Once we got to Italy, things got instantly better. We were in a 4 star hotel with good internet and a beach/ocean view. We were in town where we could walk to morning coffee.
The racing was better- minus the cars, which seemed to be everywhere. The peloton was smoother, the transfers shorter, the scenery better, and the temperature cooler. The helmet numbers, on the other hand, were not ideal.
Even Italian doggies were cuter.
We no longer had to cook our own food. Though, due to the meat looking like this, I continued to stick to a plant based diet.
Which included a lot of this type of food. Rice and ________
I had a little more fun in Italy. My body stopped hurting from crashing, jet lag was gone, my fitness was getting better rapidly, I was enjoying riding my bike, and the small things like- internet, food, coffee, and communication was easier.
We had a nice last dinner at a pizza place that had great gluten free crusts. 2:45am wake up for a 3am departure for the airport to come home.
I'm happy to be home. When I look back at my Euro experience, I have to admit, it isn't with fondness. I know some of this is due to it being the end of the season and I'm ready to be finished racing for now.
The racing made me fit, the racing will make me a better racer, but I did not enjoy it. This has been a tough reality to face and I'm not really sure what to think now.
I do know I'm still motivated to train and race next year. I still like winning races and having success as a team. For now, that's all that matters.
Here's to the off season.
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