Plymouth - North and South

[wavedancer]

Great racing on both days! You are really looking strong and ready for Natz

I enjoyed doing both races. Saturday's was really tough in the cold and wind and a really fast course. I need some of those single-track sections to recover! Came in DFL both days, but somehow I am still enjoying this 'cross stuff! There's something about pushing myself to the max that I have never done before and the courses and venues and other competitors and spectators really make it fun. I was hurting on Saturday and had fleeting thoughts of quitting, but with the encouragement from my fans, I managed to finish! (Let's hear it for getting lapped!)

Sunday I felt better off the start and had been able to ride all the steep sections in my warm-up lap. When we got to the first hill, though, the riders in front of me were getting off to run up and I lost my momentum and ungracefully came off the bike, allowing many riders to pass me. I had trouble on the hills on a couple more laps and ended farther back. The sand and barrier section I just stayed off the bike the whole time, knowing my mounting skills would definitely slow me up. On the last lap I managed to ride all the hills, so felt better about that.

This was the first time I wore a heart-rate monitor during a race and I was pumping above 90% max through most of the race. No wonder I feel like I have nothing more to give! If nothing else, doing 'cross has shown me I can push myself harder than I thought without actually dying, and I have a long way to go to improve my strength and fitness.