time to get my XC on! / cpl cool pics

My endurance racin' season is winding-down and it's time to get those fast-twitch muscles ... twitchin'!? Lots of traveling in the works, glad to be getting-away, but worried about finding the hours next two weeks - quality will be the name of the game. With a smart plan (yeah, right!) can hopefully get through all this travel roaring to go for a six week xc race plan starting July 9th:

(july 9) EFTA, MOODY PARK
(july 16) ROOT66, HOLIDAY FARM (DALTON!)
(july23) EFTA, EASTERN CUP
(july 30) JAY 65
(aug 6) EFTA, MUD IN YER EYE
(aug 13) ROOT66, HODGES DAM

Really looking forward to the trips we're taking, even though they're "interrupting" my little cycling compulsion. Will and Beth decided to get hitched, so off to the West Side (can my skinny racer-ass handle 3 nights of boozing and smoozing!? - challenges, challenges), back home for a couple, then off to Nova Scotia. If you haven't been to Nova Scotia, imagine Maine, then remove like 80% of the people - it's an amazing place to ride. Will get a final dose of base over those four days before settling into what will be the most intense period of racing i've ever done... with jenn so near her due date the last 2 weeks will be touch and go, but it's better to make a plan thinking you'll be doing something than have it sneak up on ya'...

For inspiration, thought i'd toss these photos (once again courtesy of mtbmind) of Thom battling it out with legend Skip Brown on their ss's during the North Shore Classic onto the blog. Downright racer-x inspiring:

and the big red tire appears on the horizon...

skip moves past pushing a massive 36x16 (or whatever insane gear that dude can push).

the focus on these guy's faces is effin' sweet. to say thom has stepped-up this year is an understatement, and with 3 more 100milers planned for the season, he's just getting warmed-up.

i got-out for a mtbike spin this morning and decided to stay in the 34-18, a common SS gear combo. was curious to see if i could hang - and today is a planned hard day. on the first sustained climb was crying fer me mama. got to give these ss freaks a huge shout-out. it's burly stuff.