2 sleep away from the big day and all is good. Had a great ride on course yesterday or at least what I was able to figure out with the map. It may or may not be a MTB course but I'm not complaining either way. Lets just say that if I followed the map right we will be crushing some serious climbing and at the end of the lap is a stupid hard steep pitch. I wish I could go check it out tomorrow but havn't been able to line up a drive there. I need that G2...
Looks like all the heavy hitters will be there except Nova Scotian pride L'esperance. I haven't seen his name on the reg yet. There will be blood. Hopefully not my blood though!
Going into this race I have had a lot of help from some great people. So big shout out to the Ride with Rendal crew, papa Haviland, and the amazing guys at Evolution cycles in Richmond hill who have brought my bike back from the gates of hell a few times and made it ride like new! And a very special shout out to Mr. Peter Glassford who has got me to were I want to be this season. Hard work will show this Saturday and the best will come out on top. Can't wait!
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Business time
Cross season baby! And it's about to get really heated up with Nats only 1.5 weeks away. But first lets recap the season thus far. Skipped first few O-cups to rest up after an awesome provincial MTB champs. By the time my first cross race in Guelph came I was itching to race. I wasn't sure how that would go cause I didn't do mush prep before hand and was on a large borrowed bike. It was huge! But came out with a win and that was that. Moving on now. Mr, Glassford and I got to work on training with Nationals in mind and things have gone great so far! Also super cool that Peter is taking part in this cross season.
Next race=Hillbilly Hustle=OMG! Too cold too soon and I was not prepared at all. I also tried to be all manly and go bare leg which sucked! Chown and Zack Attack maned up and crushed it while I pulled the plug after rolling my tire and then going all Hypothermic. Too bad cause that is my Fave cross race on the O-cup circuit and the course was great.
Durham cross was sweet again but this time more fast guys were there. I was training through that one so wasn't sure especially since Mark Batty had shown up. But turns out he trained through it too and we had a great race that ended with him hitting the deck on a barrier and me attacking to get away for the win. Love that course!
Off to the USA for some UCI action with Alex Sanna and his super girlfriend Hidy (sorry if I spelt that wrong). Joined by Mr, Batty and Easterner Emily Flynn and her mom it made for a super fun trip. The racing was fierce and Mark crushed day 1 with a 2nd and I was really happy with a 7th and some UCI points. Next day was... hell! They threw in an additional climb and that along with tired legs made for one of the toughest races ever! I had 11th but crashed with about 1min left and fell back to 15th. Still happy with how I rode though.
Ok almost caught up. Baseball cross=flat hammer fest. Loved the course that Watson and Barrie crew set up. It all flowed soo well and made for some tactical racing. Started 2nd row which made me start easier then usual but it might have been good cause I got to draft the whole 1st lap. Then I got board and went to the front and went hard for a while and got things going with a lead group of Zack, Mark and myself. Mark looked like he had been doing some serious training the week before and fell back the next lap leaving the 2 kids to work together. After a few laps of trading up the lead we saw Watson creeping up the field the same way a lion sneaks up and and Gazelle and then before you know it BOOM your dead. So the only logical thing to do was go faster cause we didn't want him there. He's got that old man power (old enough to race masters nats... Look out Mogg). Then it was time to break the team work and go for the win. So I put in a 1 lap dig and got a gap. But Zack never gave up and was biting at my heels for the rest of the race. I managed to hold him off and get the win.
Next race will be Nats and it's gonna be sick! We have a stupid strong U-23 field this year so it will be a show fo sho! Time to train!
Next race=Hillbilly Hustle=OMG! Too cold too soon and I was not prepared at all. I also tried to be all manly and go bare leg which sucked! Chown and Zack Attack maned up and crushed it while I pulled the plug after rolling my tire and then going all Hypothermic. Too bad cause that is my Fave cross race on the O-cup circuit and the course was great.
Durham cross was sweet again but this time more fast guys were there. I was training through that one so wasn't sure especially since Mark Batty had shown up. But turns out he trained through it too and we had a great race that ended with him hitting the deck on a barrier and me attacking to get away for the win. Love that course!
Off to the USA for some UCI action with Alex Sanna and his super girlfriend Hidy (sorry if I spelt that wrong). Joined by Mr, Batty and Easterner Emily Flynn and her mom it made for a super fun trip. The racing was fierce and Mark crushed day 1 with a 2nd and I was really happy with a 7th and some UCI points. Next day was... hell! They threw in an additional climb and that along with tired legs made for one of the toughest races ever! I had 11th but crashed with about 1min left and fell back to 15th. Still happy with how I rode though.
