Grote Prijs Affligem

Top of the Mollemberg

Yesterday I took the plunge directly into racing with the Grote Prijs Affligem. All week I have been feeling a bit tired and the last few days have been struggling a bit with the sudden heat and some allegeries related to the large amount of pollen in the air in these parts.

I started the race feeling alright, nothing special and really not expecting much with my goal of the day to finish the 156 km race. This race is part of the national calender and included all the usual Continental squads from Belgium, Ireland, Bulgaria, France. The team of the day ended up being Unibet.com winning the race, the team competition and the king of the mountains. From the start I felt really at home in the 189 man peleton and within 5 km I found myself in the first break of the day. I had never intended to try to get in any breaks and especially not so early in the race, but I know that I needed to stay at the front for the first 15 km due to the high speeds and the cobbled section with a hill early on. As a result I rolled with some accelerations and before I knew it we had gap. It as far to early to try to go with 10 guys so after a few minutes and getting on the race radio (I could hear the guy on the moto announcing my number) I let up and dropped back the peleton. I felt really good on the cobbles which was fortunate as there were 6 sectors total on the day and the hills felt quite good as well. As with last year the speed is what got me, especially when we started hitting 60km/hr in single file on the open big roads at times. And as with last year I could hang in anymor eafter about 115 km on the local circuits. I got dropped at exactly the same place as last year which is not so odd being my first race of the year racing with guys who have raced since at least March, as well as racing in 27 degrees, riding a new bike etc. I feel strong and I know I have a bigger base to build on than last year. I am sure the results will start coming in the next few weeks once I have settled in to the racing agian.

My next race could be tomorow, I will make that call this evening. Otherwise I will race Kortenake-Stok on Thursday. This weekend the only races are provincial championships and not being Blegian means I get the weekend off, unless I want to do a VWF race which could happen.

Peleton coming off the cobbles

After a good days workThis way to Painsville

Granville G Force

A new season and a new bike. This year marks the first time in three years that I don`t ride a Giant carbon fiber machine. This year the team is on the Granville G Force, an aluminum workhorse of a bike oozing Flemish racing prowness. I have been training on the bike since I got here, but yesterday I really put it to the test on the course for Sundays race. With three cobbled sectors to be tackled each long lap (two long laps) totally about 4 km, plus countless kilometers of rough roads and corners it is the ultimate testing ground for a bikes potential to succeed in this part of the world. This bike is incredible. Compared to the Giant it feels many times stiffer and sure footed on the cobbles. Although it is a tad bit heavier it makes up for it in ride quality. I know it likely sounds out of line saying that aluminum is superior to carbon, but in some applications I am convinced that it just might be.

Another part of this bike that I really like are the wheels. Although not the top offering from Fulcrum they offer light weight and good stiffness in a wheel that can take a heavy beating.

Frame: Granville U6 Custom

Drivetrain: Shimano Ultegra

Wheels: Fulcrum Racing 3

Other: FSA bar, stem, seatpost, Look Keo pedals

Saddle: Selle San Marco Concor Light

Planes, Trains and Automobiles

It was a long, epic journey, but I have finally arrived in what will be my home for the next four and a half months.
Monday was crazy. After two exams I took a nine hour flight to London, then two hours transit followed by a quick hour to Amsterdam. Once I finally got to continental Europe I spent almost two hours at Schipol before getting on a train and blasting southbound to Brussels. The train ride was interesting with all my luggage. Despite not having to bring a bike I had a small bike box with me with training wheels etc so I still had to sit in the enterance area on one of the small folddown seats, moving my stuff so people could pass at every station. It is important to watch your stuff in these parts, especially when they are reminding you of thieves and pickpockets constantly on the intercom. When I arrived at the central station in Brussels I called my contact and within minutes Emmi and Natalie showed up to wisk my to Liedekerke.
The first stop was Sportzone Fitness and Wellness Club (title sponsor of the team) where I was reunited with most of my old friends from the past two years. It is great to be back.
The weather here is incredible. It hasnt rained in a month and virtually every day they break a temperature record. Yesterday I trained in 30 degrees and today the temperature on my ride topped out at 27. All in the land of men hardened by challenging weather...
The last two days I have trained, but taken it very easy to ensure a full recovery from the long trip. Today I rode the course for Sundays race and it looks like a great way to start ripping into the legs and lungs.
The new kit looks great and my new team bike for this year phenominal. As well Sportzone is the nicest fitness club I have ever seen and is a model more clubs in Canada should follow. I will post more about that later. Pics and more to come.

