Spills and the chills: the Barbara Howe diary

There is so much to write about this week. I started it off by getting sick. Josh was ill last week and I managed to keep the virus at bay until the last possible moment and then came down with a spanking good head cold. It was really hard on morale because of the last two USGP races were right here at home and I knew so many people who were coming to watch so I did what I could; mainly skipping work and eating enough vitamin C and Echinacea to resurrect a dead donkey. Saturday morning I still felt like poo.

Rough and tumble ‘cross

Saturday's race was hosted by my team (Velo Bella) at the Watsonville Fairgrounds; the town where strawberry's and raspberries are grown. The race had a tiki luau theme and the weather could not have been more appropriate; the sun was sweltering. At least the long run up, being in the shade, was a bit more bearable.

All of my beautiful Bella teammates were bedecked in lei's, grass skirts and Hawaiian shirts. The podium was wearing a grass skirt and several of the officials sported colorful lei's around their necks. Maybe next year the theme can be igloos and polar bears and it won't be so hot! I barely had the motivation to get on a bike much less warm up and try to race.

While negotiating a tricky off camber I tipped over and tumbled down the down side of the bike turning myself into a dust ball. I wasn't hurt but I was slightly embarrassed (and dirty). I continued on my way. During the next warm-up lap at the same off camber I hear the final call to staging for elite women. This was bad because I was as far from the start as possible. So I began a treacherous, panicked dash for staging.

Read the entire Barbara Howe diary here.