Holy EPIC today at Nationals! Tim is unbelievable. I'm getting the reports from the boys in KC as they happen. Bummer for Trebon but I heard he was never in contention. Beyond TJ though, the ride of today I heard was Andy Jasques-Mayne. Sick. He essentially erases himself this summer breaking 16 bones and comes back this season to take his stars and bars yesterday in the 30-34's and an awesome ride today. Sweet.

I am PUMPED FOR MOL! Holy crap.

Za plans du Belgique are rounding out and I've not just got my hands on my UCI license and the authorization papers required to race in a foreign country. So, if'n you, my faithful M & C readers, are interested in doing this at some point, don't forget to contact USA Cycling for these! They came in like a day and officials at these races are known to ask you for them at random times apparently from when you register to while pre-riding I hear. The folks there in the 'Springs are super helpful.

The toes are de-numbing but one week on still not 100%. Crazy. It's exactly like the sensation you have when you get your teeth worked on and the Novocaine is starting to wear off. More depth today to bake in what's needed in the legs so suffer fest up/down/up/down Poorman's is prescribed. I will likely be cross-eyed when done. I hope my toes don't re-freeze.

So, imagine I had an IM chat with the devil last week.....

Handsome_Devil: GK You there?

Cross_Dork: Hold on HD. On a con call.

Handsome_Devil: NP. While you're on mute playing biz dev fool, think about racing this weekend.

Cross_Dork: Dude, WTF?! I'm sicker than a mo fo!

Handsome_Devil: You are such a galactic _ _ssy!

Cross_Dork: Seriously, STFU. I am sick!

Handsome_Devil: P _ SSY!

Cross_Dork: What f-ing ever. Will you be there?

Handsome_Devil: Cross is for _ussies. Oh wait. You cross, right? Therefore...

Cross_Dork: SIUYA, HD. I'll be there.

Handsome_Devil: Yes you will, GK, yes, you will. Boo wah ah ah ah ah!

And so it went folks, against all instincts, the devil made me do it. I have had mad flu with awesome ear infection and a hack since Wednesday. The only cure: more cowbell. All in all, a decent day which I can not complain about. More on that later...

Today's ACA action took place at Bear Creek Lake Park in lovely Golden (or maybe Morrison). Home of Coors and Yeti. Sweet. The course was absolutely the most fun yet this season...where fun is relative to the mountain biker's fun meter. Today featured lots of rollers, awesome single track, a bunny hop-able barrier (with another set of boards on the other side run up) and well timed sand traps. It was a fun fun course. The day started up in The Republic with 20 degree weather, 70 mph winds and sheets of ice on the street. The 50 minute drive due south was 10-20 degrees warmer with beautiful sun and zero win.d.

I got there and pre-road and loved it. Even with a fever, I was smiling....and could care about placing. I needed to be out there (again, the devil made me do it). The 35 Opens today was not a humongous field. Probably 20+ riders with most of the usual suspects in tow. I lined up 2nd row. Gun went off and we shot up a paved hill and nearly immediately on to the first sand trap. The sand trap exit was also the finish line so either the course designers knew it was going to be a clear winner in each cat or for sure they are sadists and wanted a running sprint through the sand side by side across the line. The sand was not ridable as it was super deep and dog legged sharply.

By the 2nd and 3rd laps I am rolling OK with Jeff W, Jeff H and Jared S. All is good in the hood. I figured it would stay this way. We went around a few laps together and I'd take them on the run ups and through the barriers and put more distance on them through the bunny hop barrier, but I had no depth in leg speed to keep the gaps I'd open due to the flu. So they'd bridge back to me each time. And so those antics went on like that for a few laps until my rubber band finally broke and I had to let them go and I spun alone. By the 2nd to last lap, this guy was coming on hard from behind. After knowing how I felt on the run ups, I let this guy bridge to me as we went through the sand trap and past the ACA officials counting riders....and when he made contact, I sat up. I let this poor guy pull me all the way around the course on the bell lap until the barriered run up and then I just had to drop that dude (sorry man!....but, uh, not so sorry). I flew up the run up Wellens style, re mounted and the gap I put in was too much for him so I rolled in nice and easy over the line. Took 9th. Some points earned which is cool but more happier just to have raced. Up yours devil.

After my race, I sat with Matty O while he warmed up. We watched rider after rider in the 4's try to bunny hop that barrier and some of the most horrific face plants I've ever seen occurred. I SHOULD HAVE had my camera out to tape that sheeit and YouTubed it. But alas, you get nothing. Matt and I watched AC have what should have been a break through race but home boy rolled a Dugast after some foolio took him out so I had to help him swap bikes. Luckily I had my spare in the pit so I threw on my wheel for him and he finished up the race. AC, you were going to punch a hole in that race today boy! You looked great. Pound for pound, in all sincerity, you had the best form bar none. Even the leader who had some leg speed had no form near yours. You are hard Belgian.

So while he's warming up, I told Matt that he was for sure going to win the 3's today and he should just accept it. He says, "Ya think?" I says, "Yup."And so it came to be. Matty O laid the wood down and got him a shiny 'x' in the W column. Nice, boy. I'm proud of you. Sorry I couldn't stay.

