New Jersey bound

For those who don't already know or haven't picked up on it in my race schedule to the right, I am headed to Trenton, NJ this weekend to race at the USGP Mercer Cup. The USGP is one of the two major series in US cyclocross (the other being NACT) and while Verge and Cross Crusade races may get some pretty huge turnouts there's no field quite as stacked as a USGP Elite race. Thankfully, unlike our local races in Ontario the USGP has something between the Elite and Cat 4 races - the 'Killer Bs' as it is called. This is every Cat 3 plus all the Cat 2s who don't feel like lining up with the pros. Needless to say I've got my work cut out for me, but it's going to be amazing racing no less than 90-100 other guys at once.

I'm traveling to the race with Soigneur Race Services, along with a few other Ontario riders (a couple of masters and up and coming U23 powerhouse Jared Stafford). It is sure to be a great weekend of racing, recovering and watching the Pro/Elite men and women.

So what does the week before entail for me:
- almost zero riding, as I'm on the tail end of a LONG season and had a tough double weekend (the 4th in a row, in fact)
- 8 months of tension in my hamstrings and hip flexors relieved in 30 minutes by my RMT (awesome!)
- clean up the bike and wheels a little better than usual
- new bar tape!
- trying not to get sick, though it has been tough this year and I feel like I need all the sleep and vitamins I can get right now

I believe the hotel has free wi-fi and I should have lots of time so I intend to do updates Friday/Saturday evenings and then Sunday or Monday evening I'll get my Sunday recap up.