A weekly write

​Is it the challenge of pursuing the goal or is it achieving the goal that’s the exciting part?
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I wrote on my Instagram that I dream, stumble and pursue. I felt that I stumbled a little bit the past 7 days. Well, I quite literally stumbled, but not just that. I have had some issues, that I’m not sure I want to share with the whole world, that didn’t set me up for the perfect weekend. But everything can happen and when I put on my race mood I’m racing.

​We had a nice few days in Nove, before the race weekend started on Friday, which was super cool. The Orbea Oiz is an awesome bike for a track like Nove Mesto. The track is rooty, rooky, not super steep, lots of flow (if you find it) and for that the bike is insane. I loved to play around out there and set it up as good as I could. I ended up riding with a little higher pressure in my front wheel (1.1) to make sure I didn’t puncture, in the rear I stayed on 1.1bar like I normally do, but with a tire noodle for protection. For my suspension we ended up releasing a bit of air and making it slower. Made me feel way smoother and in control both up and down.

So maybe the tank of Malenes-mental-warrior-unstoppable-beast-mode was a little empty.

The first race mood Malene I had to find for Friday evening. We were racing the short track on a tactical fast course on the stadium. I was super excited for this. I felt strong that Friday and I was curious to see what that could bring me. And I did have good legs! I felt good! But I didn’t quite manage to keep/protect my good position in some of the more tactical parts of the track. Maybe race mood Malene wasn’t 100% there? Anyways. I secured myself a 3rd row start for Sunday's race. Saturday between xcc and xco is always a strange transition day. Your kind of tired from the day before, but you want to stay on your toes, for what the next day will bring.
​​Sunday’s race started out good for me. I was just around 

top 20 after the start loop, and I had stayed within my limits. ​I knew we had 6 laps to go and that I had time to make up spots.
But that stumble I talked about? Yea, in one of the fast sections we call AC/DC, I came a little too hot and out of control into a turn and hit the ground hard. But you know, normally, I crash, I get up and I ride on. Somehow Sunday was different. I did the first ‘get up’ part, then the next step was harder. I had hit an old injury on my knee, which is a sweet spot for pain, so it took me around 5 minutes to feel anything but pain - Imagine a Malene rolling down to the start/finish straight breathing so deep not to cry – not so nice… I was determined to finish the race, pain or not, I wasn’t quitting.

​When the pain eventually got under more control, I was struggling to find the mental strength to get back into the race for the last couple of laps. I couldn't distract myself from the pain, it was just a battle with myself. But now as I’m thinking back, I wasn’t in a super strong mental place when the weekend started. So maybe the tank of Malenes-mental-warrior-unstoppable-beast-mode was a little empty. And maybe I shouldn't be so hard on myself. In the end of the day I set a goal to finish pain or not - and I did that. 
Now I’m back in Denmark getting taken care off, resting, helping my body and I think by the end of this week I’m back in the dream state again, ready to pursue.

xoxo 
Malene