Friday, November 5, 2010

Future thoughts

With the return to focus comes a whole new question. What the hell am I going to do next year? I'm actually a little stumped right now, I have no idea what races to focus on. Is there something new? Something different, return to the same old thing? I'm not really sure. The easy ones, like the end of the season types like the fall 8 hour and the 50 km are easy. By that point I'm not really training and at the end of the season lack of focus has started to kick in. What do I do for the rest of the year?

Considerations have been given to focus on Ontario Cup and Canada Cup races for a change, that lasted less than the time it would take to do one of those races. Like usual I think they'll be through in the mix though as a group training vomit session with some friends. I've been considering some of the 100 miler's down in the states more an more. A change of scenery, competitor's etc. There are a few close enough to keep in the maybe column. There are a few stage races that have been in the radar now that there are solo categories. I'm started to feel overwhelmed. The options seem endless. Of course there is the Ontario 8 hour series along with the marathon series. HMMM there fun also. There was also a slight thought put out there this past weekend, Tristan has managed to bury the bad memories of the 24 hour tag team away, only happy thoughts. Could we attempt to repeat the performance? What about both 24 hours?

I've thought long and hard about a 24 hour solo, I;m pretty sure it will be out of the cards next season. Of course I said that this year. What I learned this year is that I really shouldn't just decide to do a 24 hour solo a couple weeks before the race, not great on the body or the prep. I've been doing this long enough that I should have known better. I did, I just ignored myself.

I need ideas, I need suggestions, I need recommendations. Anybody??? What have you done that would be worth doing? There are a few of those races out there that always fly under the radar, things I would at least like to do once. Lost in the rocks and trees would be one, there was an 8 hour up in the Sault which would have been fun, what about things in that country to the east of us? I have lots of time to lay out a schedule, it's just that OCD workaholic planner mentality in me that wants to be ready way to far in advanced.

For now, I'll ride my bike a little, stretch a little more and stare out the window patiently waiting for that green ground to turn white. No my skis are not ready to go, yet.

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Test of Metal!

John Bragdon said...

Hmmm Mr. hanrahan and I are thinking on the same level...this is what he sent me:

Looking for something to do next year?
The dates below are for 2010, 2011 dates have not been anounced. I would really like to do 2 or 3 of these (I did the mohican 100 this year)
Each one of these will have 12,000+ feet of climbing.
April 24 - Cohutta 100 Tennessee
June 5 - Mohican 100 Ohio
June 19 - Lumberjack 100 Michigan
July 17 - Breckenridge 100 Colorado
July 31 - Wilderness 101 Pennsylvania
August 7 - High Cascades 100 Oregon
August 21 - Fool’s Gold 100 Georgia
September 5 - Shenandoah 100 Virginia