I woke up this morning around 8:30 AM with a minor headache. I didn’t get to bed until almost midnight, and the headache was probably from the wine and couple of beers I shared with Will, Hendy, his fiancee, Miss Katie Mactier, and Erica, the girlfriend of one of our mechanics.  Here is the thing, it’s less than a week before Paris Roubaix, and ever since I crashed in Flanders, I have been cracked. Burnt out on the whole put on the shorts and go out training/racing thing. I can hide it well, and the World Track Championships certainly didn’t help matters as it rained every freaking day, so I rode the trainer every freaking day. Nonetheless it pin pointed at Flanders. I’m was not riding badly, but I was getting little sleep, and stressing about that along with how I needed to ride well, keep my weight low, taxes blah blah blah right. This happens to everyone and individually we all handle it differently. For me it’s getting back to base. Here I was, having been on the road for roughly 2.5 weeks. In those 2.5 weeks here is what I did…after a hard two weeks leading up to the upcoming races. Thursday before Milan: Travel to Italy Saturday: Milan San RemoSunday: Travel to England/Ride the trackMon-Sun: Track riding/Track WorldsMon: Travel to BelgiumTues-Thurs: 3 days de PanneSun: Tour of Flanders  Anyways, I woke up and this thought of how I began riding again in the spring of 2004 after I had quit it 2001 to attend PSU and whatnot. What occurred to me was this: I raced a few Pro 1/2 races in Florida that spring and remember getting my ass handed to me. I got dropped, and dropped out of the race on the back stretch in one of the criteriums. The point is, 4 years later I’m racing the Spring Classics. I thought about what I had done in the past month and a half and knew why I was feeling this way. It was literally at this moment I felt relief. It just fell of my shoulders and I could breath.Went out behind the motor and hit with Allen Lim, and had a great day on the bike. My heart rate was back, my power, my legs, my head everything felt better. A few weeks ago, I was struggling like a stuffed pig at 164 bpm, my max is 185ish, and today it was back.   The point of this post is this:For those of you out there reading my randomness, it’s a series of progressions. Very few people will come through the ranks and just “get” it, it does happen, but not often. For the majority its a learning curve, and when I tackled Het Volk, Kurne, Milan, Flanders etc, I learned for the next time I do those races. Just like I learned when I was dropped in that Crit now five seasons ago. We all have to keep things in perspective and move forward, and we will get there. It comes and goes like a wave. Just learn to ride the wave with good form, adequate rest, training, diets etc and it comes. Alright, running to the market for some food. Roasting some lamb with my roomie Will and having a couple of guests over for some dinner. Roubaix is on Sunday, and I’m feeling ready to take it on. DON’T MISS IT BRAD HUFF: Miss ya buddy, miss ya big time.