Gathered some peeps

And threw a small belated surprise party for Jeff's birthday.


Yes, we embarrased him and made him wear the hat while they sang happy birthday.


These girls are SOOO fast that we're even blurry in "normal" pictures.


Of course we have a bunch of "hams" in our group of peeps.

Anyone get the license plate

Of that truck that hit me last night??

First "serious" day of weights yesterday. I think I over did it a little. I can't wait until tomorrow. I hope I can move.

Whatever. Who needs to move anyway?

Another B-Day Shout Out

Happy Birthday April. You're almost OLD now.

Birthday Shoutout

A birthday shout out to CK, who's at the Iceman this weekend. Happy Birthday, Happy Iceman!

Yeah

Wishing you all good luck

I know many are departing for the Iceman race in Traverse City today. I just wanted to shout out to those embarking on this journey and say good luck to you!

While the Iceman was not in my cards this year. . . . .my thoughts and inspiration will be with all of you on that start line in Traverse City.

Wishing you all SUPER results, a fantastic time, and a safe journey.

Now go kick some ASS!!!

Yoga

I managed to drag my butt out of bed at 5:15 this morning to get to yoga. After that, I started in on my transitional weight lifting.

I don't remember ever being so excited for an off season, and so motivated.

What the hell is wrong with me?

You girls better watch out come May. Seriously.

Last summer day?

Will it be the last summer day of the year today? Wow was the weather nice. I'd enjoy a little more of that, but I guess it is already November 4th. I managed to get my work done this morning, pop out to vote (I actually had to register as it's been THAT long since I've voted), then hop on the bike for a nice ride over to Cedarburg.

I hardly had ANY air in my tires when I pulled Sydney off the hooks in the garage. . . ..it's been THAT long since I rode my road bike. Yikes. But today I got a nice 52 mile ride in. Today, that took just over 3 hours. The weather was fantastic, the sunshine felt wonderful, even the wind was enjoyable. I was thankful for all these things today. Just a chance to be out on the bike logging some miles felt wonderful.

I wonder what tomorrow will bring. Probably some rest. . . . . .I'm a little tired now. :-)

This is the time of year

That I slack on my blog. I know. I'm sorry peeps. . . . .not a lot going on, but yet lots of little things happening, which seem silly to post. I'll try to do better. I know many of my readers rely on my posts for their laughs each day. I can't imagine why.

This past weekend was Lt Dan's housewarming/Halloween party. We weren't sure what to expect. But, as always, when you get the peeps together, a good time is bound to break out. And that, it did.













After a little nap Saturday morning we hit Greenbush for a little MTB action. Lots of fun.

And I decided to grace the cyclocross racers at Estabrook with my spectating presence. I sure don't miss that hell this year.

Another weekend gone by

Bill had Friday off so we managed to get some chores done around the home front. We took a little trip up to the Northern Kettles to chat with the DNR, did some "fall" cleaning and a few other misc items. Then we rounded the night out with a movie, Domestic Disturbance. It was pretty good. It was also good to SIT and do a little bit of nothing.

Saturday we headed up to Sumicao-Reforestation Camp. Stadium Bike had some Trek & Fisher demos, so we took those out for a spin. I took out a 29'er. It was hard to tell how it felt because the handlebars were about 12 inches too wide. Holy cow. They made SS Amy's handlebars look SMALL. I could barely maneuver through the trees. Any little correction on my part had the front wheel going ALL over the trail. But other than that, I guess it was ok. I think I could ride a 29'er without too much trouble.

Then it was off to the WORS banquet. Each year it gets a little better. Shorter presentations, faster awards, more swag. Bill walked out with some sweet pedals, I walked out with some "KULH" clothes. Our team scored some sweet plaques, we sat at "the good looking" table. . . .overall a pretty good night.

Sunday had Bill doing more chores and myself and Thunder escaping to watch the Washington Park Cross race. There were some pretty strange costumes that's for sure (gee, think I had my camera??). I'm not sure how some of those people wore what they did. . . . .it was pretty chili, that's for sure.

Now it's time to relax a little, watch some TV, stuff my face. . . .wish it were Friday all over.

It's not perfect. . . . . .

But I think it's ready to debut.

Please check it out, try the features, and give me your feedback.

Thanks!

www.BrittanyNigh.com

It's almost that time

Beechwood Blaster

Yeah, it was a blast. There's some REALLY hard stuff there! A couple tough rock gardens, a large berm, tons of climbing. . . . .but totally worth the ride.

