So this week was a bit of a fizzer because I was sick.
Monday
Monday
I had a sore throat so I decided (again!) not to go for a big mtb.
PM - swim at Olympic Park. I was supposed to do 3k continuous this week but the pool was closing at 7pm and I had paid for the sauna too, so I only had time for 2k - oops. It was the first time I have swum in the "competition" pool though and it was nice. The sauna afterwards felt very HOT, so maybe I was feverish.
Tuesday
I had a day off and so even though I was feeling a bit off-color, I wanted to get in a good brick session.
AM - 60km ride at SOP. Ummm, so, my return to group 3 was very short-lived. :( There were not many people there, probably due to the long weekend and I swear, those that were there were pouring on the speed. I got dropped after only 2 laps. I was a bit downcast, especially as I was planning on doing extra. So then I rode another 7 laps on my own, at a pretty slow pace. I tried to get down on my tri-bars a bit but it didn't feel comfy at all.
After I got home I headed out for a 14km run. I planned to take it easy and I felt good. I finished with an average pace of 5.15 which is good for me for an easy run.
Wednesday
Wednesday
AM - I was planning to get up and ride but I was extremely tired and decided to sleep in.
Today was my first day in my new job and it was great, though I don't much like the train ride. I found out there are no showers in my building which sucks, especially as there is a nice looking place nearby to run. Hopefully I will be able to sort something out with that. By the time I got home I was feeling really tired with a sore throat and runny nose. I conceeded that I was sick and needed to take some time off training.
Thursday
Thursday
Feeling sick - sore throat, runny nose, light cough. Did nothing.
Friday
Friday
I am starting to feel better today, but am still not training.
This weekend is the Scott 24hr Mountain Bike Race in Canberra. I am riding it for the 5th consecutive year, which is amazing to me. I remember my first time in 2004. I was a late replacement in a mixed team of 6 with Jen and 4 boys. My mtb was brand new and had hardly been ridden. We had done 1 night training ride. I was very very nervous. On the old course at Kowen Forest a lap was >20km and took me well over an hour to ride. I was so scared before each lap and riding the switchbacks at night was particularly hard. But I loved the whole atmosphere and I got to ride the dawn lap and I had heaps of fun. The next day it turned out that the last lap was my turn. That meant I was going to ride more laps than anyone else and I fully expected one of the boys to offer to do it instead, but none of them did. I hadn't slept a wink and I was exhausted and delirious, but I didn't want to wimp out, so off I went. I remember the latter part of the course had lots of logs and I was so sore and so over it. But finally the end came. None of the boys came down to cheer me in and I remember being a bit disappointed about that. When I got back to the camp I expected to be showered with thanks for riding the last lap but they were nonchalant and drinking beers, which was the last thing in the world I felt like. But I was completely hooked on the race and SO proud of the 4 laps I rode - over 80k of mtb in 24hrs! The next day I could hardly walk and felt like I had beaten with a baseball bat.
This weekend is the Scott 24hr Mountain Bike Race in Canberra. I am riding it for the 5th consecutive year, which is amazing to me. I remember my first time in 2004. I was a late replacement in a mixed team of 6 with Jen and 4 boys. My mtb was brand new and had hardly been ridden. We had done 1 night training ride. I was very very nervous. On the old course at Kowen Forest a lap was >20km and took me well over an hour to ride. I was so scared before each lap and riding the switchbacks at night was particularly hard. But I loved the whole atmosphere and I got to ride the dawn lap and I had heaps of fun. The next day it turned out that the last lap was my turn. That meant I was going to ride more laps than anyone else and I fully expected one of the boys to offer to do it instead, but none of them did. I hadn't slept a wink and I was exhausted and delirious, but I didn't want to wimp out, so off I went. I remember the latter part of the course had lots of logs and I was so sore and so over it. But finally the end came. None of the boys came down to cheer me in and I remember being a bit disappointed about that. When I got back to the camp I expected to be showered with thanks for riding the last lap but they were nonchalant and drinking beers, which was the last thing in the world I felt like. But I was completely hooked on the race and SO proud of the 4 laps I rode - over 80k of mtb in 24hrs! The next day I could hardly walk and felt like I had beaten with a baseball bat.
This year is my second year in an all-girl team of 3. Last year I felt that 3 was the perfect number, with a good balance of riding, recovery time and hanging out. The forecast is fine and I am ready to roll for 'the Woodstock of mountain-biking'.
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