3 week recap

So it's been so long since I've done a post. Apparently I should of being doing more, as too many guys in the west coast read Derrick's post the wrong way last night. All well, such is life and we don't have a blog to cause trouble but to use as a race report and a diary and nothing more that. Family, friends, fans, supporters and sponsors are interested in how we are and what we are doing and sometimes this is our only connection to them. The smartest thing I have done though over the last few weeks, is stopped reading everyone's blog that I race against. Why.....well there is no need, if I see these people at the race, I'd rather just talk to them and listen to how things went, cause, really that shows that I care and am interested and I am actually listening to there answers. It's been a real great experiment and I really proud of myself for this step. As a racer you can read into someone's blog the wrong way, and not get their true perspective, but if you talk to them you actually see that it is different from what you would read. Hey and sometimes people like to make jokes and sound funny but not for it to be taken the wrong way.

Anyways, a short 3 weeks ago the racing had started and wow how much variety have I had this year in a mere 3 weeks. Vermont was great 1 win and 1 2nd place. Gloucester, well Gloucester couldn't of been better. Those to date were my best two career wins ever and two do the double like that made it feel even more amazing. Two different days and two different styles of racing really made me feel at the top of my game. Maybe one week to early or maybe not. I definitely didn't feel amazing the last two days and I know I never travel well east to west, but what can you. All you can do is try and hope things will go well. Luck wasn't on my side this weekend either, the first day I made a mistake of letting Pepper and Allison pass me in the first half of the first lap and sure enough Pepper crashed and on my way of avoiding her as she was getting up, I slid out as well and never got to recover as Pepper and Allison went full gas to get rid of me. I tried and tried but 12 seconds was as close as I ever got in the next few laps and then I was spent.

Today was better but still not my "A" game. Heart rate was super lower both today and yesterday and I know something is always up when that happens. Anyways I gave it a go and lead the first lap and then had to play a bit of games. I was only willing to let Allison lead and as Pepper kept trying to get by I had to accelerate and close the door on her. She ended up crashing numerous of times behind me and that was exactly why I couldn't let her get in front. Anyways to fight her off I let Allison get a couple of seconds on me and could never close it back. She got me by about 20 seconds today (Pedal and Canadian Cyclist some how messed up the results but all well). On the top part of the course I was closing and could see and smell the fear in Allison as she jumped hard out of each corner. But she definitely out road me in the bowl part of the course which I couldn't make up the time for this mountain bike section of the course no matter how hard I tried.

Derrick's race today was a bit of a "shit" show if I can say this word on the blog. If I told you anything about the few mishaps we have both had to deal with in the last few days it has been insane. Pretty funny and pretty amazing how we both handled the situations. For me, one really truly did probably effect my performance (which its nothing a few physio appointments can't fix), the other, well was just a little out of line and insulting. The same for Derrick and the way he came back today in the race after he was blatantly taken out, well that was amazing. I was pretty sure after the race we was going to be ready to rip someone apart, but he didn't even complain. All he could say was "did you see me ride and pass like 10 guys in 2 minutes, look how well I recovered from that". He also had some bad luck with a mechanical and as he road into second place, he then fell back to 4th because of it in the last few laps of the race. No complaints or protests to the officials when I think he would of had a valid case. Anyways, like my little mishap last week with another rider, you never know who was right and who was wrong, or if it is intentional or not, nobody can really make the call but the person who did it. You just have to trust your gut and try to race as fair as you think is fair. It is after all cyclo cross, and people are in for the win and will get there at all costs, and everyone has their own style of riding. Derrick and I both do this for a living at the moment and do try to go as far as we can but as fair as possible, but yes rubbin is racing my friends and it's all part of the game.

Next year is another year and another Nationals. Nationals is an important one, but there is still many other races to be won out there for the season. I definitely know that I had my work cut out for me this past weekend to win it and am not sure even if I had my "A" game if I would of got it on this course. I'm content to keep on trying and keep on racing to my abilities and wait again until next year in Toronto, which is much closer to home for me. And maybe just then I will get the title. Believe me when I do, it will be something special, I thought for sure my 10 UCI wins in North American over the last 13 months was enough preparation but I guess it was not. Nobody said it was going to be easy and if it was, would it be that great.

Thanks again to everyone who has helped us thus far, all the cheerers, supporters, fans, family, coach Dan and sponsors at LG, both from at the race and from a far. We are not even half way done this season, but you have all brought us so far.

NCE