Why I ride my bike - Italy Camp

Hi,

It has been a year ago since I posted a blog. A lot of things have happened since . Basically getting back on the bike after the crash was the first step. Then back to racing and dealing with a whole new aspect to racing. First the big question was ; why I am doing this ? I think in the beginning I wanted to prove to myself that I could still race and get on with my life and show to the world it was possible after almost being dead .
 I won the Green Mountain Masters race and few Cyclocross races during the fall and then 2nd at the Masters Cross Nationals and 3 weeks later 3rd in the Masters Cross Worlds . Training went spot on since the 2012 Italy camp and no real set backs. A nice progression week after week mentally and physically with a pretty structured program of a lot of training - a lot more racing that I ever thought I would be doing , gym and motor pacing .

 The plan for 2012 was to be at my best in Jan 2013 and with the help of my wife and my business partner Christoffel driving the scooter we just did that . The question was always in my back of my mind ; am I what I used to be ? I could almost see all the time that the answer was No , but could I get there ?  I am 3 years older than I was in 2010 , lost 12 lbs from the accident , I was not racing pro 12 races with the extra mileage and intensity anymore , did I already reach my peak of my cycling career before the crash ?
I have seen this before with other riders , they used to dominate and win tons of races , but as the years go by they are not that competitive any more and the usual answer is that life took over with family , work and etc. Is that really the answer or just the excuse for slowing down . How long can you be competitive and race week after week 10 months of the year ?
I am not looking for any excuses , I was never the guy that had an excuse why things did not go as they should have , I knew why it did not go as planned , but I was not looking for an excuse .
I love cycling and I live , eat and sleep cycling . Cycling is on my mind 24 hours a day , I know most pro rider's names on todays circut , I watch You Tube cycling videos in Dutch and Italian . At the same time I am always trying figure out why I should ride 3-4 hours a day and race every weekend .

 If I am not the best I can be why race ? If I do not race why train ? If I sit in front of the computer I stiffen up and and all the effects from the crash that are still lingering show up . I need to be moving and I think that is something that most guys in their mid 40's or older feel even they do not have any nerve damage or any unexpected muscle contractions , it is just better to be moving to feel better when you get older. Then there is the recovery . I have done more 20 hour weeks  than I can count. The recovery is not the same anymore , it was like I aged 10 years over night. When you are really fit you recover better as well , I can see glints of that still , but it is not the same .
It might sound like I am complaining about getting old and not being the same anymore , but my point here is that it is a fact . I do not complain , just like I do not make excuses. In fact I want to prove a point that this can happen to anybody and that is life . Pros feel the same , they get older and can not get any results or be motivated to ride their bike every single day anymore and they retire and a lot of them do not ride a bike again.
I can understand that part when it is a job and when it is over it is over. It does not have to be like this way though , we can make adjustments. Riding a bike everyday is a passion , a healthy thing as long as you do not fall down. All your friends rides bikes , you do not really have any none riding friends , it is an outlet when you are stressed out and owning a cool bike is like driving a Mercedes for some people  . Riding with a few team mates or friends is special and you can relate to them and always have somthing to talk about for 3-4 hours staright. Riding your MTB in the woods and not seeing another person for 3 hours is very special.

This leads me to the camps I run and particularly the Italy Camp  . That is something special . Yes they cost money , but being away for a week and all you really think about is riding your bike is well worth it and kind of jump starts your love for riding again, it changes you physically and mentally. It is not just the riding ( you can do that at home ) it is the people around you , they think the same way you do , the culture , cycling is part of life and a religion for everybody you spend that week with.

A camp is always a little competitive , when you have 2 guys on bikes it will always be . Riding up Stelvio or Gavia and putting a good effort in with a group and seeing the Giro that day almost feels like you are in something big and it is a feeling you can never describe to someone that does not ride. It is not just riding up a big mountain , the guys you watch on TV, You Tube and read about in Velonews have done it , 50 years ago they did it and they suffered just like you do and felt the same competetive feeling riding next to other riders . This experience always has blown me away and I am not even racing officially, it is just a fun cycling camp . This almost motevates me more to train these days than being competitive in a local race . The funny thing is that no one else even cares and probably think there is something wrong with this picture . A grown man with a family spending a week with " his buddies " in Italy riding his bicycle 40 hours in 9 days. I am not trying to sell my camp , well a little , what I am trying say here keeping riding your bike , that should be a life long passion and that makes us special people . If you have to make adjustments it is not the end of your cycling career , there are a lot of exciting things out there , masters racing which is plenty fast and super competetive - no shame racing guys your own age , Grand Fondos , Italy Camps -;) and you can still be the best you can be years to come, all you have to do is find a reason why you love riding your bike.

