Feb 27, 2011

I did it. I went to the Belvedère.

Cross country skiing is excellent cross training for cycling in the winter.  So every Sunday, I treat myself to a trip "back home" to the Parc National de la Mauricie, just north of Shawinigan Qc.

Jean Chrétien is from Shawinigan.  Thanks to him, the Parc was established in 1970.  THANK YOU JEAN!  I knew there was a reason I liked that guy so much as a 3rd and 4th grader. I would cut out and save his picture every time I saw it in the paper.  My friends made fun of me for it.


This year for the first time in the history of the Parc, the Panoramic trail (which is the ROAD that is groomed for skiing...gaaah) is occasionally groomed  a full 24.4km to the Belvedère: the lookout point at the top of the hill after Lac Wapizagonke (it makes for a 58.8km round trip).

It was groomed all of the way yesterday.  So I skied there and back today.  The sun was bright.  The sky was blue, the snow was fast.  It was a little cold, but my orange E-Load works just as good in the winter as it does in the sweltering heat. What a day.

Thanks M. Chrétien.  Thanks Parc.  Thanks skis.  Thanks pistons.  Thanks sun.  Thanks big ol' Concorde.  Thanks to all of my skiing partners this year.  It was a blast.

Feb 24, 2011

Thursday night spin...and the somewhat painful truth that not everybody can work wonders like Eddy

I love riding the trainer.  I look forward to it all day.  (I'm not even kidding).
Luckily today I didn't forget to put on my Headsweats band.  Yesterday, once I'd started pedaling I realized that I left it in another room.  I don't get off my bike for almost anything once I've been spinning for 3 minutes.  I learned my lesson though, and today my eyeballs thanked me for it.  No more sweaty eyes.  PHEWF!  It makes it a heck of a lot easier to see the guys battle it out in the Pyrenées in the '03 Tour.  (My choice of race for tonight. :) )

My cool down was a little rushed because I had to bust it out to make it to a last minute masso appointment.  I don't know if it's from cross-country skiing like a madwoman or (this is less exciting) repetitive movements at work, but my back is mega tight.  I realized after my appointment though...that you can't expect everyone to massage like Eddy.  Toodle-oo $67.  I have to find a good masso on this side of the Atlantic.  The mission is ON!


Lex's New Blog

I'm Lex Albrecht, a member of Team Juvederm Specialized Mazda.  Check out the team's official website at www.teamjuvedermspecialized.com  The official team presentation will be held in just over a week on March 5, 2011 at Specialized in Montreal.

We're looking forward to an awesome season.  I'm still not sick of the trainer yet...but I'm getting more and more pumped about tearing up the roads outside with the girls in Cali in just a couple of weeks!


This is the blog where I'll be posting about training, riding, racing, and everything in between.  The life of a girl who loves to ride her bike. 

Stay tuned...



Thanks a gazillion Dad, for helping me out with establishing this blog...
Tension. Not torque!