Shorter Days.....

I guess its time for a year recap and whats going on in my head. This year was a really terrible year, and also a really great one at the same time. I experienced a lot of problems with my body throughout the season. Some that have been explained, some that haven't.

I was forced to take a lot of time off, and it showed me many things. One was how to let go of things that you cannot change, and to let life take you as it pleases. Turning Pro was one of the most exciting things to happen to me in my life. I was living the dream, and it sucked that when I got to where I worked for years to get to, it wasn't meant to be.

This year taught me a lot about being an adult. I felt I aged a lot this year in terms of mentality. Although the years racing was feable, I also got to travel to a lot of cool places, see lots of new things, and experience a later summer without it being bike oriented.

(Many, many coffee shop days this summer)

I hung out with the guys a lot more, and simply enjoyed the summer, as most years I was away racing. I did the Tour De Quebec, with the Canada Games crew, which was a great experience, one of the highlights of my year. I took a job as a kayak guide which was something I always wanted to do. Many of my days were spent sitting at the coffee shop chatting, and the nights sitting at the bar drinking, or having campfires. It was a great way to chill out. I also did the cabot trail ride at the end of the year, which has always been an extrordinary way to spend a weekend.

As the winter approaches here on old PEI I find myself working construction again. Balls its tough, but it keeps you on your toes. A little bit of suffering a day is good for the body.

( Tried to hang out with this guy as much as possible)

For next year my plans are straight foreward. I plan on going to Europe. Most likely I'll end up in Northern France, where the races are long, hard and shitty. Hard man racing is what I love. The harder the better. Every racing cyclist would be lieing if they said they didn't want to race in Europe, and I feel I've put it off for too long. Coach Luc is working on my set up now. I've even enrolled in French class to work on the lingo. Its tough when the instructor barely speaks English.

From a racing point of view, this year has shown me just how much I love racing a bike. You don't realize how much you love something until its taken away from you. Motivation was always high this year, and I find as the fall wears on I cant seem to stop thinking about next year. I realized that I love racing bikes not because I like the ride of the bike, but I like the competition. If I cant sprint to climb or race someone into the ground it starts to come out in odd ways as I learned this summer. I love the competitive feelings when a group of people are simply trying to destroy each other. That's what does it for me.

I rarely hop on a bike these days(work, daylight, etc) but the time to start training is coming soon.

Check out bartape.net for great docs on the Cervelo Test Team.