This has been the view I see most training days. My shadow and I are intimate with the climbs and suffering. So much of my training has been solo this year. Part good part bad. I love mixing it up with my team mates but I have this tendency to want to throw down. Often. Ha! So learning how to ramp up, achieve goals and taper (e.g. REAL recovery) has been my take-away for 07. Logical to most of you but I have been for time ad infinitum all about the go-go-go and my heart speaks to my head more often than my body can get a chance to.
The spins around Boulder in early mornings are epic. Right now things are changing. You can see the Aspens just starting to get golden. Little cold pockets of air that sit there in ambush as you come into a corner and go from warm to cold. All signals of cross season. Yum.

The contusions are healing up famously, but the ribs are still reminding me. Sleep on the back or left side is about it....but the sleep comes heavy and deep. Really looking forward to Saturday and mixing it up with the boys. The goals are yet to come but cleanliness is what I am striving for. Too many rookie moves last weekend that is all about the discipline I need to re-enforce with myself. Each one is a subtraction, not an addition to the goals being built.

Life is good. Cross on.

The weather has dipped into the 50's and 60's and its blustery. It's welcoming us to the season. I am so amped I can't sleep well any more. The work has been put in and my family has supported me so much. I haven't smiled this much in a year. I'm ready to have fun and see what this aging body can do. I've listened.

Two more big days before the rest comes...only to be followed by the storm which is brewing and will carry on through December. Then rest again. Then Belgium.

The secret society of 'cross freaks got out early yesterday AM to flog each other silly. The moment I opened my eyes, still lying in bed, I said: "I think I need rest." Going out and flogging sort of made that premonition come true in that I mostly played the role of floggee versus flogger. Can't be out front every day I'm learning.

Today was more of the same flogging...although this time self inflicted up Flag for a couple-a tests up, up and up to see where I'm at (and where I've been). A FRESHLY paved Flagstaff as well. So niiiiiiiii. When I woke up today and opened my eyes, the first thoughts were: "I'm going to rail it." After that extreme effort yesterday, I nailed a personal best and a 2nd not-so-bad ascent up that beeatch. The recovery was decent I guess last night. There's nothing that some organic food made by my lady and a 1554 can't solve to aid the sore legs.

So, I'm here. 100's of early AM hours logged, 11 pounds lost since last year, weaknesses worked on. I've learned lots. Lots of balancing. Who knows what the season will bring but I put the work in. The smiles are abound.

Speaking of smiles, today after the self flogging, I jammed down the Creek path to the Research Center to hook up with the fam for some mini-jumpin' with the little Irishmen. Check it.

It is on. The group was extensive today. It will only get bigger as the weeks roll on and Mountain States Cup and other racing series finish up and those people start transitioning into their 'cross mode. I'll ask them where they've been...

Inexplicably fun this AM. People are giddy about the season upcoming. We railed it at Elks and then a park on Folsom this AM. The port-o's were in good use and everyone got their share of technique under stress this AM. I made the course a bit long-ish today and tried to get as many off the bike sections as I could find. I think it worked. People *were* worked it seemed.

The body responded well and I listened to myself and T and stayed within it the whole time. Holding back a bit to truly see where things are at. Even power output, no wad-shooting. Only flow while mixing it up with my friends. Smiles. That's about all I'll say for now. Just glee.

Some pics below. Brandon's got a new bike sponsor this year so people's jaws as you would expect were on the floor. It was pure show and tell time for that boy. Like a kindergartener with a new Transformer.

Brandon's new toy (Bike 1 of 2 of course...)

Explaining the virtues of man and machine

Time's interesting Ahead system being explained...

Baker smirking as he's heading off with family in tow to Belgium

Troy throwing down this AM.

Worked.

Inked.

Ben Turner's been spotted and involed in secret training missions.

Yum.

Yum 2.

TRP are coming out with carbon versions of these. Yum again.

SRAM is going to make a move in 'cross big time . It just makes sense.

I love being back in the 'old home' of San Francisco. The work tip is intense these last few days but the head is staying together. I still manage to get in what I need to get in in terms of sensible 'training'...when I need to have my head in the work game but still need to keep the coals stoked in the furnace. The runs around here are epic and you drink the oxygen. Big difference from 6ooo feet.

More fun this weekend with some team CX clinics and some throw downs with the fellas. I am salivating. I just want to get going.

Mol seems so far away but it I realize it is coming quick. The planning is coming along and dear buds are considering making the trek....even if to help pit. Beer in hand, yelling at me lap after lap.

...were worn today for the first time in a LONG time. The air was a bit damp and while you did not really need them, my recovery ride today was slow and nice...and the arms and legs kept the sore tired muscles nice and warm. Pulling back into the garage to put the bikes away before work, i saw my embrocation oils sitting there with a layer of dust on them. I opened it up, took a whiff of its minty fresh effervescence and smiled.

Cross begins in one month.

This weekend was annihilating. This was the final week of tearing the body down and working on weakness by climbing ridiculous amounts on Sat and Sun. Again, both days saw 4-6 pounds of weight reduced after each ride....even while madly consuming liquids during the rides. The switch to speed, moto pacing and the stuff my 6'2" carcass was meant to do takes off going forward. Mmm.

