The Tour for Dummies

Happy Wednesday!

The beginning of July debuts my favourite time of year to hunker down and live in front of my TV.  I am sure you have some shock and dismay as I share that I am actually a couch potato in July.  Don't get me wrong. . . .I am still swim, ride and run but the rest of my time is spent absorbing, obsessing about the Tour.. . . . That would be the Tour de France (henceforth referred to as the Tour).  One of my training buddies suggested that I write a blog about the Tour and in thinking about it, I thought, "I don't know enough about to speak intelligently on the the Tour."  It reminded me of a comment a coach made when I asked him if I could try road racing (on a bike).  I was ready for the inevitable feedback:

You are not fit enough.


You don't train enough.


You don't have the right bike.


You are too old.

All of this, I had rolled over in my own head so it came as a shock when he said, "You are not smart enough."  I had three letters for him, first one W and last one F (you get the picture).  How is it possible that I am not smart enough?  It is cycling, for gosh sakes!!!  If you hadn't noticed my handle (email and car) is mathdva!  I may be old, slow, and ill-equipped but low IQ, I think not!  After that, I took it upon myself to get educated about cycling and there is no better place to get schooled than watching the Tour.

If you have always wanted to know how it works or at least, sound cool at your next dinner party, here are some basics:

The most important aspect of professional cycling that most people miss is that it is a TEAM SPORT.  In the TDF (the Tour), teams have 9 cyclists and each has a role.  Some some are sprinters, some are climbers, one is the team leader and the rest WORK!  For today, let's focus on the overall race.  it is easy to get caught up in the many classifications but, in simplifying the race, I think you will see how important the team is.

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION


The overall winner of the TDF wears the yellow jersey (le maillot jaune) and it is revered in all pro cycling.  It is the Stanley Cup, the Grey Cup, the World Cup, the World Series, I could go on but I think you get it :)  It is earned by the rider with the fastest accumulated time over three weeks of racing through France.  The race is divided into 20 stages with a prologue (at the beginning).  One year they ride clockwise around France and the next, counterclockwise.  I tell people all the time that you must watch from the beginning in order to keep everything straight but it has already started so let's see if I can catch you up.

Teams that have a GC contender (GC = general classification) will work only to get this one guy to the top of the podium.  In my estimation, this really is a gentlemen's sport.  How many athletes do you know will ride 150 to 200 km everyday so that the 'alpha' (my word) can get the glory?  Was Lance a great bike rider? Cadel Evans? Alberto Contador?  Absolutely but they needed a great team to get there.

Ok let's back things up a bit, look at these results from this week:

RANK RIDER TIMES GAP 1 CANCELLARA Fabian 20h 04' 02'' 2 WIGGINS Bradley 20h 04' 09''  + 00' 07'' 3 CHAVANEL Sylvain 20h 04' 09''  + 00' 07'' 4 VAN GARDEREN Tejay 20h 04' 12''  + 00' 10'' 5 BOASSON HAGEN Edvald 20h 04' 13''  + 00' 11'' 6 MENCHOV Denis 20h 04' 15''  + 00' 13'' 7 EVANS Cadel 20h 04' 19''  + 00' 17'' 8 NIBALI Vincenzo 20h 04' 20''  + 00' 18'' 9 HESJEDAL Ryder 20h 04' 20''  + 00' 18'' 10 KLÖDEN Andréas 20h 04' 21''  + 00' 19''

The cyclists (otherwise known as the peleton) have been riding 817 km and the leader (yellow jersey) has covered that distance in a little more that 20 hours.  Everyone else is compared to him . . . .+7 sec or +2:05.  Every day, as they race, his competitors will try to be faster than him.  It means that to move up the GC (see above), you need to make up time on the leader or the guy ahead of you.  This is why the terrain of each day is so critical.  If it is really hilly, (or rather mountainous), riders have a chance to attack and gain time on the leaders.  This is the smarty-pants part.  The great cyclists are always on the lookout for an opportunity to gain time.  Anyone who is serious about winning has already ridden every critical stage a few times in training.  They have probably already ridden the entire course!

