Catharine Pendrel

Well finally the World cup season has begun.   I can’t remember the last time I have started my race season so late.   Before World Cup 1 in Albstadt the only racing I had done since dabbling in Cyclocross was Sea Otter one month previously. The first two world cups were an eye opener for me, not because the level of competition or my own strength was much different, but because it became so much clearer to me how my goals and mental space affect my performance. I know this shouldn’t seem like a new topic, I often write about goal setting and focus, but there is nothing like back to back race weekends with two totally different head spaces to bring real meaning to words. Having changed up my training and approaching racing with a “racing to build confidence” approach I wasn’t my typical fired up “I’m going to win this thing” self.   Not setting the goal of racing to win, I neglected to set another goal that was meaningful and inspiring.   I had done this preparation for

I have spent the past two weeks with my parents at our family home, a 150-year-old farmhouse on 100 acres in rural New Brunswick (saying rural New Brunswick may be redundant).  Having gotten into cycling well into my teens and having left NB in 2001 for BC I really hadn’t explored my home province much by bike.  Now, plenty of 3.5-4hr rides in my training allowed me to get to know NB much more intimately than I had before.  NB may truly be one of the best places to be a cyclist.  There are so many beautiful quiet road routes and, in Fredericton at least, a network of bike paths and mtb trails to make any city or cyclist envious.    Mum and Dad indulge me with a cute photo op With a stage race ideal for my training that first weekend, I checked out velonb for some upcoming races and found myself a road race in the Miramichi.  I couldn’t remember ever having been to the Miramichi and it had been a good number of years since road racing and probably 9 years since I had strappe