Another Classic at NWA

3:30 a.m. my iPhone buzzes under my pillow and I'm quickly brought into a state of awareness. I was aware that I had about thirty minutes to shower, finish packing, load my gear and bike into the truck and be on the road if we were to keep our 4:30 departure time. I hate being late, especially if I'm the one who sets the schedule. We had decided to all meet at Andy's house and leave from there. I arrived with about ten minutes to spare shortly followed by Zach and Erin. Once we saw everything we were taking we were a little hesitant about everything fitting into the FJ but with a little shuffling and rearranging everything fit snugly and we were off to the races.

The trip to Prairie Grove was nice. It was cool to get to hang out a little and catch up on what's been going on with everyone, discuss some team tactics, sleep, watch each other sleep and really just get a chance to enjoy each others company. We made a short little pit stop in Sallisaw to hit up the local Braum's for some Hotcakes and coffee. After that it was straight to Prairie Grove. The closer we got to Prairie Grove the worse the weather looked. The temperature was gradually dropping the further west we went and then once we crossed into Arkansas we were greeted with the rain. This looked to be another epic NWA Classic. Fortunately for us about 20 minutes or so before we reached our final destination the rain stopped and the sky somewhat cleared. The wind, however, did not.

We had decided that we would drill it right from the gun just to see what happens. Either they let us go off the front or we know real fast that it's not going to be that easy. That lasted all of about three minutes. At this race you have a neutral rollout of about maybe a quarter of a mile or so and then it turns right. That's were we went, when it turned right we all went off the front. It didn't seem like such a bad idea until we hit the open field about 2 minutes away. That's were we were hammered by the crosswind. There was nothing to shield you from the wind and it was showing no mercy. That crosswind and the fact that the road was turning upwards seemed like a perfectly good excuse to wave our little white flags. We sat up and slowly filtered back into the field.

This race seemed real negative to me. Not individual attitudes but the attitude of the whole peloton. Everyone seemed pretty content on a light tempo pace and the only real surges were the jumps to prevent a break from going off. Once the break was caught everyone just went back into chill mode until the next one. This type of race is always hard for me at the beginning of the season, not the course or the distance, but the need to be patient and conserve energy and see how the race unfolds. I'd rather be towards the front and hoping for a break to stick and find myself in it. That's great when you burn just a few matches attempting it but when you pretty much burn your whole book it's bad news. I keep thinking I've learned my lesson but then find myself relearning it at the beginning of each season.

We tried several times to get a break established but nothing worked. It didn't matter who we went with, guys with numbers, guys who could solo the whole course by themselves, it just wasn't happening. At one point, by accident, Zach found himself in a solo break just because when he was at the front everyone else sat up. His break lasted about 1/3 of a lap and then he was back in the peloton. The whole time he was off I was just thinking how did that happen and if he could just get out of sight we might actually be able to pull this off.

It wasn't until the third lap that we were successful in getting a rider up the road and in a break. Erin was able to establish himself in a four man break somewhere around midway through the final lap. We'd been hoping for a break all day and finally it's off. I moved up a few places to the front and "did work". Myself and a rider from Bicycle Shack Racing assumed the responsibility of keeping everything under control and not letting anyone get in the mood of bringing our break back. BSR had a teammate in the break also so it was in both our best interests to do what we could to help it succeed. In the end it all paid off with Erin pulling off another excellent finish at 4th place and the Bicycle Shack racer taking 2nd.

Myself, I rolled across the line in 14th place. Once Erin was off I was hoping for a top ten but after attacking, countering and covering when it came time at the end to sprint it out my legs just didn't have it. I somehow managed to avoid cramping on the last climb even though I could feel my muscles trying to seize with every pedal stroke. If I look like I'm in pain in the picture below that's because I AM!

Ah, NWA, until next year. Maybe, just maybe...

Lost in Thought

It's been a bit since I last wrote, so I figured I'd jot a few things down and get caught up on my blogging. I really enjoy blogging but the time just isn't always there. Today, however, I'm sitting solo in my office during lunch after enjoying some leftover spaghetti and am choosing my blog over looking at these prints.

This past weekend I had the opportunity to spend some quality time with my girls. I chose not to hit any of the races over the weekend but to just stay close to home and spend some time with them before the season hits hard and heavy. Amie had plans Saturday night and that meant that it would be just me an my girls. Really, I was looking forward to it. I got up early Saturday, put my time in on the bike and had that all out of the way by 10:30'ish.