 

I will try to write more blogs more often now , I kind of like it and maybe you guys like to read or relate to them as well.

Until next time ,

Roger

FinKraft@ Bianchi

Every time we have a camp I try to add something exciting to break things up and expose our clients to something that they do not see every day at home and of course it has to have something to do with the cycling industry. I think that is part of our culture, motivation and life style and it also helps us appreciate our bikes a little more and helps us understand the sport we love so much - passion like they say in Italy. It is like getting a pit or back stage pass for us cyclist to watch a stage of the Giro or visit at a bike factory.

 This year in Italy we hit the Bianchi factory which is right near Bergamo . I have wanted to go there for years now , but it has never fit our schedule in the past .

Today was a perfect day , it was pouring rain and riding was not that appealing first thing in the morning.Salvi Bikestore, our connection to Bianchi. Franco Salvi got us in and Matteo at our Cascina Belvedi hotel hooked us up with his van , short drive and not too bad to find. Driving in Italy could some times be a challenge as you could imagine. Bianchi is an old bike company and every body knows the history .

 Fausto Coppi put the brand on the map and after that many legends and teams has ridden Bianchi bikes. You can almost feel the passion for bikes when you pull up into the factory parking lot. Our guide is Frederica , nice Italian charm and her English is good - always a challenge in Italy as well .  There are a lot of frames getting ready for either customers or the 3 pro teams that Bianchi is sponsoring . I think in the past few years Bianchi has once again climbed back up to the top of racing bikes and it is a winning bike in many aspects . We actually witnessed Thomas De Genth win on Stelvio a couple of days later which was a historic moment for Bianchi I am sure .

Oltre is the top of the line road bike and there has gone a lot of hours and espressos into this design . This is the bike that the 3 pro teams ride on and there is a lot of feed back going to the designers from the racers.  Bianchi has a their own design team right here and we actually saw a few proto type bikes ( 29'er full suspension Methanol) that will come out in August , sorry no pictures I have to respect the company policy. The bike is designed , painted , stickered , tested and packed in Italy , but made in Taiwan. Not a bad thing , so is Giant - get the hint -;) A lot of bikes are made in the same place .

Bianchi has been around for a long time and there is a lot of history in this place . Coppi, Pantani, Absalon, Gimondi just to mention a few . Their bikes and pictures are displayed every where . Here in the US the brand was known back in the day , but not so much now anymore. Most guys think of steel bikes from 20-30 years ago and do not really know about the latest development and Oltre. Bianchi sponsors 3 pro teams , but they also have former pros working for them . I think that is a huge asset to a bike company , the former pros know what to look for in a bike and how it should ride . More important they know how to PR the brand. They have been around that part all their lives and we know them from racing , some of them were our idols when we were growing up.

We are just standing around and almost finished with our tour and in walks Giuseppe Guerini and Mirco Gualdi . Very friendly and out going guys , we chat and hump their legs for a bit , get some photos and autographs , by now Frederica pretty much have had enough of us , but in walks Bob Ippolito , the American CEO, there is an American running Bianchi in Italy. He knows we are from the US and immediately sparks are flying , he wants to know what we think about the bike and how he can market Bianchi better in the US . Next thing you know we are all sitting around a conference table with Bob in a heated discussion about bikes, racing and how to get the brand back into the US like it once was. Pretty funny stuff , we are just a bunch of guys riding around on our bikes , none of us rides Bianchi and now we are having a meeting with the CEO at Bianchi.

Joking aside , this is a very valuable connection to my future plans and one of them being my camps . Next camp we will have a Bianchi Oltre waiting for us and no need to bring your own bike. One suit case with clothing, pedals,shoes and helmet- a dream come through for traveling . Bianchi Oltre bikes all set up and ready to go. A great opportunity to test out a bike for a week and at the end of the week get a killer deal on one of these machines.

