Did You Call Me A Jackass???

I really enjoyed the conversation during breakfast before we left to race "Le Tour De Tick" in Neosho this past weekend. The conversation was about natural born athletes being referred to as Thoroughbreds. Lyle commented on how you can make a Jackass out of Thoroughbred but you can't make a Thoroughbred out of a Jackass, some people will just be a fast Jackass.

We didn't get to pre ride the course due to rain on Saturday so we took a short ride Sunday before the race mainly to try and get warm as it was very cool outside. I was surprised that there wasn't more marathon racers than there was but I think the rain had kept many people home. There was only 12 in the marathon class but the beginners, who were starting after us, had a very large amount of racers. Chillicothe was well represented with Coach, James, Denny, and myself (we were all racing the marathon class). We had a short sprint before we hit the single track and I think I was in the 6th position when we dropped in. It was a fast pace on the fun somewhat rocky trail, JP Brocket was out of sight very quickly with another racer close behind him. About a mile in James went around Coach and I was quickly on Coach's wheel. I knew that Coach was riding a slower pace for him and I knew it was strategical but I also knew that I had several riders on my tail that would get around at the first chance. I had a first in this race, I yelled "Can I come around on your left?", it wasn't the first time I had said that but it was the first time I had said it to Coach. I went around (man did that feel weird), I knew it wouldn't last but Coach Lair always told me I would never run a sub 5 minute mile with a slow first lap so I used that same logic for the start.

When we hit the first service road Denny and 2 other guys shot passed me like I was standing still. I held Coach off for just a little longer but I kept him and Denny in sight for almost the whole first lap. I was pushing pretty hard but feeling good, I was trying to focus on not riding comfortable (it is easy to get into a groove....a slow groove). Not very far into the second lap I came screaming into a right hand turn and was pedaling into the turn and clipped something (it must have been a stump) with my right foot, since I was in a right turn my right arm was bent and pulled toward me while my left arm was extended and steering the turn. When I hit the "thing" it must have slowed my bike a lot while my body continued at the same speed. My arm got jammed into my shoulder and I had instant extreme pain and wasn't able to grab the handlebar with my left hand. I shot thru the turn and was grabbing as much brake as I could with my right hand but wasn't slowing very fast. I was heading straight into a brush pile and even though it only lasted a couple seconds I think I said in my head "Oh shit, I'm going to eat it" about 10 times. I slowed enough that I bounced off some brush and came to a stop. When I got both feet down my left arm was locked out and I could not lift or lower it, I was freaking out and it hurt like hell, turns out I dislocated my shoulder. I was moving around and lowered my shoulder and twisted my body and my shoulder went back into it's socket, it was a weird sensation because it hurt like a mother and felt good all at the same time. I feel weird telling this story because I know it doesn't sound true but it is what it is.

It took me a minute to figure out if I could continue but then I was back on the bike but my bike wouldn't roll. I had a big stick down thru my rotor and spokes, as I was removing it I had a racer get past me. He didn't know what was going on but he did ask if I was okay or needed anything but I told him I was good to go. The pain wasn't too bad until I would have reach back into my jersey pocket to get my gel flask and put it back, a Thoroughbred would have put it in the other jersey pocket, EAAAAAA!!!! Also hammering down some of the downhills was sending shock waves up my arm into my shoulder and it was very uncomfortable and when I was getting aggressive on some climbs I must have been tightening my shoulder in the process.

I fell off the pace a bit and had to focus on staying after it, I continued to push and after 4 laps I knew it was going to be tough to make it back in time from my 5th lap to get on a 6th lap but I gave it hell anyway. I switched my computer from mileage to elapsed time so I would have a better feel for where I was at, I finished at 3:06 10. I was very disappointed that I missed getting 6 laps but I felt like I rode very well. Coach placed 2nd, James took 4th, and Denny rode awesome and placed 5th, I ended up 8th.