Adventures of the Northwest

Whining will get you somewhere but with no friends....

Not being able to sleep - at 4 am, I decided to get my thoughts out with the hopes of wearing myself out again.

Well last week I felt stronger but felt I had bad positioning on the 4x4 and couldn't make any moves. This week... just wasn't feeling upbeat about racing. Felt really tired after the weekend but more rested after taking it easy Sunday and Monday. I was asked to do the Women's Track Training on Tuesday which I used to open my legs a bit but not push too much. I felt like my legs were very tired Tuesday and I thought - oh boy - I'm going to be too tired to give anything to the races Wednesday night.

Wednesday came... I didn't feel it. Maybe it was the on/off rain in Issaquah all day. Maybe it was the feeling of still not feeling 100% and/or the fear of not doing well after Tuesday. I showed up, I whined, I pissed people off and I was annoying. I know it... I'm very sorry for it. I did a warm-up and pushed off registration until the last 15 minutes. I really had to be talked into racing. I told Izette - I'm not feeling the love tonight and she said something along the lines of I'm not one to give it. I said no the love within me.... no track love.... and there came the change of events. I couldn't even get my speed up to stay in a pace line. I did some efforts but that was as hard as I pushed.

I tried to stay away from the women's field so I wouldn't be a downer to them. I was thinking - sheesh Molly what's your problem? Why you being so negative? Last week you were all upbeat even if you didn't do well. Negative Molly day I guess.

First race was an 8 lap scratch. Thus first person across finish line gets 1 point. We started out and I was trying hard to stay mid-pack but felt like I kept getting squeezed out to the end. Ok, so I'm accepting that I am at the back sucking a wheel. With 5 laps to go I'm really feeling like why are we going so slow? I feel I can just go strong but I'm being held up by the field. I then thought I wonder if I just go out in front until I blow up then it can't be worse as usual (coming in close to last) but as a benefit I may get some of those girls to chase me and wear themselves down for the last race. I may wear myself down as well.... ahhh shoot - with 4 laps down I make my move on the back stretch. I hear the field grumbling and I am focused on the track. Coming into turn 1 I pull off and I think the whole field is behind me. I look down and OH CRAP! Only Devon is on me. I immediately get down.... oh I'll work with her and see how well I can do. Well as Woody later informed me, I should have held out until turn 3 and been pulling down wind instead of upwind... I'll remember that for next time. By 2 laps to go I was dying. I let Devon get away from me. By turn 3 I was ready to pull up track and wait for the field to suck a wheel. I kept hearing people shout my name: Go Molly! Only 1 lap to go! .... ok... so I came back down and pushed. The field came around me.... I finished last but with a BLAST! Compared to just rolling in. LOL! Definitely not how I normally do this first race.


I cool down and then briefly talk to John H. He informs me I did good and that I should drink lots of water and keep stretching out my legs. I did so and as I'm getting back in the warm-up circle two of my team mates, Martin and Brian talk to me. They were impressed by my lead out and told me that if I keep doing moves like that I'll just keep getting stronger and keep getting better. One of them also stated how I have improved 100% from the first race of the year. Took me awhile to let this sink in... but yes, yes I did having come from being a lap behind on the first race of the year for the same race. I keep talking and cooling down. I go infield to get more water and get ready for the 2nd race.

Hyun told Izette, Jane and I to let laps 1,2 and 3 of the 8 lap snowball to go. Attack on the 4-8 laps where you get those many points each lap. (i.e. 1st lap gets 1 point, 8th lap gets 8 points) I turned to them and said my goal is to just stay in the race and go for the 4x4. As we are warming up, I also informed them of my tactic of the last race as they were shocked at what I did. First lap, I stayed on Jadine's wheel. I knew she was going to lead out. I knew they would be minimal points but I thought - if she goes for it someone has to challenge her and if I get some 'crap points' then so be it. Second lap I let her lead as I sat on her wheel and I was able to sprint to steal 2 points. Third lap, Lara came at the tail end and took the points. I knew I was toast. I let the whole field get in front of me and I struggled a bit to get on the wheel at the end. I did it though and finshed 'last' so to speak. However, I placed 4th in that race. Awesome! This is also where I noticed the handlebars/stem that Hyun lent me cut up my left leg pretty good from the bolts. Man... I could feel it during one of the efforts but didn't realize I was bleeding until after the race.

I stayed in the warm-up circle, stretched out my legs, had water, stretched my legs out even more. I got ready for the 4x4 which is 1 sprint every 4 laps - 4 times. There was so much action and I tried to stick on a wheel and get good positioning this time. I burnt so much fuel from the first 2 races so I wasn't sure how I would be doing. The first 2 sprints I was able to take 4th which is 1 point a piece, 3rd sprint I was able to take 3rd with 2 points and the last one was 5th or 6th. Not bad! DANG! Overall, I placed 3rd with 4 points.

At the end of the race as we were coming into the infield all I could do is shout I was coming in the inside. My legs were absolutely like jell-o and I didn't feel I had any strength to even back pedal. They were toast. About 75% done with the first infield lap I could barely push my pedals around. I was getting prepared to jump off my bike. I had no oomph. But I was able to squeak some strength out of my legs and once I did a few more laps I was fine. My heart rate was totally recovered for many, many laps but I kept going to stretch out the legs and get any lactic acid build-up out.

In the meantime, I am missing the official - Phil M - discuss with the women who he wants to now see on Friday night. I came into the middle of it. Izette, Janeen, Jadine and Devon(?). Awesome. Later Jane informed me he also wanted Jane and I. Jane told him we needed more time. Thank goodness! I am not yet ready for Friday with higher speeds and more challenges. I feel I'm really all about finding where my strengths and weaknesses are right now. Humiluation on Fridays can wait a few more weeks - at best. :)

I made a total of 6 points. I didn't make any friends doing it as I was a whinebag all night. I apologize for that... I really wasn't feeling good though. Interesting, a couple weeks ago I wasn't feeling hot for a Saturday workout either and that was one of my strongest training days. I Also noticed I didn't have so much performance anxiety warming up. I was more like -hey well if I suck I suck and whatever happens happens. Oh well. Maybe that is more of the attitude I need (without the whining) so I don't get so worked up with anxiety about racing. Until next week.... with new players, new attitudes and lots more FUN! :)

posted by Seattlebiker @ 4:27 AM