Highs & Lows

This was the kind of week that will test one’s patience and resolve. A week with ups and downs, highs and disappointments. The week started off very well. Monday was a complete recovery day as I was wasted from last week. Tuesday, I didn’t run in the morning and had a great ride at the Tuesday ProCycling "ride until you puke". I felt great, was able to go at very high intensity and hold my own with the fast guys. Big difference when you don’t do a hard run before the ride. This had me pretty psyched for DawnTillDusk on Saturday. The rest of the week, I pretty much took it easy. An easy six mile run on Wednesday morning followed by an easy ride home from work in the afternoon.

Thursday, an easy ride to work with a half dozen hard sprints just to wake up what little fast twitch muscles I have and that was it for the week. I felt rested and ready for Saturday. Then just as I was getting ready to leave work, I learned that I will be travelling all over the country for a month starting Monday. Instead of going home, I spent the rest of the night coordinating and making travel arrangements. Because of the amount of travel involved I won’t be able to take my bike. 4 ½ weeks of no riding. I’ll also miss a couple of races. I was bummed.

Friday, drove 500+ miles to Gallup, NM for DawnTillDusk. I felt good and was excited about the first race of the season. I really wanted to give it my all since I won’t be riding for a while. Got up Saturday morning and there is a steady downpour of snow and rain. Been raining steady since midnight. The race site was a mud pit. Only four wheel drive vehicles could even get to the venue. At the pre-race meeting we were informed that the race will be delayed and a decision will be made at 10 if it will be cancelled. Shortly after, the sun came out and there was hope. At 10 we were informed that the course is un-ridable and even un-walkable in many sections. They will check conditions again and possibly have a Noon til 7 race. Then it started snowing hard. Big wet flakes. Race cancelled.

Waiting on Race Decision

The excitement for the day was queueing up to climb up the mud bog hill to leave the venue. Each vehicle waited for the one in front to clear the hill before he/she would try. Any non-four wheel drives that came down the night before were not leaving until Sunday at the earliest. So we mudded our way out and drove 500+ miles back home where it was dry and warm.

Waiting for Turn up the "Mud Bog"

Sunday, woke up and it’s snowing big heavy wet flakes. Looks like the New Mexico storm hit Colorado. Had to do something so I got on the trainer. I decided that since I couldn’t ride 12 hours outside, I would ride 6 hours inside. Warmed up for about 15 minutes, then put on the Spinervals "Hardcore 100" training DVD, and blasted the stereo. The "Hardcore 100" DVD is a workout with 5 ½ hours of progressively harder intervals. Starts out fairly easy, increases to moderate intensity, and the last hour is very intense. I felt great and finished very strong. Oh if only I could have raced yesterday!

6 Hours & 116 Miles on the Trainer

So now I’ve got to radically alter my training. I leave tomorrow for DC. Over the next month I will be in San Diego, Irving, TX and back to DC. I think I will be restricted to running, but if I can swing it, maybe I can find a gym and possibly get into a spinning class now and then. This certainly is a set back, but somehow, I’ll work it out.

Sun: Bike – 6 hrs, 116 miles
Thurs: Bike – 1.3 hrs, 19.5 miles
Wed: Run - .9 hrs, 6.2 miles, Bike – 1.7 hrs, 19.5 miles
Tues: Bike (MTB) – 1.8 hrs, 15.6 miles, Core Strength - .8 hrs