Pre Race Jitters
So I’m sitting here the morning before the Nationals Road Race 18laps of 10km with 350 feet of decent climbing every lap. I have 2h until I have to leave for the race (4h to race start) and I’m done everything, eating breakfast 30min too early, and just a quivering ball of nerves. I can’t remember the last time I was this nervous, because normally I race so many times a year 70-90 that when the big races roll around it’s just another event.
What gives? Well despite the hill being a little too long/steep for my liking, it’s not bad, I just need to get in an early break so that I can climb at my own speed, and save the fast climbing for the final laps. I do have good fitness so if I’m at the head of the group towards the end things should end up well.
….That was before the race. Once we hit the climb, I found that someone had removed the blood and muscle from my legs and replaced it with sawdust (see Paris Hilton’s brain).
So my race was a very glamorous one.
Once it was apparent that I wasn’t coming back onto the group, I flipped a U and headed downhill to the feedzone.
In frustration I just felt like kicking something, something big and soft, like a giant pillow, so as not to hurt my foot. I am ashamed to say however that a friend trying to help me out got the chance to be on the receiving end of the ensuing verbal kick
Props to Melissa for bussing down her crew of Katemivik (sp?) girls (2 h drives) with provincial flags & noise makers to watch the race. I bailed on going to the wildlife park, and went home for a shower, nap, walk the dog, and to read about the finish on-line.
Some days you’re the dog, some the hydrant. But it’s never good when you’re planning on a dog day, and end up on the other end.
Stupid things that I have done recently (not a complete list)
Note: ‘Today’ is actually last Thursday, so pro rate everything accordingly.
Today: Stuck my finger in the bug zapper. Yeah those electric things that light up and kill bugs dumb enough to fly into them. It’s actually kind of hard to get a finger past the ‘guard wire’ but I managed.
Result: My whole body gave a pretty good ‘twitch’ and there was a funny smell in the air afterwards. It hurt for around 20 minutes
Yesterday: Since my bike didn’t make the flight here, I took Aussie, (the Aussie collie dog) for a walk up the ‘bluff’. In ontario it would be a mountain. It took me 18min to get up and I decided to take the ‘direct’ route down. 30min descent. Somehow the path was too steep for the 3 year old collie, and I had to help the guy. Lets just say that I was impressed at how dumb I was.
The night before last: Started packing for a 3 week road trip at 11pm. The first thing I did was actually cutting my hair, then packing bikes, lastly clothing (2 shorts, 1 pant, 3 shirts, and 3 sets of cycling kit). And I was only leaving for the airport at 5am.
Last Friday: Rode my bike into a sandy corner at 50km/h during the Chin Crit. After a quick bounce, I was sliding on my butt into the stacks of tires, superbike style.
Result: dented frame, blood on my flight deck, and 10 distinct patches of Road Rash
Lesson Learned: None. Since it’s Never driver error, I changed the tires on the Cannondale.
Last Tuesday: I was showing Michael and Amy how fast I could climb/ jump over chain link fence (single bound). Picture a chase scene from an action movie
Result: 2 inch cut on my left knee
Here’s some autopilot Criterium action:
