cycling....

After feeling like i had sorted out the bit of trouble with my knee was kinda hoping to get some good racing km's in the legs...the plan was a 2 day tour then the final of the spanish cup series over 3 days.
It started pretty well as we left Villa-real near Castellon in 15-20 degree temps and started to head skyward, I was feeling reasonably good and there were some tough climbs to come, I hit out at about 100km just before the start of the climbing, i was away with 3 others who had a different idea to me of what we should do and they wern't interested in helping.Near the top of the climb the heavens opened and the temp plumeted, the descent was cold, slippery and visabilty was minimal, on the flat to the next climb it didnt take me long to work out that the 'gravel' i thought we were riding through was actually Hail, with my body really starting to freeze up now and hardly a piece of clothing on it wasn't pretty, all I was thinking was keep going as hard as i can to try and not sieze up...all the energy was going into shaking and shivering so the legs had nothing left...soon after we were caught by what was left of the peloton but i was in no state to stay there, i got a vest out of the car and ate all the food i had but it was no help, at the next descent i pulled over fearing i would surely crash, i was pretty quick to get into a warm car when one stopped and then into and ambulance with a blanket for awhile after aswell. A DNF is never nice especially in a tour and only being 10km from the finish, but im not sure there was much more i could have done, the manager was abit angry that i didnt just get more clothes and do star jumps on the side of the road to warm up, but an hour in a car with a blanket hardly helped so i knew what was best for me.
Out of the tour meant i was supporting the next day and just got in a 1hr spin later once we had arrived at the accommodation for the last Copa.
The legs were feeling pretty good to start on the sunday, it was cold and wet but we were heading downhill all day into warmer weather, it was pretty dodgey to start so i was staying near the front to keep out of trouble, didn't help though, 10km in and a dark tunnel and someone went down infront of me, i couldn't avoid him as his bike slid infront of me and down i went, i was a little slow to get up and my knee's were pretty sore, i then felt me head was abit wet...so it was off to the ambulance for me, after the race had finished i got taken to the hospital for afew stitches in my forehead.
Pretty thankfull really, it could have been alot worse, still not sure how my bike is but that is a side issue really, try and recover nice and quick now for another tour this coming weekend, again heading to Castellon.
Cheers
Mike