Getting Motivated......

It's only the end of October but already I'm getting excited about the prospect of racing next year. It probably means that I have had enough of a break after this years racing and it's time to get serious about the 2010 races. In a few weeks time I will pretty much have the races all scheduled out and will start to get back into the regular training schedule gradually increasing volume and intensity.

So when rides like this weekend's ride out from Bowie to the DCCX race come along they are well worth taking.....just easy rides taking in the back roads and trails through Prince's Georges County and into D.C to the Armed Forces Retirement Home. It wasn't a hammerfest and I think due to the bike trails we just about averaged 16MPH :-) Plus when we got there we were met with freshly baked scones, frites, beer and a ride home.....the cross action was cool, the primary spectator area had a load of cowbells (although I think Christine and Stu outdid everyone with their massive bell, somewhere there is a cow missing it's bell!) and it must have been a blast riding through it every lap. ABRT was well represented in all the races, with Christine Wehlburg grabbing another podium slot in the Women's Cat 4 race.

This weekend we travel to Pittsburgh for the MedExpress Spirit of Pittsburgh Half Marathon and then it's time to start hitting up the D'Ville Saturday ride again. It feels like an age since I have done a long group ride and it's also about time that the fixie gets going. Nothing like a 75mile fixie ride to get the legs going again :-)

Oh yeah and there might be some bigger news towards the end of the week.....stay tuned!

You Need to go to a Cross Race.....

Up until this past Sunday at the Hyattsville CX, I had never actually spectated at a cross race. I had raced when back in the UK, yep....cold, muddy and disgusting! So we decided to have an easy recovery ride out to Hyattsville from the usual ABRT meeting place in Davidsonville and cheer on some of the ABRT guys and gals racing.

Fortunately Stu's wife drove to the race with Sarah and so after a 2-hour ride, we could chill out, drink a few beers and then grab a lift home....nice! The weather couldn't have been any better, the beer was cold (and cheap!) and ABRT rider Christine Wehlburg went and won the women's race. A great day out for ABRT and a great day for cross spectating.....after the cool event that was put on at Hyattsville, I think we will have more "recovery" rides out to cross races this season (only as long as we can grab a lift home from someone).

The next ride will probably be out to the cross at Rosaryville State Park on Nov 8th....any takers? Davidsonville P&R at 9am.........