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.