Mountain High

"It's not a hill, it's a mountain, as you start out the climb. Except for me, I'll be shouting, and your gonna make it all the way to the light." U2

Tomorrow is the day we've been waiting & training for the past several months. Bigg Dogg, Timmay, Retahd, Chuck and I are packing up & leaving Otter Trail in the big green bus to make the drive to Coburn Pennsylvania for the Wilderness 101, part of the National Ultra Endurance mountain bike Race Series - http://www.usmtb100.com/. The guys are in tremendous shape, even when compared to last year. I have never seen Mike climb hills like he has been in the past 2 months, he's somewhere around 215 lbs right now which at 6'5 is getting downright skinny for the bigg dogg. Timmay is lighter than last year and is taking his tech wizardry on a mountain bike with the hopes of bettering his 2nd-place clydesdale finish last year. This guy can ride through things that i have trouble walking through while carrying my bike. Per is down something like 15 pounds off last year, which is significant for his 5-6 frame and he's now on a real race maching with his Niner Air9. Chuck was made for this course, at 5-6 and 140 lbs, he can climb anything and its only his mellow nature that will slow him down during the race. I am pumped for all of them for the work they've put in on the bike, but I'm more proud of the work they've done off the bike to clean up their nutrition and allow themselves to capitalize on their training. Having the discipline to lock down and nail the daily diet & nutrition is tougher than training hard in my opinion.

I'm feeling very good myself and have done things on my bike in training in the past 2 months that indicate I'm very strong, life-best form on my bike. Three long days on the mountain bike (5.5 hrsin Trumbull, a brutally epic 6.5 hrs at Blue Mtn and a 7.5-hour day on the top secret Drago loop) have brought my handling skills and upper body strength to a much better place than last year, when i only did one long ride leading up to w101. I've been riding up things on my commute in the big ring where I'd previously needed the little ring (Umpawaug!!) I rode the EMD on the road to work last week & made the trip in 1:26, only 2 minutes slower than on my r3sl three days earlier. My endurance is definitely there and now my leg strength is there to get me through the power spikes i might need on Saturday.

So i'm hoping for a good day:
#1 goal is to have fun during the race, there will be some times when i'll want to climb off but i'm confident with my head now, i know how to turn my attitude around. keep happy, watch heart rate, enjoy doing something that few people in this world get to experience.

#2 goal is to go fast. I want to break 9 hours. Hell I want to break 8:30. I think my body can do it, if I stay "with it" all day. Fuel right so I dont lose concentration - never let my head relax & risk a fall or mechanical. Pick my way methodically through the hard downhills, tempo the climbs, fuel fuel fuel. In my long days I could tell when I was getting bonky and was able to snap out of it with a gel. I cant let that happen going down the sassafras descent at 25mph. Going fast also relies on some luck & fast conditions. Stay fueled, stay in control of the bike, keep it steady.

Go.