Next big comp of the season is this weekend – I’m excited!
He said
We continue to get blanketed with a reminder that we are in fact in winter. We had a couple of days where the temperatures were up above zero and even hit double digits, but those were short lived as the rain turned to sleet and then snow. It continues to make the roads and sidewalks a bit of a danger zone, but also it means I am currently on a streak of a fifty-two straight days since I have ridden the bike outside. And with the forecasts it looks like that isn’t changing any time soon. But, in previous years where that may have gotten my spirits down, surprisingly I am finding this year that I am more than okay riding inside and not having to layer up with all the kit it takes to make a ride outside actually feel warm. And then all the ice and how treacherous that can be, also makes me feel more resigned to the trainer.
But what has really helped this year is my club, London Cycling Club, is having weekly (indoor) rides on Zwift thanks to my pal Steve who got it all organized. One of the other members Fred sorted out having a Discord server so we can have a live chat with each other and it starts to feel a lot more like the social aspect of our outdoor rides year round on Sundays from Spring to late Fall. So, once a week on Sundays we go for a virtual ‘group ride’ on Zwift and it takes away that solitary feel that riding in a room all by myself can sometimes deliver. It has really helped in making the riding inside feel more appealing than getting outside—as much as the fresh air and moving through time & space, is so much better.
This upcoming weekend finally is the next Cheer comp on the season for Emelia’s team. After having a couple of comps close together at the end of November and into the start of December, it’s felt like the season took a pause. And honestly with Christmas, how busy the month of December can be, as well as Emelia’s exam and final projects schedule at school, it was welcome. But, now we are past all that, we’re ready to get back at it. This one is Feel the Power back down in Brampton, and it’s a big deal as it will be a good opportunity for the women to earn a Worlds Bid so were anxious and hopeful that they’re successful with that. It will be a two-day comp on Saturday & Sunday and I am sure we’ll all be a ball of nerves for the next week as they prep and compete. Hopefully this time next week, we will have good news to share!
She said
For the next few weeks it will be all about cheer in our world for sure. As John has already commented we are heading this coming weekend we are on the road again to Brampton, this competition is another Worlds bid competition. The girls have been training so hard, doing upgrades and really concentrating on tightening up their routine. The first couple of practices post holiday break as always was a bit of a mess but they have turned things around and today they had a few really solid full-outs and things are looking great. This competition the girls if they can hit zero and really put it all out there could have a chance at an early bid. They are hopeful and plan on putting it all out there.
Training wasn’t the only stress this week for cheer, we were thrown quite a curveball at their last practice, it seems that this competition – even though in Canada – requires passports for all athletes competing to prove that as an international cheer team that they are all Canadian citizens. If they don’t have their passports they are not allowed to compete. Well that was a HUGE shock to some of the girls—us being one of them. Emelia and two of her teammates did not have their passports current yet! We didn’t think we needed it until Florida. Coming home on Wednesday’s practice we went into full on planning mode to get this fixed. Thursday Emelia went and got her photos done, I pulled all the paperwork, supporting documents and flexed my work day the next day to head to the passport office. We paid for expedited and have been told we should have passport back by Thursday, latest Friday. It is cutting things close but in enough time so that Emelia and her other teammates can have their passports back in time. With that out of the way all we can do is prepare and hope for the best! Here is crossing all our fingers and toes that the girls can get their bid this coming weekend!