Last day

Three weeks have now come and gone. Much too quickly. Went out for a final spin, a little under 3 hours with Geoff, around nowhere in particular. One of those incredibly lazy/lethargic days. A day more suited to sitting around in your sweats with some tea than riding a bike. Overcast, in between cool and almost warm, and kinda threating to rain. We also opted for a little bit of a late start helping our legs feel extra tired and stiff. Nothing cool about the ride, other than an inopportune front flat about 20 minutes into the ride requiring me to stuff a dolla bill into my tyre to block the decent sized gash. Home for some food, and now tea and lazing around in my sweats. Feel generally like falling asleep for a quick nap before dinner. Maybe start packing. And get the bbq going. Gotta finish off some steak. No use letting it go to waste.

Shoving a dolla bill in the tyre due to the large gash.



RideClean.



Geoff superman-ing it home.

tribute to the best ride in the world

Tri-state, several thousand feet of climbing, dirt, and generally the most incredible scenery known to man. A cool yet sunny day again, at least with a much more gentle wind. About 7 down in the valley and apparent highs of 0 up where we intended to head. But hey, the sun is out and we're in need of an adventure. Cut around through some back roads to this smokin wicked gravel climb. Full on ~5km of teady gravel road, switch back climbing. 35 minutes up. Immediately after summiting, we turned left on the parkway (107) and continued climbing for another 40 odd minutes + of climbing (back on real roads) up to the top of Whitewater Falls. And then a little more climbing up to Cashiers, just to make sure our legs were starting to feel some pain. Into cashiers and then another turn, to make the final ascent to Highlands. Rolling road led into the final full on climb of the day... the steep and incredible switch backs of the 20-25 minute climb up to Highlands. Steep, beautiful and 1000+ feet of elevation gain in the last few kms alone. Hell, Highlands is apparently at about 4200 ft. above sea level. A quick stop (ok, about 30 minutes) in the wonderful local coffee establishment for a macchiato and a pie of fresh baked organic apple pie. Life is good. Saddle back up for the final ride back home, all along the scenic and gorgeous Hwy 28. Quiet, rolling, with some solid and smokin fast and snaking descents. Sheer drop offs off the the side, lush mountain greenery on the other... You can see why this ride was so awesome. 6 hours, 150km. And 3 happy riders. Next part of the day. 3 guys, 3 pizzas. Sandy's creation. My babies. Fresh made whole wheat crust....

Pizza #1 pesto sauce/chicken/green peppers/green onion/red onion/red pepper/mozzarella
Pizza #2 thai spicy peanut sauce/chicken/red peppers/green peppers/green onion/ mushrooms/mozzarella
Pizza #3 tomato slices/sausage/pepperoni/spinach/mushrooms/olive oil/mozzarella

Plus a few fresh Caronas. Now I find myself stuck to the couch, full and unable to move. The best day yet. A day that makes me glad I've followed the path I have, glad for fresh made pizza, and good people. I'm sure I'm forgetting some cool and interesting (perhaps even funny details) but either way. I'll leave with some pictures. Luckily I brought my camera today.

Geoff climbing through one of the many windy turns of the gravel climb. Looking down through some switchbacks...

Me enjoying a macchiato, perhaps a little too much. And again, over excited at the sight of one of 3 pizzas. I fully can barely move 3 hours later as a result of being sooo bloody full. It was worth it. Really.

wind and thoughts

Sitting here, in recovery mode (as per usual this time of the day) eating an orange and watching the sun set. It seems to me that I enjoy many of the little things around me that much more with riding. Either taking the time during a ride to enjoy a view, the pain in my legs, or now... resting and relaxing. The day seems that much more well spent after a hard day on the bike. Cold and windy today, high of 7 degree (1 degree on top of Caesar's Head) and some serious bloody wind. Rode out with some randomized cross and tail winds out to the climb with Hunt and Geoff, generally attempting to stay warm. When we hit the climb I took off for my tempo work, which by the way hurt. Definitely took my legs a solid 15-20 minutes to stop whining and get with the program. Nothing like the pain of the first real organized tempo to help you enjoy why you ride your bike. Started feeling better for the second half and generally began to enjoy my ride. Minus the pain. Headed back down to meet up with the boys and then headed back up to the top with them. Bought a newspaper at the top, mostly to enrich our minds. But also to stuff down our jerseys as a little extra insulation for the descent. Second switchback lead to a little surprise to me and apparently the driver behind me as my rear tube blew through the corner. Guess my rear wheel fishtailed a little as a result of this as I pulled over with a few choice words as the the driver behind me promptly pulled over to check to see if I was alright. Nice people. Popped in a new tube and set back down the hill, somewhat more carefully, to chase down the peloton. Who happened to be waiting a few more turns down as the same driver had even warned them that I had flatted. Like I said, nice people. Finished the ride home off with 2 hours or so of solid headwind action. Plus a few 5 minute intervals for Hunt with Geoff and I sitting on and enjoying the his draft. A little under 5.5 hours and 150km in the end. Definitely feeling it a little in the legs by the end. No problems finishing, just that first intensity in the legs feeling. Quick snack and some pondering regarding my somewhat limited dinner options and here we are. Perhaps another movie night tonight to wind down. Word on the street (aka what I intend to do) is a nice loop involving an (apparently) wicked long gravel climb. Gotta try to squeeze out a few more hours in the saddle before heading back to more snow.
Advice of the day: slow down. enjoy what you're doing and where you're doing it. Try something new, and go out on a limb. And yes, I think I sound like a fortune cookie.

