Valey of Tears

Back in business, 5th place at Valley of Tears🤠

 This weekend, I lined up for the Valley of Tears, a gravel race set in the middle of nowhere in Turkey, Texas (population: 317!).
After 4 hours and 19 minutes, I crossed the finish line in 5th place. But honestly, the result was secondary this time.

After two weeks without proper training due to my knee issues, my main goal wasn't necessarily to race for the win, but to race for the joy of it and see where my body stood. I was relieved and happy to be able to pedal for more than 45 minutes without that sharp pain returning. I felt a slight discomfort, but nothing serious, so I didn't hesitate to keep pushing. To finally feel that sense of freedom again after so much time off the bike was the real victory of the day. 

As for the race action, things were going well until a small technical mistake cost me dearly. With about 60km to go, I hit a deep "sandbox" section and got stuck on the wrong side of the road. In gravel racing, you pay cash for those moments. I lost contact with the front group and spent the final 55km in a solo chase. I had the leaders in my sights the entire time, but just couldn't quite bridge the gap before the finish line. 

Still, taking 5th place after a tough couple of weeks feels amazing. The knee is holding up, the form is still there, and the season is truly underway.