7lbs

Last week started out ok, Maddy was still feeling the effects of her little stomach bug from Saturday night and wasn't quite feeling 100% and not eating a lot. By Monday she was still not eating but seemed normal but I ended up taking her to the Dr. anyways since she needed a check up for her ears. Dr said she was fine and to just give her juice instead of milk as the milk could still be irritating her stomach. Tuesday morning the alarm goes off and as I'm laying in bed I realize I don't feel right, couldn't quite place my finger on it but just knew. A few minutes later I decide I'd better cancel my 9am meeting in Arlington, good thing I did or the fireworks would have gone off while I was sitting on the beltway. Let's just say the rest of my day was spent between the bed and the bathroom. 9 hours and 7lbs later it was over, my body had purged whatever intestinal intruder Maddy had passed me.

I spent the better part of Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday recovering. It's not easy replacing 7lbs of fluids, and having no appetite I was really dragging ass from not eating anything since Monday. By Wednesday I was able to each a decent lunch, of all the things I could have had an appetite for, it was sushi so I went and busted up the buffet at Nikko. Thursday I hit Frisco when my buddy Jeff for lunch and was able to put down a few chicken tacos. Two meals in 3 days. All week I was wondering if I would be able to race on Saturday. I really didn't want to go to get shelled in the first couple of laps.

By Saturday morning I was able to eat some pancakes for breakfast but was still feeling very lethargic from not eating most of the week and still dehydrated regardless of how much water and Gatorade I drank. In the morning we went to Frederick for a dedication ceremony at the National Guard Armory where my grandfather served. They were re-dedicating a garden in honor of a former General and as a memorial to those who had served in the 29th/115th. After that we made our way up to Ft. Ritchie for the race.

No boring details, just another day of racing, at least this wasn't a boring course. Warming up the legs felt like rubber bands and as we lined up, I was already spitting cotton balls I was so thirsty. Race went off fast with multiple attacks from my teammates. I was following HEF for a bit figuring he would get something started but it was Stephen who slipped off the front with 3 others. A few laps later I was about 5th wheel with HEF on the front going though the last turn and avoided a pile up when HEF got T-boned by someone not following their line. HEF's bike was trashed so he was out, that left Kyle, Lance and myself to cover the field for the next 25 laps or so. The team rode hard, countered moves, prevented any real chase from forming and Stephen stayed away but unfortunately didn't get the win. Last lap I was sitting on the wheel of Coppi's Jason Hall since he's usually a pretty good sprinter but following him into the last turn he over cooks it and goes down, sliding right in my line. I have to swing wide but then see Steve Fife slam into and endo over Jason forcing me to keep riding right off the course into the grass. To sum it up as Steve put it, "I raced around for an hour to be crashed out in the last 5 seconds". At least this week I didn't go down or ruin a tubular trying to avoid going down.

A few pics from the race