Five laps of the xc course was a brutal way to break in the legs for the start of the ’08 season. I managed to have a pretty clean start and didn’t have to get off my bike and run at all like a lot of other guys did after things got bunched up. Nice and steady was the pace and I’d pass guys on some of the climbs and then they’d go by me on the flats. By the end of the fifth lap there wasn’t much left in the tank as Paul and several others sped around. Finishing 47th doesn’t sound too impressive, but I had some fun out there.

Seeing DJ, Dave, and Kathleen was great there and we made a third annual visit to El Torrito for some Mexican glycogen replenishment and good times.

Today is the STXC and another shot at riding fast. It’s a tough course if you’re not starting in the front since there are several spots that only allow for single file traffic and it gets stretched out pretty early. With a good start maybe I’ll be able to hang on for a bulk of the race. More on that after the finish.

TJ