Merco Cycling Classic '13 - Stage 1

Photo Credit : Brian Hodes
...that's me in with the arm warmers

Stage 1 at the Merco Cycling Classic : Alison Powers from NOW and Novartis fom MS is 3rd in the first stage of the Merco Cycling Classic, 1st in the points competition (she'll be wearing the green jersey!)

Maura Kinsella from NOW and Novartis for MS won the most passionate rider award today.

I should have taken my armwarmers all of the way off instead of racing around with them half-way rolled down for most of the race.  I have funny tanlines now.

This evening there was a supper put on by the race organisation.  Davis Phinney came and gave an excellent talk in front of everyone.  He not only spoke about the Davis Phinney Foundation that raises funds and awareness for Parkinson's disease (that he now lives with), but also promoted women's cycling and donated an extra $2500 to our prizepurse! Like my teammate Robin Farina said : NOW that's support. Thanks Davis for your inspiring talk, excellent racing stories, and showing you back women's cycling.  It means a lot.

Stage two tomorrow: 19km time trial. Can't wait to try out my new Specialized SHIV time trial bike. I tweaked my position a little bit this evening...in some bibshorts and a cotton t-shirt.  You've got to be flexible in life.  

Today's results:
1. 463 WILES Tayler Team Specialized-lululemon 2.27'29"
2. 457 STEVENS Evelyn Specialized-lululemon 2.27'29"
3. 437 POWERS Alison NOW and Novartis for MS 2.27'44" 15"
4. 411 DVORAK Andera Exergy TWENTY16 2.29'14" 1'45"
5. 441 HALL Lauren Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies 2.29'22" 1'53"
6. 443 WALLE Brianna Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies 2.30'44" 3'15"
7. 442 KIRCHMANN Leah Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies 2.30'44" ...
8. 436 NEWELL Elizabeth "Beth" NOW and Novartis for MS 2.30'44" ...
9. 464 KIESANOWSKI Joanne Team TIBCO 2.30'44" ...
10. 439 RYAN Alexis NOW and Novartis for MS 2.30'44" ...
11. 456 STACHER Ally Specialized-lululemon 2.30'44" ...
12. 408 OLIVEIRA Flavia DNA Cycling p/b Plan7 2.30'44" ...
13. 431 ALBRECHT Lex NOW and Novartis for MS 2.30'44" ...
14. 447 GRANT Emma Pinnacle p/b Argon 18 2.30'44" ...
15. 416 SANDERS Anna FCS/Zngine p/b Mr. Restore 2.30'44" ...
16. 459 DOEBEL-HICKOK Kristabel SPY GIANT RIDE 2.30'44" ...
17. 409 PERRY Anne DNA Cycling p/b Plan7 2.30'44" ...
18. 412 TAMAYO Lauren Exergy TWENTY16 2.30'44" ...
19. 450 THORNQUIST Amy Pinnacle p/b Argon 18 2.30'44" ...
20. 434 FARINA Robin NOW and Novartis for MS 2.30'44" ...
21. 458 TEUTENBERG Ina-Yoko Specialized-lululemon 2.30'44" ...
22. 414 ABBOTT Mara ExergyTWENTY16 2.30'44" ...
23. 446 GOMEZ Felicia Pinnacle p/b Argon 18 2.30'44" ...
24. 413 TETRICK Alison Exergy TWENTY16 2.30'44" ...
25. 440 GAFFNEY Amber Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies 2.30'44" ...
26. 433 DONOVAN Kathryn NOW and Novartis for MS 2.30'44" ...
27. 438 RAUCK KOMANSKI Lauren NOW and Novartis for MS 2.34'51" 7'22"
28. 400 MCCULLOCH Joy CashCall Mortgage 2.34'51" ...
29. 407 NALDER Breanne DNA Cycling p/b Plan7 2.34'51" ... 20"
30. 466 MAROON Mary SB Racing 2.35'31" 8'02" 20"
31. 432 DILLON Olivia NOW and Novartis for MS 2.36'18" 8'49"
32. 417 MCGUIRE Amy FCS|Zngine powered by Mr. Restore 2.36'18" ...
33. 425 THURSTON Emily KENDA p/b RACC 2.37'32" 10'03"
34. 445 CLAFFERTY Sara Pinnacle p/b Argon 18 2.38'07" 10'38"
35. 420 TOWNSEND Sunshine Folsom Bike/Cervelo 2.38'07" ...
36. 444 EWART Annie Optum p/b Kelly Benefits Strategies 2.38'07" ...
37. 415 BALBONI Rebecca ExergyTWENTY16 2.38'07" ...
38. 452 RIOS Jenny SC Velo/Incycle 2.38'07" ...
39. 418 MORGAN Claire Folsom Bike/Cervelo 2.38'07" ...
40. 460 LAROCHE Caitlin SPY GIANT RIDE 2.38'07" ...
41. 429 MUELLER Lisa Metromint Cycling 2.38'07" ...
42. 405 GIBSON Keri DNA Cycling p/b Plan7 2.38'07" ...
43. 435 KINSELLA Maura NOW and Novartis for MS 2.38'07" ...
44. 454 SIEGEL Becky SC Velo/Incycle 2.38'07" ...
45. 402 CIESLEWICZ Rachel DNA Cycling p/b Plan7 2.43'47" 16'18"
46. 465 BORELLI Rita Specialized 2.43'47" ...
47. 430 PREISLER Rikke Metromint Cycling 2.44'09" 16'40"
48. 422 MORGAN Josie Fremont Bank Cycling Team 2.44'09" ...
49. 451 ZIERKE Jennifer Pinnacle p/b Argon 18 2.44'09" ...
50. 455 BRECK Holly SC Velo/Incylce 2.44'09" ...
51. 449 SERR Rhonda Pinnacle p/b Argon 18 2.44'09" ...
52. 448 OLSON Juliette Pinnacle p/b Argon 18 2.44'09" ...
53. 426 MOKRES Lucia Los Gatos 2.44'09" ...
54. 421 PROKOPAKIS Kira Folsom Bike/Cervelo Women's Team 2.45'01" 17'32"
55. 461 AXELL Marissa Team Fremont Bank 2.47'51" 20'22"
56. 462 NIELSON Heather Team Fremont Bank 2.47'51" ...
57. 453 RODRIGUEZ Beatriz SC Velo/Incycle 2.48'55" 21'26"
58. 428 MAZZOCHETTE Eileen Metromint Cycling 2.55'23" 27'54"
59. 410 SCOTT Kaytie DNA Cycling p/b Plan7 2.55'23" ...
60. 406 HILL Megan DNA Cycling p/b Plan7 2.55'23" ...
61. 403 CLOWARD Megan DNA Cycling p/b Plan7 2.55'23" ...
62. 404 GARVIN Kemille DNA Cycling p/b Plan7 2.55'23" ...
63. 401 BELLIVEAU Adrienne CyclesFANATICRacing.com 3.00'00" 32'31"

