Racing again and getting the bike ready for more

I did have a rest after the Tour but just for one day. In fact, my program said no rest, just an easy ride to start and back on training. I decided to take one day off the bike because of stiffness in my legs, not soreness or anything like that. The other thing is, I was tired, tired from the long weekend. All the driving (over 600 km), racing and having sleepless nights knocked me around a bit.
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Sandra and I had a day off work as well and did a few things in the house, cleaned and did a bit of maintenance on our bikes, watched TV, checked e-mails, ate and slept. We needed! The next day, Sandra was off to work, I stayed home one more day (all to do with shift work) and did the same as the day before... not much. Except that I did get on the bike. I made a few changes to my program (sorry, Iain!) because of the day off and the race next Sunday. So, I was on the bike for a 40 km ride including 2 x TT efforts. And guess what... I loved it.
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The legs felt really good, they were spinning fast and I was travelling comfortably at 47 km/h on my TT effort with the assistance of a light tail wind. I was loving it and could keep going for hours but had to come back as it was getting dark quickly and I had no lights. One thing I felt was the lactic acid in my legs, there was a good amount left from all those races.
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For the next few days, I chose to do the training on the wind-trainer. I had to do some work but I still want to be fresh for the weekend ahead as I was planning to race and do well in the Jon Brooks Memorial race. This is one of the toughest events in our calendar, a 100 km race in rough and exposed country roads. Hilly, windy course and a strong bunch of riders.
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The race used to be called the Nathan O'Neill Classic. I raced it for the first, and last, time in 2005. Relatively new to open events at the time, I signed up for the Masters A event. Only to get dropped by a group of 8 or 10 riders in the first 30 km, chase solo for another 20 km and pull out at the half way mark (2 laps out of 4). So, I had a lot to prove to myself in this up coming event, racing again in the Masters A category.
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Something else, and equally personal, motivated me to do well in this race. Jon and Vivian Brooks were one of the first couples we met when we first came to Brisbane. We met at one of the club races at Nundah, we starting talking bikes (he had an amazing collection of them) and racing, a couple of hours later we were having coffees and post-race snacks at our place. The gathering lasted hours and didn't go through the evening because Jon and Vivian lived in Toowoomba, a fair distance from Brisbane, which they covered often just to attend race meetings in Brisbane.
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They were both very inspirational folks and we are lucky to have had the opportunity to meet Jon and to still have the chance to see Vivian now and then as she is still involved with cycling and the Toowoomba Cycling Club.
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Check the profile of this race:
http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/jon-brooks-memorial-race-route

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The bike needs a bit of attention after Eumundi
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After a wash and a new bar tape
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