The first race

First race of the season was today.

It was pretty awesome. I raced A's which is like all 1/2's sooo, I was pretty pumped.

It was in Heritage Lake, IN, which is just North East of Greencastle.

Well I will tell it from the very beginning so you can truly appreciate this day

I didn't sleep incredibly well last night, but woke up at 9:30 and hopped in the shower. Got the bike all set up with the ksyriums and packed all my other stuff.

Then I headed down to revolution and dicked around with the guys until everyone showed up.

We then got our stuff all loaded and got under way.

we got there at like 1:30... I think.

Anyway, we all got suited up and ready to rock.

We went out and did a little warm up spin. and then lined up to rock.

And ROCK WE DID!

From the gun, the race was wicked fast and wicked hard. But that was all IU's FAULT AH AH AH! (the count from sesame street's laugh)

Anyway, it was a forty mile race on an 8-mile really rolling course that had no turns and as in a residential/lake area, kind of like a BIG I guess heritage lake out west of Bloomington-Normal.

But we took off and rocked so hard. Easily one of the hardest races I have done... EVER!

We tried a few surges and attacks, but nothing really stuck until John Myers, Brett and a couple of guys from varying schools launched off the front. At that point, IU and Wisconsin and Milwaukee just held up the pack to let the break get some time on the pack. Intermittently, small packs would try to formulate and bridge up, but we shut those down and reeled them in with ease. But then people started to fall back, Brett being one of them which meant we had no one in the break.

IU put the hammer down and became a force.

We put all 10 of us on the front of the pack and just hammered. no way around it. People wouldn't come to the front because they couldn't hang with us. It was pretty impressive. I quote Mike Sherer "I felt like Astana" minus the dope.

Anyway, we sat on the front and became a screaming red express for the 4 remaining laps.

I worked so well with everyone, including Isaac, we got along really well today - in fact, i was talking to val tonight and he was like "Isaac was so proud of you, he said you were extremely powerful and very team oriented and responsible, we got along great today". That is such a compliment and such a step in teh right direction... 'Bout time. This is awesome, may lead to racing for alderfer bergen next year and easier to get to races.... CHYEAH! I did mess up and attacked when I shouldn't have but I came back and apologized. I know, I know, but gotta play the games.. I am learning that.

Any way the train was drilling, we had shrunk John Myer's attack from two minutes to him being in sight. (By this time John Myers was solo). So our rotation was flawless, we were within one mile of the finish and totally set to get 1-5. Then Wisconsin had to go and mess it up. They got into rotation and totally messed it up and then it just blew up literally.

I pulled off the front and two wisconsin guys come up and box me in and I am shut down to next to no speed in comparison what we were doing. Then hell broke loose, I hear the grind of componentry hitting pavement and I felt a knock on my rear wheel but didn't look back and just tried to push through the box. Then, no less than 5 seconds later, I see Pat Ahlberg's rear wheel at about eye height and I immediately grabbed for brakes and luckily I did, his rear end came my direction and I went off road into the gravel and mud, but I got it put back together and back on pavement with out a loss of stability.

In the mean time, Kentucky (?) launched an attack and went in for the top placings.

At this time, IU's gravy train had been destroyed and we just rolled in.

Isaac was mega pissed. Rightfully so, I mean we were the strongest contenders there, but that was totally out of our control.

He raged out at me and was like "you should have raced B's" I just nodded, and let it roll off, I don't belong in the b's I belong in the A's where I was, I was a powerhouse and I did my fair share of work, I just don't have the experience he has, an I need to learn. Fortunately I have a couple of strong guides....Isaac, Mike, both the Knapp boys.

So the carnage that resulted.
Graham got pretty busted up, road rash.

Pat busted up his knees and was on a rampage to kick somebody's ass

Brett, cracked his frame, shredded his 808's and got suspended from collegiate racing... This is the last guys that deserved that. He is the nicest guy in the world.. such a shame

But get this, all said and done, the race was completely negated because of 20 violations (center line, is unrealistic in a race with more than 10 people), the official just canceled it. So, IU ended up really well cause our women's A's were Bomb, etc.

But then we headed back and I came here and just lounged around and ate... DAMN I as hungry.

Oh well, crit tomorrow, no center line to screw us.

Time to go get my laundry, watch a movie, and sleep. OLE