Sunday, May 30, 2010

4 weeks to go...............

So it has been a tough go for me (Jeremy) over the last two weeks... on May 15, Chis H, Ian, Gary and myself we going to do the 5 peaks... Giants Head, Husula, Apex, Spiller and ending up with Carmi to finish a hard day of training off. We rode out to Giants Head and climbed it like we only had that one hill to do.... ok, maybe like we only had two.. coming back down I was going maybe a bit to fast and on one of the hair pins as I came around the corner a car was coming up a bit to fast and I had no choice but to lay the bike down and ended up sliding into the front of the car... I was extremely lucky the girl in the car was able to stop... wow she could scream.... I got up as fast as I could so she would know I was ok and that she did not run over me.. I stood off to the side of the road and worked on accessing the damage to my leg and hip. Chris H and the boys worked on calming down the women.. good times.. We carried on to Husula..........I made the call to go home and clean up and hopefully catch up on the Apex climb... The guys got a 10 to 15 min start on the hill, so I did my best to catch up... not a great plan as I did not drink enough water and ended up bonking as I hit the ranch (2/3 up) ...Chris and Ian climb out of Gary and myselves peripheral vision and we carried on up the hill telling each other that "no, I am suffering more" what a great day... We regrouped at the top ..or as near as Gary and I were prepared to go. We dropped like rocks back to Penticton were it was unanimous (well except for Ian) that we go for coffee and screw the last two hills... Ian continued up Spiller and then called it a day.. I think we had more fun at coffee.


May 22nd .... 160km was on the table... around the Ironman course... we had a good group of lycra clad studs out and started out on a fairly nice morning... we made it as far as Maclean Creek when after the first hill, just crusing along I grab my water to quench my thirsh when I hit a sink hole in the road....down I went like a sag of potatos thrown from a high rise.. or something like that... I was pissed... got up and Jim Miller did a quick assessment and told me I was bleeding and had hurt myself... after a quicker self assessment, I agreed and decided I should head home.. Ian took the lull in the bike ride as a good opportunity to invite several people to dinner... I quickly assessed what the rest of my day might look like and jump on the invitation.. I know what you are probably thinking, how could so much assessing be going on after such a crash.. we are quite resourceful when we need to be..........next up on the day, spent the most of the day in the hosptial, leaving with a temporary cast.... next morning I was lucky enough to get in for the operation to reattach the ligament that had been torn off my thumb in the crash..more good times.
Ok three crashes in around six months... had my share.. cast is suppose to stay on for 6 weeks... how about 4 doc? So no standing on the climbs for a few weeks... its all good.


Weeks go by....

So, I guess I am not a good blogger as I don't do it very often... we don't have long to go so better get back to it just in case someone actually is checking for updates...

So the training for the group started a bit slow through March and April but we have all been getting together through May, although the weather has not been cooperating for us,,,, lots of cold days and some rain..

Early May, Chris H, Gary, Harold, Des, Joe, Karl, Steve, Carolyn, Steve S and myself did Rob's ride and had a great time.... three days of riding and just under 400 km... it went very well athough none of us came away with anything but socks... nice socks though.. they put on a good ride in Grandforks... recommend you do it if you haven't... Terry and Lana make a guest apperance at the start of stage two in Osoyoos.. then cheered us on at the top of Anarchist..then again at Rock Creek... Terry has riden Rob's ride several time... thanks for coming out buddy..

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Only the strong will survive.. Jeremy's Dec tale.


For me it has been a slow start to what I thought would be a good start as my fitness going into winter was pretty good... several weeks ago I convinced Tim and Gordon at the top of Campbell mountain (Jose's memorial) we needed to get to the Smith and Co (the coffee shop) first, as there were in the neighbourhood of 40 to 50 riders all heading to get coffee and meet up with Terry who was going to be there..... we ripped down the mountain like men possesed.. as we hit the road we cranked up the pace and got into a pace line, Gord went to the front and set a good pace when he pulled off I up the pace a bit and got a bit of a gap. I deceided to use up my energy reserves and cranked down the road, I made the turn onto lower bench and cranked up the pace to go over a little rise in the road before the big down hill .... my chain slipped off in the standing position which sent me over the handle bars while travelling at quite a good clip, after Tim and Gordon let me get up from the road (knocked myself out for 15 or so seconds) and let me know I should probably pass on the coffee. Gloria was driving by and was nice enough to escort me the the hospital where I spent the afternoon in the hospital, by the time I left I was going into shock on the account that I had missed my morning coffee.......I had to take a few weeks recovery with very little training.......... then this week while running Cola (my super fast four legged friend), I stepped on a rock at a good tempo and went over on my ankle, collasping into the road.. that hurt, fortunately all I hurt was my ankle... there goes another week. So Satuday morning looking out a what looked like a beautiful day, I deceided I needed to get on the road bike and get a few km's in.. out to OK Falls and back.. -6 degrees ... most of people I saw out on the road must have thought I was out of my mind.. and rightfully so... so I took this picture to prove I am an short a few screws.. and in fact did make it out there...

The Alps?

Thought starting this blog would help motivate myself and the Java Team and also have some fun logging our training over the next 6 months before the race... There are three teams from Penticton ...Chris Hawkins and myself, Gary Denton and Ian McAndrews are two Java teams and Chris Prowse and Jim Miller are representing the Bike Barn I am thinking...... what we are training for is a 7 day stage race in the Alps, apparently it is quite hilly there.. the stages below.

Stage 1: Mittenwald - Sölden - 115,19 km
Stage 2: Sölden - Brixen - 123,86 km
Stage 3: Brixen - St. Vigil - 85,08 km
Stage 4: St. Vigil - Alleghe - 129,84 km
Stage 5: Alleghe - Kaltern - 115, 10 km
Stage 6: Kaltern - Trento - 118,43 km
Stage 7: Trento - Arco - 88,31 km
Total: 775,81 km -
Total climbing: 19,928 altitude meters


Here is the link to the race website http://www.tourtransalp.de/englisch/

My mom might be the only one that follows our journey over the next 196 days until the race "thanks mom" but I needed something to do to fill my day so what the hell...