Training Log Archive: Torino

Riding from the parking to the start.

Long distance Bike-O race starting south from Valangin into the woods that Sandra and Marc were living close by. It had rained all night and the trails were muddy, deep slushy mud sometimes 20cm deep. Funfunfun. Already shortly after the start I got stuck and was running with the bike to get through. Then I did not see the little trail taking off to my first control, went too far, went down and back on the road to go back up :-(. To the second control, I was reading the map as if I was going to #8 but realised it halfway through. It was then very, very difficult to get out of that situation and head for the fastest route which was down on a road. Both mistakes cost me like 10 min. But I realised also that I had no chance on the many little trails being stuck in the mud. I walked a lot. And pushed the bike uphill even more as I could not get up any uphill. It was tough and for a while I thought I might cut it short and head down directly to Sandra's place! But I pushed on. Often I needed to find a stick to clear the mud from the forks of my bike as the wheels would not turn. However, the feeling I had most often even if I could ride was to have my handbrakes on. And later in the shower, I realised that this was exactly the case: I have the most agressive and widest tires on my bike which is the worst in the mud as I was picking up tons of mud and debris. Plus, I am just not in the shape I used to be after not training outdoors all winter and just don't have the strength. So, I was working super hard with an obstacle and not being in that kind of shape. To sum it up; it was last by far today.
Time to change my tires :-)! And recover, I was very exhausted afterwards.

C • But... 5

Biking from the parking area to the sign-up and to the start all uphill!!
It was still kind of nice and sunny but could see that the grey clouds and the rain front was getting close.

Middle distance bike-O race in Valangin near Neuchâtel. It had started to rain but once I started I was not aware of anything anymore except that I got kind of cold hands. But the rain had also stopped again later on.
I could win this race! It has been over a year since my last win. I did not feel that I could be very fast because long stretches were on dirt roads slightly uphill, and I knew that I usually lose the most time there, and I also did! But I could make up for it on the many steep downhills on little trails, some were rocky and slippery from the rain, so eventually the time was on my side :-). I think I made no mistake and was really happy with it. We were all within 4 minutes of each other!

C • Did you win? 3

Long way back from the finish but with beautiful views onto the Lake of Neuchâtel and the Alps, however, I was cold and wet and very dirty!

Bring my little mountain bike to a bike fair and had to go fast as I wanted to catch the train from there back into town. Kind of a sad day to say good-bye to my faithful little black bike. But it is too small and causes me knee pain.

Teaching my 2 yoga classes, only few people and keep it a little harder and very fluid. Feels great!

Biking to where I wanted to start running

Ran the Elfenauloop, tried to push it a bit but felt like a hippo.

Biking back home downhill!

Teaching my three regular classes, all were quite tough with a little circuit that everyone did the same time each exercise for a full minute. Emphasis were besides the core exercises strength for legs and balance.

Walked in the NW class over the high train bridge down near the lake of Brienz. Cold but not rainy, we were lucky.

PM: teaching my core conditioning class, quite tough today ;-)