Sometimes I miss those days, the days of top race fitness, when I felt like I could throw down anywhere, anytime.  I remember finishing up my senior season of racing in college, and joining the cycling team for some intervals a couple of weeks later after barely riding a bike all winter.  I remember throwing down in a big way on some repeats on the three-mile climb up to Petersberg Pass and the NY/MA border.  I remember the pain, but the pain was not a hindrance, it was like feeding time - I just wanted more.  I would get uglier and uglier on the bike (I could here Phil Ligget’s word ‘he’s absolutely disgusting on the bike’), but I kept the speed up, and it fed the demon.

Right now I miss that feeling.  I miss being able to hammer without my body’s reprimand.  I miss the burning lungs after hard intervals, the feeling of spent legs, the dehydration headache I always seem to get, and the dull glow and voracious apatite afterward.

I don’t know what it is that’s caused it.  Maybe it was anything but that feeling in the 30k I did on Sunday.  Maybe it was catching the amazing Birkie results of some friends from Anchorage on Saturday.  Maybe it’s been the clips of World Champs racing I’ve snuck in between trying to schedule and prepare for what seems like it must be the busiest month of the year (March) the last few days.  Probably it’s some combination of the above.

One of these days I may just have to get up early and hammer some hills (’Boston training’).  Maybe I’ll just take a flier or two through the stadium while testing wax for state.  Whatever it is, there is something raw, something primal that needs to be sated.  I just hope it’s still there tomorrow…

Feels kind of like that...

There has been a lot of work done this season, and it’s really starting to show.  I’m finding myself impressed and in awe of the whole FXC crew (Comp and Devo) on a regular basis these days.  So cool.  So, SO COOL!

Today was another instance of it - a lot of these guys have weathered some tough times, disappointing races, worst-possible-time for sickness and so on, but the whole group seems to be rounding into their best fitness of the year in time for the big races and the last two months of winter!

With no coaching duties, today was another chance for me to break out the camera.  Some of my favorites:

Megan

Lizer

Lizzy

Mikayla

Maddie

Ray

Jacob putting it to Jordan on Tower Direct

Jordan returning the favor a few minutes later

The Nuge

Kelsey

Stefan

Tough Course, nice weather, and hard racing.  One of my favorite races of the year.

First downhill in the girls race

Girls lead trio lap one

Claire pulling a train, Maddie in the background at left

Megan riding her ski forward

Lizer getting up for the V2 alt

Ray laying down some power

Lizer's got the eye: Watch Out!

The men's race started hard from the gun

Men's Lead coming out of the Black Funk

Pat: showing a sign of what's to come?

People looked good today… fitness is building, technique is improving… there is work to be done, but the future is bright.

After coming to the surface this afternoon after 3 days of full-on ski prep and racing, I’m caught between trying to remember what I have to do next and replaying everything that just happened over the last couple of days.  A lot of effort and emotion poured out on the trails this weekend.  One thing I’m sure of: I’d like to send a big thank you to all the coaches who helped out this weekend (Nick, Brandy, Marius, Greg), and all the parents who helped run the snack bar and volunteer at the races.  Without all your help I wouldn’t just look messy, I’d be a mess.  Come sunny days or clouds, I’m very proud of these athletes and everyone else involved with FXC.  So thanks to all of you.

Pete out.