HTFUp! Training: Week in Review - One Man Snot Factory

I have been super motivated and riding all winter; through -40C wind storms, 10-inches of snow, while putting in 80-hour weeks at work-school. However, it has been one of those weeks and my only goal was to just try and keep the wheels turning. As I sit here trying to convince myself to suit up and ride I can hear the wind gusting at 60 km from the North and the temperature is plummeting from 13 to 7 C … Winterpeg. I was hoping to put in 5-6 hours easy before work, but I think 3-hour is more realistic. Honesty - between you and me - I would rather spend the entire day on the couch, wrapped in a blanket and drowning in my own snot.

After the much anticipated 1st Mountain Bike Cup race of the season I went out and pounded off another 4 loops for a total of about 72 km. It was nice to see everyone at the race, shoot the sh** and shake a few hands… Opps. What was I thinking? By Sunday night I felt like I was coming down with something. Monday morning a-a-a-CHOO I had a Class 1 snot factory pumping out litters of viscous multicoloured stuff… Yuck. Add seasonal allergies to the mix and you have me for the week. It is not comforting to know that apparently all of my readers are afficted with the same virus. Maybe you got it from this blog?

I managed to trudge through Mondays and Tuesday training sessions, but even with the strength of my convictions Wednesday’s intervals were completely beyond me. I only managed to make it through half a day at work before waving the white flag and going home. Since then the week has just been a blur of cold & flu tablets, power “naps”, and of course riding that stupid bike.

Intervals on Thursday were insane, not as technical as last week but still tremendously strenuous. Max effort workouts 1 day before the weekends long-hard efforts make for a difficult time indeed. By Saturday my nose was falling off from constant mopping and I was feeling very dizzy from 80+ km at Bur Oak on the fixie. Sunday we were out at Spruce Woods for the first time this year with the hope of putting in some big miles, but the combination of a broken chain and legs of lead did me in. I only managed about 4-hours 30-minutes.

I am looking forward to the next few races, and hoping everyone is planning on racing Brandon – it could be the best race of the year. I imagine that the Back 40 will also put on a most excellent race the following weekend. It is the first race of the MUETRO series. 80 km of Morden single track should be epic.

That is me - I have put that little blue "booger snatcher" I used to torture the kids when they were little in my tool pack. I may try sleeping without the wad of kleenex up each nostril tonight.

Ride your bike!


Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday: 3 or 4 hours off road on the Redline Cross fixie 44-17.

Thursday – Intervals: Total Time 3-hours, 6 x 6 min max efforts with a little less recovery between sets.

Friday: Work all day

Saturday: 80+ km Bur Oak

Sunday: About 4-hours 30-minutes Spruce Woods