Bob's next question was ; how is your schedule this afternoon? Well it was still raining , so I guess pretty open -;) Ok then , let's join the Bianchi Team for lunch . Not bad , food was great and all the employees where there from the top guy, pros to the packaging guy.

Bob was hired to turn the company around and make Bianchi a top brand once again , from the looks of things -things are going very well here and Bob is a huge success in Italy. We spent 5 hours at the factory and made some very valuable connections and I hope we can promote them in the future on a great level as a thank you for their hospitality . I been to other bike companies , I can tell you we did not get the same warm feeling or connection from them - and no lunch with the CEO!!

Made it back , stopped at Salvi and then even got a great 2.5 hour ride in around Valle Imanga with some climbing of course.

Thanks for reading and I hope you can join us on one of these bike adventures one day .

FinKraft Italy/Giro Cycling Camp

Hi ,

Another camp under our belts or should I say Grand Tour. In AZ we ride every single day with the clients for 3 weeks straight about 30+ hours each week. This year we did 2 weeks on the road in Tucson and then moved up to Sedona for our last week in AZ and debuted our first Mountain Bike Camp . In Italy last year we managed to log 43 hours of riding in 9 days . I think that is pretty as much as anyone can handle , specially when we go uphill every day and the hills are no bumps in the road. The Italy camp is meant for people who race on a pretty competetive and high level ( a good cat 3-4 range), so you have to have good fitness going into this camp and hopefully it will not break you and you will come back home swinging .

Note , they even have pink snow on Stelvio!!

This experience is something I would never trade for a race , it is a feeling that is hard to describe . Cycling is a lifestyle to us and doing this camp is like going to Disney World for my daughter. We are there to ride our bikes and there is not much else scheduled each day and nobody even mentions or talks about doing anything besides what the ride plan is for the next day. It is a great feeling when you finish a 7 hour day over some spectacular mountain passes and sit down to a 3 hour Italian dinner with some unbelievable wine and food . Some people might think this camp is a tourist camp , ride a little and then wine and dine at night . Well we do see things while riding that most people would have to get on a bus for and yes we eat a lot , but how many tourists do you know that burn 7000 calories / day ?

The trip to Italy is not easy with the bike box and some extra luggage when the airlines rapes you for everything , but the trip goes pretty smooth though, key thing is to pack light and have a direct flight . We have a bus lined up for picking us up from the airport . It is important to coordinate our flights, so we all get there about the same time , which is key for things to go smooth . The Bus trip to the Hotel Cuscina Belveldi is about one hour without any traffic. It is understandable that we will be tired after an overnight flight , but very excited to be there and ready to go for a ride . It feels so different to jump on the bike and ride here than at home , small streets and switch back climbs right out the door from the hotel . Most of the time legs feels pretty good all considered on our first ride .After the ride we are just looking forward to our first Italian dinner . I am waiting for this moment since last year. If it is as amazing as I remembered and it will be hard to stop eating for sure . After a great first day we will needed some sleeeep though for sure!

The plan for Sunday is to ride about 4 hours , ease into the camp . We wake up and have breakfast , last year Gerard even got a chance to show the Italian cooks how to make some Country Choice Organic Oatmeal , not a common thing to eat for breakfast in Italy , but who can live without oatmeal ? We are ready to kit up and get on the road . There are so many routes and great roads to ride on right out of the hotel . The next 4 days will spend in the Brembo Valley and Lake Como area . The weather is obviously always a factor and we have to be flexible. The Giro has gone by here numerous times and we will be riding on those same roads as well as on the roads where the Giro di Lombardi goes in the fall. Last year we watched the stage go over Passo di Ganda right in the back yard of our hotel finishing only a few miles away by San Pellegrio Terme. One morning we will start the ride a little later and pay a visit at one of the local bike companies , Bianchi or Colnago.

The plan is to ride up to the Dolomites on Thursday morning over Passo san Marco into Valtalina Valley and spend the night in Terrano . This is in the valley of the legendary climbs like Mortirolo, Aprica, Gavia and Stelvio, etc. Saturday is the big stage up Stelvio and we do not want to miss that opportunity , so Saturday ( May 27th) morning a ride and end up on the slopes of Stelvio with the rest of the Tifosi is the plan.Spend the night in Bormio and then early Sunday morning start climbing up into Switzerland via St Moritz down back towards Lake Como and back to our base hotel in Bergamo . Long day , but I am sure a nice ending to our camp . On the last night in Italy we will enjoy a nice dinner again at the Cascina Belvedi. Pack up our bikes and get ready for departure back to the US on Monday morning.

