Final countdown to Glasgow!

Here I am 5 days before heading off to Dumfries, Scotland to compete in the 2023 world handcycling championships. I am very much looking forward to competing for Team USA, against the other best H1’s in the world, and putting in my best performances. This is the first time I have competed at any world championship event. I have shared my story previously but being suffering a spinal cord injury while on the US Cycling Team as an able-bodied individual side-lined that opportunity at that time. 2nd chances though…. Thank you Lord.

I went on a 4.5 week training build-up ending a week ago. I set all PR’s through this time. I hope It was planned well as the day before I was to end that period I was exhausted, very exhausted! I ended the period a day early and took this week mostly easy. I think the intense heat here and how it effects appetite so I eat less did not help either. It has been over 112 degrees, up to 119, here in Gilbert for almost a month. It is miserable and not a very suitable place for a quad in the summer. I sweat just a little but not enough to manage the heat. I train indoors and the AC struggles to keep the house below 80 during peak temps outside. Anyway, training in the morning indoors is best. It’ll almost half the temperature in Scotland that it is here.

Other than that I am slowly preparing an athlete injury class for the fall. I’ll start teaching the day after I return from Scotland. Hopefully jetlag will not get the best of me. My goal at world’s is to get a medal. Realistically though, I want to get place top 5. I know I can medal though and I’m looking forward to the challenge. Time flies, it is already July 31st at 12:27 am. Time for me to get to bed. If you read this send some good luck. I’ll let you know how it goes next month.