Ready For Wausau

For all the complaints, May didn’t turn out too badly. We never got the consistently warm and dry weather we would have liked, but it was a pretty good month nonetheless. I did 21 rides this month for a total of 635 miles. That puts me at 1,449 year-to-date, which is still behind last year’s pace but ahead of my pace in 2011, the year I rode a personal-best 5,113 miles. This year’s goal is 4,570—that’s the number I need to reach 40,000 “lifetime” miles since becoming a serious cyclist in 2004—so I’m making good progress.

Before my first race in 2012, I had 1,353 miles in my legs. When I line up in Wausau for Sunday's Red Eye Rendezvous, I’ll have 1,449 plus whatever I do on Saturday. And these are quality miles, especially the ones I have ridden lately. I had a big mileage figure two weeks ago, then a maintenance week highlighted by my trip to Nashville, and “taper” time this week with a lower mileage total but more intensity. My weight is right where it was last year at Iola, I am rested and I feel ready.

The biggest unknown is how I will handle the technical elements of the Wausau course. I haven’t been on singletrack since my misadventures at New Fane on April 30. I have ridden the 29er around the block a few times to ensure proper shifting, braking, wheel alignment, etc., but nothing would benefit me more than pre-riding the course. Hope for warm weather and dry trails. Sunday looks OK but Saturday could be stormy.

Wausau isn’t the most technical course on the WORS calendar. My ability to hammer on the open ski trails and to climb the bigger hills is what I will count on most. And if it turns out to be a slop-fest, I’m mentally prepared to endure it. I don’t know if I will get on the podium in my first Sport (Cat 2) race, but that’s my goal.