29.03.09 - JCF#1: Bed-ridden and race-ridden in Kagoshima
With my season ending in Australia the week before the Kagoshima race, it was a busy week travelling back to my second home in Japan and getting ready for the first JCF (Japanese National) race. I was shocked at how cold it was, but I was keen to race on the new course they had in store way down south in Kagoshima. Nobody knew what it was like. There was no escaping the cold either way.
After sitting around and travelling all week, I really wanted to ride. But feeling ill after my flight prevented me from riding all week. So I was even more keen to get on the bike. With one spin on the Friday before the race, I thought I might be ok. But Sunday came around and I was nowhere near 100%. I decided to race anyway, see how it went, and try and collect some points.
I was lucky, because the track didn't have much climbing (for once) and also had a lot of singletrack (for once) . I had the benefit of going easy on the pedalling sections, then making the time back in the singletrack sections. It was a fun course and I wanted to get out there despite also feeling like go to bed.
The race started well, with a front row start (thanks UCI points) and leading the race for most of the first lap. My legs felt fresh, but my system felt 'shut dow'. So I didn't expect it to last long. My Trek team mate Yuu Takenouchi was fired up and passed me going into the second lap, with another rider, Oga, following. I let them by, not wanting to hold them up. Following them into the singletrack, I felt ok, just a bit weak and dizzy. But I kept pushing. Then a slip of my chain and a resulting crash down and embankment put me about 30 seconds behind the two leaders. On such a fast track, this was alot. For the whole race I tried to make that time back up, but it was hard. I didn't have the 'punch'. And the nature of the course meant there was only one spot where you could see where other riders where. It was a thick forest. Frustratingly, we maintained the same gap for the whole race. Takenouchi and Oga sprinted for the finish and Oga won.
I wasn't happy with the way I felt, but I was happy that I could race and especially finish. I got some points and now I'm motivated to get healthy and train for the next race at Yawatahama in one month. That's an even better course. So the Japanese season's started on the wrong foot, but at least some points are on the board. Garlic time.