Rolf Devinci

I was a little tardy crawling out of bed this morning. I do mean crawling too. The legs were definitely sore from yesterday`s effort. I considered driving to the shop but figured the 10km out would be a good warmup for the concrete pillars I had for legs. That was a test as was the rain that started just as I left home. I did consider turning about but figured I`d stick it out. The rain front passed over at the 5km point and it was dry pavement for the rest of the day. I opted for the second group leaving the shop and enjoyed the fast pace out to Fall River. The legs responded well once they loosened up but the Fall River Hill hurt. Thanks to EW who waited at the crest and let me wheelsuck the descent to Sobey`s. Jumped in the second group heading out to Laurie Park but ended up on the gravel shoulder as the paceline passed me...we were riding the CW rotation so before I rejoined the paceline I noticed we were missing a rider. Fearing he had a mechanical and no one noticed I turned ...

I had planned at least one substantial athletic endeavor on my vacation week but opting out of the Wednesday ride with the fast boys in Capaliano put the kibosh to that plan. Yesterday`s "recovery" day not only soothed my lower back issues but gave me the incentive to end the Giro De Geo on a high note. This morning I took advantage of the day and decided to do my first, but unofficial, duathlon. Basically I scooped out a route that would entail a 4km run,28km ride and then another 4km run. Not quite legitimate duathlon specifications but it was just an unofficial "see if I can do it" attempt. I have been more focused in my run training and am still toying with the idea of doing a duathlon this season. This was nothing more than a scouting mission to see how I feel and to set a training benchmark. The first 4km run was fine. I am not a speedy runner but it went well. The transition to the bike(in the kitchen)went well and I was off on the bike. The run had no neg...

A recovery day...no actually a travel day. Gathered up the kids and headed to Bridgewater/Chelsea to visit family. Met mom in town and we did some shopping(I got some sweet clothes at the Frenchie`s boutique...lol.) Heading to Chelsea for a meal and a tour of Wilfred`s substanial gardens, stocked up on several jugs of fresh well water then off to visit my grandmother before heading back to the city. A quick detour to the NSLC for a bottle of wine and then two hours of basketball/soccer with some of the neighborhood kids. It was a good day.

My lower back was kinda wonky this morning so the morning was spent finishing the basketball net for Chelsea. She was quite excited when she came home at lunch.Thanks Lynn! I was planning on riding the Capilano Hills at 5PM but considering my sore lower back I opted for the shorter, but hilly, Purcell`s Cove ride. Cycling from home and back it was a whopping 35km. A big thanks to Paul and Janette who paced me up the hills, sat up on the crests but indudged my roaring descents due mostly to the effect of gravity on my substantial bulk(LOL). Surprisingly I climbed the hills better than usual but certainly not fast. I don`t think my riding companions needed to exert much of an effort at my tempo on the big climbs. They both are riding so strong. Thanks again for letting me wheelsuck most of the ride. Home to some homemade turkey soup I made this afternoon from the remnants of the fowl I roasted earlier this week. Back on the deck on a lovely evening enjoying a glass of red wine before ...

Started the day anticipating a "recovery" type ride at 2:30pm. Generally an easier effort without pushing the legs too hard, especially on the hills. Before that I went to disassemble the basketball net for my daughter`s use. What I presumed would be a cut and dry affair turned out to consume most of the day. Exposed to the elements I had to hacksaw most of the bolts due to rust. This took most of the morning. After lunch I had to deal with the base. Generally they are designed to hold water which can be easily drained off to transport. In this case the base was full of sand and weighed a ton! It would have made quite the Youtube video seeing me trying to manhandle this awkward, heavy piece of gear. I tried every method from my warehousing days but it was obvious one man was not gonna lift this base into any vehicle. I resorted to sawing out a portion of the top and scooping out the sand till it reached a weight that I was capable of lifting. There are times at the gym when...

The Giro de Geo(first vacation day of 2008)started today with the Prologue.An intense 45 minute spin with my fav Nubody`s spin instructor - CM. The class was awesome with some serious simulated hill climbs.Prior to the class I loosened up with a walk to the gym and immediately started my usual ab/core routine of crunches, Swiss Ball routines, medicine ball and body bar exercises.Finished with two sets of medicine ball pushups. Damn.......they hurt but they feel so good! Replaced the defunct tv with a new 27 inch flat screen so the family is happy although the pocketbook is begging for mercy. Lord it`s getting hard to make ends meet these days.Everything is increasing with the exception of my paycheck. Can`t help but feeling I`m going backwards.(sigh) Thanks to LC Chelsea now will have a driveway basketball net. She`s been playing with a basketball for the last couple weeks using a tree limb as a net so our friends gave us the unused one in their driveway. Much appreciated! The Prolo...

