Is called PRE-race and not just called RACE.
Been using this product as an energy kick before my races and so I figured since a lot of gel companies are putting caffeine and such in their products, I would improvise on my hammer gel, put a serving of the PRE-race in.
Out of the many mistakes I have made in racing this one I am having a bit of regret about. I planned a peak around this race and with how I was feeling the first 2 laps I am slightly frustrated with why I would try something different then I have been doing.
So it went like this,
Start was good, in the break, Landon biffed on the rock garden, subsequently back four turned into chase. I think it was Dallas, Tristan, Landon and me. We caught up to Travis, and eventually Travis, Landon, and myself got away after chasing down an attack Landon put on. At this point I felt great and thought it was a fight for 5th place over the next two laps. I started in on the gel and BAM, I continually felt like I was hyper ventilating and my heart rate would not go down at any point, it was like being on Cocaine. I slowed and let Travis and Landon go, thinking maybe it would subside. MacIej and an MN rider came up who I think was Josh Shivley, I had a little kick left so I led them a bit but it was the same thing after a minute or two, hyper ventilating and HR not coming down. Slowed again, after about 3 different efforts of trying to hang wheels and shorter times to blowup, I just spun around. I knew better but I thought maybe it was a bonk...I asked for a gel from the team and of course I was handed a bottle of Hammer gel I had setup for my sister as a pre-race shot, after downing it I realized from the taste that I was in for more spaz effect... During my fourth lap I started to get a little worried as I was getting really light headed on any uphills, and this was climbing in my smallest gear...I slammed as much water as I could get my hands on remembering when something similar, but not as severe, had happened about a month or so ago. I recovered enough to hang onto the last guys wheel passing me before the finish and sprint for a place that really didn't matter in the overall picture. In that situation I wonder, should I sprint with him to let him have it but not feel like I gave it to him or take it cause thats racing and thats the fun of it for both of us. Kinda torn on that move. After I sprinted i could hardly hold myself up, and this was after pretty much relaxing/spinning easy for an entire lap with a very short sprint, couldn't catch my breath for ten minutes or so. Seriously the second half of this race was like a flashback to my using days, I better stick to the PRE part of the Pre-Race before I end up like this guy.
31st overall, guess thats not bad for just spinning around the course for 2 laps. THANK YOU SO MUCH EVERYONE WHO CHEERED ME ON, I really needed the motivation to even keep pedaling. I just kept thinking "this ones for the team", since 31st in elite is solid team competition points.
Now to figure out what to do with this poorly planned peak..3 weeks till next WORS, and I don't exactly have the life style at the moment to head east with the top five from this weekend for some NMBS action. Maybe I should mix it up with some local road racing since superweek is upon us.
I will get some pics and race reports for the team up later.
Thanks for reading,
Nathan
1 comment:
I've had this experience before from too much caffiene during a race. Last year at Mt. Morris I had 2 of the 2xExpresso shots and just about blew a gasket, I was so high... Luckily it was last lap so only a handfull got me. Lessoned learned = no more than a single shot of caffiene during a race for me. All we can do is live and learn.
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