This is the basic ride plan for the 2012 FinKraft/Giro Cycling Camp , as I said earlier the weather is a big factor and we have the be flexible . It will a lot of uphill, long miles and good times on the bike and when not riding soaking in the Italian culture as much as we can .

For more details on this years camp go to ;

http://sites.google.com/site/finkraftcoaching/services/cycling-training-camps/2011-italy-training-camp

Like I also said in the beginning this is a very select camp , but we have room for a few more riders at this point.

Ride on my friends .

Bike Transport

Bike Transport
Cross Nationals and Masters Worlds 2012


It is almost that time of the year again and I do not mean Christmas. Unfortunately I am not able to race this cross season at all including the Nationals or the Worlds , but I am still going . I drove to Bend, OR and back last year with the trailer full of bikes , so we should have even more east coast riders going this year , since it is half the distance . Let us take your cyclocross bikes to the National Championships and /or to the Master's Worlds 2012!

It is no big secret that flying across the country or really anywhere with a bicycle is very expensive and a very big hassle. The cost of the excess baggage can be as high as $200 per bike + $ 55.00 per suit case each way. When you get there you have to rent a car big enough to carry the bikes and the boxes, put the bikes together, and of course hope it all arrives in one piece
and on time!

Do the math and travel to these races hassle free and spend your energy on having a great race instead.Traveling is most of the time more exhausting than the actual race and if you are going to the Nationals or Worlds it would be nice to feel fresh and relaxed when you stand on that start line .

FINKRAFT , well me will drive both of your cyclocross bikes, plus a set of wheels and a small gear bag to the Cyclocross Nationals in Madison, WI and we will continue the transport to
Louisville, KY for the Masters Cyclocross World Championships in 2012.

Pricing:

One event - $250.00
Two events - $350.00

Price will include:

-Pick up / drop off will be around New Years
(neutral place on the East Coast , check for details)
-Have your bikes ready when you need them in Madison and later in Louisville
(no assembly required)
-Have bike stand, some tools, wash buckets, wind trainer, pumps ,etc
-I will be at the events everyday so you don’t have to transport your bike while there and I will also provide pit support.
(since I am not racing this time)
-Changing and warm-up under our Giant tent also available.
( chairs and some warm water even -;) )

We can handle multiple riders per event, so don’t be afraid to ask! Don’t race Nationals without a pit crew!

Payment for transportation must be made in advance and checks should be written out for the full amounts to FINKRAFT.

Contact Roger for details and book immediately, as space
is limited! First come, first served! On a good day we can only fit 32 bikes in our
trailer.

Hope you are enjoying the warm weather now -;)

Roger

2012 FinKraft Cycling Camp Tucson, AZ

FinKraft will once again host a training camp in Tucson, AZ in 2012. This
is a perfect opportunity to build your base fitness and train like a pro with all the support you will need to do so. The minute you sign up you are committed to start training for your training camp , so the one week you spend with us riding 30 + hours has a very long term affect . You train to be in shape for the camp , once there you have the opportunity to just train , eat sleep/recover and this a tremendous boost in fitness , so when you come home you will be on a high and motivated to start racing and continue training . In other words this one week camp can have a several month effect on your fitness and motivation.

Most of you know I had a very bad crash in August at the New Hampshire 100 MTB race and the severity of my injuries has made the decision to have the FinKraft Cycling Camp in Tuscon in 2012 a difficult one. The FinKraft cycling camps, both in Arizona and Italy, are a trade mark of FinKraft and more camps are in the plans for the future. After carefully considering my condition and being very optimistic about my recovery, we have decided to go ahead with the 2012 Arizona cycling camp after all and it is time to sign up , because the camps will fill up fast. Start of camp is less than 4 months away and there are definitely still many uncertainties about my condition but the neck brace is coming off shortly and I've had my first indoor ride on a spin bike equipped with PowerCranks of course! I am going to very honest with you and say that riding with you every day at the camp might not be possible. This does not mean that your cycling camp experience could not be better than that of those who attended the camp in 2011. The service and the famous FinKraft hospitality will be at the highest level again and I will be next to you guys every minute of every ride, either on my bike, on a scooter or in a team car to assist and lead you . If I am unable to ride, I can offer an even more pro-level service with wheel support (wheels-in, wheels-out, just kidding), handing you food and drinks, video taping and much, much more. We will make every day a pro level experience for you.

