Tom Boonen

The great thing about low mileage recovery weeks is that I can run all the scheduled miles in 5 days, instead of 6, which gives me 2 days off during these "recovery weeks" of marathon training. So, today I opted to take my second day off from running and take the Mrs. out for a little dinner. Now, I could stop there and make this the shortest post ever, or I could take this opportunity to reflect on another love of mine.

Before I "became a runner" I was a cyclist, through and through. In fact, before the wife and I even started dating I scared her off from me with my cycling intencity. I recall telling her that, "if you are outside and you are not on a bike, then you are wasting your time." I think I said this just before she was going to get the courage to ask me to join her roller-blading one day. Needless to say, she never asked, and it probably set our first date back by several months!

I rode my bike everywhere. I trained at the Canadian Olympic training center, not because I ever felt I was at that level, but because it was just a great workout. I kept my mountain bike in the trunk of my car in case it was ever a nice day so I could just jump in my car and be at the head of my favorite trail in the Rockies in 40 minutes, and I kept the panniers on my road bike fully stocked with supplies in case I ever wanted to do a quick tour through the mountains or up to my Grandpa's.

I stopped riding after moving to Houston because the cycling scene in Houston was everything opposite from the aspects of cycling that I loved the most. Plus, every somewhat serious rider that I met thought they were Lance Armstrong. I prefer the solidarity and the long multi-day rides through rolling country side without Suburbans, Hummers, and Hillbillies trying to scare me off of "their road". Do not get me wrong - I had some great rides in and around Houston (my favorite is Chapel Hill), but I missed some of the key essentials that made me fall in love with the sport in the first place. But, I am quite thankful, because I found a runner hiding underneath those cycling shorts!

Anyhow, from all of cycling, I naturally became a huge fan of the sport and awaited each July with great anticipation for the Tour de France. "Oddly", since Lance Armstrong has retired from the sport there has been nothing but drug scandal after drug scandal in the Tour de France. It really makes it hard for a fan to believe in a rider, team, or outstanding performance when you see it. I hate that feeling - when you see just an amazing accomplishment, or outstanding ride through the Alps (recall Floyd Landis) and every fibre in your body wants to believe that it was possible, and that the athlete overcame, and that all of his training has led to this amazing day. Then 2 days/weeks/months later you learn that it was tainted. It sucks - I just want a hero that gives me that sensational feeling when I see them accomplish something amazing infront of me because I know it is a result of hard work and dedication - not just because they could afford a good chemist.

One such rider that I have grown to love over the past several Tour de France's is Tom Boonen. He is just a big piece of Belgium meat who is just awesome to watch at the finish. He puts his entire body into each pedal stroke. You gotta love this footage! (Tom Boonen is the cyclist in the green jersey who wins the sprint).

So, when I received this link from my brother yesterday, I was totally bummed. Well, I was happy that it was NOT steroids (because it keeps all my old memories of some his fantastic sprints intact) but cocaine?! Durn Tom!

He needs to be more like us Canadians. Take our hero Ross Rebagliati from the 1998 Nagano Olympics. He had his gold medal in snowboarding taken from him after he failed his drug test - he was found positive for Marijuana! Apparently, the olympic committee argued that the marijuan reduced his fear, so he was more daring on the snowboard course than his competitors! He got his gold medal back because he claimed it was from 2nd hand smoke from a going away party before he left for the olympics...smooth Ross, smooth! After that, he was so popular that he is the only olympian that we Canadians remember from those Olympics (except for Schmirler the Curler, of course - gold medal too I might add!).

I only hope that Tom Boonen is as smooth so I can enjoy his exciting sprint finishes again when the Tour de France starts here in a couple weeks.

Alright - time for another episode of Weeds! See you back on the trails tomorrow!