Sometimes hope isn't enough….

Today was the Deer Valley NMBS XC.  Despite the fact that my tailbone is bruised/fractured and that I am iron deficient, I somehow thought that I would still be able to have a good race.  I was hoping my adrenaline would mask all my pain symptoms, and I even drank a Sobe Adrenaline in addition to Nina’s amazing coffee.  I am generally an optimist, so even under the worst conditions, I still always hope for the best.  Keeping a positive mental attitude is just as important as my legs feeling good.  That’s half the battle. Unfortunately when your legs don’t work at all, having a PMA only helps keep you happy and having fun.  That doesn’t really help the results, but it makes your day not be totally awful.  From the get-go, I felt like my legs were totally loaded up- like the way you feel right after you sprint as hard as you can…and that’s they way they continued to feel for the next 2 hours.  I thought about quitting, but I decided that since I was able to at least be in Zone 4, that I was still getting a  good workout.  Plus, I really hate quitting, so I just tried to enjoy the GREAT riding and the sunshine.  Thanks so much to the spectators for cheering me on, even though I was in the way back!  There was one guy though…he said, “Are you racing?”  hahaha.  Ouch.  I learned how much you actually stand up in an XC.  I was able to stand on the descent, but when it came to standing up and pedaling on the climbs, it was impossible.  I tried once, shrieked in pain, and sat back down.  It’s really hard to race without standing up to pedal now and then.  Oh well.  It was actually easy to mentally deal with what was happening because I understood why I was performing the way that I was.

My next race is in 2 weeks- Snowmass MSC. It’s another one of my favorite races.  My tailbone has been injured for 2 weeks, so it should start to be on the mend 2 weeks from now.  I also think that 2 weeks of taking iron supplements will help as well. (see, told you I’m an optimist)

I rode the Super-D course today…3 times. It was fun and strange to ride the chairlift up and then ride my bike down. I was very surprised at the course.  It was pretty freaking gnarly with huge roots, tons of loose rocks and gravel, and a 2 or 3 foot drop off at the end. I’m not sure I’m going to race it b/c I probably would not be able to get up again if I crashed, but I am thinking about it….  I did pay my entry fee, so I figured I’d get my moneys worth and at least practice my DH skills.

It’s been super fun hanging out with my normal travel crew too.  I’ll give you an update on actual results when they are posted.  My buddies all did GREAT!!!! 🙂