The ride schedule is pretty standard and proven here in Tucson. Sundays is a meeting and greeting day, airport pick-up and drop-off's .Room assignments and a briefing about the camp and etc. A short ride in the afternoon over Gates Pass with a short loop to loosen up and check bikes for proper function and we are ready for our first dinner . The week will be a mix of climbing days , long and steady , and flatter roads with some wind. Well there is a little wind every day or more some days.

Mt Lemon is just an awesome climb that we can do anything on. Endurance , tempo or even some harder efforts if we wanted to . On top we get experience the altitude and as a reward the gigantic cookie is always waiting for us. There was a lot less snow last year and let's hope we have the same luck in 2012 , so not too cold and the decent back down is just a blast, 30 mph for 45 min with nice sweeping turns in other words free motor pacing.The Mt Lemon is such an awesome ride that we do it twice ( each week)

The Benson-Tombestone- Bisbee and back is a great 100 mile ride . Perfectly spaced stops and not too much climbing , just open roads in the desert with two really cool towns on the way. Pretty epic ride with the wind and the distance. Bisbee is just a cool laid back town and a perfect turn around point with a bakery to fuel us up for the ride back . With Tombstone as a half way point both ways , a real western town still alive . Then we have the Ora Valley- Oracle - Mamouth and back. This is the famous Empenada ride , with the 11 mile decent into a canyon where the one horse town of Mamouth lays.

The one problem is after eating 3-4 freshly baked apple or pumpkin empenadas we have to climb back out of the canyon. Easy day though and back a little earlier than most other days. A perfect mid week ride with a little more time in the afternoon to have a presentation by an bike industry rep etc. Then we have the Queen stage , the 6 hour + ride from the house( base camp to Kitt Peak ) we do a little later in the week to test both our mental and physical strenght. Kitt Peak is about 6700 feet , a 12 mile climb , steeper than Lemon and about 45 miles to get to . Of course there is a fun downhill involved , but the ride back is not easy with Gates Pass and back to Casa de FinKraft. You can see what an accomplishment and satisfaction each rider shows on their faces when they roll back into the garage . For dinner that night we have lasagna and lot's of it -:) . The whole week is about training over extending with proper rest and nutrition to really boost your level of fitness. This point of the camp is when you start feeling the miles , but also realize that you can Do It ! It is almost like you go through a transformation and you want more of this good stuff . As a reward we will go up Mt Lemmon on Friday again and you would think we all have tired legs by now , but that is not always the case . We know the climb now from doing it earlier in the week , so I think that helps us judge the effort and it is a lot of fun reaching the top a 2nd time in one week . Then there is the finally on Sat . Early wake up and down to Starbucks on University boulevard . Not to have coffee , but be part of one of the most famous group rides in the US , the Shoot Out . This is a fast and very big local group ride that some time could be more than 200 riders of all different levels. You might have the chance to ride next to some well known pros and measure you strenght against some really fast riders , kind of a taste of racing and a nice way of ending the week. You do not have to win this ride and please be careful , it is not worth crashing in early March . We all meet after at Starbucks again and ride back to the house .

Saturday of the camp is a great day . A great sense of accomplishment and a great afternoon to hang out by the pool and reflect of what we just went trough on this amazing week .

Time to do a little packing and then have some pizza and a couple of beers while watching some pictures and videos from our rides we did the past 7 days .

If you have done these camps before this blog post is very familiar and maybe it is something you are looking forward to again . If you are thinking about attending the 2012 camps , read and watch some of the pictures or blogs from the past years and that should be enough to get you excited for sure , I am excited just writing this and I am thinking of ways how we can make it even more exciting every day .

