Pneumonia

After I finished 23 minutes back in the 3 field at Cherry Blossom I took a day off and got back into racing and training again. I wasn't going to do Eugene Roubaix but I figured the legs were doing ok and I was feeling somewhat recovered. I just kept on the bike that week and tried to flush the legs out.

The Friday night before my race I decided to go out with a friend and have a nice evening of trying to stay off my feet and drinking water. I didn't get to bed till 2 and I had to be up at 7 to get to the race. I didn't end up sleeping in my own bed that night and I didn't sleep very well because of it along with waking up with a stiff neck.

But I headed down to the race anyway. 2 hours in the car for a 2.5 hour race. Great. I still wasn't feel horrible, a little tired maybe but not horrible. The profile was supposed to be mostly flat with a gravel section that was a little tenuous. I think we were supposed to do 4 laps on this circuit and do this little bump in the road four times. It seemed easy enough. My plan was to just stay in the pack and hang out for the day.

But if you have read this blog before you know that's always the plan and I never stick to it. Eugene was no exception. I went out on the first and second lap just playing around trying to be active and have fun. What I should have been doing is staying put and just getting through the race. The third time up the hill I buried myself to get over that little bump with the group. When I was seeing double the stars on that tiny climb that sealed the deal for me. I wouldn't finish the race the next time through the gravel section I was going to pull off and miss the sprint and just head back to the car. I sat in the car and even fell asleep after getting my recovery food in me.

That evening and the evenings to follow I would develop pneumonia and bronchitis that would handcuff me. I haven't been able to do much racing or train like I would like because I've been recovering from pneumonia. The worst possible thing to happen to an endurance athlete. Ok maybe there are worse things, but it was shitty. The entire winter negated by one illness.