Making Breakfast, Making post race sandwiches, Preparing bottles, Packing clothes
Cold, Rainy, Belgium...
We are off to the races.
A little pre-ride of the course shows that not much has really changed. There is still plenty of sand and if anything it has become harder to ride than when we rode out there yesterday. The course layout flyer was quick to point out the fact that there was only 500m of pavement and 1200m of sand with some grass sections along the way. That's a large chunk of running... and those who know, know how much I hate running. I think it's time to change that thought!!
The race started out well, moved into the top 30 through the first sections and then at the base of one of the fly-overs there was a large pile-up that I was caught behind. I was feeling comfortable on the shorter sand climbs that I was able to ride while others weren't. The only problem is that I would find myself running into the back of them as they jumped off and then I would get stalled out...
I ended up catching a few and getting dropped by a few, others were dropping like flies, while I just tried to settle in. I ended up 52nd. It was a serious learning experience. I know what I have to do to be ready come January, both in training and how to read the race and how to tackle the race. Where to go hard and where to conserve. Oh, and I have a new outlook on all of the minute sandpits in the US races(not a dis but just a realization).
