Back to posting....

Sorry about the long gap between postings but I was experience some sign in troubles with the blog and couldn't access anything for a while. After a little research and some intensive trouble shooting though the problem has been solved.... (I'm an idiot and was using a wrong email).

So onwards and upwards with life in the Belgie!!

Health Update:

A few weeks back I was on a training ride and decided to overcook a turn and ended up taking a spill and a pretty good thump to the chest. Well after a week or do of pretty intense pain a visit to the good doctor confirmed that I did have a either cracked or fractured rib. So for the past few weeks I have been training and racing and sprinting with the efforts of a 90 year asthmatic woman. However, now that I am on the later end of the healing cycle I have slowly regained some breathing power and strength. But seriously, broken ribs are not fun. 

Racing:

While in my broken state I managed to still get in some Kermesse racing although the racing that I did do was short lived at best. Since my last entry I have competed in another three Kermesse races and finished approximately 0 of them (my group was pulled in one). The intensity of these races is truly something that has to be seen or experienced. One teammate that finished the same race in which my group was pulled had an average power for the race of about 300 Watts..... for about 120k..... that's alot.  

After racing these I have started to become much more active in the front of the race rather than just trying to sit in the pack and survive lap after lap. Within the first 4-5 laps of the race there is usually a break that forms and stays away, the key is to get into this breakaway group. Easy right? Well, it usually takes about 3-4 laps of non-stop attacking and chasing before this break forms so not really. In the last two of these races I have made it a point to be overly active in the first few laps to get a feel of what it's like to be in the early breaks and what it's like to be brought back..... they both hurt... alot. With each attack being chased at full speed if you do not have the enegry to cover the next attack that comes when you are brought back the you will most likely either get completely dropped, or loose position in the front of the group and miss the break that stays. 

Now that I'm starting to slowly understanding the movement and positioning of these races I'm hoping to begin to finish them more regularly and with better intentions of placing. 

The Weekend:

For this weekend, I will be competing in my second UCI race that is being held here in Belgium called Zellik-Galmaarden. This race is one of the hillier one day races going over the Kappel-Muir 2 times, the Bosberg 6 times and about eight other smaller climbs which I don't have names for. All of which are cobbled climbs accept for one. So needless to say that this should be a fun one and I look forward to giving a good race report on Monday.

Apologies again for the delay in posting but now everything should be back on track from here out. Coming up also this week I'll post a few shots of the Finish of Paris-Roubaix from the 150M mark inside the Velodrome at Roubaix and give the account of our adventures that day...... prostitutes, car chases, and drug dealers oh-my..... you really must visit Roubaix.

Cheers!