Last weekend I was relaxing with my girlfriend on the south shore of the Fleuve St-Laurent at a cottage just across Baie St-Paul, where the Charlevoix stage race on the Quebec circuit took place. I feel like my body is falling apart in pieces like American cars in Cuba.
 
Early this winter, Charlevoix was an A priority race on the calendar. A weekend stage race with a TT, technical criterium, and road race - the toughest, most brutal, with long climbs, steep climbs. But in any undertaking, things happen. As stubborn as I can be, now is time for a break. The start of the season has been a roller coaster and plagued with an injury from the very first road race.
 
April 25 in Ste-Martine, was the first road race of the season in Quebec. With a good base form, but without racing form, it was a good starter. I felt fine, although not part of the main action, it was a good workout until... 2 kilometers from the finish, where I had decided there was no point trying to place as my fitness was not ready, some riders are jockeying for position at the back of the pack, touch wheels and fall. Being just being I have no exit, I brake to avoid riding over them, get projected into the air, summersault, and land directly on my upper right back.
 
After a few days, I realize it's a small fracture on a rib - breathing and coughing cause pain in the upper back chest.
 
A week later, May 2, I do a practice time trial with the Beaconsfield Cycling Club, to see how my back is doing and get an idea on my form. At this point things are encouraging; on the bicycle, the pain is barely perceptible, and for this time of year 21:08 on a 15km out-and-back TT in cold weather is fine.
 
The following day, was the my first criterium of the year. By definition, a crit is short and fast. So when you're not in racing form, you suck air and hang on for the ride.
 
Then off the Daytona Florida for a week at a trade show for work. I wine and dine with clients all week, managed to do a 1 hour run, even play a game of volleyball. The back seems to be much better.
 
I arrived from Daytona Friday May 8th, quite late after delays, and finally make it home at 1:30am. Luckily, for the Granby TT the next day, I have a late start in the afternoon.
 
At Granby, even with very little training, and a week of depriving myself of sleep in Daytona, I finished second in the Master A category, averaging 46km/h on a 19km course. Conditions were fast for everyone so that placed me 11th overall.
 
So finally I think I'm out of the woods. So my body feels stiff and I'm craving for a yoga class to loosen up. Moksha yoga in a heated room does magic to make me feel young. But it brings back the pain the with the rib. Back to square one. So I don't want to stop everything for a few weeks, because soon it will be June, and by that time half the cycling races are over.
 
A weeks rest brings me to the Sorel-Tracy duathlon on May 17th. A 5km run, 33km bike, 2.5km bike. With very little running in my legs, as expected, it was hard, even with such short distances. By the 20th kilometer on the bike I experience solid calf cramps, so I have to ease off on the pace, getting passed by a few cyclists. I manage to hang on for fifth place overall. The pain in the rib surfaces slightly, just to let me know, I shouldn't have done this race.
 
So my calves are still sore a week later, but it's time for for an olympic distance (10km run, 40km bike,5km) run at the Triathlon des Iles in Montreal on May 23. So this time I'm smarter. I decided to run at a very comfortable pace the first 10km, to make sure I can use the bike to my advantage. That turns out to be a smart thing. I finished 10th on the run, and by midway through the bike leg, I passed 8 riders. I have a good feeling I won't pass Jerome Bresson, the machine. He ends up finishing more than 5 minutes before me, being strong on both runs and the bike.
 
The next day, back to a bike race. A criterium around Parc Laurier in Montreal. Another sufferfest. I raced with the Master A group, but it felt like a Cat 1 race. I was in for the ride, and was content to just be pack filler.
 
A recovery day, then an easy 10km run on Tuesday morning May 26.
 
Reality hits.
 
I've done too much racing without adequate preparation, didn't give my body enough time to recover from injuries, and feel like crap. The rib is sensitive while running, and now have a shine split on my right shine bone. Running is off limits for the shine, and swimming is off limits for the back rib. I can still cycle...
 
Last weekend, I did some easy cycling for about 100km. Got caught in the rain too. Things can only get better.
 
So next weekend, I'm signed up for a sprint duathlon at Mont-Tremblant. It's only a 5km run I tell myself. I know a few wise friends who might just kidnap me and tie me to a chair 15 minutes before my start time.