2. February 2020
Season 2020 started – 4 Stage MTB Race Lanzarote
The first race of this season is already done. To be honest, my preparation for it wasn’t the best at all. One week before, I got sick. That was physically as well mentally pretty hard. The pressure raises when you know: the flights are booked: the travel is organized and the start of the stage race takes place in one week. I gave myself some rest, took a few warm bathes and tried to accept the current situation. But as always: easy said, difficult made.
On Saturday the first of four stages began. I was more or less healthy again. But on this day massive backpain and stomach cramps made me suffer. I somehow managed to survive these 42km. Not really what I hoped for my first race 2020. Second day, next chance. I felt a lot better, had power on the pedals and found into my «flow». On the schedule of the third day was a time trial that went all the way up to a mountain. That was my first mountain time-trial ever. I decided to ride the STOLL Hardtail R1 instead of the full suspension bike M1. The R1 is a real lightweight rocket and due to that perfect for climbing. On the fourth and last day there was the Queen-Stage with about 81km on the program. I invested a lot of power and finished 4 days of racing without any crash and any technical issue as 11th overall women.
Conclusion: It was a good training and a great check of my current performance level. I also took lots of experiences back home. Hint of the day: The less liquid you carry with you, the faster you reach the next feed-zone. But need to say: it is hard to eat a power bar with a dry mouth and the gummy bears literally stick your mouth together. Just joking. Imagine that there has been 30°C and I didn’t have anything to drink during 20km. Yep, that was hard and yep, I learned of it.
I am now at home for about 1.5 weeks. Then I go to Spain to compete in the Mediterranean Epic.