Reflections on MYM50 and CYCLOCROSS!!

Over a week since the MYM50, and I am feeling back to normal. Body and leg fatigue was a factor for the whole week until last Friday, when I managed to get a mountain bike ride in the Watershed. Saturday was a 3 hour cyclocross ride with the Saturday Crew, and a trip to Buntzen Lake with the family. I had a solid 1.5 hours in me before I started to peter our out on the cross ride. Sunday was a rest day, but since then, I have been hitting it hard, amassing 13 hours of training since last Friday. It still feels like Summer with the weather and the September heat. The clouds have been absent, and the time to get outdoors is now.

Some thoughts about MYM50:

Actual running time during the race was 11 hours, 10 minutes, finish time was 12 hours, 21 minutes. Sean and I dicked around for 70 minutes in aid stations. We spent almost a half hour at the halfway point (Aid #3), 15 or so minutes with the family at Aid #2, and the rest was lost at the other stations. Perhaps taking it more seriously would have lit a bit of a fire under our behinds.

Alas, that was not the point of this run. We wanted an experience. We got an experience.

So. Less time dickin' around in the aid stations. Check.

Hydration was awesome. No cramps on this run, the longest I have ever done. Refresh was the ticket. No Gatorade, no sugar drinks. In fact, I am off of those from now on. Skratch, Gu Brew, Refresh. They rock.

Going out with 50 miles in mind was easy. I had some doubts on the run, but stayed positive and focused. Every volley, spectator, family member, or fellow runner I met, I encouraged with positive accolades, and in turn, managed to make myself a super optimist.

The registration for MYM 50 2013 just opened yesterday. Will I be back? Lor says "No". I say, maybe not next year. I think I would like to try something else, like the Squamish 50, or another race. With Sean's retirement from road running, I am left being the sole participant in our group of two who is going to take on the road as well as the trail.

Now, cyclocross season has begun in earnest, as the first race of the year was on the same day as the MYM50. Tomorrow is the first BC CUP race in Abbottsford. I am riding in the Masters 1/2 group due to my performances last year. I suppose that I am cursing myself today for the good season I had last year. For the M1/2 group, I am hoping to stay up front, top 5 or so. If that does not work, then I will try to not get dropped and/ or lapped.

I am genuinely excited about the CX race tomorrow, because:

I like to go hard;
I like the taste of lung in my mouth;
I like to have my Movescount file come back with a 5.0 TE on it;
I like to try and barf in my mouth from going waaaaaay too hard;
I like trying to break my bike with how fast I try to ride it;
I like the feeling of being completely shattered at the end of the race;
I like being smooth on the bike.

I am going to love racing tomorrow.

Some MYM50 Pics for y'all.