A Sweet Slice of Summer at Home

This is where we go when it gets too busy on the roads...

A particularly festive Independence Day weekend set summer into full swing on the east coast of New England. Mary and I were so much a part of the action, as trying to work around it to stay on top of our own program, as the number of people swelled to an almost unfathomable level out on the island.

Out for a festive 4th of July recovery spin

We feel lucky to know the back routes as well as to be able to get the majority of our workouts on the dirt (and water), and that has been where we have been training as the roads here have once again become busy to the point of being extremely dangerous.

Unfortunately this seems to have as much to do with a shortage of respect for cyclists and/or understanding of the rules of the road that allow for bikes to take the lane on public roads when there are no alternative options. Something it seems is completely ignored by those rushing around in their cars on their way to work or the beach… It's alway a bit scary out there on the road, even in the best circumstances. Please everybody remember to Share the Road and pass safely, meaning to always give three feet or more of distance when passing a cyclist!

An important message... we hope to get similar signs like they have in South Africa!!

Mary and I were really glad to have included the time in our schedule for a substantial recovery and rebuilding block after what proved to be one of the most ambitious and exhausting spring campaigns we have embarked on in our racing careers.

Time in the water can be great for recovery...

or a demanding workout...

Or a perfect Birthday Celebration! :-)

After a short period of not being able to do much of anything except for resting, we got back into a committed training block aimed at preparing ourselves for a return to an ambitious summer of XC racing and extensive travel that we have coming up.

Riding with suspension guru, Dave Weagle (right) and Argentinian mtb legend/olympian, Jimena Florit... good times riding fast!!

In addition to some long hours and hard effort on the bikes, alternative activities have been important in this phase of our training. We also focus our energy on strength and power training with the help of the yoga mats and paddle and surf boards to ensure we are back on top of our game for all the racing starting with the US National Championships this weekend (July 18-20).

We may live on an island with limited climbing options, but I surely never get bored doing "hill repeats" to the top of this hill...

We are looking forward to getting back to our RV styles for a solid month of east coast travel, including the Nationals and the next two rounds of the World Cup that are conveniently set up on back to back weekends and an almost a casual drive apart in Macungie, PA, Mont St Anne, Quebec and Windham, NY.