First Canada Cup Race - Kamloops

I have never, ever experienced heat like we had today, and I'd be pretty happy to never experience it again.  But it sure was just that - an experience!  My HRM has always been accurate with it's temps so readings of an average of 46 and max of 48 are entirely plausible - especially since at one point on the course I wouldn't have been shocked to be told it was 50 degrees.  When we got back to the motel I sent a text to Robyn and Mum and gave them the only description I could think of - turn oven on, get in, ride bike.

Given the heat, I cut my warm up back to 20 minutes, on the trainer and in the shade, with a wet towl draped over my back which was pretty nice.  It also meant I was pretty much soaked through when I went to staging for call up where we were in the blazing sun for quite a few minutes.  Although it's been hot every day, today was the first time I really felt some intensity in the sun like we get at home.

To set the scene for the race: 9 out of 30 elite men DNFed, 2 DNSed, while 5 of the 14 women DNFed.  I can tell you I wasn't one of them!

The grid was 6 wide and thanks to a season racing back home earning UCI points I was 2nd rider called up so took a spot in the middle.  However, there was no start loop, or even an extended area for the field to sort itself out - we were straight in to it on the start climb.  It had been one thing riding it alone, or with another rider, but with a bunch start the dust was INSANE!!!  As soon as the gun went (a real gun too - LOUD!) there was just a huge dust cloud and you couldn't see where you were going and just had to point and hope for the best while choking down dust and half-closing your eyes.  Some girls went past me but in the cloud I really couldn't see where I was positioned.  The dust stayed with us for about a third of the first lap and one of the girls went down early on through a woop-de-doo type section.  I got past her safely and soon made another pass, still following a cloud of dust in front.  By this stage, about 5 minutes in, the heat and it's effects were already starting to tell.  Between sucking in (and squinting through) dust and the heat I wasn't able to push it as I had in training, but it was also obvious it was affecting the others in the same way.  A few more minutes in I made another pass.  Passing wasn't really easy on much of the course and required a burst to power through the rough vegetation on the side of the track before getting back on the track itself, which was still pretty rough.  After that one short burst I felt smashed!

Turning in to the loose downhill that led to the feedzone for the first time I noticed a huge rut had formed but managed to navigate my way through it.  On subsequent laps I found a better line out wide but either way it was slow and dodgy.  The feedzone at half way was one of my 'must drink' points so I grabbed my bottle and downed as much as I could - horrible!  Like straight from the microwave (if you've ever microwaved raro you'll know what it's like).  But better than not drinking.

The second half of the course was just as relentless with the heat.  One of the worst parts was crossing a dry creek bed - twice!  If there had been water in there I'd put a lot of money on finding lots of riders in it.

The dust was so much worse than it had been yesterday morning.  I knew sections were going to get blown out but hadn't reckoned on so much dust!  It was ankle deep in places and behaved like sloppy mud where you didn't know what was under it.  Even before the end of the first lap I was wondering how I would survive the race.  We had 5 laps in total and the pace was slower than in practice because of the heat.  The first lap took me just over 23 minutes, but on the second lap the heat was really taking it's toll.  By the time I got up the first climb I was getting all shivery and had goosebumps - a sure sign of heat stroke.  A few times I felt kind of light headed, but was determined to get a result.  This was my first race in Canada - no WAY could I DNF out of it.  I knew I'd have to fall off my bike in a heap and not be able to get back on before I'd accept a DNF.  Stubborn?  Just a little.  Stupid?  Well I'm still here...

First time at the feedzone on lap 2 I got a bottle of water to pour over me as well as taking a long drink.  Only problem with the water was it was warm, no, hot!  But as I rode away and the air flowed over me it actually did feel a little cooler.  The toughest pinch in the course was a couple of minutes after the feed zone.  On the first lap I'd had to get off behind a couple of other girls.  2nd lap I tried to ride it but had nothing.  I had power in my legs, but no energy to use it.  It was a strange feeling.  I've never felt physically ok but been so drained of energy at the same time.  The shivery feeling was gone and had been replaced with the feeling of being cooked alive.

At the feedzone at the end of lap 2 I called for coke - not planned until the end of lap 3, but I was at a point where I knew I'd be lapped before going out for a 5th, and frankly I was happy about that.  In such extreme heat the rules had changed for me - survive, and get a result.  Normally I'd want to finish the full race and get the best result I could, but today, after 2 laps I was happy to spend as little time out there as possible.  Many of the other girls were thinking the same way - a few had already pulled out but I had no idea what position I was in or where anyone else was.

Lap 3 was pathetically slow, but I could hardly have given any more than I did.  I was shocked every time I looked at my HRM to see I was hitting 90-95% even though I was just crawling along.  Others said it was the same for them.  I had no idea the heat had that effect.  At the half way point I poured another bottle of hot water over me, took another bottle of drink (now officially drinking twice as much as planned) and found out the leader was just over half a lap ahead of me.  I made the call to get lapped out because I wasn't sure I could put another lap under my belt in this heat.

I backed off even more on the pace to make sure I'd get pulled under the 80% rule - I'm not sure I really could have managed any more pace anyway.  I was pretty torn about what I was doing - I hate to give up or make excuses but I really believed another lap could have done me in, and I wanted the best chance to recover for the rest of the races coming up.  I was still drinking lots but getting bloated and a bit of reflux as well, and the shivery feeling was coming and going.  At points I wanted to pull off to the side but wouldn't have known whether to sleep, cry or throw up, so I kept going.

At the start/finish I called 80% but they didn't answer and I thought 'oh no - I have to go out for another lap, you can't be serious!'.  I should have asked before the race because they don't have to enforce 80% in all UCI races.  However, within about a minute my race leader passed me and I took the risk.  I pulled off the course and rode back to the officials who took pity on me and knew I understood the rules as I'd not ridden backwards on the course.  A little bit lucky, but in the conditions they were prepared to be a bit kind agreeing that if the 80% rule was in force I would have been pulled. 

I finished in 7th place.  All things considered, not too bad.  We were all suffering out there, and it would have been easy to pull out and a lot of people did in all of the races so any result was pretty good.  I just don't know how the girls who did 5 laps managed it.  I imagine they're not feeling to great right now!  So I've got a handful of UCI points to add to the total, and an envelope with a little bit of Canadian money - hard earned!

Our feeder for the day was a guy named Craig from Whistler, but originally New Plymouth - really nice guy.  He was feeding us and another racer and I was just so grateful he stood out in that heat.  He DNFed in his race earlier in the day.  John also DNFedand spent some time in the first aid tent after feeling pretty giddy after a crash.  He said the girl who came in after him had passed out twice!  I guess all that work in the heat in the Elkhorn kind of paid off today :o)

Highlight of the day?  I think it had to be meeting one of the girls after the race, Mandy who finished in 8th, and pointing the hose straight up in the air above us letting it rain down on top of us - that was awesome!  I think someone she knew took a photo ofthat and she is going to be in Canmore next week so I'll try and track down a copy of that.  No pics from me today - camera might have melted...