tough weekend

A tough weekend, perceeded by a tough week - I should never have gone near my bike! I felt tired and not wanting to ride on Friday as I headed up to Pottstown National. I wasn't too keen n going, but I had not raced a national in months and thought the laps would do me good. How wrong could I be. The track did not suit me at all, a super short first straight with a shady jump in the middle and a table into the first corner, a steep and too short second straight meant everbody was over shooting stuff, a great rythym section and a short and steep last straight. I couldn't get any speed or any flow and even dropping down to a 43-16t didn't really help. My problem was the gate, it was so flat I really struggled to balance. This is usually my strong point but I got slaughtered all day. I crashed in pactice Friday and should have gone home then, it was an omen! Saturday after some mediocre motos (4-2-2) I had a good inside lane for the semi, only to slide off the gate as it dropped. Dead last. Somehow, I think in blind rage, I made it to second going into the second corner and thats where my race stopped. 5 200lb guys on kids bike on a track wide enough for 2 something had to give. Straight over the bars I went, taking down another guy (mike hummell i think) and my race was done. I have no idea how I crashed, what caused it, if I caused it, just one minute I was upright and the next I was lieing in the corner being run over. Needless to say the concrete berm won this battle. My bike is a mess, paint all off the top tube, new pedals and grips torn to pieces and worst of all my $65 Profile Carbon seat totally destroyed. My jersey is shredded, my back has some nice scrapes, my elbow is a lovely shade of blue and both wrists are pretty swollen as is my knee! Shoulda stayed at home and played with Gatsby. Weekend was a right off, not only did I lose my hotel money, but now I have to replace all the new parts I just put on the bike for the Grands, assuming I can ride. I feel flat, pissed off and totally not into bmx. I'll be ok by tomorrow but right now my face looks like it's been slapped by a wet fish. I'm a grumpy bugger today.

The good news is, Gatsby seems to be settled in well with Joey and Chewy. There are still some hisses and fights, but when I got in on Saturday night both Gatsby and Chewy were asleep on the sofa together so all is well. He certainly is treating our place like his home already, and seeing the wife and I only bought a house so we could have more animals so he should. Although a baby would be nice at some point wifey, just a little one..

After a busy week at work last week, looks like I have the same this week. Which is a good thing, stops me wallowing in self pity for being a complete novice on my bike at the weekend. I shall take this week off the bmx and get out on the road bike to keep my legs moving.
The weather is beautiful right now, low to mid 80's, no humidity, and blue skies = perfect. Although it does feel odd for a DC August to be like this, last yr it was in the 90's and 100's.

It was father-in-laws 65th yesterday, so next weekend we are having a mini family vacation somewhere in PA. Should be fun and will keep me off the bmx a little longer so that should help with the recovery if nothing else.

Maybe I might just take my cruiser to the Grands, if it's rebuilt in time!