Bubba #7 @ Creve Coeur

Aside from not sleeping after the race the night before, I did about every PRO thing I could think of to recover. Post race ride, mega recovery drinks and pasta dinner, nice hot bath, good spin in the morning, some stretching and more fueling. I got a good warm up in and was looking shiny and enjoying the balmy 50 degree weather.

Ankney went hard at the start and we got a little wiggle room but I wasn't able to hold on for long. Nate came by at the end of the first lap and never looked back. I was got caught by Dr Mark, Richard Richard and Scotty O and was a little worried that I was going to keep going backwards but the legs came around. A little ways in Dr mark was up in front and I was chasing Richard and Scott. I caught them and put a pretty good gap on them when I rolled right through. Then I managed to get up to Dr Mark, attacked him got away slowly.

I don't really remember specifics but somehow I found myself riding 3/4 with Josh. He was feeling it from the day before and nice enough to ride with me. I know we weren't going slow because we were putting a mega gap on the chase groups and closing in on Ankney a little bit. With about 3 laps to go Josh dropped it down a couple gears coming around the second 180 as you entered the field and put the screws to me a little bit. I was able to hang on and for some reason he decided to play nice from then on. Towards the end of that lap I lost my front wheel coming around one of the bumpy turns and was pretty pissed at myself for blowing it. Josh must have been enjoying the company because he waited for me to hustle back up to his wheel but I knew that it was a gesture that I couldn't repay by seeing what I had on the last lap which was a little dissapointing for me.

THE GIFT.

On the last lap he kept telling me to attack him and go for it but i just couldn't do it since he waited when I crashed. As we were nearing the finishing straight he said something about taking it again "because the people everyone will go crazy." He tricked me when we hit the pavement and kicked it for a couple pedal strokes and then just sat up and let me ride though. Thanks man. Whether it was for 3 rd or 4 th place it was nice to have a good race.

I got in a couple of full rest days and then went out for a SOLID ride yesterday. I'm thinking that the timing might be right. The form is good and I'm as light as I've been all year. I feel like I have a little snap again. Hopefully I'm right.