Right, so back from western Canada. A nice little town called Vancouver they are holding the Olympics or something like that in 2010?
Travels actually went smooth, I am pretty tired of running on pavement to say the least, tried hitting the hotel gym for one night. Bad idea, after rowing for 15 mins on the rowing machine, I felt really funny, thought to myself how bad the chlorine smells, realized the pool and the gym were attached, then finally thought, damn looks like its back to pavement running. I have never been a big fan of swimming in chlorine, or any other chemical for that matter.
After an early morning jog, I would head to the SPORT BC building for some great course work. It was a highlight for sure, and wouldn't have minded if it went a few extra days. Met some really cool people, and also some good one on one time with National MTB Coach Dan Proulx.
Also got a chance to catch up with an old friend from school in Manitoba. I took the train to waterfront station in Vancaouver, met him, than carried on for a few drinks and some catch up over dinner. It was great to re connect, and talk potential. Check him out at....
P-FAT Productions
Maybe something down the road with him in the future???? You never know....
Anyways now that I am back home, I guess it would be time to start finalizing Tucson plans. The warm weather would be nice. I really cant wait, to go work on my tan again, Dr Kevin Jardine from NUCAPMEDICAL is down In Tucson right now probably tanning, and working with Team Radio Shack. I wonder what their NEW TREK BIKES ARE GOING TO LOOK LIKE??
All for now and thanks for reading.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Thursday, December 3, 2009
DECEMBER ALREADY?!?! Where does the time go?
7 days since last update, double shame on me. Lets get up to snuff together.
As previously mentioned I am going to Vancouver for a coaching course. Busy trying to get stuff organized, but excited none the less. Wish me luck, I think I am gonna only travel with a carry on. Its gonna be a first, no bike to check, no bag too check, and no hassle in paying overweight fees. I am sure there will be something though, its not that often you go to the airport and there is just something funky goin on. Maybe not this time though because my YOGI tea bag told me "uplift everybody and uplift yourself" I love yogi tea, so philosophical.
Been twittering a lot lately, maybe too much, probably too much, yup definitely too much. Its ok though, its cool, kinda like a little diary. Check it out....TWITTER
Have been on my bike doing everyday trainings 24/7 non stop, even have picture to prove it.
Yeah up until this picture, I really hadn't wrapped my bars fully with bar tape, but they wrapped now, I can assure you of this.
Here is another one but in this one you have to find me....
Went for that Urban Athlete Treatment session, spoke with Kevin, and he gave me some useful advice, you know guy talk stuff. He told me my leg is healing well and told me to strengthen those hamstrings. Sometimes it feels so good when you walk out of there, you don't realize your little imbalances walking around everyday until your body is re aligned to bio-mechanically ideal.
Went to the Science Center with Emily and her Family, saw the Body Works exhibit. It was good, so real I thought they were looking at me. I really wonder like how they build those fake/real people I dunno what they actually are? I also wonder which worker cuts the people apart and preserves them and all that JAZZ. It would be a crazy job don't you think? I prefer riding bicycles.....
Man tonight would be such a perfect night to drink some red wine and pound out some computer stuff although, last night of school is on schedule.....
A picture of my training noble steed, or donkey if you prefer.
I think that's all for now, and thanks for checking, follow my twitter, as I update that way too much.
As previously mentioned I am going to Vancouver for a coaching course. Busy trying to get stuff organized, but excited none the less. Wish me luck, I think I am gonna only travel with a carry on. Its gonna be a first, no bike to check, no bag too check, and no hassle in paying overweight fees. I am sure there will be something though, its not that often you go to the airport and there is just something funky goin on. Maybe not this time though because my YOGI tea bag told me "uplift everybody and uplift yourself" I love yogi tea, so philosophical.
Been twittering a lot lately, maybe too much, probably too much, yup definitely too much. Its ok though, its cool, kinda like a little diary. Check it out....TWITTER
Have been on my bike doing everyday trainings 24/7 non stop, even have picture to prove it.
Yeah up until this picture, I really hadn't wrapped my bars fully with bar tape, but they wrapped now, I can assure you of this.
Here is another one but in this one you have to find me....
Went for that Urban Athlete Treatment session, spoke with Kevin, and he gave me some useful advice, you know guy talk stuff. He told me my leg is healing well and told me to strengthen those hamstrings. Sometimes it feels so good when you walk out of there, you don't realize your little imbalances walking around everyday until your body is re aligned to bio-mechanically ideal.