Rain and rest

Tough couple of days on the bike. Today's weather forecast calls for - horrendously pathetic riding weather. No worries, I've got an easy 2 hour spin planned. Currently lighting and thunder are fighting it out for superiority in the sky, with a strong last minute alliance of stupid crazy wind and sheets of rain. At very least it is quiet and calm in the kitchen with Keir and I hanging out and hoping more folks decide to sleep in. Quiet time is like solid gold in a house with 8-12 dudes. Yesterday provided us with some weather that makes today's shitshow weather all worth it - highs in the upper 20s and sun. All I gotta say is, my tan is starting. As soon as the 25 barrier was broken, off came the arm and knee warmers. Ended up with a nice 5.5 hours in the saddle with a nice sit-on tempo effort (Keir and Hunt needed a tempo workout, I didn't) and then my first real leg opener of the season with a wicked 15 minute tempo climb. Felt awesome to finally let the legs go, open the lungs and feel a little pain. A quick refuel at the top with a nice "y'all come back real soon now" from a large and friendly shop woman, allowed us to continue along, dropping Hunt and Geoff off then Keir before finishing the last hour and change of my ride on my own. Relaxing evening involving some steak, a bbq, and some veggies finished off the day nicely. Hard to believe that my 3 week stay is already so close to being done.

Rolling along

Pretty much a normal day here. Back down to a good ol' 5 hour jaunt in the mountains. Up Whitewater Falls, up to Cashiers, across to Sapphire and back on down. Threats of rain prevailed, but only hit Keir and I for a few seconds. Even a few minutes of sun near the end to cut through the cool spring air. Actually, it was pretty bloody chilly up in the mountains. Either way, a quick gas station stop to reful the engines, as the coffee shop was closed (what kind of half-assed coffee shop is closed on Saturdays and Sundays???), got us back home in good shape and spirits. Chalk up another 125kms in the books, and then off to the grocery store for a few final supplies to get me through the week. And apparently to buy Geoff some food too as he forgot his debit card. Also made a quick stop by Jittery Joes coffee shop. Figured with all they give to cycling the least I could do as a cyclist would be to stop by, check it out and give a little support myself. Support in the way of a small dark roast to go and a can of beans. Solid. Nice fish for dinner with a spinach salad and some couscou to end the day. Tomorrow should be quite nice weather wise and Keir, Geoff and I should be putting in another long miles day with 5-6 flat miles planned in the sun. Tuesday is apparently a rain day, so should provide an excellent opportunity for some rest and recovery before 3 more big days and then my return to snowy Canada. I think I need a big ol' espresso machine to go with my barrista course. Yes mom, this is a hint. Just think of it as an investment and some quality morning cappuchinos! I feel something solid like a Rancilio Silvia would do nicely.

Sun

The sun is back. And how. Broke the 25 degree mark today during our long day. This means one important thing, the leg/knee warmer removal of the season. I did wait until after the major descents. After a nice pannakoken breakfast, we headed out to meet up with the campers. It was there I discovered that apparently I look mildly responsible and was therefor put in charge of leading one of the groups. Ouch. Luckily, I am better than I thought and my group was one of 2 NOT to get lost. Headed out towards Rocky Bottom, up and around to Rosman, up the back side of Sassafras (yes Deveer, we went ALL the way up haha) and then back home. Though myself, Geoff, Robertson, and Hunt headed out for a few extra miles. Sunny and glorious kms... In the end, chalk up another 8 hours in the saddle and 220 more kms. Quality miles. Felt pretty wicked good on the bike too. Legs floating and spinning pretty easy. Pretty happy with these miles and my form seems to be coming along. Though from what I hear of weather back home, it may be back onto the trainer for me. This bothers me. And I realize that many of you have been riding the trainer while I've been riding all these outdoor miles, but you may also forget how much harder it is to go BACK to the trainer after becoming accustomed to sun and outside. Sorry. I win. Though I doubt anyone out there feels bad. Time for some recovery time and do it all over again tomorrow.