Your TDF homeward until the next blog is to follow le maillot jaune and watch for any changes in the GC.  I follow the Tour on twitter @letour.  It is free and supplies you with all the stats you need.  I have added the main website for TDF (check the right hand side of the blog)

Next time, I will be looking at the race within the race within the race.

Vive le Tour!!!!

Words make all the difference!

Happy Thursday Readers,

Summer has certainly taken hold in my neck of the woods and I am sure you are knee deep in mid-season training.  You have scheduled all your bricks, hill sessions, swim training (open water, of course), massage appointments and strength training workouts.  Seems like every body part is cared for, obsessed over and scheduled.  Have you considered one of the most important muscle groups?

Yes, people, I am talking about your brain!!!

Mental training can make or break your race day experience.  Now, like you, I have heard that a million times and although I think of myself as a wordsmith (or least, wordsmith in training), I am always astounded by the power of my thoughts.  Even now, are you running a positive tape or negative tape in your head?

What is your self-talk like?

In my earlier years of training and racing, I used affirmations to help me get over any negative chat.  You know how this works, you choose a statement and repeat it to yourself until it becomes a part of your vernacular.  It sounds airy-fairy but I have a concrete example that still impresses me.  Back in the day, in my classroom (yes, my math classroom), I happened upon a homeroom that were dismally unorganized.  High school students arriving in my space with binders askew and papers following them like Linus' dirt trail in Peanuts (look it up!).  It drove me nuts!  I tried to punish/encourage them by assigning marks to neater notes and structured duotangs but to no avail.  Major intervention required!!! One morning I posted signs all over my class and I mean ALL OVER saying:


I AM ORGANIZED


I only mentioned it when asked and left the signs for 6 months.  The results were amazing.  Although I never gave them specific ways to improve their organization, across the board everyone had better notes, less wayward paper and a new respect for how structure improves learning.

Ok, enough pedagogical rhetoric. . . How can I use this to be a better triathlete?  Read on!

The challenge is in the wording.  So often we use statements in the future.  "I will place top 10 in the swim portion."  You won't ever get there. . . this is what I call the 'hope' plan.  Try "I am top 10 after the swim"  Much more powerful and confident.  "I fuel every 15 minutes on the bike"  "I race within myself"  "My transitions are smooth and easy" and my favorite "I finish strong and I have fun".

The other thing to consider is what are you telling yourself day-to-day?  Self-talk during training is equally important.  Recently, I saw a promo of Julia Wilkinson in the Give Your Everything (Check out the Video) campaign for London 2012 which read "My best swim will be my next swim".  Although this is in the future, it also exudes a subtle confidence.  This is really saying that my next swim, my next training session, my next brick will be my best ever.  I am getting fitter, stronger, faster every time I pull on my runners, pull out my bike or slip into my speedo.

If you follow this blog regularly, you know I have mentioned Julia before and I do so with an awareness of how mentally tough she is.  A great model for us mere mortals to emulate.

All right readers, you are up. . . . .find an affirmation that will work for you.  Try it for 10 days and just observe and, of course, report back!

Here I am going first:  "I write an amazing, informative, inspiring blog"

Cheers :)

More four letter words

Hello Readers,

I have two more four letter words inspired by our trip to France.  I hesitate to use them but there is no other way to describe the theme that developed throughout our week in the saddle.  I give complete credit to our avid cyclist/physician. . . she gives the term real street cred.

FOOD PORN


Our resident foodie took it upon himself to photograph pretty much every meal we had!!!  At first, I thought, "Seriously, who cares what the food looks like, let's just eat!"  But as the week wore on, I wondered if my entrée, my menu choice would rate a photo.  Did I choose something that was not only savoury but photogenic?  I began scanning the menu for a picture-worthy meal.  As a side note, this is one of the main reasons I love a cycling holiday:  total guilt-free eating!!!  After all, it is technically fuel.