The black cloud that usually follows me about has once again rained on my parade heading into my first week of vacation. Friday I got the call that the year end statement from Esso arrived in the mail. We are on the budget plan where you pay a set payment every month for home heating oil with the final statement sent in July. I expected we would owe a balance but the tally of $660 due July 15 just plain sucks.Last July we owed just over $130 so it is a substantial increase no doubt the reality of high oil prices.To add insult to injury the oil company will double our monthly payment for the next calender year!UGH! Not a great start for my week off but the club ride on Saturday was good. The weather was prime and I rode well. The fitness is starting to come along. That cheered me up somewhat until I heard the news that a good friend and clubmate was cut off by a left turning motorist and collided with the passenger door.UGH UGH! (Last word was that she was OK.....stiff, sore and brui...

Happy friggen father`s day.......(sigh). No doubt due to my lack of attendance the day was perfect for the 2008 Provincial road race in Riverport. The last couple days the wind was nasty but abaited over night.Good luck to all the competitors. I`ll plan to race Riverport next year (wink). Perhaps, in hinesite, caring for the kids as my wife was scheduled a day shift today was a good thing. The club ride yesterday was hard,compounded by the gusty crosswinds. On the return to Bedford from Laurie Park I was dropped by the fast group after a pull on the front. I hammered solo a hundred yards off the back for several kilometres but was unable to gain ground on the pack of 6 riders.The winds at this point were mostly a tail/cross wind and I was pushing a big gear around 40kph but a solo rider trying to catch a paceline is difficult. At one point an unknown rider who was drafting me on the chase assumed the pull which gave me a brief respite. Between that recovery and the lead group slowin...

I know it`s heading into the "guts" of the cycling season and my Friday night wines are usually an offseason blog indulgence but it`s Friday night! In the glass is a Spanish selection - a 2006 Agarena Bobal/Merlot blend....."...it combines finesse and powerful aromas with the vinocultural traditions of the area." The powerful aromas do not apeal to me....I find the bouquet rather sharp but the wine itself is quite good. I have never experienced the Bobal varietal so it might be a question of just being unfamiliar with the grape. It has got a little bite....13% alcohol. Hola! Sunday is the Provincial road race championship in Riverport. Last week I decided to actually race the event but domestics have transpired against me. My son went on a school trip and was unavailable to watch his sister this week which meant I had no opportunity to train. I managed a neighborhood run but have not been on the bike since last Saturday. Added to that is the fact my spouse was sc...

Hola; Absolutely beautiful day here in Halifax. A little breeze to compliment the full sun and hazy blue sky. Here I sit on the front deck in shorts soaking up some late afternoon sun enjoying an Italian Red while contemplating the day. The club ride was fun, but sad. This was the last club ride for Murray and Rob who are leaving Nova Scotia for opportunities in Quebec and Ontario. Both will be sorely missed and both were stand up guys,strong riders and excellent club members. I had the pleasure of riding with both today. I encouraged Rob to attack Fall River Hill one last time and was lead out rider,albeit to far out,for him on the sprint to Laurie park. Jose nipped him at the line but it was good to see Rob`s sprinting finesse one last time. Murray was with us on the bullet train out to Laurie Park and despite the lack of riding time due to school, family and the impending relocation he hung on with grim determination to finish with the group. Nice! Best of luck to b...

Today turned out to be a pleasant day so I decided it was time to take the Nebula ITT bike out for it`s first road ride. Suspecting some fit issues I planned on simply riding the Kearney Lake road to take advantage of some nice bike lanes. The ride out was a bit challenging just getting used to the aero position on the bike. Once I made Blue Mountain road I had a good idea of needed ajustments.The aerobar positioning was OK but the bullhorn bar needed to be raised. I also adjusted the saddle`s fore/aft position. The ride back in to the city was better but I suspected I needed to raise the whole bar/aerobar setup just a little. Considering the UCI guidelines for ITT bikes it leaves a little window of adjustment opportunity. Once home I raised the stem by one spacer which should help alleviate some lower back/sitbone issues but still keeps my saddle/bottom bracket position and aerobar height within allowable parameters. I must say I was impressed with the feel of the frame as it was v...

It`s rare indeed that I find myself just chilling out on a Sunday morning. It rained all night but is still wet and windy outside so I have no inclination to go for a ride this morning. Here I sit drinking coffee and contemplating actually making some real oatmeal.....not the instant variety. The real "stick to your ribs, so thick your could morter a brick wall with it" oatmeal. I will do something later today.I`m thinking a mid morning gym workout since it has been awhile since I did any weight training and core work.Thanks to Jim I actually got out for a run this past Thursday. It was an easy pace as he is doing the Navy Triathlon this weekend but it was a good benchmark for me. I did about 5km which is the block of distance I`m focusing upon due to the possibility of doing a duathlon this Summer/Fall.After two runs in 3 days(with a Purcell`s Cove hill training ride between)my legs and lower back felt very good. Cycling training is going well although I still struggle with...