Polishing a turd

That is pretty much what racing felt like yesterday. No matter shiny you got it, it was still a turd in the end. Whirlybird cross was a great event. The course was super, barring one small thing that will surely be fixed for '10. Guy's Bicycles team have shown what hard work and being open to rider feedback can do for an event. The event has grown threefold since 2007. Kudos to all involved.
To the race. I had just built the new bike Thursday and was ready to race it. i warmed up on hte bike and felt good. I just managed to talk myself out of racing it. That was the first wax on wax off of my proverbial cross turd. A blah start and a seat that was too low on bike 2 led to a painful first two laps. As I started to come around I slid out in a corner and drilled my knee. No big time loss, just something that does not happen usually. A lap later I get tangled in a crash in front of me and end up with some handlebars in my wheel. At this point the turd is pretty shiny and still four more laps of polishing. I soldiered and shined on, always feeling like it was a death march. At one point Tom McDaniel states "you don't look so fresh this week". I reply, "I am not so fresh this week", and so it goes.
End up fifth, I definitely did not deserve any better. It was a great course, I saw some friends I have not seen in a while, and still had some fun. So be it.

#1 in the country baby

Not on a bike, but with work amazingly enough. Albeit only for the first month in Q4, our #1 spot has moved us up to #2 in the country for the year. Interestingly enough, my counterparts in Harrisburg are #1. The ironic thing is, all four of us were talking today about how we may not have a job in two months.
With a decent August for us, and a less than stellar August for the Harrisburg team, we may be #1 in the country for the year, with one month to report. That would be a fine showing.
Still totally on edge about the job. I think all will be OK. I have a few things working in my favor, however you just never know what will happen until the day you are told "wait by your phone to be told if you have a job, and where it will be". The most ironic thing about that is the call is more than likely going to be made November 13th. As in, Friday the 13th.
The Colonel himself could not have planned it any better.

To be shamed, or not to be shamed...

...into starting this thing back up.
It is not like it is a literary masterpiece. It is not like my life is so intriguing. Maybe that is the point. Ok I will give it a run.
Cross is here. It is a beautiful thing in the Mid-Atlantic region. You can race every weekend from mid September through mid December and never drive more than two hours to a race. Cross is friggin' booming. Over 400 at T-town and 600+ at Charm City this weekend. People dig cross. It is fast, exciting, fun, short and easy to spectate. It is not a surprise to me that cross is surpassing road and mountain race numbers in the Mid-Atlantic. Cross has the speed and tactics of the road, the bike handling and turning skills of mountain biking, and everything is right in front of you.
I will leave this parting thought from my friend Mike Yozell and add a little twist.
"I am not a cross racer, I am a bike racer. I race bikes, I like bikes, I just happen to be racing cross right now."
Enjoy cross season kids, and also remember just how fun it is to ride/race those other bikes in your garage.