Training Log Archive: arg

Waterfront - easy ride to enjoy the day.

Home out to Finlayson Arm Road, then Bear Mtn, then down past RRU via the lagoon road, then old island hiway back into Victoria

Out and about

Mt Doug solo run.

Legs felt heavy - as a matter of fact, I think the thud of my leaded feet hitting the soft trails probably triggered some seismoligist into thinking the west coast big one was anon.

My R ankle is still not 100% and was feeling sore at the end of the run, so a bit of vitamin i and some icing should take care of that.

Lazy ride to work.

I'm contemplating running one of these days. You know, the kind of activity one does when fleeing a charging rhino or the police.

It seems I haven't run for quite a while and I'm not looking forward to lacing up one of my multiple pairs of running shoes only to face that running awkwardness when you get to a trail that weeks ago you adored but now you don't want to spend time with.

Many of my atheletic friends are questioning my running absenteeism and poking at my ever-burgeoning spare tire that they claim is directly proportional to my absence from running; however, the real fact is that I am enjoying eating an over abundance of couch potato calories as a celebration of not running: salty chips and the Stanley Sippy-Cup playoffs will take a toll on ones weight, let me tell you. Plus, there is the concurrent Tour giro d'italia to watch and the 2010 FIFA World Cup is looming...running might interfere with visceral HD entertainment.

But who am I kidding?? I'm scheduled for a trail run tomorrow. After work.

C • Trail it. 9

Work to home in a round-about way.

Caleb Pike

Interesting to note an increase of cyclists participating in the VCL over the last three weeks (last week being an exception as the OB Crit was canceled) as there have been a 'C' division added and the B numbers have grown along with the A group.

This week's racing menu delivered a 15 lap affair for the A's. To complement the Caleb Pike menu, my tactical hors d'oeuvres was to infiltrate the top half of the group and remain there until I was either baked, seared or fried. The first couple of laps were done in souffle style: cautious, deliberate and full of promise.

Then the mixture turned daring and spicy. Individual ingredients tossed into a variable speed cuisinart and put on high. There were a few sketchy riders making this race one to pay attention to as they did not hold lines or cut off riders passing on their left. I had a few bumps in the corners but nothing serious. I was forced into a pylon by an overzealous out of the saddle rider who was flailing himself all over the road.

One of the C riders went down in a 90 degree corner just a few seconds before the A's were hitting it - we had a lot of momentum leading into the turn and I heard him hit (must have hit his inside pedal in the corner, then the distinct sound of crabon fribé hitting the pavement). He slid to a stop and sat up in the middle of the corner exit, saw our pack bearing down and then he tried to make himself as small as possible. Luckily he got out of that without being run over by a bunch of skinny (myself excluded) cyclists in fancy Euro-wear.

I hung in the draft in the top half and oft times slid back into the bottom third when the pack countered attacks with punchy acceleration. I had to fight to stay in good position to take advantage of the pull and finally figured out a cornering error I was making which improved my ability to come out of the corner with suitable speed and with an added bonus of distancing those behind me (which meant they had to expend more energy to catch me while I had my wheel in the mid-pack backside.

It's not to say I wasn't working. Far from it...I had to keep fighting for position and not get spit out the back like a chewed up bone. As the laps counted down, my energy level was fine, and I was able to place myself well in the 2nd to last lap and led out a chase to catch Andrew. I let the pack absorb me then got ready at the last 90 degree turn to keep up with the leaders as they accelerated away. Hands in the drops, nose down and big gear while keeping my competitors to the inside on a sweeping downhill right hand turn, then the slingshot into a narrow 8' lane to sprint up hill to the finish line. I think I was in the top ten, but reality may have me placed at 11 or 12th - results are not up yet.

C • Cool! 2

Commute to work - great day for a ride.

From work and to the observatory for hill climb x 2. Then continued along West Saanich Rd to Sparton, to Oldfield, then Brookleigh, then Sayward, Cordova Bay Rd, the Royal Oak to the office.

Observatory Hill Climb #1

Observatory Hill Climb #2

Commute home.

Road Ride:

Rode out to Cumberland from the 'rents place - I stopped in at Riding Fool Hostel to see J, but he was about and about. Continued to Comox L and putzed around, looking at the old 'China Town settlement' where the menfolk provided the labour for the local coal mine. Took a couple of pix of the a black bear that was sitting by the road, in the sun. His buddy heard me and lumbered off, but this one thought nothing of me being a few feet away on my bike and snapping his picture. Nice bear - glossy, shiny coat. Healthy.
Courtenay Kruz