Clinics soon folks. Got to get my schedule worked out.

Do something 'crossy today.

The Rock Lobsters are ready. The Dugasts are still stretching and I'll get them all glued up in a few weeks time but the bikes are all purdy and ready to go. Now, is the body ready? Getting there. That is for damn sure. Flag/Mag/Sunshine today. The goal was to feel as good as possible on teh last one. Maintain watts, all that jazz. Flag: Awesome. Mag: Awesome. Sunshine...Awesome and then like a cliff dive at about 30 minutes, I could barley turn them over. 3 hours and change and 4.5K of vertical today. 7 pounds (yup) 7 pounds in body weight gone. All water. I feel sick but smiling.

Rock lobsters below. Mmm.

Another huge amount of climbing in the bank. Satisfied, yes, but empty today. More empty in the head, than empty in the legs. Belgium 2008.

Remember the three part teeter totter I have been talking about? Side 1: Family, Side 2: Training, Side 3: Work. Well, two of the three sides are bending and scraping the dirt at the moment. Family and work are needing me. Family more than anything and most importantly. My beautiful wife needs to feel me again instead of the sort of monk I've become in the last 3 months. So this tells me that the training is too much and bending the most important side of the teeter totter.

Do you ever get in that spot when you know you feel it? You want to go deeper and see what you can do? If you go just that bit deeper, you can maybe see just how the body will respond. You need more time to do this. I can't take or materialize more time. Not without bad consequences and I refuse to do that. I've seen it happen and it's not good. I think sometimes that the impulse to be selfish and go an extra hour than I should instead of going home is like what a meth addict must do to go get a fix. I never give in but I feel that tingle in my mouth. Or maybe this is what I hear those golf widows experience. I despise that too. I'm not that guy.

So, instead of some ballistic training thing today, my lady and I rolled. She and I, pavement, sun and our words. We rolled beautifully like we haven't done in a dog's year. We talked and gabbed, solved the problems of the universe....or at least how to get our youngest potty trained. It was so needed. We connected again like we used to on long rides years ago before our children came. So much fun. Meanwhile, as my wife is talking to me, gabbin away, she's dropping every Tom, Dick and Harry riding their $9,000 Parlees on the ramp up from 7K to 9K feet in Ward CO. HA! Hilarious. I lover her. I could feel that side of the teeter lift.

Man, since I started writing this post, I feel a helluva lot better. Thanks.

Did a final day of climbing today to finish up the week. Boups and I hit Lee Hill to Jamestown Plus to Lefthand for sprints behind cooter-mobiles to repeats on Olde Stage. Compact day as it was all in our back yard. cracked 15 hundy on the PowerSlave again doing sprints but all is naught in comparison to Boups. Holy shnikees. He shows up on his Yeti cross bike this AM as he cracked his aluminum road bike (at the BB of course) with road tires affixed and a single ring 53 x 27. Yup. He proceeds to bury it up all this elevation today. Hilarious. Boups, get tested at BCSM kid. You're freakish.

West and weewaxashun for a couple a days and hopefully I can swing the STXC at Research this week. May not be able to but I am craving it again!

"And I was running." Yup. Forest Gump. That's who I have been this week. Running when and where I can. No bikes while on the road but still working on za plan. Yesterday, 1 point 5 hours straight. Running 1.5 hours here in San Francisco. Crazy.

Crazy also that I am getting used to it. The body is acclimatizing to it. Maybe too much. Then yesterday it happened. I finished up said long run in the warm and rare summer San Francisco sun and was still about 15 minutes from my hotel. Slight pangs from my now well mixed lower intestine started to ping my brain "you better get home." Making my way back from the Embarcadero, Japanese tourists stopped me to ask where the BART station is. I just looked at them with the face of a serial killer. They said nothing and walked away from me. Slowly. I am now sweating. Like a flu but it's not a flu. It's fear and leaking poop. I'm sick but actually not sick. I think it's what they call incontinence or something. I am now 5 minutes out. Just a slow walk through the lobby, a ride up the elevator, a couple of legs of hall way, key access to door and I am golden.

I make it to the elevator. Door closing. An f-ing hand comes in to block the infrared beam and it re opens. All this is happening in slow motion. I smell myself. I can only think of Willem Defoe in that scene in Platoon when he is left behind by Charlie Sheen when the helicopter flies away and he gets whacked by the VC. I am done for. This family walks in and I am a sweaty mess. Head down looking at the floor. Legs crossed praying that any micro draft does not carry across the 6 x 6 foot elevator by the time we reach the 7th floor and they discover my identity of disgusting sickness. They hit no buttons. They get off on 7 with me. They lead out and I follow. Get the f out of my way. Just get away from me. Slow. So slow. Walk faster you idiots or I will crap on you. They walk to room 726. I am 728. Neighbors. Key cards out and open they enter my room and I into mine.

I just go into the bathroom and start to laugh/cry. Wimper sort of but with a humor. I am broken.

I love running. I love being athletic.