What the hell was that yesterday? Man blew the whistle and a gun fight broke out. Speeds approaching ballistic out of seemingly everybody. And the first right hander into the sandpit of hell was like some battle scene from Nam. Luckily I snaked through the middle as guys were blowing up on the left and the right. And that was just to get me into the top 25 or so. The good news, of which there's plenty: 1) I stayed upright; 2) I had no issues with the bike; 3) The hip performed admirably and didn't complain when the brain refused to pick up the phone when the hip kept calling repeatedly about the abnormal amount of pain it was enduring; 4) The course, the weather, the family and friends that turned out to see me race was all to the good.

Was hoping for a better spot on the finish line, but can't everyone say that that doesn't win the thing? Hopefully my hip will be a little bit better next Sunday and I have a little more snap to compete. I did get to mix it up with some fast guys throughout the race. Considering that Saturday was the first cross ride I've done in the past two weeks and that I did it only to see if I could manage getting on and off the bike and do the little running required, the fact that I could go it at all on Sunday is great. Little known secret (and one of which I'm not proud of at all), I was on about 800 milligrams of Advil and had a heavy dose of caffeine coursing through my veins. At one point the wifeage even commented on my usually pre-race abnormal behaviour being more abnormal than normal. Before she had finished her sentence I blurted out, "very caffeinated!" Normally I don't result to such measures and it kind of bugs. Anyway, hope you are well.

Johnny GoFast