30.05.10 - JCF#3: Fujimi, Nagano: The Cruelty of Racing
Photos by Shuhei Takenouchi
Three weeks have passed since the last race in Hakodateyama, not much time in training terms. But I put my head down, focussed, and worked hard. Then I was shocked and pleased to find my form rose suddenly and I was producing some power, finally. I was actually looking forward to the steep inclines of Fujimi's glassy slopes. Normally I dread it.
So, with one week to go it was time to rest and sharpen up. Then things suddenly change again. I caught a flu on the Tuesday and was knocked out. Spending 4 days in a row in bed, waiting to get better, was frustrating. Even the day before the race was mostly sleeping. Walking up to throught the race village steps to the registration tent was enough of a challenge. Looking up to the race track from there made me dread the race again.
I consumed plenty of medicine and vitamins leading up to the race. I was still weak, but at least my legs were rested! After 15 hours of sleep the night before the race, I decided I'd at least start, especially since the expected rain didn't come. It was a bit cold, but a nice day for racing. I did a long warm up to try to switch my body on, after being a vegetable all week. My legs felt good, too fresh. Normally a bad sign.
Lining up at the start, everything I could control was under control. Now I just had to hope I magically felt good in the race! From the gun, I held back and wanted to stay back a bit and test the waters. The first climb felt unnervingly easy. I spent most of the first half in the top 5, but my breathing was heavier than ever, my head was pounding, and I was too dizzy to ride in a straight line. I pushed on, but by the time the 5th lap came, I had a crash off the edge of the course and moved back to 6th. After that I couldn't regain composure and decided I was doing more harm than good. So I cruised to the finish and had my first 'voluntary' DNF in years. A very disappointing week.
Some good news came after the race though. Our team mate Shun won the Otaki Marathon elsewhere in Nagano. A big annual event. That gave us some positive vibes at least.
I was reminded of the cruel nature of competition. There are so many ups and downs and you just have to roll with it. We always want to be on form and winning, but it doesn't always go our way. We create our own luck, but we still have to see the bigger picture and move forward. So now it's a time to stay positive, keep working hard, and remember previous times when bad times quickly turned to great times. There aren't many races in a while, but that leaves more time to prepare and turn it up. Maybe a flu shot wouldn't hurt.
