Race cancelled

On race day you want to roll to the start line with fresh legs and a stash of firewood ready to burn. Tapering your training during the week leading up to the event prevents fatigue kicking in before the charge to the finishing line. With the Gorrick Autumn Classic scheduled for Sunday, I skipped my usual Tuesday evening ride. I also only commuted twice, choosing routes with minimal hills, sticking to tempo spinning where possible.

When Friday night came I was feeling relaxed and rested. Out in the shed prepping the Stumpjumper, my phone buzzed. The text simply said "Gorrick cancelled". Surprised and puzzled I checked the internet for details. Due to military maneouvers the land near Deepcut, which is owned by the UK MOD, was not going to be available. In all my years of racing Gorrick events I can never remember one being cancelled and it is rare for any event to be called off at such short notice. The guys and girls at Gorrick must have already put a lot of time into preparing the course.

I went back to the house and ate something sweet and sugary followed by a bowl of cereal. It was a bit of a blowout after eating carefully all week in an attempt to minimise the weight gain since the serious races and training of July and August.

So an unexpected social Sunday ride began with a leg busting, lung burning blast up to Whiteways. Almost straight away I was relieved the race had been cancelled. As a cyclist, the moment you swing your leg over the crossbar you know if it is going to be a good or a bad day. This Sunday it just wasn't happening.

Despite conventional wisdom I have often felt I am stronger at the weekend after a tough ride on Friday. You have good or bad days on the bike and it is hard to explain why, but this week further backs up my theory that I should push it a few days before racing.
 

Unexpected Sunday social!