Congrats SHELLY!!!!!!

Let's start this post off on a positive note and congratulate Shelly on a STELLAR performance today in the Women's expert race. Not only did she get some podium pie for desert, she got the TOP STEP! WOW! Looks like this whole cycling thing actually does take months to really kick in and make deep down biological changes that benefit us down the road...and it probably doesn't hurt that a little birdie told me that she has at least been on a cycling "maintenance" program this spring. Looks like there maybe is something to this whole "cycles of life" theory....

One last bit of good news...did anyone see the handsome devil on the COVER OF THE SPORTS page today? Whoa baby! You should have seen the girls hounding BRETT BUTLER ALL DAY long for autographs, dates, and all manner of requests! Nice shot dude! We will have to get a picture up here soon!

As for me, well let's just say the last two Sunday's have been a real doosey. I thought that some higher power was teaching me humility last weekend, by not letting me put down a good "pre ride". But during the race today, I realized that this "gwass-hoopppaa" has MUCH to learn. Let's just leave it at "I learned a lot" and then I thought about it some more and realized this...

It wasn't long ago when I was bed-ridden for several months after a knee injury. EVERY day that I lay in bed, I wondered if I would ever be able to do the sports that I enjoyed again. It was a pretty tough time. Days like today remind me that I am lucky to be healthy and have the opportunity to go out and punish myself. Even if I am unsatisfied with the outcome, there is always another race. And now I have another arrow of knowledge for my ever expanding quiver of "lessons learned".

Random notes...
Bri just missed the podium in her race. She's racing sport next year!
None of you guys pushed hard enough unless you landed yourself in the ER! Only our Pro Pal Krista can claim she really gave it her ALL!
Mark Faulkner just rode and rode and then he rode some more. That guy is a stud!
My buddy Clint form NorCal KILLED IT! 2 podiums and only 2 seconds off in DH! That's how you put it down on the Sea Donkey weekend! Nice work!
Fortunately Greg wasn't seriously injured in his get off and he will live to ride again.
Travis will be on TV tonight because they wanted to interview a real MTB STUD! KION46 don't miss it!
Our buddies from Reno (well now NorCal) were here and John put in some more great efforts on the roadie bike. Nice work! Looks like you are still making great gains!
Thanks to Bri, Brett, my parents, Chris Burnham, Joselyn's, Hammer, Krista and Todd Park and everyone who helped me over the course of the weekend, I couldn't have done it without you!
Hope you had as much fun as I did this weekend and can find the positive in whatever you put forth for your efforts.