A long, long night's sleep, horizontal, without a massive meal and mucho vino left me able to get up before my alarm clock, cram everything into the big bag, and mobilize for Nanaimo.
It's rainy here, but the ferry took to overcast skies which parted for sun. Great day of singletrack, 4.5 hours or so for me.
If you asked me to describe the course, not sure how well I'd describe it... Paved start like before, singletrack to no end, one long gravel road, and a descent at the end. That's weak, but that's how I felt and thought.
I ended up starting in group A, which made sense to not get piled up at the back. Made the rounds and introduced myself as the Kate Ardaal/Alana Heiss fan club and the Jeff Nielson/Mical Dyck fan club respectively to each of them. It's funny, when you don't race there's people you never see. I figured I could hang at the back of that group long enough to not stay in traffic, it's funny looking up at the peloton from a different spot than Jon/Craig/Devin/Mckee would have us. Did a lot of chatting, made a lot of friends, saw old ones. Katie from Bow had a super powerful day. Saw Chantel who rode with Tori I think at some point in history. Rode with Rick Metzger and Craig Marshall a bit, great to see them, as well as Shawn Taylor and Dave Crewe and Tom Ebbern. One big happy family.
Racing 4.5 hours with no base is predictable. I rode "efficiently" as much as I could on anything downhill (just got new brake pads, don't want to wear them out), and spun the rest. Started cramping 2.5 hours in, belly doesn't know what to do after a week of three course meals and wasn't absorbing, so what was going in wasn't helping. I've seen that story before, hard to flip the metabolic switch overnight from my other world. Made it past that stage and just cruised, spent a long stretch alone. Funny actually how the mind wanders and what you can "solve" when in the white space. I think the conclusion was I need to live in a basement suite in San Diego half year and rest in Colombia and sell everything save a mountain bike, a 'cross bike and a road bike.
Cruised in with two guys who decided they wanted to accelerate on the last few hundred meters. I looked over and asked if life really was like that. I just matched their pace, then suggested we slow down for a gravel corner. Guy was going for the win in whatever irrelevant place skidded out and got bad rash. So avoidable.
After paying for individual tent, turns out I'm gonna room with my Swiss friend Gian who I met at La Ruta. He went to town to buy bottled water tonight because he thinks the tap water here tastes funny compared to Switzerland.
Catalyst Sport Massage transported me to maybe the best hour of my life after the race. Non-bike conditioned body really appreciated that.
Let's see if brain records better tomorrow if it can magically not be thinking about hurt so much.
Great post, as always. Ask Mical and Regan how they live. I am sure you will understand why she smiles so much now!
ReplyDeleteI look forward to your next recap.
Good night, Erik, and, thanks!
thanks for the update erik! good luck and have fun out there. i wish i was riding with you and the others.
ReplyDeletecheers.
Good posts as always.
ReplyDeleteI would have to think being there having fun racing at a fitness level a couple notches lower than you are used to is still better than not being there at all.
I am also trying to get used to a "new" level of fitness, but I am still having fun riding and racing this year. At the end of the day, that's why I do it, but the competitive spirit in me still aims for the best results my weary body can produce.
Your posts bring back good memories and a reminder of the many reasons of why I love biking.