The Racer, The trainer and the Sore-Legged Rider

Yesterday, I realized that all of my parts had come in, and I was able to build the Racer up, for the COG100 race. I decided to bring the frame and work-stand in, along with the necessary tools, so they could warm up while I was out on my training ride.

Before I put the frame in the stand, I figured I should swap out the seat posts, and put the SunTour suspension post in. Once I did that, it only made sense to install the seat into the clamp. Then, I was curious how the post felt, so I put the cranks on. But, before putting the cranks on, I thought I should go ahead and remove the two chainrings I didn't need...

One thing led to another, and I ended up building the bike, completely, before jumping on the Beast and heading for the snowy trail. It was late enough that I cut my training ride short, to one hour, to avoid running out of daylight and dealing with falling temperatures.

It was about 60 degrees, when I was riding, and the sun was out. So, once I got home, I was a muddy mess from riding across the melted stretches of the trail.

This is the suspension seat post I plan on using. I think it will be beneficial. I hope the neoprene cover keeps the dirt and grit out...

The 22-tooth cog and sliding dropouts...

Here are a couple of shots contrasting the training bike (Beast) and the racing bike (Racer).     26x4" tires, compared to 700x45c ... Switching to the smaller tires for the race should be a boost.

It was cold and windy, today. The bar mitts were nice, under the conditions on the trail.

Today, the temperature while I was riding hovered right around 30 degrees, about 30 degrees colder than yesterday. This is how the weather is, a lot, here in Denver. The wind was howling, and the 45 minutes I rode into it, on the way home, increased the training value of the ride. My legs are sore, and so are my arms, just as they should be after a good mountain bike ride!

I'll be commuting by bike, when possible, after I go back to work, tomorrow. If I can't, due to scheduling, I'll bust out the rollers and get some butt time in the saddle that way. The race is only 67 days away, and I have a few days out of town for work coming up in March. So, I have to get the most done, every day that I can squeeze in.

I'm also working through how to race an endurance race without going totally off of the Keto diet. I ate too many carbs when I was in Memphis, this past weekend, and it kinda made me feel crappy.  I know I'll have to up the carb intake, somewhat, but I just don't want to overdo it.

That said, I'm feeling pretty good about how the training has gone, so far. I just hope that I can keep it up, consistently.

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