Cold sores and such

Well, I have a cold sore and I'm not real happy about it. I am not sure why or how I got it. Or even when. I have been doing some research on the subject however. Mostly I have found that once you are first infected, like when you're a month old, you will always have the virus and can never get rid of it. They say it stays dormant in your body and then erupts basically for no apparent reason. Either sunburn, windburn, stress, injury or many other reasons will cause the breakout of the dreaded cold sore. And the name. Where did this come from? The sore is not cold and it is not cold outside. In fact just the opposite. Why is it not a hot sore? I guess that is where fever blister comes from. So when I get one during the winter, it will be a cold sore and when I get one during the summer it's a fever blister? Ah hah! I finally get it!

My road rash is healing wonderfully. I have been keeping Tegaderm on it so hopefully the scarring will be minimal. My eye is still black, though. Or green I should say. ANd my hand is still pretty tender when I squeeze my breaks or have to push the shift button on my keyboard with my pinkie. Luckily it isn't broken but the soft tissue damage will take some time to heal, I guess.

I had a "practice" crit last night. I was planning on doing the women's race, but then I jumped ship and did the mens. I get a much better workout with the men. Plus, there is no yelling and squabbling during the mens race. So, it was pretty fast at first and then it settled down quite a bit. I was setting myself up perfectly for the final kick but I nearly lost it in the second to last corner. I went outside to pass everyone, like I did on every lap prior to that one, and the whole group decided to go wide too. So that sorta pushed me into the curb and I had to brake. Then I uprighted and my rear wheel skipped alittle. I had to bury it to get back up in a decent position. So my kick was pretty weak at the end. I ended up with 6th out of around 20 guys, so not too bad. I got 6th in the overall mens series out of like 35 guys so I'm happy with that. I would have won the women's but one of the chic's filed a complaint with USCF because she hates getting beat by me and then she took it upon herself to relegate me to last place in the timetrial. Whatever. That is why I jumped ship and raced with the men.

new landscaping in front yard

new landscaping in front yard
Originally uploaded by cyclesq.

This is the new landscaping we did in the front yard. a month ago. I think we have the greenest yard on our block! We also have lights on it so it looks great at night.

Broken?

Broken?
Originally uploaded by cyclesq.

My pinky finger is so swollen that I can't bend it. I think the break is further down in my hand though. Since I can't see my knuckle anymore...I think there may be a problem.

CRASH

AGAIN!!!

I motorpaced last night and crashed my butt off. A car ran a red light and Charles, out of instinct, hit the brakes on the scooter and I ate the muffler of the scooter. I tried to hold it up but I couldn't do it going 26 mph. I flipped over my bars and I think my head hit the road first and then my shoulder, elbo, hands, hip and leg. I am pretty scraped up with road rash but I ripped my fingernail off, which hurts maybe the worst of everything. And I think I broke my right hand. And yes, I am right handed. And yes I am typing with one hand right now. So I need to get my hand x-rayed. I don't have insurance and can't really afford to pay so I am buying my time and hoping that it heals ok. A friend of mine is an x-ray tech and I am hoping she can sneak me in and x-ray it for me so I at least know for sure if it is broke. I wanted to race naionals in Downer's Grove, Illinois this weekend, but if my hand is broke, I for sure won't be going.

Tour of Kansas City

It didn't go so well for in KC this past weekend. Lady luck was not on my side, for sure. I was pretty excited for these races because I did very well there last year. The Cliff Drive Circuit race was very wet. It rained all night and the course was still wet. The very first lap a chic overlapped the wheel in front of her a went down. As luck would have it, I was right behind her. It was on a downhill section so we were going pretty fast. I couldn't stop in time and I ran right over her and then flipped over my bars landing on her bike. My hand went straight into her chain ring and it bled like crazy. I have a nice gash in my finger along with lots of chain grease (that I still cannot seem to get out). So, I got back up as quick as I could but the pack was far gone (I later was informed that some chic attacked right after we crashed--so nice of her, ehh?) I chased for a little while and then decided to just finish it out by myself. At least I could get some miles in and save some energy for the crit on Sunday.

The rest of the day was filled with rain, rain and, more rain! I hung around to watch the pro race and to feed AS. I basically stood in the rain for an hour to feed AS and then he didn't even need it! But I was one of the only people left standing in the feed zone so I cheered him on every lap. I think he was happy for that.

Saturday night we went to Whole Foods (since we don't have one in OKC) and then to this awesome italian market--Cinzetti--I think? It was like all-you-can-eat italian buffet. Just like Golden Corral only 100% better. I ate so much food and it was great.

I was in bed asleep by 9:00 and woke up in the middle of the night to the worst stomach pains ever. I guess I ate a little too much italian buffet!

Sunday I woke up very sore. My right shoulder must have taken some impact as well as my sternum. Both were very sore. And my finger was so swollen, I could barely bend it. Once again it rained all night so the course was wet. I really like the course and was looking forward to a good race. But I was so schetchy on the corners. And on my brakes way too much. I didn't want to crash again and I was having a difficult time in the corners. Normally I do ok, but I was over compensating and way too timid. So I got droped by a counter attack and my day was done. I should have stuck it out and hung in there but I just wasn't really feeling it. Oh well, it wasn't meant to be. Those things happen for a reason and there's always another race.

I'm trying to find some pictures of the rain. Maybe www.kimmorris.com

Racing

I guess I am racing again. I did the OKC Velo Road Race on Sunday and thought I was going to die. Seriously. I haven't felt that bad in a really long time. I think I quit at least 10 times throughout the race. I probably would have quit but our wheel van must have got lost. We basically didn't have a follow vehicle. I saw it at the beginning and then it disappeared. I didn't want to just sit on the side of the road for who knows how long until someone came to pick me up. It was not fun for me, at all. In fact, I thought I would hang my bike up after the race and never take it down again. That is how "not fun" that race was for me. But I finished the stupid thing and I made some money. It was not my type of course, to say the least. It was very hilly and then more hills after the very hilly part. So, considering I quit so many times, I was happy to cross the finish line knowing that I didn't have to do another lap. I wanted to stop after the first lap and I really wanted to stop after the second lap. So, by the third lap, I was toast!

This weekend I am going to Kansas City for the Tour of Kansas City. It was good racing last year for me so hopefully this year will be good as well. I guess it depends on who shows up and how stiff the competition is. But it is an opportunity to get out of town and enjoy a weekend of bike racing.

I have a local tt tonight that I am just going ride. I don't think I'm going to go all out though. I want to save my legs for this weekend. But who knows, I may be feeling really good and just take off. I guess I'll find out in a few hours. I really need to mow my front yard. So, I'm going to try to get the tt over with quickly so I can do my yard work before dark. Maybe that will be motivation enough! You know, the frogs tend to come out when the sun goes down, so as long as the yard is done by then, everything will be ok. I still need to post my new and improved front yard.