Cyclocross

Via an online friend in Belgium and the Daily Peloton Forums, I've become interested in cyclocross, a discipline of cycling not as well-known (at least in Canada) as road cycling or mountain biking. From Wikipedia:

Races take place typically in the autumn and winter (the international or "World Cup" season is September-January), and consists of many laps of a short (2–3 km or 1–2 mile) course featuring pavement, wooded trails, grass, steep hills and obstacles requiring the rider to quickly dismount, carry the bike whilst navigating the obstruction and remount in one graceful motion...The sight of competitors struggling up a muddy slope with bicycles on their shoulders is the classic image of the sport, although unrideable sections are generally a very small fraction of the race distance.

Seeing as I'm really tired of hearing cycling fans argue over and over again whether or not Landis or guilty (and now whether or not Pereiro is truly asthmatic), and there's not any road racing going on except in Australia, I've been watching video highlights and reading blogs about cyclocross instead - the World Championships are next weekend. Since it is not an Olympic sport, there is no government or cycling association funding for Canadian competitors who have qualified to attend the Worlds - a group started a fund-raising drive here to help them out. And there was a good article in the Edmonton Examiner (community paper) about local U23 'crosser Shaun Adamson and his trip to Belgium for some races including the World Championships. I've also been reading the blogs of Canadian elite mens' champ Greg Reain and Canadian U23 champ Kyle Douglas.


As for my own cycling - well, all indoors on the trainer for now, as we got more snow last week so all the previously cleared roads now have a nice snowpack base again, with lots of icy sections. But at least I think I'm regaining some of my fitness such that I'm not so discouraged about how I'm going to do in France in July anymore, just have to get back at the running and swimming again as well if I plan to do any triathlons this summer. Remind me never again to get so lazy through the fall and early winter as I did this year ... (though I suppose the transition to a new job, recovering from injury, and being sick in November are all explanations as well for my laziness through the fall, but still not an excuse).