Ok almost caught up. Baseball cross=flat hammer fest. Loved the course that Watson and Barrie crew set up. It all flowed soo well and made for some tactical racing. Started 2nd row which made me start easier then usual but it might have been good cause I got to draft the whole 1st lap. Then I got board and went to the front and went hard for a while and got things going with a lead group of Zack, Mark and myself. Mark looked like he had been doing some serious training the week before and fell back the next lap leaving the 2 kids to work together. After a few laps of trading up the lead we saw Watson creeping up the field the same way a lion sneaks up and and Gazelle and then before you know it BOOM your dead. So the only logical thing to do was go faster cause we didn't want him there. He's got that old man power (old enough to race masters nats... Look out Mogg). Then it was time to break the team work and go for the win. So I put in a 1 lap dig and got a gap. But Zack never gave up and was biting at my heels for the rest of the race. I managed to hold him off and get the win.
Next race will be Nats and it's gonna be sick! We have a stupid strong U-23 field this year so it will be a show fo sho! Time to train!
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Different year different race
Hey there. So this time last year I had my all time best race of my life wining Nationals in Canmore. So I have been excited all season dispite not having a great season so far to come back and try and defend the title. I can't say that my confidance was super high going in to the race but I kept an open mind and stayed optamistic. It got a bit easier to think about doing well mid week when I suddenly had really good legs. So I did everything I could think of to keep the feeling alive. I kind of succeeded and and made it to race day feeling fresh. The reason I say kind of is because the feeling only lasted the warm up and the first 10 min of the race. Cramps started to set in pretty quick after that. I was able to keep the pace high still and picked off people once I got back into a rhythm. Then lap 3 I managed to find the one difficult section on the course and then eat it hard! Dug my face into a pit of sand and smoked my hip and a rock. Got back on and bike was fine and got going again. Took me a bit to get back up to speed. I might also mention that the lead guys had checked out by this point so all I could do was try to see how far up I could ride myself. Picked off a few more people but not sure which ones were in my category though. Last lap came around and I was thinking I could move up at least one more spot. Hit the "Eye Dropper" and heard that sound that every cyclist hates the most. Felt stans spraying all over my leg. Got in to the pits and Havy gave me a sick wheel change. Got going again and just wanted to hold whatever spot I was in and get finished up. Made it but got sprinted at the line by a guy I didn't even know was there. So Needless to say not the highlight I had last year. But moving forward and looking forward to the new team relay event tomorrow. Congrats to Boucaurd, Baily and Martin on there great races. I'll be working my ass off to get to that next level and mix it up where I want to be.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Finding the balance
The past few weeks have been all about getting into a routine that allows me to get everything done. This has been by far the busiest winter I've ever had. With training, job, studying and trying to have some non cycling fun when I get the chance. It has been overwhelming but a good learning experience. And I feel like I've found that sweat spot where I can do everything and enjoy life at the same time. Good thing I like my job!
Recent activity has included training obviously, sharpening the chef skills, spending good time with the friends and family and a trip to the bike show. This year I think was the most enjoyable visit to the show in a long time. Mostly because for once I wasn't there looking for the most outrageous deals and spending all my time in the cramped booths getting pushed around. Instead I was just there to mingle and check out the new products. Fave booth was the shimano booth with the new XTR. Sooo excited to ride this stuff this season!
Even though I wasn't looking for crazy deals Me and my Dad still came across one that we just couldn't pass up. Full carbon Noco torrent frame for 450$!! My dad has been without a MTB for a few years and I decided that I needed a riding partner this summer so I put the money down and had a happy father. He almost had the bike fully built within 2hrs of getting home! It's looking sweet.
Now looking forward to the next winter escape of the year to South Carolina with the OCA camp. Can't wait! Especially since winter has had a second wind here. Then soon after the camp it will be off to Colombia for Pan Ams! Excited and scared at the same time for that one. Should be a good experience for sure.
That's about it. Happy trails... or rollers...?
Recent activity has included training obviously, sharpening the chef skills, spending good time with the friends and family and a trip to the bike show. This year I think was the most enjoyable visit to the show in a long time. Mostly because for once I wasn't there looking for the most outrageous deals and spending all my time in the cramped booths getting pushed around. Instead I was just there to mingle and check out the new products. Fave booth was the shimano booth with the new XTR. Sooo excited to ride this stuff this season!
Even though I wasn't looking for crazy deals Me and my Dad still came across one that we just couldn't pass up. Full carbon Noco torrent frame for 450$!! My dad has been without a MTB for a few years and I decided that I needed a riding partner this summer so I put the money down and had a happy father. He almost had the bike fully built within 2hrs of getting home! It's looking sweet.
Now looking forward to the next winter escape of the year to South Carolina with the OCA camp. Can't wait! Especially since winter has had a second wind here. Then soon after the camp it will be off to Colombia for Pan Ams! Excited and scared at the same time for that one. Should be a good experience for sure.
That's about it. Happy trails... or rollers...?
