Wet Matches

Well my venture into elite has been interesting. I will say this, no matter the race, conditions, or distance there will always be someone to race against in elite. This is not always the case with expert. Also the riders that show are always of a much higher calibre. Not to mention you get an exta lap!

::Ruby::

In short, mud fest. It wasn't an epic race that you come out caked in mud. No this was a different kind of mud. Kind of like axel grease. It was slippery enough to make riding parts impossible (for me), and just slick enough to make running them an interesting experience. Think of a CX race but with circus music. The river crossing also added another level of hilarity. Too deep to ride you had to run/walk it hoping you wouldn't roll your ankle on a rock. Not to mention all the river rocks were kind enough to un Velcro my shoes each time I crossed. I am pretty sure that mr Tanguy didn't stop to fasten his shoes up after every crossing. This might explain the time gap he had on me...

Not sure if it's just me but damn that had a fast start. Definitely my first "welcome to the big leagues" experience when that gun went off. Just hanging on was brutal. Overall a good race. Was by no means a test of fitness. You really couldn't red line yourself with all the mud. First time I've ridden the course...something I'm learning is a big mistake in elite.

::Stony TT::

I'll sum this up for you short and sweet. Suckage. Over the last few weeks I have had almost no gas in my legs. Through a slow process of attrition with work, lack of sleep, bike parts breaking, and food poisoning I've been cached. Showing up to Stony TT was a futile act but I looked to it as a training experience. I brought my geared bike and the single speed out for some suffering.

On the first grass straight away I knew it wasn't going to be a good day. The speed was way too low and my legs HURT. This trend continued to get worse as the race went on. This was by no means how good I felt at Yankee TT....and I knew it. Caught a few wheels in technical sections but couldn't stick it. Took my 17th place in stride, got my single speed entry refunded, and promptly located some beer.

I'm in a funk.