by Maghalie Rochette

Hello friends!

I'll keep this one as short as my race was...One full lap!

I think I could summarize it in one sentence: "Too sick to race, too stubborn not to."

I thought I was healthy enough to race. All I had done the week prior was to drink tea, watch movies, rest, and ride easily on the indoor trainer, all in the goal of being healthy as quickly a possible.

On Saturday morning, I felt better than I had in days, so I decided to give it a shot. We went to Hoogerheide to check out the course. I started slowly, and felt better every lap, so I did a few efforts to see and test how m y body would respond. The efforts made me cough, but my energy level was good, so I decided to race. But the next morning, I was back a few steps, not as energized, and coughing a bit more. The course conditions were some of my favorite, muddy, slippery and requiring as much finesse than fitness. Riding the course made me smile, but knowing I wasn't feeling great made me a bit doubtful. Should I race or not?

I took the start, but it was clear I had nothing to give and everything to cough. I stopped after a lap, deciding it was stupid to just ride around in the cold and rain when I was still trying to get healthy.

What made me the most disappointed was that I didn't get to race on one of my favorite courses, in some of my favourite conditions. But still, I'm glad we went to the event! I still got to ride and that was good for the soul and to sharpen up my skills.

World Championships in 1 week
We are now in Denmark, where we will stay all week as we prepare for the World Championships.

Personally, the excitement and anticipation to race typically comes from my preparation; from knowing I've done all the work, knowing I am fit and ready, positively anxious and excited to see how my bets performance will compare to the others.

Right now, I can't say my preparation has been optimal. We've done the best we could, but it has been far from flawless in the past weeks. However, somehow, I haven't lost all hope or excitement. While training on Lanzarote, I had some amazing feelings I hadn't had in a while. Doing efforts on the course on Saturday, although I was fully out of breathe and coughing, my legs felt very powerful. And when riding in the mud, fully leaning my bike in ruts, I had glimpses of feeling great on my bike.

The World Championships is always a special race and I'm really looking forward to see what I can do. I still believe I can finish the season with a performance I can be proud of.

MECHANIC'S TIP

How to choose your tire pressure?
Many people have asked me that question, and it's a tricky one to answer. I'll try to give some tips, but ultimately, it's something you have to play with to find what you like.

• You want the tire to be soft, but you don't want it to fold when you are turning.

• If you are sliding when turning, you may need to go lower in pressure to have more traction.

• Hard packed and fast = Higher pressure

. • Soft and slippery = Lower pressure.

• Rocks on the ground: Consider going maybe 1 psi higher to lower the risk of flatting.

Finding a "go-to" pressure that you like:
• In training, don't be afraid to try the extremes. Try a super high pressure and super low pressure. It will allow you to feel what's too low and what is too high. Then it will help you find a middle ground that you are comfortable with.

• Use a reliable pressure gauge to always know what a certain pressure feels like.

• Once you have figured out a pressure that feels comfortable, start with that when you go pre-ride a course and slightly adjust from there.

IDEA WORTH SHARING

What do I eat on Race Day?
I think it's nice to have a routine and have things you know you'll digest well on race day. However, it's important to be flexible, especially when travelling, because you don't want to panic if what you usually eat does not exist in the country you are travelling in.

Below, I made a little chart of what a typical race day looks like for me.
And here are a few notes I'd like to add:

• Breakfast: Doesn't need to be eggs and toasts. But I like some carbs, a bit of protein to feel sustained until the afternoon, and a coffee.

• Light snack: The goal of the snack is to eat something about 3:30-4:00 before the start. If I eat breakfast later (around 9:00-9:30), then I don't need the light snack.

• More fuel: This is where it varies each race day. If I'm really hungry, I'll eat the Zbar, but not after 11:30. After 11:30, if I'm hungry, I snack on BLOKS. I always drink CLIF mix.

• Pre Race Boost: About 20 minutes before the start (or right when I finish my warm up), I eat a CLIF shot gel. I like to have the caffeine in it to wake up my senses.

• Recovery: There is always another race, or another workout. Might as well recover as quickly as possible! On cold days, I make it a Hot Chocolate recovery drink by adding boiling water :)

Final note: The race is only 45 min, so it's important to keep that in mind...you don't need to eat that much. The race is very intense so I don't want to be bloated because I ate too much. You want to feel light, but have enough energy. I encourage you to play with it and find a balance that works for you.

WHAT'S NEXT ?

Saturday February 2nd: World Championships, Denmark

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