Hope to see you in Arizona this spring or later in Italy .http://sites.google.com/site/finkraftcoaching/services/cycling-training-camps/arizona-training-camp

Thanks for reading ,

Roger

Be ready when the gun goes off in CX

CX is here and it is a different sport from what we have been doing so far this year -:)

I know it is pedaling a bike like on the road or on a Mtn bike and the guy or girl who goes the fastest wins , but what makes CX so different from the other cycling disciplines is the preparation before the gun goes off.




I will here write up a basic routine that I have used and followed for years and of course fine tuned and perfected over time . Many of you have already listened to me preaching this to you and adapted it to your own CX regiment.

When you pack up your car going to the race ; bring EVERYTHING you own cycling and cyclocross related !

If it is a double race weekend and you have to stay overnight or even just a one day race BRING;

-2 bikes (if you have 2) sometimes I would prefer 3 -;)
-Extra wheels with different type of tires ; mud , dry grass ( most important) and file thread ( not that important , but certain races a benefit ) if you have extra sets of wheels besides the ones on the bike(s) ; bring them! Tubes if you race on clinchers.
-Tools + extra break pads, pedals , a floor pump, tire gauge ( yes if you do not know how to go by feel , the pump gauge is not accurate ) chain lube and a bucket with brushes and simple green to clean your bike other than just hosing it off.
- Toe spikes and if you have 2 pairs of shoes, some screws and even cleats
- A bag of all different type of gloves , booties and hats
- Skinsuits ( L/S , S/S ) a clean one for each day , so you do not have to do laundry !
- Warm up kits ; shorts, jerseys , jackets ,arm, knee and leg warmers, rain jacket, rain pants, a lots of socks , base layers etc.
- Embrocation ( warm up oils like SportsBalm ) a little first aid kit and baby wipes and towles.
- Food , regular and sports food what you will need for 2 days , bottles and drink mix , gels and recovery stuff. Anything you are used to eating and what works for you !

If your race starts @ 12.00 for example :

- Get there around 9.15-9.20 !!! Yes 2.5- 2.45 before your start. That way you will have 2 chances to get on the course before your race which is very critical to be able to do well.
- Kit up as soon as get there and get your bike ready , start with a little higher tire pressure you think you will use in the race .
- The 9.00 am race will be over about 9.40 , so that is when you can get on the course for your first time .
- Try to get 2 laps in , ride slow , Check out the start ( lines and what side is better to be on ) check out lines on the course, get a feel of tire pressure , take some air out if it feels like a rough ride . Determine where to push hard and where to recover on the course .
- Go back to the car , pick up your number , eat something , get your other bike ready ,if you need to switch or try out another tire type get all this ready to go . Pin your number if you have time ( this is not important yet)
- The 10.00 am race will be over about 10.40 , so this will be the 2nd and final time you can get on the course . 2 laps again , little faster pace and go over the same things on the course as you did an hour ago , decide on tire and pressure choice for the race !
- Go back to the car , eat something , bathroom, get you skinsuit on with numbers pinned embrocation if needed , warm up jacket , leg warmers , decide on everything you will wear at the race, check your bike(s) , bring your spare bike or wheels to the pit.
- Now you should have about 45 min to warm up and get to the start.
- Warm up ; I prefer to warm up on a road if there is one available and the weather is not too nasty . Other wise on the trainer ( maybe under a tent)
-Tempo efforts 3-10 minin length works well for me . A gradual opening up and not all out which tends to accumulate too much lactate acid before the race and hard to get ride of before the start, but this is individual prefrence and as a coach we can talk and see what works the best for you .
- Get to the start 15 min in advance , take your warm up clothing off and be there for your call up ! if is cold and rainy keep a jacket over your shoulders as long as possible and then toss it to the side when it is time.
- Turn the pedal ( the one you will be clipping into) on your bike when you are on the start line , so when it comes up to about 11 o'clock it is flat and ready for you to step right in when the gun goes off and a minimal chance of missing clipping in .

You have now done all the home work on the day of your race and there will be no doubt in your mind about anything , you did not rush anything and you paid attention to every detail this morning to be 100% ready when the gun goes off.



THIS IS CYCLOCROSS

Crash Aftermath

HI everybody,

Many of you have not talked or had any contact with me since my crash @ the NH 100 MTB race on Aug 21st . I apologize for the inconvenience this has caused and am truly sorry for the laps in the coaching the last 3 weeks. I have now been home from the hospital for 2 days and after a tough 5 hour drive in the car being home many new challenges has presented them selves l can assure you . This coming Mon will be 2 weeks since my back surgery and a significant progress in mobility with less pain is something that has been the goal every day .

