TT Nats...hilly, hard course...30K, out and back...starts w/ some hard climbing, then just tough rollers...not my favorite course...but a great 'opportunity' to learn how to ride like a champion, not in results, but attitude. Because the same top 5ish girls in the country are ALWAYS the top 5 girls...no matter WHAT the course...
My focus for this race was more about attitude, because I need to work on that, on staying positive in my head on courses that don't suit me...it's amazing how negative I am in my head...why is that? Carrie, my mental training coach, has been working hard to help me change that. So, I did all my homework...pre road the course, pre-programmed what to say to myself in every climb...'it only physical pain', 'ride like Chrissy'...that kind of stuff...and after two days finally felt excited, and ready to take on this challenging course.
The night before, I went to borrow a trainer from the Borsaw's (Grant and Amara are racing as Juniors, and my coach, Ryan Miller, is here supporting them)...I mentioned the shifting problems I had had that day in pre-riding...then had Shimano neutral support look at it...but Mr. Borsaw suggested he take a look...so about 1hr later it was all good.
Morning of the race...I get to the course first I think, like 2hrs early...giving me ample time to test the shifting under load, get a good long, stress free warm up in...and all was golden until like 35min before my start...my shifting fell apart...I couldn't get into my big ring...so I took it back to Shimano...and they spent 25min re-adjusting everything...now I have about 6min to my start and have had NO warm up...as they are putting my disc on Ryan notices my rear derailure is loose..so he tightens it up...and as I put on my TT helmet, the inner plastic part falls off on one side...3min to start...I shove it back into the helmet, force it on my head, and roll up to the start area...
With 45sec to spare, I arrive at the start ramp..."Breath, relax, focus..."...5,4,3,2,1, down the ramp...WHAM, my helmet slams down on my nose as I hit the end of the ramp, and is falling way Right...I try to straighten it, but it's somehow caught on my hair..."Focus on your race, what you CAN control, put it out of your mind"...as I accelerate my gears are slipping like crazy, I add a gear, slipping bad, add another, still slips, add another...better, but now I'm at like 70rpm...shift up...slippping..."just race, think about your legs, find a rhythm, accept your situation, and make the most of it"....
That's pretty much how it went the entire race...making the most out of a bad situation...staying positive, staying focused...only adjust my helmet if it was impeding my performance (not just causing HUGE embarrassment...which it was)...I found I just couldn't push myself into that final zone of hurt...the one Kristin Armstrong/Christine Thornburg always TT in...
So, a good lesson in mental prep, and how to learn from my experience and not DEFINE myself by it (meaning, "I had a bad RIDE', NOT..."I AM a crappy cyclist")...so what did I learn?
--Don't wait till the last minute to dial in shifting.
--Check equipotent (HELMETS) in advance
--Prep for TTing takes practice, I need to ride that bike more
--Knowing the course ahead of time is important
--Believing in myself is HUGE..and take more work than I realized
--I love challenges, it makes me stronger
--I miss having Chrissy around, she's hilarious, and helps me relax (BTW, she's got a boyfriend who is AWESOME...they are the cutest couple EVER)
Now, I fly back to Portland....
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