Trust me

After a typical XC race there is a lot to talk about. After a 6 hour race there is A LOT to talk about, trust me. So much so that today I will only scratch the surface. Last night I couldn't get to sleep, maybe I was just too excited to get back to work?

Or maybe my body is just too pissed off at me?

Initial thoughts before/during/after the race:

How much Chamois Butt'r does one use?  I dunno...

 

but this was probably too much!

I don't listen to music when I ride. Sometimes I think about random stuff, sometimes I don't think I have a thought in my head, but I never got bored. 

After 4 laps I couldn't believe how far I'd already made it and how much time I still had before the cut off!  Very motivating!

After 4 laps I couldn't believe how bad my cramps were... very demoralizing. 

For most of the race this wasn't a race, but a personal challenge, and I loved it!  That being said, when it came time to "race," that kept me going through the end. 

I've never quite felt the same feeling at a finish as I did on Saturday

 

- all the pain disappeared (for a quick second) as I realized I had met my goal!

I didn't have one clean lap (whether it was a mechanical, crash, or cramping - and sometimes more than one per lap) but that was the race I had to face and I'm happy for it!

THIS is my kind of racing!

Well, I guess that gives you a skelton outline if what's to come this week. Stick around for the details, hopefully I'll be able to fill in the blanks in the correct order.