didn't go so well on Saturday. for some stupid reason I seem to always stay up til midnight the night before a race, then get maybe 6.5hrs sleep. Not enough. Legs felt like wood and never really improved. Decent start saw me in the top 15, but a couple of laps in I kinda popped and started to fade like I was dragging a boat anchor. 2-3 guys would pass me on every lap, and I was looking forward to seeing the "5 laps to go" sign at the finish line. The thick grass that makes many racers view Interlocken as a classic course...well it is not good for me, esp. with bad legs. Energy-sapping grass made me push an easier gear than I knew I needed to, but the course was difficult and didn't leave much room for recovery. The 75 yards of running - barrier, ride or run for 15yds, then volleyball court, then ride or run for 15yds to double barrier - was difficult after riding through the thick grass by Hwy 36. Perhaps next year I will skip this one and race the Red Rocks course. Hopefully I am getting the bad race over with, as next week my parents will be down to watch out at Boulder Rez, another course where I typically don't fare super well, with the beach ride/run-up, dock section, more sand, and crit-style pavement.
The day much improved as I left the venue soon after finishing, dropped off Alina with Mary at Chataqua Park, and Helen went for a run. I drove over the Flatirons to Walker Ranch for a mountain bike ride, knowing Sunday was going to be snowy. Great descents and steep climbs may not have been the ideal recovery ride, but my legs felt okay after about 1/2hr.
