Belgium 2006, entry 1

Hello everyone and welcome to season 2006. This past winter has been filled with great training and many thoughts of Belgium. I've followed a very specific training program that included long days on the bike, many days in the gym, hills, flats, and a big rubber ball. I feel like I have taken good rest days and have a great base under my belt so far. Winter training can be harsh in Michigan but I realize that there are far worse places to train. I did some pretty epic rides on the rollers but was able to get outside at least twice every week. Having spent time at the Cycling Center last season has really affected the way I am preparing this year. Where as last year I trained and trained not truly knowing what to expect, this year I am more focused and know exactly how mentally and physically demanding the racing will be.

I raced Valley of the Sun and was a little disappointed with how it went. I had no 'top-end' which makes perfect sense because it's February and I haven't done much riding above LT. Nevertheless it was a good jump start to the season and a nice three days of good intensity. One good thing I did notice was that I recovered very well in between races. Even though I would have like to do much better, I have to remind myself that I have a long six months in Belgium ahead of me and would rather be 'race-sharp' in August than in February.

After VOS, I went to Albuquerque to spend a few weeks training with the Cycling Center team. Our stay was sponsored by the Veloport Corporation and we were treated extremely well. The Veloport Corp is a group of people who are very committed to building a cycling facility equipped with a BMX track, velodrome, and tested equipment. Though much of our time was spent on the bike, we did have many things to do including meetings with Dr. Andy Pruitt, Kristen Dieffenbach, Polar, and Mayor Chavez.

From Albuquerque I flew home to Michigan to spend my last days in the States with my family and friends. That weekend was very busy with visiting friends and running errands. I attended the team meeting of my local team, Sunrise Sports and afterwards was awarded one of the three Euro-Devo Scholarships, which was created by Brian Adams and sponsored by Red Bull. Now I'm back in Belgium and ready to once again live the life of a professional cyclist.