Christmas at 8500'+

snowy passes,
skin tracks up/on the continental divide,
tele' descent;
Chianti and slow roasted ribs;
nephew Jess and niece Elsie's first Christmas!
early morning skate skiing at Devils Thumb(where newly wedd-to-be older brother Bird and his fiance' Leah will be newly wedd next summer) :)
bicycle-tough-shed-indoor-trainer-spins post-skate/pre-dinner next to dad's classic (bamboo pole) x-country ski collection that he has gathered enough for a small army in anticipation of the onset of the next Pleistocene;
mom's baked good (real butter!);
Tonka the dog in snow booties following dad in his x-country exploits: training for the next pleistocene. .
(yes Ethan, i had to look up that spelling)

-I returned to Sonoma Cnty and tried to jump back into the program as though i had never left it. But, reality: 8340+ feet of elevation, a decrease in training volume and intensity for a week and/= it's not just your legs that take a break: it's your brain aswell. the thing about training, more specifically the letting-it-hurt-for-duration, is a matter of mind as it is a matter of muscle.
but a few days back into it here on the west coast and it (the brain) is beginning to return. . and, in the whole scheme of things, i think i'm better off. i'll now have memories, something to ponder. i'll now feel like an uncle to Jess/Els' who are realpeoplenotjustthesonanddaughterofmyoldestbrother/sister. i'll now have gotten my one statistical day of backcountry, a token event to symbolize something more lasting, more than just a few-hour event.

in cycling/racing preparation. . it's a gamble, or, a caculated risk.
it's an individual sport for the most part, each rider with an individual recipe.
so, what elements are going to sustain you through the next 9 months of racing?

cycling would take every ounce of you, if you'd give'r.





























photos by nydam son #3