Since the AMC race at the end of August, I’ve been just riding around without a particular training plan. I ran once (which made me sore for like a week), I rode on the road or off-road based on what I felt like. I even rode the mountain bike on the road and the road bike on some gravel roads. Anyway the point is that I rode for fun even at the 24 Hours of Payson and I liked it, but it was the end of the season. Now it’s time to start looking at 2009 and define goals, so with the coach’s help I am back to structured base training. I wore my heart rate monitor for the first time in a month this morning and I also started strength training at Coyote Athletics.
Once some of the calendars start getting published, I’ll be compiling events, dates and locations before prioritizing each race. Most likely I’ll be focusing on the MBAA series, a couple of Epic Rides events, some of the newly created US Cup events and perhaps some of the events in the US Cycling Endurance calendar for the second part of the season. That may included AMC and others. As far as road goes, I’ll do some crits here and there and one or two road races.
One of the last “just for fun rides” was last Saturday at Estrella. I have ridden this course many times, in fact that’s the first course I raced at after moving to Arizona, however on Saturday, Art, Tom, Norma and I rode it backwards (with the consent of the Maricopa Parks, I must say). Estrella isn’t my favorite course, but I have to say that I like it better backwards. The start will make you work right away, then you get a nice, fun and fast downhill to the big wash. From there you have to work hard until the saddle at the back. It didn’t help that the course was really rutted and loose. The gradual downhill back to the front of the park is fun but it keeps you on your toes then you have a little bit of climbing to do before completing the lap. As for the Tech loop. It seems like you are working all of the time, which I like. There are a couple really steep almost hike-a-bike sections where my 1.9 Maxxis proved to be the wrong choice for the course.
Other than this, there isn’t much else going on.
Pura Vida!
1 comment:
That was a blast riding the course backwards this weekend!! Hopefully we will get a chance to race it that way... thanks for the ride and have fun training this fall!!!
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