25.04.10 - JCF#1: Back to Japan, minus the form
Photos by Shuhei Takenouchi
It's great being back in Japan, for a third season. Now I know the locations, tracks, riders, and other ins and outs of what I need to know. So all is looking good for this season, perhaps more from a long term perspective though.
I have my new bikes and equipment, all even better than ever. Everything's in place... except for fitness. Having had surgery in January, followed by two months of inactivity, I've only got a month of riding under the belt, with no race fitness. So my expectations are low for this race, as well as the next race in a week. Even though I won both these races last year, my form is totally different. Non-existant. So my approach for this first race was to hold back early, see how I go, and aim to finish with a somewhat solid result.
Fresh off the plane and a long drive, I wasn't suprised my body was heavy and sluggish. It took me a couple of laps to get going anyway. So I didn't have to hold back as such. In the middle of the race, I actaully felt good, and picked up the pace. Then the lack of intensity training showed, with dizziness kicking in and my pace slowing. I clearly lacked endurance, as my last two laps seemed slower. So I just kept it solid and held my 4th place until the end.
The result was actually better than I expected and I'm hoping the race itself will help me for next week. Time to rest in between, as I'm sure I'll take longer than usual to recover. Pushing through now and hoping for a good month of training in warm weather next month.
