Exciting Times!

Two weeks from now the team will be in Italy on the eve of the main event!  All of the training is finished having completed the Dragon ride so the bikes will see a little less use during the final run in.

The nerves feel fairly settled now, but it was a different story after the first major climb on the Dragon ride.  I think I went at it a bit too hard on the Black Mountain and there was a stint during the middle of the ride when I was questioning how well prepared I was for the Maratona.  Stomach cramps and heavy legs were getting me down, but it's funny how things work out, because I was able to get back into a good rhythm and make a strong finish.  I posted a silver standard time which did not align with how I was feeling during the ride and I was quite shocked by the result to be honest!  In my view it reinforces the training methods and advice that Dr. Garry Palmer at Sportstest has been guiding the team with.  Thank you Garry!

I still have one or two things to iron out over the next couple of weeks.  The main one being the return of my Trek (or a Trek!).  Unfortunately my TCT5000 was letting the seat post slip - something I noticed a few weeks back.  Having been returned to Trek for inspection it was determined that a crack had developed in the frame :-(    Trek stood by the lifetime warranty they provide for frames and sent out a Madone 4.7 as a replacement.  I was hoping it would be ready for the Dragon, but it wasn't to be.  I picked up the rebuilt bike last Thursday and am looking forward to getting a few miles done before we head out to the mountains!

The second one is 'seating'.  Either my shorts or saddle (or both) are not quite up to scratch for the several hours required on the bike and this became pretty clear about two thirds of the way around the Dragon route.  My saddle is nothing special, so I have invested in a Specialized Romin Comp and will see how this goes with my current shorts over the next few rides before I try anything else.  I know it is a bit close to the event to be meddling with 'contact' points, but I figured the way things were on the Dragon, I have nothing to lose by trying something else.  I'll let you know how it goes later this week and post some pics of the 'born again' Trek too.