countdown to corner brook, pt 2

it's taper time! now that the race is less than 10 days away, the only things that will make me stronger for the 29th are rest and short, sharpening stuff.

yesterday i shoehorned in my last hard workout before corner brook: 24mi ride with 30min of tempo followed by a 30min trail run. bike felt great; run was so-so -- my rhythm's coming back slowly but i haven't fully opened up my stride because when i start to, my lateral hammie and sciatic nerve begin to quibble and i back down.

hash worked on me for 2 hours tues and wed; today he's flying to LA to meet maria sharapova, his client for the next 6 weeks.

-- what're the biggest differences between working with the men's soccer team and a tennis player? i asked him, trying to take my mind off his fingers in my hamstring.
-- i'm not sure right now... but for one thing i didn't have to contend with the guys' parents.

apparently maria's dad is very territorial.

tonight i pack up my bike -- well, rik packs my bike -- to ship it to the hinterland, where it will hopefully arrive intact. what can Brown do for me? treat my machine gently.

poor floyd. he picked a bad day to feel crappy.