June 6, 2010

So it was pouring rain all night, in fact also this morning..I already had some concerns about the slippery roots on one part of the course after preriding on Friday well before any rain, and now I knew it was sure to be  slippery...but I didn't quite expect the mudfest... it was only a part of the course but just enough to dash all the confidence I had since it was unridable.

The spill before the last race has taken a toll on me and made me worried about falling again. It happens to us all and one has to get back on the horse and all, but that real easy, comfy confidence that comes with miles is just that; earned, and not instant just because you want it. I'd by whining if I said my shoulder hurts...it's really just at night and first thing in the morning....ahhhh, but maybe that disturbed sleep is enough to hold back the success I'm looking for, or certainly play a part. There are so many factors at play, it is a charmed day when they are all ON simultaneously.

In addition, hydration and nutrition are vital to making one feel great in the saddle...it's a bizarre thing that happens a few days before a race...I carry around water with me knowing I need to drink more and yet I can't seem to do it adequately...I've tried cold, I've tried room temperature and I've tried hot, of course that is pressed through some ground espresso beans...I've been drinking plenty of water in that way for years , surely there can't be any significant diuretic effect of caffeine on my kidneys anymore!, it's the chore of taking in extra than I usually do that is difficult. I can say with certainty the events that I complete when I am well hydrated are definitely more successful events. With respect to nutrition ,extra carbohydrates in the days leading up to the event help to keep one's glycogen stores full but the night before is the time for moderation and safe foods. The later start times for events allow for some level of dietary indiscretion the night before but if you have an early morning event you better not wake up with a full stomach from last night's pasta feast, or in my case Chinese takeout, ( I know, don't even say it).

So if I could dial in my hydration and nutrition and sleep I'd just have to worry about my bike...today I definitely was ruminating all the way up to the race that I may have the wrong tires for the conditions, given it poured most of the drive, what should my tire pressure be to maximize the effectiveness of the tires I did have on my bike? When walking in to register I was scopeing out all the bikes, how many had mud tires on versus all terrain tires like mine...then when I did get on my bike, adjust my pressure, ride around a little bit, I ran into a friend who says, 'great!, you have the right tires for the conditions'...that was just enough to boost that confidence a bit, thank you Rob...of course, that is until I came to the first mud pit full of riders dismounting. Even trying to run in the stuff was a challenge.The other parts of the course were just fine with respect to the condition of the trail, but the damage had been done; my fast sweeping  cornering and pedaling was back to approach a corner, brake, pedal like crazy to catch back speed....definitely not very efficient and evidently not fast enough to catch up to the pack.

Oh, to be able to get it all right... of course that is the attraction to keep trying isn't it...?

Ride On!

Melinda