I must be getting my game face on. It's the first time in weeks I've been able to say no to the red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting in the company cafeteria. I'm tapering, afterall.

It's just more than a week until the team's first expedition race of the year -- the Michigan Coast to Coast. Lots of planning goes into getting ready for a four day adventure race. Bikes have to be tuned up, climbing gear has to be inspected, race menus are prepared, plane tickets bought, worn out gear will be replaced, and it's time to wash the stinky race/training clothes that usually are left to ferment in a ripe pile way too long after being worn. Well, maybe that's just in my case. But, I bet I'm not alone. And my teammates and I are starting to spam each other with emailed gear lists, questions, etc. to make sure no detail has been forgotten. I once heard someone say the hardest part of an adventure race is getting to the start line. I'd have to agree in some cases.

I'm really looking forward to finishing all the prep work and getting to Frankfort, MI. There I'll join my mates for the race: Jon Barker, Michele Hobson and Scott Pleban. Scott and Michele are fresh off a win for Team Checkpoint Zero at the Mountain Sports Festival in Asheville, N.C., the weekend of May 7. It'll be my first race with Scott and I'm just hoping he likes (and hopefully has memorized) John Denver's folk classics. I hate singing alone during a race. I wonder what other strategies/crutches teams use to keep focused and beat away the sleep monsters? I'm sure my teammates wish I could come up with something besides stretching my vocal cords.

And this will be our first race with our brand new Axis Gear Checkpoint Zero jerseys. They're so pretty, it's almost a shame we'll have to get them dirty. Thanks Yak!

- Paul Cox, team motivator & crooner