Maybury CPS Race #6 August 25, 2007

Race Time: 2:07:19
Placement: 5/15
YTD Standings: 6th

My HR Info:  Max: 205 (109%)  Avg: 161 (86%)
Zone 4: 48:20  Zone 5: 48:07 minutes.

Mother Nature was not kind to us today.  Rain, rain and more rain.  At least it wasn't cold like it was at Hanson Hills.  I was much more prepared for the rain with my canopy and bottles of water that would be used to clean me off.  WARM bottles of water, not ones sitting in a cooler for six hours (see Hanson Hills).

The race trail took a beating.  I feel bad for the beginners because we left them with a trail of dirt pudding.  The race trail this year did not include the 'sledding' hill, which is a steep short hill.  Instead they had a longer more gradual climb.  I thought this year was much easier.

Given the conditions, I went through a number of mental stages.  At the beginning, I was excited, but controlled.  I'm not sure what place I was in once we hit the single track, I was just focused on racing my own race.  Near the end of the first lap I start to wonder why I put myself through this.  I'm covered in mud, my heart is about to explode and my leg muscles are jello.

The second lap comes and my mental mood changes to despair.  I want to die.  I can't see from the dirt in my eyes and all I taste is mud.

Two miles into the third lap I have a mental break through.  I don't know where it came from, but my body came alive.  I turned it on HARD.  I passed one person and told myself to find another, which I did.  Then I passed another and another.  One mile left I catch another person.  I found myself wishing the trail was longer so I could catch more people.  I finished so strong, much stronger than ever before.

This performance taught me some valuable lessons.  First, this is the second race where I used Race Day Boost, from Hammer, according to their directions.  Fort Custer was the other race and I had a strong performance there too.  This stuff is now my best friend.  I really wish Hammer would make if flavored though, or at least easier to mix so I'm not drinking warm water.  Blah.

Second, my body is stronger than my mind.  I am mentally weak during races.  My body can do more than my mind thinks it can do.  That third lap is proof of that.  When my mind woke up, my body was ready to go.  I don't know how to fix this, but it's my next goal.

Third, I spent 48 minutes in zone 4, which during races is recovery.  WAY too much time there.  The difference between 5th place and 4th place was 10 minutes. That is a HUGE gap, however I know now that my body has the ability, I just need to reduce my recovery time.  The only way to do this is to become mentally stronger.

Also, props to my mechanical abilities (See previous post).  My bike performed perfectly.  Even caked in mud, I didn't lose one gear nor experience any chain suck.  :)

Anyway's, here are some pics from that day:





All Clean (Took an entire day)