TR:

It is freezing here in Durango today. When I woke up it was -1 degree. It's suppose to hit 32 but it's not there yet. What better time to update the blog then when it's too cold to go outside.

Here is a video by Durango Devo legend Chad Cheeney. Cheeney not only runs the Devo program but also races XC, Super D, CX, Road and just about any event you can do with a bicycle. This is the Santa Rita CX race here in town from 2009.

So I'm pretty much healed up from my Fort Collins crash now. The three day Jingle Cross CX race weekend was either going to put the nail in my coffin or I was going to come out of it better then I went in. Lucky for me the latter happened and my leg is feeling great. Now I just have to work out the knot in my calf I received at the start of Sunday's race by someone's pedal and I'll be good to go.

Friday night at Jingle Cross didn't go so well for me as I finished 6th and rode like a complete wimp. I was suffering on the pedaling sections but just not going anywhere, I think I was a little blocked up but what really made me mad was how I was riding the technical sections. I was creeping down the descent and going through all the corners so slow. I was super tentative about crashing again and just riding like a wuss.

Saturday my leg was starting to feel better and I decided I wasn't going to worry about crashing, just go for it. I was bunny-hopping the barriers again and trying to push the limits a bit on the downhills. I had a much better race and finished second. I was going so slow on the run up though Trebon was easily going twice my speed and I would spend the rest of the lap chasing him down.

By Sunday my leg felt almost normal and I had my best race of the weekend. I botched the start but was able to get stronger as the race went on which was good since Jones and I were the only guys on the podium to ride all three days. Trebon crashed out early on Friday night and Driscoll took Satruday off. I usually get better and better in stage races but it's hard to tell if I'm getting faster or the other riders are just not recovering as well and getting more tired. I think I was recovering well and getting faster. It was nice to be sleeping down at sea level again too.

You would think that sleeping at altitude you would sleep more since you don't recover as well and your body is working harder but it's just the opposite. The higher altitude I go to the less I sleep. At sea level I sleep like a baby. I usually have trouble sleeping after hard races but this weekend I fell right a sleep even after the 7:30pm race.

Here is a video of Saturday's race