The Birke hangover is almost over.

Like last year after the birke I turned into a puddle of goo. legs have had no snap to them at all and tired, sore and sore. But this week things are starting to feel better. Rode yesterday short ride 25 miles but hilly and windy.  defiantly not a stellar day on the bike I got pretty much spanked but the two guys I was with.   the real news is the recovery. My legs feel better today than they have in three weeks. I think the base riding I've been trying to do is starting to sink in and my legs are starting to acclimatize to the bike. Skiing if so radically different from cycling from a muscularity point of view that it takes my legs some time to adapt to the high specificity of cycling.

So that's a really long winded way of saying I'm feeling a bit better and am pretty jazzed about it.

laying low

I've been off the bike and weights for the last 4 days. I was having really really sore legs and very sore knees. Every trainer I've talked with or worked with has always been very cautious about knees. So when mine really started to bark I laid off everything. Today is the first day I have felt significantly better.

I am leave to go out of town for a week and am wondering if I should try to ride today. I think I'd have to go really easy but it might be nice to get some air.

I always struggle when I have to take a break or when I'm on taper. I've become so accustom to having physical activity when I don't I start to get really irritable and fidgety. Oddly I tend to get sick when I lay off too.. odd. I don't tend to get really sick but a light cold is a common side effect of taking it easy for a while.

I'll be heading south next week and am taking the bike and will be riding in a warmer climate. Hope my knees and legs are feeling better to take advantage of the opportunity.

The bike is back

Yesterday was my first day on the bike. I went out for a really short ride and took it pretty easy. The good news is the legs weren't totally dead feeling and more importantly it was really really nice to be on the bike. This is one of the best aspects of having a two sport year. Just about the time your bored with one sport the season is over and the next feel fresh and exciting.

I took out the mountain bike as the roads here are still really messy. Icy spots, tons of sand, debris, and wet. So the mountain bike is defiantly the bike of choice in the early spring. once the roads clear up I'll get out the road bike. The weather is to be consistently in the mid to upper 40's and on and off rain for the next 10 days. That should melt the remainder of the snow and wash the roads a bit. we have a really deep and high water volume snow pack. It will takes a lot of heat to melt all that mass. but once the cooling effect of the melting snow is gone then the temps can really go up.

Spring isn't here yet but you and tell it's knocking at the door.

Activity Details for The American Birkebeiner 2010

Here is the garmin data from the birke.

Garmin Connect -
Activity Details for The American Birkebeiner 2010

birke video

Here is a helicopter view of the birke that got posted today. It offers an additional viewpoint.

here is a helmet cam one for an in race viewpoint.

Birkie 2010 Lead Women at 15k from Scott Brown on Vimeo.

ok more vids

Birkie Freestyle Lead Pack Coming up OO Hill from Scott Brown on Vimeo.