I have chosen training over blogg inlägg lately and I think this has been a wise choice. My legs feel great and there is some kind of strength developing despite my 'max 3 hour' training philosophy. So here is a quick summary of my last 3 quality passes:

Saturday
This was a 29km of the high intensity sort with my usual Allum - Furulund - Kåsjön - Öjersjö - Delsjön with extra singletrack added in when appropriate. Heading back from Skatås ended a little strange though since I decided to take Bohusleden which somehow went directly over the top of what must be the highest freakin mountain in the whole area. The view was great but carrying my MTB up and down (far too rocky) this hill was slightly annoying. But, like most terrain around here it is impossible to ride all the way. So then I ended up at a local psycho running trail which is a blast on the bike and is good training for handling quick turns in grus. And then to round off the trip I took my premiere tour on the short trail over to Puketorp which is still perfection...  

Sunday
Despite considerable stiffness I took what ended up to be an even more intense 43km. I went over to Jonsered and up into Bokedalens naturreservat which has the potential for perfection even though cycling seems to be discouraged. Anyone who has looked at a map of these parts will see some strange road that goes back and forth north of Aspen in Lerum so the plan was just to find my way to that. After many missed turns, each with an accompanying massive hill, I found my way there. When they call that a road they are really stretching the definition a bit. At best it is a logging track covered in massive stones and each time it goes back and forth it climbs over a seriously nasty hill. Then it turns and repeats twice more. My legs were burning on the way up and I was terrified flying down. Don't need to go to Ludvika or Oslo to practice nasty downhills now. When I finally got to the bottom and could relax along the water at Aspen while watching rock climbers scale the cliff I just rode up on the bike I noticed how still the wind was. Inspiration time...ride over to Riddarsten and along the road over to Olofstorp to take a massive top speed hardest gear tempo ride all the way to the golf course. Vilken fart! ;) So naturally when I turned up the hill at Angereds kyrka and along Lexbydalsvägen it was time to say 'hallå' to Mr. Wall. I slowed for two minutes and was fine again and continued home.  

Tuesday
I was still stiff from the weekend so this was actually a calm ride. Well, sort of. I started with the Puketorp trail and a lap of the running track which is honestly hilly enough to be training alone. But my bike was filthy so I needed to visit Skatås for the water hose. I remembered a trail that connects over to Delsjön and, as usual, it started with a useless rock hill and lots of walking due to wooden planks and crap. My 2.2 tires fall through so some of these trails feel like a cross pass. But it got much better and there were some really fun parts which will make me return for more. And I could also celebrate my first proper vurpa of the year. I fell to the right (as always) but this time my calf muscle hit first and not my shoulder. You see, it is just so massive that it hits the ground first now. :D Anyway, after a serious clean the bike is spotless and shining in white.

All ready for Dalslands XC...