So the annual Icycle race is this weekend at Fontana Village. I usually swill a six pack during practice and then feel really crappy for my race run. Good times huh? Anyway, this year has been a little different for me as I approach the end of January. I rode almost constantly last year through the winter and I suffered the worst burn out I have ever had. By mid-summer I didn’t even want to race anymore. It forced me to take off a solid month off the DH bike after a very poor showing at the first Snowshoe race. Even with a month off the DH bike I came back and had my best race of the season at the second Snowshoe race. I felt revitalized and attacked the course. So I have to some how balance fitness and a mental aggression. Enter the moto. While riding a moto, I can jump back on a bike and feel pretty comfortable handling a cycle which weights 160 lb less. Here has been my mtb riding since Dec 1.

1 XC ride Jan 1.
1 XC ride Jan. 26.
2 skatepark rides on the DJ

Most notably is the lack of DH. Heck, I don’t even have a DH bike built and mostly that has been by design. Living 20 minutes from Windrock’s DH runs puts me in a position to get DH runs, as many as I want, very quickly. When the time comes, and it will, I’ll be back on the mountain. At this point I am just polishing my skills anyway. This last year I found out that I can have all the fitness to win races, but when my mind didn’t want to unlock that fitness it wasn’t any good. I came back in the latter part of the season and was much more pleased with my race results compared to the early season. I put it all on burn out. This isn’t my job and I’m not gunning for a spot on the national team. So what is the point in pushing myself to a point where I don’t enjoy it anymore? The answer is none.

This year, I’ve got a different plan. Starting in mid Feb. I’m going to start to pick up the XC ride frequency and dirt jumping. By April 1, I hope to be doing regular XC rides with good interval sprints. I’m going to stay off the DH bike until then as well. The moto, XC rides and dirt jumping will keep my skills sharp enough. I want to head into Massanutten and the US Open fit and hungry. Add all that with regular moto and a couple hare scramble races and I think I’ll be okay.