Like clockwork, it begins again.

2015 is done and dusted; it was an exciting and extremely challenging year for me, it started with the Canada Winter Games for XC skiing. Knowing that my skiing career would be coming to an end after the games, I really committed to it and had a blast with my Nova Scotia teammates one last time in Prince George. One journey ended and another began, within a month of the Canada Games coming to an end, I was on a plane for Europe to start what was the hardest transitional period of my life. I have never suffered so much in my life as I did at that first training camp with my new NextGenMTE teammates in Spain’s Sierra Nevada’s. Though 2015 was my second time racing in Europe, I still spent the first two months of the trip learning to navigate the European peleton. I was extremely happy to have figured out the whole racing scene near the end of that first trip, taking home what would be my only victory in 2015. I was very pleased with the progress I made throughout the year, and it is that momentum that I am looking to keep going into 2016.

After wrapping up a short cyclocross season back home in NS, (which was fantastic this year with the organization done by the NSSP, and the level of the guys racing back home as well! Every race was exciting to be a part of.) It was time to start thinking to next year. I have never been as focused on one thing before as I have been these past three months, and I am pulling out all the stops. I have settled into a house that my teammates have rented down here in Oxnard California. This year is the first time that I have traveled south for the winter to train, and I can really feel the gains of doing so. After having spent the past few winters training in NS for a summer sport, I find the biggest difference of coming south is the mental aspect, getting out the door is just that much easier and I could definitely get used to it.

Under the supervision of my coaches Luc and Ian, I have been making huge progress. I have been down in California for almost two full months now, and my power numbers are the best they’ve ever been. And the tan lines cut like a knife. The worst part is, as I am writing this, my first races with the team are still over two months away, however I did get one chance to test my form on the last day of January during the Santa Barbara RR. I traveled to the race with some big hitters who are staying nearby, Matteo Dal-cin and Ben Perry, both of Silber Pro Cycling. As our team for 2016 is not yet set up, I raced under my Oakley Atlantic colors, which I really enjoy wearing, first of all because of the awesome design, and second it seems to get me some respect, I guess it’s just that cool a company! I was super happy with my form at the race, being able to attack on the courses decisive climb five of the six times. A miss timed attack cost me the chance of making the break away: That was disappointing as everyone dreams of starting things off perfectly with a win, or a podium. Matteo won the race after leaving behind the breakaway on the last lap, he is super strong. The North American circuit better watch out for Matteo this year. Overall though, I thought it was a good test of my fitness, and I am very happy with where I am. With two months to keep building on that strength, I can’t wait to see where I can get to.

We are living on the ‘Silver Stand’ in Oxnard, California; a very popular destination down here for cyclists it would appear. There are teams and riders from all over North America within a few hundred meters of each other. About half of the Silber team is here, H&R Block cycling have some guys around, the entire NextGenMTE squad (stay tuned for our trade team name for 2016), as well as the Rally Pro Cycling both men’s and women’s teams are here. We were debating setting up some sort of all Canadian criterium series here on ‘the strand’. The riding around here is amazing as you would expect, I have spent nearly every day climbing some of the same roads because they don’t seem to get old, and having teammates around also keeps it fun and mixes it up a bit. You can explore some of the rides we have been doing down here via Strava, here is the link to my account: www.strava.com/athletes/855933

The track team has just arrived down here a few days ago for the start of our second training camp of the year. We have been putting in some big miles and huge efforts on the local climbs. I have been setting a few new PB’s this week. We have one more week of camp before I head home to Halifax for some recovery and final down time before we kick into high gear with the 2016 race season. We will be in Europe for nearly three months and doing some of the biggest under 23 races in the world. To say I am excited to get this season started would be an understatement, I am going into it with twice the motivation and knowledge, and 15.4% more power, soon to be more!

I will be updating my blog regularly during the season and posting new photos all the time via Instagram, so stay tuned to find out how my NextGenMTE teammates and I get on this season!

Thanks for reading,

-Edward Walsh