June tour plans, updates, dairyland dare vs. salsa 2-4 at afton?

June "touring" trip

Plans have changed and solified further for this trip. I intend to rest, and well, after Dirty Kanza then race either the Woolly Mammoth on Saturday the 11th or Wausau on the 12th prior to heading up to Copper Harbor via Ironwood. I think I'll be able to make Copper Harbor by late Wednesday or early Thursday with no undue trouble, spend a day or two there and be back in Houghton for the Chain Drive on the 18th. That will leave me four days to collect myself and head home, which also sounds like a reasonable timeline. I'm not going to worry about making it all the way back here either- rather will focus on riding somewhere cool for those four days and, if necessary, getting a ride home across the relatively boring farmland that is the last 150 or 200 miles. If taking a ride home from Eau Claire gives me another day of good riding up north I see no reason not to take it.

This is a slightly shortened itinerary from my original plan. The changes are driven by my general lack of paid time off (and some things in the back of my mind that I hope to use it for) and my paranoia? about getting ready for my next set of goal type races. I know it will take time still, but I'm itching to get "fast" in XC. I felt my endurance schedule in the spring of last year somewhat prevented success in XC until late August. This year with more of an emaphasis on shorter rides and a couple of shorter races sprinkled in early I hope to avoid that. I think shortening this trip a bit fits with that plan. The Eau Claire WORS race in early July should be a good reference point barring other issues.

My 2nd option for this... Forget any of the riding in the "south" stuff. Race the Woolly, drive to Duluth or Ironwood and do the rest of the ride from there...


Again- if you'll be anywhere in that area from the 11th-22nd and want to hook up and ride... let me know! I'm just looking to hang out on my bike, camp and have fun.



In other news

We are finally making progress on our house. Walls painted, new flooring installed today. Couple more areas to be painted and then we are almost down to just the easy stuff (carpet, some new furniture, staining the deck).

I have decided not to keep my cx bike and road bike both built up all year. From now on I will have one set of high-end parts for both and will have the road bike built up March-late September, cx bike the rest of the time. I will ride my Trek commuter for gravel training in the summer and my classy Giant for road rides in the fall.

I picked up a open pro/powertap pro wheel that will find it's way onto my road bike after Dirty Kanza. I am not sure yet how I will use it (can't see myself planning too many intense workouts), but I think it will be of value.

I'm thinking about riding the 8 hour race at Afton this year. I can't take time off in order to travel to the Ore to Shore. It's between Afton and the Dairyland Dare at this point. Either one would be fun.


Hope you are having a good week