Live and Learn? I can't stand that saying sometimes!!

MAN! What a damn day of racing! As always, I have been replaying our Cat 3/4 race over in my head getting more irritated with myself for not knowing to take the free lap that I was entitled too. Total rookie mistake however when I saw the crash happen and was embracing for impact into the barricades I was feeling super good, sticking to my strategy and looking to finish somewhere up near the front, with or near the Kathy's (wishful thinking from the get- go). And then BAM! Right into the damn barricades! I knew I was ok and my bike was fine but I was tangled up with the other chicks and was stuck watching the pack race away. So it took me a few seconds (felt like forever, being a bit in shock and had total tunnel vision) to get myself free from the chaos..... but then I was OFF and RACING! While I was riding I was thinking, "ok, I just crashed but I am going to finish this race but how the hell am I gonna catch them?" So I continued to go around and around the course in last position (way off the back) and then getting yanked at the last lap because the gals were just coming up from behind me. So I stopped my bike, right where the two corner marshalls were sitting on hay bails covered in black trash bags. They told me, "Great job and effort you put in!" Which was nice of them but didn't put a dent into helping my frustration. So of course I told them that I crashed and I needed to finish the race. That is when they asked me, "Well, didn't you get your free lap in ?" And I said in a sarcastic yet disappointed way, "ahhh naw, I figured I was out of the race anyway so I just wanted to at least get a good workout in for thirty @#$!% dollars!" They laughed and I went off my marry way back to our pit area. I glanced over to the BR pit and I saw the gal that was also involved in the crash and I went over to her and asked her, "did you finish the race?" And she said "yes, they brought me back to the start and let me have a free lap because I crashed." That was all I needed to hear! "You mean to tell me I could have went back to the finish and started back in? Oh boy! I wanted to go up to the announcer and pull his vocal cords out of his throat for not saying anything to me while I was going around and around and around in no mans land all by myself for 15 minutes! HOW DARE HIM AND THE ORGANIZERS TO LET ME DO THAT.... and that's what those marshalls were talking about! Later, I was informed that they did disclose the free lap rule at the beginning of the race. Oops! my bad for not listening to the rules huh? I wonder if anyone really absorbs that information before a race anyway. I also realize that the announcer may not have known that I was involved with that messy crashy thingy. Maybe or maybe not they would have said something if they knew, who knows. WE LIVE AND LEARN RIGHT? I still can't stand that saying even though it's true. It was an interesting race to say the least, the best part was hanging out with the team and their families in the pit area.

Congratulations to both Kathy's for riding another strong and successful race. Yeah, we gave those girls a run for their money today for sure, and we will continue to dominate. At the Focus Crit there was only one TWJ up at the podium, today there was two! Next time there will be three TWJ GALS standing together!

My crash is nothing compared to what we witnessed with Darralls crash which happened right in front of our pit. That totally shook me up as well as it did others. Last time I checked he did not have any broken bones (per his wife) and he was resting well. Many of you have his number and will check in on him, but I will update the blog too. Let's pray for a speedy recovery and get him back on the bike so he'll be ready to race the State RR in Globe, the one race he was really looking forward too!
-Trish