Domnarski Non-Race Report.

As I stated before, I race series. I don't train specifically for single races, I train to be consistent all season long. This can be burdensome since it basically means that I have to race every race on the series schedule. We all know there are weekends where your head just isn't in the game and racing feels more like work than pleasure.

A little background:

Every 4th of July, I head back to Upstate New York and go to my friend's 3rd of July party. It's on a lake, there are fireworks, and beers, and BBQ, and potato salad(s). All of these are awesome. I get to ride wide, smooth, mostly car free roads while I am there, and the scenery is amazing. Again, awesome.

What?

Months ago when I looked over the Root 66 schedule, I noticed that there was a race on the 4th of July weekend. "They can't be serious" I thought. It kind of felt like your boss telling you that you had to work on Christmas. Well, being the series racer that I am, I cancelled my travel plans and prepared to race Domnarski.

What!?!

That's what my girlfriend said when she found out we weren't going to Upstate New York for the 4th. She thinks upstate is as awesome as I do and she wasn't having it. Plans were altered, we would go to the 3rd of July party, drive back on the 4th, and I would race Domnarski on the 5th.

No.

While I was in upstate, the miles and training didn't come as easily as I planned. Some would use the term "derailed" to describe my training last week. I was blowing off family and friends to try and squeeze rides in between thunderstorms. I felt guilty. Time on the bike was spend thinking about what I could (and should) have been doing instead. I was on vacation but I was worried about getting in the miles, and Domnarski was always in the front of my mind. I couldn't relax.

On Friday morning, I headed out on what was going to be an epic 100 mile figure 8 around 2 of the Finger Lakes; this one ride was going to re-rail my training. 20 minutes later I was on the phone with my Dad, requesting extraction as I stood next to my bike with 2 flat tires, holding one tube with a valve stem too short for my rims. It was at that point that Domnarski was kicked to the curb. I decided that I should grab a beer, and dip my feet into the finger lakes instead of ride circles around them. Turns out, this was a great decision.

That photo above is one of the lakes in question. It's a nice lake to bike around, it an even nicer lake to sit next to while sipping a beer.

I stuck to my original plan of returning to Boston on the 4th. Instead of carbo-loading, prepping my bike and going to bed early, I went to another BBQ, drank more beer, and watched more fireworks. I spent Sunday on the couch. I took about 4 naps. I did not race Domnarski. It was the first Root 66 race that I voluntarily missed since I started started racing mountain bikes. My only regret from last week is not abandoning my plans to race Domnarski earlier.

Summary:

I do not wish failure on any race promoter, but scheduling a race on the 4th of July weekend cannot be condoned. I am happy to say that I celebrated my independence by blowing off Domnarski. U.S.A! U.S.A! U.S.A!