Here we go.

The anxiety has definitely set in, some of that is good, some bad, but for me it's just the way it is. I'm pretty optimistic. I kind of glossed over the fact that I won a big race last weekend, straight up, expert overall. I have never won an AMBC race, never mind a DINO series one. Somewhere in the shuffle I guess I was thinking of the next big thing without taking the time to enjoy accomplishing big goals along the way. My confidence improved when I heard myself tell someone that I had won the equivalent of an NRC event of mountain biking and I have taken a couple days to enjoy it.

Jen and I went out to Sage in Benton Park last night with our friends Pete and Donna Rothschild. It was a younger hipster type of joint, and REALLY freakin loud, but the food was spot on. I had a espresso rubbed New York Strip steak that was perfect. Everything else was A+ and we had a great time. Good to get the mind off of things.

I was on the way to the dirt crits telling my mom about winning last weekend and making plans for Vermont. I didn't think twice when I told her I got out of work early to go do a training race. I didn't think otherwise until I heard TK grunting to get the hole shot only to see Rico open it up and Chris Ploch run over a strip of course markers to get on his wheel. I went into the woods about 5th and realized that I had someone two guys in front of me, who was strong, but clearly couldn't ride a mtb as he brake checked on every turn and forced us to sprint out of them. I was poised to jump him and the 360* rider in front of me as we went through the creek, but the 360* rider pulled a bonehead move and tried to pass Alferman through the narrow climb out of the creek and blew out his tire forcing the rest of us to stop. I chased kitty balls for exactly 18 minutes and was within 50 meters of TK and Rico at one point but a couple attacks later and I realized that these guys were here to race, not train. I had gone pretty deep and have to openly admit that if I had been in the front group I would have suffered through it to have a decent finish, but I was not psyched about what had happened and there was no need to slay myself the week before my A priority event for a 5th place finish. I freely admit that it was a beat city move.

Today I went out to the Wood and did some hill repeats. After the first one the legs were really coming around as I pushed the 38 tooth ring up Lone Wolf backwards a couple times. Intensity in ten cities and lots of rest is the name of the game this week. I had a great day talking with Keeven and his buddy Chris about tri gear and ran into TK and the Ghisallo picnic as well as my buddy Ryan Wolk.

Today in my training diary I put a 10 for overall.

Listen to some Public Enemy and eat your blueberries!

Tonight I am resisting the DQ Blizzard of the month, thin mint cookie, and it sucks.