Finally catching a break

Last week was the SE Crit Series. It was a whole lotta crits in one week. Overall it was a great experience and so much fun. There is something about racing a one hour + race every night for a week straight that gets me pretty pumped. Besides getting to race every night in a different city with a different crowd, I discovered that racing your bike can also lead to the most effective way to waste time.

The past week was spent driving, eating, sleeping, doing laundry and checking emails in between races. Sounds like the life huh? Racing in 7 different cities over 8 days requires some serious logistical mapping. That is one thing i try not to do. In fact, i decided that the easiest thing was to just get in my car and start driving. That was all fine and good until after the last night in Decatur, AL when i found myself finally arriving back home at 3:30am. As if the races didn't provide enough suffering, I thought I would torture myself a little more and keep driving until I couldn't see straight. Made it home safe but that is the last time I pull that trick again. All i had was Veronica, my Garmin GPS system, to talk to me after dropping Christina off in Greenville, SC. Veronica only talks to me when i have taken the wrong turn or wants to take me on some alterantive route. She comes in handy most of the time but man when she is wrong, SHE is SOOO wrong.

So back to the races, since that is why you read this. Athens went over ok. I had a little crash Thursday night before the race so I was sore and a little timid. The trick about coaching is that you should always let your athlete either ride in front of you or behind you until you learn their riding style. I was out on a training ride with one of my athletes and we turned into each other. My fault i am sure since I did not no where i was going. I went down and he stayed upright. Minor road rash all over my arse and the new Aegis bike was acting silly. I had a small breakdown, gained composure and found the neosporine. I thought until this past weekend that it cures all, well maybe not. I put too much of that crap all over my road rash and had a huge allergic reaction. Friday night driving to the race my feet and hands started swelling and I had hives all over me. My feet were SO fat i couldn't even walk on them that night or the next morning. I woke up the day of Athens and thought that i wasn't going to be able to start since I couldn't put my fat feet into my cycling shoes. After popping several Benadryl and taking a nap, I was some how back to normal. I raced Athens but wasn't happy with my ride. I was suffering bad. Made it to the front once and decided to just ride it out. Lots of crits left this week. No need to blow myself on this one fantastic race. Athens is one of the most exciting races EVER and i will have revenge on it next year.

The rest of the week was pretty uneventful until Sunday. Everyday was a field sprint finding Tina and Laura battling it out at the end. I would try to get in breaks over and over but the field did not want to let anything loose. Finally on Sunday, the break I was waiting for formed and stuck. It made my week. I knew if i could just get in a break that it would be to my advantage. My sprinting is coming along but my timing is still off. There were 6 of us in the break with 2 Cheerwine riders stirring things up. There were several attacks in the break. I tried to conserve but it wasn't happening. With a lap to go i was 6th. I moved up to 4th in the last 2 corners. The sprint went from the last corner and I didn't jump soon enough. I finished 4th in the break which was a HUGE bummer. I wanted a podium spot bad but apparently not bad enough. Another lesson learned. Experienced riders will try to take advantage of riders like me in a break. I did not work too much but they were giving me hell about pulling more. They were trying to wear me out. Good work on their part. Next time I won't be as timid in a break like that.

Speaking of next time, I fly out for Joe Martin tomorrow morning. This came as a surprise. I thought I had a weekend to decompress and train in the mtns for the upcoming stage races but instead my team needs me in Arkansas. After this weekend, I am planning on visiting Nashville on Memorial Day weekend, which i miss dearly. The 2nd Annual Edgar Soto Memorial Day Stage Race is taking place and it is a great weekend for all racers. Check it out and come take your chances on this race. I can promise you, you will not be disappointed. This is a classy amateur stage race and the prizes are worth it.

Stay tuned for more race recaps and adventures. Thanks for reading. Here is a pic of my break from Sunday afternoon in Decatur, AL.