WHAT'S UP WITH WILL?

I GOT WHACKED TONIGHT.  It's the local MTB race - 700+ racers every week.  Halfway through the season and I thought I'd stick my head in an give it a whirl...

... nearly had it removed.

But, that's the thing about racing.  We all have a the will to win.  It's not enough. Read on.

Then the gun went and my pal Kurt, the series leader, went to the front and drilled it.

We never caught him...

... especially me.

I was actually feeling really good on the first lap.  With some really good guys, in the top five.  So much so I thought I could bridge up to Kurt if I wanted, or that with our rotation we'd eventually catch him.

The second lap, hurt a bit more.

These short races, under an hour, are hell.  All out, not at all what I've been working on.  Trust me, these cats are battle hardened halfway through the season.

The third lap, hurt a lot...

... I pulled the plug halfway through and promptly lost 2 minutes.

The will to win, that's easy...

... the will to prepare, that's difference between the champions and the pack fodder.

I rode a fourth lap, just to contemplate how bad of a beating I'd received. 

From 2nd to 7th in one lap.  That's an impressive move.  The question I was asking myself was this...

... do I have the will to prepare for this kind of racing?

At a minimum, I need to finish strong.

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/recovery/products/amp-pr-lotion

Probably, especially since it will help me prep for Sea Otter.

And of course, I'll be lathering up with PR Lotion for the race and the race specific training.

It's that good.

If you haven't tried it...

... are you crazy?

https://pedalindustries.com/collections/recovery/products/amp-pr-lotion

There is nothing like the afterglow of a good beating.  I sat long after everyone was gone, soaking up the moment and enjoying the sunset

It's always great to see so many friends.

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