Well we're right here. Tired AF, trying to make it all work.
Bike racing last few weeks has been rough. Feels like I've come down with something but it is also similar to how I've felt totally burned out, over extended. Maybe it is both?
Should rewind to Squirrel and Lowell maybe. But maybe not. That's behind us. I felt like I was racing there at least, It wasn't the best, but it was much better than last the recent efforts.
Thanksgiving happened was good but also Friday and Saturday I just collapsed, didn't do much, not feeling bad just felt like I needed a break. Gave myself one. But was still off, not in a good way either. Sunday was an early drive to New Haven, then on the way home a stop at Bishop Orchards for a CX race. The final for the PMCX series and literally on the way home.
Got there earlyish. Went out for a ride. It had just started to thaw, so was slick on ruts. Not too bad but the slick in the corn field was sticky clay mud. I had the 45 riddler up front. There's a few mm of clearance, that's it. Not ideal. Second pre-ride it got worse. Third pre-ride lap (I was racing last with the 50+ and like I said, got there early) and the front wheel essentially locked up with a mass of corn leaves mixed with mud. It wasn't going to be good. Nick loaned me a front vittoria mixed, we knew our rotors are the same after the New Haven race when I loaned him my front, and that made a big difference, except.
Except once we finally started racing it started freezing. No more sticky mud, it was a frozen paste that wasn't sticky at all.
But through it all I was ready to pack it up and just DNS. Just not mentally there. Just down for some reason. Bad head space and I'm not sure why. Couldn't figure it out. Course was good, I kind of figured it out, but after a lap that was it. Just couldn't get my head or legs in the game. And the HR shows. Started well then I just started riding around. Everyone passed me, got lapped, just out of it. But DFL > DNF > DNS and to top it off I wasn't even DFL. Almost but not.
The week was crazy, but productive and lots of issues that have been plaguing work got resolved, but it was cold for the first time and commuting every day on top of being tired meant I was already tired going into Ice Weasels Cometh on Saturday. Would have been much better for me if I had had a day off before IWC. But I wasn't in a bad mood, but I also wasn't feeling like smashing it. Got out for a pre-ride, took it chill, lots of ice, i was on the skinny 32s with inserts and the heavy wheels. Had the gears on, rode around in the biggest cog. Fine. Other than the ice under the mud. It wasn't terrible on my first pre-ride lap but I could see a few issues developing, areas of 'concern' but it was snow and ice and ice weasels right? Supposed to be sketchy winter.
And it was. Felt good pedaling around, never felt like going too hard though. Nothing hilly enough that I had to give it everything. With the skinny tires I was hooking up on everything, no question. Well everywhere I needed to put power down. The ice stuff I just didn't try.
But I was also, just, not, feeling, it, again. BUT instead of being negative I was just stuck in neutral. Literally. Just neutral. Fine, but not awesome, happy to see everyone, happy to get ready to race, to pin a number on the jumpsuit, to line up and make laps.
What I wasn't ready or seemingly capable of doing was going fast. Partly the ice and not wanting to go down, and partly just not being able to. There was one point behind a few fat bikes that I felt like I was being held up but it didn't last too long. It was less than ideal. At some point after witnessing dozens of people going down HARD I decided I was going to ride around, find the good lines and stay upright, even if I was just riding around and going slow.
Tired, but not really symptomatically sick. But maybe my body is taking a bit longer to process the double Vax from Tuesday morning last week. Or... I don't know.
Simple reason is I'm tired, getting old and need to adjust lifestyle a little to compensate.
Writing here while the car gets some work done. Paying to have oil changed and tires rotated. Vs getting dressed in warm clothes, jacking the car up and doing it all myself out on the street after going to the store and buying everything and then going to the municipal yard with the used oil collection point. So I've just taken it in, paying for them to do it, while I have an opportunity to just sit here with the laptop and write. It is nice. And I'm tired.
I hope there's nothing more serious going on. But would it be a Fall for GeWilli without some health issue? Man I wish I had had 180 cranks from 2009 on. That's 10 years of dealing with lower back hip pain that the best DO and Chiro and LMT couldn't figure out or fix. All I had to do was move to 180s. Simple fix. Then back, knee, whatever whatever.
Stuff happens. Life moves on. Looked at Crossreults and This year was the first time I went to this many different races since 2018 I think. And that's with basically not racing all of October. AKA head of the hous, head of the charles.. and then that other one up at W'ster on the Q.
Seattle bound on Wednesday. Looking forward to hanging with everyone, the little ones, my mother, will be at Shoreline concert. It is a bit of a logistic mess but it always is. It will be exhausting, but it always is. And then I come back and things go crazy for a few days and then we head to VA.
I did get a few good photos on Saturday. Finally sat down on Sunday night and got them edited. Of course the day started with meeting my brother at home depot then going to lowes to get materials to build the roof for the racing shell. end result, we have a plan but the boat is now hanging out in his Barn until we get to building it. And that's probably going to be in Jan or Feb. Then grocery shopping then home then photos then dinner then sleep.
The only time I had sitting down was eating or editing photos and neither took too long. I didn't get that many photos. Stuck a bit to my 'don't play photographer before you race' thing. But maybe I shouldn't have. My race wouldn't have been any worse.
Time to get back in the woods, time to ride MTBs. Time to get out for a longer road ride.
But first, time to take a break, go visit family. Then come home. Maybe get in some erg workouts to change things up and see what is happening with the fitness. The travel kind of messes up the chance of hitting the Festive 500. But that's okay.
And they're done. Time to pack up.
Good timing, much easier writing a blog post instead of working on the car
heddwch
G