Lance Armstrong: Lance Isn't CYCLING.

Read Gene Pereira's article in the Feb. 22 2013 edition of the Barrie Examiner (online HERE ) to find out what Lex Albrecht has to say about the whole Armstrong affair. 

Experts at Training Camp

I just finished up with Canada's National Team spring training camp in South Carolina.  The weather was chillier than expected but whatever, I came prepared with a whack of clothes.  After a few years of trial-and-error, I'm getting good at this packing for bike trip deal.  Minimal casual clothes and one piece of clothing for every type of riding weather, good strong embrocation cream and you're (pretty much) set.

We had a lot of great resources to make this trip one of the most quality camps ever.

1. Trionne Moore, holistic nutritionist came from Toronto and stayed a few days to cook up some amazing recipes.  They were not only healthy and delicious, but EASY to make.  I like to ride my bike and need to stay strong and healthy to do it.  But I don't like cooking.  Trionne gave us some good ways to deal with this issue.

Trionne taught us new recipes and was a great inspiration to experiment with our own creations

2. Craig DeVeer, a super soigneur based out of Ottawa, Ontario took great care of us during camp.  I worked with Craig for the first time at the World Championships in 2012 in the Netherlands.  I was happy that he noticed the improvements that I made since then with my new Travel Roller.  I'm a lot less stiff! Thanks for noticing ;)

Myofascial release with my TravelRoller: I LOVE IT

3. Shawn Marshall was our mechanic and worked his magic fixing technical issues, and was also a great wheel to follow going down the twisty descents in South Carolina.  Shawn has a lot of riding and bike mechanics experience.  We used to work together at Bikeland, Barrie (Ontario, Canada) Barrie's coolest bike shop.  He now owns Velolab Cycle Works in Dartmouth (Nova Scotia, Canada)

Shawn getting the final touches taken care of on the bikes

4. Denise Kelly, Canada's women's National Team coach brought in a professional yoga instructor to lead us though some really beneficial stretching sessions 3 times through the camp.  The instructor was excellent.  In my books, yoga is for stretching and getting all "zen".  There wasn't any draining upper-body strength stuff, no frustratingly impossible poses, and she was hardly fazed when she sliced her hand open on some stray glass during one of the sessions.  10 points. Awesome.

Ready for yoga!

5. Jenny Trew, a previous teammate of mine who has become a coach, was an excellent part of the camp as well.  Jenny shared some "life lessons" with us girls, led an excellent sprint session (her expertise) and had plenty of feedback on and off the bike to help everyone improve.  Thanks for shuttling us back and forth from the grocery store too JT, it was great to be out on the road together again after 2 years!

What Else is Training Camp for?

