Today was a good day !

by Maghalie Rochette

Doubts are something that everyone has. They can make you lose a race before the gun even goes off. In my case, when I am nervous, I start to doubt myself and sometimes that makes me feel very vulnerable. The thing is, if you feel vulnerable at these races, you'll be eaten alive. My doubts came from the fact that I haven't been racing in almost 3 weeks and the last few races I did were pretty mediocre. I didn't know where I stood today and that was making me more nervous than I usually am.

However, I'm happy to say I won my first battle of the day...the one against myself and against my doubts! Before the race, I was able to turn my mindset around. I decided to come to the venue sooner than I had planned to put myself in the right mood, rather than staying by myself in the hotel room with nothing to do. I also took a lot of time to visualize some of my best races and look at pictures of me during some of my best moments. All that made me smile and regain confidence. I also felt very confortable on course during pre-ride, and that helped me. With an hour to go, the music was cranking and I was excited and ready to go.

The race actually went a bit better than what my 20th position shows if you just look at the results. I was riding in 12-14 for the whole race. With two to go, I past a few people, but then, unexpectedly, I crashed. All of a sudden, I lost almost 10 places. I got going again and thought to myself that I would attack the running section, but when I got there, I realized my shoe had broken and was coming off my foot, so I had to crunch my toes to hold the shoe. Not the ideal running technique! I wasn't able to catch up many people and finished 19 or 20. It's not a result I'm happy about, but the racing was good.

But as I said...today was a good day! I had a lot of fun and I feel like this is a good start to build on, for the upcoming big block of racing.

And the best part about today?! Well, my friends, I'm happy to announce that...The FEVER is back! I have to admit I had been in a bit of a lull recently, but this race reminded me why I love cyclocross so much, and that makes me very happy.

Now, we will spend Christmas in the cute town of Hasselt. Fun fact, we chose our hotel (Holiday Inn Hasselt) because the breakfast is great here! For the next two days, we will walk around the small town, do some easy spins, and, of course, do a ton of laundry. My family is coming over, so it will be nice to spend time with them, and then on the 26th, we do it all over again for the World Cup in Zolder!! I already can't wait.

Happy Christmas to everyone and thanks for cheering!


BTW...if anyone has contact at Tide or another detergent company,
I think there is potential for an interesting partnership here ;)
photo : Gegerly Shcoff

PRO TIP

Wearing Spikes
As you can see from the picture, there was a little bit of mud today at the race. In those conditions, it can be hard to have traction while running. The great news is that smart people, like the fine people at Horst Engineering (who make aeronautic parts) make cyclocross spikes. When you screw those under your shoes, you actually are able to run in the mud without slipping too much.

Today, I wore the long spikes, because in the pre-ride yesterday the mud was really thick. However, today, it was more wet and we could feel the rocks underneath. So looking back, maybe the short or medium spikes would have been enough!

But anyway, having (or not having) spikes on a muddy day can literally make or break your race, so it's good to have them!

**Tip: If you plan on installing spikes on your shoes, I suggest trying it before race day, because the clipping in is a bit different with spikes when you are not used to it.

***Tip #2: Make sure you use Loctite on the thread of the spike before screwing it in. That will ensure that you don't loose them in the mud!


Here's the whole kit I am using.

IDEA WORTH SHARING

Family
Sometimes, Christmas has a tendency to become a very commercial holiday! I'm also guilty of it...it is nice to surprise our loved ones with a present! However, when you are away from home and away from your family during Christmas time, you really realize how great it is to spend quality time with them during the Holidays.

I'm lucky that my parents and my sister will come join David and I in Belgium this year. I will cherish every moment I get to spend with them, because I know how badly I wanted to be with them last year, when I did not have the chance to do so.

So my little thought this week is just to wish you a very happy time with your family! I hope you get to appreciate every moment with them and I hope you all have a lot of fun!

Cheers,

Maghalie :)

WHAT'S NEXT?

World Cup Zolder, December 26th


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