Cesar's Blog

409Kms in 23 hours and 40 minutes got me to an awesome 3rd place in the single speed category and 10th overall ! This is a local race in Spokane super well organized by Wendy and Gino, very nice people and organizers (the race had included camping, pizza at midnight, breakfast and a delicious post race banquet). It was a hard race in a very different environment. A 24kms loop with almost 95% of single track (wide single track not very technical like the tracks in Canmore, but with loose dirt, rocks and amazing views of the River Valley). Head out on Wednesday after work with Maria, Nick and my mother in-law (awesome pit crew committed to help through the entire race..). Pre-rode the course on Friday evening and found out that there will be a lot of pedaling in such a long course..... After that I decided to changed my gear to a bigger one 32/18 (I knew I could regret to have that gear on the night laps, specially on the 5 minutes hill, but there were plenty of flat and rolly section...

Bang on with a gear selection after talking to Gabor (34/16) scary, but definitely good gear for a fun and technical course in Edmonton last Saturday. Took off on Saturday morning as usual with my crew (Maria and Nick) and got to Edmonton at around 11:00am just in time to sign up and pre-ride the course.. I was very surprise on how fun the course was in such as small park... lots of single track, roots, ups and downs in very narrow sections... I signed up in Sports with another 35 guys, big field and fast local guys. Only 2 or 3 I think with SS, but none of them with my gear selection which gave me an advantage on the semi flat sections. 4 laps + a prologue of 1/2 a lap.. very consistent with my lap time which made me very happy over all. I climbed everything on the course except for a rooty section of 3 meters which I decided to walk since there where a few people in front of me and I couldn't carry enough momentum./ 1 hour and 1...

It was a hot day, that is the first thing that comes to my mind as I am typing this... The forecast temperatures for race day were 28c, but in the last section of the gravel road was 33c according to some people up in the aid station. I met with some Terrascapers on Saturday for a 10am pre-ride. Andy, Jeff, Ryan, Alana, Nichole, Deanne and me. Andy showing off his great new flashy 29er as well as Alana were pump about racing with bigger wheels (and so was I too). We split the group into two as Jeff, Ryan, Andy and I went for the pre-ride while the girls were waiting a bit to take off. I chose 32/19 which I think was a bit to big a gear, but Gabor advised me to set up the gears for the fire roads and flats and if I had to walk some of the steep hills it wouldn't matter (thanks god I did follow his advice, because I kept up pretty much with everyone on the fire roads and climbed everything up to lap 5th). 7:05am on Sunday and we set up the tent, coolers, table, etc... went back ...

I don't know why, but I woke up Monday feeling down and tire...My body feels weird and I am almost sure I don't even want to race anymore. I need some motivation to keep me going and get back on track. In talking to Ray he was saying that is common to feel this way during the tempering week(s), but man I feel bad :-( //// Anyway, went out for a run yesterday and started to feel a bit better, then played with Nick when I got home and was feeling even better !! Finally decided to watched again the movie 24Solo and it really worked to bring me back from that whole @@, oh yeah I am coming back up and I am now  starting to feel pump about this Sunday's race !! All ready now for the first MTB race of the season, trailer is out, Maria and Nick are finishing all the packing this morning, reservation are done at one of the coolest camp grounds in Salmon Arm (pretty close to the course) and bike is nice and clean !! I am thinking I could do 8 laps based on lasts years race, but...

Just as the weather starts to get better here in Calgary I headed out for the last training ride with Jeff, Andy and Ryan. Met at Cadence @8:30 and half an hour later Ryan had to go back due to some pain in his hamstring.. Strong wind didn't make it easy in our way to Cochrane, but with Jeff blocking the wind for me I guess it is not fair to complain... after meeting Andy at Cochrane we head out to do the Wild Cat loop. Lot's of climbing and side / head wind... Road riding with these two big guys I have to admit wasn't supper fun at all, lot's of power to keep up with them unless I was drafting (that was a blast !! as I could almost read the newspaper behind them). coming back we had some tailwind that helped a lot my legs. Up the Cochrane hill and back home at tempo pace to meet Maria and Nic for a gardening afternoon.