Rest & Recovery

Tis the day. The day of rest. Planned on a small ride, 1 to 2 hours. As long as the weather wasn't to shoddy, but the weatherman was indeed unkind. Little warmer than yesterday, and little less rain; but overall quite dreary and overcast. Instead I stayed in bed, cozy and warm, until 9 (quite the feat) and then relaxed with my breakfast and coffee. Spent some time on school stuff (in order to minimize the falling behind) and then headed into Clemson with some of the boys. A cool little college town about a 20 minute drive from the house. Spent a while hanging in the coffee shop, critiquing the local student barrista, and generally enjoying a latte. Headed up to a local used book store that Thuss knew and picked myself up 2 new books - In Defense of Food & Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. Ideally this should a) give me something to do other than browse the same crap on the internet, & b) get me back into reading. Both should be good things. Quick stop at the grocery store en route, and home for dinner. Nice fish dinner with a new marinade I half discovered in a cook book I was browsing at the shop, and half created in my head at the grocery store. Pretty damn good. Did a little more drafting work for school while waiting for the stove line-up to subside and enjoyed some fish, lentils and veggies. House movie night, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, playing on screen number 1. Seemed a well enjoyed piece from my portable collection. Tomorrow's weather and ride is looking much more promising, looking like perhaps heading out for another long day with the camp kids for some good miles and plenty of climbing. Last ride for those buggers, and I as well appear to be moving into my final week here at the house. How time flies. Soon I'll be back to snow, school, and general regular life. At least whenl school is out and I can resume rising at 7 and riding my days away... On a down note, it appears I will now be driving home solo. So if any readers out there are down here now, and looking to head back North on March 1 (instead of perhaps with the OCA van), talk to me. Otherwise, no worries. I've done long drives before, and I'll do them again. Travel seems to come with this occupation. On a sad note, I am out of Nutella. And due to a recent explosion in the cylcling community population, the local grocery stores are sold out. We have checked. This is dangerous as I derive many ride calories from Nutella sammies. Back to jam for now...

Favourite food of the week: blood oranges. Tasty little buggers. Like a normal orange, slightly different taste (perhaps sweeter?) and a red interior. Not sure exactly why I'm loving them... they just seem to strike a cord with me. And I hear they're in season.

Can you say shattered?

You see that weather causing riders to drop out of ToC with hypothermia? Thats what we got today. But colder. High down here in the valley of 4 and pissing rain. I hear -12 up on the Blue Ridge. We had a long day on the sched, I think you get the picutre... Me and the Race boys (plus Geoff) headed off about a little before 9, to get a hour in before heading to the camp kids house to pick them up and lead their 6 hour ride. Figured it would be good to get our extra miles in before the afternoon rain. After all, we planned a 7-8 hours. Picked up the kids group and hit the road up and into Georgia. As we arrived into Georgia, 4 hours for Sandy, the rain began. Light for a while, but then it got hard. Soon, we soaked and rolling back. Pull up to the house to drop the camp kids off after about 7 hours before heading off for the solo trek home. Most people were a little smarter than me and cut home earlier. Cold to the core, but happy. End totals, 7:45, 210km. Shiet. I'd say this qualifies as the definition of epic. For sure the best shower ever after that. Now a few layers of wool sweaters and plenty of tea. Needless to say I should sleep like a bloody baby tonight. On the plus side, my legs are feeling strong, and my body is looking forward to a well deserved rest day tomorrow. Enjoy your evening, I need some food and then sleep.

A random day in my shoes

7am - wake up, breakfast, internet surfing and generally enjoying the momentary quiet through the house.
9am - 2nd cup of coffee, greet new kitchen arrivals, perhaps some fruit to snack on pre ride. Check weather, and plan a route. Generally the tele seems to be turned to Fresh Prince of Bel Air at this time too.
10am - depart for ride. sometimes varies. But this seems to be a normal, civilized hour for the house. Tomorrow will be 8am to try for 6 hours before the rain hits. Some are unhappy about this decision. I really would prefer not riding in 7-8 degrees and rain. But hey, harden up.
10am to mid aft - ride time. Route dependent, random stop (aka food, water, pee or flat). Generally 4-7 hours for me. Sometimes a little less for those pesky recovery days.
after ride, pre-dinner - Shower, warm clothes, then food. I go for the spinach omelette, a fresh orange, and some tea. Pull out the computer and screw around some more with some of the many time wasters available. Favourites: cycling websites, this damn blog, and facebook. I'd play some kind of video game, but let's face it; I suck at them. I seem to lack some kind of focus or perhaps hand-eye co-ordination. And of course, think about dinner.
7pm - Dinner. Usually a 2 hour operation. Give or take. Preparation, wrestling match for stove elements, cutting boards, pots/pans.... etc. Not gonna lie, kitchen live can get ugly with 12 hungry, skinny cyclists all looking to one up each others meals. Well, most everyone is preparing a good meal. Not everyone. Pour a glass of vino, and relax with a hard earned meal. Maybe nurse some battle wounds.
8pm to 10pm - General chillaxin out maxin out time. More internet, movies, random TV, reading (as long as you are a litterate member of he house, no hate) and perhaps some good humoured jostling. This is the time for the Alpha cyclist to shine. Dominance must be asserted through taunts, quick reflexes and general "yo momma" type jokes. Things can get crude, such as a "fart-off", but I will leave that information out as to not further cause your opinion of cyclists (and me) to drop. I'm certain other sports have these bonding methods as well.

Thats it. If its a rest day, or you feel like it - throw in a nap, or more computer/tele time. Just keep your feet up. And drink plenty of water. I usually end up cleaning the kitchen a decent amount too. I think I can hear my mom laughing already about that last bit. Tomorrow should be a picture day. I got a bunch today from the ride with Geoff. A nice chill spin through the hills. Solid.
PS-wicked lunar eclipse tonight. Pretty cool to see so clearly over our lake.

