All Quiet...

It's been quiet in my world in the last few weeks, and that has been very nice. Granted I've done some racing but things have been pretty relaxed. I need it; the body and mind are feeling the long season's wear and tear. I'd like to say that since China, it's been all about focusing on relaxing but it really hasn't. I've been focusing on nothing.

After I got back I figured it would be no problem hopping in WORS #11. I even figured Brian Matter wouldn't be there so winning would a possibility. When Brian showed up in baggy shorts and I showed up feeling like I needed another week of sleeping, I knew I had completely misjudged how things would go down. I just didn't have anything to give. Thanks to a vicious start, I would place 6th. Considering how I felt, I was happy, but lesson learned, traveling is hard. The week after was Wigwam in Sheboygan. I was feeling back to normal and had the legs to follow the leader. Only a slip on a bridge had me off the back. It would have been cool to stick with them, but I was pumped for a third place. The good finish put me in 4th overall for the season. Good way to end a season.

With the end of WORS comes the end of MTBs and it's been CX ever since. I've been training, but the training is all less than 2 hours so it's been restful training, if that's possible. Mentally, staying at home has been good for the mind. It's taken me from China until now, but I'm feeling on top of school and life a little better. Better, but not completely. (not sure if completely is possible.) I was really happy to head to Grafton for a muddy Pumpkin CX. The mud was fun and the new course was awesome. Winning might have also skewed my opinion. Followed that up with one of the most exciting races I've been a part of at Badger Prairie. Corey, Chad and myself going off the front in a group and racing tactically up until a half a lap to go. I was able to attack and come up with the win again. This one felt sweet, winning it so close to the end. And a double weekend had confidence high.

The Pre-Ride

They don't really have them on the road, except for big races, but in the dirt its all about the pre-ride. Here is why I think it's one of the most important parts of your race weekend and how I use it.

It certainly has to be because I'm younger, but I think I take the pre-ride a little more seriously than some of the older more established WORS elite racers. But when it comes to the pro level, everyone takes it pretty seriously except for maybe a few riders. The importance is really because of how the races are treated in the olympic style racing at a high level. Where as a long point to point, or a big 2-4 hour marathon, the course is either very easy such as with the Mid-west Triple Crown, too impossible to pre-ride and remember the whole thing, or the pace is slow enough that it's not as important. But in XC, it's about doing each climb, technical feature or corner as fast a possible. It's first about doing them well, then it's about doing them well together as a full lap, and finally it's about repeating those laps each time.