This morning I went up to school to do some 'cross laps. Right from the start, the ride was nicer because it was a little cooler. Cyclocross in the heat sucks bad eggs. I'd hate to do it in a warmer climate. I did a pyramid of sorts with three hard laps to start followed with a cool lap, then two hard laps and one cool, and naturally ending with one hard and one cool down. Nine laps in total for about an hour of pretty hard riding. Hard enough that on the 5th lap I urfed a tiny bit of breakfast. Blech!

If you drive by the school, you would think it would be easy riding. It looks innocent enough with lots of flat ground but dang it hurts. Because of my cyclocross layout genius (rolls eyes), there are a good number short little uphill bursts that sap your strength and wear you down.

Ultimately, I feel a little better today than yesterday. Much of my frustration was with not being able to ride where or how I wanted. I'm still not entirely happy with my fitness but I will be patient.

Viewpoint: Toughest road race... Rolla Hellbender

This was a first time race and it was a good. When you looked at the course profile, two good climbs stood out. The first of which began pretty much from the start and the second about mid-lap. The rest of the profile looked not so bad. The first hill is longish, followed by a bunch of rollers. The second hill is not quite as long but quite a bit steeper. By the top you are grunting. Then you face another set of small rollers that take the snap out of your legs. Not until the last part of the lap are you blessed with long, fast screaming downhill.

How tough was the race? The race was two laps. Half the field had quit by the end of the first lap. The heat played a role in the destruction, too. The day was one of first hot days of the year. I crossed the line a shattered man, hardly able to stand up after rolling back into town.