This is the day I am supposed to be racing in Asheville.  Actually, all the Master men are racing today.   The course is only getting worse, more chewed up with more sketchy sections.  That will probably continue throughout the week, and only accelerate with forecasted precipitation.

But, alas, I’m not toeing the line today.   I went and got my body checked out, after I pre-rode the course and it was pretty much as I already knew.  My left thumb is broken, way low on the metacarpal (lowest bone in the thumb, towards the wrist).  Plus, I have two bad ribs.

I have been teetering back and forth, ever since leaving the doctor’s office, about racing today.  I have sort of prided myself in racing busted up a little, but this isn’t the right time for that.  I weighed the pros and cons and couldn’t justify it this time.  Plus, I’ve hardly slept for two nights straight.

Yesterday was a yin/yang  day.  I felt super, once again, riding over to the course.  So, I was stoked.  I was having a difficult time holding onto the bars, but it got better as I gripped more.

Once I got to the course, the course was open to pre-ride.  I rode two laps.  I was just barely able to maneuver around the course.  Every once and awhile I would hit a dip or root and it would send a shooting pain through my side.  That isn’t even addressing the problem holding onto the bars, without the ability to brake with my left hand.

So, I went to Blueridege Bone and Joint and got some x-rays.  Pretty much exactly what I thought.  Ribs are just ribs, but the thumb is something special.   It is my “best” thumb, my go to thumb now.  My right one is pretty jacked up permanently.

I called Stacie and she seesawed  back and forth, then finally gave me the go ahead to race.  But after thinking about it, overnight, I decided that it just isn’t worth it

By worth it, I mean I don’t really have anything to prove here.  I’ve been waffling back and forth about this for a while, but now it is pretty clear.   This really isn’t a good time to make a bad critical decision.  I know what I have achieved in the sport and want I hope to achieve. This isn’t really part of that.  Plus, I have plans for my thumb later in my life.

Here’s my regret.  I regret that I don’t get to ride around this course at race speed.  I personally would love to see what this course rides like fast.  I have to admit, I am mildly surprised how well I feel riding my bike the last couple days.  I sort of lucked out, with some planning, to be riding my bike so quickly just now.  So good, I hate to not see what it would be like racing.

The course is perfect for me.  Hard climbing and technical descents.  Plus, heavy field riding.  I couldn’t have designed a better course for my current form.  So, that is just about the only regret.  I made a stupid mistake, so I don’t get the experience.  That isn’t a huge cost, really.

I think the course is great, but in reality, is too hard for the majority of the riders that are racing here.  There are a handful of guys that are talented enough to make use of this course, but for the masses, this course is too challenging.

And like I said yesterday, add precipitation to the course and it will become an epic ordeal.  I can’t imagine a bunch of juniors racing under those conditions this weekend.  There will be much too much off the bike sections to really make it a fair race.  And I think the field sections will become a quagmire too, really difficult.

So, I’m packing up and heading over to the race this morning, to watch my friend Shadd Smith race.  Then I’m getting in my van and driving back to Louisville, hang a night and then on to WIsconsin. I’m not sure whether I can ski or not.  I know I should be able to walk around in the Northwoods on snowshoes and enjoy.  I sure wish Bromont was around.  I miss that dog.

This is Dr. Craig Burnworth. He gave me some good insight about my options. He is a long distance trail runner and knows all about racing hurt. The one thing about getting hurt, recently, is running into super guys like him.

And this is Marshall Gordon, a guy I met at Starbucks after the casting of my thumb. I was drowning my sorrows in hot chocolate and a chocolate croissant. I predict he wins the Master’s 75+ today.

Here is my cast. At least it is removable. I formed it a tad so I can hold onto handlebars.

Photo of my x-ray. The dark line at the base of the thumb is the fracture.

Here is the whole lap.  6 minutes to 12 minutes is the technical sections.

I managed to make my way over to the venue yesterday to watch a few races before taking off and head to Louisville.  The weather was perfect and the venue was beautiful.

The good is that the race course was awesome.  It is super spectator friendly, easy to get around, beer for sale nearly anywhere you want, just about perfect.  The course still is a bit hard for most of the guys that are racing before Sunday, but most bike racers like challenges, so this is probably a petty concern.  They weren’t hauling people away on stretchers or anything like that.  Parking seemed to be manageable.  I have no idea how many guys were parked over at the satellite parking, but it really wasn’t an issue driving straight to the venue and finding a place.

The bad now, and I think this is terrible.  The officials were pulling riders because the scheduling didn’t allow them to finish.  It is total and complete bullshit.  I wasn’t at the start finish line for all the races yesterday, but I was there for the race I was supposed to be racing.  I was so surprised when the officials started pulling guys and the race leader was hardly half a lap into his final lap.

I made a note to look at the timing clock and they started pulling riders a full 5 minutes before the leader finished.  These are guys that had one lap to go and there was no chance they were going to be lapped.  I would love to hear an explanation from anyone how this is possible.

These guys paid at least $65 to race and they deserved to get to race their complete race.  If USAC didn’t allow enough time for them to do so, all I can say is Shame on them.   The riders from 33 place to 59 were put one lap down and all were still racing for places.  I don’t understand it.  There is no a rule in the USAC rulebook that allows this.  At least not one I know of.  I’m sending out a couple of emails to the officials and powers at USAC to try to get an explanation.  Someone 1/2 a lap down in a cross race, with one lap to go, especially the Nationals Championships, deserves to get to finish the race and not get pulled.

The ugly, well, that is weather dependent.  Like I have written the past couple days, if this course get wet, it is going to be dangerous and there is going to be a ton of running.  It is already a tad muddy from the freeze/thaw cycle, but if it rains, then watch out.  I would love to be watching on Sunday, but just couldn’t stay around.  It was hard enough watching yesterday.

I’m in Louisville Kentucky, heading up to Cable Wisconsin this morning.  I’m pretty beat up.  The main problem is my ribs.  Broken ribs are pretty painful and really get in the way of life.  I didn’t realize how violent a burp or hiccup can be. Or just laughing.  I can’t blow my nose.  And so far, the last two nights, sleep is nearly impossible.  But, I’ve went through this before and know it gets better.  The broken thumb is just inconvenient.  Having use of two hands is something you get used to and only having one is awkward.

Pete Weber and Mark Savery duked it out all day.

Peter finally got the lead and won.

Mark wasn’t far behind.

This section will be treacherous wet.

Tom Price finished 2nd in the 55 plus after winning last year. He was technically the best rider on the course, but has had some personal issues recently, so he had a super race.

This is a pretty cool section of the course. But, once again, wet, it is going to be a completely different story.