End of the season!

Its been a while since I have done any "blogging". I guess there are times you feel like doing it and other times you don't.

I spent most of my time in July down in Centralia with my family and my grandpa. He passed away on 7/07/10. RIP Oscar Lee Thompson. He battled Alzheimers for almost 10 years.

I raced Redmond Derby days July 10th and was hoping to get on the podium for my gramps. He always attended my soccer, football and baseball games growing up and was always the most vocal as most of my teammates from those times will remember. In the last 10 years he would also come to the race track when I was racing motorcycles. It was always great to have him and grandma there so I thought getting on the podium for him would be a good dedication. I was disappointed to say the least when I was only able to finish 8th. After the race I headed down to Centralia to be with the family and we had a Team Time Trial down in that area that Cycle U was going to do. We had 2 teams of 4. On my team was Chad, Jed, Andrew and myself. I felt like we had a super strong team and getting on the podium for this was a very good prospect. The course was flat and 32 miles with a turn around half way. We started hard and fast and leading up to the race we had practices every Wed night for about a month prior. So we felt pretty confident on doing well. The road was ok but the shoulder part of the road was very inconsistant. Sometimes there was a big 2 ft paved shoulder then in other areas there was no shoulder and even pieces of asphalt missing into the white line. We kinda reminded each other in our rotation to stay away from the shoulder. Just imagine 4 individuals at their limit riding within inches of each other trying to stay as aero as possible. You tend to move around a bit on the road and we got to about a mile away from the turn around when the carnage took place. Just as Chad was about to rotate off the front and move to the back he got to a piece of road where there was zero shoulder. His front tire got caught on the dirt area off of the pavement and couldn't get it to come back on the road. I was 3rd in line with Jed in front of me and Andrew behind me. It seemed like it took forever to happen but looking back it was only seconds for it to take place. Chad was never able to get back on the pavement and he went down with Jed riding right into him. At that point we were cruising at 27 mph. So Chad went down and Jed went over the top of him and shoulder planted in the pavement. I didn't really even consider my options and just went straight to the shoulder and ditch. I got hit by a bike or something in the left leg as I went by the bikes and bodies and then hit the ditch and flew over the bike into the sticker bushes. I landed on my back with my bike landing on top of me. I laid there for a few seconds to try and comprehend what just happened. Then I got up and saw bikes, bodies and blood all over the road with Jed holding his shoulder. When I saw Jed sitting there holding the same shoulder he dislocated earlier in the season at Walla Walla I was gutted. I knew he probably tore it up again or broke his collarbone. I went to him and helped him up and moved him over to the ditch where we all kinda piled on. Chad was busy trying to fix his finger that was just hanging there. Andrew was ok with some minor bumps and bruises like myself. The damage was Chad got stitches in his hand, road rash and tore his extender tendon on his finger. That is why it was hanging there and not able to straighten. Jed broke his collarbone in two or three places but either way he had surgery and got it plated. He is still recovering and not able to ride his bike. The drive home that night was tough for me. When you escape something like that unharmed you tend to wonder if it is worth the risk. However this is the risk you take. I enjoy riding my bike and wouldn't be myself if I couldn't.

LWV #1

The next set of races was the Lake Washington Velo series (LWV). The first race was in Skagit Valley. The course was flat but it was raining so that really made things interesting. When we started the rain had stopped for the most part but the course was pretty slick. I stayed near the front and actually took some big pulls the first lap. My plan was to try and get some points on the intermediate sprint and then try and be there for the finale as well. However coming around the corner right before the finish about 800 meters there is a tight right had corner with a slight drop in the middle of the corner. Every lap someone crashed in that corner. On the sprint lap 2 in front of me went down so I had to slow a little bit and that put enough of a gap in the front guys and I wasn't able to close them down. I was able to get 3rd in the sprint so I did get a couple points. Then on the last lap my cable broke for my rear derailer so I was stuck in my biggest gear. This made for a tough lap and then the finish I wasn't able to get my speed up enough to be there at the end for the final sprint. All things considered I did get some points and I wasn't taken out by anybody.

LWV #2

I did this whole series last year so I know the courses and the 2nd course was in Gig Harbor and is a great course. There is a little bit more room to move around on the road in the pack and there is a good size stair step hill before the finish. I am not a fan of the hill but it makes the course interesting and that much more challenging. We had a pretty strong group for this race and the plan was to try and get myself up for some sprint points and have Gabriel or Andrew go for the win. Those two both can climb really well so I knew this would be a good stage for them. Andrew finished 2nd in Washington State for BARR points so he is very strong. Coming around for the intermediate sprint I was well placed and was near the front when we got to the top of the hill. The problem was I went to early. I was in 4th place right before the 200 meter sign and had nothing left for my sprint so I sat up. I was totally gassed. Then on the last lap coming up the hill it felt like someone tied 10 pound weights to my legs. I went from the front immediately to the back. Andrew was near the front and was able to take home a top 10 position so that was good.

LWV #3

I did pretty well in this race last year and finished 4th. Picture below.

The goal this year was to do much better. I have been very close this year to getting on the podium but for whatever reason I miss the move or just get beat to the line. I would prefer to say I miss the move and its not my fitness that holds me back. We had another good strong team for this race and Chadicus was going to be my lead out man. Which is a great guy to have deliver you to the promise land. So far in, I must say this was the most nervous, sketchy and drama filled race I have ever been in but with no crashes which makes it that much stranger. There was a massive field of 90 Category 4/5's. We started at the front of the race and the roads over in Carnation are super small with no shoulder. You basically have the white line and dirt or blackberry bushes. I am sure you can picture 90 guys all crammed on to a very small 2 lane road with no shoulder all trying to move to the front. We had guys riding up on the outside in the dirt trying to move up. As we came around for the last lap I was probably in between 20th and 30 place. Chad came by and I got on his wheel but it was only for a moment as I got shuffled back a bit. Then coming into the last corner which is also about 800 meters from the line Chad shot right up to the top 5 on the inside of the corner. It was strange, it was like everyone went real wide for the corner and slowed up. Chad saw the opportunity and dove right in there. I almost got on his wheel but missed it again. He put the hammer down and strung the whole front group into a single file line. At this time I must have been in the top 20 so I had some work to do. Chad was still in the front of the group as I started closing the gap when 1st and 2nd place shot out of Chad's draft and started there sprint for the line. I turned it up and was able to get right behind them just as we got to the line. PODIUM. Finally!

I was mad that I missed Chad's wheel because I think I could have finished that lead out with a win, but atleast I was on the podium. Chad was able to finish 5th and he was coasting when he crossed the line.

Pacific Raceways is held on Tuesday nights and I was able to finish 4th last year in the overall series points. I missed several races this year and Chad was able to win several of the races so he was always in the top 3. When I came back and started racing again during the summer months I was there to support Chad. Last night we were able to secure Chad's 2nd place overall in the series. Actually we didn't do much on the last lap. We set the pace in the beginning in the rain but on the last lap the pace was so fast I wasn't able to move up to lead Chad out for the sprint. Dan, who was in 3rd overall and was down by 1 point had to beat Chad. The sprint came down to just Chad and Dan which seems fitting since they both have been battling all season. Chad beat Dan at the line. It was so close they had to go to the camera to see who won. What a way to finish the season. Hopefully we can get Dan to race with us next year!

So there it is. My 2nd season racing bicycles.