The day after the day

The birthday has come and gone. This makes 2 years in a row to be celebrated in the Carolina's I believe. Little extra cool this time as it was also my boy Eric Robertson's, same day, same year. We are now pretty much brothers. If only he weren't a Leaf's fan, I may be able to acknowledge his his presence in public. In other news, quite the fart-off on the ride. Five and half hours, including the world's slowest ascent of Caesar's Head. Nice endurance ride, with bloody Hunt letting them rip whenever he would hit the front. Windy and pretty cool (probably as I am now a little spoiled weather wise) but the wind was quite forceful. So much so, that while descending Caesar's Head, a large gust felled a tree (ok a branch the size of a tree, but I like the word 'felled') right accross the road about 10m in front of us. Luckily traffic on Caesar's Head is quite light on a weekday afternoon, so other than a surprise, we were all fine. Pretty cool though. Massive headwind for the ride home, but a quick stop for a honey bun and some more water made the rest of the ride fly by. Got home, quick bite, shower then off to the grocery store for some dinner supplies. Birthday dinner: chicken nachos. What can I say, the need hit me about an hour into the ride. Just ask Keir, they were fully some of the best nachos ever. Except maybe for my copious amounts of fresh jalapanos. Forgot how spicy those suckers are. Both of us had some serious overheating action happening after some large mouthfuls of those puppies. A few Sierra Nevada brews and we'll call it a meal. Quite the celebration in the kitchen actually. Even got a few pictures of our massive groups. Some of the other boys made some delicious fresh bbq'd pizzas. Today will be somewhat chiller, probably 4-5 hours nice and easy with Geoff. Thursday will be a tough long day, so some recovery time today will be paramount. Enjoy your day. I know I will.

Thuss tossing the pizza pie. Thumbs up for nachos. The birthday kids.

The days

They are flying by. Incredible how time passes. Already done with a week of 3 here in the South. House is going well, lessons to be learned from a few on general living skills, but hey. Everyone has gotta learn sometime. Wicked ride today. One of those rides with some weightless legs, great weather and not enough time. It was quite honestly everything I could do mentally to not really push myself on the climbs or take a particular left hand turn (up the wicked Highlands climb) and hold myself to only my planned 5 hours. Hit near 17 degrees down by the lake, but with some stiff winds. Rode up through the valley, hooked up with some of the camp kids for a few kms before setting back off on my own up Whitewater Falls climb/Devil's Staircase. A solid 40 minutes or so of climbing (though I did allow myself some tempo on the steep final pitches of Devil's Staircase) allowed me to discover both how much I had climbed and as well (by association how much colder it was at this new altitude). Close to 6 degrees to be exact. Found myself quite glad to be my usual somewhat overdressed self. Kept on going for what is definitely one of the most scenic and beautiful loops around. Followed the road up some more into Cashiers, and then again a little more up all the way to Sapphire. Did stop on the edge of Cashiers to take advantage of a nice looking coffee shop for a cappuccino and a massive maccadamia nut/white chocolate cookie. Well worth the $3. Back on the road, and into the headwind for some descending and rollers all the way home. Just danced along the pedals, iPod picking out some well suited tunes, working hard to stay in my zones (not the harder pace my legs were craving) and enjoy the sun. Busted out some more bbq action tonight as well with some more homemade fries and good vino to end off a solid day. Almost time for a grocery run however. I figure I should be able to last a few more days anyways before I'm out of fruits and veggies. Really find myself wishing I had brought my camera today. I will now fully have to do this ride again. Luckily the weather seems to call for sun, the plan for plenty of miles, and the legs cry for pain.

rain

Bit of an ugly day around here today. Light rain all morning so far, and into the afternoon, and apparently some decent thunder showers hitting us later in the afternoon. Went out for a nice easy 3 hour spin, plus a easy paced climb up Cashiers. Nothing strenuous, just ride until the legs started to come around. Felt pretty dead in the legs for the first 2 hours or so of the ride, but kept the cadence up and the heart rate down until the legs came along. Other than being a little wet and cold after arriving home, a good day. The last of the kids (I think) arrived late last night, so needless to say Geoff and I woke up to find a new roommate. Luckily I was not awoken with his arrival, so it really made no particular difference to me. House is definitely pretty much at capacity for the moment. Going to be a super chillax afternoon, maybe a nap is in order. Just one of those days. Lazy, rainy day. We'll see whats in store for tomorrow, but hopefully a nice 5 hours in some ideally better weather. Word is sun will return for the next couple days at least anyways. Had a wicked bbbq dinner last night. grilled veggies and pork chop with some baked sweet potato fries and a nice glass of wine. Best way to top off a solid day is a solid meal. Cheers to naps.

Solid day. plus some solid weather.

