France What

Well I'm here in France. As usual getting packed up was stressful as my new SRM came in hours before my flight was set to leave which threw a wrench into my plans. No matter, I ended up getting to the airport with a decent amount of time and had a very un-eventful flight. Nothing crazy happened and it was smooth sailing.

I'm one of those poeple who cant sleep on planes, and this was no exception. Being an all night flight I'm going on about 30 hours of no sleep and I'm starting to hit the wall as I write this.

I got a pick up from my team director/driver and Franck, one of the older fast guys in Paris ,and I was was greeted with a nice coissont, and a strong cup of espresso. They marvalled how I could fit 2 bikes in one bike bag, and I marvalled at how useless I am at French. Problem.



So it seems that most of the people on my team, and who Ill be living with dont speak english. Dont get me wrong I dont expect to move to France, and have everyone speak English for me. It just means I have to kick start my french skills in a bad way.



The team car is fully legit being a Renault, with sponsor logos all over it. On top there are enough racks to hold a few bikes and about 15 wheels with speakers on the top to yell at riders. Its pretty funny actually. The best part is the "peleton" horn which is the one you hear if you ever watch any PROTOUR bike racing vid.



We crammed all my stuff into the car and made the way into Paris for a quick stop over at a friend of the teams. There we had some wierd french alchohol called Ricard, which you mix with water and tastes like black liquorish. Im pretty sure Andrew told me to stay away from it if I knew what was good for me. Its pretty terrible stuff.

2 days later____________________________________________________

Fast foreward a couple days as I am now settled and have internet at my host house. I went for a couple rides with the team and it turns out the team is one of the biggest in the area with about 12 riders. We did a couple 80+ km days and the terrain is surprisingly hilly. Its a lot like PEI with rolling hills. The guys are pretty fast as some of them have a lot of kms in their legs. The first day I felt fine but the second I was cooked by the end of the 100km mark. I was expecting that with the cold,being the first few rides of the year and the guys drilling it on the climbs.

The scenery is exactly what you would picture rural France to be. Any view is like out of a Europe calendar. You ride through hilly spots through fields with a ton of churches. The roads are super narrow and every now and then you pop into a town that has 15 buildings from 1200AD. Old guys come out smoking and watch you go by. Its really funny how steriotypical it is.

Ill go into more detail about things in later posts but here are things I have noticed.

-Apparently taking your shoes off to go into a house is a Canadian only thing as everyone doesnt do it here and in parts of america I've noticed.

-People kiss on the cheek to say hello, women get it on both cheeks, kids only on their right.

-No one drinks real coffee. Its a power like making hot chocolate. They drink 15 cups a day, but its the mix. I went looking for a steriotypical cafe today in Centreville Flers and there was nothing to be had. Bummer.

-Everything is little, cars, meals, houses espeically. The house I"m staying in some of the stairways are just as wide as my shoulders. The cars are smaller than a bike length and height ways.

-French keyboards are annoying.

These are some other things I have noticed and I'll keep more coming. Its bizzare here, very bizzare. Its much more difficult than what I imagined. The language is of course, but just that everything is slightly differant from Canada. I'm not complaining, its just difficult to get use to. My french is comming along quickly actually. It sounds terrible but at least I can get by now.

With that I'm off to bed, more pictures tomorrow.

Twist

I think yoga instructors would be excellent phone sex workers. Anyone who has been to a yoga class would probably agree. The ability to speak clearly about what your doing while twisting yourself in an awkward pose and thinking three moves ahead while blending your words seamlessly in a clear and relaxing manner are all talents that are needed in both fields. Not to mention most yoga instructors aren't hard to look at.

I've been doing the odd hot yoga class. I think its great for this time of year as it forces you to stretch, and reveals odd weaknesses that a person normally wouldn't be aware of. I've been going to yoga on and off for the past three years and I find I ride a bike faster when I do it a couple times a week. I don't think its benefits come from the strengthening of the core, but more so clears my head and put me in a nice relaxed state.

I'm not going to lie. I started going to Yoga in Vancouver because I was lonely and wanted to meet girls. Well this backfired on me as the $5 community rec center yoga was 97% women over 50. Either way it was a good class and I took a lot from it.

Stevie and I have been riding a bit along with going to the gym. I always love starting the gym routine but by the time I leave I'm done with it, and this is no exception. I leave soon, and I'll be happy to leave the squats on PEI.

A lot of people have been asking me about how I feel about leaving. In reality I'm terrified. Not so much about the racing, or the weather, or the culture shock, because I know I can adapt to all of those things. Mostly I'm scared of what will happen on the bike. Last year was so hard on my mind, that I'm kind of terrified of it happening again. I feel good, but at the same time I have the lingering feelings in my mind. I'm hoping some good training, a new environment, and some fresh competition will sooth these thoughts out of me.