I had all these great expectations as to what my evening would be like. Between the four of us, it seems like something is always going on. I wanted to this weekend to be special and a time of smiles and laughs and chasing each other around the house. Well, it wasn't. It was almost the opposite of that. Emily is teething right now, cutting molars, and just about requires being held all day. When she's not being held she's learned a new cry and it is very loud and sounds like she is extreme pain. Addi, is almost 4 now, and loves her little sister more than anything in the world. However, she feels like she has to show her how much all day long by hugging and kissing on her. Which is great, really it is, I know one day that won't be happening. But right now, that kiss on Em's hand, the hand that Addi just pulled out from under Em while she was crawling just made Em bite the dust and in the few moments she wasn't crying, she is now. That's how the day goes. You have all that going on and then you try to mix in a load of laundry or dishes or dinner and it just adds fuel to the fire.

Needless to say, I wasn't the father I hoped I would be over the weekend. It seemed like no matter how much I tried or what I did something always happened to turn the tide on things and someone was getting in trouble. I have a little thing called a "temper." Both my girls now have this so called "temper." It's something that I have in check 99% of the time but when I slip that 1% it isn't a moment to be proud of. Mostly it's something to be ashamed of because I over reacted and could of stopped it had I just walked away for a minute. It's not physical or abusive or anything but a little over kill for girls as young as mine. Maybe, when we hit the teenage years there will be a time and place for it. But not now. It's something that I actually pray about every day. That God would just help me to control it and at some point get it out of my life.

A friend of mine recently posted a blog that I've been thinking about ever since it hit the board. More specifically, I've been thinking about these three sentences, "Fathers have a HUGE impact on how there children see and view God. And for me that is certainly true as it is for my three sisters. The impact that my father had on his children was and is far reaching."

I don't know that I feel exactly the same way, as I don't know that my dad had a direct impact on how I think of or view God. None the less, those three sentences have been on my mind since I read them. If that is true for some people, then it might be true for my girls and I want them to view God as a kind, loving, and forgiving person. God is someone who protects his children and He also disciplines his children. But that discipline is more of a loving discipline rather than harsh. This is an area of my life that I need to work on. My girls mean the world to me and if my actions in anyway prevent them from finding Jesus or knowing God's love then what good have I done as a father. I need to be the daddy my girls need and lay down a good example for them to follow. One day, hopefully, way down the road, my little girls will be bringing a boy into our house and I will see the mistakes I've made over time in that boy because that is how my girls are going to think they should be treated. Hopefully, I'm the best daddy and I'm someone my girls can be proud of.

To close all of this, I want to say I have never been the husband to think my wife's job of being a homemaker, domestic engineer, or stay at home mommy is easy. But after this weekend I want her to know what an AMAZING job she is doing. She's the glue that keeps everything running as smoothly as it does. Sweetie, WE love you!

Lil' Em

On March 4th, 2009 Emily Elizabeth became the newest member of my family. This past weekend we had the opportunity to celebrate her 1st Birthday with some close friends and family.

Emily is Amie and I's second blessing. Both beautiful blond haired, blue eyed little girls. FYI, for future reference boys, don't be fooled by their sweet smile and big blue eyes. Beneath that beauty lies a very short fuse and a personality that knows what they want and when they want it. Most of the time it's, "NOW." However, if you can overlook those traits that their father passed down you'll find a big heart, endless hugs and kisses. My girls are precious.

It's amazing to me to look at Emily now. A whole year has passed by. She has grown so much and it seems like each day brings something new. Her and Addi are so much alike and so different. They both share the same physical and personality traits mentioned above but Em is a problem solver. She loves to figure things out. Give her some shapes and a box with cutouts in it and she'll find which shape goes where, or give her some rings and she'll stack them in the right order. She doesn't get frustrated when it comes to problems. Not having her milk ready when she wakes up though is another story.

Emily is so close to walking and talking, but right now she's content with crawling. Crawling fast! I'm pretty sure if she gets on a bike, she'll be a sprinter or if she keeps the "Lil" she might be a climber. Addi was the exact opposite when it came to these things. She almost walked before she crawled and she's loved to talk since the words "da da" came out of her mouth.

One thing is for sure, my girls love each other. To see Emily look up to Addi and follow her from room to room and want to play with and be like her big sister is awesome. And I don't think you could find a bigger sister who is more proud and loving than Addi. I'm not sure how many kisses Em gets every day from Addi but if I got a dollar for every kiss I could quit my job and live happily ever after.

Happy 1st Birtday Em! Daddy loves you and thank you for the smiles you bring to our family.