What a hard race this past weekend... Bummmmpppppppy! I started the day feeling Good, Of which I found out means BAD when the gun goes off. I seem to feel better when the pain is already in the legs... Anyway back to the race itself, I got a call up from the 10th spot in the last race, YES, no “jockey-ing” for position… Well, the gun went off and I was on.. Surprisingly I got into the 3rd spot of which was over joyous, never being that far up in an Elite race, Thinkin' to myself this is it, the non-traffic runway that you've been waiting for... YEEEEESSSS!!!!! Well it was all good until the 1st barrier.. The first guy (Known fast guy who's been in the stars and stripes) Bunny-hops this barrier that runs just below my knee-cap in height! Yikes!! 
I of course, not having the Gonads, I take the 2nd place guys style and dismount and run over it like someone who believes in self-preservation... I'm over the barrier and remount my bike just to go into a sharp 90deg turn on a grassy section.. well that's where it all happened.. can you spell Rookie? WASH OUT.. That's right.. I think I was, I was not riding as relaxed and smooth as I normally do being in that lead group.. This washed-me-out(AKA go down/fall) right in the lead of the main pack.. I'm lying on the ground thinking, this is where I get trampled and crushed.. but nothing... So I get back up as quickly as I can and re-group. I jumped back on my bike like a cowboy in an old western movie, thinking.. well that wasn't as bad as I thought.... but when I got back on the bike and clicked in to go it, I realized I had no power.. well Ok, NO CHAIN! ....DOH!!!!! Good bye lead group... :( Hello Catch up land...
Sooooo, I managed to pass a few of the guys out there having the same argument in their heads of "why do I subject myself to such pain??" and playing my "I'm having fun" psychology game that keeps them off from trying to stay with me. I think this tactic put me somewhere in the top 10.. at some point I heard a "you're in 9th" from a bystander... Nice... well then I was passed by a guy, 10th, then I passed someone... 9th... Then last lap... I passed a guy with a flat who was just finished a bike swap and he jumped on a second behind me... My mind was yelling he was in front, he's stronger... He's going to get you... So I yelled back... yeah, but he's hurtin' like everyone is... so there! I'm going to try and keep him off my back as long as I can... what the heck, feel like crap when you are done! So I go… in that effort, I catch up the guy in front of me with just a flat section of pavement to go to the finish… I got on his wheel and gave it what I had left to follow him to the finish line… All and all it played out perfectly for me. I drafted, pulled out of his draft and sprinted him to the line and at the very last minute lunged my bike forward… He didn’t… I won!!! I think I edged him out by a tire and put myself in 7TH!!!!!!! BooooYEAH!! This also put me in the 7th spot of the GC in the series... Nice! :)
I of course, not having the Gonads, I take the 2nd place guys style and dismount and run over it like someone who believes in self-preservation... I'm over the barrier and remount my bike just to go into a sharp 90deg turn on a grassy section.. well that's where it all happened.. can you spell Rookie? WASH OUT.. That's right.. I think I was, I was not riding as relaxed and smooth as I normally do being in that lead group.. This washed-me-out(AKA go down/fall) right in the lead of the main pack.. I'm lying on the ground thinking, this is where I get trampled and crushed.. but nothing... So I get back up as quickly as I can and re-group. I jumped back on my bike like a cowboy in an old western movie, thinking.. well that wasn't as bad as I thought.... but when I got back on the bike and clicked in to go it, I realized I had no power.. well Ok, NO CHAIN! ....DOH!!!!! Good bye lead group... :( Hello Catch up land...Sooooo, I managed to pass a few of the guys out there having the same argument in their heads of "why do I subject myself to such pain??" and playing my "I'm having fun" psychology game that keeps them off from trying to stay with me. I think this tactic put me somewhere in the top 10.. at some point I heard a "you're in 9th" from a bystander... Nice... well then I was passed by a guy, 10th, then I passed someone... 9th... Then last lap... I passed a guy with a flat who was just finished a bike swap and he jumped on a second behind me... My mind was yelling he was in front, he's stronger... He's going to get you... So I yelled back... yeah, but he's hurtin' like everyone is... so there! I'm going to try and keep him off my back as long as I can... what the heck, feel like crap when you are done! So I go… in that effort, I catch up the guy in front of me with just a flat section of pavement to go to the finish… I got on his wheel and gave it what I had left to follow him to the finish line… All and all it played out perfectly for me. I drafted, pulled out of his draft and sprinted him to the line and at the very last minute lunged my bike forward… He didn’t… I won!!! I think I edged him out by a tire and put myself in 7TH!!!!!!! BooooYEAH!! This also put me in the 7th spot of the GC in the series... Nice! :)
