From Hawaii to Hypothermia and back

Saturday morning Farmers Market followed by a 2.5 hour jam session on the bike.  Saturday 2:30 PM driving 2.5 hours to Stevens Point to the WORS banquet.  Back home at 1am.  Up at 7am and driving again to Sun Prairie for a Cyclocross clinic and a race.  Back home 12 hours later.  Funny how that is my relaxing weekend at home.  Racing, not sleeping enough and in the car 9+ hours.

I guess the previous 2 months were pretty chaotic if that seems like a chill relaxing at home weekend.  I'm not complaining though...I was having a blast!  The day after Gloucester I was flying home and the next morning I was up at 4am driving back to the MKE airport and headed towards Hawaii!  A nice break after the first 1/3 of the crosss season.

I hadn't seen my brother in 3+ years and he lives in Waikiki.  After some serious airplane time we arrived at went to the sweetest hole in the wall cabana style restaurant.  I had to go for some sushi right away and it didn't dissapoint.  For the next 4 days Andrea and I hung out with my parents and my brother and his wife hitting up lots of good restaurants, hiking, snorkeling, kayaking and for some real excitement we even got to interact with the Hawaii 5.0.


My parents left on Saturday and then Andrea and I went to the North Shore to explore a different part of the island for another 2 days.  Another hike, some shrimp trucks, a guided mtb tour(4 miles in 4 hours...ouch) and some surf spectating.  It all went pretty fast though and before I knew it we were on our way back home.

2 days later I had to make the mental switch from beach bum to USGP pro CX racer.  If you saw the results  you know I didn't make the switch.  I did everything possible to try to be prepared, but there is no way that after 8 days off the bike and a red-eye home from Hawaii that you can be ready to race a USGP.  I struggled bad on the first day.  The second day felt pretty similar until I had 2 laps under my belt.  Then I started going again.

The break hurt me for Ft. Collins, but I think it will be a good things in the last part of the season.  I came home from CO with motivation.  The weather in Sheboygan was crap.  I rode 3.5 hours Wed and then another 3.5 Thursday in 45 degrees and rain, my hands froze, my feet hurt and I knew I wasn't in Hawaii anymore.

Yesterday's race was pretty darn nice.  A perfect fall day and my first CX victory of the year.  My legs are coming back around and after another 10 days at home I should be ready for the next big push.