See You on the Other Side

Just finished the last two exams of the semester, purchased 5 months worth of health insurance and in the process of putting final items to rest in various travel bags. I am now officially ready to once again leap the pond for an epic season of cultural refinement, self discovery and incredible bicycle racing. In five hours my flight leaves for London were I will stay for a couple of hours before skipping across the channel to Amsterdam. From there the wonders of the railway will send me to Brussels were someone in a silver German station wagon will chauffeur me to my accommodation in the quaint Flemish town of Liedekerke.
During this time of transition there may be a shortage of posts as I get settled again, but bear with me it will be an adventure not to be missed.
Over and Out.

Black and White

After weeks of outdoor riding and solid training the winds have shifted yet again and a lingering winter is blasting the region. With only days to go until I depart for the summer conditions of central Europe it is exciting to know I will be escaping this inhumane habitat shortly. Tomorrow is looking better with 8 degrees in the forecast. As long as I get some full fenders on the cross machine a couple of quality days on the road should be in store. For today I will retreat to the relative comfort of the indoor trainer and some LT bursts to add to my current program of beginning to fine tune the engine for my first race of the season, which is only 9 days away. The Grote Prijs Affligem is a grunt of a road race with plenty of true Flemish delights thrown into the mix to officially welcome me back to racing for 2007. I know I am stronger than I was at this time last year so this year I will see the epic to the end and start the season in style. Training is boring, I want to race.

I have been trying to add some Flemish to my vocabulary and the goal for this year's extended stay is to become proficient in their everyday language. I am looking forward to yet another incredible cultural immersion and to seeing my good Belgian friends very soon. It is amazing how welcoming they have been and how integrated I feel when I am staying in Liedekerke. It is a completely different world from what I know both here in Canada and in Norway, but a world I feel very welcome in and a genuine part of.
My brother and family departed for the motherland yesterday and although it is always a challenge to see them go, I know the future should see the distances decreased drastically between us. I am hoping to take a quick trip up north while in Belgium to visit Bergen and my sister so the possibility exists for a crossing of paths shortly.
Exciting times in the next few days and the beginning of yet another epic adventure on my doorstep. It seems small and large adventures are becoming a very regular part of my life and I don't intend it to stop.
Live the dream...

Norwegian Culinary Delights: Blotkake med Marsipanlokk

As promised earlier I present to you the ultimate in sweet culinary progress. This version of the previously presented blotkake takes a already euphoric taste experience to the next level with a marzipan lid. Using marzipan can allow for highly creative design and artwork to add a dimension of aesthetic flare.

Young One

Hannah Louise, the newest addition to the Strom clan. Style in the genes.

Peter, Bjorn & John : Young Folks

A captivating video and a catchy tune reflecting a lighthearted mood going into my final week in NA before a long summer abroad. This track comes from Swedish indie band Peter, Bjorn & John and features the single that saw them occupy a spot on the UK top 40 charts and a second place ranking by NME for best track of 2006 (beaten out only by Hot Chip who was featured earlier).

Young Folks
Peter, Bjorn & John
Wichita, Parasol Records

And Counting...