They had a great turn out, awesome swag, great food, great people, great times.

Now that the season is officially "done", it's time to lay low, have some fun, and think about what THIS off season is going to bring. 2008 kinda sucked in the mtb realm for me, but 2009 is just around the corner. I have a feeling it will be better.

It just doesn't get any better than this.

Yup. The rumors are true. I scored this sweet baby at the Sheboygan Raffle.


I absolutely LOVE her.

Today I learned

Where babies REALLY come from.


Welcome Victoria Elizabeth Degeler. 6lbs 2oz, 19 inches.


My sister is a lot braver than I am!

Senernity Now

This morning was it. I found the perfect 15 minutes of serenity.

Bill was already up, so I had the whole bed to myself. Bear was on one of her 84 naps of the day and she was actually QUIET. Thunder was still asleep as well, no sound from her. The sun wasn't up yet, the room was dark and inviting. The sheets were the PERFECT temperature to snuggle into them, the cool air swirled around my head driving me further into the warm, cozy sheets. My body felt light and dull, for the first time in a number of days the aches and pains didn't force me out of bed. I was warm, I was comfortable, I was happy. I fell fast asleep for a solid 10-15 minutes. I wish it could have been 2 HOURS.

It was absolutely spectacular. I want to go back. I miss it already.

Wow. I always wondered.

Weekend Review

Friday night we went to the symphony. We had great seats, but didn't care for the music all that much. That's ok, the tickets were free.



Saturday we hit Greenbush for a trail work day. Got there a little later than we wanted, but were able to jump right in and help (after riding our in our jeans to the far side of the trail to meet everyone). Loop 3 is now done. Go check it out if you have time.

Saturday night we surprised the Virgin for her birthday. It was back on Thursday, but we tried to make her think we forgot. She was surprised. Everyone seemed to find other things to do with their party hats. . . . it seemed funny at the time.








Sunday we headed up to Sheboygan to get a ride in. The course was ok. I'm not excited about that race this year like I usually am. Probably cuz I'm out of shape. That's ok, I burned a few calories and kept it rubber side down.

Now we've got lots of chores to finish, dinner to make (have to figure out what we'll even be eating) and misc stuff to do. I'd rather just go sit on the couch and take a nap. Maybe I will.

Where do the weekends go?

Today

Sixteen years.



Yikes. Where does the time go??

Creativity

Now THAT is being creative with your vegetables.

Petie Came Home

You may not know Petie. . . . .he's been missing for about a year now. He and his partner (for anonymity's sake, she will remain anonymous) used to camp outside our camper each race. One day Petie just disappeared. We didn't know what happened to him, he was no where to be found. And then one day the Ransom note came.

Apparently Petie had been kidnapped and had traveled around the world with his kidnappers. He managed to break away and send little notes throughout the past year, unfortunately these notes self destructed after only a few short hours in my in-box.

But a few weekends ago, on our team camping trip, he returned to the safety of the camper bringing along all the babies he had fathered along the way. It was a bitter sweet homecoming. While it was good to see him, it came as a great shock to see all his children. I think it came as even more of a shock to his partner (who again, will remain nameless). She pecked the hell out of him when she learned of his infidelities. He's been in a coma the past few weeks. . . . I've heard mumbling escape his beak only a couple times giving me hope. I can't understand why he's mumbling "Virgin". Obviously he's a father so that's not the case for him. . . . .

We'll keep a watchful eye on him over the next couple weeks. I understand he may be in a coma all winter, it's not un-heard of. All we can do is hope.



Get well Petie.

A weekend without racing

We skipped the race weekend for the first time. . . . . . .ever. It was an action packed weekend.

A fantastic night ride on the new Gila trails Friday night.

A OLD friend's wedding Saturday.



Lots of people we haven't seen in years.





Sunday we did some painting for/with a friend, rode the new trails at Greenbush (yes, they really ARE fun), and benched a couple sections of the Gila trail. It's almost completely ready to rock now.

Yeah, it was fun. It was a LOT of fun. Maybe I'm ready for retirement.

Good Luck

Good luck in the culvert everyone.

The secret Gila trail won't be a secret much longer

It's done. My secret trail is done. I have named it the Gila trail. Tonight will be the first ride on it. It still needs a little work, there are some areas that need benching and possibly a reroute depending on how hard a particular corner is. . . .we'll see.

I can't wait to try it! I hope it was worth the work.

What every office needs

I swear our office has one of these. . . .

