Ok, not that bad. 🙂 Today was the XC. I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to feel, and was kind of mad at myself for not getting a sufficient warm-up. Here is the race run-down:
The line-up
I tried to start at an endurance type pace because there was definitely some climbs you didn’t want to be blown for halfway into the lap. A girl also crashed in front of Becca and I, so we got gapped off from the get go. Here is a video Mr. Jeff shot of the first kicker at the start. Fast forward to about 40 sec or you might get bored!
I started to pick people off and passed 3 people on the singletrack climb and another on the descent. I felt pretty good climbing around a HR of 192 which is usually my average for a 2 hour XC (yes, this is actually normal for me. I have a really high max of 212…) After the descent, my body totally shut down. I don’t know if it was what I ate for breakfast, the sports drink I was consuming, or the fact that I got a lousy warm-up, but I could not pedal. My legs felt like sacks of rotten, maggot infested potatoes. I decided I would ride the second lap at an easy pace. So easy, that it was 6-7 minutes slower than my first lap. I wasn’t very happy and got passed by SEVEN women and there was not a thing I could do about it. I wasn’t even breathing hard. I just felt really nauseated, and my back and hips hurt.
I started the third lap feeling the same way, but when I got to the singletrack, my body started to feel better. I was drinking a different type of sports drink at that time, so maybe that’s why? anyway, I started raging up the climb (HR of 196-197) and bridged back up to two of the girls that had passed me. I knew that if I hung with them, I could probably out-descend them…which was a (Borat voice) “Great success!” The race could have gone better for me, but I was happy with how I was riding the rocks with my blown out front shock and was just happy to have bounced back for the third lap. In fact, it was the same time as my first lap.
That performance got me 11th place. I will take that considering I lost 6-7 minutes on that second lap. I talked to my coach and we decided it was a nutrition issue. The sports drink I was consuming contained some protein. He said it takes a lot of effort for your body to digest protein, especially mid-race, and those symptoms very much explain what was going on. That explains why I felt better 10 min after I got a different type of sports drink that contains no protein. I won’t make that mistake again. Nutrition is a tricky thing in that your body is always changing. I have a plan for the Dakota 5-0. 🙂
It was a good training race for the Dakota 5-0. Now to get my bike AND my car fixed…. 😛
I’m thinking you went out too hard on lap 1, had to recover on lap 2 and were strong enough to have recovered and give it a go for lap 3. Whatever the case, way to pull through and kick some tail. Really impressive – it’s hard to want to go when you hit a deficit.
Was that Shannon Gibson there next to you? Wow, still racing after all these years….
Funny how Jeff seems more stable when filming while riding than when he’s on foot. 🙂
Good report on a fine race, I always have a lot of respect for those who just deal with a body setback, don’t quit and come back strong.
What happened to the fork? Blown cartridge seal? Too bad… I just got a frame and Lefty just like your’s and after my first long ride on it, I can see why you seem to be in love with the bike… when it’s in good condition!
Not so uncommon here to have a high heart rate. I average no less than 180bpm when riding hard.