Superweek Day 3 and 4

The last two nights of racing were on the same course, in the same direction. The Ray Basso Bensenville Criterium was a flat course with a couple technical turns and a straightaway that broke me both days. The first night near the back of the field a rider went down in front of me and took me out with him. I landed on my tailbone, stumbled off the road and laid back down in the grass. A few seconds later I realized I would be ok, went to the wheel pit and was back in in two laps. Carlos had gotten in a break and looked unlikely to get brought back. I jumped back in and went up to the front. The crash made me realize I had more to lose in the back than near the front. I covered a few moves and then Andrew informed me that Carlos' break was about to lap us. I decided to drift to the back to help him move up, but when I got to the back, I noticed his group had already lapped us and he was up near the front. A few laps of feeling stupid, bars slipping from my crash, guttering, and then lights out for me. 75 min. Carlos got 5th.

Day4
I had been feeling like I had not been eating right, so I went to the grocery store and hooked it up with some liquid calories (thanks Kate) to cover that base. Also replaced the jam Barry took out of our room, haha. Prerace was going pretty good until I went to sign in and discovered the race about to start, 30 min earlier than usual. This was entirely my fault, and it meant I got no warmup. I started near the back and got to the front in no time. I was a little surprised at how good I felt, even the motivation was up. I tried to go with a move but just ended up pulling the field on my wheel. That was enough flexing for me so I began to drift back. I must have drifted too far back cause next thing I know I'm faaarrr back, strung out breaking and accelerating like a car in rush hour traffic. After a few laps of this the peloton must have gone tranquil cause I recovered and found a groove. About the time I decided to start moving up, Rock Racing strung out the field for the sprinter's points competition and I just focused on hanging on. But that was pretty much it for me. I had one more chance to move up but only grabbed onto the last wheel and when I got gapped, could not close it down. I chased for about four laps with two others and then got pulled. 60min.

So now it obvious I need to take a day off. I've got no qualms with not finishing, but I know I race better than this. It's the heroic martyr moves that I know I am capable of that I want to have the opportunity to display before I get dropped.