RACING!!

After a summer in which I encountered many life experiences/stressors I finally got a chance to pin a number on this past weekend!

I lined up for the first BC Cup Cyclocross race of the year in Delta on Saturday in the Men's B category. Cross is a bit more relaxed regarding categories and I had thought about racing with the A's but considering 1) I am out of shape and 2) this was my first real CX race I decided to race with the Killa B's!

I went out for a pre ride and quickly found this course to be much more like a mountain bike course than a typical 'cross course. After a nice open grassy section with 2 sets of barriers and a couple of switchbacks we were into some pretty gnarly single track (for a cross bike) with big roots, rocks and logs and lots of tight turns. This was followed by a short, open climb and then we were back into some more swoopy hard pack single track before hitting the meadow again.

Tire pressure is always a hot topic at a 'cross race and today would be no different. I'm still running clinchers (waiting for the tubulars in the mail!) so ran about 45psi in both front and rear tires.

Turns out I probably was running too low for that type of terrain and after a good start and what I thought was a pretty clean ride through the rocky bits, I got a pinch flat going into the second single track section on the first lap while in the lead.

I shouldered my bike, tried to keep out the way and jogged to the start finish area. Not wanting to waste the day I asked an official for a start with the "A" race, assuring him that if I was embarrassing myself or endangering the other racers, I would withdraw to fight another day.

The nice man let me race and I was actually doing OK for the first :40 minutes or so, riding in the top 10, suffering like a dog and loving every minute of it!

The last :20 minutes were a bit ugly and my legs couldn't keep up with my heart. My core and arms were getting pretty worked too but all that will come as my fitness gets better.

Cyclocross is probably the best type of racing for me right now. After a few months with too much on my mind it was nice to clear that all away and just GO! I enjoyed the nerves prior to the start and the numbness in my body as the fatigue took over and the satisfaction of crossing the line (without embarrassing myslef!)

In the end, the official told me I rode well and that I should stay with the A's for the rest of the season...guess I'd better get out for some intervals!

Back in the saddle,
IY

Update time

It's been a while since I've been able to sit down at a computer for an extended period of time, thus the lack of updates.

E and I arrived in Van safe and sound and were just getting settled in when I got a phone call to come back to Ontario as my Dad had taken a bad turn and things weren't looking good. We knew it was coming but I'm the type who doesn't deal with these things until it's absolutely neccessary.

I arrived to find my Dad a VERY sick yet peaceful man, he seemed ready to give up his fight; it looked like it may be hours or at the most a couple of days. Never underestimate a strong (or stubborn) heart and soul, here we are a week later and while very weak, he is still alert and relatively comfortable. He will spend the rest of his days in palliative care but at this point no one really knows how long it will be.

At Dad's request, we are heading back to Vancouver in a couple of days-it doesn't yet feel like home but it will. It's a great city and we can't wait to explore it. I've also got a shiny new cyclocross bike (see above) that I can't wait to make less shiny in the rain and muck of the Wet Coast!

Cheers, Ian

Quick Update from Swift Current, SK

With Uncle Neil providing a great Canadian soundtrack, we've almost made our way through the Prairies. Tomorrow we'll hit the Rocky Mountains and from there it's all down hill to Van City.
The trip has been good, Ontario was BIG, the North Shore of Lake Superior was BEAUTIFUL and the Prairies have been...OK :0)

Some other quick updates for those concerned: the house is SOLD, the dogs have been great and E and I are enjoying ourselves! Oh yeah, and I turned the big 3-0 today!

Will check back in from our new home on the West Coast!

Cheers, IY

Buy Me!!!!

1 Man, 1 Bike

It's a sad and empty day in the Young household today. For the first time in a long time I own only one bike!

I'm trying to simplify this move as much as possible so I've unloaded a lot of the extras. A bunch of little parts that have been sitting in my tool box, some extra wheels and rims - all gone. My cyclocross and single speed MTB - gone. My road bike (as of last night) - gone.

I'm not sure how much space we'll have in Van but rest assured, once we get there and figure out where we're gonna put our stuff the collection will begin again. Until then, the Seduza is the only arrow in my quiver, lucky for me it's the deadliest one!

The Anti Race Report - Riding to Conquer Cancer

Some numbers:
2850 riders
211km ridden
$14, 000, 000 towards conquering cancer in our lifetime.

Thanks to the donations of a great group of friends, family, and even strangers I was privileged to clip in this weekend and ride from Toronto to Niagara Falls with ~2850 cyclists.

