I'll be illin in NC yo!

Hopefully not literally illin - but it's very possible at this point. I met up with my coach this morning with a few teammates to administer a lactic threshold test to see if any of my numbers should change for this year. We all did the same test on the same loop and with the same process. Go ALL OUT for this 10 mile course that was almost totally flat. You start out hard and discredit the first 6 minutes due to the excitability factor and then pick the average HR from the remainder of the test. I've been fighting some congestion this past week so I wondered if it would have any effect on my efforts or if it was something that would just be annoying for the time being.

Last year I had my HR pegged at around 180-182 the entire time and I felt like I should have. The heart rate responded well and I felt like I left it all out there. This time - not so much. I started out ok and it hurt right off the bat. The HR jumped up to my threshold(177) which was good since it indicated that my warm up worked. But from there it was frustrating. I would get my HR up to my threshold and push through it but it would only stay there for a second and then drop below my threshold. Repeat this time and time again. I would even get out of my saddle momentarily and the hr would rise over threshold and then settle back under my threshold. ANNOYING. I felt like I could go harder the whole time but my heart was not responding. I just didn't have it. Seems like the cold has an effect that I was hoping wouldn't be an issue.

So the prescription for the upcoming week is to take Monday and Tuesday totally off to try and kick this bug I have, and recover in time for the 6 hours of Warrior Creek. Either way it will be nice to get out of Jersey and have some fun on actual DIRT!!! I'm looking forward to getting away and getting off of my grid at least and throw my tent somewhere randomly in the woods and enjoying my time off.

From what I've heard this event will be an absolute blast. It's my first time down there and from what I've heard from my buddies Aaron or Brent or have read thanks to Dicky - it should be a great time whether I do well or not. The dirty, bermy, flowy goodness sounds great considering Wednesday may be my first day to actually ride on dirt this year. I can't wait. The Superfly is coming off the wall and it's currently getting all setup to throw down or throw up. The next week will decide which option that I select :-)