Chill mode, engage.

It's been two weeks since MFG Woodland Park and the official end of my race season. With the last VCXC race being postponed until January, I think most 'cross racers find themselves in the same boat: ready for a change of pace. For some, it means bolting on fenders and starting base training for the spring road season. Others will hit the velodrome, Zwift it up, bring out the squish bike, strap long wooden things to their feet in search of snow, or just sit around drinking eggnog and gorging on Ferrero Rocher. Hey, I'm not judging; I'm sitting here munching on a Twix bar as I type this.

This is one of my favourite times of year; almost everybody has wound things down after a hard year of pursuing whatever competitive goals they've set for themselves and have no problems exploiting this tiny window of time where they can remind themselves that chasing Q/KOMs or trying to set new power bests doesn't have to be the driving force behind their riding.

For me, this means heading out and getting lost, reconnecting with folks I don't get to ride with as often during the busy summer and fall months, looking back at the season that was, and starting to layout plans for the season ahead.