Perfect.....so far!

XC podium

Well....let me start by saying...thank god for being healthy!

It is amazing how your digestive system can completely incapacitate you...muscles and all. I got back at it this weekend (Final Build phase) up at Mount Palomar. It was a risky choice before the series final at Rim Nordic, but I knew I had the points and I figured I could use the pain threshold training as well.

I was running out of weekends....Rim Nordic XC is not the focus right now....it is going 100 mile plus soon.

So I shot up to Mount Palomar early Saturday morning (quickly becoming my favorite climb spot) to hit the up and over....South grade and down the East grade and back. I thought I would go ahead and time trial both climbs to see if I could best my effort from a month ago. Here are the stats.

July 19th:
South Grade: 1:18:30
East Grade: 1:03:00

Aug. 16th:
South Grade: 1:14:28
East Grade: 1:01:40

I felt ok heading up the South grade....a bit more like the first time when I rode it with James. One of these days sub one hour from the Taco shop to the General store. The East grade is what blew me away. The last attempt I was railing it trying to catch a Swamis rider. This time around I felt pretty shot....pushing it, but shot! I was stoked to still negative split myslef with similar conditions (wind, temp, etc.). Anyway....I blew out the tubes...I am back!!

Today..Rim Nordic defense. I was sore...hell, my neck was sore today. I rode up with Allison and Justin and called a three way top podium in the parking lot. Justin is still in sport class denial...I feel him cuz the 30-35 expert class is rough. Allison is in womens pro denial...after 9 months in the XC scene she is crushing the womens field....pro and all!

Mafioso!

I started the race with shot legs and powered on. Got the hole shot as usual and got overtook by 2nd on the first descent. I figured I would let him go and hopefully he would pop himself on the initial climb (I have never let him get out front). Once we got to the fireroad up top, he was gassing out and I layed down the hammer. After a rookie descent (super loose...retardedly loose) he caught me before the last climb. I decided to stamp my authority before the finish of the first lap and didn't see him for the rest of the race. On the third lap my pace started going out of the window. I was running scared!!

I was looking behind me the whole lap. The deep soreness from Palomars work was taking its toll...I was gassing out. I managed to summon some sort of effort and held him off at the finish. 32 seconds seperated us.....the closest all series. I did just enough....it hurt!!

Series podium!

I am motivated....stoked and ready to bang out the rest of this season. 100 then 24...lest get er. I am ready to get the rough stuff out of the way and have fun with this fitness.

This weekend Allison is hooking me up with her Enduro + Mammoth = HTFU!

Stoked!

The Goods!