I round the corner, Pilot Butte comes into view. Streaks of sunlight dive through the high-hanging cloud cover. The days are getting shorter, it is August. Summer remains, but the morning air is cooler than it was a month ago. Armwarmers stuffed into my jersey pocket is a reminded of just how early I left the house. I am headed home after my AM set of intervals. It is Wednesday. Wednesdays are double days. Tonight’s Central Oregon Crit is the last one of the series and this will be followed by the first Sunnyside Cyclocross practice of the season. Fitting to move from fast asphalt and tight corners to grass, barriers and the elusive goal of eliminating my stutter step in the same evening.
Exactly four months until Cyclocross Nationals. Three weeks until the first Thrilla Cross Race. 1 month until Starcross. 7 weeks until Alpenrose, the first race in the Cross Crusade series. Equipped with a Cycleops Power Tap and some directed training, I am hopeful that my efforts will result in reward come December. Mud, snow, and sloppy run-ups are what my thoughts are filled with lately. Visualizing the smooth, effortless transition from bike to foot to bike again displayed by some of the country’s best; Katie Comptin, Ryan Trebon, Wendy Simms, Barry Wicks. If I can look half as graceful while remounting after a 6-pack of barriers, covered in mud, I will be more than pleased.
