10.10.2005

wowee zowee














sheboygan, the last wors race. i love this race even though i dnf'ed twice in previous years from asthma attacks and finished 30-something last year trying to ward off an asthma attack. this year was no exception. i'd been sick for over a week leading up to this. but my points were locked up so i thought i'd go out and have fun. no relapses. i told myself to hang back and don't push, kind of hard to do but i did. man, did i have a blast. i love that course. the changes were for the better. i was nervous when someone had mentioned they changed the course. it was, i though, better if that was possible. i was chattin' it up with some of my fellow wors racers. bombing down the singletrack, taking it easy on the climbs. major fun. i started out not so fast, but it still hurt a little. i could feel the cold crisp air in my lungs. i didn't panic, but i was definitely paying attention to my breathing. i was fine. i just hung with some girls. got stopped up in the singletrack and i didn't care. i just passed when i could. first log jump i felt my bottle pop out onto my foot. i'm so sport it ruined my concentration. so i landed rear wheel off the log. oh well. 2nd lap i slid out on one of the switchbacks. my favorite, a loose and steep turn. always a good combination for me. i have some nice dirt burns and a chainring tattoo from it. got back up and had to fix the drivetrain. it was weird not panicking to get it back on. hopped on the saddle and i was off. never made the equalizer. i must have tapped the front d with my leg (probably when i got my new tattoo), i dropped my chain twice after that. once by the equalizer again by the roots of evil, again not panicking to get it back on. i finished something like 11th overall... i think. not bad at all! of course i did have to wonder if i gave it all i had... but nah.
it's hard to believe the season started in april. there's a part of me that is relieved the season is over. if the last race wasn't sheboygan i'm not sure if i would've cared if i had been there or not. burn out i guess. not from riding but from traveling and sacrificing the weekends. i'm not complaining at all. i wouldn't have changed a thing.
fall has arrived. daylight hours are dwindling away... this is the time of year for the ride with friends. hang out at intersections chatting about the ride or previous rides or races while waiting for the slower riders (i'm barely in any of these chats). arm warmers, vests, knickers and those damn leaves. how do you turn in those anyway?
today is john's and my wedding anniversary. how quickly time flies when you are having fun. happy anniversary john, i love you.

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