So I am sitting here reflecting on a mountain season past, reflecting on my efforts of this year, & reviewing my results. Mudslinger....20min faster, same bike & gear ratio. Chain Breaker....again faster, same ratio. Ashland, 8min behind my target time, 2x1 ratio. TOE....The race I trained all year for, great first lap, on target for my target time of sub 6hrs.....lost all feeling in my legs, finished 20min slower this year. 50 miles & 8000ft of climbing I was fried.

So here I sit reviewing all thing and noticing The you tube mike put up after Adam Craig & Barry Wicks finished. Adam set a new course record this year rocking the SS. "35x16 is what works on this bike" I hear him say? Your kidding 35 FREAKING 16? Looks like I have more training to do. A great racer & fellow blogger Crash Test Mommy shows up & does the Wed night ride this week while she was in town. She recently upgraded to a Single Speed 29er & is going to be layin' down some tracks in CO next week. As we finish the ride, We reflect on some of our adventures, Like sitting up an Midnight in 40deg weather, rain coming down & flooding tents, & muddying up the already torn up trails trying to talk each other in to racing the next morning.

Which leads me to now, If one is to ever succed in life, cycling, weight loss, work, whatever deamons you want to conquor. It can never be acheived without PAIN & SUFFERING........So try pushing that 1 gear harder, Don't shift on that climb, get out of the saddle & hammer over the top of the hill you always just coasted.