Border Battle.

All photos by Velogrrl

The my race can be summed up in one word - "blah".

A few of the low lights were:

1. Blowing myself up on lap one trying to hang with a stronger rider on the flats.

2. Almost getting pushed off the first bridge on lap one. Someone had fallen off and was remounting at the bridge exit point while I was riding it.

3. Eating it myself at the bridge on lap two for really no good reason.

4. Riding laps two, three and four with pain in my hip/ass from biting in on the bridge and subsequently feeling disheveled and pissed at myself for the rest of the race.

5. Feeling super sick on lap two (maybe the enduralites?).

6. Having the top elite men catch me on lap 3 in the freaking tightest spot on the course. I just pulled over....when I started pedaling again, a few more top elite men came out of nowhere and whizzed right by me. This caused me to suddenly shift my weight in an attempt to once again get out of the way. I ended up tipping over while clipped in and laying in the bushes. It wasn't pretty. And while I know I'm not gunning for a top spot, I do hope all the elite men appreciate the courtesies that are given to them. And I hope they at least had a good laugh while I kicked it in the bushes.

7. Too much braking.

8. Driving solo for 3.5 hours back to Madison while in a pissed off mood. At least I didn't get a speeding ticket.

9. Skipping 4 hours of scheduled training this week cause my hip/ass hurt.

The highlights? There were a few:

1. I held back a lot on the climbs. I think I can let loose a little more because I'm fitter than I think.

2. I felt slightly less unraveled on lap 4, pulled my head out of my ass and kicked it in the ass.

3. I had a decent pre-ride on Saturday and had a good time riding my bike.

4. While sifting through pictures this week I noticed that a few Comp men had also fallen off the first bridge. This somehow lessens the blow to my ego and all the ass pain I've been having.

I think the look on my face says it all.

Next up: Part of me would like to do the Palos meltdown, but I'll be heading to WORS GB. It should be a good test of my fitness and will be a good race leading up to the Cheq 40.