The shootout! Danville VA

     This was the first race of the 2013 XC season for me. At first, I didn't think I was going to get to race because of work. I didn't really do much training, thinking I had another month before my first race. At the last minute that changed and I tried to sign up.  This was a USAC sanctioned race and even though I had been told you could race expert with a one day, I was wrong! After some poking at the race director, by me and some of my teammates who wanted to race, they gave in and created an open expert category for expert racers like me that weren't interested in qualifying for nationals. Even though this race was the first of the year it was also the VA State Championship.  This makes no sense to me but it's the USAC, which I've learned makes very little sense.  What it did mean was that we would be racing some of the best riders around, including pro riders.
      Sunday morning my wife and I met my teammate, and shop owner, and rode together down to Danville. It was a beautiful day with temperatures hitting almost 70 degrees, major change from the 40s that I had been used to riding in.

My wife, Karoline, and teammates Davy and Allen

   We got to the race with plenty of time and watched the end of the SS/sport race. The race director came by and told us they were going to extend the expert race to 4 laps since one of the pros claimed an easy lap only took 23min. Not sure where he got that lap time, but there was no way anyone turned an easy 23min lap.  After some confusion with when the open experts were supposed to go, we were off.  I went ahead and fell to the back of the line knowing these were some crazy fast rider and usually start slow in races. 
   Lap 1 went well other then having to run up a muddy hill after spinning out. The course was fairly easy except for the number of tight turns. Lap 2 started off well and I even caught and passed a couple people. Then about three quarters of the way through the lap it all went wrong.  There was a small log that had rotted away, something that shouldn't have given any trouble at all to anyone, but I had to go and screw it up by trying to keep pedaling without slowing. My pedal hit something, and before I could react, I was flying into a log, chest first. After slamming into it I knew I hurt my ribs pretty bad. I regained my breath after a minute on the ground and dusted myself off. I noticed my GPS was missing and took a couple more minutes searching for it in the leaves. I was hurting but thought I was okay enough to finish the race, so I got back to pedaling.
   By lap 3 I could tell I was hurting and pulling on the bars did not feel good at all. A couple people caught back up to me, but I was determined to at least finish.  About half way through the lap, the crash caught back up to me and I suddenly couldn't breath or focus. I knew the race was over for me so I found the shortest route back to the finish line and called it.  That night and the next day I felt like I had been hit by a truck with my ribs, neck and back killing me. Now 4 days later things are being to feel better again, but mountain biking is still out of the question. 

Me post crash, I believe, but still rolling.

Next event??