Hate to love it...

so it's been great weather for riding lately... the snow is disappearing and the warmth from the sun feels good on the back and dark clothing.... but as much as i love to log some good miles over march break and during the spring... i'm always discouraged by how society defaults to the laziest answer... yes i'm talking about the amount of trash that can be seen in the ditches now that the snow has gone and the weeds have yet to grow to a height sufficient to cover it....

here's something to think about... and i have been on my rides lately...

if Great Demand and Restricted Supply = Increased Price, then remember these facts.....

the next time you complain about the price of gas, realize that in order to make 1 plastic water bottle (that we buy by the case at the grocery store), it takes approximately 1/4 of that bottle to produce (plastic, gas for machines) and transport (ship, tanker, gas truck, delivery truck, your car) that bottle to the grocery store and then to your home...

to reduce that cost, recycling would make perfect sense (not using new fossil fuel and reducing the transport distance) but we only recycle 1 out of every 5 plastic bottles... the rest get tossed out windows, in the trash or left behind for someone else to deal with.... pure laziness....

if we reduce the Demand on a Limited product, theoretically the Price for that product will reduce... as long as the government has some common sense in them....

all the more reason to drink Tap Water and Ride your Bike....

Climb on it....

the Hurt Box that is!!! it's the time of year when i have to force myself away from the "easy" hours in the snow and in the gym and work on the Top End power.... turn all that base into something that can be used racing... it's never a lot of fun since the legs always fight back and the mind always wants to stop early, but it's something that needs to be done.... adam morka describes it as "digging a hole and leaving a solid ladder to help your climb out during the season"....

chris carmichael calls it "building a foundation for your racing and how high your walls can go depends on the stability of your foundation"....

either way... now i have to start getting into the red zone and making it hurt, testing how "solid my foundation" is and building that "ladder so i can climb out" during the season....

Over Under's, 1 and 1's, TT's, Power Starts and some Hill Repeats... sounds like fun....

might need something more inspiring than the Leaf's failing playoff attempt....

1 down... 20 to go...

Made it through my first race of the year.... not a bike race but the Abominable Snowshoe Race put on by Chico Racing... their first event of this type and it turned out to be a great day, a great course, a great workout and some great food afterwards... nothing like 3 bowls of chili and 4 caramel treats to help your body recover!!!

After about 250m, it was the winner (Stephane who beat me by about 150m) and i alone off the front... just a death run and no real tactics here!!!

9km in 50:24... a pretty good time considering the hills, snow, snowshoes and lack of long running legs....

i learned that runners kiss after a race... and to think that i make people giggle uncomortably when i hug the Podium Girls / Guys....

Chili and Chicks.... worth running for!!!

My new Best Friend...

so this is how things go sometimes.... got a new upgraded XO1 'cross bike last fall and couldn't ride it because of my bum knee.... so it hung on the wall and looked pretty.... and i've been riding it on the trainer for the winter.... and on one of those rides it thought it might work just fine as a road bike... change the 'rings to road gearing and just giv'er.... it fits great, looks great and rides great so why spend the money on a new road bike?

"hey honey... i've been thinking about my new road bike this year..." Jon gets a bad look as Sue anticipates me trying to sell her up to a better bike... "you know that 'cross bike that i got and haven't ridden outside? well... i was thinking that i would just save our money and ride that rather than get a new road bike... what do you think?" "sounds great... now we can get new carpet!!!" how quickly my money gets spent....