Knee warmers and arm warmers today. Even rolled the arm warmers down on a few of the longer climbs. Fully hit up the mid 20s for most of the day. Went out looking to take advantage of the weather with a planned 5 hour day. Lost track somewhat of time with a few extra long climbs, ended up home with a solid 6 hours and 160km in the legs. Legs felt wicked. Kept the pace nice and easy and was definitely feeling a little better on the climbs. Closing in on the end of the first week here, and looks like it'll be a nice big week hours wise with the legs feeling stronger and better as the days go on. Saw plenty of funny stuff on the solo ride today, I think I can sum up South Carolina with one word: guns. Riding along one of the highways, saw a pickup pulled over. Looking closer, noticed two dudes in full camo holding some large guns staring into a field. Odd, yes. I figured my best option was to drop it down a few gears for the remainder of the climb, drop my head and try my best not to look like something that needed to be shot. Of all the days to not wear my 'captain America' Cycling Center kit.... Apparently should be some ferocious rain pelting us tomorrow, so pretty glad to have only a 3-4 hours on schedule. We'll see how that goes.

Up on top of the Continental Divide. About 3 hours and change in.

The sunrise from the house. Looks like the start of a good day.

Watching numbers and my shadow as I climb.

Back in the saddle

Solid day. Both ignoring the random cycling news (aka Astana debacle) and ride wise. About 4:15 with Keith, 130km. Started off with 4 of us, but Geoff and Dave turned home a little early with some knee issues. Felt pretty solid for sure. A couple of us are looking at heading to Greenville at the end of February for a solid 100km early season road race to test the legs. Could be good times. Pretty rolling ride, no major climbs though. But a nice solid pace. First day in knee warmers too. A solid high of 18 and some sun. Needless to say, some knee warmer tan lines have begun to appear. Solid. Some stuffed & wrapped chicken to come for dinner soon I feel. Plus Ramsey's Kitchey Nightmares is on BBC next, should be a good evening. Hopefully another solid 4-5 hours tomorrow. Wait and see weather wise, but I hear similar today but a few degrees cooler. House will be changing some in the coming day, a few moving out to the more controlled house for the camp with Denise and a few other younger ones moving in. Time to teach kids how to do dishes I fear. Could be interesting. At least I have a routine now. Just got to avoid the knee issues some of hte boys are having from all the miles and some cold knees. No good. Enjoy your day.

Good day for me, bad for cycling.

Wicked recovery day for me. Pretty sure that if anti-dope came knocking I'm test positive for a caffeine overdose.
I'd write something about the ongoing (and escalating) battle between the Grand Tour organizers and the UCI, but not only would it work me up (and ruin my no stress rule) but enough has been written by many others. For a nice solid rant, check on poor Keir's blog (who seems to have been pretty worked up) or many of the other cycling websites. All I have to say, the rider's union needs to stand up and be heard. The riders are what makes it all work. Take a stand for all.
On a cooler and much less talked about note, I am pretty much an espresso king and full fledged barrista now. Wicked course. Seven of us with 2 teachers with more coffee knowledge than you could shake your fist at. Full day. Started off with espresso basics and tastings. Tried with different grindings, and different pour lengths, and then got down to business ourselves of playing with their multi-thousands of dollar espresso machines. Quick lunch break with the class to a local (and excellent) Indian buffet. Best $8 buffet I've ever had, fresh and well done. Back to class and time to work on espresso bevies (cappuccino and latte) and basically playing with the milk frothers. And of course the usual sampling of our creations. A little work on machine maintenance and we were done. And wired. Back home now and preparing for a nice salad for dinner. Back to riding and business as usual for tomorrow. I'm thinking a good ol' solid 3-4 hour spin. Nothing strenuous. Just spin de legs. You know, 90... 10 rpm.... 53x11... just spin.

Side note: I was fully the only one to be able to make milk explode. Don't worry, its cool now. Apparently when the milk is ready you turn the steam DOWN, not onto the higher settings. Who knew? Now, some coffee extravaganza pictures. Wicked.

Partners in crime: Adam Thuss (l) & Dave Vukets.

Vukets in learning mode by the chalk board.

Me working the machine like a seasoned pro.

Enjoying our cappuccinos like good little cyclists.

EPIC

Cycling never gets easier, you just go faster. That basically sums up my day. My body decided to get into the hurt box and join the team RACE boys (minus Keir) for their 7 hour jaunt through the mountains of South and North Carolina. Some peer pressure may have been applied by a select few... aka Pozzy. Either way, 201km and 7 hours later, I'm home. More named climbs than I could shake my tired fists at, and plenty of fun times. In that weird and painful cycling kinda way. Had a solid 2 hour period towards the second half of the day were I felt like complete garbage, right around the time we hit the Blue Ridge parkway climb, a little after THIS sign...

Not sure about you, but this is exactly what I like to see 4 hours from home.

