Kudos to Tom for putting together such a cool course!
I arrived at the race early after being chastised for not arriving early enough at races. It was pretty cold. I can't believe how much the course conditions changed over the course of 4 hours. When I rode it before 10, it rocked. Before 11, it still rocked. I was having so much fun feeling like a little kid again out on my Huffy in the winter snow. It began snowing, adding some fresh stuff to the mix. Then when I rode the course around 1, I got worried. It was packed down in spots and and SLIPPERY beyond my expectations. I ran a front Grifo and a rear Tufo LPS with such low pressure you could push down on the tire and hit the rim. Nothing saved me. After an uninspired start, I crashed several times and just couldn't make back the time. I couldn't ride hard enough on the course to even feel like I was working, but any harder and I bit it in the corners.
I had a couple of really dramatic moments, like at the left corner around the fence before hitting the pavement. It had become as slick as sheer ice, and I went down so hard for a brief instant I thought I rebroke my collarbone. My neck hurts badly today from the hard jolt, and I have a WIKKID deep muscle bruise and broken skin at the base of my right calf that rendered me unable to walk without limping after the race. I also have a huge bruise swelled up on the base of my right shin. I'm sure everyone got some lumps yesterday.
Oh, yeah, I need to mention the other dramatic moment. Actually, I found it pretty embarrassing! This was the complete race-killer for me. The little hill after the barriers... I rode it consistently without difficulty on every warm-up lap and the first few race laps. Then, in the second to last lap, while riding up it, my bike slid out from under me. And then I slid... down down the hill. Felt like slow motion. Kicking for a foothold was useless. I found none on the slick hill. I then tried to right myself and push my bike up it, but my feet kept slipping... so, you get the idea. I can't belive how much time I lost there. And of course, it was the spot where most of the crowd gathered watching. And I believe Fries had just been exclaiming some "Ringism" on the mic about what a smooth rider I am...
Thanks, Greg, for all your help. And thanks for cheering me on as always, Dad, even in the snowy cold. Sorry your slick little roadster got stuck in the parking lot. Your nuts to be driving that thing in the snow, anyways! I guess if I had one of those spiffy lil' James Bond-like mobiles I'd be driving it all the time, too.
So...
I just want to show off my latest KNITTING project!!!
I made this neato little backpack. (I know, I know. Don't quit racing, the modeling career isn't looking so good...)
I'm wearing other various fun easy stuff:
So all of you with Christmas lists for me, you'll have to wait.
My next project is a hat for Diane F, who just underwent surgery for a brain tumor.
She's in my thoughts, and I'm hoping for the best for her and her family.
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