Plan "B"

Plan A is defined as "being on my A-game."
I knew as soon as I woke up on race day I wasn't feeling on my A-game.

Normally, I wake up at least once the night before a race in anticipation...and to pee because I have been hydrating like crazy. Normally, I wake up early and immediately start to think about the race. Normally, I have ants in my pants to get to the course, and start warming up. Normally, I would worry that it pissed rain during the night leaving the course treacherous and slick. Normally, I am so nervous I have stomach trouble.

Race day, nothing. I slept like a baby, not waking once throughout the night. In fact, I don't think I moved at all. I woke up 45 minutes LATE and couldn't remember why on earth it was time to get up on a Saturday. I felt like I should be worried about something...but what was it??? It surely wasn't the fact that it rained the night before the race, because I couldn't care less. I didn't even care that a large part of the course would be unrideable. Dragged my butt to the course and actually dozed in the car prior to my race. No jitters, no nerves, no upset stomach...nothing. Started my warmup and felt just OK. My legs hurt, but that is what warming up does...reminds the muscles how to deal with the pain. Then the race starts. Nothing. My legs don't want to move, my brain doesn't want to push my legs to move, and my legs don't care that my brain doesn't care....sigh, NOT Plan A.

Plan B. Party at the lake. Long weekend, roast beast dinner with pie for dessert, roasting marshmallows, beer, and wine. Rocket launching with my young cousins, scavenger hunts, campfire, nature walks,fishing, catching flutter-bys and wheel barrow races. My favorite dog-niece, Kuma, and Kuma's bitch Rosco. The list goes on.

At the race, with 2 out of 7 laps completed, I decided enough was enough and Plan B was a WAY better plan than Plan A. Pre-iritis Sandy would have pushed through the race, on my "Z-game" and worried about it for 3 weeks. Post iritis Sandy decided that the lake would be way more fun, and why push myself if it's just not my day?? For me, this is HUGE. I recently realized I am always taking myself (and racing) way to seriously (news flash to ME ONLY, I know!!) and am constantly worrying about these "off" days as being major signs of defeat. As I learnt this weekend, "there are some defeats more triumphant than victories"(Michel de Montaigne). Case and point. Plan B proved to be way more fun and valualbe than Plan A. I had a ton of fun at the lake and am back on board with training after a much needed rest and recharge.