T-1: The Pack

I'm not a packing fan...I don't know why. Don't get me wrong, I am good at it - hey Lisa? Is it pedantic or organised to meticulously fold, sort and level one's chattels? Priesty? I mean, no point taking it if it gets broken, messed up or dirty in transit, right? And what if you can't find something you want in your suitcase? Lord only knows you don't want to have to pull it all out on the ground just to locate a single recalcitrant article.

Either way, it's one of those jobs that I always seem to procrastinate on. Generally when I head to the Brisbane office - I get up 10 minutes earlier (about 5.11am) so I can pack. I just cannot do it the night before. Like, you need your toiletries in the morning to get ready, so why pack the night before? 

TdF100 must be different. I had every intention of packing in the morning, but in a very grown up way, I launched the night before. Everything was laid out so it was no problem really:

• nix
• jerseys
• wind vest, rain vest, rain jacket
• neck, knee, leg & arm warmers
• shoes, helmet, spare cleats
• shoe covers
• vitamins, supplements, recovery gear
• I may have gone overboard with gloves: short, long, winter & neoprene
• a few t-shirts, shorts & top

...everything except the toiletries...and you know what? They do actually fit in in the morning. 

Brent had tended to the Raptor earlier in the day. He said that it had been packed about 10 times more carefully than any bike he'd packed for himself. I wasn't sure, so I used a couple of bits of foam and bubble wrap to be sure. (It may have been more than a couple!)

I'm not sure how I'm feeling about the lack of training in the last week. Definitely weird and certainly not happy about it. I had visions a month ago of storming up Cols in the 53/21...hang on, no they were dreams, not visions. What I meant was: the thought of the team radio screeching ALLEZ ALLEZ in my ear as I carved the Alpe du XYZ apart in the 53/25...no, hang on, hang on, I got this. So I had an idea, in my mind, that Phil Liggett would be saying something like..."the man from VO3Max is dancing on those pedals, and Paul I can tell you, he does NOT look like a man who is going to crack today"...or some such thing.

Anyways...*sigh*...all I'm hoping for out of the first week is to build my strength back up, try to stay well, and pray that I can hold onto my group in the 39/28. It'll be a week of cruising in the arm chair, staying out of the red and enjoying the scenery.