Reconnaissance mission

Saturday I rode the TN State Road Race course with a team mate and a few other riders. It is going to be a challenging course at race pace. We did the 24 mile loop twice, just as we will in the race this weekend. I took a while to warm up, but felt pretty good after about ½ of the first lap. I’ll definitely get in a good, long warm up on Saturday before the race. The first 2 hills should be okay. I think the group will likely stay together for the first lap. Once we get onto a stretch of busy highway there are 3 more rolling climbs that could prove to be significant. They kind of catch you off guard. There are rumble strips cut into the road right on the white line at the right of the lane. I had the misfortune to get into this section and it about jarred my teeth out. One of my water bottles came out of the cage and I ran over it with my rear wheel. I lost about ½ of the water which cause me to go very sparingly on my water intake for the rest of the ride. I was sooo thirsty by the end of the ride. And famished I might add. It was just my team mate and I at the end of the final lap. Everyone else had dropped off or taken a shorter route back to the cars. I made lots of mental notes about the course, what might happen at certain points and where I need to be more attentive to the group and their reactions to the terrain. I hope I am ready and can do well in the race. I hope to get in 1 or 2 hard efforts early this week, then taper off to light spinning by the week’s end. Wish me luck!