Summertime!!!

How are things? Me not too bad, I am on the mend and training is back in order. This summer is dedicated to maintaining trails and promoting racing and cycling in the area. We have IMBA this month to do some trailbuilding workshops within our little city of Saskatoon, SK.-it's awesome! http://go.imba.com/site/Calendar/1343406021?view=Detail&id=104721 I can't believe how long it's taking to heal properly, I can't stand it when the weather is so good!-(((

I usually peak for the summer seasons, but with the injury it has delayed my progress. Thus, I will focus on some endurance events at the end of summer as well as cyclocross season.

Also, my wife and I just added another member to the family! It's another mini schnauzer, we pick him up on the 17th. Here's a pic of our current little guy Ronin.

Cheers,

Mel

Ripped!!!

Hey everyone!

As you know it is playoff hockey here in Canada, and the games are exciting! I'm so excited, I decided to play net one game and get injured... I ripped my hamstring, trying to do a split like maneuver to stop the puck from going in the net. I made the save, I guess that is what counts. I will be out for a few months. Sucks big time!

Will let you know how the healing process goes!

Cheers,

Mel

Long awaited!!!

Hey everyone,

I know that it has been an extremely long time since, I have last written. I have been busy with my Master's project-I get to create a classroom based on outdoor education. Check out the article in our city's newspaper.

http://www.thestarphoenix.com/Health/justice+program+makes+world+classroom/1524680/story.html

Thus, my summer will be very occupied with creating a curriculum to be put in use for the upcoming year.

I am still riding and training but not nearly in good of shape as I was last year. So, time to get goin!

Later,
Mel

Happy New Year!

Hey everyone,

I know I am a little late with the above title, but better late than never! We here in good ole Saskatchewan have just recorded the record for longest cold spell in our provinces history! Over 3 weeks long! The temps ranged from a high of -30 degrees Celcius to -50 degrees Celcius! It was brutal! I cannot wait until some nice weather (Darn you Brian Archer sweating hard in December!-))

I started my Master's program this past Thursday and it has been 10 years since my last university class; it sure is nice to read some really interesting papers and a nice change of pace from Gr. 3/4 conversations.

I hope your warmer than I am...Later.

What a year, I am getting old!

You know how I am getting old? Ever watch Astroboy from the 80's? It was a great Anime cartoon, based on a robot in the future. The future would have flying cars, lasers everywhere, etc... the year was 2011. Holy Smit!!!

I'll tell ya, time flies by. It has been awhile since I have last written, so let me tell you in reverse order some of the new things that have been happening in my life.

1. Moved into new house Dec. 19, 2008...temperature -45 degrees Celsius.
2. Starting my Masters Jan. 5, 2009.
3. Getting a intern in my classroom Jan. 5, 2009.
4. Becoming a spin instructor at the local gym-I teach the 5:45am class... I made someone puke the other day, I kinda felt bad.
5. Becoming a father in July 2009.

The New Year has not even begun yet, and it's super busy! I am really looking forward to all the challenges of 2009.

Some highlights are having Vassago Cycles as my sponsor and contributing to my best results ever! Hey guys, I am still commuting in -45 degrees Celsius weather. I bought some -50 boots, I gotta find some minus 50 gotch!

Here's a great quote from the 80's and Merry Christmas everyone and have a Happy New Year!!!

We're leaving together,But still it's farewell. And maybe we'll come back,To earth, who can tell?I guess there is no one to blame. We're leaving ground. Will things ever be the same again?It's the final countdown...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZkllM8znx4

I'm Idaho!!!

Hey Ebrybody, I know that it has been awhile so let me fill you in. We'll, I am pursuing my master's degree in Anti-racist education. I begin my classes this January. Also taking my CRFA, which allows me to create fitness classes. I will also be taking more cycling instructing classes, as I would want to end up as a coach. TEAMMATES I have created an excel training program where all you have to do is plug in your heart rate/age/amount of hours and it sets your entire season. Email me for details!!! It's based on cyclists training manual.

Moreover, I will also be taking a intern in my classroom from January till May. I had an intern last year and it was a great experience.

I have begun to teach spin classes three times a week-helps me get motivated with my own training.

We move into our new home on the 19th of this month, we bought a swach load of furniture and I get to buy some new electronic toys for the house. Yipee!!!

Lastly, we will be adding a new addition to the clan. Yep, we are expecting a child in July. So, both my wife and I are extremely happy. I get to have the summer off, so I get to spend it with my new family!!!

