On Thursday the CXC team continued the week long intensity focus with another time trial.  This time it was a running/bounding time trial on the Birkie trail.  I think everyone improved on their previous times and I had another good effort and was able to set another PR.  The men’s team stayed together for a long time which was a lot of fun… hopefully this style continues into winter racing.  About 2/3′s of the way through the effort I almost fell off the pace as I was having some stomach problems from the scone I ate about 15mins before the TT started… maybe not the best idea.

Most of the guys team hanging together… I’m in the back feeling the scone.

At the finish line… me passed out, Kuz finishing, Andre chasing hard, Audrey and Jojo heading out for a cool down and Bryan Cook timing… Bryan has been taking it easy this week because he is recovering from a cold.

Some of the guys recovering after the tough effort.  I had to check the HR monitor to make sure my heart rate went as high as I felt it did during the TT.  Max of 181bpm.

Grant came out to watch and cheer on his Daddy!

I am in Hayward, Wi at an intensity training camp with the CXC team and my family is with me as well.  The week has gone very well so far and I am feeling better from an allergy stand-point.  Tuesday morning the team did our proverbial 5k skate time trail from the town of Seeley east along county road OO to the Birkie trail crossing.  The course is mostly rolling uphills and the TT went well for me as I PRed by 5sec.  The conditions were tough because it was so hot and humid.  Later that afternoon some storms rolled through and dropped the temps turning summery conditions into full blown fall temps… this morning at the cabin it was in the high 30′s.  Grant is very happy with the cooler temps!

On Sunday Mike, Sherri and Ben brought Marybeth, Grant and I along to the Minnesota State Fair.  It was a very fun event with lots of good food that is not good for you. We got to the fair early to avoid the crowds and the heat.  One of the first items on Marybeth’s agenda was to get Marjorie Johnson’s cook book and signature.

I am not a fan of geese but I can try to change…

Grant was very good at the fair but later that evening he was trying to play with Dad’s ski awards… he was especially interested in my Birkie mug.  Mike was nice enough to carry him around while I made a run to the Martha’s Cookies booth… my favorite fair food is still those cookies.

Right now I am in Hayward for the September CXC training camp.  Marybeth and Grant came along which is great because I usually don’t get to have my family at a training camp.  Before I left Marybeth’s Dad gave me some great reading material…

“Chuck Norris once donated ten liters of his own blood.  After that he won the Tour de France on a pogo stick.”