So I got home and the little men helped me with the bikes. As you can see, not much mud but the perfect kind. The Dugasts at 40lbs were SICK! Perfect. Not once did they come unhitched off of the muddy single track and hard apex turns.

States next weekend and then 'done'.....that is until I start some more training to ramp into January and the coming of the Mol.

'Cross on.

Well, it had to happen some time. Paradise needed to remind itself that it does in fact situate itself in the mountains. The pow pow came down last night after a final couple of days of absolute beautiful days in the sun.

The boys and girls will likely cross today...somewhere. 29'ers replacing cross bikes through the snow. Maybe Poormans, maybe long dirt road rides in place of parks and barriers.

Mr. KP sent me the latest on Master's Worlds (yes, I am STILL going!):

U.C.I WORLD MASTERS

CYCLO-CROSS CHAMPIONSHIPS 2008

SATURDAY 19th JANUARY 2008

ZILVERMEER MOL - BELGIUM

PROGRAMME

CATEGORIE DISTANCE START

Men (1943 and older) 30’ 10.03hr

Women (1958 and older) 20’ 10.02hr

Women (1959-1968) 25’ 10.01hr

Women (1969-1978) 30’ 10.00hr

Men (1944-1948) 30’ 11.02hr

Men (1949-1953) 30’ 11.01hr

Men (1954-1958) 30’ 11.00hr

Men (1959-1963) 40’ 12.00hr

Men (1964-1968) 40’ 13.00hr

Men (1969-1973) 40’ 14.00hr

Men (1974-1978) 40’ 15.00hr

I'll be hoisting up the big girl undies as far as possible to race the On the Cross race held in scenic Highlands Ranch CO tomorrow considering my implosion a week ago. Last weekend's debacle is still looming in my brian but a week of just getting away from cyclo-cross bikes and the pressure to just stay on it was part of my agenda. I'm way happier and truly have no idea how the body will respond this weekend but a couple of days on lunch time rides on my single speed brought smiles to my face that haven't been there in a while. I want to get over this mid season hump and in parallel am willing the work badness to stop. I am trying like hell to Jedi Mind Trick the work drama to move from me and slap its all-consuming badness on some other poor sucker. Be gone work shite. Be gone.

Tomorrow, fun 'cross with WB and Dave. No expectations. No pressure....whatever. Just me and some pain for an hour or so.

Better news: Mol is a go for me and a tight crew who have committed. More on that in an upcoming post We've got the hook ups over seas and the race schedule is coming into view.

Old home Monday to Friday this coming week for the DEBACLE so again, limited training but such is life. I'm gonna pack up and bring the 1 x 1 along and go and be with some of my core family for some smiles. An epic night ride I hear is in order!

That's right! HA! I'm locked and loaded for Belgium! I am inexplicably excited. This has been an amazing year of ups and downs but my focus on this goal has been what's gotten me though. Each Friday since 2006 my Outlook Reminder throws up a reminder to me that I will be in Belgium in 2008. I see it and I chuckle to myself. I simply visualize what it's going to be like....what I'll see, who I'll meet, how I'll go, how the equipment will work, etc etc and I get into this uncontrollable smile state. Can't wipe it off my mug once my wheels start turning in my head thinking about it.

I will be having some awesome travel companions on the journey and they are working feverishly to get all their plans dialed. I am so pumped.

Mol, baby.

So the Coloradans will have their fill of sand this weekend given the races locale: The Boulder Reservoir. Brian H and the BoulderRacing.com crew will be out there in force to get course dialed. Bring your Stans however given the unbelievable amount of goat heads on the course. Last year, Chris G literally swept and raked every square inch of the course by hand to free it if the spiky race ruiners.

Life is good at the '06 Rez race pre-goat heads...

...then forced to play catch up after changing bikes

Needless to say, I will be found at the Rez days in December getting the whole sand thing dialed for January 19th 2008.

'Cross on, peeps.

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So I started this whole diary as an account of what it's like to plan for a year to get to Belgium. It's amazing how my heart has never wavered from the goal. Crazy focus.

The plan thus far:

January 12th 2008: Schriek Groot-Lo CX Belgium
January 13th 2008: Bakel 'Cross Bakel, The Netherlands
January 14-18 2008: Train/Eat/Sleep/Pinch myself
January 19th 2008: Master's World Championships Mol, Belgium
January 20th 2008: My birthday!...oh and Fort 6 'Cross Wilrijk, Belgium

Howie has been so gracious in allowing me such visibility into their experiences over the years racing in Belgium. Thank you my friend.

Now, back to focusing on some family, training, racing an work. Gotta maintain that three part teeter totter...

This is what the Master's World's Jersey looks like. I can dream, can't I? It'll be a success if I can just be pack fodder with these animals in January but I am not rolling over with my legs up in teh air. I'll be going out in a hail of bullets.

So says Georgie in this new documentary. I love that. Ken B used to have a saying on his site: If you write it down and hang it up, it will come true. I follow that rule, albeit electronically, since I saw that on his site year ago. Inspires me for Mol.

While I am psyched to see this DVD and even more pumped for Georgie to somehow keep the rubber side down and finally win this thing, the DVD is seemingly filmed in a very special place to my wife and I, Santa Ynez CA. We were married there in the Mission. Lots of this footage is on roads I know well and it'll me cool to reminisce on it while watching.