New Zealand Summer

This year I decided to spend a month in the Southern Hemisphere to get a break from the worst part of winter and jump start my off season training. I am currently in Christchurch, New Zealand staying with my teammate and great friend Justin Leov and his wife Tory. It felt so good to hop off the plain and get the full feeling of summertime. Having beautiful warm weather and longer daylight hours allows me to easily get in all my training rides and really enjoy being out there on the trail, something that's a little harder to do in the dead of winter at home. The NZ National series had a stop here in Canterbury and I got a chance to race against some talented kiwi riders. I ended up finishing 2nd behind Sam Blenkinsop and ahead of Cam Cole, both top 10 riders on the World Cup. It felt great to do a race after such a long brake from it. The track was awesome, one of the best I've ridden and I just felt really fit and comfortable on my bike. That's a great feeling to have this early in the year and gives me confidence that my training is on the right path. Now I can put my head down and keep working hard up until the season starts, still 4 months away. I am really excited to be here the rest of the month, train hard, and enjoy the summertime!