After 2 great mountain bike rides and nearly 8 hours of race pace mountain bike action with Jeff Shalk my legs are getting that good tired feeling. Camp Clemson is well under way.

The signature route that Ian (our long time host) put together was our challenge yesterday, we started out with the aim to do some race tempo riding. The trails are technical with tight twists and turns like if and dwarf ranger builds them for the purpose of disorienting unsuspecting riders. The trails have every imaginable turn and type of steep punchy climb. Sprinkled in are some longer climbs of 300ft or so.

Anyhow Jeff and I slipped and slid in the leave chasing each other like squirrels in the hardwood an deuce pine forest. Pushing the pace hard, in fact we where closed to the course record that my friend and team mate Chris Eatough layed down several years ago!

Coming into the last 2 big climbs we had around 9 mins to finish the lap to be on the record pace. We nearly sprinted up the last big single track climb to be just over the 2.5 hr mark. We never set out to break the record but chasing carrots is the making of all good training. Afterward we met up with Ian, Scott, Kirstin, Jeff, Anna and Lee for the tradition of Tuesday Pizza Buffet at Columbos. Ah.. the chocolate chip desert pizza is the best!

Today we have an easier 3hr road ride planned, I think with 60 mph wind gusts it might become our easy mid weekday. Tomorrow Its up to the big mountains for the big 6hr Caesars’ head loop. I wonder what Hincapie’s record is up that bad boy?

Later; Jeremiah Bishop

Cannondale Factory Racing.