I gritted my teeth, road my pace and sucked some wheels. Everyone kinda went at their own pace up the Blue Ridge, as it is a roughly 40-45 minute ascent with temps at the top dropping nicely below 5 degrees. We all re-grouped on the descent and demolished a local gas station of its collection of Coke, Pop Tarts, water and my personal favourite - Fried Apple Pie (looks like a fried, icing covered pizza pop, AND packs a nice 450 cal). Back on the road for the remaining 3:30 home. Plenty more climbing to add to our original, but also some wicked (and frigid) descents. I pretty much tail gunned it back into home, and played mental games with myself on some of the longer climbs (basically called myself a wuss if I were to consider letting go of the wheel in front of me). Either way, the first real serious day in the mountains is done, and hopefully many more to come... along with ideally some better climbing legs for me. Belgium, this is not. A nice long shower, an omlette and tea and now some relaxing waiting for an opening in the kitchen to swoop in for some stir fry action. Hope you all enjoyed your day too. Life is good. Ah, yesterday was an uneventful first day in some real climbs with a solid 30-40 minute ascent u towards Cashiers with Mundy and Keir. Good day, road decently. A nice 4 hours to warm me up for todays epic cruise. Time for more food I think, today will be a well deserved off day. Spending the day with a few of the boys in Ashville taking a wicked looking barrista course. Counter Culture Coffee. Check it.

Interesting stats for the inner bike dork in you:
Total kms: 201.2
avg speed: 28.5
max speed: 90.1km/h
Energy cosumed: 3740Kj

Let the good times roll

First 'real' ride yesterday went well. Not magic kinda dancing on the pedals kinda feelings, but not pedaling squares with lead legs. Managed a solid 4 hours (115km) with Keir and Geoff. No real route, though the rolling terrain and weather were quite agreeable. Did have to ask for directions home at a gas station at one point, but otherwise no worries. And of course leave it to Keir to try pushing the pace on the last couple climbs on the way home. Luckily I remembered to back it off a bit and me and Geoff chilled it out a bit and let the leash go. On the other hand, I dusted the little bugger in his "town line sprint challenge". Looks like I'll be taking the sprint jersey into today's climbing stage, while 'Il pirate' (Kier) will be pulling on the climbers jersey. Today appears to be a little more climbing, still finalizing the route, but appears to be made up of myself, Keir, and Mundy. Geoff and his Maglia Nera will be doing his own shorter ride to try and find his legs. Got the workings of a sweet long day planned out for Wednesday... all I can say is Caesar's Head. Looking like a solid 5 hours or about. Then rest Thursday with the cool looking Barista course. Nothing like spending a rest day learning about good coffee.

Settling in

Day 2 here, and life is beginning to settle into a grove. Bed at 10, up at 7 eat, ride, recover. There are many benefits to being an early riser in a house with so many occupants, most importantly is full kitchen access. Generally at the 7am mark it appears to be myself and Keir taking full advantage of this situation. Share a coffee and chef up some eats. Today: pannakoken with apple slices grilled in brown sugar and a little butter. Then comes coffee and the morning internet checks. Everyone has their morning routines, long rides are busy planning their routes on google maps. By 8, there seem to be about 5 or 6 of us in the kitchen while many continue snoring away. Its a good time. Managed to squeeze in 2 nice spins yesterday in the sun. Hit 17 degree. A little windy, but a very welcome change from the -17 I see some are dealing with back in Ottawa. Not that I'm rubbing it in, I'm just saying. Had a quick relax session after groceries (a relatively expensive expedition to start from scratch) and then out for a another spin for a tad under 2 hours. Legs started to feel as though they were coming around for sure. No longer the squares I found myself pedaling on the morning jaunt, but much more fluid. Dinner appears to be the most hotly contested and tricky hour in the house. Generally you find all 9 boys getting hungry around the same time. And with one kitchen and limited cutting boards and pots, you can see the issues. Basically a system comes similar to an assembly line. Yesterday I tried the tactic of early dinner. Worked well with good access to equipment, but after finishing my jalapeño and herb stuffed chicken (prosciutto wrapped with sweet potato and lentils) I found it to be 6:10. Hunger hits again before bed at that kind of time line. Perhaps today will be a wait until the end of the kitchen rush. Got a solid 3-4 hour easy ride planned with Keir and Geoff today. Going to head out a bit to find some climbs and give the legs a bit of a better test. Not going to lie, I'm pretty pumped on this idea. Not sure what dinner will bring today, but I've got enough stuff to be able to chef something together. Should be able to grab some more photo action from the ride and perhaps of our humble abode.

Photos

Driving through New York State as the sun is coming up. Not really visible due
to the ridiculous weather.

The sunset driving through Virginia. Getting close.

Unfortunately it was not Tuesday. Though that could have been a good thing for the
smell of the car.... This is also a good sign you've reached the Southern US.

Welcome to our "mansion" here in Seneca. haha

Out for a morning spin on day one with Geoff. Nothing like a spin in with the sunrise.

Arrived.

16 hours in the car. Snow and nasty until West Virginia. But then sun and warmth down here to the wonderful land of South Carolina. Got in about 11, after a few wrongs turns on side roads reminding us of a bad horror movie. But we found the place. Pretty much by driving down the street and looking for a house with cars with Ontario plates and bike racks. To be fair, its pretty hard to miss our place... its basically a mansion. We are pretty full right now, at capacity one might say, with 9 of us here. Got some pics to come, but gotta get out for groceries first. Geoff and I woke ourselves up with the sunrise and hit the road to spin our legs. Hour and a half of quality easy spinning, with a few canine induced sprints thrown in for good measure. Perfect way to start our first day here. High of 16 today and bloody clear skies. The boys are heading out for a solid 5 hour jaunt, be we figure that may not be the best plan for Geoff and I. Relax and easy are the order of the day. Otherwise life is as good as can be after nearly 1800kms driving in a day. We did stop 3 times for gas and once for dinner. 'Mac n' Bobs' restaurant. Seemed more funny and appealing than McDonalds. Me and Geoff are currently rooming with my boy Evan Mundy, but will soon have the room to ourselves when he moves down the road for the camp. Its time for some work. Maybe a nap. Cause I'm a cyclist.

