Dragon in the year of the rabbit

Recovering at the top of the Kanc w/Grampie, May 2010.  race report

So Wash is out, both days due to schedule conflicts with the Cycle-Smart ‘cross camp and the Prouty.

A return to the Kanc is now also out unfortunately, as Kristen is graduating with her Masters the same day.

This is already shaping up to be a weird year.  For years now these two events were the only things I locked into my calendar; the pillars of my season I guess, and now they’re both out.

It has been interesting, trying to find a substitute purpose for the summer.  I haven’t had a decent night’s sleep in weeks.  It seems like something is definitely working on me, and the timing of this is rather mysterious.  Or rather, not that mysterious.  I need to get back out on the road and get over this.

So in an attempt to do that, I was nearly to the office on Monday when I realized  it was going to be a decent day.  I just happened to be wearing some running shoes – not my preferred shoes but they’d work for a short run – so I ventured to Runner’s Alley (juuuust around the corner from my office as fortune has it) and picked up some shorts and a top.  Having not run since October 2009, and as I am slightly masochistic about these things, I jumped right back in and ended up with 10.7k.  Two days removed from that effort, my legs are still seriously pissed off, but they’ll get over it.  Until then I’ve got a good hobble going on.

I think I may try to string together five BUMPS events this summer and officially place.  Given the overlap with the cyclocross calendar, I will have to do exactly Whiteface, Okemo, Ascutney, Equinox, and Burke.  With the Rivet in the stable, my Trek is now a dedicated hillclimb bike, so I can dial it in and leave it alone.  Hopefully in the ballpark of 16 pounds.

I’m also thinking about racing singlespeed at some of the EFTA NECS races.  I haven’t been in a mountain bike race in 15 years, so maybe it’s time, eh.

And tying things together, no shortage of Thursday night trips to NHMS.  It seems I have proper bike for that venue now.

If you were keeping score, I am not periodizing this year, in the sense that I am not dialing the intensity back right now as I have in years past.  I’m definitely doing less on account of the everwinter, but I still have really hard efforts.  It’s still technically periodization, just a different approach, based on how little yearly volume I have to work with.  I’m sure this is all the Carmichael book I don’t feel like opening.  At any rate, I still have strong legs.  That’s how it works.