Went to Michigan this weekend to race in the xterra Midwest cup race at Ft Custer park, near Battle Creek, MI (home of Kelloggs - Cereal City they call it). Drove up in rain, rode one lap of the bike when we arrived, rain had stopped, wind started, and temps were in the 30's with high winds by evening. brrrr. Sunday morning, the temp at the park was 34, but the sun was coming out, and the wind was light. This race is a qualifier for the Xterra World Champs in Maui. The past 2 years this race was shorter, and nhot a qualifier, but this year they added a race in every region, and this one was chosen for the midwest race. The swim was only 1000m, not to the liking of the pros, or swimmers like myself who use the swim to build a lead (it should be 1500m for a qualifier - its like having an OLY tri with a 1000m swim). Oh well, what can you do! It was a wetsuit swim (64 degree water), but the water felt balmy since the air was cold. My swim was good, one pro women beat me, and we spotted them 30 seconds on the start. Unfortunately, only giving them 30 seconds, means all those fast pro mountain bike riders would be right behind me, and I'd be slowing them down, and having to slow myself down (even more) to let them by on the single track. They really need to start the pros 5 minutes ahead so they are clear of the age group race, and we don't effect their race, and they don't effect ours. Again, what can you do! The bike was two 10 mile loops. Lots of tight twisty singletrack amongst the forest, one knee deep river crossing, a fun stone paved drop off, and old military trenches turned into crazy fun singletrack trail. I finished the first lap still leading amateur women, but I could see a couple women on the little road stretch out and back (to the transition) and knew they were coming. I know I'm not the fastest bike rider, nor the best technical rider, but I love the mountain bike, and I just kept plugging away. The race was spreading out, and when I came to the river crossing on the second lap there was no one around me. First lap everyone carried their bikes through, including me, but this time a volunteer yelled 'go here, you can do it', and me, being the brain dead racer, thought ok. And my front wheel hit the deep mud, stopped, rear wheel kept going, up and over me, and I went down into the river, face first, hands digging into the sandy bottom, bike on top of me. I stood up, spitting muddy water out of my mouth, laughing, knowing the photographers on the other bank for sure got that wipeout. Carried myself and the bike out, saw muddy water all over my body (you can see remnants on the bike number above), had to clean my eyes and glasses. The bike was rather unhappy for 10 minutes or so, so much sand in the chain, and I couldn't get my foot clipped into the pedal. But the movement, and the wind cleaned everything out enough that she started to sputter back to life (after about 6 women passed me), and we made it to T2. I had to change socks, the others were wet, which would have been ok, but full of sand, which would have hurt running. So clean socks, and then remembered I had tightened my running shoes up for thin summer socks, and had on thicker wool socks, and they wouldn't go on! Well, eventually they did, and I was off to run down the beach! woohoo. Every step felt funny on the first lap of the run. Pins and needles in the bottom of my feet every step, I guess from them being frozen on the bike. But by the second lap they were better, and I really enjoyed the run. It was a beautiful trail, passing lilacs blooming out in the forest, some small ponds, and I was running hard, well, as hard as I could, wanting to make a few passes and move up a few places. My goal was top3 amateur women, I passed 2 back on the run, and moved up to 5th overall. Not quite what I was hoping for, but what can you do! Sometimes things just don't work quite right. But I won my rather small age group race, and can go to Maui if I want.


Jamie Whitmore was here, announcing. She took a few minutes to chat with me, and she is a really amazing person. If you don't know what she has been going through, check out her blog, and you will be stunned, and inspired.


So, now it is a beautiful sunny Monday, and I took the day off work to get in a long ride since I was at the race this weekend. That's done, and I enjoyed a nice post ride meal of chocolate milk and cinnamon raisen french toast and bacon! Yes, bacon, and it was YUM!


and Sam is now in week 8 post surgery and he is walking great. Even though its a few more dsya before we head back to the vet, I made the executive decision to start walking him agaim, just short walks, but he is a happy boy!