Giro d' Grafton - USA Crits - Quick recap

I feel like we're all starting to get into a groove with our routine which is pretty awesome.  John one of our host's took us out on a bike path for our coffee spin, and it was really beautiful.  My body was sorta protesting the ride at first, but after a few minutes I was glad I motivated to venture out. The girls helped with that =).

After, we stopped in downtown Greendale to soak up some of the local culture.  Maybe i'm from the Midwest?

After a slight detour on the way to the race, we reg'd, warmed, up, and made our way to the start line where we were greeted by the same familiar faces, with a few new ones with this being a USA crit series race.

The race began, quickly and I worked on positioning - up up up!  The highlight for me was getting the nerve to chase down a couple vicious attacks.  With 5 to go, the three of us organized at the front but not on the font.  A few wheels back.  With two to go we were poised, and as I rolled through the start finish, I hit a bad pothole and dropped my chain to the outside! OH NO.  I took a deep breath, changed to the 39 in hopes it would fling the chain back up.  No luck.  I felt myself floating back, as the sea of bikes parted for my mechanical.  I wasn't going to give up.  Screw that! I worked too  hard.  I leaned down, grabbed my chain with my fingers, placed it on my big ring, pedaled and when I knew it was on sprinted my heart out with one to go back to the font.

As we rounded the second corner all hell broke loose with a crash.  I quickly thought "wow, if I hadn't dropped my chain, maybe that woulda been me".... I re-focused, and reshuffled knowing the rest of this race was all or nothing.  Heading into the final two corners I was about 12 wheel, and knew I wasn't going to crack top ten.  I tried to lead the girls out, but then lost my wheel on the decent and floated back a couple more. As we rounded the last corner onto the finishing straight I stood up and hammered (avoiding that pothole) to crack the top 20, for 19th place.  All in all, i'm satisfied despite my mechanical.  Today, after lounging the entire morning watching Sarah Palin's show Discovering Alaska.  Priceless.