Let it Begin

Sorry for the lack of updates. Things have been busy but not interesting busy. Training has been good. The weather has been on and off but my east coast skin has been keeping me warm. Big day yesterday. This is a pic from the top of Big Thompson canyon. A long and beautiful climb. It tops out above Estes park. After a short decent into town I was ready for some food. After some serious coffee and calorie intake I was ready for the trip home. we had already be riding for over 3 hours and put out around 2500 kj’s. another climb out of the park, the screaming decent into Lyons and we hit some tempo for the last 30+' home. Need ess to say 3800 kj’s and 6 hr’s later I was pretty worked and very concerned about the first training race the next day .

The Stazio training series is a 3 series race in March. In Boulder races can vary like any p-1-2 race. but here the “local” pro’s are Scott Moniger and the BMC pro team. and it seems that everyone and there brother is a cat 1. I have recently noticed/ learned the difference between cat 1 and cat 2 out here. It is far to complex for me to explain here and I’m just to tired. But assure you it’s a big difference.

Base training from me has come to an end and there are a few things I have noticed about this year I thought I would share. I have done more cross training. More x-county skiing and more down hill skiing. And if you read my article on cross training you will already be saying Down hill skiing isn’t quite “cross training” EK… and your right. But hey I am in the Rockies and the skiing this year has been unreal. Plus spending 3 weekends at 10,000 plus feet doing jump turns all day and ripping non stop don run that drop 3,000 feet can’t “bad” for you. Right??

also my HR and intensity has been a bit higher during endurance rides. why? have I been pushing to hard? Am I just able to push more power longer? I don't really know. I feel good and this wasn't a contious thing it just seems to have been that way.

Any who. Here we go... a quick note on the race in the race reports, check it out.

I'll give you a quick play by play from... not the frount.

Stazio #1

The race was rather difficult and tricky with a heavy wind on the hill and decent and the fast (53-12 fast) on the flat finishing straight. After a long pull to bring back an early move I was too far back when the hammer went down. I made my way into the second group then went to work on the front. After a bit I was really feeling the hill. I moved back a bit and road into the finish. I was a bit disappointed but after seeing more and more riders on the side of the road every lap I figured I wasn’t so bad off. Good riders too. Slipstream riders, etc. “did they just come to watch? Did they get dropped from the group I was in? no I think many got dropped from the lead group and pulled out after that. Lessons learned. The wind out here is a HUGE factor. It can ruin your race, or make it, good positioning has never been a strong point of mine but if I want to do anything out here it is going to have to become one.

Scott Moniger moved away from the front group with 2 other guys and just road away I guess. He looks really fit. Nothing but muscle and a bike. And that look of his. He can’t be more than 140 lbs and 5’8” but when he looks at you in full kit you’d swear he’s 10 feet tall. I swear bike helmets and sun glasses where made for this man.

I had a rowing coach tell me once before a race. “Guys, don’t be distracted out there, BE the distraction” good advise.

...ride safe everybody...