Finally, some big miles

Soundtrack for tonight: John Mayer

I think I took too much of a break. I stayed off the bike for a week, which was nice in and of itself. I got to do some much needed yardwork and sleep in a little. But the time off the bike affected my whole regimen and unfortunately, I put on 3 lbs. I was 177 going into Bear Lake but I'm back to 180. Work food has been the culprit. The wonderful ladies I work with, also love to have goodies around the office. I have been too indulgent and I must hold back again. I still would like to be 175 by LOTOJA. Still a far cry from the 160 lb guys I race against but it should all help.

This past weekend saw some great riding. My in laws live in Bishop, California. We spent an extended Memorial Day weekend out there. It is one of the most beautiful places in the world. High desert sitting among 14,000 foot peaks. The skiing at Mammoth, just north of town, usually goes till July and the cycling is outstanding. This is a part of California the Tour of California should visit!

For my big mileage I took in one of my favorite loops. I like to call it my "Bishop Epic". I've got it mapped here: http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Bishop-Epic. 112 miles of desert, mountains, lakes, snow, 2 Indian reservations, 5500 feet of climbing and two 7500 foot summits. I rode north from Bishop to Mammoth this time getting in the steep stuff right off the bat. I averaged 19 mph. I had planned on stopping at some off the grid stores and shops for food and water along the way but I found out that off the grid means cash only! I only had a debit card but thanks to some generous folks I was able to get my bananas and M & M's any way. I had plenty of gels and Cytomax mix in my pockets but I didn't really want to pack it all in for the day.

I felt really good. It took alot out of me though. I rested the day after and on Sunday went out for a 1.5 hour recovery ride. Monday morning I hit another favorite Bishop ride, doing some repeats up a lonely canyon south of town. I was mostly surprised by how well I recovered. I expected more soreness a day later. I guess that's progress.

I'll be focusing again on my diet the next couple of weeks. This week will be normal with some aerobic riding on the trainer mixed with some core and leg strength workouts. My wife is doing a charity ride on Saturday then June 12th is the Powder Mountain Hillclimb, an event that I promote along with Team Excelerator. Go to www.teamexcelerator.com for more info on that race.