My day was long yesterday. For some reason I seem to be needed more when I’m not racing than when I am actually competing. I tried to get back to the hotel to nap, but my phone kept ringing all afternoon, so that was a bust. Bromont seemed to sleep right through it though.

One of the things I like about Joe Martin is that there are all categories racing all day during the weekend. So at the road race, there are Master Women mixed Cat 4 men, mixed with Pro men, etc. all at the start area together. I know that isn’t unique to this race only, but it seems more cohesive here, camaraderie at it’s best. I half expect a chorus of Kumbaya to break out at anytime.

I tried to make it out to the finish for most of my friend’s races. It was pretty good. Catherine won the Master women’s Road Race. Chad Cagle won the 1/2 race. Then Eric Marcotte won the Pro race with Joseph Schmaltz finishing 3rd. So the Elbowz guys finished 1 and 3 with all these “Professional” teams at the race. Pretty good showing. Joseph is winning the best young rider category once again after winning it at San Dimas the last two years and Nature Valley Gran Prix last season.

It is impossible to not run into someone who wants talk about my shoulder here. It is nice, but a little old now. But, I really have to thank everyone for going out of their way to give me some of their personal experiences and advise. I really appreciate it. I really do. I hope to know more about the whole situation by Monday afternoon. ’til then, I’m just trying to survive.

I don’t really mind watching the finishes to the races. I don’t have any thoughts at all about doing them. Today is going to be different watching the criterium. I hope to go find a nice shaded area that is not around many people and just hang and watch with Bromont. Bill and the other guys aren’t racing until 3:30 pm. I hope the Pro race isn’t a tempo session. That makes it so boring. I haven’t talked to many guys racing it, so don’t have any of the details of the races thus far. But, both road races have been field sprints, so nothing new there once again.

We’re not getting back until late tonight, since we’re not leaving here until 5 or 6 pm. Tomorrow I have to go to Kansas City to see the doctor and then pick up Trudi who is flying back from Tour of Romandie. She has a week to stay in Kansas before heading out West for Tour of California. Kind of a short turn around, but I’m sure she is going to appreciate the time, no matter how short it is.

Catherine, after winning, getting congratulations from Julie Carter.

And here is Chad Cagle, with Matt Ankney, after schooling the 1/2 field by a couple bike lengths in the field sprint of the road race today.

Eric Marcotte is so far ahead, he isn't in the picture at 40 meters to go. Joseph is in the white young riders jersey and finished 3rd.

This is how the road looked after the finish of the Masters Womens finish. Ugly.

Bromont could be the best sleeper in the world.

I was at a coffeeshop today and there was a couple next to me excitedly talking about travelling to Europe. I couldn't believe the title to the book. When I first went to Europe, the title was "Europe From $5 a Day". It made me feel super old.

See, I told ya.

I’m hurt. That describes my general feelings right now. I probably shouldn’t have stayed around the whole weekend in Fayetteville and just came home to lay around at least one day before the week begins. But, logistically, that wouldn’t have worked out well.

I seemed to be functioning pretty well on pain killers, coffee and wine, but today I think I’m going to pay for it. Like I posted yesterday, it seems like I was in more demand not racing than racing for some inexplicable reason. I should have just turned my phone off and it would have made my life so much easier. It wasn’t like I was doing that much, just having to use my brain too much when it wasn’t working that great to begin with.

The highlight of the day was running into the EMT guy driving the truck that came down the hill after I crashed. For the life of me, I don’t remember his name once again. That isn’t good. Anyway, he has a different recollection of our conversation after I fell. I have to go with mine still, but I can’t completely disregard his. According to him I was saying yes and no to about any question he asked me. I can sort of see that because I was still trying to absorb what happened and exactly what I thought about my injuries. I don’t think I was as mixed up as he described. Anyway, he was a super nice guy and I’m glad I ran into him.

I didn’t even go over to the announcing stage to “volunteer” to do some commentary. I was pretty done and just took Bromont’s blanket and a couple pillows over to the finish hill and layed it down in the grass, under a tree. I watched most of the Pro race while dozing on and off multiply times. The Competitive Cyclist Team of Mancebo rode tempo at the front and kept it together for a field sprint. It looked like if the field was just a bit better, Competitive Cyclist would have more than had their hands full, but they did an okay job. Eric Young, Bissell, and current Professional Criterium Champion, won the stage over Eric Marcotte, Elbowz.

The 1/2’s didn’t race until after the Pros. It was a better race to watch for me because it was way less predictable and more aggressive. But, it came down to a, whittled down, field sprint too. Jake Langsley, Soundpony from Tulsa, outsprinted the Tulsa Tough tandem of Jason Waddell and Chad Cagle. I approached Jake this past winter about riding with our Team this year, but kind of dropped the ball on it. He is going pretty great, winning the Mt. Gaylor stage and then the criterium on Sunday. He is in form for sure.

Bill drove nearly the whole way back while I laid in the backseat and “rested”. It rained like crazy for a hour or so just before Kansas City. I love spring time because of the weather. I have a doctor’s appointment in Kansas City this afternoon. I have no energy or desire to do that, but am going to drag my butt down there anyway. I have pretty much decided, after all the input and reading, that I am going to just wait it out and see how good my arm works on its own. I’m not big on doing operations that have just a so/so chance of making it better. Maybe the Royal’s guy will convince me otherwise. I doubt it.

Trudi is flying back from Switzerland tonight. She is going to be beat. I guess she ate something bad just before she got onto the flight, so isn’t feeling very good. That must be miserable. Okay, I have to go and unpack the van before I completely run out of juice.

Me, looking a little wild, and the guy that first came upon my crash scene.

The Competitive Cyclists guys setting tempo all day.

My view of the criterium from the blanket. I love this tree.

Somehow I lost my blanket to my Kansas gang sometime during the 1/2 race.

I listened to this guy sing a while on the backside of the course. His dog looked happy, so I assumed he was a good guy.