Slogging Onward Training Recap & Duluth

TRAINING: I'm amazed my fitness has held somewhat. I'm not tearing it up but doing fine consistant results wise. There's nothing wrong just not on the bike. This is year 2 of the grand mid-summer family experiment (less-is-more). Early season and prior year memory enables a maximization of less-is-more. This season included 5 pre-season 9hr on bike weeks before April 30th, Ragnarok included. Don't know about you but 9hrs a week is a alot for my schedule. May on-bike normal. June & July both 15 hours on bike almost half my normal training!! My training has been Buck, Hillside & MNSCS races really no other hard rides to mention. I've enjoyed more dirt and more riding with the kids. Look out I'm going to start training for maplelag now! Oh, check out the USA Cycling rank 40+ and all PRO listings. Ha, must be my consistency in all conditions and regional placements? At my age I'll take it!! DULUTH CAMPING & FUN TIME: Since I averaged one ride a week the last few weeks I decided to keep it going. Ma and Alta had weekend plans. The boys and I road tripped up to Duluth. Near Duluth at Cloquet KOA as it was close enough for Sunday Hawk Chase race. Good times cooking out. Camping (work). Brewski, soda pop, hot dogs cooked on blazing fire etc etc. The KOA has a game room and a swimming pool. Between turning our SS'ers into geary's and above we had fun!! Saturday we actually went on the new Spirit Mtn Alpine slide. No brakes, two rides. Leo loved the alpine slide the most. Not a bad ride at all. Sunday I was worried about Leo all day while racing. Bad feeling with river and long pants. I found him after race and go figure that's when I let him go in river (he did listen while I raced). So once I was back that's when big brother witnessed his panic. Thanks Kent. It was karma that day for sure had me freaked all day.....whew. GREAT HAWK MNSCS RACE: I didn't feel I did that well - felt sorta crappy beat by new folks. Let me back up and say he course was killer. Muddy or dry the climbing potential, fast downhill spurts and bumpy landing make for a great course. Site unseen off the gun I held with the lead pack. But once Doug shot ahead it broke apart, I felt heavy and couldn't respond like I wanted. Once I finally recovered it was hammer time. I passed near 10 to regain top 10ish position before woods. The Freds we're not too furious and the Ravens not too bird like. Needless to say it was challenge. As I led Nikolai, Jake, Devin and Charlie through lap 1 woods I felt settling ready to respond. Trouble came when a car blocked the entrance. Being first time there I went around behind car, most aforementioned boys zipped into woods ahead of me. So it went as did some mental fire. Later lap 2 Doug and I traded places as I did with Mike B. earlier. Late in race Eric O slowly reeled me back only to have his chain break for his second mechanical! No hardware issues just software for me. Duncan still gets faster! Anyway see you soon, looking forward to the next gig. Signed mr. steady.