Day 3, Wednesday- The Double

Time Trial:
  The AM segment of this luxury trip consisted of a 2,5 km time trial.  I wasn’t putting too much stress on it since I had not chance of being in a top spot and I was more worried and focused on the PM long ride.  Since I was in one of the last few spots, I was one of the first to go (9:32am).  Nice to get it over with and rest up.  The course was basically uphill and downhill through the small town and streets to get your legs pumping.

PM 91,7 km, 3:30pm start:
  I really wanted to get a better start and stick on THE or even just A group to not be racing 91 km alone again.  So I tried to stay relaxed in the midst of all the bikes and the big group as we started out on the open road.  Even though we almost immediately started uphill the group picked up speed very fast and I wasn’t able to hold on to the front group.  I was able to stick on a pack though and this gave me some ease of mind.
  The entire first climb however I was in front and did all the work going up the hill as no one wanted to take a turn.  Once at the top I was still feeling good and started the downhill a bit nervous of having the entire group behind me.  It was either the nerves of flying down the steep winding road, or the small tight and very light colored pavement but on probably the 5th turn down I found my bike sliding out from under me and that “oh crap” feeling, as I hit the pavement and see all the other riders fly by.  It all happened so fast there wasn’t even time to think, I jumped up immediately and back on my bike to try and catch the group.  But unfortunately they were long gone, along with my hopes of finishing with the group today.  I was so mad that I didn’t take more caution in these first turns, but I guess I was just so excited that caution was second in mind.
  In the fall I didn’t get scrapped up too bad, but I did take a nice hit to my right hip which had already been achy from yesterday.
  I worked my way down the slope and once on the flat part in the middle section of the course I was joined by a few riders that seemed to have been struggling on the first hill.  I stuck with them the rest of the way and we made our way to the finish working together.
  It was so frustrating that I couldn’t stay on the pack AGAIN, but at least this time it was for other reasons then just speed and wind.

Day 4, Thursday-  Mountains, 129,8 km

  I think everyone … except maybe Emma Pooley (the winner and super climber) was nervous about this stage of the race.  With 3 big climbs and the peak reaching about 1,200m it was definitely a climbers course.
  At the start I tried again to stay on the heals of the main pack, but that first 10km just kills me.
  Looking back, I think most of my trouble came from not warming up enough.  The rest of the team would do a 10-15 min ride before going to the start and standing around 20 min at the line.  But unlike them, I’m not used to shooting out at the start with just a little ride like that.  So again I was struggling off the back with my achy hip and managing to hang onto a group to get up the first climb.
  The real trouble started with the downhill though, when the pain from my banged up hip started flaring up. Just the force of pushing down my right pedal in a seated position caused excruciating pain in my hip.  The entire downhill I thought I was going to have to drop out.  But even if I came in dead last I knew I HAD to finish, even just this stage.  I had never been in such pain and the only thing that has come close was when I tried to run the 10k at Heps senior year with a stress fracture in my pelvis (I was forced to drop out after about 15 laps ).
  So I made it to the bottom with the group out of sight as they passed me right as the downhill started.  But once the next uphill started I realized I didn’t have pain when standing on the pedals.  With this new and slightly daunting revelation I began working my way up the 2nd climb and closer to the group.  Soon enough and through a combination of seated and standing work (mostly standing), I caught and passed the group.  I felt my hip warming up a bit and once I got to the top (alone) I knew I had to bite my lip and press on down to not let them pass me again.
  Somehow it worked!! and once the next big climb started to the top I was still alone and working with the next group in mind.  Even though I had no idea how far they were ahead I pushed as hard as I could up the mountain and couldn’t believe it when almost at the top I see other riders.  I was so happy for so many reasons… that the 1,200m climb was over, that I made it to the next group, that my hip pain was lingering but not brutal, and that I had worked so hard and actually got somewhere.
  With my hip finally feeling a bit better I rode (cautiously) with the group to the bottom, along the remaining 30km of flat rolling downhill to a much needed finish.
  That night I had never been so achy or sore in my life.