I just arrived home from yet another very successful training extravaganza. The week in Penticton was perfect to sharpen the form and begin the mental transition to racing season. After I last wrote we had several incredible days on the bike including a 6 hour days of the biggest climbs in the region including the almost 2 hour rip up Apex as well as Carmi and Giant's Head. The climbing form is great and although Flanders doesn't offer climbing of that caliber, riding in a headwind can feel like a long steady climb at times. I managed to sneak some speed and higher intensity into the riding as well. Especially after I received strict orders from Tino to "go deep into the red". I did my best to ride my group of riders into the ground and on the final day the red zone was all mine as I summited Apex one last time solo after the rest of the group finally reached their maximum capacity and headed homeward early.
The camp was also a great opportunity to meet and get to know some of the best bicycle people this province has to offer. From all walks of life and levels of experience the group at the camp was a solid concoction of character making everyday exciting. It was great to get involved in an aspect of cycling independent of racing or a specific club and I would definitely jump at the chance to do this type of work again.
I arrived home to spend some time with my brother and his family again and took today completely off after traveling yesterday. With 4 young kids in the house I am frankly more exhausted than after a week of hard training, I think it might be the countless hours of soccer and posing as a human jungle gym for the hyper active young ones.
Now it is time to settle in for a final week of physical preparation, a couple of exams and a last minute school project. Hopefully I can get back in the swing of posting, you should see the return of the weekly top tune tomorrow.
Stuart at Roubaix?! Startling.

Burnt

Loading up for another day in paradise.
I am now in Penticton BC for the ABA training camp at which I am the coach/leader for the "A" group. So far the camp has been incredible on most fronts. The first day was comprised mainly of spinning around in in the sunshine, exposing white winter flesh to the first true rays of a new season. Yesterday saw a 200km blast through the Okanogan with ascents of Green Mountain Road, Richters Pass and the famed Anarchist climb. The later is a 16 km cornucopia of climbing awesomeness with a steady ascent of between 6-9% making it possible to settle into a solid rhythm. With the powermeter going I managed a solid 320W average for the 50 minutes of climbing, which is better than any previous year. In fact the average wattage for the entire nearly 7 hour adventure was over 200W, a solid effort indeed. The final 10 km into town from OK Falls was comprised of a 3 man guts out run in with some incredible speeds and outputs. It is somewhat mind boggling what some of these 30 something riders are capable of with somewhat limited winter training. The scenery and temperatures are inspiring great things which will make for many good rides to come for the remainder of the week I am sure.
It is a tough time of year to do a camp like this. I have hundreds of hours of base in my legs and really don't need more. I should be focusing on intensity whereas the camp is designed as mainly a riding affair which inevitably translates into long tempo days. To counteract this I have been purposefully riding around in a big gear to keep the wattage up and work on strength instead of spinning the base riding gears. It also a time when I need to work on top end speed and accelerations, but without access to racing or motor pacing this is difficult to accomplish. I know that in three short weeks I am going to get my legs torn off by guys who have been racing for two months already. It is a tough transition and tough mentally trying to build the speed without the previously mentioned tools, but with aggressive riding and race like situations like those experienced yesterday with the stronger riders in my group I might be able to gain some top end from it. Finally, my brother and his family arrived from Norway for a two week vacation the day before I departed for this camp. It was tough to take off right away especially since I havn't seen some of them for over a year. When I get back I will have a few days with them, all the more incentive to make them memorable.
Today is the first rest day of the week and although I am not feeling it too much after yesterday I think I will keep a low profile today as 200km of tempo must have some detrimental effects in the short term. Tomorrow will be the highlight of the camp for me with the riding hitting most of the major climbs in the area including the grunt up to the Apex mountain ski resort. In an hour and a half you can ride from 20 degrees and sunshine in Penticton to 2 meter snowdrifts and 2 degrees at the summit. The climb steepens dramatically with about 12 km to go and turns into a festival of suffering for the ill prepared. I can't wait.
Until next time, I will attempt to steer clear of further sunburn. Maybe I can show up in Belgium with a slight pigment this year and not embarrass my team mates like last year with my pasty limbs...

