Elite Track Nats

I just got back from a successful showing at Elite Tracks. My main goal heading into it was to win the Individual Pursuit. I ended up getting 5th in the Kilo(3rd U23) 2nd in the Team Pursuit and 1st in the Pursuit!!!

I just got back to Indy and now I'm catching up on school since I haven't been to classes in about 2 weeks. The past few weeks have been pretty stressful but it's all paid off.

I'll get the exciting details out later. Now, rest and recovery.

Track Nats

If anyone still reads this thing, Collegiate Track Nats are being held in Indy this year. My target events are going to be The Kilo, Pursuit, and Team Pursuit. (With one event still in question. Hopefully it's the Points Race.) They go on from Sep 22-26. The theme is more cowbell so bring out the cowbell. We're trying to get the stands packed so hopefully I'll be seeing you there.

School

School is in now. And so far so good. Between that and tearing up the track nothing much is going on.

Things are changing and I like this kind of change. Could I be anymore vague? Yes. Yes I can. Just like that one time at that one place with those people. Yeah. Good times.

I don't see the point to this post but I felt like updating.

Well...

Well... I've been bike racing, schooling, and getting all googly eyed with my lady. And that pretty much brings you all up to date.

School is bleh. I don't like it but I'm trying to get it out of the way.

Bike racing was bleh, but now I'm getting pretty good again.

Here's what I wrote from Grandview.

It once again was a sweltering hot day, with the temperatures hovering around in the mid 90s. I liked the course a lot; there was a long hill where the finish was followed by a technical downhill which looped right back around to hit the hill again. I would compare it to a more grander and upscale Melon City. The race started with a flurry of attacks, as expected. We were trying to cover as many promising attacks as possible until Jeremy got away (about 10 laps in) with an Aerocat rider and a recycling rider. This would have been nice had Panther and Mountain Khakis been present in the break but since not they were attacking and countering out the "wazoo" to bridge a man up there. Jeremy's move eventually got brought back and it was once again down to the constant attacks from Aerocat, Panther and Mtn. Khakis. I decided I had to ride in the front to not be caught out in any splits, especially since the field had shrunk in half. I tried to keep Cleve. Clinic - RGF/Felt presence in the majority of the breaks, but of course I missed the one move that stuck with 8 laps to go (Aerocat and Panther). As the group was settling down for a group sprint with 6 to go I launched one last ditch effort to bridge up to the breakaway on top of the hill. I got a gap so I kept working it and almost actually got up to the front group. I brought the gap down to about 10 seconds but then they turned on the afterburners and I was stuck out in the dreaded "no-mans land". So I put my suffer hat on a dug deep to stay away from the field for a 3rd place on the day. To give you an idea of the attrition rate of this race, we started the crit with 'round about 60-70 guys and only 20+ finished.

Fitchburg was last week.

I was lucky enough to stay At Jeremy Power's place for the few days leading up to the race. That guy is the absolute coolest person I have ever met. One of my "boyfriends" as Sierra would say. I definitely had a blast hanging out with him.

The form was going pretty good leading up to this race so I was expecting a lot from myself.

I was feeling fantastic on fire for the circuit race. Not even needing to get out of my big ring for the climb, I thought I was going to have a "money" day. Not to be. With 6 laps to go someone dumped it in front of me after the feedzone. I had no where to go but over, up and down. Straight down. Now I have never had a crash like this. I didn't slide. I just hit the ground. I had barely any road rash but I did get the wind knocked out of me. I pounded my shifter back into place then set out to give chase for half a lap, right about until my body said "Oh yeah, forgot to tell you, but that cement you just body slammed was harder than you." I began to feel all the pains. I still couldn't breath, I couldn't pedal with my left leg, and I couldn't hold onto the bars with my left hand/arm. I waited for the group to come back around, hung in with them and finished at the back.

Afterwards, I stumble over to the EMTs. They check me out and diagnose me with several broken ribs, a shattered hip, a collapsed lung and possibly a broken collarbone. Ouch. Tyler Karne's parents end up taking me to the ER, because I can't drive my truck (which happens to be a stick). We waited for 7 hours until I could finally be seen. I got a few x-rays done and fortunately nothing was broken. Whew! I just had deep major bruising to my hip, shoulder, back, and arm. I finally got home around 2 in the morning and passed out stone cold.

I'll keep the rest short because that was the most exciting part and I'm starting to get bored with being bored.

I decide to start the road race just to see what would happen. I didn't want to drive back another 15 hours with only getting 2.5 hours of racing in. So we start, I'm sore, and I finish in the main group. Not bad.

The TT could have gone better. The sore story once again and ended up with a weak 60-something place.

I mixed it up a little bit in the crit a few times, going with attacks but the heat and bruises caught up with me for once again, another lame pack finish.

I proudly made the trip home with only one stop (for an hour nap) and got in by 9 am. Now I'm home trying to get all healed up and get prepped for the NRC in Grand Rapids this weekend. More importantly I get to hand out with The Circle from school. (My best friends, Joe Kukolla, Zach McBride, and David Williams) We're gonna go boating, get into shenanigans, and have a blast. Can't. Freaking. Wait.

Now I'll update again if I feel like it. If not, oh well. It's my blog and I do what I want.

Thanks for reading.

Whatever.

I do what I want.