Why Food Porn? . . . .  because everything looks like it should be illegal somehow.  So beautifully put on the plate and served with care and pride of workmanship.  Ok, on to the main event. . . . Please be kind as my description may leave you wanting more but that really is the point, isn't it?

Remember when we had to eat in the kitchen and they clad the table with rose petals?

A lovely veal shank with spaezle

Now one would think that we only ate really well in the evening but, mes amis, that is not how it is done en France.  Every meal was amazing.

Lunch:

In a word: CHEESE

Yes, those are scallops!

A beautiful gallette à la brétagne

Finally, a simple salad at
Chateauneuf de Pape
(oh, and the wine was good too :)

I am sure you are thinking that we ate like kings and queens (or popes) all week long.  In fact, we actually had a picnic one night as our guides told us we had to rough it at least once on vacation:

Yeah, it was rough!

It took me quite a long time to post this blog as I kept questioning myself, "Is this related to the spirit of the TriDiva network?"  Cycling and eating through the south of France doesn't seem related to supporting women in their fitness goals and then I realized that women in sport and in general, are much more complicated that sets, workouts and race goals.  

At some point, our souls need nurturing not hard-core training.  Friends, family, scenery, good food and great wine nurtured me and supported me.  I look forward to a summer of great training and great blogs.  I leave it to you to decide, do we look happy?

Four letter Cycling Words

May 20, 2012


Day 2


WIND

Our group felt great satisfaction at the end of the trek today as we experienced one of evils of cycling: the wind. It is the one weather condition that demoralizes me because I know that I am working for nothing. I am flipping my pedals around as if I am climbing a 9% grade and yet the terrain actually flat.   Wind is unyielding and unforgiving. 

It reminds me of Aesop's fable in which The Sun and the Wind compete to see who can get the traveller to remove his jacket.  The moral being "Gentle persuasion is stronger than force."  This can guide us in determining the best way to ride in the wind.  

Your optimum course of action is not to fight it. You will not win. Choose an easy gear and spin as if you were climbing.  Even in a crosswind, you will have better control over your bike if you spin at a high cadence.  By doing this you will minimize the lactic acid production in your legs and you will be ready to go for it when (or if) the wind eases.

Ok!! Enough advice!

 So, how was the group?  I guess it can be summed up by the numbers:

Km rode:  54
Daily espresso: 6  Yes readers that is just my consumption!
Dinner courses: 5 (including a top 5 lifetime dessert for me)
Total riding time (hrs): 4
Flat tires: 2 (myself and one other guy)
Bottles of wine at dinner: 2
Riders voted off: 0 

I guess the wind did not prevail in our french fable either. 

Cheers :)

On our rides, finally

May 19, 2012

I have to say that I am spoiled to travel any other way than on my bike. It doesn't hurt that our guides make arrangements for the transport of our luggage right to our room.   The first day of group travel can be a bit stressful as we don't know each that well and like all good reality tv competitors, we want to  establish ourselves in an appropriate role.  One of my diva buddies made me promise to not over function during the trip. I had shared with her that since I had help bring this motley crew together, I felt responsible for everything from the food to the weather.  None of which I can control.  We left Avignon by van to rendez-vous (see how I am integrating French vocabulary!) with our bikes and our other guide.   As a group, I think I can safely describe us as heterogenous with cycling ability ranging from a daily bike commuter with century rides sprinkled in on weekend to one guy who is a self- proclaimed non-trainer and purposely did not prepare himself for the riding in an effort to prove all of us 'anal athletes' wrong.   We also requested a variety of bikes. I, of course, opted for a road bike and brought my own pedals.  As much as I love my own ride, the thought of schlepping it through airports and train stations was not appealing.  On the other hand, using  my own bike shoes and pedals gave me an instant comfort on my stead. At the other end of the spectrum were people who choose hybrids for the more comfortable upright feeling. We rode a lovely 20 km to lunch and then carried on.  It should be noted that it takes a special kind of discipline to get back on your bike after a few glasses of wine.  I am thankful to my system that quickly metabolizes the alcohol !!! The afternoon was beautiful with rolling terrain and some amazing vistas of classic Provence valleys.  We arrived at our hotel in Grignan, a quaint inn with colored themed rooms and antiques dating back 300 years, after a solid 40 km.  As it is the weekend, our guides decided,  last minute, to stay in and eat at the hotel so during our welcome reception, we were informed that we would have to eat "in the kitchen".  The table was set with pretty chantilly cutlery and china and adorned with rose petals. It didn't look like my kitchen.  Private formal service ensued and a great meal and conversation was had by all. 