Went to the Science Center with Emily and her Family, saw the Body Works exhibit. It was good, so real I thought they were looking at me. I really wonder like how they build those fake/real people I dunno what they actually are? I also wonder which worker cuts the people apart and preserves them and all that JAZZ. It would be a crazy job don't you think? I prefer riding bicycles.....
Man tonight would be such a perfect night to drink some red wine and pound out some computer stuff although, last night of school is on schedule.....
A picture of my training noble steed, or donkey if you prefer.
I think that's all for now, and thanks for checking, follow my twitter, as I update that way too much.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Everything and Anything.
Not much to talk about, but will make some effort on this lonesome rest day.
Half way through my Can Fit Pro course, and making some good headway. A lot of useful knowledge that translates to cycling specific training. Its been some late nights but not without its positive moments.
Snow Tires, and Cold Air Intake install on the car tomorrow, not to excited about the snow tires but cant wait for the CAI. Maybe a little more horsepower but, the sound!!! I am excited for the sound baby yeah!!!
3rd week of training back, and its good. The weather has been gorgeous, and as my hours come up so does my participation in pedalling my training steed around Niagara a little more. Did a whole 1:30 just straight bike yesterday!!! You read it here first everyone, better believe it, ONE HOUR AND A HALF, that's right!!!
Headed to Vancouver next week, for a coaching Course put on by nobody else but Dan Proulx himself. I am excited the CCA has a lot going for them in the next few years, take a look at their website to see some of the future development. The change is obvious, and the people have great direction. Numerous camps next year for high performance aspiring athletes, something to work towards.
Gonna make a Visit to, The Urban Athlete next week, visit Dr Kevin Jardine, and play chit chat catch up/ with some maintenance treatment thrown in. Only the best in the business everyone, Believe it!
What I am listening too right now, RAW FM because its the best Aussie Radio Station Going!!! Mr Brendan Arnold told me himself at the OCA banquet which was a great time this past weekend.
I think I have covered everything for the time being but stay in touch because you never know whats around the corner...hint hint wink wink thanks for reading!
Half way through my Can Fit Pro course, and making some good headway. A lot of useful knowledge that translates to cycling specific training. Its been some late nights but not without its positive moments.
Snow Tires, and Cold Air Intake install on the car tomorrow, not to excited about the snow tires but cant wait for the CAI. Maybe a little more horsepower but, the sound!!! I am excited for the sound baby yeah!!!
3rd week of training back, and its good. The weather has been gorgeous, and as my hours come up so does my participation in pedalling my training steed around Niagara a little more. Did a whole 1:30 just straight bike yesterday!!! You read it here first everyone, better believe it, ONE HOUR AND A HALF, that's right!!!
Headed to Vancouver next week, for a coaching Course put on by nobody else but Dan Proulx himself. I am excited the CCA has a lot going for them in the next few years, take a look at their website to see some of the future development. The change is obvious, and the people have great direction. Numerous camps next year for high performance aspiring athletes, something to work towards.
Gonna make a Visit to, The Urban Athlete next week, visit Dr Kevin Jardine, and play chit chat catch up/ with some maintenance treatment thrown in. Only the best in the business everyone, Believe it!
What I am listening too right now, RAW FM because its the best Aussie Radio Station Going!!! Mr Brendan Arnold told me himself at the OCA banquet which was a great time this past weekend.
I think I have covered everything for the time being but stay in touch because you never know whats around the corner...hint hint wink wink thanks for reading!
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Present, Numbers? and what do they really mean?
Not much to talk about as this week passes slowly and surely. Training is going good, peaches concert was different to say the least, enjoyable but different. Maybe should have listened too how sexually explicit the lyrics of her music are before we visited her concert in Toronto, oh well. HaHaHa I needed to catch up on my "new school, todays SeX slang anyways"
Started my Can Fit Pro course this weekend, and thats pretty cool too. Its good brain stimulation and you could claim it as good brain food.
Now were off to Toronto for the annual OCA celebration it will be fun time but I will be driving so no grape alcohol beverage for me tonight. Afterwards we are headed to Emilys parents place, it will be a good change of pace in regards to training. Its sometimes nice to have the option to not have to stay in one place, a little variety is good. I think this is all for now but I will leave you with some thoughts of mine from last January. I was digging through old stuff the other day and found it.....All for now and thanks for reading.