All this crap is giving me a headache

All this bailout crap is just giving me a headache.

Doesn't anyone care how we GOT here? Wow. What a mess.

Feeling kind of lost

Do you get those days?

I don't like them very much.

Maybe humor will help.

Cyclocross

Did Cyclocross practice last night. Yeah, I think I don't really like cyclocross anymore.

I think I liked it a whole lot more when I was in shape.

Interesting.

How Many of Me?

HowManyOfMe.com

There is 1 person with my name in the U.S.A. http://howmanyofme.com">How many have your name?

Up North?

You know you're "up north" when you see this at the grocery store.

The Levis Trow Camping Weekend

It could quite literally be the best weekend I've had mountain biking/hiking/camping/hanging with friends. . . . . . . .ever.

Ahhhhh

I love "Massage Becky".

Although I'll probably hate her tomorrow. :-)

Rhinelander

Yeah. Wow. I loved that course last year. Still loved it this year, except I'm not as fast as I used to be, which kind of sucks. I'm also not as coordinated as I used to be, which the water volunteers saw first hand as I face planted in front of them trying to grab a water hand off. Somehow I missed my bottle hand off and got a bit nervous that I'd have to make it through a whole second lap without water. What was I thinking??

I've since learned to just STOP if you miss the hand off and wait for it (that would have taken a LOT less time). . . . . .and not to take your hands off the handle bars AND turn your body at the same time. For some strange reason the bars want to go where your body goes. . . . . .Duh!

Other than the third day with this head ache, a few bruises and some gravel rash, I'm fine. I'm feeling a little stupid. . . . .but then again I never said I was a genius, nor do I even pretend to be one, so whatever. Someone has to be the village idiot once in a while.

Monday and Tuesday had me in the Dells for a Realtor convention. That was relatively fun. Except now I've got a TO DO list the size of Texas and we're heading out on the team camping trip Thursday evening (or maybe Friday AM, we'll see how on-track I can stay). The next couple days will be interesting. I might need to be checked in somewhere. . . . . . . .will have to use alcohol & caffiene to cope (not together though, because that would be silly).

Kids

I can't even imagine having children, when I can barely cope with THIS ONE crying all night.

For some reason Thunder decided she didn't want to be in her bed last night. We listened to whimpers and cries from her crate all night long. Thank goodness that was the first time for that. Hopefully it was the LAST time.

While I know some people question my/our decision NOT to have children, I have to say the older I get, the better I feel about that decision. To have children now (for me) would mean I would have to come up with a whole lot more patience, empathy, time, energy and money than I currently have. I guess there's a reason our biological clocks guide us to having children earlier in life.

Not everyone WANTS to be a parent. I guess that's one of the great things about life. Most of us actually get to make that decision based on what's right for us.

More weekend fun

Sunday had us doing the ride for Heather. After my 2:19 race on Saturday, I thought I was going to DIE on this short little 30 mile ride. But I made it through. Hopefully we helped them raise just a little more money for this worthwhile cause.

Sunday evening we gathered up for a fire, after creating some most delicious home made pizza.


Somehow we managed to eat just about every morsel.

Then it was off for a fire. Unfortunately we decided it was too dry to bring the Christmas tree out, so that awaits yet another day. But a few cabinet & flooring pieces from the remodeled Swart house provided great entertainment.

Monday Bill had to head into work, I guess he had to rebuild a server or something, so I gathered a few peeps for our own Labor Day ride. We were a few peeps short of a whole package. . . . . .but we made the best of it. Off to ride around Long Lake we headed. We even ran into this shady character and his peeps, off on their own ride.

We forced a "newbie" out on this ride. . . . . ."massage Becky". We gave her an epic ride and ended up popping her a little bit,. Sorry Beck! But she learned some SKILZ and rode most excellently. . . . . .even for a newbie! Hopefully we didn't scare her off now.

About 38 miles in with the newbie we made a swing by Beechwood to visit some peeps who were doing some trail work. . .. . . .starting to prepare for the Beechwood Blaster. After visiting them for a bit, we realized we had given Massage Becky just a little too much of a first REAL ride, so we hitched a ride back home. After 3 decent rides in a row, 38 miles was fine for me as well.

Good times with good friends. That's what life is all about. Sure, one has to work sometimes to make that happen. . . . . . .but it doesn't get any better than spending an afternoon on your bike with friends, out in the absolutely beautiful weather with the sunshine warming your soul.

