Back on Track

What a difference the weather makes. The temps have finally fallen below the 100 degree level, the smoke is gone and the sky is weeping enough to knock the dust down and lift my spirits. Life is good again and I'm re-energized.

I've had a good training week by placing more emphasis on quality and rest. My good buddy Nordic Dave counseled me this past week and reminded me that my fitness is good because of the strong base I built over the winter and now is not the time to add mega-miles. Rest is more important than miles and hours. So, with that sage advice in hand, I have lifted the guilt monkey off my back and will focus on rest and positive thoughts during the final 2 weeks leading to Leadville on August 11th.

With my new-found guilt free attitude in hand, Kevin Nelson and I went on a 4 hour MTB ride today in the Park City area, and had a blast. We did a fun loop that had a lot of variety with plenty of time to chat. The loop included part of Lost Prospector, Round Valley and Somewhere Elks, Glen Wilde and back to Round Valley. Kevin's a great riding partner that I have enjoyed many, many hours racing, training and traveling with over the past 3 years. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that someday he'll feel sorry for me and partner with me on a multi-day stage race. That's a good reason for me to stay fit. One day out of the blue he'll call and say he's ready, so, I have to be prepared. I'll rationalized my training obsession any way I can ;-)

That's it for today. Tomorrow is my last long ride on the road. I've pared it down to 4-5 hours instead of the scheduled 7, per Dr. Nordic Dave.