The past several weeks of training have been GREAT! I have been fortunate enough to have a very understanding wife who is willing to allow me to escape for hours at a time even though she is pregnant. I the past 3 weeks have been 14+ hour weeks and this week is going to be 12-13 hours. Sunday, Monday and Tuesday are going to be completely off the bike and recovering and then I will hit it hard again. My climbing is coming along very nicely and on yesterday’s 3:30 ride I would say I had a breakthrough. At the end of the ride my legs were very snappy and that is after 4 hours in the saddle on Wednesday. I felt like I was climbing very well even in the third hour and opted for a hillier route than what I originally planned. I would guesstimate that I did over 6,000ft of climbing in 3:30 and today the legs feel a bit tired but nothing that isn’t manageable. Today I am off the bike and tomorrow I am shooting for 5 hours…two hours in the early morning and then three hours on the mountain bike leading a group ride. It should be a great day and i’m looking forward to it! The rain has been coming and going and I have been rained and hailed on but you have to get used to it and ride in what you will race in so HTFU and get out in the inclement weather.