So far, so fun

Saturday was the Stump Farm race. We arrived in plenty of time to get our things together and get registered for the 3 hour. Standing around the start line for the rider's meeting, I realize I forgot my heart rate monitor strap, so I boogied back to the truck (which was on the other side of the parking lot and of course my bike was already "staged" so I had to jog) to get it. That was my warm up. Sweet. Ready to go.

They yelled GOOOO, we ran to our bikes, it was mass chaos, people and bikes everywhere. By the time I got to mine and grabbed it, wouldn't you know, I was the nearly the last person. CRAP! What is with my starts lately???

I put the hammer down and worked my way through the back of the pack to settle in when we hit the single track. I wasn't where I needed to be, but at that point it didn't matter if I was slowed a bit by others in the single track. After all, I did have 3 hours to try and catch up.

Finally about 1/3 of the way into the first lap, I caught the girl in front of me, Ann. We hadn't every formally met, but I knew her name from the race results. So I introduced myself. I have to say that was the first time I've actually held a conversation during a race, especially for that long. We tore through the single track chatting, which was fun, but also a bit more work. As we crossed over the timing line, I informed Ann that I had to stop each lap to exchange my bottle. I wished her a good race and off she went while I pulled to the side to get a new refreshing beverage and some more cliff blocks.

With my new bottle on board I stood up and hammered it out to try and gain back some time I'd lost. Soon after I hit the single track for the second time, I found Ann. She had just had a little scuffle with a tree and was just settling back into the groove of things. We rode that single track out together and I pulled out ahead when we popped out to double track. Since she pulled for most of the first lap, it was my turn. She stuck on my wheel for a while, I introduced her to one of my teammates as we passed her (way to go April!) and then somewhere, I'm not sure where, I somehow shook her loose. I really wasn't watching where she was, I was just trying to ride clean and have a good, FAST race.

Not knowing how far behind me she was, I stopped for my third bottle and cliff blocks. After a quick exchange there, I stood up and hammered again. Looking back, I didn't see her anywhere. I finished out the 3rd lap alone, with a little less speed than the first two as my back was really starting to get sore. My body wasn't used to racing hard for over 2 hours and it showed. I crossed the finish line around 2:19. . . ..not enough time to squeeze in a 4th lap. From what I remember (results still aren't posted) my first lap was 46 minutes, my second lap was about 10 seconds longer at 46 something and my last lap was around 48 minutes. Overall pretty consistent, and a very good time.

I wrapped up 3rd place and took home a nice Stump Farm mug. Now I have a set. Sweet.

Weekend plans

A little of this:

A little of that:

And a nice easy ride with some peeps on Monday.

Interested? Let me know!

Cats

They have a mind of their own.

The Boarder Battle

Nice place to ride. . . . .kind of a tough place to race.

First of all, I have to appreciate the fact that I was able to enjoy this race instead of having to pull over 52 times throughout the race. That, I am grateful for. However, being dead last at the back of the start chute in a women's sport race is not a good place to be. . . . . .especially when you're a fast starter.

Don yelled go and I found myself in a very bad position. We funneled onto the start hill and suddenly there were women weaving everywhere in front of me. Tried as I might there was no way to get around them. . . . .I took the cheap seats giving it my all. I guess it just wasn't meant to happen. A couple women weaved together in front of me, and off I was. If you were at that race, you know that start hill was LONG. I, unfortunately, had to run a good portion of that start hill, just to try and get a better position. I popped out on top seeing how VERY far back I already was and I knew I had NO time to rest.

I jockied for a few more positions but wasn't able to clear another pack of girls in front of me as we ducked into the first set of single track. Big mistake. We rode the first set of single track slower on that first lap than I rode it in pre-ride. I now understand in even GREATER detail how frustrated those comp boys were at ME when I was racing elite. I know it was that gal's race too, but she slowed us down big time through that section with no place to get around. Combine that with my less than optimal start and I guess I should be happy I finished mid-pack.

On the brighter side, I didn't fall, I didn't make any seriously stupid mistakes, I rode everything. . . . . . . I just wasn't fast enough to make it a great finish.

photo thanks to Mountaingoat

Time to let it go and focus on the next race. And hope for a better start. . . . . . .or at least a way around to MAKE it a better start.

Finally an update

First of all, I'm SO tired of hearing about STUPID drivers hitting innocent cyclists. It really pisses me off. And what's with all these DRUNK people out driving? It seems like most of the hit and runs we've heard about on the news lately have been DRUNK drivers. REPEAT offenders, mind you. Those people who were just hit in Illinois were apparently picked off by a woman who is a 4? time drunk driver offender. . . . . .she doesn't even have a license. Give me a break. I don't mean to be judgemental, but can you say that's just WRONG???

