Stage 1.....

Sept 3, 2011- STAGE 1

The transalps race is looking to be really well organized, and the organizers are great people with a great sense of humor! We got to sit and meet with all the other Canadians at the pasta party last night- I think there are 9 of us in total- 2 mixed teams, 2 female teams and one canadian girl running with a german girl on a female team.
Today, we ran from Oberstdorf to Hirschegg, Germany. It was a great starting distance- 27.20km, with 1800 meters of climbing. I'd like to say it was a great day, but it wasn't.....

Don't get me wrong, it was a beautiful day and a beautiful course and I loved it until 2 hours 45minutes in......We had just gotten to the top of our biggest ascent and I was feeling great up until that point, then I started to feel lousy on the descent.....dizzy and my stomach was upset. We figured it was a bit of the altitude getting to me, compounded maybe by a little dehydration. It was really hot and HUMID today, and I think I underestimated what I needed to drink to stay hydrated. After already not feeling great, I got knocked over on a steep descent by someone's poles.....I think this got my adrenalin going too much, and after this, I couldn't get my heart rate down. My heart rate was ridiculously high the rest of the 2 hours it took to get my sufferfest day to end.  Thanks to Rene for getting my butt to the finish line..... Wow. Is this how I'm going to start my first 8 day stage race?