Fresno

Sometimes things come together.
Sometimes they don't.
Sometimes you think they might if kharma and the universe didn't seem hell-bent on teaching you a lesson.

So far this weekend seems to have all three things. For one thing, I managed to finish with the main group in a road race. An NRC road race. With a big hill. Whoa change from last year - I spent most of the first lap waiting for the inevitable moment where I'd get dropped until T-Mobile's Kim Anderson was like "move up! You've been at the back the whole race!" Then I got my head in the game. It was actually fun.

As for the second scenario (i.e. things sometimes not coming together): yesterday, as I passed Christine Thorburn at the finish but not Katheryn Curi, I sinkingly realized that the order-of-GC time trial would make me feel like a Cat. 3 again since I would be sandwiched between a former national TT champ/Olympic Medalist, and a former national RR champ at the start ramp. I wondered how long I would actually be between the two whilst out on the course. The answer: about two minutes. No sooner did I get my rythm going, telling myself "look! I can be a time trialist!" did Katheryn whoosh-whoosh past me. With 10K to go, Katherine Carroll stormed past. Then with 2K to go, a T-Mobile rider passed me. But I saw her falter, and I passed her back on the uphill. After the finish I was like "Lisa! T-Mobile passed me and I passed her back! Am I a fighter or what!" and Lisa was like "good job Court, but the T-Mobile rider actually got a flat..."

As for the kharma thing: I'll be brief. a. Sharon and I found men's tighty whiteys in our hotel room yesterday. b. We all were given the wrong directions today and wound up navigating around Fresno (oh the scenery) for an extra hour. Lisa did so on her bike so actually for her it was probably about 2 hours of being lost. c. Speaking of lost, my check card is gone. d. Internet is spotty and I don't know if this will actually post.

Once things start to unravel, it seems to take no time at all for everything to fall apart. Hope to get it all back together in time for the crit tomorrow, but GAH! It's daylight savings tonight! So I'd better get on it.

I'll leave you with today's hysterically amusing scene:

We are at the finish of the TT, packing up our bikes and simutaneously watching the last of the women and the first of the men come in.

A certain unnamed woman storms across the finish, breathing like a horse (as I suppose one should after a big effort, but this is some pretty intense breathing), shoulders heaving up and down about 2 feet with each breath. She drops her bike, and lays on the asphalt. One of her teammates strolls over to investigate. Martina shouts across the road to the teammate, asking if she wants us to call an ambulance. The teammate laughs and says "yeah right!" Lisa offers to call a psychiatrist. The drama queen tells someone who says something I don't hear that she is going to remove that person from her Christmas list. Then the 5 of us hightail it out of there in search of Cokes, PB&J, and hopefully a little sanity.