So there was me thinking that after Master Track Nationals at the tail end of August, I could just cruise along for a couple weeks, then bookend my season with Dick Evans. Fast forward to Sept 2nd, when I receive an email from USA Cycling letting me know that I'm good to go for ELITE Track Nationals in the first week of October. There goes my end of season rest!... Well, at least it's been placed on hold for another month. Normally I'd want to end my season about now, but I had a more relaxed build into this season and don't have any feelings of burnout that I've had in past years. Game on!

I've wanted to race Elite Nationals for a while now, but the previous hurdle had been rules concerning citizenship requirements - Previously, non-citizens were restricted to racing Master Nats, and ineligible for Elite Nats. I'm not sure if it was some of my doing, but this year the rules have been re-written as I found out by accident. This has worked out perfectly because I really needed to do a 4km pursuit if I want to have any hope of qualifying for the 2010 Commonwealth Games team (Scotland). It's still a big if, but based on how things went at Master Track Nats, and knowing I have a faster pursuit in my legs than a 3:44, gives me some hope for the future. Getting on the podium at Elite Nats is more of a secondary goal... The main one is knocking out a fast enough time to quality for the 2010 CWG.

For a Scottish athlete, the CWG are the highest level of the sport (cycling) that you can represent Scotland. Beyond that would be the Olympics or World Championships where you race under the British flag. I'm no Bradley Wiggins, but I really hope I can earn my chance to represent Scotland, and do it in absolute peak fitness.

Anyway, before jumping back into the track-specific training, i've got one final Hawaii race to get out of the way. This Sunday is the Dick Evans Memorial Road Race - 112 miles of fun. OK, there's about 30 miles of neutral before the party starts, but it's pretty much the highlight race of the season for any serious cyclist living in Hawaii. In a way, it's as good as the unofficial state road race championship, and I've yet to win it. I've bagged the KoM for the past 3 years, and attempted a Jacky Durand-esque do-or-die solo breakaway 60+ miles from the finish. Each year I've clawed my way a little further east along the windward coast before getting reeled in. Maybe this will be there year that I can make that move stick... Check back on Sunday afternoon to see how the battle played out!