Usually I put together a pretty detailed race report but this one just might lack that detail. Why? I didn't have the legs on Sunday to make my bike go which can cause a lack of excitement in a race.
I didn't have much energy all week. The prior week I put in a hard week of training and group riding. I've also been keeping my hours up to continue to work on my endurance. All of this must of really pushed me to the edge because rolling into Monday I was down and out. I hadn't went over yet but I was close. I continued on with the training but my coach and I changed some things up to catch up on rest. I just attributed the fatigue to an awesome block getting close to the end. As the week rolled along the rest never caught up with my body and as Saturday approached I was feeling a bit better but after the pre-ride things were not clicking. I did complete my warm-up not feeling all that bad so I had a bit of optimism on the start line.
The start wasn't too bad for me but I played it safe and sat about 5-8 deep taking the draft in the 2 mile lead out. I knew where I wanted to make position and I went for it and no sooner did I stand I sat back down. I instantly knew the legs didn't have what it took to be where I wanted to be. A racer can tell pretty darn quick, usually within the first 5 minutes, of what kind of legs they're going to have that day. Mine were telling me, "no." The first lap mission was to maintain a pace I could sustain and stay calm. I did this for 2 laps and I hurt the whole time. I just couldn't find an ounce of energy to go. The start of the 3rd lap my brother handed me an ice cold water and I dumped it over my head. Not soon after that I found a second wind and at least now could salvage the time I had lost. I'm not sure if it was the water that cooled my core temp or just the legs kicking in but I was happy to at least be able to move. To make up for a lost time and to work out the frustration I built up I went on the attack for the last 2 laps. With every opportunity I went hard out of the single track and even harder up hill. I was able to leave a couple riders on the 3rd lap and bridge up to 2 more. I then attacked hard enough to bring that down to 2 of us. On the 4th lap a group of guys came back to us and I wanted nothing to do with it so I sat in before the Ho Che Min climb and from 4th position attacked. I was able to gap the group a bit making them work hard behind me. 2 were able to bridge up and I never stopped attacking after that. I guess I had to prove to myself I could still ride. I finished 2nd in the 3 man sprint for 11th place overall.
11th place, it is just out side of my season goals but the good thing is I was able to have a good placing after not having the legs. I've learned that all races have days like these and it's not about how many you have but what you can do with them when you have them. I'm learning to accept the day as it is and make the best race out of it.
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