Pass/Fail Racing

This article says it all: http://bikesnobnyc.blogspot.com/2008/04/sitting-in-and-bowing-out-art-of.html

my new MO for racing I think... Pass or Fail, I think I can handle that.

I won't go into much detail about Sea Otter Classic (i am so over it!), but I basically Failed both XC and STXC if you go by what the article linked above says. Ya I got dropped! BUT I didn't quit. SO maybe I did Pass? Oh and did I mention I literally crashed and burned 20 min into the 40 mile XC? (the kind of road rash that really burns! could fry an egg on it perhaps?) BUT in order to earn my post-race In-N-Out Burger, I HAD to finish the race. Lap 1 even after I crashsed, I figured I would power through. By lap 2, i was in "no man's land" and basically was out on a "bike ride". Oh well it's "1 weekend closer to fitness" as Joy calls it!

Next stop Idyllwild Spring Challenge. 30 miles of some good ole technical MTB'ing! Hopefully I will Pass.

Back in the Mix

Well, yes i was in fact very sick for 2 weeks again. Missed Fontana and NOVA Nationals. Yes I cried, but tried so hard to convince myself that there are worse problems in life than missing some races. However it's hard when you put so much work into something and then it doesn't go according to plan. And guess what, the world kept turning and nothing really changed other than that I missed out on two weekends of racing (but i was kept VERY well up to speed by my pals!). Ya my fitness suffered, well mainly from having bronchitis/pneumonia!!!!! There was nothing I could really do about it except focus on getting healthy. Things got so bad I lost my voice and literally laid on the couch for multiple days. For someone like me who needs to be doing something at all times, this was VERY difficult! But I tried to put things into perspective and enjoy the down time while it lasted. I also calculated that I have been sick for almost 20% of 2008 (if you count other colds or issues I ended up dealing with this year). However, apart from that I still have a couple good races before I got sick this most recent time (VQ and Bonelli)

Things that i did while sick and recovering:

• Read numerous text messages from Joy and Cpop and Matt and others!
• Talk on the phone with Joy and Cpop among other people during the race weekends ( I felt like I was there)
• Watch all sorts of TV and movies
• Wear pajamas alot
• Watch the Redlands Bicycle Classic downtown
• Visit the dr 4 times
• Eat popsicles
• Drink lots of ginger ale, seltzer and tea
• Use MANY boxes of kleenex (thank goodness for Puffs Plus with Lotion!)
• Lose any sort of color/tan that I had

So I have been back on track with training the last few weeks, and will be heading up to Sea Otter tomorrow in the VW with Cpop and Romolo. Nothing like a good solid weekend of racing to kick my top level back into gear!