On a happier note, I'm almost ALL the way over the cold I seemed to develop the Monday after Sunburst. Woke up that day with a sore throat which just got worse and had me feeling like crap Tuesday. Most of last week was spend recovering and not training, but such is life. Now I'm feeling pretty strong, but still expelling a lot of mucus and getting tired a little faster than usual.

This past weekend we took time for some "fun" camping outside of racing. We headed up to WI Rapids to visit Bill's brother at their "camper".

They had mopeds and we took them out for a little joy ride.

Then we moved on to the 4-wheeler. Yeah, that was my first experience riding/driving a 4-wheeler. I now want one.

Now we just need to get that piece of land up north. . . . . . . .

On the way home from Rapids we hit Mt Morris for a ride. Yeah, I still hate that course. Other than the fact they're adding a ski run and there are a few areas you have to walk across this dug up dirt, the trail was very well maintained. Still harder then all get out. . . . .I thought I was going to DIE. . . . . .but a little fun anyway.

Now it's time to focus on the Boarder Battle. We'll have a full truck heading up there. Some return peeps, some new peeps. . . . .a possibility that someone might come out of retirement for this race. . . . . .a good time is guaranteed to be had by all. At least in OUR little hotel on wheels.

Sunburst

Ok, finally I get around to writing up my race report. We all know it was great fun, but I'll see if I can recap it like a real competitor for you.

Being my first sport race I had definite pre-race jitters out on warm up. I know there are so many fast sport girls I was concerned as to how I would fit in. I haven't been watching the Sport races in terms of knowing who's who and who finishes where, I just knew a few of my "peeps" and how their finishes have been. Looking around at the start line didn't help. . . . .I had no idea who I should be looking to be behind.

Don yelled GOOOOOO and I realized I was WAY in the back. Yeah, there were only like 15 of us (and that's because no one likes this race), but being in the back of 15 women when you KNOW you should be towards the front isn't a good thing. I dodged a few and put the hammer down to get towards the front. In my experience where I start in a sport race is typically where I finish (or close to it) and I wasn't prepared to finish in the back.

Lap one I managed to settle in about 4th or 5th on the way up the bunny hill. I hopped on Ann's wheel when I heard her shift and drop her chain. The girls parted as she hopped off and put her chain back on. I wasn't looking forward to the climb in the woods. . . . . .I hyperventilate every single time I do that stupid climb. And I knew today would be even harder. Sure enough, we hit the steepest pitch going into the woods, and I started to hyperventilate. I continued that all the way through the single track climb until we popped out up top and I got a little break of downhill. I'm sure the gals around me thought I was going to pass out.. . . .even I thought I was going to pass out. But I popped out up top in decent shape. I think I was in 3rd or 4th.

It's all a blur now, but Regina and I traded places a number of times throughout the race. She'd pull away on the climbs, I'd catch her on the descents and the flatter stuff near the road on the north side of the hill. I knew if I could get in front of her in those areas, I could pull a tiny gap. But then we'd eventually pop back out on the bunny hill and she'd put the hurt on me big time. I'd pull to the side and watch her grind her way past me thinking "wow, she's strong". I could hear her breathing hard as well, so I knew we were pushing each other to our max. And for some strange reason. . . . . .it was fun. :-)

On our last lap up the bunny hill she over took me. I paced myself as I knew that 3rd time was going to REALLY hurt, but I also reminded myself it was my LAST time up that bitch, there was NO way I was going to walk. Regina, on the other hand, HAD to walk due to her gearing, but she stayed right on my tail up the climb. When she hopped back on she hadn't missed a beat and was right on my wheel. Again, she pulled ahead and we closed in on some more sport boys. I was gassed and couldn't muster up enough energy to put the hammer down to get in front of both of them, so one boy separated us. I rode his wheel through the "singletrack" and I saw her pull away a bit. We popped out and I put the hammer down again to try and catch back up, but I was never able to quite close that gap, no matter how hard I worked. We crossed the finish line 2nd and 3rd, with some gal who I never saw a minute+ out in front of us.

