Sometimes it just doesn't click like you want it to

Been wanting to write, but just couldn't muster up the sit-down and do it time.

I took the week after Master's Natz easy, maybe too easy. Bought the mtn bike and rode it. It's been a struggle feeling good on the bike. My hands have ached, ragweed has kicked my allergies into high which then turned on the asthma. Good grief, enough is enough now!  

So I've been to CX practice and CX skilz and drilz clinic and this Monday Niki put on a ladies clinic. All great things put on by good people. At CX practice the medium kids drop me. Now, these kids are all probably under 12. Sad but true. They are GREAT kids and it amazes me how fluid they are on their bikes. Duane and Steven have put on skilz and drilz clinic for anyone that wants to come. We've focused on dismounts and remounts, carrying our bikes over "barriers" and riding uphill and downhill while attempting not to use the brakes (yeah, well I touched the brakes 3 times last night). And one fellow teen CXer, who shall remain nameless, tells me that my pedals look too low to the ground for a CX bike. hmmm, oh well.

Monday, Niki put on a clinic for the ladies. She wanted to make sure anyone that is new to racing had a chance to ask questions about it. She also gave some great tips. We practiced dismounts and remounts. We practiced starts and once we'd done several of those we practiced hole-shots. Fun stuff. We did a warm-up lap and then headed over to practice the stairs and use our dismount/remounts on the real thing. This was great fun. We did one at a time, then two and then three. All seemed to be going fairly well for me, remounts could be better. Then on my 4th time around I was solo. I misjudged timing and speed and dismounted a little late, then the bike went right and I went down. It was slooww motion. I saw that step and couldn't find my hands or a way to slow down or stop. Right cheekbone meets corner of a railroad tie step. Owie. So I knew it was going to be a nice shiner and it is. 2 days later and it looks worse than ever. I think I might've cracked my bone or at least bruised it.

Like a fellow cyclist said, it's a good thing I don't have a man in my life or he'd be getting all kinds of grief about now. My daughter's wedding is a week from Sunday and right now I just hope it fades enough that I can cover this up with concealer. I played with that earlier tonight and it didn't work so well.  :(


I'm so fortunate to have this activity to look forward to each day. Bicycle riding has helped me in countless ways. October, November and the first half of December are going to see weekends filled with CX races. I've met many people in other cities (both in person and on facebook) and I look forward to seeing them during this season and cheering them on, too. There are quite a few lady newcomers to the scene and this is super exciting.


Til next time, Keep The Rubber Down!