In Your Travels

In preparation 'for to' drop in a bigger engine into the Compartment

So I've pretty much had a light summer as far as riding goes. No results in August at all, and only a couple races. Only one result in July. Am I losing my touch? I hope not, all part of the plan my friend. Last season I rolled it until the wheels came off, winning money in races held in October ($80 bucks bro - not bad) and entering the winter as a total wasted wreck. Toasted adrenal glads, limping around on a gimpy leg, just totally trashed. By then most people have had their rest period and are starting to do some long rides to get ready for the next year. This didn't really work out for me and I think it really messed up my season to a point. I sort of recovered, kept up with my riding to work through the winter a lot gig, and came out banging and blazing in April and May, blasted away a little in June, but then totally flamed out with my crash at Reston. Hurt my shoulder and was just all tired, put on five pounds and just never really got back into Bunny Hop/Poolesville weekend shape. I really attribute this to a lack of rest and that crash was just sort of the manifestation of everything else that was wrong.

But this year I will end the season really fresh. I'll do Turkey Day on the 17th and send in my upgrade the next day, and spend the winter as a cat 2, contemplating myself as a member of Evolution Cycling's elite squad. So the first thing I have to do is get good enough to go training with those guys. Here is plan A:




I am riding with my son in the 'bike wagon'. He totally loves it. It takes me 1/2 an hour or so to ride to or from his day care with him in tow. Then it takes me about an hour to ride to or from work. A friend of mine has a 'pain train' that tops mine.


When I do one of these toddler commutes my left leg at the hip hurts a lot with stiffness for about a day, so that limits me to about three times a week, plus a ride on the weekend. But I think if I can keep this up for the next six weeks or so, that will set me up well to be ready for the 'training season.' It is work, but we have a lot of fun too. If you have a kid, you owe it to yourself to do it. He giggles like crazy when we roll out and makes helpful comments like 'bump' and 'big car.'

See you at Turkey Day (Bobby Phillips annual race on the 17th of September).

posted by Mark @ 8:44 PM