The story of my demise! AKA BUMP death

Hmmm, what to say............................ Okay, I was excited about the BUMP, visions of a podium danced through my head, I did my home work, knew the times I had to turn, training was right (albiet on the road), diet was right, rest was right, everything seemed to be good as I parked the car Saturday and met JimGod for a practice loop. I headed out slow as I really did not want to push, as JimGod and the local pros caught me and then sped off, I stayed with JimGod as we both agreed they were going a little harder than either of us wanted to do. Everything was fine, although I was having to push through the turns and downhills a little faster than I cared to kepp up with JimGod who will hereafter be referred to as JG in this post. The climb was fine, all middle gear and quite easy although I was beginning to feel the heat and humidity, across the top was cool, we both agreed Blood Rock was not worth a fall and after that bit of hike a bike, JG promptly disappeared. This did not bode well for me, but, I still felt good about the race.

So, Sunday comes, I eat right, stay cool and get in a decent warmup, the legs feel great, yesterdays loop had no impact. At the start JG goes like a bat out of hell and Mingo is not far behind, I sat in and end up last in the first group to hit the woods with a big gap to the second group behind us. Okay, that was a bit more than I wanted, but I am good, there is one rider between Mingo and I and a gap of maybe 5 seconds to JG, in other words right where I want to be! We get to the third turn in the woods and the dude in front of me misses the step up to the root, I am on his ass so we both go down (wreck #1). Stay calm, remount, let one rider go round and back on, stay calm and start closing back up, a few hundred yards later I am about two seconds behind Mingo again, I can see JG ahead and all is right with the world when my front tire washes out and I go skidding into the poison ivy. Okay, now I am pissed and slightly rattled, but back on and again closing the distance as we get to the first fire road, I can just see Mingo and shift to the big rind to try and close it down, so I am a little scraped up, dirty and for sure gonna have a poison ivey rash but no big deal, I work up the single track climb, go across the bottom and then where they have that concrete wash thing, I fall off again. Totally rattled, pretty much ready to say the hell with this, but plug and chug, get to the big climb, dowse myself with a bottle of water and start climbing, now passing people, then hurt a bit, then pass peoplem then hurt, this is not too much fun. Finally get that hell climb done and realize I have no idea how I am doing but know it's not too good. ON the flat across the ridge, come upon Mingo and see he's flatted, offer a tube but that won't work with his 29er. Get past Blood Rock with no one behind me, I mean no one.............................at the bottom of the down hill, I look back and it's like a train of riders who made up tons of time on me! Let about 9 riders go, then all of the sudden we are back on the sinlge track climb, a pro comes by doing their second half loop, I grab on his wheel and pass about 6 riders going up the hill, okay, i can do this, I can ride with this dude, I hang on, steadilly passing people, then we get to that new section of singletrack, I like to call HELL! It's off cmber, got roots, no significant climbs or downhills to get momentum, so, I fall again! Oh this just sucks I say, but let's just get it done and keep n pressing. So, I hit this rock thing and absolutely flat (I mean an immediate BANG flat). At this point I say piss on it, I ain't fixing it, I am just gonna walk it out, I am tired, I am hot and I am disappointed. So I take a piss, stretch a bit then walk for about 5 minutes, I ask somebody coming by and find out I got like two miles left, so I change out tubes, air it up and get back on. Getting a bit better now, looking to grab a wheel, just looking for the finish. As I start to come out of the woods, I see Mingo junior and tell him his dad flatted, I am speaking to him when my front wheel sllides out over a bridge, down again, ,my watch is in pieces as both side of the band break off from the impact, my foot is trapped between two planks on the bridge and riders back are trying to figure out how to go around as I study my leg, wondering how did I get it stuck in there and how do I get it out? Get extricated. get back on this torture machine, cross the line, head to the showers and get on the road. I apologize for not communicating to anyone, mountain bike riding was not fun that day, nor has it been for a while. As a matter of fact, I no longer own a mountain bike.

Since I moved back to Atlanta, I have spent the majority of time with Rachel and Rebbekah, trying to rebuild those paternal ties. The end result is that I have not exercised at all, no weights, no bike, no run, no nothing. This has resulted in a lower back with sciatic pain all along my left leg. Yesterday, I thought about my last pt test at work, realized that when they took my blood pressure right before it, I had already had a couple of dips of copnehagen, had a red eye from starbucks and still had 106/60. So, I got on the Pinarello, it's been an month and I was slow, I mean real slow, but I got in 20 miles. Today I hit the gym at work, that sucked too. I plan on racing again, starting next week, I will be pack fodder, may even get dropped for a race or two, but two more races and I upgrade to Cat 4.

Now, as for JG's post, he called it, my previous posts were all legit, USA cycling has my results, they are all legit. I can ride, I will continue to ride and yes race, but it won't be on a mountain bike. My hats off to JG, Mingo, Dairen and Little Ball for showing up, the rest of you can get bent cause you did not even throw your hat in the ring! Road ride T-Day morning, if you don't have a bike. buy one, if you can't afford a bike borrow one, I just sold a nice GT-R to my dad, the Pinarello stays with me, cause it's only got one speed........fast!