Riding in the snow

So back riding here in Ottawa, unfortunately the weather has not been all that great, especially during my early morning rides. But still clocking in the miles, with promises by the weather network that temperatures will be awesome for this coming week. The worst was that the roads were at least dry until it snowed last night, which made todays ride a very wet 5 hours in the saddle. And with low temperatures we opted to roll on by the usual coffee shop/bakery stops in order to stay warm. Here's hoping for better weather this week to help get ready for the first races of the season, ciao
Sandy

South Carolina photos

Back from the sun

So unfortunately I am now back from the beautiful South. At least the weather here in Ottawa has begun to climb upwards towards 15 for the weekend. With 44 hours of riding over the course of 10 days and many thousands of feet of climbing under my belt, I am now feeling much better for the coming season. Not to mention the good start to the tan lines. The toughest part of the journey was most definitely the drive to and from with the Daves, lasting about 22 hours each way. Stuck in a van with 8 other guys is definitely an assault on several senses, most of all the sense of smell. The Roads of the Carolina's are a beautiful place to train and well worth the drive in my opinion. With many climbs, varying from long gradual climbs such as Beech Gap and Ceasar's Head, to stiff, steep climbs such as Sassafras and the Highlands. Many small, curvy roads flow though the country side with nary a flat road to be found. I would like to mention that a map is a must, as it isn't the easiest place to navigate, luckily I was dragged around the countryside by Dan Maggi, Matt Guse and others making my work more minimal. I would also like to mention that it can be dangerous and confusing to talk to locals, due to both accent and general inbreeding. Not really their fault. All in all, an excellent way to get some early miles in, now to continue this training through the season here in Ottawa. Keep tuned as I prepare for my first race of the seaon, Good Friday Road Race in Hamilton, and continue to build towards my Belgian adventure.
"Can we turn the bass down, its hurting my ear" - Disability Dave

Sandy

Inaugural Posting

So here it is, the starting of my documentation of my cycling season, for all you clowns to read. Follow along to see some cool pictures and hopefully cool stories. As I type, I continue to procrastinate further my packing for my training camp down in South Carolina, for which I leave tomorrow at 4:30 am. Shit. After 17 or so hours of driving, we will reach our destination of Sunset South Carolina, where, after some unpacking and perhaps sleeping, I will meet the other members of the OCA training camp. Then its time to live the life of a cyclist: eat, sleep, and of course, ride. With no internet at our housing, updates may not be that frequent, but they will come. Hopefully along with pictures of the beautiful weather we best be having. So follow along on this, the first bike trip of my season.
Sandy