Hey, that's mine!

I started to write something up last weekend, but then I got busy, distracted, rode my bike a little and then forgot what I was going to do. So here's a mish-mash recap.

The first race of the TMBRA Fall Series was at Camp Eagle was Labor Day weekend. As the course did not have a high *KFC rating I was not going to race, but I did pre-ride the course. I survived 99.99% (walking when necessary), but managed to go down on the part of the course that the 10&under kids race on. Yeah, I can ride a bike...

No worries, that kind of thing usually cleans up to show just a small scratch or two, the type that makes you wonder where all the blood came from.


Or... maybe not. :~/ I'm happy to report that I re-rode the section without inflicting further damage on by body.

Since I wasn't racing, I was called on to do feed zone duty for Alan & Kyle


Post race relaxation

Kyle was smiling for a reason.

The following weekend was the next race at the Huntsville State Park. The weather seemed to be suited more for ducks than mountain bike racing. We contemplated upgrading to something a little more appropriate for the trail conditions

But decided that wouldn't pass USA Cycling specifications.

This race was one for my memory book.

A bad start, followed by a dismal first lap. Things started clicking at the end of the lap and I moved up from 6th to 3rd in less than 1/2 mile. Now the challenge was to keep moving fast enough to hold my position and put a time gap between me and everyone else without blowing up.

Picture courtesy of Kevin Tokarski

I felt like I was managing to hold a decent pace, until I heard some riders coming up from behind. Thinking it was Pro/Cat 1 guys catching me I called out, imagine my surprise horror when the voice that responded was female. I went into panic mode, picked up the pace and pedaled like the hounds of hell were on my wheel (now, if I can just figure out how to do that every race).
Women - Cat 1 - 40-49
1 - Diana........1:33:8.00 - Bicycles Inc/Trek
2 - Catherine...1:34:58.00
3 - Kathy........1:43:43.00 - Matrix RMB
4 - Tanya........1:44:21.00 - Team Hammerhead
5 - Lisabeth.....1:45:4.00 - Bikesport/ION
6 - Cynthia......1:51:18.00 - Bike Barn/Gary Fisher/Subaru
7 - Pamela.......1:51:41.00 - Mad Duck/Max Muscle

As for the title of this post.

A couple of months ago I was at the grocery store. After perusing some of the fresh fruit, I turned to add my selections to other items already in my shopping cart... which wasn't there! I knew where I had left it. It should have been right behind me.

It. Was. Not. There.

I looked around, just in case I had been the one to wander off. Nope, still no cart with my stuff in it. I look again and I see my cart (I know it's mine, because my eco-friendly cloth bags are in bottom basket) being pushed away by an older gentleman. By time I figure out what has happened, he is already the length of the produce section and several aisles away. I really did't want to go running through the store yelling "Stop, Thief!", but I did want my cart back.

I finally catch up to the man and politely inform him that he has my shopping cart. He looks at me like I'm crazy, then looks into the cart and realizes that it wasn't his. We laugh about it (which I can do, now that the cart is back in my possession) while we both walk back to find his cart, which was no where near where mine had been.




*Kathy Friendly Course