Friday, February 15, 2008

Ready to Race

OK, mentally ready to race... not physically ready... yet.

I got myself pretty fired up to race last night. It's not entirely unusual for me to start feeling pretty good like that during a rest week, but last night, a lot of different things sort of converged. First, I spent some time working on bike handling in the garage. Usually, I do these rides on my singlespeed, just because it has flat pedals and the saddle is low right now. Last night, I decided to do the drills on my race bike (I just stood on the clipless pedals with regular shoes... slippery, but OK). Something about riding around on that bike just got me fired up for mountain bike racing.

Then, I went inside, with the intention of doing my "back-off" strength workout. Before I got started though, I decided I needed to hang up my Steve Tilford picture. Then I decided I needed to hang up my plaques from last year's cyclocross season. I've got a pretty good cycling wall going now... a Flying Rhino calendar, my autographed picture of Tilford, my plaques, and a big Lance Armstrong poster. Everything is easily viewable from my bike on the trainer.

Before I started my workout, I flipped open Ross's Infinite Intensity book (I was looking for some recommendation on exercises for a back-off day), and I happened to open it to a page with a few of his closing thoughts. This is what he wrote (the emphasis is mine):

"The human body is the most amazing system in the world. The potential of the body is largely unknown. Most people will never tap into even a fraction of their potential.

Do not make this mistake. Life is one big opportunity... If there is something you wish to achieve, you owe it to yourself to bust your ass until your dreams become a reality."

How could you go through all that and not be fired up?!?!

Sarah also got me some cookies for Valentine's Day. Hmm... frosting...


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