Sicko is icko

Well, being sick sucks. Usually get sick at the change of seasons. Sometime around the end of February and then again around June. I skipped getting sick in Feb, but we're full on now. Where should we start? How about last Thursday:

The ata scored a sweet demo bike. Cinelli Escapade or something like that. All carbon, don't know how it was constructed but it wasn't over sized aluminum and it didn't say Cannondale on the down tube. It was a nice ride. Wasn't the stiffest whip I've been on, but it was responsive and latterly compliant. Theres some industry jargon for you.

It had one of Cinelli's Ram stem/handlebar integrated junk on it. It looks sexy, but functionally it was a bummer. I needed about 2 cm more drop and the drops are flared out all wrong. H couldn't keep her hands off it as we lounged in the afternoon sun eating burritos while people watching. Yea, I ate a burrito kitted up. I believe they call that euro...sept' we were eating New England Mexican so I don't know what they call that.

So still on Thursday; The ride was good but the legs felt a little hollow. I kept the ride short 'in sweet figuring I just needed some extra rest being that I had put in a good few days of trainin'.

Woke up Friday morning with a sore throat and it was all down hill from there. The 40 billion vitamins I downed helped a lot but I still wasn't doing that well. Woke up Sunday still feeling like poo but decided to go to Church anyway.

The start line was in Vermont and yes, I ate that Twinkie before I raced. The 350 calories and 200% fat came in handy. Oh, so tasty. I'm usually one to go for the Little Debbie in my times of need but the cream filling is what sealed the deal. Sorry Deb.

The day before the race I was talking to a customer who had just started racing and didn't like the close proximity and elbows that come with a race. Its one of my favorite parts. I love throwin' them bones. Shortly after my race started, I tangled bars and ate some delicious VT grass. I wondered if it was organic as I curled up and prayed that none of the 42 deep field ran me over. All I could do was smile at the irony as I got back on.

So about a lap and a half later I had picked my way through the field and felt fantastic considering I was on day three of sick. The sick single track and rollers that you could pump kept me in the game as this wasn't no damn roadie course. I made the trip solo and had to hand bottles off to myself this week. No biggie until I came through the feed the last time and heard that the small group I was with was the lead group. I didn't want to loose time cuse shit, I was in the lead group! So I skipped my feed. I watched the two gentlemen attack each other up the long climb that starts the lap only to catch back up to them in the sweet single track that VT has to offer. I attacked in a single track section that I was riding particularly well and dropped the duo. About a mile from the finish and only a long steady climb between me and a beautiful win everything got dark. "hey, who turned the lights out?"

It was everything I had to keep the pedals turning as one after another came by me. I finished 6th and as you can tell from my face, in a world of hurt. I really wish I knew what I was thinking when that photo was taken.

I got beat. I put my cards down on the table and someone else had a better hand. Plain and simple. I've been amazed at how stacked the competition is this year. 5 min. separated the winner from 16th place. 5 min. Thats not that much time in a race that lasts an hour and a half to two hours. I think the competition in the North East is especially good, better than a National even. One of the NORBA Nationals in California had 5 people in the class that I race in. This past weekend? 42 people toeing the line at a local. I get very frustrated that I haven't been able to bump up to semi-pro. I've been on the cusp but haven't been able to pull it off for whatever reason. I'll have a fantastic race here or there but I'm unable to get the string that I need. Maybe it's physical. Maybe its the fact that I'm a mental head case and put waaaayyyy too much pressure on myself. Maybe this is as good as I'll ever be. Something inside me is starting to change. I can feel it. I'm more excited about the adventure ahead then I am about doing well. I was more excited to ride some fantastic single track in Vermont then I was about who was going to be there and how I was going to do. Its a stubble change but a change that I can sense. I'm 22 years old, I've gotta stop taking myself so seriously and enjoy the ride.

Here's to the next adventure.