Winding Down

Now things get weird.  Yesterday was a rest day and a very welcomed rest day at that.  The past three weeks have taken their toll training-wise and I am a touch on the fatigued side.  Today is a light 45 minute to an hour MAF run but after that my training calendar looks much different than it has the past nine months.

Blank days.  Rest days and super short workouts to just get the blood pumping rides and runs are on there now.  It feels strange.

When I was 19 years old I spent eight months at Keesler AFB in tech school.  I remember the night before my last test for my last training block, July 23, 1987.  I sat at my desk in my room studying the schematics and tracing signals then said screw it.  If I didn't know what the hell I was doing after eight months of being in school studying this stuff six hours a day, day in and day out, no way in hell would a few more hours of studying save me one way or the other.  Off to the Airman's Club I went and met up with others who sort of came up with the same idea.  What was done was done.

That is sort of how I feel now I guess.  I had a long talk with Lucho this morning where we discussed planning, strategies and the execution of the next three races.  Just call it mission planning.  It's done.  Even the contingencies are covered.  There isn't a whole lot else that he can teach me or have me do at this point to sway my odds one way or the other except maybe just stress to me everyday between now and sometime on the morning of the 18th of August to not do something really stupid.

The crux of Leadman is right around the corner.  The next three races are the true test.  The battle that I have been in, the war of attrition against injury, burnout, and my other competitors for the past nine months all comes to an end in less than three weeks.  But I am confident.  Not cocky... Confident.  I had a defense attorney representing me once, and he assured me that he would be shrewd and cunning in my defense... that is how I plan to proceed the next three weeks.  Silent, smart, and unnoticeable until the end and just like I surprised those five guys on the Monarch Crest Trail last weekend, I intend to move up in the Leadman overall standings and have another bunch of folks ask, "Where did YOU come from?"

Getting my diet on point for the next three weeks.  Strict to moderately strict Paleo of course.  Threw out all of my Gummi Bears and mini Snickers bars on Sunday.  Just cleaning it up till it is all over.  My weight is in a good place right now and I expect it to only get better between now and leading up to my weigh in on the 15th or 16th.

The Trek got a major tune up yesterday and it is parked pretty much until the 100 MTB race.  The rear hub was loose and the bottom bracket had to be replaced.  It is clean, shiny, lubed and race ready now.  It took a lot of abuse during the 50 ride, a nasty two hour rain/mud ride two weeks ago and then the Monarch Crest Trail this weekend.  It really needed some TLC. I will ride the Cannondale this weekend up in Leadville which will be a treat since I have not ridden that bike in nearly a month I think.

I plan to ride Columbine up and down on Saturday morning then run from Mayqueen to the finish later Saturday night.  Sunday will be off, another rest day, and we will head home early. That's the plan for the next few days.  Nothing epic, nothing daunting... just resting.

And I have to say I am looking forward to the rest.  After that super long day in the Sangre's two weeks ago, I was running a 20 miler here in the Springs the day after that (Basically to Inteman to Manitou from my house) and about mile ten I was bitching to myself about just how tired I was of running tired all of the time. It is that fatigue that has been a constant the past weeks, months, etc... that I look forward to dropping and then re-energizing the next several days.

So... there ya have it.  Now to be patient.  LOL!

I still love the satellite radio in the Jeep.  Got to hear the great one yesterday while driving.  It definitely illustrates the worldwide politics of the period.  And hey... it's just fun to listen to!



Lastly, I have a joke... might piss some folks off but here it goes... How do you know when someone from Team Salomon is going to win a race?

They show up.  :)