Packed (not quite)

Thursday evening. The packing has commenced. And to be fair, I'm already bored of doing so. Hence this random post. I have also cruised through pictures of last years Southern expedition and cruised facebook. I have gotten a good start. Basically I pushed a majority of my cycling wear off its respective shelves into an awaiting duffel bag, found PAIRS of socks and what kits I need. All of this has been shoved into my uber sized bag with my cycling shoes. Next up my gizmos and gadjets and whatnots. Oh, and civilian clothing. Got my list(s) together for what needs to be done tomorrow slash picked up from various locations. I'm pretty sure this is the most prepared I've been for anything in my life. Next on the list, cook dinner with any perishable items in my fridge. Not quite sure what this will come out as, I think I'll pull everything out and then piece it into a meal kinda like a puzzle. Then last is to pack what school books I will need while missing 2 weeks of class. Plus tomorrow night, pesto stuffed chicken wrapped in prosciutto. Oh man. Only current problem is I have that rest week 'grease craving' I get sometimes. I will be strong. My own fault for eating my home lunch in the caf while my classmates (and the many fatties, aka extra motivation) chowed down on burgers and poutines. That swag ain't top-sporter. Thats about all I got. Nothing exciting chez Sandy. But I promise to - as usual - document my voyage well with my trusty picture machine. I will be at the shop tomorrow if anyone wishes to hand off any lavish parting gifts.

T minus 2

The departure time approaches. It is now merely a matter of time until I figure out what I have forgotten upon arriving in Seneca. I almost feel like we should get a pool going on what item(s). To help this matter, I have derived an extremely fool proof and accurate method of list making: find random scraps of paper, write whatever has just popped into your head, toss that paper onto the desk. I will let everyone know how this turns out, but I am feeling good vibes from my organizational side. He is usually quite quiet and shy. Apparently my precious reports on packing activity in my vicinity were erroneous. I apologize for any stress this may have caused my readers. To be fair I have as of yet: decided to leave the pile of laundry on my floor as the "clean and possibly packing" pile and burned (almost) 2 CDs. A subcommittee will be formed to investigate any possible contenders from 'The' pile. They are loosely connected to the "internet time wasting" committee who is currently receiving the majority of our funds. Letgo on record that I have also labeled said CDs with magic marker. I am also making an attempt to compile my many rando lists into on piece of paper. Kinda like scrap booking, but hopefully less lame. Spent a decent amount of time this morning drinking coffee, but also managed a nice hour and a half spin on the trainer watching the snow fall. Spent my afternoon in class, pretty far from my favourite activity. But at least I beat the class average on the math test. Let's just say that I more than passed, while a large portion of the class (ok, most of it) will be taking advantage of the "re-test" option coming up. Good thing as I will not be here for said re-test. Tonight on the dinner menu, baked salmon with mixed veggies and lentils. Sounds promising. Plus Iron Chef is on at 9, so my evening is pretty much gone. Looks like packing will indeed be a last minute affair. Aka Thursday night. Well done to me. Tomorrow has lost some of its panache with me having to arrive at school for 12 instead of 2 to write a test that I would otherwise be missing. Probably a good thing. Now, it is time to play in the kitchen.

Hilarious

Final

Final preparations are underway. I realize this goes completely against everything I believe in and stand for... but I have already thought about my packing. This coming from the man who packed from the ground up to live in Belgium for 3 months the morning of his departure. As a general rule, I wake myself up 30 minutes early the morning of any race to quickly through all my garb in a duffel bag. Slight slag here, all my cycling possessions are spread out in two distinctly unorganized locations: Perth & Ottawa. I have no intention of "cruising" through Perth at 6 am on Saturday to pick up some most likely important piece of gear. No reason to start a 1700km road trip with my hommie Geoff on a bad note. Plus, not gonna lie, I'm terribly excited. Even though it did manage to snow last night (I fully hold the prayers of my mother responsible for this, and by association my class attendance as per the written deal yesterday) I find myself in an incredibly good mood. Turned my alarm off for an extra hour of snoozing this morning of the "rest" week. A little stack of pannakoken and a boddem of coffee to start the day. Some internet perusing... general chillaxin... and the commencement of burning some decent tunes for the drive. Not sure how many CDs I'll need for 1700kms, but I intend to be prepared for most any musical whim or need. Not to fear, the ride will still come today. But after class. The only visible downside of my day is the note from UPS requesting a "second delivery attempt" today between the hours of "10:30 & 5:00". Oh ya, let me just clear the next week out of schedule as well. Apparently they also will not bring the parcel to the depot until 3 attempts have been made AND cannot simply leave it on my porch like a normal delivery company as I owe them $10.34 in "Brokerage C.O.D". With I assume means "delivery man needs gas and heroin money". I may just tape $11 and a note explaining "keep the change, wanker" on my door and hope for the best. The lengths I go to to be able to download my SRM data... such a dork.