Talk about a busy year! I am still going to hit and promote local races and events. We had a great fundraiser this year where we went to the community to donate bicycles to send to Africa. We got a great response for doing it the first time. I got rid of a bike that was just sitting there and I know that it will go to good use.

I want to head up for a race in the U.S, guys where is somewhere central where I could drive to and meet ya? Let me know.

Cheers everyone, have happy and safe Christmas!

Mel

Reduce the risk of bruising...

Hey everyone,

Well, the weather is turning for the worst here in ole SK. but times are busy. I have started my Muay Thai training, with a chipped tooth, bloody lip, and bruised shins...but I love it!!! I train for 5hrs a week and it's , anaerobic so it's a lot different from cycling training. I have also started teaching spin class at the local gym three times a week. So, I feel pretty good with my training this year so far.

My goals are to compete in the western Canadian marathon series. I just have to see how far the money goes. It costs so much to travel. To get to one of those races it's like a 10hr drive to the nearest one and get my coaching levels. I really want to create a cycling program for inner city kids. Things are mellowing out, finally!

Cheers!

Mel

illtastic!!!

I woke up at 5:00pm today. Man, I feel like death. Tried riding to work...Mistake, I think I just made myself sicker! Anyway, taking another day off tomorrow to rest up.

Check out my latest results. I finished mid-pack in a "way harder ride than last year" course. I managed 7 laps and climbed over 10,000ft in a 8hr enduro race. I finished 14th out of 30 something. Top finisher had 9 laps; so we were all close, it was up to who could hold a killer pace for the whole thing. I went up by myself and supported myself between laps. It was awesome. I might try doing that next year at the 24hrs of adrenalin. I will just tell the officials that my "pit crew" went to get something to eat.

http://xc8.ca/results/xc8results2008.html

My new Jabber is in the shop and being built. Hopefully, I can get it out this weekend. Will take pic's.

Cheers!

Mr. Rogers in da house!!!

Look familiar? This is how I feel; and it's totally not me! I am used to teaching older children and being able to have mature conversations. My conversations sound like this, "Okay class who can tell what book gives us information about the province of Saskatchewan?" Here are the range of answers that I get:

1. Mr. S you can find that information in a encyclopedia.
2. Mr. S, did you know my cousins feet are this big (holds up a fist)!
3. Mr.S, look at my capital D, isn't it pretty?

Oh man, this grade level is a change of pace. But I have this weekend to look forward to a nice 8hr race. Will let you know how things go.

Cheers!

Finally provincial champ!!!

Hey everyone! I finally reached my goal of winning a provincial series. I ended up with 2 first place finishes and 2 second place finishes. I had my last race this past Sunday and ended up second. I actually thought that I was first, but I guess that first crash allowed another guy to get ahead of me.

I have cyclocross and another enduro race comming up. Also, I am going to get a good rest this winter from real cycling training and cross train with mma conditioning.

"Ebryone keep your rubber sid dun, and remember...I like you. Very Much!"

The Lull begins!

Hey everyone, the racing year is coming to a close and other parts of life are picking up. Such as school and work begin soon. I will have to contact my intern to get him aquainted for the upcoming internship. Also, I am creating a "core fitness" program, because I am very disappointed in the fact that my city is quoted as the "fattest" in Canada. As an educator and ambassador for the future, I believe that I have to do my darness to make sure that the future is healthy mentally and physically. I have a workshop this weekend that I am going to make a agility program for my school.

Thus, it's 2 weeks till the rat race! Boo!!!!

More pic's to come!!!

Pic's from the 2008 World Solo's..more to come!!!

Quote from winning Cannondale 24hrs team

Each of the solo rider's efforts pales and eclipses anything the team riders did, ours not the least included. We rode 27 laps of the 10 mile course, 4 more than the next fastest team...but I'll say it again: That's only seven laps each...and with 2+hours between each effort. I can not imagine doing that race solo. Matt Ohran, who competed in the 1999 event here in Canmore gave it a go in the solo category again in 2008. Conditions, physical effort, pace and old man time took the better of him and he also retired by night fall. These are tough cookies racing solo.

6th in the World (in my age category)!

