Driving a long way to race gives one plenty of time to focus on the upcoming task in my case the 2012 Dismal Dash Time Trial usually the very first race of the year for me. Its always before a race where one lives through all the horrors and second guessing. Not that u show up untrained but as is normal before any performance your psyche takes on a very critical focused roll of every breath you take and does a critical review of everything that has preceded this moment.

Today I am excited and feel ready for the challenge at hand. My goal is 1 hr or less over the course. I have preped long term mid term as well as short term in order to be able to give a good show. The prize however is really next weekend where I will ride for time qual but like all races this one I simply wish to beat my prior times. More after the race!

So the follow-up I guess I could focus on what I did or didn’t do however there is no teaching in that! The thing about any sport is the relative short duration of the event compared to the hours of prep time, for instance for me I have trained diligently since November not really for this exact day but you get the point. So you get to the start, most have some sort of 30 second ritual, mine includes the sign of the cross an a kiss on my Michael the Arc Angel pendant then I reset my Power Tap to read zero, close my eyes and only open them when the counter hits 5-4 then I turn on, click! when u start you either know you are in the zone or not its pretty simple, if not you have a struggle on your hands however this is where heroes are made and some days you just glide to a fastest time with no seemingly effort. How or why that happens is the subject of volumes of books however NO ONE can help you into the zone you are there or you are not and the truth comes out when the gun goes off, it always does.

So today my time matched my times for the past 3 years no plus no minus so it all was a mute point, no not really I tested a new helmet, new shoes and took off more relaxed than normal. I beat my best ever time for 20 k on this course but lost those precious minutes riding back totally spent, however that was the plan

You get scared when u have to produce, there is no training in the world to get you ready for the pressure, Politics and general bull shit that comes with any high level athletic event. So for me I either get into some music or totally blank out focusing only on the spirit of the place, just me.

The funny part is when u get to the start line and impose your ritual on the Reffs  they just chuckle, but they are good folks giving their time for your benefit.

You always worry about doing bad not like I worry about coming in last but ya gota get in the top ten, right its pressure. Bt its cool cuz I know a month from now my wheels will touch down in Canada and I will be hot hot hot! so went today, I had a good race too:)