The 2014 USA Cycling XC Mounain Bike Nationals are going back to Bear Creek Resort in Mucungie, PA on July 17-20th. This will be the second year the race will be taking place at this locations. Going into the 2014 season I told myself that if the national race was in PA again for 2014 I would attempt to qualify and go race. This year is the last year I am able to ride the U23 age group and I know if I want to get my name out there going to Nationals is a great opportunity. Once I found out that the race was going to be going back to PA for 2014 I started getting everything around to start planning my season. I had help from friends that gave me information on how to qualify. As stated in my previous blog http://jonstuder.blogspot.com/2014/05/lake-island-induction-may-10-2014.html, I qualified fairly easy.
The past few months I have been doing races that I know would help me get in shape fast and be ready for this big race. Hanson Hills 100 was the exception. That race was just something I've been wanting to do for a few year's now. Starting off the season strong at Mud Sweat and Beers and the Lake Island Induction was a great confidence booster after a disappointing off season. The week leading up to Hanson Hills 100 I started getting really tired and the weeks to follow that long race I was sleeping a lot and just not riding as well as I would have hoped. Of course I didn't realize this till a week or so after the Chain Drive Fest. After my roommate pointed out to me how much I as actually sleeping during the day and after a rough hill workout a few weeks ago I got the feeling something was wrong. I first thought that I was having an anemic problem so I went in and got a blood test. I got tested for mono and that came back negative so they took some blood to test. A few days later I was called about the results. The test came back saying I have the Epstein-Bar virus. At this time nationals was only a month away. Of course the doctors didn't give me much instruction on how to deal with this besides to sleep and hydrate. They told me to get some pills called "Under the Weather". I also got on a supplement diet of Multivitamin, fish oil and iron supplements. Thankfully I have very helpful friends who have been through this. So after a handful of tips and trick to beat this virus and be able to power through nationals I got a good idea on what I need to be doing.
So going into this race that is next week I have a good idea on how I can perform. I'm working on getting in the mindset and making sure I'm rested up and ready to perform. I took a week off the bike because of the crazy week of work I had last week and just to give myself a break to get recharged and re motivated. I am also getting both mountain bikes ready to go. Both bikes have fresh Schwalbe tires on them and all set up with Stans No Tube system. Both bike have fresh or fairly fresh matching ESI grips. I got back on the bike this past Sunday and Monday to test out the tires on each bike to make sure the glue would stick and I had no leaks in the rims. I know the level of competition that I will be facing at this race and I'm excited to race against these types of riders to see how I will do. Having this virus is not ideal and I wish I was healthy but there is not much I can do at this point. So my expectations for this is to go out and ride like I know how to and just have fun with this experience. My goal for this race back in February was to go out and get my name out into the mountain bike world. I know the training I have has up to this point is fairly solid so the goal is to go race hard and have no regrets. From what friends have told me about this course it is rough and rocky so to come out safe.
Here is a preview of the course
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQCMxr6-z-0
Thank You to all my sponsors and the people that have helped me get to this point
Breakaway Bicycles of Muskegon
Mom and Dad
Hammer Nutrition
Schwalbe Tires
Spy Optics
Eric Statt (LSSU Exercises Science Professor)
Cody and Wes Sovis
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