With a week and a half off the bike and plenty of cold symptoms still present I still wanted to race. On the way to Glenvale I think I coughed up half a kilo of snotty gunk, which was good, as I could actually breathe during the race. My HR was pretty elevated which wasn’t a good sign and today’s temp was going to be 34degC. (Ruby Rhod) “hot hot hot!” (/Ruby Rhod)

The race itself was messy. People taking stupid risks early on, when there’s no point in doing so. Some riders don’t even seem to be able to ride in a straight line! I was playing it safe and staying on the outside, probably copping more wind than I should, because 1) I’m a chicken and 2) I’m not going to win if someone takes me down am I?!

With 3-to-go I’m around 10th wheel and move up. 2-to-go and the bunch is slowing down and widening until someone jumps. I delay briefly and then go, getting myself into 4th wheel or thereabouts.

On the final lap the bunch slows and spreads wide again – no one wants to lead out. Someone will go soon it’s just a question of who..

A rider is out of the saddle.. bam.. I’m up there. Last corner is relatively clean, from up the front, and now it’s a long sprint to the line – a simple matter of sustainable power.

Power I’m just not able to muster today. I give it a go but I’m passed by a few riders and just don’t have the lung capacity or leg strength to do anything about them.

At the end I count five riders over the line in front of me – I’m actually pretty bloody happy with 6th given my preparation (none) and how I was feeling on the day (ill). My HR just after crossing the line was up around 201bpm!! So, it’s not like I wasn’t trying!

Now, I’m trying to suss out why I felt ratshit all Sunday after a 9am race. I thought I was doing okay with post-race rehydration: ~1L Staminade+Saline mix, 1.25L mineral water, couple of 600ml bottles of water and then when nothing was working a 600ml bottle of gatorade, ice packs on my head, icy pole and ice cream.

That’s a lot of fluid! Unfortunately, all of this managed to do nothing towards making me feel any better. I looked like a mess staggering around with bloodshot eyes (no bong in sight! :P) and I spent all day on the couch watching episodes of “LOST”.

People tell me it’s heatstroke or migraine, etc.. but I don’t know. I just seem to be punished no matter how much I drink. Perhaps my brain gets fried and just needs time to cool down? No wonder I can’t count laps! My brain is a giant roast lamb!