Denise Kelly, National Team Women's Road Coach (Cycling Canada), asked the athletes in South Carolina what they learn at training camp.  Training camp is for a lot of different things like racking up volume and accumulating fitness before the race season starts.  Everyone knows that. But this another way I like to see it:

I'm a big fan of Toastmasters.  I was a member of St. Lawrence Toastmaster's Club in Montréal.  It's the place to practice public speaking.  You can try new things, mess up, and make a bit of a fool of yourself in front of everyone, and it's 100% okay. You're not presenting to your boss or a potential client.  You have nothing to lose if you choke-up or stutter, just a heck of a lot to gain.

Marie Paule Gagnon welcoming Lex as a new member of Toastmasters a few years ago (http://www.toastmastersmontreal.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/lex-albrecht.jpg)

Training camp is very similar.


It isn't a championship race, you're not defending a teammate's jersey, and you don't have any UCI points on the line.  There is no podium and no results sheet. Training camp is the place to try out new things.  Pushing yourself a little hard, testing different climbing and pacing techniques, cornering, descending, working on team time trialing, lead-outs... and if something doesn't work, it's 100% okay.  Just like at Toastmasters.

It's also an ideal opportunity to benefit from the strengths and experiences of the other riders, and use their feedback to improve.  Just like fellow Toastmasters constructively evaluate eachothers' presentations, riders can offer other athletes the same type of valuable tips.

You often have to fail about a zillion times before you succeed.  Training camp is a great opportunity to trip up a little bit.  You can figure out what works and what doesn't, so that you'll be ready when it counts most.

Did I Just I Fall in Love With a Stem?

I had my white Specialized S-Works Amira training bike shipped to South Carolina where I'm at a training camp with the Canadian Cycling team.  The way the Amira was packed meant that I had to install the handlebars onto the stem of the bike.  (The stem connects the handlebars to the steerer tube of the fork)  I unscrewed all of the stem's bolts to release the clamp...but I still couldn't get the clamp open, and at first I thought this was a bad thing.

I reefed a little bit on the mysterious carbon fibre clip that was holding the clamp onto the stem, and it came loose - PHEWF.  I put my bars on the stem, and replaced the clamp and that mysterious clip.  That's when it all became clear.

That mysterious clip is an ingenious Specialized invention that holds the bars in place, leaving both hands free to align and dial in the bolts that secure the whole contraption!

 I've juggled with bars and stems so many times before and it's not a big issue, but it's not a pleasant activity either.  The Specialized stem with it's innovative carbon fibre clip made my job of putting my bike together that much more easy this morning.  What a COOL idea.

500% Inflation on the Price of Wishes.

In Canada this week, the cost of wishes rose by 500%.  I won't pretend to be an expert in economy.  I studied medical biology in university, worked in a lab, and race bikes.  But I scored an "A" in the sole economy class that I took to compliment my degree.  So I can at least make an educated guess that it's a good thing that we don't interpret the rate of inflation based soley on  the price of wishes...

I'm on a tight budget, so I came up with a couple of ways to get around the enormous price increase.  USA isn't far away and I spend a lot of time there.  Wishes still cost the same in America, and waiting to cross the border to make a wish is a feasable solution.  Another option is to stockpile now-outdated Canadian wishing currency for its original value while we still can.  And hopefully, the currency will remain functional for its purpose: wish making.

On February 4, 2013, the penny was officially eliminated from Canadian currency.  Wishes now have to be paid for in nickels in shopping mall fountains, goldfish ponds, sparkly streams, and wishing wells. 

Your grandkids, who will be used to casting 5-cents coins will be baffled by the idea that wishes once only cost 1 cent...

Blind Watts

Every other week I do a training block at PowerWatts' Premier Studio in Montréal Québec.  Those weeks, are my favorite ones.

This is one of those weeks.

Today part of my workout was a blind prologue effort.   A prologue is a very short time-trial that is often the first event of a multiple day stage race.  Blind means that I wasn't allowed to look at my power data.  In other words, how hard my Quarq powermeter said I was pushing.

The goal was to pace myself over 6 minutes at the correct power output.  All that I had to go by was the feeling in my legs though.  This is how the game worked: I could check my average power output after the first 2 minutes of the effort, and if at that point I hadn't hit the proper numbers, I would have to start over.

Two minutes into the first attempt I was 8% over my target power.  I was pushing too hard.  I had to start over.  The second attempt, I over-corrected myself and had pushed 14% LOWER than my target power.  I had to start over.  The third attempt, I was bang on, and pushed through the final 4 minutes.  And when I tried for a fourth time I was in the correct zone too.

This part of today's work out was a cool exercise for me to get better at understanding what it feels like to push a certain number of watts.

The rollers I chose to do my training on today at Power Watts' Premier Studio

The area of the Power Watts Premier Studio where I recovered with my Travel Roller after grabbing a quick bite