I do plan to start constructing a training plan built around the Devils Backbone 50, and going to yoga regularly has been the first step put into action.  I should probably start running again too, though I think I’ll be putting that off until the snow comes and all the good singletrack is largely out of biking shape for months.  My feet did get damn cold coming home from the Rattlesnake Wednesday evening, so running season is not far off.  

Back to Mountain Athlete.  The coaches notes (and workout names) are pretty informative and entertaining reading.  He has some interesting stuff here about concentric v. eccentric muscle movement, and while I have only the most basic grasp of the physiology, it rings true with my experience, largely.  Running downhill is the gnarliest exercise I can think of in terms of putting the hurt on specific body parts, though (unlike the author he quotes) I always find 10+ hour bike races to bring about a unique total body deep-fry.  (I was trying to explain the phenomenon of skin hurting to a non-athletic friend the other week.  Not an effective pursuit, unless you want said person to think you more daft than previously.)  It also explains why I’ve found yoga to be beneficial training for running, in particular.  

It also explains something I’ve been ruminating over for a few months now, the shortcomings of my peaking process this spring w/r/t cycling.  First issues was an excessively quick transition to singlespeed to geared riding.  My climbing in the first part of the KTR was stupid slow relative to my fitness, the muscle adaptation was not there.  If I had had a geared wheel to use a few weeks earlier, I could’ve used the singlespeed power I had going (and sharpened very nicely on the April-May Bike Camp), and put it to better use.  The stupid running out of water thing didn’t help either, and made recovery longer than it would’ve been otherwise.  I carried momentum well over the next four weeks with the Prescott-Grand Canyon ride and the KMC, culminating.  I wanted to do some speed-type intensity rides in that time, and succumbed to a combination of laziness and worrying about recovering enough.  As few as two well placed 1-3 time trial efforts in that month would’ve made a big difference.  Not that my KMC was at all a disappointment, I was very pleased with my ability to keep it rolling from hours 10-13 and on; I do think that some more pop would’ve kept me in a higher gear for the rollers along the east side game road, and made a few more of the AZT steeps rideable.  A good learning experience.

I don’t anticipate adding weight lifting into the program, just: yoga 2-3x a week (3 for sure once my body gets back in yoga shape in a few weeks), base running to adapt for a short period, and then intensity!  I’m dropping Sentinel under 30 before the end of the year, or else!!!  

The other guidelines I’ve found very useful in the three month rule: you better be where you want to be three months out from a bike event, then you’ve got a good long time to deliberately shape things with a fine chisel.  Three months out form July 11th is only a bit after spring break in Utah, so we’ll need to fit something in then.  Not sure what, but I’ve got some ideas kicking around.  A GC double crossing is an obvious choice, but I’ve done those. I also don’t want to drive all the way around to the south rim.  Wonder if the North Bass TH is reachable by truck then.  Could hike down, packraft the river, then do the Royal Arch in a day (a big goal of mine) then reverse back to the rim from the basecamp.  There are also some fastpacking and/or packrafting in the Escalante that has been on the radar for a while, Gravel Canyon in a day, big loops in the Robbers Roost complex.  Idea would be to get at least one day of 15+ fast hours on the feet.  Then train distance through finals and into the summer, and push descending and rock fitness and connective tissue as soon as the alpine opens up.  A full S-N Bitterroot Crest traverse over 2-3 days is on the calender, thought that’ll likely be a snow-free project.  

Might as well continue with the hypothetical projects list:

-South Fork to Middle Fork Flathead in the Bob, with (perhaps) more

-GDR touristing/heckling

-CDT biking, perhaps continuing up the crest of the Sapphires back to town

-Lamar River packraft poaching

-as much in Yellowstone as possible

-Wonderland Trail around Mt. Rainer in