My 'urn' is the smallest.... the 1st place one is really big! Considering what happened on the last day, I am lucky I still had my 5th in the GC.
Our stage prizes were these porcelain helmets. Really cool! Each place 1st - 5th got a different color. 1st was yellow... obviously.
Singapore's Team Spinning... if you will. Christina the woman far left is an animal! She is really strong on the flat and a good climber. The other three women were her teammates that protected and supported her. With time, they'll be much stronger. Christina's husband of 8 years is one of the guys... sorry... don't remember which...
Waiting for the last day to start. It isn't all the girls, just the western girls. We all had water.... we drank as much as we could up to the start making sure we were soaked with COLD water at the beginning. It was a challenge to keep yourself cool. The average temperature was nearly 38C, and all but one day was in scorching sun!
2nd day awards.... not impressed with my performance. As a matter of fact, I almost missed the bus to dinner. The previous day it left at 6:45, but this day it left at 6:15. I had come to the lobby for more water and some of the guys said, "Tina, ready, lets go....", "Oh...." Siw (my teammate) and Christina, #'s 1 and 2 again! 3rd to the little Thai girl I raced against in February. She seems to have improved.... a little (lot!)
I think if I were in better climbing shape, I'd be not as happy with this result... but considering my last climb was over 6 months earlier during a race I really didn't care about..... I was pretty happy. At least I had a feel for the mountain.
So, the Tour of Friendship made me a whole lot of friends. Amazing ANZA team.... Nobody knew how I would do, I didn't know how I would do. I am glad I survived.... I know my training conditions. they, quite simply.... really suck!
Now that the Tour is over, I feel like a lost puppy.... what's the purpose... but I anticipated this feeling and hoped I would come home from Thailand with some prospective on cycling and understand where I am if I want to be competitive in SE Asia.
After the hurt of Stage 4 subsided (for those of you that think I am whining too much about it.... imagine having no group training other then the crazy peloton that throws itself infront of an oncoming bus while running a red light, continuously fighting with the motorcycle traffic of HCMC.... you'd understand the hurt. It's like running around a crowded city block training for a marathon!) I came to understand some basic things.
1. I still love to cycle....
2. I still love racing.....
3. I have to diversify or #1 and 2 will be removed completely.
I have started running....
I will start swimming....
These sports will keep me active and hopefully those hard to lose pounds off. The running I firmly believe will help with my climbing. Any good climber is also a good runner. So.... shouldn't the reverse be true? So far... I have seen that proven as well. Running, I can do without aggrivation.
I'll tone down my cycling to about 1/2 the kilometers I was doign previously. However, the riding will be very targeted training. Either a skill, or a speed will be maintained as the goal of the day's ride. I learned that surges are my weak spot. I need to ride faster during training, and much more interval training. These things CAN be accomplished in HCMC.
I gotta get on my mountain bike. Just, so far, mountain biking with groups has conflicted with family activities.... so, haven't done that yet.
June 18th we start our journey home. Once home, I'll get out my ghetto bike, Ms. Massi (with Tiagra Shimano components... you know the ones with the window on the hoods so you can see what gear you are in) and ride like the wind up and down the Olympic Penninsula.... hope to join a few races too:
PIR Monday nights, on a race track for cars, but closed MOnday and Tuesday nights for bike racing. Some nasty curves through the course. I figure this will give me some good handling skills I am not getting doing out and backs every day here.
Larch Mountain in ORegon.... a lovely climbing race... Great to climb the beast... maybe... my legs will remember it for tour de Bintan.
Tour de Bintan in Indonesia - mid October
Queen's Cup in Hua Hin Thailand (give safe to travel)
repeat the other SE Asia races.
Taiwan? Unless Amazing ANZA wants to do the Tour of East Taiwan, most likely no. But, there is talk....
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