Early Start to a New Season

Alrighty, so I have just returned home, good old Wisconsin. It hasn't warmed up one bit since I left. I think the same snow that was on the ground when I left is still here...anyway I am glad to have a chance to stop at home for a week and a half, relax a bit and gather my thoughts before I head off to Belgium. Also, I owe many thanks to my uncle for putting up with me and letting me hang out for the winter and train...and putting up with the incessant Cartoon Network viewing.

I started the season off bright and early this year. Before I left AZ, I put in a couple of days of racing. The first race I did was just a local circuit race in McDowell Mtn. Park. I was quite anxious to just get out there and race. I hadn't actually raced my bike since Superweek of last year (July), when I ended my season early by getting a little too friendly with some of the steel barriers and breaking some bones in my right hand. Anyway, back to the race, it went alright. I definately felt like I hadn't raced in quite some time, but all in all I felt pretty good...maybe not good enough to go chasing down any breaks but it is still very early in the season for me.

The fallowing weekend I went on to do the Valley of the Sun stage race. This was a little higher profile than the local race I did earlier, and the field was for the most part full. It started off with a individual time trial...hmmm I got to the start line with my super duper aero mini clip-ons and the second I turn the cranks over once the sky starts to open up...yes an even better advantage than the clip-on and 32 hole wheels. I pegged my heart rate where I wanted it and got into a grove. I got to the turn around and realized that I had not been going hard enough...I wasn't hurting enough at the halfway point...grrr, so I said to myself I need to f@#!@# pick up the pace! So, I did. In the end I was about 50 seconds slower than I thought I was currently capable of...

The next day was a 90 mile road race, in which I saw more rain than sun. Hmmm, maybe we need to change the name of the race...a bit ironic, yeah I think so. I felt good for the race, it was plenty easy to get in some of the mix at the front, but I definately needed to be carful to not over do it. The little cimb to the finish (~500 ft.) took its toll by the 6th time up it. No, super results but it wasn't an easy race because there were only about 60 or so finishers. Note: you have to finish the previous stage to continue the next day.

Sunday, the day to the criterium. Finally there is some sun, and it almost feels hot to me. For the most part things went the same as yesterday, with the exception that I had a near miss with a crash with 2 laps to go...hmmm I gues I should be glad to not have crashed and not worry about the results, once again it is early for me...at least I tell myself.

At both of these races I got a chance to speak with Bernard, who runs the Cycling Center over in Belgium, and that was the main reason I came to these races. It was good to talk to him, it eased at least some of the anxiety I have over traveling to Belgium...hey all you world travelers give me a break I've never been overseas before!