Hey Guys,

just got back from Canmore last night. It was an epic journey. We arrived in Canmore Thurs. evening got set up and went for some eats in town, then called it a night because the drive and getting all the logistics for the race (2 days worth) ready. I passed out for 11hrs which was great because I think that is what my body needed. Friday morning, my pit crew member Darren (awesome guy and single!) and I prerode the course. From previous years the course grew around 8kms. Last year it was 14kms and this year 22kms including the solo course. I had to go to meetings around the race, then we went to Calgary to grab a last big meal. All you can eat sushi and Korean BBQ-it was awesome!!!

Sat. morning, I felt really tired because I was so restless. The weather looked great and was expected to be great for the whole weekend (boy, was I wrong!). We went and got some McDonald's (only the best!) for breakfast and then headed back to the race to get ready.

I was pitted next to Wendy S (60+ current world solo champ) a real inspiration for the sport! Actually, all the racers and people that we around were awesome! Before I forget, special props to the person from Florida who rode with me during the night and motivated me when the times were extra hard. Great work all racers, would gladly do it again!

We had to run a km, then do a another 7km prologue lap into Canmore and then climb back up to the Nordic center. Day went well, I was going at my own pace, riding everything clean, feeling good. Then 4pm rolled in and a large drum was heard from the sky. I was thinking in my head, no %@*!!!!! way! The clouds opened up and it was wet until the end of the race. This doubled my lap times and really pushed my spirit. I rode in the rain soaked roots and rocks (not very well) and hiked a bike many time over the weekend. By 4:30am I was super soaked and could not keep warm. My pit crew (Lissa and Darren) did all they could to motivate me and keep me fed and warm. But I had to take a nap, I was not sure how I would feel after and if I would continue when I got up. All the rain, walking, slow paced finally drained me. The weather was a factor for everyone. Even Tinker J. had to call it quits because of all the mud on the course (mud in the eye scratched his retina-hope everything is alright man! You passed my three times-that's awesome!!). Man the mud covered my gear and myself. During the downhills (the safe ones) I would just close my eyes because the mud and grit would sit right on your eyeballs. Luckily, I completed laps safely. For those who the ambulance had to come in, I hope everything is alright.

7:00am, I feel the warmth of the sun. and I get up, my wife says, "you goin out again?" I answer quietly and unsure, "Yes, I feel okay could you get me some new shorts?" So, slowly I got up again, put on my gear, grabbed a swig of Pepsi and a GU (man, I must have eaten around 30 Gui's!) and headed out for my last dance with cold, slippery, wet and intimidating course.

I rode until 11:45am and could not go out again because I would not get in before the 1:00pm deadline. I was greeted with cheers from every spectator and also a special greeting from the event organizer who shook hands with every racer and said something unique to that person about there performance. This guy is a real tribute for the spirit of cycling, I know that there are many haters out there for this venue... But do not get caught up in the venue or format; because in the end for all endurance racers we have the same common achievement, motivational moments and inklings of wanting to quit because of all the suffering-but we never do and we always come back for more. It may the the 24 HOD or a epic ride with your buddies, it don't matter; save the energy for the trails and change the negative into a positive.

Thus, I finished my first 24hr event. Finished 6th out of 14 riders in my category and 3 laps out of 1st place. It was awesome and I would do it again. Would I change anything about the whole experience, nope.

I will be adding pictures as soon as I get them from my pit crew member.

One last shout out to my wife Lissa. Thanks for showing your grit, determination and patience. The whole experience could not of happened without you there. You are the epitome of the word "wife".

Cheers!

Singlespeed no longer.....

Hi everyone!

Earlier , I posted comments about how swollen and sore my arm/wrist had gotten after an enduro race. Well, it happened again. I went to the doctor to check if it was broken, but he stated that it was just my tendons from torquing so hard on the bars when climbing. The thing is that I need to torque that hard when climbing on a single speed. My wrist is just starting to get better and it has almost been two weeks. I thought that it might have been because I was riding a rigid with v brakes, but in this race I was riding front sus. and discs!

To conclude, I am unfortunately putting gears on my bike. I love the singlespeed but I do not want to be injured everytime I race. Maybe I will see physio. or something to look at my technique, but the 24 world solo's will be raced on a geared bike. If anyone has any remedies or things that have helped in the past, all suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. That is not my real arm!

Cheers!

Sask cup #2 on singlespeed! Single speeders unite!

Hey everyone! Here is my latest racing report. This is the first time racing a single speed on a short intense xc bike race. Myself, Tom Wolfe, and Jon Bath were the only single speeds in a expert field. There were seven of us altogether.

As single speeders, we knew right off of the back that we would be left behind in getting to the first stretch of single track and that was okay with us. Thus, we spun to the back of the elite, expert class.

