Running intervals 1:00:00 [4] 10.0 km (6:00 / km)
shoes: Inov-8 X-Talon 190
Well, I daresay whatever high I was on, has finally worn off. Or maybe I should have taken a gel, I'm not sure.
I was in sort of a quasi-end-of-season break for a few days, but that didn't stop me from pedaling an unfortunately long way over to Vaajakoski for a little XC race. There was 100 euros up for grabs, which was cool, but I was pretty sure someone else faster would win it. So maybe I took the race too casually. Either way, the start happened and I seemed to cruise to the front, with one fellow behind me. But, really, after 2k I was already feeling really tired. The legs didn't have a lot of energy, I could feel my calves being tight already, and by the end of the first lap, we were going at a pretty pedestrian pace and I was not feeling great.
Eventually other fellow (who turns out to be one of the best XC skiers in Finland) took the lead, and on the last uphill made a gap of about 20 meters, which I was quite certain down the last downhill I would in no way be able to close, so he just pulled away. We were well enough ahead that once he was out of reach I was not really pushing any more and he put a total of maybe 100 meters by the finish. Not exactly a high-speed finish for me. I really would have liked those 100 euros and I tried, but my legs just got too-lactate-y by the end, even my arms and upper body were feeling really tight.
So, I feel like whatever was fueling me the last few weeks has run out, and I will be thankful to maybe not race this weekend (although technically there are two races on Thursday). I figure those three days off were good enough for the time being, and tomorrow I'll really start training for the half-marathon (although recent life changes might make that not possible, either).
Instead of winning 100 euros, I won a 50 euro gift card to a sports shop in Kyyjärvi, which would be great, if Kyyjärvi wasn't TWO HOURS AWAY. And its not like its in the direction of Helsinki or Tampere. Its north, towards Kokkala. When in the world am I going to go there in the next 6 months?