this is tiring... but I love it!

Ahhhhhhh. There is not much more that I can do right now but sit on this couch with legs up. Seven consecutive days of racing has taken its toll and turned me to a zombie. Does this sound like complaining? It shouldn’t. This is bliss. My life is reduced to waking up; making breakfast; driving 5 – 30 minutes to the race; pre-race prep and short warm up ride; FAST, FAST, FAST pedaling/attack/recover/finding the right line and wheel in the final laps/and sprint with everything left; a short cool down ride; chill with other riders and collect the winnings; home to Doug’s house to watch the day’s stage of the Tour de France on TV; shower; dinner. Simplicity.

I’ve been racing well, with consistently good, but not outstanding results. I’ve had some bike troubles, but great support. After a broken spoke in the first race and flats in two subsequent races, a small but crucial part of my rear shifter broke. The neutral support guys didn’t have the part, but they lent me a bike. I called every possible shop in Milwaukee that might have the part: No luck. Fortunately Montano Velo, my phenomenal shop sponsor in Oakland had it and overnighted it. But when we went to rebuild the shifter this morning, it turns out that the part that was shipped was a slightly different model. The hole for the spring was a millimeter off, but enough to make it unworkable. The last chance for getting this fixed here is to have Camangnolo send it overnight, which is going to cost me a pretty penny (especially with Saturday delivery) but at least I’ll have my own bike back. Meanwhile, I’ve raced three races on a borrowed bike and have finished in the money in all of them. I’m currently in 3rd overall. 1st and 2nd are out of reach with only two more races left.

Other than racing, all is well except for the extremely annoying deafening roar of stunt fighter jets rushing over Milwaukee, arrogantly thumbing there nose at us about the unjust war(s) they represent. I’m sure that for the annual cost of flying just one of those jets a school could be staffed and run. Where are our priorities?