Stages 3 & 4 of the Tour de Riverina
Coolamon & Rutherglen HCPs.
I think I might have learnt my lesson, sometimes it is better to take a break and let some of the not so important things go by so that you can truly appreciate (and perform) at the important things.
The Coolamon stage was the weekend after the Stockinbingal race and whilst I had been sick with the flu I was convinced that I would be all right when I got to the start line. Unfortunately I didn't get to the start line. I seemed alright in the car, though I did have a bit of a cough- similar to the one that I had hampered me most of summer, but figured that I had ridden through that so surely I would be fine for the race. Wrong. I went out for a warm up, including some motor pacing behind a tractor, and once I started coughing on the bike I couldn't stop. I coughed and coughed, thought my lunch was going to come up, coughed some more. Being incapable of making a decision not to race on my own- I am not into looking soft!- I discussed the situation with Reggie. Being the wise Mr Mum that he is, no racing for me, probably not a bad idea since I had a wedding to tend to the following Friday! All was not lost, I jumped into the Commissaire's car for the Scratch bunch and had the best view of a bike race I have ever had (apart from the ones that I am at the front of ;) ). After learning a whole lot more about bike racing thanks to this different perspective, picking Jess Mac up off the road after she came down in a little crash going up the only rise of the course and getting Adam Phelan going again up said hill, I got to see the girls I train with all finish well and award Suz the prize for first female over the line.
The Rutherglen stage of the tour was the Sunday after we got back from our honeymoon, which meant I had been off the bike for about 4 weeks (not counting the ride on Friday afternoon and the bunch on Saturday morning). I really had nothing to lose and was, I thought, mentally prepared for what was going to be a tough race. However, I was physically well under prepared! I got through about 1/2 the first lap of the 2 lap course before I called it a day. The reality of the situation being that I just wasn't physically up to these races.
The trip to Rutherglen wasn't in vain. It was delightful to catch up with Lyn and John. And as fate would have it I had other errands to do in Albury.
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