To sum it up, it was a pretty special weekend to spend on two wheels. This was the first charity ride I've ever participated in. I picked a good one - it turns out this was BY FAR the most successful fundraising ride ever held in Canada!

Usually I spend my time on the bike thinking about the next interval, the next training session or the next race. My goal for this ride was to simply enjoy the people, their stories and their celebrations. The commitment to ride 200+km over two days is huge for many, couple that with the commitment to raise a minimum of $2500 each and it became quite clear how important it was for people to be involved in the event. I thought about my Dad and how his illness makes this important for me. The $14 million we raised won't help him but he has provided me with a close personal connection to cancer and in his honour I asked people to donate to the cause.

I was able to gather more than enough to ensure my spot on the start line in Toronto and I'm glad to say I accomplished my goal! I enjoyed the ride, didn't worry about pace, power or perceived exertion and was challenged spiritually if not physically.

Again, thanks to all who contributed your hard earned $$ to the ride, I thought of you often throughout the ride and was humbled by your generosity. Thanks to my dad for my "story" and thanks to Steve Bauer (Canadian cycling legend) for stringing our front group out at 55kph with 10km to go....just to give us hammer heads a chance to throw down, that was pretty cool too!!

Making excuses

Mike E just recently posted that blogs were for making excuses, it's funny because it's true. That being said, here goes my excuse filled Muskoka race report!

After spending a week in Vancouver scouting apartments, meeting with prospective employers and getting familiar with our new city I lined up Sunday morning to race the Muskoka Long Course Triathlon (2km/55km/15km)

I flew into YYZ Saturday night around 8:00 and drove straight to the race site, arriving around 11:00. This race hasn't been on my mind as much as it has in previous years and as such I failed to book a hotel room, I decided to bunk up in my car for the night right outside of transition.

I woke up at dawn after a long night feeling OK but not yet in the "racy" state of mind that usually gets me up and at 'em. Upon seeing the familiar faces of the competition, drinking some coffee and a little warm-up things came around and the competitve sensations started to surface.

I got off to a solid start on the swim, distanced myself from the rest of my wave to make sure no one got on my feet then put 'er in cruise control and kept it steady. The swim felt OK actually, it's amazing how a deep background coupled with a great wetsuit can make up for a lack of fitness in the swim!

Onto the bike and the plan was to ease into the ride and see how percieved exertion lined up with my power. The first 15km were uncomfortable. I hadn't been on a bike in over 1.5 weeks and had only been on my TT bike twice since Triple-T. I finally settled in and started to feel more in tune with the bike. This lasted 10km until I downshifted (possibly too hard) on a hill and messed up my front derailleur. I still don't know exactly what happened but when I tried to shift back into the big ring, the teeth of the ring were blocked by the back end of the derailleur cage. I got off, tried to fix it then realized I'd lose more time mokeying with it than I would by riding the rest of the way in my small ring. So off I went, I spent the much of the remaining 30km spinning at 110-120rpms or coasting. I mentally checked out a bit and at that point decided to finish the bike as best I could and mail the run in as an easy training day.

I was glad to get off the bike and get my running shoes on. Any thoughts of mailing it in were replaced with the flow of those competitive juices. Just going through transition it felt like a race all of a sudden. Again, the plan was to start out easy. I wanted to get through some of the steeper hills in town and get out onto the longer stretches of road before picking things up and that's just what I did. I ran very well (for me) for 10km. A lack of training crept up on me with 2km to go but at that point you just HTFU and get across the line.

So yeah, there are a few excuses in there. I was jet-lagged, my bike broke, I'm not as fit as I had hoped. Blah, blah, blah!!! Everyone deals with their own set backs in their preparation and execution. If they haven't they will and if they have it'll happen again.

At one point in the race I was feeling exceptionally sorry for myself, I was upset because I wasn't able to ride or run as fast as I had hoped. Then I thought about my Dad, it was Father's Day and he is spending it laying on the couch sick and weak as chemotherapy drugs course through his body. All of a sudden my excuses seemed very insignificant and I decided that the faster I finished the faster I'd be able to hit the road and visit my Dad. I knew he'd ask me how the race went and I wanted to be able to tell him the truth: that I gave it my best shot on the day.

This triathlon season hasn't been what I had hoped. The good news is that it has been my choice. I'm not sick or injured, I'm just busy. I'm moving to a beautiful part of the country on a great adventure with E. Ironman will still be there next year and I'll be ready. In the mean time I'll keep plugging away at the shorter stuff and I'll try not to make excuses.

Cheers, IY