People always talk about how easy full time athletes have it, and yeah, to an extent we do but, listen closely. When it comes down to calorie expenditure how easy do we really have it? In my biggest build week of January, I expended 16,000 calories in just training over one week. If you throw in my 2300 calories a day just to survive on top of that, multiply it by seven days, you get 16,100 calories. Total those 2 up over a week and you have 32,100 calories burnt in a single 7 day week. Now I cut it down to calories because it is the easiest way to give a gauge for amount of stress on the body. They say the average person burns about 2300 calories a day with work. Going by my calculations, that past week I averaged 4,585 a day. Now, I am no rocket scientist although, I am burning close to double the average person. This means my body is completing double the workload the average person would on a weekly basis.Crazy to think about especially if you were to put those calories into some other form of work. So maybe this helps put things into perspective of how much stress us athletes actually do put on our body on a daily basis.
Started my Can Fit Pro course this weekend, and thats pretty cool too. Its good brain stimulation and you could claim it as good brain food.
Now were off to Toronto for the annual OCA celebration it will be fun time but I will be driving so no grape alcohol beverage for me tonight. Afterwards we are headed to Emilys parents place, it will be a good change of pace in regards to training. Its sometimes nice to have the option to not have to stay in one place, a little variety is good. I think this is all for now but I will leave you with some thoughts of mine from last January. I was digging through old stuff the other day and found it.....All for now and thanks for reading.
People always talk about how easy full time athletes have it, and yeah, to an extent we do but, listen closely. When it comes down to calorie expenditure how easy do we really have it? In my biggest build week of January, I expended 16,000 calories in just training over one week. If you throw in my 2300 calories a day just to survive on top of that, multiply it by seven days, you get 16,100 calories. Total those 2 up over a week and you have 32,100 calories burnt in a single 7 day week. Now I cut it down to calories because it is the easiest way to give a gauge for amount of stress on the body. They say the average person burns about 2300 calories a day with work. Going by my calculations, that past week I averaged 4,585 a day. Now, I am no rocket scientist although, I am burning close to double the average person. This means my body is completing double the workload the average person would on a weekly basis.Crazy to think about especially if you were to put those calories into some other form of work. So maybe this helps put things into perspective of how much stress us athletes actually do put on our body on a daily basis.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Endurance is Endurance but this is the fun stuff
Todays Breakfast....
1/2 cup Jordan's Supreme Muesli-carbohydrate and nutty goodness
1 cup whole goat milk-because whole goat milk is sooo good!!
2 teaspoons ovaltine-because I love B VITAMINS
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon- it keeps the heart pumping smooth
2 slices of last nights leftovers...Roast Beef!!! Protein, Protein, Protein
Follow the beef up with some Orange juice to aid the digestion process...
Finish it all off with a double shot of Espresso
Do some stuff, wait some time, then training....
Starting our 2nd week back training and I'm excited to burn some more energy. Our strength workouts are becoming slightly more complex and our focus drifts into all three planes of motion. We try to incorporate new muscles that haven't been worked for a while, and coordination drills are a must.
Its fun to watch Emily complete some of these because as soon as the focus is gone so is her coordination performing the drill. You see some good results in coordination drills, Example....
Athletes that lack focus, need focus in order to complete task at hand. Simply just propelling your race bike as fast as you can through the woods with out hitting anything would be considered focusing on task at hand, but what happens when your going mach 9 through the woods and your mind starts to drift....(your loosing focus) well take it from me I lost focus at a race this year going 40 kph through the woods on a flat dirt road section where nobody should have crashed and the consequences of that crash ended my season 2 months early. Now preventing that could have been something as simple as training my mind to stay focused on task at hand....So next time you plan your training try to think about the whole package.
On a off training note, Emily and I are going to a concert tomorrow. We are going to see Peaches live, and Amanda Blank opens for her. Should be a really good night, I am pretty sure there will be some red wine, for antioxidant reasons of course, and maybe a late night pita or 2.
I think we are also going to make some other stops along the way, hopefully we can update everyone on how it goes afterwards, lets hope the photographer(emily) is on her game and she has lots of pictures for everyone... thats all for now....
Thanks for checking up.
1/2 cup Jordan's Supreme Muesli-carbohydrate and nutty goodness
1 cup whole goat milk-because whole goat milk is sooo good!!
2 teaspoons ovaltine-because I love B VITAMINS
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon- it keeps the heart pumping smooth
2 slices of last nights leftovers...Roast Beef!!! Protein, Protein, Protein
Follow the beef up with some Orange juice to aid the digestion process...
Finish it all off with a double shot of Espresso
Do some stuff, wait some time, then training....
Starting our 2nd week back training and I'm excited to burn some more energy. Our strength workouts are becoming slightly more complex and our focus drifts into all three planes of motion. We try to incorporate new muscles that haven't been worked for a while, and coordination drills are a must.
Its fun to watch Emily complete some of these because as soon as the focus is gone so is her coordination performing the drill. You see some good results in coordination drills, Example....
