Fun weekend, not what I had planned

Friday evening, just in from doing my openers before Saturday's crit and someone knocks on the door and walks in. Hah! A friend I've not spent nearly enough time with over last months. He and his SO took the tour of the house, I changed clothes and then we walked to a neighborhood bar for beers. After a couple of beers we came back to the house had broke out the tequila for shots. Nothing good happens with tequila! As they were leaving I went to cross the street to their car and say good-bye. Somehow I managed to trip and fall face first into the road, sliding across the pavement and getting road rash on both knees and my right elbow. 

Saturday morning I get up to finish packing for the race. Left knee isn't as skinned up as the right but is swollen and doesn't want to work properly. I walked and walked and went up and down stairs, but it just wasn't right. No sense in driving to Frankfort and jumping into the first race of the year with a bum knee. So I stayed home, did laundry and kept my leg up. Got the call that my mtn bike was ready and they brought it to Cherokee after work as they had plans to ride. I met them there and took it for a spin. I figured if my knee was too bad I'd turn around and take the bike home. I rode from the parking lot around to bottom of Dog hill and climbed Hogan's fountain hill. Knee felt ok. So I rode around and made my way to decision point and opted for No Net. I was riding confident, even if fitness wasn't great (it'd been a bit with all of the rain since I'd been on the mtn bike).  At one point there is a downhill that is steep with root outcroppings and I decide to be conservative. I go to dismount and walk it down the descent when my left foot slips off the trail and slides down the hillside. My right leg is still straddling the bike. I'm fighting to stop and pushing my bike upwards, but I do a backwards somersault down the hillside. Thank goodness my bike gets caught in the brush and doesn't follow me. Now I have another nice scrape on the outside of my right leg and some chain ring grooves inside the back of my knee.  :-)

I decide I'm going to do a TT on Sunday. A friend I know had told me about it. Another friend was going to race it. It was my first real race (Death March was more fun) of the year. The humidity and heat was at an uncomfortable level. This made wanting to keep a good speed on the bike even more desirable. When I arrived everyone was so nice. A couple of the regulars invited me and another newbie to preride the course with them. We had about an hour before the start. I started out with them and 2.5 miles in I decide I should turn around and get on the trainer. I was a big old wuss! We all lined up and started the 20K course. Several passed me. That was motivation though. I just worked harder and harder with each one. My goal was to keep under 40 minutes and I did by more than a few seconds. There were three nice hills. My bike wouldn't downshift into my small ring. So, the last hill I just settled in and powered up. When I crested it I saw where another road intersected but couldn't see other racers or road markings. Then one of the other women passed me like a bat out of hell. I'd slowed too much and lost momentum. She kicked my arse, to be sure.

I was feeling good after when I heard my time. I was wiped out also. But I'd brought my mtn bike and drove with a friend to Muscatatuck State Park. We started out on the trails. I made it about half way around. I kept telling my friend not to wait but they would not listen. After no more than 2.5 miles I was spent. My legs felt good but heart and lungs could not keep everything running proper. I made it through Sunday without falling down. 2 outta 3 days ain't all that bad, right?  ha ha 


It was a full and fun weekend. I hope this holiday weekend soon to come can measure up. 


Good friends make life so much more enjoyable!!!


peace