Lots of Hills in DE

So I guess I can formally, or informally given that its merely stated in a blog, retract my initial opinion of Delaware. Via a couple brokers at the Merrill Lynch office I'm working in, I hooked up with Team Deep Blue for a little training ride Tuesday. Standard stuff, rolling gentlemen's start, and then after about 15 minutes the groups started to split. The weapon of choice, or more accurately the weapon I decided to bring, was not a road bike, it was a creaking, bottom bracket blown cx bike, so I happily, and still hesitantly, rolled off with the B group. We dove into the narrow winding roads of Delaware's pastoral yet high priced suburbs and came upon a Y in the road. There was a little confusion, some guys asking one another, "are you coming with us" "what's that way" "wait is Sam going with you guys," and I was suddenly drawn left into a group of only 5 while the rest of the 25 strong group went straight. I pulled up to the leader and asked where we were going, and with a cheshire grin he stated simply, "hill repeats." What followed was a twisting route circumnavigating through old stone farmhouses, wooded blind turn descents, gaudy 3 million dollar mansions on half acre lots, tunnels under railroad bridges, and gray squirrels challenging our line. Sam lead us up and down every hill in the area, with a "wait to you see this one" as the only precursor. It was a great ride, it sure beat the hell out of sitting in the local YMCA. The legs hurt a little bit, but a few pints and a half price burger with some of the guys refueled the tank. Tomorrow the two ML brokers and I are going to slide out a little early and head to Maryland so they can preride the Fair Hill course for a race this weekend.

Ride Map and Stats: Here

Its now officially 10 days to Cohutta, and counting quickly. I'm trying to ride as much as a can now, and start slacking Wednesday of next week. We'll see how that plan works....I don't know enough to formulate any real periodization into my training, I ride when I can get it, and when I'm stuck in a city sans sled, I can't ride, so I rest. The smack talk regarding bike set up has already started to fly. Folks running frankenstein amalgamations of cross and mountain bikes, tire choices, pressure options, what can I take off my bike, what do I need to bring. I'll have to start playing with all that when I get home next Monday. Then its into the Bike lab to start making my creation out of all the other parts lying around.