These 3 weeks has been the hardest of my life by far , but there has not been one day I have been depressed or down about anything . This is mainly thanks to my wife , who is an increadable strong person and really knew how to handle a situation like this. We took things as they came each day and delt with it . She gave you guys updates , but also at the same time really stressed the fact how important it was for me to get the proper rest and more or less isolated me from e-mails , calls and even visitors. I can not tell you how tiring talking on the phone for 5 min was . Do not get me wrong , without your support + hundreds of other people in the cycling community all over the country , Canada and even Europe being this strong and positive would not have been possible. Thank you, you are all family to me !

Well, one day at the time and now the rebuilding process starts. I was very fortunate to have a world class surgent and without really knowing at first that I was in one of the best hospitals in the country for spinal injuries, the Dartmouth- Hitchcock Medical Center . The care by the the nurses and the team of top notch doctors gave me made me feel I was in the right hands every single day I spent there. Before being discharged on Wed I spoke to my Dr who performed the surgery , Dr Lollis. He basically said 2 things ;" do not fall down and do not bend over too much for awhile" ! Key here is obviously TIME and PATIENCE. I can NOT ride my bike basically for 5-6 Months and to be sure of a full and complete recovery NOT RACE for a year. I know giving it the proper time to heal will be something I will appreciate when I do get back to training and racing.

My plan will be to get strong enough first to be able to function independently and move like a normal human being again . I will start riding on an indoor spin bike in a couple of Months , but I will not rush it and then I will see if am ready to get on the road by Dec- Jan to be ready for our FinKraft Camps in late Feb-March. The hard thing here is missing the 2011 Cross season , but that is something I can live with and I am perfectly fine resuming racing next summer and be fit and ready for Cross 2012.

Enough about me , obviously I can not ride with you guys for a little while , but I can now focus on coaching 100% in many more ways with a little more time in hand. As starters I will each day spend time with clients to catch up where we left off and get everybody back on track.Talk to you about how the Road or MTB season went this year . Discuss traingplans, adjustments needed to be done perhaps and goals achieved or goals for the future. Cyclocross starts tomorrow and once I am back on my feet it will be a perfect opportunity for me to come to the races and work as your coach and pass on my experience to you from the side lines . When not racing myself my time will be devoted 100% to you . This will be a huge benefit for you and a great opportunity for me to film ( GoPro) you and really watch you guys racing and help you be 100% prepared for each race with equipment choices, technique , strategies , warm-ups and etc. Our clients who do not race cross will not be left out here either, there is a lot of coaching that can be done this off season , no worries there.

In addition to the coaching we have the FinKraft CyclingTeam and our Retul fitting studio where I can do a lot of constructive work and bring things to another level . Big plans , but I will not forget to rest and heal , because to make all this possible I will need that balance.

Thanks again for your understanding and support.

Roger@FinKraft

2011 FinKraft Training Camp Sponsor Blog

Hi , Back in NJ and a rainy day , so perfect time to catch up on some 'blogging " A month ago it was that time of the year again , Training Camp time. The weather back home on the East Coast had been terrible this winter and riding out doors has not been an option for most of us . I always look forward to the AZ Camp , it is pure and very straight forward training and all about building a solid base for the season to come . There is a lot of planning and work that goes into this camp way before I jump in the van ( which is a nice new addition to the Finkraft Enterprise-:)) and make the 2500 miles trip out to Tucson. To ensure this is a Pro camp with as much support as possible from various companies that has anything to do with being able to ride for 30 hours in one week is not easy these days.

All this would not be possible with out a lot of support from a lot of people , specially my wife Kimberly. This year Kim's dad Gerald and my daughter Finley got to experience the camp as well and it was just nice to have a family atmosphere during these 3 weeks .

Finley is here demonstration how to ride the Power Cranks , not easy but a very a good training tool for sure, something to put on your wish list if you do not already have a pair. It was great feeling having these guys around at the camp the whole time this year . Robert and Alessandro where at my side the whole camp and kept everything running smooth with the rides and any mechanical issues we had . Setting up and tiering down the camp is another job and a half and without these guys it would not be possible. At our camp everybody is kind of a family and besides us working even the clients helps out and it is just an amazing team feeling each week . Thank you all !!

