Cesar's Blog

Let's put it this way, if the podium would have gone 20 deep I would have been one of the winners !! Anyway, it was a good and solid effort fro me today. Met with Craig for coffee at 7:00 and road from Crowfoot to Lochend road to the race. Signed up in the B group (4 laps) just because last time doing that race I raced in the C group (3 laps), so for training reasons I wanted to ride a bit longer today. Started pretty good up in the front with Andrew and Andy and after the first lap I was feeling that it was a hard pace, no way (I thought) I can maintain this pace. 25min the first lap. Second lap felt "easier" even though it was the same time 25min.. Third lap was better (only because I saw Maria and Nic on the course cheering me on) and I was still in the front, this time with Andy as Andrew was a bit behind.. Got to the gravel section in the front, but got drop almost immediately, it was hard to pedal and felt like I didn't have power at all. I was hoping to close ...

Well, enough was said about these winter rides, but I never heard about the "grand finale" of the winter rides. Water Valley 200k (it was actually 220kms, but let''s call it WV200). I was feeling a bit intimidated when Craig Stapler sent out the email with the details about the ride, sometime I prefer not to know where we are riding to or what to expect, but this time I knew it was going to be a long day and that I had to keep a good pace to stay alive with this fast and strong group of riders.. Jon, Kate, Craig S, Craig M, Pat, Graham, Erik, J, Thomas and Mark.. After an easy pace to maintain to Water Valley where we stopped for lunch I thought the ride was going to be just a long fun ride. I should have grabbed an extra bottle of fluids in WV, but headed out only with two, that 30ks before Cochrane I realized it wasn't enough, good thing I had Craig M. by my side with a bottle to share :-). From WV to the intersection with Hwy40 was a stea...