So far, nobody will be voted off the island, but the week has just begun :)

train.write.inspire.travel

A Return to Provence

Hello readers,

 Again you find yourself wondering where is my favorite blogger. It is a good news/bad news story (good for me and, well you know the rest) What follows is an excerpt from my journal that I am writing while cycling in France for the next week. I will try to protect the identities of the innocent (emphasis on try). Please enjoy this post. I will be adding more as the week goes on :)

May 17 2012
Day 1 A Return to Provence

 I am sure there is no one in my immediate circle of acquaintances or, even anyone that I spend more than 15 minutes with, that has not heard me regale the amazing experience that my husband and I had in Provence in 2011. Deciding to return was the easy part (ah, duh!). It was more difficult to imagine how the trip could be even better or close to it!  I guess it all came down to what we truly value in this lifetime: friends and family.  The 2012 edition of our trip won't be as random as the last time.  Last year, we booked with a fantastic company, Great Explorations, and took our chances as to who our fellow cyclists would be.  We found ourselves with three other cyclists with whom we meshed very well.   This year we invited a few friends and my brother-in-law.  All have some touring experience and all are up for the challenge. The only thing left in question is, will we get along?  Now I don't want to set this up as the next Canadian reality show but stay tuned :)

Four Word Life Path

Happy Tuesday,

I can hear the deafening screams, "Where have you been!!!!"  

As a friendly reminder, I promised myself to only write when I really had something to say.  I have been listening and researching 'blog culture' and there are well defined camps divided by the main issue 'Is what you write about pertinent/interesting/relevant/etc?'  This only reinforced my commitment to only write and post when it felt right.  That was my attempt to apologize for not posting recently:)

I have been in questioning mode over the past few weeks.  It strikes me in spring as the invariable inquiries from friends and training buddies start popping up, "Hey Norma, are you racing this year?"  I usually skirt the conversation and never really give a straight answer as if I am not even thinking about it.  

The truth is. . . . it is ALL I am thinking about!!!!  Well until I heard a fantastic interview with another sister (or should I say sistah!).  Gail Simmons was on CBC radio speaking on the morning show Q about her new entry on her CV as host of Top Chef Just Desserts.  This is not a foodie blog so I will cut the important part of the interview (the entire podcast is definitely worth a listen: Gail Simmons on Q).  She shared a story about how she got to be a TV host and food taster which to most of us is the dream job.  Gail was visiting her mom and one of her mom's friends right after she finished university.  While trying to answer the age-old question, "What do I want to be when I grow up?" her mother's friend offered some advice:  think of four things that you love to do.  Simple, right?  With no attachment to order or job prospects she slapped down:  eat, write, travel, cook.  And then she shared how she was doing exactly that.  

How is this related to "my race season"?  When I heard her four words, I knew what mine were and I also realized that we all have four words and they create a path for our lives and our careers.  If you had no attachment to what is logical or what will bring home the bacon.  What are the words that excite your soul?  The four things that would complete you and keep you engaged and enthused about your life?  

What are THOSE words?

Mine came to me in a flash and I realized that although racing has been and may still be a vital part of my life, it is actually the training that I love.  The feeling of accomplishment after a tough set; the satisfying latte after my hard ride.  These are the threads that make up the fabric of my life. So my answer to the question about my race season:

train...write...inspire...travel

Find your words :)