Training and Racing: The weeks will fade away...

Week Thirty Four: Build
Time: 12 h 34 min
Dist.: 366 km

That is about sixty five percent of what I was supposed to do that week. I was too tired to ride after an early shift, my N&B injuries didn't allow me out or I let something else get in the way... Simple!

What ever the reason might have been at the time, I didn't ride enough and not doing so made me feel terrible. I can see the weeks fade away and before I know, the big race will be right in front of me.

I raced on the weekend and won the club Road Race Championship. Sadly, most of the riders in the Masters 5 category didn't show up and only three of us lined up for the 50 km race.

My win wasn't a sweet one, I must say. I had a good preparation throughout the year, I won the club ITT championship convincingly but I had no fun in this race. I don't want to be disrespectful here but I used it as training to get some kilometers in.

Yes, I needed to win to get maximum points for this year's Masters 5 competition but that, also, didn't matter as much as last year's - my last one in Masters 4 - the one I wanted and did everything right to win as the oldest rider in the category. I won but was denied the champion's jersey because of an incongruent decision by the club committee.

"Rules are made to be broken..." I learned.

In racing still, I decided to give the Australian Masters a miss and try to get my training up to speed, focusing on Grafton to Inverell. The trip to Victoria was going to be a combination of racing, holidaying and watching the Worlds for Sandra and I. We have now changed it to holidaying, training and discovering, something we have decided to do more of.

And talking racing, now on a pro level, here we have two wins by two great champions in the 2010 Vuelta a Espana, Gilbert and Hushovd. No need for words, the lifting photography by Graham Watson tells everything...

Tomorrow, the QLD ITT Championship will take place. I am not feeling great at the moment but will be racing for a third medal in the discipline. That will bring the motivation I need.

News soon!