I had a lot to prove last year, and I have even more to prove this year. The difference is that instead of proving it to other people my desire comes from proving it to myself.

Fenders

(Chruch in Downtown Flers)


Its coming together. Tickets are booked for France leaving on the 4th of February and returning 16th of June, just in time for Nationals. When plane tickets get booked, usually I get a rush of relief as my mind goes from thinking about where I'm going, to counting the days until I go.

As with most times I leave its always bitter sweet. I leave PEI which is cold as hell, to go somewhere to pursue a dream, but PEI has all the family and friends who I wont see for many months. I've been doing this for long enough that I know what to expect, but it never gets easy. The whole time I wonder about how they are changing while I'm gone, and how I'm changing and what our relationships will be once I return.

Most years when leaving I get to go to someplace warm and soak up the sun. This year I'm, leaving cold as hell PEI for slightly warmer, rainy, windy France. This year has been especially bad as most people know in Europe for weather. Flers France, where I'm going, is no exception.

Its funny how people tend to follow a trend. Along with me heading to France I will meet up with three other Maritime cyclists. Zack Garland, Dustin MacBurnie,and Stuart Writeare all heading to the same region if not the same small town. Bizarre.

I'm told my living arrangements are with another teammate who just bought a house. I'm stationed with him because he is a single guy and I'm staying there the longest(as opposed to living with a family). Its expected that we will live to the fullest the bachelor life of the mid-twenties cyclist. This of course means a busy house, and busy beds with all of the rice cooking in the kitchen and going to bed at 9pm.

When I say I'm going to France, most people think of a twenty something backpacking, staying in hostels, and living wild. For me and most cyclists, its consists of 6+ months of being celabit.

Francais

My new team in France, hope you can read French.

http://www.agorvalcoutances.info/

January First

Most people have a ritual that dictates what they do on January first. Whether people are comforted by it or simply like doing the same thing on January First. I chose to have a mild New Year celebration this year. I didn't really feel like getting drunk, and decided to simply have a few beers while watching hockey game with the boys.

I was home just after midnight and made sure to take a shower. Being a former goalie, I am ripe with traditions and superstitions. I wanted to take a shower to symbolize getting all of the garbage off me from 2009. It was a tough year for me, and I want 2010 to be the year that overshadows the past 12 months.

One tradition that I wanted to continue, was the 12th annual New Years Day Ride. Ive been going to them since 2003 I think, and it is something I really enjoy.

Last year we had to postpone the ride due to a snowstorm, but this year it went off without a hitch. there is very little structure, as most people show up around 10:30, some in better shape than others and we mount our rigs and do the ceremonial loop around Brackley Beach. The pace is moderate, with picture time somewhere in the middle of the ride.

The day turned out to be great, with most of us avoiding the slush, sand and salt that PEI roads have so much of.

Afterword everyone joins in the potluck highlighted by Mark Grimmets waffles and hot espresso. Of course the cabin we use has no electricity, but Harvey and Bruce usually solve this problem by bringing their generators for the occasion. We all left with full stomachs that's for sure.

Andrew Brown, a legend in PEI cycling made the trip from Comox BC to visit family and showed up un-expectantly on the ride. It was really great to see him.

I'm excited 2010 is here. I leave in about a month, and I'm looking foreword to starting a new page in my life.

The Winter Bike.

I got a new frame for the winter bike/train-whore bike. Unfortunately the weather has been terrible, so even though I have a beater bike, I haven't had much motivation to get out on it. Its made up mostly of pieces Ive collected over the years working at shops. The total cost is about $400. The Powertap is a loaner. Frame was free

I wish I had a 39/53 crank, but $60 bones for a FSA compact with BB I'll take. Now to find the right front derailer clamp!

Yee haw

France

Well I'm headed to France. Through one of Lucs hookups I'll be on a small team in Saint Lo, by Flers France. Its in North Western France, if my geography serves me right.

I don't know a lot about the deal just yet, but I'm thinking a lot of the nitty gritty will be handled. It doesn't include bikes, but I think a lot of the major expenses are covered. In most cases I would much rather that, than a free bike and no way to a race.

I'm thinking I'll head out around the first week of February straight to the town I'll be living in. In my mind it seems so much easier and straight fore ward, compared to year past where I go to Arizona then have to fly somewhere else and spend so much time travelling just to train/race/live.

I'm excited its all worked out. I've been super stressed as the process took a lot longer than I thought and left me without a team into December, which is getting really late.

I hope some new and exciting adventures lye ahead for me.