It's all about balance, as the Molson Export add says. With that in mind I hit the Schwinn spinner for 50 minutes last night. Then I headed off to the pub for the annual boy's beer night out before Christmas. Well attended event. Beetle was there for some post cycling training as well. The buzz about the May trip is building to a fever pitch. I'm getting psyched, that I know. If Matthew and Gianni want to flog at 45 kph, they are more than welcome to. I will see them in the bar, later. They can calculate how much later as follows:

Slowcolnago arrival time (hr) = Matt & Gianni Time (hr) + (ride length / 24 kph) - (ride length / 45 kph)

Matthew, your Mom can explain.

Gianni, you can try to teach me Italian, if you prefer. French will work for me as well, Spanish for Beetle.

Slowcolnago

Winter is well on its way now. Haven't seen better than minus 5 C for a few weeks, and just enough precipitation lingering around on the roads to be dangerous. Stuck to the Schwinn spinning bike this weekend. Just one session of one hour, but lots of time doing intervals up out of the saddle. Skated with my son Matthew's hockey team on Saturday-actually have to work to stay ahead of those guys now. Off to play a bit of pick-up hockey tonight. Outdoor shinny starts tomorrow-all in aid of not losing too much lung capacity as winter wears on. It is going to be tough to be in the same shape as the southern Italians, by late May.

Slowcolnago

It was a good week for cycling. 5 short lunchtime rides in progressing intensity. Today i rode with a Gianni. He is interested in joining us for a day in May. I am sure that his cycling is much better than his english, but he is willing to give it a try.
He rode a mountain bike but it didnt seem to set him back any, on the flats or on the climb. One thing working on his side: the roads are totally covered with dirt and manure spun off from tractors. Makes drafting a challange, you never know what is going to come off of the otherguys back wheel. m.

I knew it was the beer. Yesterday and today I was the first up "the wall".

Did the lunch time circuit today. Its a 15k team time trial. Today there were three of us and the average was speed was well over 30 before we slammed into a huge flock of sheep. All the eating a drinking of the last two weeks are taking their toll... we were powering along at 45kph on the flats but I got dropped on the first hill. How did that happen. No excuses in cycling. You gotta train. m.

In full training for the after ride activities in Italy....sunny and warm in
Chile, beers by the pool, late nights eating some wonderful Chilean and
Italian cuisine (told ya I was practicing), mucho vino tinto y termino cada
noche con demasiado cervezas. Up early in the morning for coffee bfore
attending full days of seminars and meetings with Copper indutry people.
Hopefully mtb'g this weekend when I get back to TO. Hasta la proxima BLOG.
Beets

Quiet weekend in cycling land. Too cold and windy, and some snow to boot. Insulation in the training shed working very well though. Had to turn the heater off after half an hour on the rollers. Dreading them already...I've got to get that cable TV installed in the shed.

Bright sunny day. 13°f. 15k @ 29.8 (in two, I drafted). 200m climbing. m.