Photo Wednesday

What to do with a day off the bike and no class until 12? Steal Nick's EPIC pics, that's what. Due to my intention of riding back home to Ottawa Friday from Perth (on my fixie) I have swapped the normal Friday off for a Wednesday off. I think my legs and mind need it anyways. Another decent trainer ride yesterday, and I'm starting to lose my trainer mind I think. I can fully no longer watch movies I fear, and even watching races is becoming unappetizing. In preparation for this, I have been downloading my CBC Radio 3 podcasts like crazy to keep something going. New music will have to be my saviour. Weather does seem nice for tomorrow though, and I do have no class until 2.... I feel a round of exploring in order. Better glue up that new tyre on my fixie tonight. Nothing like 4-5 hours on rolling hills with your fixie to improve your perspective on life and training. I think the word for the month on January will be goals. With an early winter this year and all this trainer riding, you need something to be working towards. I have tons of people asking me how to survive long rides on the trainer. I think it really does boil down to goals. If you have no particular season ambitions, it is much harder to stay motivated. Think about it. In years when I just wanted to ride to be fit for the season and to avoid being crushed too badly at the local crits by the likes of the Cyclery boys (how the hell are these dudes so fast? honestly. They are pretty much my heroes) I would only ride a few times a week and crack after 1-1.5 hours. Nothing wrong with that. It was only once I set more serious goals for myself and realized what I had to do to improve that the motivation came. Not every one can love the trainer like a certain nameless individual (starts with a K.... and ends with an eir Plaice ahem) but you gotta beat the trainer some times. I hate the damn thing. Just never look at it badly. I always tell myself after a ride, that it was easy and fun. Sometimes during a ride, I tell myself that I can get off early. Its all about lying to your body. It can make the difference between suffering on a wheel and making others suffer on YOUR wheel. Have everything planned out. Race schedules are available now. Figure out where you want to be flying (aka your "goal" events) and then work backwards to now. If you have written down what you have to do on a specific day, its harder to wuss out. Thats my over caffeinated rant for the day. Did I mention I love my bodem? I shall now leave you with some pirated pics, courtesy of the man's man: Nicky Vipond.

I kept sinking down after tilting over. Kiwi had to pull me out while we both
peed ourselves laughing. Fully a few feet down.

I sense a good bail coming! It's the simplest way to stop.

Sandy is going down again. Good catch by Nick. Did I mention everyone
went down the hills ahead of me to be able to watch?

The EPIC crew. (l-r) Cath, Dodson, JS, moi, Westie, Tomsic, Kiwi, Viper.

Dinner: pot roast topped with fresh dill & cilantro, baked sweet potatoes,
fresh asparagus with grated mozzarella. Fresh green with balsamic dressing.
Haut fur doma!