After 2 hard days of racing, it was time to refuel. So off we headed to the Chinese/Japanese in Zegelsem. It reminds me of my time in Japan- Teppanyaki and lots of other delicious food. I managed to eat squid, king prawns and steak to up my protein intake for the week and satisfy my cravings for tasty Asian food. And much to my boyfriend’s surprise, I even managed a dessert of pistachio ice cream. Not really Chinese or Japanese but tasty all the same..
The next day was a rest day so I was ready for training 2 days later. An early morning run and a motor-pacing session later in the afternoon meant I could fit in work during the day. And then, I fell into bed, exhausted.
Today, it was 3 degrees and I managed to suffer for 4 hours in the cold with my Gore-tex Windstopper overshoes, 2 pairs of gloves, a balaclava and a few layers with a thermo jacket. I have forgotten what it is like to train in the cold. I am now sitting in my warm living room having refueled with pasta.
Tomorrow afternoon I am off to check out the Belgian LRC cyclocross championship course in Roeselare. Now that I have my Belgian ID card, I am eligible for this championship. I have 3 wins behind me the last 3 races but need to try and consolidate this at the weekend. A tough one as I am a marked woman!
Afterwards I have a 50th birthday party to look forward and a trip back to the UK to see my mum who has been really sick. It was a bit of a shock as it happened a few days after I last saw her a few weeks ago but she is in good hands with the doctors and nurses in the New Royal Infirmary, Edinburgh. Once she is operated on, hopefully, she will start to feel better. I really miss working with her every day but Ronny is now a part of my life and my life has moved to Belgium. I am looking forward to seeing her again.
Next week, I am starting to move the focus away from cyclocross to my forthcoming road season. The hype for the Tour of Flanders here in Oudenaarde is hotting up now and I am so lucky to be taking part of this classic race with my new UCI team- ASPTT Dijon.
