Form...a very strange and mystical thing. When you have it your on top of the world...untouchable. When you don't every turn of the pedal, every drag and acceleration hurts.
With a season beginning mid February it is near to impossible to keep form or be going well for the entire season. Like a rollercoaster there are ups and downs, peaks and troughs and at the moment I've been experiencing the trough!
So the last you heard of me I was trying to find some legs and form at the seaside, Concarneau to be exact. Last Tuesday night, and to be honest was feeling a lot better than the previous few races. So moral slightly better I had a few days before the next race.
It's come to that point in the season where I'm not going to make massive gains in training, its more a case of recovery and with lots of racing, make sure I'm prepared for the next race.
So that meant a steady hours recovery ride Wednesday, to get the race from the night before out of my legs, then Thursday a short sharp session of hill sprints, just a couple of hours but intense.
Friday followed with a day off the bike, spent chilling by the beach! Treated myself to an ice cream and spent the evening watching live music at the Lorient Celtic Festival, pretty good rest day I'd say!
Saturday and awoke to rain, lots of it. Knowing I needed to open legs up a bit before Sunday's race I headed out for a wet hour and a half.
Sunday and Seglien. Another Challenge Roi Morvan race (how many of these are there!?) Awoke to dry skies and brisk winds. After picking up team car and doing the usual pre race rituals of bag packing etc. I headed off for Seglien. A town very near to last weeks race at Cleguerec. 45 mins in the car and arriving at the sleepy town.
Signed on and kitted up. I headed down to see my team mate Laurent and team manager Yvon. Just myself and Laurent racing this one and the field was pretty small as well, think just over 40 riders in fact. Circuit was a rolling one. 6.4km, a long drag like climb to the finish of probably a kilometre, a little descent, lots of open roads and wind. We had 14 laps and although the field wasn't big it had some good riders in it. With AC Lanester, UC Briochine and Scaer riders, Guillemot and Kerneis (Masters National Champion) as well as lots of other possible winners.
So away we went and a break formed literally within metres of starting! I wasn't ready for that, luckily none of the race favourites were either. Still the break of half a dozen or so soon built up at good 30 sec lead. In the bunch and the wind and rolling terrain was keeping everyone on their toes. It was very stop/start, terrible for me! I much prefer fast throughout as the constant change of pace is not something I adapt well too!
So after a few laps, I was not feeling all that great. I will hark back to that search for the magical "form". Clearly I was still on the hunt for it! Every time we hit the finishing drag and attacks would go I was in the red, legs and breathing not good.
A few laps more and the break was coming back. The bunch had lost a few riders as well. The change of pace was really getting to me so I thought the best form of defence was to attack. Soon I was away with 5 or so others and we had a nice gap to the bunch and catching the remaining breakaway rider we were away!
Yet the bunch was soon back up to us. I was a bit spent and soon attacks were going and I just didn't have the legs to follow. No reserves at the moment probably sums it up.
So soon a big group had gone up the road. All big hitters present. Race over with 4 laps to go. What was left of the bunch weren't too interested and although half a dozen of us got away in the last few laps we were basically racing for 21st.
So rolling across the line, 26th. Rubbish.
Laurent was slightly better in 20th but was definitely not a good day.
So what to do!? Good question! I am resting well, although sleeps a bit on and off, training ok, recovery rides and a few short sharp rides, yet going like a deflated space hopper.
Mentally maybe a bit stale as well as all races are sort of rolling into one at the moment! Luckily some big races (Perthes, GP Plouay) coming up will help, giving me something to aim towards.
Maybe its just a bad patch. The result of over 40 races this season or something not right with training, either way I want to get out of the rut and get back to how I was feeling in June/July.
How I'm going to do this I do not know! (answers on postcard please)
Not worth getting down about it though, gonna keep plugging away and keep positive and hopefully legs will come round.
Another chance today at Locmiquelic.
On a much brighter note I had a very pleasant evening spent with the team their families last night at a Grillade, basically a big get together, lots of food and beer in the teams massive garage. A nice evening spent forgetting about the terrible race and catching up over a few sausages, cheese and a slab of far breton!
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