Labor Day Weekend Final

Last race for me, I told myself before the race started today. I felt good during the warm up and felt like I could hang with the group today. It did have a hill on the backside of the course, and it was a little to long for me at 210 pounds.

With my Grandparents at the race, my Parents, my Wife and Caylin, I wanted to do real good.
The first 15 mins of the race were fast.... real fast. Lots of racers, 141 was a number I heard today due to crashes. 80 riders had gone home due to crashes for all the races. Well... we are coming down the hill at 40+ mph at the start finish line and guys start going down in the front of the 141 rider field. I start to go to the left to avoid everything and so do others infront of me. At that same time I am sliding the rear wheel and have to turn even more to avoid them. As my leg is burning from the asphalt I try to push myself up off the ground with my left hand. It almost worked like a pop up slide but failed. My leg continued to burn as it hit the ground again.

It took 4 laps on a one mile course to get all 50 riders back into the race. Of course with my wrist hurt maybe broke, more on that later, I was last to go back in. Big mistake, the longer I waited the more my wrist hurt and when we jumped back into the field it took my legs 5 more laps to feel better. I made a few moves and was feeling great other than the wrist. Once I got into a break with 3 others the field pulled us back after 3 laps. Then I stayed at the back of the field and watched more wrecks unfold infront of me, which I went around them with ease since I was so far back. With ten to go I moved up to the front slowly but with ease. Then I wanted to attack and when I tried my chain went off the bike! I went in for a mechanical. They worked on it and I was debating whether to go back in or not.

I got back in and it seemed to be working better so I went to the front 15 and when the hill came riders wanted to move up so I got stuck behind somemore crash dummies with 7 laps to go. I went down again but this time I almost stopped before I hit the pavement. Sounds so much better, but I took the fall with my left wrist more than my right.

I called it a day instead of taking a free lap went to go get cleaned up early and headed home wanting to get ready for next year.

Update on the wrist: has hurt ever since and continues as I type this. To late to go to the Doc's and won't go due to how much it will cost. I will go next year if it still hurts by then. I have been doing great on my spiritual growth and mentally. I haven't started to do anything physically but plan to in Oct.

I still ride my bike to work more than I drive to work so that's good.