USGP

It's gonna be a short post, it was a long and rainy drive back over the pass. A long weekend of racing, but some of the best courses of the season. I think I would venture to say my favorites...Rainer is right up there, but these were sweet. A good mix of mud, pavement, singletrack, grassy, a good length, just sweet!

Sat I felt good, had a good start, avoided all the pile ups and crashes on lap one and came out of the first lap sitting in the top 5...I moved back a little as the race went on (this has been a trend for me that I need to work on). There were some fast dudes on the downgrade program in my race. I killed it on the last lap trying to make up ground and I am sure it was one of my faster laps, made some moves when people bobbled and was happy with my effort, I don't think I could have gone much harder ...I vomited in the grass after the finish, so in the end I was happy with my 12th. I think I was the first Oregon rider in the B's and I beat a few folks who catch me in the crusade races.

Sun was a little shorter course with a run up and a lot of the same mud, just deeper...all good stuff. I didn't have the legs so much. Right off the start I was sitting in 15th or so and I never really left that spot. I didn't ride bad, I just didn't feel it. Super nice guy came around me on the last lap and was all encouraging telling me to grab his wheel which I did and picked up the pace a little bit (Which showed me I was having some mental issues, because I had no problem picking up the pace)...I stayed on his wheel all the way to the pavement and made a little move around him to finish...Kinda felt like a jerk for taking it in the end, but he was super cool and we had a good laugh about it.

Hung out in the pits on both days helping out Chris Sheppard, Scotty Carlile, and Carl Decker. It was cool to watch the races from that perspective.

Sunnyside was killing it. Don looked extra strong and pulled in two 2nd places over the weekend behind one of my other favorite racers out there, Ron Strasser. Karen and Renee were both hooking up top ten finishes. Lots of fun hanging out with a great group of folks. Can't believe cross season is over.

Here's to a great season, great friends, and looking forward to another "off" season...of course by "off" I mean, skiing, climbing, road racing, kayaking, mt bike racing...you know, getting ready for next cross season.