Race Tomorrow

Well here we are, pre race eve. Bike is checked in, gear bags are checked in, carbo is loaded, there isn't much more to do but have a good nights sleep and then go and set up for the race tomorrow.

Tomorrow is going to be a tough day, there are no two ways around that. I think conserve is going to be the word of the day. I went out for a spin on the bike course today and whilst I didn't feel like I was particularly 'going' for it, I still felt a little off by the end. So tomorrow is going to be all about keeping hydrated and racing smart. I think it could be a race where it might be very easy to push yourself into a dnf, which I really don't want.

I have now been over each of the legs at least a little bit, and on the surface, none of them present any big hurdles, if done right. I did a lap of the run course last night and it went fine. It has some rolling hills which are going to wear a little thin on laps 2 and 3, but nothing to killer, it will just be a case of pacing correctly. I managed to run pretty comfortably around the course, but pacing will be important if I want to maintain the comfy running and not simply fall in a huge hole. We are going to be racing around the middle of the day and so trying to race flatout is simply not going to work. I had forgotten how much this weather can take out of you. I am feeling fairly tired tonight and I haven't even raced yet.

One upside is that I did the first and last 15km of the ride course this morning, which they say is the hilliest. Whilst the hills were of note, what sticks in my mind most of all is actually the downhills, some of them are massive. So I am hoping that is a good sign. The hills can't be to bad, if the most memorable bit is going down them.

When I race, my instincts are generally to go for it. Tomorrow is going to be a bit of a struggle, I am going to have to really control my natural racing style and try and hold it back a little. The second half of the race is the time for effort. I think the first half will be all about setting up that second half.

Wish me luck.