I got home Monday afternoon from a very warm (ok hot) trip to California for the Sea Otter Classic. This was my first big race of the season. I was really nervous. We got to Monterey area about 1 am Friday morning and I needed to be at the site and practicing Super D course by 9am. Well we didnt make it there by 9am but I did however manage to meet up with Dave from Vanderkitten get my kit, get dressed and head up to practice. I got one run it, I felt like I had 1am legs (heavy and slow). The course was fire road and fast. It was sandy in many places which I wish I could have ridden twice so I knew where to slow up. As far as Super D course it was pretty lame but what can you do. It was a lemans start and we had to start on our hands and knees with our heads touching the ground. I had a pretty bad start and couldn't get clipped in. I moved into 6th place pretty quickly. The race went by fast I had a few mistakes which costed me in the end but the real mistake was trying to pass for 5th place in the last corner and well sliding out and ending up in a sand pit. I ended up losing my place and finished in 8th. I was a little dissapointed, but was really just glad to be on my bike.
Sunday was the Cross country. I had been nervous about this race since I landed in San Jose. I think a combination of not getting in the training I needed because of the weather in the NW and being tired from being up with a baby (6mo old). I had a few goals one was to finish, not be last, and well give it my all and see what happened. I got out to Laguna Seca on Sunday and it was all but 90 plus degrees. About 50 degrees warmer that what I am use to training in. Shock. I found out they were shortening the course, which was a good and bad thing. I am an endurance person, but with the temp I was happy to limit my exposure to the heat. The race started out really pretty fast. I tried to go out hard but was still in the second half of the pack. I raced hard, about all I remember thinking about was how hot I was. My legs felt good but everytime I would start to push harder my head would throb and I thought I might melt. I drank as much water as possible with the one bottle I had, took the feed and got another bottle and tried to ration it. My mouth kept getting dry so I wanted to have a sip or two for the last climbs out. I kept trying to push harder it just wasn't seeming to work, I stood where I could and tried to keep my head in the game. After the start I didn't get passed and was able to pass many people along the way falling to the heat. All in all I was pretty satisfied with my finish, it is really early in the season for me and I have a lot of room for improvement. So hopefully over the next few weeks/months I can get my legs going and be flying by 24 hours and Trans Rockies. Next race Tuesday night circuit race, haven't road raced in about 3 years. Should be fun!!!
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