You pay your money & you take your chances.....

Darn! One of the worst parts of today is that I've been mentally preparing, feeling excellent physically, spent hours yesterday cleaning my bike, doing laundry, prepping food, packing, etc. Drive all the way to Monterey, warm-up, and blammo! It's over in 18 minutes.

So, I've been having some allergy-type wheezing since early spring. Last week in Bakersfield it was even worse, so I took some Benehist. And on Sunday, at the circuit race, where I thought I'd do really well, I couldn't breathe. I somehow thought it had to do with the elevation.

So, preparing for the Monterey allergans, I took a Benehist last night and another one this morning. Feeling good. Found the perfect hole shot at the beginning of the race, got Shaun on my wheel and pulled her up the first three hills. Then it hit me. I couldn't breathe. I hyperventilated up the fourth hill while the field swarmed me and I just couldn't get back on. Dammit! Now I'm starting to wonder if the Benehist caused me to have an asthmatic reaction.

Rode another lap alone, within view of the pack, but I just couldn't slow my breathing. Puked at the top of the last hill on the second lap and decided that was it. 18 minutes of racing.

I know, first year racing is a learning process, but this really pisses me off. I'm just starting to feel like I've got climbing legs. I had really high expectations for this race. And it was over just like that.

Well, at least I'm racing again on Monday so I don't have to keep feeling depressed forever.

Race Stats -- 45 minutes of warmup + 18:41 -- 5.03 miles -- 16.2mph avg -- 34.9mph max -- AVG HR = 154 -- MAX HR = 166.

Still feeling wheezy or I'd go out for a ride now to make me feel better.