We were able to get Accelerade, Zym ,Honey Stinger and GU as our sports nutrition companies , but we at FinKraft also have to add a ton more ride food to the list , something that I would like to build on in the future and secure more sports nutrition sponsors .

Thanks to Andreas relentless work trying to get companies supporting the camp, we were able to have a whole host of sport related products at display and to our use these three weeks .

We can not live on sports food , so the regular meals are very important to keep the guys going day after day . Barilla pasta is a life saver for this camp , what is a cyclists favorite food ? Pasta , right !! To have them as a sponsor for the camp is a privilege for the camp and could not be replaced by anything else . My wife Kim is the chef at the camp and I think her doing the shopping , planning the meals for each day so well really makes this camp a success .

Wasa , an other Scandinavian product I grew up on for lunch .The meals are something each rider remembers the most when they go home and me leading the rides and making sure the training is great seems secondary -:) .

Then we have our Primare Oatmeal Company; Country Choice Organic. This a our conclusive breakfast source , what an incredible product , I can not say enough about what kind of fuel this company provides us with . The selection is amazing , steelcut, quicksteel and instant oatmeal an oatmeal for every occasion. I have used this product now for years and I do not start a race or ride without a Country Choice Organic meal in my stomach .

Besides the breakfast food from Country Choice they are providing us with the Oatmeal on the Run bars which are a staple food on the rides in addition to Fit Kids snack food and the Organic cookies . I can not say enough about how great this company is , if you see these products in a store , they will be worth every Pennie and you will see what I am talking about . When it is hot out there ( in the 80's a lot of the days in AZ this year) or when you are riding in general you loose a lot of electrolytes , so we have ZYM in addition to Accelerade and GU . A great addition to the drinks on the bike and when we refill bottles on the road , just drop a tab in the bottle and you are good to go . I love these for both racing and training and you can even get the Catapult with 100 mg of caffeine , now that is a boost!!

When the sun is bright , electrolytes are not the only thing you loose , Kiss My Face was the skin saver and protector every day and their product is all natural , something that might be worth using the rest of the summer as well when it gets nice back home , they have SunBlock and a lot of other products as well for everybody.

Honey Stinger also came on board late in the game and the gels were a big hit on the camp , who does not love honey !!! Check their web site out , some delicious waffles on the menu at this company!

Dynamic Foot Systems is a company run by the famous Bill Peterson . Just unbelievable knowledge and experience when it comes to orthotics and bike fitting. Bill has 35 years of experience working with pro cyclist including Lance and other well known cyclists. To be able to meet and have a precision fitting and evaluation done by Bill is an honor and for us at the FinKraft camp to be able to do this while in Tucson each week is such an valuable asset to this Camp . Thank you Bill and stay Strong , our prayers are with you to get healthy again.

Speaking of fitting ; SMP saddles are interesting and well worth a try . We had a nice selection at the camp and this was the perfect time to try new things . Later you can then decide what works and what does not when get back home and start racing , that goes for everything you experienced at the camp .

Someone I have known now for quite some time is Andrew Backhaus . He introduced me to an altitude simulator product called Altolab and he has been coming to our camp the past couple of years and demostated what this device does and what the benefits are for us cyclists. Andrew also carries Suunto and Finish company that are pretty advanced in HR monitor technology just one field to mention. Andrew's presentations are very interesting and really cutting edge .

Keep it rolling , Thank you Jeff @ Schwalbe for hooking our camp and the FinKraft Cycling Team with these super fast tires.

Last but not least I want thank Mark @ Westwood Cycle for supporting me and my racing in many ways , without Mark I would not have a bike to ride , at least not as 'Bling " as this one ! Limited adition Di2 Giant Advanced SL, it does not get much cooler than this rocket ship-:)

This blog was a little contribute to our sponsors at the camp and a big thank you to them helping us put this yearly event on . They support me and some of them also support the Finkraft Cycling Team through out the year . Italy/Giro camp is next and even we are in Italy you will see these names and products making that camp possible . If you were at the camp or you are interested in anything I mentioned here , you can get it from us here at FinKraft of course at a killer price -;)

Thanks and stay out of trouble !!!