Holy Cow

Cross Race #1 - Badger Prairie, Verona, WI. Two words, IT SUCKED.

For anyone who knows anything about heart rates, my LT (lactate threshold) is approximately 182. Usually in a WORS race I'll average about 182 with a maximum somewhere around 192(ish). Typically that's where I start to hyperventilate, and feel like I could use an oxygen tank. Today I maxed out at 194 and thought I was going to DIE.

The start was good. . . .I'm actually pretty good at the dismount, the barriers and the remount. Generally that drives my heart rate up a little higher. . . .but I can usually sit back and recover. Not today. I literally thought I was going to pass out. Half a good lap, then all the girls started passing me. . . . . I round the last corner prior to dumping out on the road for a nice stead climb to the next lap, and oooops, I seemed to have missed the turn. Of course I didn't get to preride that section, so when the course took like a 270 degree turn, I went straight. Full bore into the caution tape and I snapped it. Then a few more girls passed me. . . . .

It's obvious the first thing to go when you're not training "hard core" is your upper end. Unfortunately that went after my 8 weeks off the bike. At least in a mountain bike course you can gain precious seconds by riding the technical stuff smart and using the base you built to hold you in there. In cyclocross you either have that upper end, or you don't. Guess which one was me?

At least I finished, and I didn't finish last. I ALMOST started crying out there, but I didn't. And I was SOOOOOOOO close to quitting, but I didn't. Thanks to everyone for the cheers. Really that's the only reason I kept going. I didn't want to dissapoint my fans. :-)

Now it's time to recover and see what the body will produce for Sheboygan. It's my favorite. I hope it's as fun for me this year. . . . .