Racing the Quebixans and Riding the Trainer East German Style

The winter is flying by! I have mixed emotions about this as the International Quebec Snowshoe Race and 2013 Winter Carnivale was so fun and is still fresh in my mind.

Danny, J Mass and his wife, Steph and I traveled up to the winter wonderland that is Quebec City on February 1st.  The winter Gods really wanted to give us a taste of Canadian weather and didn't let it get above 1 degree the entire weekend. Brisk! To keep warm you either stayed under the sheets OR (and the far better option) bundled up like an Eskimo and drank copious amounts of the below beverages.

But before we could enjoy the Winter Carnivale we had a little 10K race to get on with. J Massa had been hot on my heels at the Whitaker Woods snowshoe event and promised to give me a run for my money in Quebec. The course was a 4 loop flat-ish, fast-ish course with modest amounts of snow because Quebec had suffered 5 days of rain prior to the weekend. However it was cold and there was enough snow so we really could not complain.

Looking at the start from the bridge over the outdoor speed skating rink.  Quebec is a winter wonderland!

The race it self was a challenge and a half. I had developed a smoker's cough and couldn't breath through my nose. I some how managed to survive the pre-race bike ride I had on the training schedule but all I wanted to do post ride was sleep...not race. I didn't drive 6 hours North to be a big wimp so I bundled up like the kid from the Christmas Story and tried to get psyched up! However, racing with the inability to breath through the nose OR the mouth (blame it on the face mask) proved to be hard.

 I spent the first half hacking up a lung as J Massa ran farther and farther into the distance. The second and third lap I spent trying to hold off the second place girl.  Halfway through the final lap she passed me despite my best efforts and yelled something at me really loud in French.  Bonjour to you and I now I am a little hard of hearing. The rest of the final lap I spent trying to catch the now first place girl and NOT get caught by girl number three.  I crossed the line happily in second place and decided I had just did my own little test of altitude training.  I may have also lost some brain cells due to the time I spent being anoxic but hey, now I'm fitter.  A little dumber, but also a little faster.  I will take it.

J Massa did indeed give me an A$$ kicking so I went all Luo Ferrigno on him post race until he cried uncle.

The rest of the Quebec trip was spent at the CARNIVALE! Which was grand and full of arctic spas, beaver tails and ice sculptures.

Beaver Tails?

The FAMOUSLY SPEEDY KEVIN TILTON and a little Beaver Tail snack.

The remainder of February was spent preparing a 2 hour presentation on How to Treat the High Level Athlete in the Physical Therapy Clinic for the APTA and....TRAINER RIDES! Biking, biking and more biking on the trainer! Oh for the love of the sport. No secrets just some old fashion work.  Sometimes I go East German style (no music, no t.v and bike facing 2 inches from the cement wall.)  And if you read my last post about the central governor I did indeed give him a run for his money at my second indoor TT of the year.  I love when hard work pays off! Whatever you are working at keep working!

And yes I am biking with my helmet on. Just in case I fall off ;)  The interval work does get intense.

The racing season is almost underway with 4 weeks until San Juan and 6 until Oceanside!