I think Garfield (the cat, not the president) once said that if you set your expectations low enough you'll never be disappointed. With that in mind, maybe at this point it's time to rethink my strategies for these races. Today's points race was a step in the right direction over the last two days, but still not what I had been hoping for coming into nats. It's a bit of a mystery why I haven't been feeling it since I was setting all kinds of power PRs in the month before nationals. But somehow the legs have just been completely absent this whole week.
The points race qualifiers were early in the morning, and both Dan and I qualified while Alan narrowly missed out. The qualifiers were surprisingly fast this year, and even guys like Huff and McCook didn't make it in. In the final heat some didn't make it even after lapping the field twice. I actually felt pretty good in the final, and rode a fairly aggressive race but couldn't quite line up my attacks with the flow of the race. Twice the counters to my moves got away and lapped, and somehow I was never attacking during the points. In hindsight I should have layed low for a while to get in sync with the sprint laps, but I was really gunning to take a lap since that seemed like my best shot at a top-5 compared to duking it out in the sprints. In the end that strategy didn't pay off.
Tomorrow is the madison and Dan and I are looking for some redemption. It's not clear yet whether there will be qualifying heats or simply a final, but either way we'd like to ride an aggressive race and shoot for a podium spot. I guess that runs counter to my opening aphorism, but at this point there's not much to lose.
Oh, in perhaps the most immediate realization of karma in the history of the world, someone stole both of our pee bottles. It's more than a bit surprising since they were both clearly marked with Mr. Yuk faces. And whether the scoundrel uses them for drinking or for peeing, a pee bottle seems like something you wouldn't want to double dip. Like recycling chamois cream, dentures, or thongs.
Product Spotlight:
Hammer Nutrition Products
I began using Hammer products this road season and am hopelessly addicted. Nutritional supplements are sometimes difficult to justify because they can be costly and their efficacy is usually only circumstantially proven. For that reason I am generally a tough sell in the supplements department, but after a year using Hammer I can definitely say that they have made a huge difference for me.
My favorite products include the Premium Insurance caps, a large-dose daily supplement pack; Recoverite, a super-charged recovery mix; Hammer Gel and Hammer Bar energy foods; REM Caps sleep aid (which have the added bonus of crazy lucid dreams); and Endurolytes, an electrolyte replacement supplement taken during exercise in hot weather. Using this combination of products I have seen changes in my performance 100% attributable to their use. For both my teammates and myself, Hammer is one of the only products we would unhesitatingly purchase in spite of other sponsorship committments. I'm incredibly greatful for their support and will probably be paying oversize fees all winter to accomodate a few cases of their products.
I began using Hammer products this road season and am hopelessly addicted. Nutritional supplements are sometimes difficult to justify because they can be costly and their efficacy is usually only circumstantially proven. For that reason I am generally a tough sell in the supplements department, but after a year using Hammer I can definitely say that they have made a huge difference for me.
My favorite products include the Premium Insurance caps, a large-dose daily supplement pack; Recoverite, a super-charged recovery mix; Hammer Gel and Hammer Bar energy foods; REM Caps sleep aid (which have the added bonus of crazy lucid dreams); and Endurolytes, an electrolyte replacement supplement taken during exercise in hot weather. Using this combination of products I have seen changes in my performance 100% attributable to their use. For both my teammates and myself, Hammer is one of the only products we would unhesitatingly purchase in spite of other sponsorship committments. I'm incredibly greatful for their support and will probably be paying oversize fees all winter to accomodate a few cases of their products.
Equipment Spotlight
TIME RXE/RXS Shoes and Pedals
After using Shimano shoes and pedals for the last two years, I was a little skeptical to change an unbroken system. Though the TIME setup isn't as stiff as the Shimano equipment, I've found that the added durability and significantly lighter weight more than make up for that. The TIME cleats have lasted the whole season, and TIME also drill their cleat holes farther back on the sole to accomodate the new-school cleat placement slightly behind the ball of the foot. Overall I'm really happy to have made the switch and look foward to another season on these shoes and pedals.
After using Shimano shoes and pedals for the last two years, I was a little skeptical to change an unbroken system. Though the TIME setup isn't as stiff as the Shimano equipment, I've found that the added durability and significantly lighter weight more than make up for that. The TIME cleats have lasted the whole season, and TIME also drill their cleat holes farther back on the sole to accomodate the new-school cleat placement slightly behind the ball of the foot. Overall I'm really happy to have made the switch and look foward to another season on these shoes and pedals.
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