Talk about anti-climax
Yesterday was the NSK that I have been yabbering on about now for quite some time. Finally the day came and very shortly into it, i knew it was going to be a long one.
i went to nijmegen with some of my teammates so that we would be closer to Arnhem and the race site the morning of. well, as luck would have it, a situation involving low funds prevented us from catching the right train. oops. so we arrived late. no big deal. just be quick on the warm up and make sure you find something to eat, i thought. i got registered, and again, unexpected financial assistance was required. doh. once i had my plate and all that, i went back to my kit and started moving things around and getting into race-wear...i had no idea the nightmare that was waiting for me in my bag. my appelstroop, which is basically glue, had opened in my bag thus covering all my belongings in a sticky honey like substance smelling of cooking apples. that wasted a lot of time putting all that stuff away into other bags and such, and i just had enough time for one prelap. i needed this because i had yet to see this famous stair case everyone had been telling me about: indeed, a set of stairs probably about 70 in number accent the middle part of the course and is famous for breaking people and equipment. why you would include such a hazard in your race course is beyond me. i got back from my one lap, and felt alright. i asked a dutch official what time and where i was supposed to be for the start making it clear that i am strictly english only. she told me 2:06. i sat down with my friends at 12:12 ready to have a bite to eat and then meditate on getting my head out of the morning's bad luck and into a successful race plan. then jikki asked me if i was ready to go...apparently i had been misinformed and i actually only had 6 minutes til the gun. shit. so i started and got stuck behind some slow people who fell over some stupid root and that was that. the rest of the race was boring frankly. i couldn't catch the lead group that got away after the root incident and there was nobody behind me giving me a run for my money either. so i just pedalled away until i thought it was done. at this moment i am still not sure i finished as i was directed to do something in dutch....maybe stop...maybe do another lap. can't be sure until the results are posted. however, despite my bad racing, we had some excellent team results: Wouter placed 2nd and would have had 1st if it hadn't been for an incident of his own on the famous staircase, and Jikki took the gold in the women's division.
i was more then ready to go home. Elton, Wouter, Jikki and I got onto the train at 3:30 and didn't get off again until 7. we were detoured around some track troubles that would be comparable to travelling to peterborough on a detour to barrie. argh. plus, i had a pounding headache as i still hadn't had the opportunity to eat OR fill up my water bottle. oh well.
today, as i write this, i am in a beautiful apartment i have rented for the next three nights in downtown Rome. the sun is shining and the temperature is fabulous. the eternal city waits, so don't feel too bad for me, even if i complain way too much :)
i went to nijmegen with some of my teammates so that we would be closer to Arnhem and the race site the morning of. well, as luck would have it, a situation involving low funds prevented us from catching the right train. oops. so we arrived late. no big deal. just be quick on the warm up and make sure you find something to eat, i thought. i got registered, and again, unexpected financial assistance was required. doh. once i had my plate and all that, i went back to my kit and started moving things around and getting into race-wear...i had no idea the nightmare that was waiting for me in my bag. my appelstroop, which is basically glue, had opened in my bag thus covering all my belongings in a sticky honey like substance smelling of cooking apples. that wasted a lot of time putting all that stuff away into other bags and such, and i just had enough time for one prelap. i needed this because i had yet to see this famous stair case everyone had been telling me about: indeed, a set of stairs probably about 70 in number accent the middle part of the course and is famous for breaking people and equipment. why you would include such a hazard in your race course is beyond me. i got back from my one lap, and felt alright. i asked a dutch official what time and where i was supposed to be for the start making it clear that i am strictly english only. she told me 2:06. i sat down with my friends at 12:12 ready to have a bite to eat and then meditate on getting my head out of the morning's bad luck and into a successful race plan. then jikki asked me if i was ready to go...apparently i had been misinformed and i actually only had 6 minutes til the gun. shit. so i started and got stuck behind some slow people who fell over some stupid root and that was that. the rest of the race was boring frankly. i couldn't catch the lead group that got away after the root incident and there was nobody behind me giving me a run for my money either. so i just pedalled away until i thought it was done. at this moment i am still not sure i finished as i was directed to do something in dutch....maybe stop...maybe do another lap. can't be sure until the results are posted. however, despite my bad racing, we had some excellent team results: Wouter placed 2nd and would have had 1st if it hadn't been for an incident of his own on the famous staircase, and Jikki took the gold in the women's division.
i was more then ready to go home. Elton, Wouter, Jikki and I got onto the train at 3:30 and didn't get off again until 7. we were detoured around some track troubles that would be comparable to travelling to peterborough on a detour to barrie. argh. plus, i had a pounding headache as i still hadn't had the opportunity to eat OR fill up my water bottle. oh well.
today, as i write this, i am in a beautiful apartment i have rented for the next three nights in downtown Rome. the sun is shining and the temperature is fabulous. the eternal city waits, so don't feel too bad for me, even if i complain way too much :)
posted by Unknown at Monday, June 13, 2005
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