another friday evening

thanks fresnoakland & mike & sabine for a super fun night of racing! you know it must be a fun race atmosphere when you do poopy but you don't even care cause it is so much fun! the dj was kickin' up the jams and the bbq smelled really yummy.

i had a bunch of friends come down for the race, and felt bad that i didn't put on a great show. sorry all. i was expecting to do well with the pollution and all. like i kept telling people: i train in pollution, this is my element-- pollution is the new high elevation training. but, no dice. my friend mary brought her little sister who goes to santa clara college...who also brought half of her dorm... guess the college kids heard "free beer" and all wanted to come along. that was sweet.

my warmup was pretty fun cause i kept getting mad cheers. like donut king, dave, and justin yelling at me: "move up! move up!"

points race was another shelley olds suffer fest. but props to karla for hanging on it for awhile til shelley attacked again and then karla got stuck all alone for lap after lap...but it was totally valiant. the only memorable part of that race for me was sometime early on when i decided to attack, and i think i actually got a real gap on the field. i was kinda pressing my luck with that attack, but i like playing the lottery. (you see, it was a *mystery* points race, so we didn't know when the bell was going to come. i attacked before turn three (i think) and thought: "ring the bell!" then the bell wasn't rung, and i came around the start finish, and thought: "he better ring that bell next lap!" then going into turn three again, i was a little more violent in my thought process: "RING THE F@*#ING BELL". they didn't ring the bell. so i pulled up track. then of course, the next lap they rang that bell. well, i rode pretty lamely and didn't feel quite snappy and got a bunch of fourth places, which was good enough for a free coffee at peets card at the end of the night.

i was ready to defend my win at the miss n out-- especially cause i had six friends who came to watch, plus that college dorm. and then i did what i always tell myself not to do and go second wheel, and was the first person out! there is nothing that is worse than being the first person out in the miss 'n out. well, there probably are a lot of worse things, and perhaps i am speaking in absolutes again (sorry mom-- i know you hate it when i do that!) well, point is, i felt like a total douche bag. my poor friends sit in traffic for so long, and i was just a complete nitwit...and they didn't even get to see me race. felt real bad about that.

i needed some serious good karma for the chariot race. so i coerced matt martinez into throwing me. i kinda asked him last sunday to be my holder. i know, i know. i am pretty lame. then i decided i would race with the red booties. those booties are pretty sweet, empirically. i did okay in this race, but shit shelley olds is really fast. i mean, no shit, yeah? but it is one thing watching her be really fast and a totally another thing seeing her be really fast right in front of you as you are trying to sprint as fast as you can right behind her. anyway, mary ellen started to try and come around me, but i rode it pretty wide around the turn, which saved me in the end, so i got second. which was good for a four pack of hi-ball, baby!

and that was the night. oh, i think i jumped in with the geezers in the miss n out. and i think i was the second person out there. no hi-ball there.

so let me just say again how much love i have for the fresnoakland guys. they are just so awesome!! even though i sucked, dave made me feel better by reminding me of the team motto: "in fresnoakland, we don't race for second. we race for second to last." thanks for reminder and then for spinning me around. he's got some suave dance moves for sure. is that what you fresnoakland guys do on those grasshoppper rides, practice turns and dips and other ballroom dancing moves? i am onto you.

and WTF hernando?! no leg wrestling?! i was totally ready.