Side note: (I swear this is the end of today's rant). Please leave some cool tunage suggestions in the comments section. I will provide some "mad super fly stupid dumbass props" for any good suggestions. Side wager, name the movie that that quote came from...

Weather?

I am quite certain I have used this title in a previous title, but nonetheless. Saturday we get wupped with 30 odd cm of the fluffy white stuff. Today, Monday, I get out of class at noon to find sunshine a 5 degree temperatures here in February. What gives? Not that I'm complaining. I obviously rushed home and was on the road for a solid 4 glorious hours by the time the sun was down. One of those days you live for on the bike. No battery left in the iPod but time flew by. Sun in my face, low winds, some fresh fruit to munch on and quiet/dry roads. And its only February. Did I mention my legs felt great? Made for a solid day, and its still not done. Got up feeling pretty solid (other than having to attend an 8am class instead of lounging around) with the knowledge that I was spending my last week in the great white north for nearly a month. Got a haircut, and groceries on my break between classes, and got let out of drafting an hour early. The ride: 4 hours on the fixie (though on second thought the roads were fully dry and clean enough for the Stevens) through the hills with 2 extra repeats on the killer 20%+ gradients of the Westport berg. Got home literally at the end of the day as the sun set behind me. Some very peaceful moments until I hit that last few kms of "heavier" traffic coming into town. Nice hot shower, some stretching as my tea cools. A quick blog entry and then time for dinner. Some spicy thai chicken, with fresh broccoli and mashed chick peas. Not to mention a glance at the weather for tomorrow revealed an expected high of 11 degrees. I nearly cried. Though, apparently the gods wish of me to attend class tomorrow so have now changed it to a high of 4 and most likely some rain. Though let it be said, if I wake up tomorrow to sunshine and 11 I will have to be dragged to class. No offense to shop class, but 11 degree days in Canada in February are not to be taken lightly nor wasted. I understand some of you may disagree with my logic (mainly those with jobs that do not allow them to take advantage of said weather, and those with names that start with "m" and end with "om"... I'm not naming anyone specific.) but I'm sticking to my guns in this case. Y'all better hope for rain. Actually maybe snow might be a safer bet. For all those unable to enjoy this time of year, "do not hate thine player. hate thee the folies of the game." (Quote to either the bard or Snoop. I get them confused sometimes.)

La biciclette nearly prepped for SC. Mildly sponsor friendly,
shiny white. Just waiting on the new chain rings.... details, a venir.

Blah

Weekend has been a write off so far. Friday was a work day. Three hours of shop, drive home in the blizzard and then 5 hours of reno work with Kiwi. Needless to say I was a little tired. A pre-birthday dinner with the folks (as I will be down south for my real one this year) and then a decently early bedtime. Woke up Saturday with the cause of my off weekend. Felt kinda like the flu, but with more emphasis on wanting to throw up. Not sure what brought it on, but left work early and pretty much slept for 24 hours. Woke up Sunday feeling slightly tired still, but basically normal. I have even elected to take today off the bike (this is a planned rest week) to make sure whatever was in my system is completely gone. Less than a week till departure. No way I want to be sick down south. Basically resting today, drinking plenty and worked on prepping my bike. Pictures to follow on that front. Swap gearing, new bar tape, pop on the Regal saddle, adjust the cables, new chain, cover the logos... still waiting on my new chain rings. Things appear to be coming together. Thats about it for me. We'll try for a couple of longer days in the saddle the next few days followed by some nice short spins before leaving.

Winter storm warning?

What gives? January really has been quite nice for cyclists here in Ottawa. I've pretty much been getting 1-3 rides a week outside all month, minimal snow, and overall good times. Now, I get to class yesterday (after a solid couple hours on the turbo trainer - term from Maggie interview. I like) just in time for a solid debate on whether anyone will be attending in the apparent snow storm. 20cm or something. Needless to say, it is not doing anything yet as of 7am. But I can only assume that mother nature is waiting to play a cruel joke on me and start snowing real heavy just before I get in my car for the drive. I would advise you all to therefor do any driving before about noon when I'll be heading home. Hopefully a sweet weekend. My boy Geoff is making his return to Ottawa in preparation for our departure (next Saturday!). He claims he's here to see his girlfriend, but I have no doubt this is simply an excuse to see me earlier. Sandy withdrawal is common. It is the main reason why I must return to work at the Cyclery ever Saturday. Why else would they pay some as generally useless as me? On a side note, after watching Across the World, my head is now a constant source of Beatles music. For example, all I can think of at the moment is... "hold my hand and I'll miss you, tomorrow I'll kiss you..." This could be somewhat dangerous going into shop class. More reports on whether I sever any digits or limbs to come. Internet can be spotty at home and the hospital. Cheers to non-life threatening injuries!