I leave for Minneapolis for the Nature Valley Grand Prix at 6AM on Sunday for DC. I'll be leaving from work tomorrow to drive to my buddy's house in DC for the night in time to get a borderline appropriate amount of sleep.
My task list prior to then includes but is not limited to:
-Cleaning and generally prepping my bike for rolling fast
-Figuring how the heck my Pika bike bag works
-Figuring out what to pack for my first stage big bike trip
-Trying to solve the riddle of transporting two pairs of wheels and a bike
-Crushing out one more hard ride in the 100 degree weather
-One easy ride to get the gunk out before travel
-Messing with my position on the road bike for the "Merckx style" TT (think "dude in front of mirror in spandex on a bike staring at self in awkward position")
Most important: finally relaxing. I've had an incredibly stressful and exhilarating last few weeks. I honestly believe that the mental stress of balancing work and cycling is as big a challenge as the time constraint is to the amateur cyclist. This is a pretty special part of NVGP and the Pro Ride. Beginning after work on Friday, I'll be able to focus on riding my bike fast and not about work or planning travel, racing, logistics etc--all of which require serious energy.
I'm excited to meet my teammates. I'm excited to meet the folks who are passionate about this race and this team. I'm excited to be on my bike. I'm excited to race. I'm excited to see Tim Rugg's race day face manicure. Let's ride.
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Thursday, June 9, 2011
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1 comments:
Enjoying the posts, Stephen. Let all of this be a learning experience for you as well as a super exciting time to test your very best self. We're pulling for you down here in NC.
Erich
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