Last 30 days

I haven't written much lately...so much easier when you are on vacation.

I have been riding...love that garmin & garmin connect.  This is a report of the last 30 days of activity. I think there was one road ride in there, and the Paris Ancaster.  Everything else has been on the SingleSpeed.  So although I am doing "activies" very regularly, I am averaging 9hrs per week...doesn't seem like much.  Will work to "optimize" my time...longer rides.  More later

Count: 17 Activities
Distance: 520.79 km
Time: 36:58:27 h:m:s
Elevation Gain: 5,660 m
Avg Speed: 14.1 km/h
Avg HR: 128 bpm
Calories: 39,578 C

Paris to Ancaster race report

Details here
This race is by far my favourite, and this was my fifth year of doing it. 1275 people race 60 kilometers of dirt roads, rail trail, single track and some paved roads, throw in some mud, and a crazy steep climb at the end! Bang!
Guy Leclair and I carpooled  from the finish to the start, got there early, and managed to get a starting spot at the front of the 250(right behind the top 100)  - this was the best starting position I have ever had.  Waiting at the start it was +5c and windy.  Once the race started i warmed up quickly....got passed by maybe 50 riders by the time we got to the rail trail (sprinting isn't one of my strong points). However I was well positioned entering the rail trail. This part went very well, no bottlenecks, no crashes in my group... I barely hung on...average speed in that section was 35kph..zing..(I still feel the rush...flying on pea gravel 2 abreast, ditches on both sides).  The climb out of the rail trail into the farmers field was tough...a few more passed me there.
From that point on, I would pass a few, then get passed, then catch those that passed me etc. etc.  By the time 40k had rolled passed, I was feeling it in the legs, so I settled in with a group and we worked together keeping a good pace.
The final climb...yeah, if you have done this race you know what I am talking about  close to 300 feet of vertical over 1.5...not so bad, but it is torture after 58k of racing.  Anyways, legs didn't have it for this section and I had to run/walk it :( ...I never have made this climb, maybe next year.
In closing...I was very happy with my placing. I could not have done anything more to have finished in less time, and no "mishaps" slowed me down.  There are a lot of fast people out there.
Every year I comb the results, how did I do this year in relation to last year, or in relation to this person last year.  It's amazing how the same names keep turning up in similar placings/timings in relation to each other at the finish line year after year.  My placings over the last 5 years

Year   rank       Time       Cat           Cat.place AveSpeed
2010  190        2:14:28  M40-49   66/393       26.8
2009  188          2:30:10  M40-49   63/363       24.0  
2008  148          2:17:25 M40-49    46/293       26.2
2007  239        2:21:46 M40-49    65/233       25.4
2006  204        2:28:11 M40-49    43/283       24.3

Sunday & Monday rides at Durham

Conditions were excellent at Durham this weekend.  Here is what Winston posted in his invite to the Sunday ride Ride Description / Level – All welcome easy early season ride - Ha!  I should have known...25 +- started the ride...after an hour the pace really picked up with Louis and Guy  upping the pace...racing up the back side of Dagmar-twice. 
Yesterday I was back out at Durham for a solo ride...about 45 minutes into the ride, I met another  rider on the trail.  I like the way it came together
Other rider "do you know where the single track is?"
Me " How much time do you have?"
Other rider "As much time as we have"
Settled...Fritz was his name and we were off for a single track ride through GlenMajor/Walkers woods. Having another (strong) rider out there meant this wasn't going to be any low intensity ride... thanks Fritz. 3 hours and 33k later I was back at the car.Today...either a light run or a short trip to Joyride.

First century ride of the season!

Good Friday...what to do?   Go for a long road ride.  Martin stopped by my house at 8am, by 8.20 we were on the road...over to Keswick, up to Simcoe, along lake drive to Sutton West, and back down to Stouffville.  110k & 1500 feet of climbing.  Martin headed out for a further ride with his honey, while I had another 55k to get up to 100 miles.  Legs were feeling real good...so I headed up to Wagg rd and into Uxbridge for some hills...made it back home with168k & 3500 feet of climbing :)