Athletes that lack focus, need focus in order to complete task at hand. Simply just propelling your race bike as fast as you can through the woods with out hitting anything would be considered focusing on task at hand, but what happens when your going mach 9 through the woods and your mind starts to drift....(your loosing focus) well take it from me I lost focus at a race this year going 40 kph through the woods on a flat dirt road section where nobody should have crashed and the consequences of that crash ended my season 2 months early. Now preventing that could have been something as simple as training my mind to stay focused on task at hand....So next time you plan your training try to think about the whole package.
On a off training note, Emily and I are going to a concert tomorrow. We are going to see Peaches live, and Amanda Blank opens for her. Should be a really good night, I am pretty sure there will be some red wine, for antioxidant reasons of course, and maybe a late night pita or 2.
I think we are also going to make some other stops along the way, hopefully we can update everyone on how it goes afterwards, lets hope the photographer(emily) is on her game and she has lots of pictures for everyone... thats all for now....
Thanks for checking up.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Agility Video
Finally Success...Couple notes, think strong ankles and fast feet when completing workout. Also don't round your back like I do when landing in the squat....Keep your core as tight as possible and as well flat back, keep the hips square, have some fun with it, incorporate your own ideas.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Agility Workout
Officially started training and official it is, little bit sore but realistically I don’t think my fitness is that lacking at the moment. I thought I would be a a lot worse off right now then I feel. When I think of myself in the preparation phase of training I think of.... What do I want to improve on that is sort of outside our sport of mtbing, but still is very relative. I think this way because I have all January until next October to ride my bike, and for the time being, its best i put my focus into a different type of training. It comes in three words and I love it….Agility, Coordination, and Strength. Realistically all I want to do right now, is be healthy, create some good brick work for my base training phase, and most importantly I want to feel like an athlete again. This phase gives my the opportunity to go hit some weights in the gym, pack on some muscle, and maybe jump a garbage can or 2 along the way, without pulling a hamstring or something silly.
I will steal a page out of Steve Neal and Trek Toronto team mate Peter Glassford and post my "Workout Of The Week"
I do a lot of my agility routines on stairs because to propel your own body weight up something is just that much closer to the same muscle groups as a cyclist would be using. Its great to go across flat ground but instead of carrying the majority of your momentum, your now having to re accelerate the body each foot step. You could even train the mind at the same time and vision yourself pushing down on the pedal for each foot step, it’s a very similar feeling up stairs. The workout itself is not complex but physiologically there are many adaptations happening.
So workout is below, but should have the video up for it sooner than later, hopefully I can make it small enough to upload.
15 min aerobic warm up of choice
20 stairs at a pace with no mistakes. Focus on keeping your core as tight as possible.
rest 30 seconds between all
-Left Side leading, lateral, double tap, side step up 20 stairs
-Right Side leading, lateral, double tap, side step up 20 stairs
-Forward leading, double tap, up 20 stairs
-Forward leading, double tap up 20 stairs but use the opposite leg to lead with
-On spot, double foot take off, jump, knee tuck, landing in squat x10
5 mins easy easy jogging/walking between sets let your breathing become fully stable again, then repeat full routine x3 sets
Finish with 15 min easy aerobic cool down of choice, followed by stretch/foam roll
I will steal a page out of Steve Neal and Trek Toronto team mate Peter Glassford and post my "Workout Of The Week"
I do a lot of my agility routines on stairs because to propel your own body weight up something is just that much closer to the same muscle groups as a cyclist would be using. Its great to go across flat ground but instead of carrying the majority of your momentum, your now having to re accelerate the body each foot step. You could even train the mind at the same time and vision yourself pushing down on the pedal for each foot step, it’s a very similar feeling up stairs. The workout itself is not complex but physiologically there are many adaptations happening.
So workout is below, but should have the video up for it sooner than later, hopefully I can make it small enough to upload.
15 min aerobic warm up of choice
20 stairs at a pace with no mistakes. Focus on keeping your core as tight as possible.
rest 30 seconds between all
-Left Side leading, lateral, double tap, side step up 20 stairs
-Right Side leading, lateral, double tap, side step up 20 stairs
-Forward leading, double tap, up 20 stairs
-Forward leading, double tap up 20 stairs but use the opposite leg to lead with
-On spot, double foot take off, jump, knee tuck, landing in squat x10
5 mins easy easy jogging/walking between sets let your breathing become fully stable again, then repeat full routine x3 sets
Finish with 15 min easy aerobic cool down of choice, followed by stretch/foam roll