We stayed together for most of the first lap until Tom snapped his chain and had to fix it. That mechanical cost him around five minutes. We checked to see if he was fine and he said to go ahead. Jon and myself stayed together for most of the first lap until a terrible crash caused Jon to go head first into the the ground. He thinks he broke his nose. We paused and stopped to make sure that everything was alright, but I think that the adrenalin kicked in and all of a sudden Jon put the hammer down. By the end of the first lap he was starting to open the gap.

For the second lap, I did not see Jon at all; I thought that he was going to lap me. All I could think in my head was keep pedaling, no coasting at all, watch my heart rate and drink as much Gatorade as I could for each lap.

By the end of the second and most of the third lap, I was riding by myself and then I saw the cool Swobo jersey and white single speed of Jon right at the beginning of the 4th and final lap. In the feed zone he was no more than 50 meters away. Motivation kicked in and some extra energy emerged! We entered the single track very closely and then on the flats, I finally caught him. It looked like the adrenalin rush was over; but I have to admit for someone who broke his nose and still keep a pace like that...awesome!

Middle to the end I decided to put the hammer down and just giver! Right at the last climb before the finish, I caught up to another person in expert field and looked down at my fork and said "forget it!" and attacked. I ended up beating him on the final sprint. I remember hearing, man get out of that small gear! Wait it's a single speed. That dude's crazy!

I ended up second in the expert category and first in the single speed group. The single speed group that I raced with, were all gentlemen and were extremely fun to race with. The race did not have that serious tone to it. We shook hands before the race and cheered each other on. We made sure that we were alright if something went wrong and were willing to stop to ensure safety. To me that is why I love to race, for good clean competitive spirit and showing the best of human compassion. It has been an honor dudes, see ya at the next race!

Check out the pic of Jon, if you look closely you can see gnarly damage. Jon, you are hardcore!

Cheers and many drinks!

Mel

I pulled a Lance Armstrong..in a bad way.

Hey everyone,

Just finshed the race and got totally trashed! Every pedal stroke hurt and felt like I was going through sand. I pumped up my tubulars to 160psi, so I figured that I would just float over the pavement. That was not the case. The course was called the Saskatoon Roubaix and consisted of pavement and dirt roads. On the warm up lap, I was already in zone 5 heart rate. I was like what the heck, am I that out of shape! Is my heart rate monitor at home lying to me?

I was dropped after a few moments after the first attack, then I figured that I would complete the race even though I was dropped. For 2.5 laps I was fighting to keep my speed at 33kms. I was last and the person ahead of me was around 10 mins. Then, I looked down at my front wheel because it sounded like it was squealing and I thought that the bearings were shot. I looked at my front brake and lifted the lever to release the brake to remove the wheel and instant speed. Drat, I rode in zone 5 and kept up decently with the pack. I said forget it and I attacked. I picked off the rider 5 mins and ahead and just a few seconds off of the back of the main pack. I pulled a 2003 Armstrong, where he rode with his brake rubbing. Now I could not pedal through it to keep up with the pack, like him; but after I sure did feel good.

Will be riding the single speed tomorrow on some single track, will let you know how my new baby rides.

When you feel like quitting, just forget it and keep on going!

Cheers!

New ride finally built!!!

Here it is everybody! My Ti Vassago. I have it set up as a single speed right now and will run a 32 19 for the upcoming xc race. I don't know maybe if I really like it, I will ride it for the world solo's. We'll see. Will take my new baby on it's first ride tomorrow night and get the bugs worked out. I have a road race tomorrow, will let you know how both rides go.

Cheers!

Official singlespeed provincial series begins May 9th!

We are throwing down the gauntlet and making ss an official race gender here in Saskatchewan! Myself and another rider are announcing the first ever ss provincial race series in conjunction with other xc events. First race is May 9th, will let you know how it goes; and what the response is like. We need to shake it up here in North! Here are some details from the creative mind of Jon Bath a gifted single speeder!

Prize -- highest finisher in provincial series (according to SCA system, regardless of age class, but must ride same number of laps -- means that expert juniors, seniors and masters all qualify) gets a T-shirt (I'll supply for this year-Jon Bath). More importantly, they earn the right to the title Saskatchewan Single Speed Champion 2008 and all the glory that comes with it. And they have to supply the T-shirt for the next year (if there is a next year).

Woo! Hoo! Makes me want to do the splits!

Cheers!