It was an interesting race....
It was my first time back since the accident (At Pringle Creek). And I'm glad to report that I did in fact, manage to keep the "Rubber side down". Which I was very happy about.
What I wasn't so happy about, and quite frankly a little surprised by. Was how nervous I was. I guess that would be kind of a "duh" moment. But it really caught me by surprise. I was totally fine until we lined up at the start. I had to fight the nervousness the whole race. In fact it really screwed my sprint at the end because I was to timid.
I guess the main reason it took me by surprise was that I've ridden with the Scott's group a bunch of times since the crash and never felt un-nerved at all.
Couple that with the fact that I had just re-glued my tubulars from the crash. And even though I've done it many times, the first race after I do that I always get a bit nervous (Hmmm. Maybe I shouldn't have used them at all and just taken that little extra bit out of the equation. Meh, live and learn...). Sitting in the back of my mind every time I leaned it into a corner I was thinking, "Please don't roll, please don't roll!" But they didn't. In fact they were totally fine the whole time. But I can't seem to help myself...
I did however really enjoy having a full crew (As many guys as I have bike racks for...) go with me to the race. That was a lot of fun. Bullshitting our way down to the race. Debating the trials and tribulations of the day, tactics and any thing else that happened to pop into conversation. That's the good stuff about bike racing in my opinion.
The other guys (Brison, Adam, Thomas and Kevin) all had varying degrees of success in the race.
Kevin was pretty active through out the race. And still managed to be there for the sprint in the end. He got 8th.
I feebly tried to lead out Brison and Thomas in the final sprint. I'm not really sure how much it helped but Thomas got 10th and Brison got 7th.
I was really happy for all of them. I ended up a meager 17th. But considering it was my first time back. I'll take it. Hopefully the nervousness will subside with a few more races under my belt....
Adam did great. All things considered.... He ended up getting popped off the back of the group during one of the prime laps and couldn't regain contact. Which in and of itself is a pretty demoralizing blow (I've been there many times...)
But to add insult to injury he had to deal with three douche bags on a corner heckling him every lap. They were hanging out on with their hipster fixey bikes and their PBR in a paper bag (You know, cuz on a count they're so cool.) Supposedly those guys were racers too. But if that's the fact then those asshats are probably the most un-sportsman like racers I've ever heard of. Most everyone who races knows what it's like to suffer like that. As well as getting dropped and how that can mess with your head. But instead these guys built themselves up by beating others down. I mean really, who the hell does that!? They must feel like real men taunting people at a race. Had I known they were doing that I would have brought a water bottle full of pennies and hucked it at their heads. It's what they deserve....
Pheww...
Okay, I'm good.
Tomorrow more uplifting, feel good things. Like puppies, kittens and rainbows.
Rubber side down,
Big E
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