NUE SERIES UPDATE JUNE 08

First of all, I want to thank each of you for your support again this season! I am happy to say that it has the best ever for me and without out some support I am sure it wouldn’t be happening this way.

I just got home from race three of the NUE 100 mile MTB series, the Lumberjack 100 in Michigan. Unfortunately I just missed victory–again! This time I finished 2nd overall just a minute behind the winner Jeff Shalk (Trek/VW). After an unnecessary early flat, I was able to re-join the leaders and did my best to put the pressure on. However, the frantic chase and a little residual training fatigue caught up to me with less than five miles to to. Jeff was hammering up each small climb (it was Michigan) and my legs finally just couldn’t answer the call. Anyway, I am happy with the result minus the bad luck and I am looking forward to even bigger races in July.

Unfortunately it looks like I will have to settle for 2nd overall in the NUE series. With only two races remaining (for me). It is mathmatically impossible for me to overtake the lead. Not bad, but I want you all to know I was there to win for you!

Speaking of training, I decided to do one more ‘block’ directly following the NUE race in Ohio. 10 days and 50+ hours later I took a few days off before the race. Maybe not a enough, but I think it was almost just right. Now I am in a long taper leading up to the National Marathon Championships in Breckenridge on July 4th. A race I would most dearly love to win!

In the meantime, I travel to eastern Oregon tomorrow to race the Elkhorn Classic road stage race. This should help me start finding my legs before our Oregon State Championship MTB race the following weekend.

Here is a link to a report on the NUE series event in Michigan:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/mtb.php?id=mtb/2008/jun08/lumberjack100_08

I have also attached a couple pics. My apologies for not having more, but my feeder, mechanic, manager, photographer (wife) can only do so much!

Thanks again,
Evan Plews