The last push

The Rowdy Dawg race is two weeks away. I lay awake at night thinking of this race. It seems that this season got all out of whack w/o having the State Series as a focusing point. The Derailer Series has been fun but they are not my favorite kinds of racing. And after living here for many years, the memories of past races at Dragon's Back, Massanutten, Potts Mountain, and Rowdy Dawg drives me to want to go back to these venues with my new fitness, focus, and motivation. Years of just getting spit out the back creates some good motivation.

I skipped Wolf Gap and Massanutten this year, and had Douthat way back in May, so haven't had any big killer courses since then. Plus Rowdy Dawg is my local race. Some pro somewhere said if you can't rule your local area then you better keep working. And last year I was riding really really well, well enough to win the VA State series w/o winning a single race , but didn't ride as well as I hoped in the Dawg. I'd had two races in the weeks prior and think the cumulative fatigue was getting to me, and going wine tasting the night before was one of the dumbest things I've ever done before a race, especially an important one. And I SO wanted to beat some of the other local riders I've ridden with for years.

I've developed my own peaking strategy over the years. I will tell you here and then if you choose to read well then I'll have to kill you.

2 weeks prior:

3-4 day block:
Day 1: Race pace, Race time
Day 2: Race pace, 75% of race time
Day 3: race pace 50% of race time
...

If you got the legs keep going, the key is keep intensity high, but reduce the time so that you can hold that intensity.

Then active rest.

How long? depends on the individual. Done right, for me, takes 7-10 days. Yes that long. After that time my legs are on fire, ready to go. Then comes the ramp up to the race

-short high intensity efforts to make sure all systems are firing and ready to rock. Every day leading to the race should feel like holding onto the reigns of a fiery mustang. Just ready to let loose, but you gotta hold back. Save it for that big day.

Unfortunately this peaking effort is not going according to plan completely. I've got a slight cold. Thankfully nothing too bad. And my wheels are not here so am unable to do the whole course for time.

John and I did a killer killer ride today. We went out Hardinig to Tabor. We pacelined on Harding hard, and then climbed Sandy Ridge. Then attacked each other all the way back on Harding. Then to put the nails in the coffin, we went to some new hills in the Brush Mtn Estates on the Old Brush mtn road side. These things were as steep as the backside of Mtn Lake.

My legs are trashed. If I can, I will try to do some intensity again tomorrow for 1/2hr - 1hr but am not sure I have it in me.

From now till the race it will just be dialing in the bike and just getting the feel of it offroad.