than a broken body, that is.

This weekend was my first NORBA National of the year, and it was just my luck, that the only stage race format in the NORBA series for the whole season was this weekend in my backyard.  Too bad I have this pesky thing called a job, which means I usually can’t race on Fridays.  So I skipped Friday’s Super D race, and they gave me a DNF for that stage.  I hate DNFing, so please note that it was a DNS. 

Saturday’s race was the short track.  I am notoriously bad at short track, and I have never managed to finish a pro short track race without getting pulled…UNTIL THIS WEEKEND!!  Yes, so I had dead last call-up due to my DNS in the Super D, and I figured I could only move up from there.  I positioned myself in a good place to get to the double-track, and when the gun went off, I basically just closed my eyes and dove through half the field.  By the time I got to a place where I could actually settle in a go hard, the fast groups were forming up ahead, and I had to claw my way through groups of people that were dropping off by myself.  I kept moving up and never got passed.  It was great, and I was excited to show off my best fitness ever starting the MTB season.  All those miles on the road are really paying off.

Sunday’s cross country did not go so well.  The call-up was based on UCI points for the year, of which I have none, zip, zilch.  Anyways, the start was a cluster as everyone was fighting to get to the single track in a good position.  Unlike the short track, I was not so successful this time at moving through the field.  So in the singletrack, I started making really aggressive passes to move up to the top twenty.  In the middle of one such pass, I accidentally hooked the booty of the girl in front of me (who did not want me to pass I think) and went down hard.

The first thing I noticed when I stood up was the massive cholla stuck into my leg.  Now I have had cholla bites before, and I have seen some nasty ones on other people, but this was the worst I have ever seen.  I don’t have a picture, so you will have to take my word for it.  (Some Japanese reporter took a photo of it at the EMT tent, so feel free to browse the Internet endlessly for it.  I’m not going to bother.)  It was in there so deep, that when I tried to pry it out, I couldn’t even wiggle it.  I thought to myself - ah whatever, keep racing - but the next thing I noticed was that my handlebars had twisted in the crash, and that my brand new beautiful bike was BROKEN!!!  :-(  The bottom of the shifter had crossed over the top tube, there was no clearance between the two, and the shifter had punctured a hole right through the carbon.  I had to take the stem off to get the wheel straight again.  It was at that point that I realized I had to DNF.  Yes, this time it was a real DNF.  I set the wheel straight, and went to get on the bike only to discover that there was cholla in my saddle, so I also managed to get some cholla bites in my ass.  Luckily I caught myself before they went in too far.

Well, needless to say, I raced cross country for five minutes, spent nearly thirty minutes having cholla removed from my calf, and need a new frame.  I’m really bummed out about the bike, but in the end, I would much rather break the bike than my body.  The bike can be replaced, and I can keep racing this season.  Not such a bad ending after all.

Next weekend, I’m off to strut my stuff at the state crit championships and the Superior road race.  It’s less than a month from Tour of the Gila, and I’m getting some good form.  Look out Silver City.