Race report #5 It’s heating up - let’s get the bubbles going

A fresh bubble bath, a cosy playlist and letting the thoughts fly is the best way for me to cool down after a race. Especially after race like this season’s second round of the World Cup in Albstadt, it was hot. Badrr hot. Like the heat when you step into a car after a few hours in the sun. I’m still cooling down. In the body as well as the mind, it has been two weeks of hard work, 2 World Cups and an exam, back and forth; Denmark - Czech - Germany - Denmark - Germany - Denmark.
Back to the beginning of this week, I left The Ghost Team Monday evening after a visit with our team from Adidas. They provide us with our clothing, both casual, outdoor and cycling apparel. Super cool to visit the Adidas HQ and meet the team behind. 
To give me a warm welcome home life gave me a 5 hours exam in a sweating gym hall together with 100 other students, typing and reading the best we learned. Directly after I went for few hours on the bike. Didn't really take my mind with me out for riding that afternoon, just my legs spinning around. Thursday ‘morning’ the alarm went off at 4.45 — off to Albstadt. A few flights and delays later I was in Albstadt, where the World Cup was held. Fortunately, my boyfriend, Loic, was the one to pick me up at Stuttgart airport, which made my day way better. Friday I learned my lines and tried to get into race mode. Getting into race mode is important for me, so Saturday I went to the track ones again, I tried to go a little faster and imagine my race. Andy filming, Loic trying to make me gab rock gardens (no problem malle mmm..), and Sebi giving notes - what a team I have around me. 
My race didn’t go exactly as I imagined. Luckily I have an imagination who always sees the bad ass women inside of me and never giving me negative ideas, so I was on the start line feeling strong, happy and with a deep believe in myself :-) I was already sweating a bit so Uwe took a cold towel around me to cool me down before race start. My race is a little blurry for me now, I now I was digging as deep as possible and I was completely empty crossing the finish line. But it was a tough day for me, a few crashes in bad moments (okay is there good moments for a crash..? maybe not, but still) took my focus a little, but I fought through it. And I was proud of myself after the race. Plus I kept my body temperature down and stayed hydrated in the heat, better than I have done before. And as this race not will be the last hot race this season, I’m happy to find a good way. Thanks to my team for making it possible with all the effort and planning it takes. 
I’m leaving the two first World Cups with a few mixed feelings. Results and body shape is not exactly as I hoped it would be at this time of the year, but not bad. I know where I am right now, and I can take the information with me home and work on it. At least I have things to improve :-) And the two races was a solid performance, both Sunday’s I raced with everything I had in me, and never gave up. 
So I will take a bubble bath more. This time in pink soap. Process it, make plans, letting the pink bubbles restart my system and let my positive mind dig the bad ass women out again. So I can tighten the shoes again tomorrow and go for another training.   

/Malene
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