I was finally able to get some good sleep last night and I felt much better when I got up. I drove down to Bluemont Park to meet the boys of Squadra Coppi for cyclocross practice. I was the first one there and I rode around a bit on my own before Peter Nicoll showed up. I had just about finished riding a warm-up lap with him when I realized after a quick downhill that the key I was storing inside my glove was no longer there! Craaaap. I had put the car key only in my glove and left the rest of the keys in the car. I had no cell phone and no way to get back into my apartment to get another car key. So I started retracing the loop hoping I'd find the key.

It was a bit ridiculous to look for the key because the loop we ride is large and varied enough that it was like finding a needle in a haystack. Ryan Newill and Brad Evans showed up by that time and I kept looking while they started riding laps. I borrowed Ryan's phone and left a message on Jess' voicemail. Then I went back to looking for just a little while longer before I'd have to ride home and spend the rest of the morning sorting everything out.

But no! I found the key! I was extremely lucky that it'd fallen out in the grass and there it was. Whew. Disaster avoided. I left the key in a backpack and got back to doing what it was I'd come for: riding. Basically we just rode loops together. I knew the course a lot better than I have the other two times I've ridden it, so it was more natural. I felt pretty good.

After decent number of laps, we decided to work on starts a bit. We lined up along one of the lines for the soccer fields and raced out to a baseball field, around the backstop and back in. I was able to "win" two of them and was right on the leader's heels on the third. I did have the inside track, but I think my starts are good enough. For me it's the rest of the first lap and the next few where I think I have the most trouble. I have a tendancy to want to settle in too quickly. To be good at cross I don't think I can really do much settling ever.

I'm planning on taking the rest of the week of from any lengthy or fast paced riding. I ate well (pasta) both last night and tonight and I'm determined to keep getting good sleep. Hopefully that'll help me start feeling better and I'll race better than I did last Sunday. I already felt a lot better today but my legs are still feeling a bit tired. I'm racing Saturday and Sunday for the first time and I want to do well in both. Top tens will be my goal.