The tour madness is taking a firm hold. I noticed quite soon into my 1st tour 2 years ago that balancing work, travelling and racing along with late night eating turned my dreams all weird on me. I had some humdingers last night but one that I care to share is that I was waiting for the dog to cut my hair - and then I realised how foolish I had been. Its the monkey that cuts your hair! (The dog can't hold scissors in its hands.) Of course!
Last night's race was a trail race in the grounds of the Hill of Tarvit Mansionhouse. Having been too busy to suss everything out properly during the day I was horrified to hear we were to be doing laps. The greatest temptation to drop out there is! It was a great course though. Quite early on I realised I could take an approach to it similar to my approach to nightshifts. There's no way to avoid dreading the first one but then once you start the first one, well, at least you've started - and as soon as you start the next one (I used to do sets of three) - well there's only one more after this. Starting the third one is nearly cause for celebration - it hurts but the anticipation was worse...and so the race went too.
Helena Sim played a cruel game with me on the way round - stopping once to tie her shoelace and allowing me to catch up only to bomb off again - and then later, similarly, on the hill, stopping to walk just til I got pleasingly close and then running off hard again. Still, this kind of kept me going, as did the Carnethy-vested back of Jonathon Whitehead who I have seen in my part of the field in a few races recently so I know he's not impossible for me to catch. I thought Jonathon had me beaten as towards the end of the last lap he got a fair distance from me - but then I noticed I was catching up to him on the hill - so I pulled even with him on the grass on the final 50 metres or so and risked a sprint past him. He didn't respond, so I just pipped him.
Good game. I was a bit further up the field than the night before and my digestive system was working more smoothly - however its still not right. I do think its psychosomatic - but its also real, so I've taken some loperamide for the first time in my life to try and stave off trouble at the dreaded Uphill Time Trial tonight.
The first year I did this one it was rainy and it was pleasingly cool and damp - about right for a 1.4 mile stomp uphill. Last year there was a breeze which at least cooled things down. I'm hoping its not going to be hot tonight but it looks like it might be...
I got brilliant support last night, particularly from BC himself and from Susan Thompson and Hilary Ritchie from Fife. I felt most unworthy but I soaked it up anyway and tried to turn it into leg-power.
So now I've promised I'll try and do some dishes the afternoon so I better go and do that. Housework, as usual, has been coming quite low down the list of priorities...
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