Finally, a race where I actually got to RACE with someone. THAT was great fun. I didn't get yelled at, I didn't have to pull over, I was pushed to ride as hard as I could and it felt wonderful. While I walked away with a decent finish, I also realize there were only 15 women in our field. I also realize this was a purely physical course. Technical ability played some factor, as you needed to be able to ride the small stretch of single track well, and stick the off camber turns and fast descents, but for the most part one's technical abilities weren't challenged at this course. That's one of the reasons it has such low turnout as well.

The Boarder Battle will be an interesting race. Lots of out of state women who are way faster than most of the WI sport women, but choose to race sport anyway. More technical riding, a longer race, more traffic to deal with. . . . . .I've got my work cut out for me. I can't wait. :-)

My first Sport race

I know you're all on the edge of your seats wondering how today went for me. I'll give you the official "race report" at a later time. . . . .but right now I can tell you I can't remember the last time I've ever had that much fun racing. I can't say as I even remember racing "with" others all that much last year, much less trading places with some of the finest women in WORS. I finished with a smile so big, people didn't even need to ask whether I had fun.

It hurt like hell. . . . and it was a TON of hard work. . . . .but it was awesome. And it was absolutely the right choice for me.

That's the sappy update. Tomorrow I'll recap all the nitty gritty details. But right now I want to savor actually feeling like a mountain bike racer again. Thank you to everyone for their support. It's awesome to have such wonderful, supportive friends and competitors out there. . . . . .people who actually care.

Sweet. Thanks.

My puppy

My puppy is finally starting to grow up.

THAT sure took a long time.

Oh well, I guess I should be happy that it hasn't taken 18 years. . . . . .

Defeated

"Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure."
-- George Woodberry, Poet

I haven't posted recently because I've been wrestling with where I fit into the whole WORS/racing picture. I wanted to make a clear decision, and have time to process that decision before I "announced" it to the "world", as I knew I'd likely receive some criticism. Seeing this quote today reminded me I shouldn't be ashamed of my decision, I tried and I failed. Time to move on. Time to remember what puts that smile on my face again.

Rather than become one of the "statistics" and simply stop racing, I've made the decision to "admit defeat" and go back to Sport for the rest of the year. This decision was actually made somewhat collectively, as I've had numerous supportive e-mails from friends over the past month concerned that I'm not in a good place in regards to racing. These e-mails really got me thinking, and after the race at Franklin, I realized I really am not having fun. I love to ride my bike, but I hate racing elite.

I knew it was going to be tough this year. . . . .but I hadn't anticipated just how tough. And I'm not talking about the fitness level, although that's surely part of it. More so (for me) is the HUGE speed differential between myself and the comp guys, who are on my ass pretty quickly. While I have to admit I've been overwhelmed by the support MOST of them have given me this year, especially these past few races, encouraging me, telling me to stay where I am and don't worry about them, even protecting me from other "less cordial" boys. . . . . .that speed difference is just too much for me. Try as I might, I feel an overwhelming desire to get out of their way so as to not be a "factor" in their race. And how can you let ONE go by, and not the string of 10 behind him? How fair is that? Now I've helped ONE guy's race, but hurt 10 others.

Couple that with the ONE guy who decides to be a jerk and snap at me every race (not the same person each time), and now I'm feeling like all I am is in the way. I'm already maxed out on heart rate, I'm trying to ride as fast and as clean as I possibly can, and now I'm being yelled at to get out of the way. It's like I'm being told "you're not doing a good enough job, just get out of the way". These are all the things that run through my mind during an elite race. THIS is why I'm not having fun.

While I'm not making excuses for my "defeat", I hope that reading what goes on in my mind during a race at least makes people a little more understanding of my decision. I've never won a Sport race, and given the kick ass women in that field this year, I doubt I'll have it easy to even TRY and be a competitor. Due to these factors, I certainly don't consider myself a "sandbagger".

Although I've already made my decision, I'm open to listening to what people have to say about this issue. In fact, I'd rather you voice your opinion here, rather than criticize me behind my back (if this is indeed what you feel the need to do). My decision is made, and interestingly enough, I made this decision only AFTER e-mailing with some of my sport & elite peeps, asking for their feedback on the issue. I was amazed at how supportive people were. . . . .. how they welcomed me back with open arms. How they told me they understood, and that racing was supposed to be fun. If I wasn't having fun, what's the point? I knew the WORS crowd was "different". . . . . .I guess I just didn't realize how absolutely awesome, caring and genuine these people truly are.

I would like to extend a big THANK YOU to those people who have been there for me this year. I'm glad I tried elite this year, but I'm even more glad I'm a big enough person to admit I just don't fit.

I'll see you on the SPORT start line at Sunburst.