Herbst makes it Hurt (for the rest of us).

Mark Herbst is a machine. 27 days to the start of RAAM in San Diego. Herbst is ready. I caught up with him last friday at the Second Cup in Georgian Mall. I suspose it had been 10 days since I last physically saw him. My first words were, "how much weight have you lost?". Mark replied, "incredibly, none, but many inches off my waist". In order for him not to be arrested for indecent exposure Mark wears two belts around his pants to prevent them slipping down to his ankles. I still can't believe he hasn;t dropped ten pounds or more for that matter. Mark insists he is at the same weight as he was for his Ironmans. The hours, days & nights of training have burned the fat right from his body. I'm sure his power to weight ratio is at an all time best. Mark has just returned from Lake Placid where he enjoyed cycling in the rain. This past Saturday he was knocking off 400 km, (no big deal) the equilvalent of 2.2 Ironman distances.
Mark, do me a favour take Victoria Day off and go have a milkshake.

Q & A with Paul Millar

This morning we feature Paul Millar of Team Racer Sportif. I had the opportunity to ask Paul a little about himself.
8Days Blog - Paul do you remember the very first bike you had?
Paul - My first bike that I purchased with the proceeds from delivering the Toronto Star was a black Peugeot 10 speed bike. The fact that I had worked so hard to find the money to buy it ensured that I looked after it meticulously. The bike had a black leather Brooks saddle and I use to take long rides up to Stouffville Ontario and back to my home in Toronto.

8Days Blog - Paul what is your all time favourite dish ?
Paul - Unquestionably, my favourite food is "veal Milanese" with a side of linguini and tomato sauce. I'm not sure that they know how to serve this up on "Death Row"!

8Days Blog - How did you first get into racing?
Paul - I was introduced to Racer Sportif when I first returned to Canada in 1997. The Sunday ride use to be up to King City and back at a reasonable pace. Over the years, the older we have all gotten, the longer and faster we have become.

8Days Blog - Paul, let's turn the subject to music. You mention you had recently seen Paul Simon at Massey Hall. What are your top three favourtie musical recordings & artists?
Paul - My three most prized albums would be: "My Song", by Keith Jarrett, "Crime of the Century" by Supertramp and "Graceland" by Paul Simon.

8Days Blog - What is your favourit spot in the world? The city you enjoy the most let'say?
Paul - I lived for over twenty years in London, England and several years in New York City. ideally, I would split my time between the two!

8Days Blog - Paul what is your next dream bike? [and i know you enjoy the Aquila but for this answer you cannot answer "Aquila"].
Paul - I love to mountain bike and therefore, would love to replace my Specialized EPIC that I use to own!

8Days Blog - Paul when you're not on your bike, what are your hobbies ?
Paul - My passion outside of riding, is reading: books, journals, magazines, newspapers! Nothing beats finishing a long ride and lying on the couch with the New York Times on a Sunday.

8Days Blog - Paul in your opinion what is Canada's most scenic & beautiful province/territory?
Paul - I have had the good fortune to have cycled through much of Canada and as awe inspiring as both the West Coast and the mountains of the Interior, I was absolutely floored by the scenery along Lake Superior near Rossport! The ride through Montreal River is one that every cyclist in Ontario should experience!

8Days Blog - Paul what is your hockey team? Predators? Ducks? Flyers?
Paul - I am a "die-hard" Habs fan. My mother immigrated to Canada in the Fifties and thought the then Canadiens were the best example of great sportsmanship! And sadly, I can remember when the Leafs last one the Cup!

8Days Blog - Do you remember one particular over the top celebrity and perhaps the circumstance surrounding that meeting?
Paul - I have sat next to so many over the years whilst traveling for business, no one really stands out, except that they snore as loudly as the rest of us!

8Days Blog - What is the motivating factor behind long distance cycling and competition?
Paul - Anyone that has ever trained and accomplished a sporting goal irrespective of placement, knows the satisfaction of this accomplishment. Why do I ride and train at Midnight in the dark? Because i actually enjoy both the 'ride" and the "finish".

8Days Blog - Thank you Paul. We are just over a month away to the start of the Race Across America. We will catch up with you soon.

drill on Canadian soil

Paul Millar had come from a Paul Simon Concert at Massey Hall, Mark Herbst was putting together the "safety sign" for the support vehicles. At the Herbst house in Horseshoe, we went over the 700 km, 12 hour practice drill. Paul and Mark are serious cyclists. Paul did RAAM a few years ago and has been doing 5 am runs to Oakville and back from his Toronto home each day before work in this cold & rainy spring weather. Mark, i have personaly trained with and can honestly say this man who has lived on this planet for 55 years has a body of a 30 year old. The mission today was to get the flavour of exchange, food, map reading, and everthing else that might come our way. My name is Jamie Nielsen and I'm one of support crew. I will be keeping you up to date on "8 Days" the time Mark and Paul hope to conquer this feat. and Win.