure have ruined the day. Another thing I just thought of, I didn't have to ride through the headwind to get home, nice.
My doctor's appointment is in an hour, we'll see what he sais. After this ride, I'm super pumped for the first race night tomorow. With the 8x12 turned into a night racing series on Fridays I'll be at all of the tuesday night races for sure.
-EDIT- Totally forgot to mention Jeff Lemon's 53rd spot at yesterday's race. That guy is sick, can't wait to start the Monday night youth MTB rides in 2 weeks.
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