While I've learned plenty from Rose Grant about overcoming setbacks with grace and sense of purpose, I'm now doing my best to take a page from Erin Huck's latest comeback book on just accepting whatever the universe has in store. (It worked well for her since she just defended her Short Track national championship title)!
World Cup Short Track: a dream and still just another race.
I got hooked on bike racing at the CU Short Track series while in high school in Boulder, Colorado. Now it’s officially a UCI discipline and part of the cross-country World Cup; without wanting to be too sensational about it, this is kind of a dream come true for me.
Val di Sole World Cup
On Sunday, I finished in 14th place at the Val di Sole World Cup. While I’ve done better on paper during the 2016 season (6th in Ste Anne and 12th in Cairns), the races where I performed last year were less attended and the percentage of time I finished behind the leaders was greater. Simply put, this past weekend showed I’ve made some progress in closing that gap to the front of the race.
Turing around the 2017 race season.
I’ve decided to start writing a blog post to combat some late afternoon jet lag fatigue. TJ is currently napping which I simply cannot do if I hope to get on any sort of schedule. Our Trans-Atlantic travel fatigue was also compounded by today’s tough training ride, which came right on the heels of a French Cup race yesterday and a short road trip from Montgenèvre, France to Finale Ligure, Italy.
Hand surgery.
My Dad drove me down to Colorado Springs for surgery and the procedure was a huge success. Dr Kobayashi was able to repair my existing ligament so I didn't need a full reconstruction. For surgery, I chose to be heavily sedated instead of undergoing a general anesthesia. The anesthesiologist said my request wasn't very common although it seemed like a no-brainer to me since I'd avoid a breathing tube and be able to leave the surgery center quicker. Honestly, I was out the whole time and don't remember much!
2017 World Cups: Nove Mesto and Albstadt
Finishing felt good. It seemed like an immediate antidote for the disappointment I felt. But I kept myself together afterwards and so far on this trip home; which hasn't even been that hard. In bike racing, you just never know how an experience will end, however much you try to anticipate the challenges and control the variables.
On setbacks: when a rest day turns into four days in bed
What happened a week ago today was not something I want to remember, but probably won't forget. Rose crashed hard on her shoulder, dislocating it, and spent a considerable amount of time in extreme pain before the physicians at YRMC Emergency in Prescott partially sedated Rose to get her shoulder back in place.
Team T-shirts Now Available
You can now show your support for the Stan’s-Pivot Pro Team by ordering a team t-shirt. These tees were printed by Cadence Promotions, a sponsor of Arizona Devo. Domestic shipping is included for $18.