I got "Girled"

Wow what an intresting weekend. It all started on Friday. It was time to set up for the Beacon cyclocross race. I love this course, but setting it up is deffinitly some work. We were there from 12:30-6pm taping, marking, tieing, raking, and sweeping. It was hard work but absolutly worth it.

Saturday morning I awoke early and headed down to the Cross race to be there at 6:30 am. During the morning we just made sure that all the final preperations were in place and then it was time for me to prepare for my race. I got a good warm-up and rolled up to the line happy to have my front row start. However when the gun went off I screwed up big time and missed my pedal...twice. I get clipped in and take off. It was do or die time, I quickly move through the field and find myself sitting behind John Brewer, Eric Linder, and Ethan Townsend. We make it through the beach section and pass John on the hard climb on the backside of the course. I fly through the back section trying to make up ground. I make contact as we come into the sandpit. It hurt, I took a bad line and wasn't ready for it. I lost a little bit there, the
Ampitheater of Pain also kicked my ass pretty hard that lap. I got back onto Ethan's wheel as we hit the pavement. He swung over to the side of road as I pulled up to him, I saw he was suffering a bit and I hit the gas hard. I was running second place and would soon catch up to Eric. After a few more laps of yo-yoing behind Eric we went on our two to go lap. As we fly-up the climb on the backside of the course I feel someone kind of knock my rear wheel a bit. I look back and see a sight I did not expect, Georgia Gould. The Georgia Gould, the professional womens mountain biker who is going to China in 2008 for the Olympics. I'm like "Where did she come from and How did she get there?" I jump hard again, and got back onto Eric's wheel. Coming back through the sandpit I punch it and show why I love the sand. I get a small gap and take the lead. I punch it up the hill and up the Ampitheater, but it would not be enough to shake Eric or Georgia. As we enter the back side of the course Georgia yells out "You guys better hurry up, or those guys(meaning the ones behind us) are going to catch up!" Wow that is a rude awaking. I try and keep it up, I let Eric and Georgia pull through as we hit the beach. I crack as Georgia attacks off the beach. The gap was small and I try to limit the damage. We race out onto the back stetch and I take a serious risk on the loose corner at the top. I lost out and crashed and dropped my chain. John and Kevin Kralik pass me and then Jeremy Dunn and Marc Vettori pass me. I get my chain set and I take off. At this point I'm pissed for being so stupid and throwing away an oppertunitly like that. I ride so hard to catch back up, through the sandpit I pass Jeremy and then on the short climb Marc slips up and I pass him. I sprint up the Ampatheater and hit the pavement first, I know that Jeremy is still there, but I also know I can sprint. I sprinted hard and took it, but it was tough. Live and learn, live and learn.

However I would not learn quick enough. Sunday was a bad day, easily the worst day I have had on the bike in a very long time. I got sick last night after the race, stomach issues again. I was not feeling well in the morning and was not thrilled to be racing. I had a good start but could already feel my legs caving. I took the lead into the barriers well I made my second stupid mistake of the weekend. I clipped a toe on the barriers and bit it hard. The following lap I went down when a bush jumped out at me. My legs were dead I had nothing and would suffer hard to finish 12th in a tough sprint. For the worst day I have had in a long time, 12th is my only saving grace.

Key points for next weekend:

Calm down and be patient, the time will come.

Pick my feet up higher as I run over the barriers.

Don't be stupid.

Have more fun.

Hopefully that is what I can accomplish next weekend. Congrats to everyone this weekend, two very tough races and made all the better by some very tough racers. Also mad props to Georgia for racing so tough and being nice and humble about it the next day. After talking with her, I think I'll cheer for her the most out of the big three.