Norwegian Culinary Delights: Blotkake

A simple Blotkake

This round of culinary delights presents a Norwegian birthday and celebration treat. Indeed, if something needs to be celebrated the chances of consuming some blotkake are good. Blotkake actually means "moist cake" if you translate the work directly to English. The moisture component of this cake is largely due to the light sprinkling of fruit juice (such as that found in canned peaches or pears) or milk on the cake itself as it is being assembled. It is common to fill whipped cream and an assortment of fruit and/or berries between the two layers of fairly standard cake. Finally the cake is spread with whipped cream and topped with more fruit and/or berries depending on what you placed between the layers. The cake above is very simple with only strawberries as a topping, but for fancier occasions more elaborate fruit displays are created. The toppings are often reflective of the region of the country you are in or the season. My personal favorite is blotkake with a marzipan lid, which is the same as described above with the addition of a thin sheet of marzipan draped over the cream layer on the outside of the cake.
There may an occasion worthy of a marzipan lid coming soon so stay tuned for that, it is a beautiful sight. As well I plan to document the works of art created by the local cake shop in Liedekerke in a few weeks. I like cake.

Ok Go

This week I am swaying over to the mainstream to share a couple of videos which I believe many of you have already enjoyed. Regardless, I am sure this content is new to some and it will always be ingenious in my eyes. It serves as such a powerful counterpoint to the modern pop chart music videos which typically demand a whirlwind of effects and sickening financial backing. In the more recent video for "Here it Comes Again", Ok Go manages to create a simple yet incredibly creative and impressive video on rented treadmills that has no doubt brought them a great deal of attention from people who normally would never have been exposed to their music. It is a catchy tune and a mind blowing visual experience. They even won a "Best Short-Form Music Video" Grammy and the "Most Creatie Video" YouTube Award for their efforts...
A lesser known creation for "A Million Ways" was their first foray into budget film making. This video was filmed by a band members sister with a borrowed camera and cost $10.00 to produce. Within one year the video had been downloaded 9 million times making it the most downloaded video in history in August 2006.
Enjoy.

Ok Go
Here It Comes Again
Capitol Records


Ok Go
A Million Ways
Capitol Records

April

One last blast of winter

A few things happen this time of year, being the beginning of April.
First of all I official become one year older. Normally this event is a relatively quiet celebration which is my preferred method of adding another year to the archive. This year I got quite the surprise when at a gathering with some good friends Friday night my birthday was recognized, thanks.
Secondly, Calgary gets another snowfall after days if not weeks of warmth and sunshine. The beginning of April sees one last consistent blast of winter before the unpredictable period before June when anything can happen weather wise. This year the efforts of old man winter were relatively tame and the snow shouldn't stick around for more than a few days.
The third and final occasion is April Fools Day! I caught a few sleepers with my previous post on having purchased that VW GTi. How could I possibly afford to purchase a car? Why would I ever purchase a vehicle at this time in my life with everything that is going on? I got a few people good, including my sister, who must be overworked from school or something missing that one. I was surprised I didn't encounter any pranks from others, aside from the usual media joke stories. Some people who don't know me that well even thought I had invested in an elaborate scheme claiming that my birthday was on the first. April 1st is my big day, did you know current World Champ Paolo Bettini is also born on that mystical date?
Until next time, I am still pushing the green philosophy and if I own a car in the next 2 years I will be surprised.

New Wheels

Exciting times are in store with only 4 more days of classes, a training camp and a summer of racing within reach. But, there is more.
As most of you know I have never owned an automobile and have traditionally been somewhat of a resister to the car lifestyle. After years of staying true to this eco friendly lifestyle I believe I have saved up enough carbon credits to possibly make a bit of a change. Therefore, I put down some cash on a new machine to get me from A to B. Meet my new 2000 VW GTI 1.8T. Unfortunately I won't be able to use it much for the few months, but it was too good a deal to pass up. I have always thought that the GTI was the perfect car with practicality, style and performance all in one glorious package. Getting a 2000 model meant good value and although the odometer is reading a little high for my liking, the maintenance records reveal a well kept car that should last along enough for my needs. All I need now is a name for the new beast...
April 2, 2007. My April Fools prank was a mediocre success, hope you enjoyed it...