Four Hours of Power

Picked up my European and Swiss money, some American money, and some traveler’s cheques…received my tickets in the mail….I think all I need right now is a bike!!!! Yeah, it’s that time of year again, waiting for the new ride to arrive….anxiously waiting. With all of the warm weather that we’ve been having, I’m dying to take a new mountain bike out and get it totally broken in.

For anyone who hasn’t heard, my local Calgary based team, Terrascape Racing, is putting together a fundraiser event in the form of an indoor bike race “Four Hours of Power”. Half of the proceeds will go to Access Advantage which works to help reduce barriers in participation for children, youth and family’s, and half of the proceeds going to help fund my trip to Europe for the World Cups. It’s going to be a really neat event, with a fully catered banquet afterwards and really cool prizes…so if you’re not doing anything on March 15, come out and join us. There is information put up on www.canadiancyclist.com and www.albertabicycle.ab.ca .

Thank you for your support.

Winter Riding

So here I am, feeling sorry for my cold self, checking out all of these blogs and photos of people riding in warm places...Tuscon, Hawaii, California....I'm having some serious warm envy. Lately it's been tough just motivating myself to go outside from my house to the car, that kind of thing. Three minutes outside is too much.
For the past couple of days, it's been warming up a little, but I'm very slow to come out of my cave. Breaking the hibernation cycle is a slow, tough process. You know, it's warmer out, so you ditch the puffy jacket for something a little more stylish, but not as warm and you end up feeling just as cold as when it was -40 out...if that makes sense?
Thinking about it, my dad has been riding none stop too and from work in this nasty weather and that got me motivated. Dallas did a super epic road/gravel ride on Monday on his old fully rigid hard tail and that got me motivated. Checking out pictures of people riding in warm places, although it filled me with envy, definitely got me motivated. So today, I pulled my single speed off the wall and headed out on a awesome snowy ride....and man did I have a blast. (It's actually only been a week since I've ridden outsite but this cold snap has made it feel like months) So I'm begging you, if you see me, give my butt a kick and tell me buck up and just ride outside...I'll love you for it.

Just over a month till the first race......almost can't wait that long.

Happy Trails

Hot Yoga

I've tried various forms of yoga in the past year, but last night I dragged Dallas out to try "Hot Yoga". Pretty neat experience, I don't think that I've ever sweated that much, seriously, but it felt great and I feel awesome today. Lots of back work, strength and a really good purge of the system.

www.calgaryhotyoga.com

Definitely worth a try.

Cross Training

For all of you that have heard or are experiencing the brutal arctic front, I feel for you. I've been a wimp for the past couple of days, barely making it from my car to school, work or home. Lately I've felt like just curling up with a good book and a big mug of hot chocolate all day long. 50 below seems to have that effect on people, though kudos to my crazy dad who still insists on riding to work..

Although I haven't been cross country skiing since the cold snap, I've become more active in other cross training activities during these cold times. Last night I meet up with a couple of friends for some indoor rock climbing action. A couple hours of monkeying around ...hehe, (I know, I'm lame too) definitely helps to take your mind off the weather. After taking some time off of climbing, I've really been enjoying getting back into it this past winter as it's something completely different than cycling..and my fingerprints are finally starting to grow back too.

Today, I went to the gym early before class and did a super tough strength workout and core, and tomorrow I think I'm going to try some "Hot Yoga". Till the weather returns to more bearable temps, I'm restricting my self to indoor activities...you'd never know that I grew up in the North :)

Hoping this weekend to head out for a ski of the Cookie Race loop in the Kananaskis, which is a 42 km classic ski loop. Super fun with lots of hills and lots of fresh snow.

But for now, I'm heading downstairs for a little ride on the trainer, hope there is something good on the TV :)

School or Bike Races???

Surviving my first couple days of school haven't been that bad, I only have two courses left to graduate, so I definitely can't complain. Contaminant Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology (a course somewhat designed to help geologists and engineers communicate with eachother better).
I have discovered one big problem though, I'm going to miss all of my final exams during my trip to Europe to do the World Cup events...hehe. Not that I'm really upset about that, but I am really hoping that I can work something out to write them at a different date so I can at least gradute. I'm making the trip to Dean's office tomorrow to try and plead my case for a deferral.....oh to be done with school :) Wish me luck.

Happy Holidays

Ever wonder what you'd look like made of wood?? My grandpa carved and painted this incredible figurine out of wood for Christmas for me. Yes, that's real hair coming out of the helmet, whose, I don't know. And if you can zoom in close enough, you'll notice that I'm sporting the latest MED (my initials) edition front fork and Nike shoes.....wicked.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and New Years.

-18 plus wind chill

With one week left in the semester (exams don't count), I can't begin to express how excited I am. I know I have no right to complain, but this semester has been really tough; some really big projects/papers and lots of lab work. In between all of the madness of school, I have managed time to do more training than I've ever done, and work more than I've ever worked..... at the cost of not really being a person lately, more of a coffee dependant zombie....but the end is very near. After 18 years of school (well 19 is you count kindergarden :), I can finally see the light.

So now comes the real challenge, taking racing to the next level. I've posted my new tentative 2008 race schedule.