Friday, February 18, 2011
Going going, Back back too...
Cali Cali! Oh how I am loving it here in sunny California. Well with the exception of today which is stormy and dark... For the past few weeks I've been down here getting in some good training and learning all about "good livin". It's been nice to not have to worry about anything but riding my bike and eating. After a month of the bike due to a knee injury it's really helped me get back on track and shed some of that extra weight gained which I am probably going to gain back by the end of today. It's crazy how hungry I get on recovery days!
This trip has been great not just for riding but also for getting to know the rest of the National team. I've had the pleasure of staying in a house with Amanda Sin, Mikaela Kofman (Fudge) and Catherin Pendrel. 3 pretty rad laddies who have really impressed everyone with there riding abilities on this camp. We've done some killer rides and all 3 of them have risen to the challenge!
One of today's off day activities was setting up a twitter account! After seeing the people I'm staying with using there's all week it has sparked my interest and I have become past of the flock. Check it out! http://twitter.com/#!/jrdstafford
This trip has seen a lot of firsts for me and will always be a great memory. Thank you to MattP and Pete Glassford for setting up the accommodations and I will definitely be coming back next year. And I recommend it to anyone looking to escape the great Canadian winter to Talk to these guys as it is probably the biggest bang for your buck you will find!
Just one more ride here and then it's back home for a while. Sad to leave but can't wait to see the fam. All for now.
This trip has been great not just for riding but also for getting to know the rest of the National team. I've had the pleasure of staying in a house with Amanda Sin, Mikaela Kofman (Fudge) and Catherin Pendrel. 3 pretty rad laddies who have really impressed everyone with there riding abilities on this camp. We've done some killer rides and all 3 of them have risen to the challenge!
One of today's off day activities was setting up a twitter account! After seeing the people I'm staying with using there's all week it has sparked my interest and I have become past of the flock. Check it out! http://twitter.com/#!/jrdstafford
This trip has seen a lot of firsts for me and will always be a great memory. Thank you to MattP and Pete Glassford for setting up the accommodations and I will definitely be coming back next year. And I recommend it to anyone looking to escape the great Canadian winter to Talk to these guys as it is probably the biggest bang for your buck you will find!
Just one more ride here and then it's back home for a while. Sad to leave but can't wait to see the fam. All for now.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
A new adventure
Hey everyone! Hope you had a good holiday season. It's been a nice relaxing break and I'm feeling refreshed and re-motivated. I've been exploring different things to do for fun other then riding my bike in my time off. Did some snowboarding, xc skiing and even hung out at a few malls with some friends. I think I'm done with that for another year though. Not a whole lot of excitement to report on. Just good refreshing fun and time spent with friends and family.
Now looking forward to the year 2011 I've got some big things happening. Other then starting up with training again I have started my new job at UTC (Ultimate Training Center) as an assistant to the trainers there. So far I think I'm going to like it there. Especially once I get my Canfit personal trainers certification and can start working with the clients. It's a great facility and I recommend it to anyone in the Newmarket/Aurora area who is looking for some fun group cross training this winter. I took part in one of the workouts the other day and it really exposed my weaknesses. I think it's really beneficial to work on balancing out those muscles that don't get worked as much in out sport to become a more well rounded balanced athlete.
So for the next while along with training I'll be updating on how my new adventure with the job is going and talking about what I'm learning.
One last thing. Along with everything I am trying to raise money so I can go to Cross worlds at the end of this month. I'm doing a fundraising spin class at Joyride 150 on the 16th. It will be about 2hrs long and all those who come will have access to the park after. Also Starbucks has been nice enough to supply free coffee for us to keep you energised for a solid day off riding. The fee for the class and day pass will be $40. extra help if more then appreciated.
All for now.
Now looking forward to the year 2011 I've got some big things happening. Other then starting up with training again I have started my new job at UTC (Ultimate Training Center) as an assistant to the trainers there. So far I think I'm going to like it there. Especially once I get my Canfit personal trainers certification and can start working with the clients. It's a great facility and I recommend it to anyone in the Newmarket/Aurora area who is looking for some fun group cross training this winter. I took part in one of the workouts the other day and it really exposed my weaknesses. I think it's really beneficial to work on balancing out those muscles that don't get worked as much in out sport to become a more well rounded balanced athlete.
So for the next while along with training I'll be updating on how my new adventure with the job is going and talking about what I'm learning.
One last thing. Along with everything I am trying to raise money so I can go to Cross worlds at the end of this month. I'm doing a fundraising spin class at Joyride 150 on the 16th. It will be about 2hrs long and all those who come will have access to the park after. Also Starbucks has been nice enough to supply free coffee for us to keep you energised for a solid day off riding. The fee for the class and day pass will be $40. extra help if more then appreciated.
All for now.
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