Really? You're How Old?

So today I graduated summa cum laude, which is a feat I never, ever would have accomplished at Carolina. After stuffing my face with Pepperidge Farm cookies (yeah, BC keeps it classy--no generic shortbread for us), I rewarded myself with a Coontree run in a thunderstorm. I enjoyed it so much that I turned right around and ran it backwards as well. I tried to turn my adventure into some kind of poignant metaphor for graduation/life, but such lofty ideas eluded me and I was occupied with much baser thoughts. Mainly, that schoolwork is an awful lot like doo-doo.

Really?

Yes.

I couldn't stop coming up with similarities between bowel movements and schoolwork. Both are best accomplished in one sitting, and both are greatly expedited by coffee. I often refer to paper-writing as "pooping one out" because the process is fairly uncomfortable but ultimately satisfying. Both essays and excrement can come out pretty awkward-sounding if you try too hard, and there are grave repercussions if you don't submit on time. Meanwhile my hated nemeses, presentations and group projects, are more like explosive diarrhea: quickly done, with a shitty final product.

The worst part about this scatological reverie is that I could glean no deeper meaning from it. I made no revelations about life, I just ran along giggling about poop and chiding myself for being so gross. I guess it all boils down to the simple fact that I am so glad to be done with all that crap.

Redemption

Sort of, anyway.

I met my secret goal of a top ten in the crit! Ninth place. I felt awesome and raced real aggressive, but the chips just didn't fall the way I wanted them to...at the finish I was begging for another thirty minutes.

On the front, pedaling through corners...I'm just not a smart racer.

Elk Killer, master of consistency, scored another 17th. I can't say he was pleased about it, because he is a helluva sprinter, but ah well.

The Saint is watching supercross right now and probably doesn't want his results broadcast. St Mariiieeeeee........

They're cute.

So my final collegiate race was a success (and the best result BC has ever had at road natz--sad, no?) and now I have nothing better to do than ponder my future. Oh lordie.

Also, Madison was lovely.

Unfortunate

That didn't go well.

Today was cold and crappy and raining. All day. St Marie flatted midway through and the neutral support had already used up all their wheels on the silly DI boys...ouch. Elk Killer netted a perfectly respectable 17th but I think he burned a match or three doing it...ouch.

I quit.

I suck.

I flatted too, but quickly received a new wheel. Pinned it for five miles and caught back onto the pack, but I was blown for the climb. I fell back and eventually gave up. I spent the next fifteen miles (to my chagrin) composing my litany of excuses, like any good cyclist would. Flatted. It's raining. Want to take a wicked yes (oooo Family Guy reference). Lost my glasses. Four hour race. Saving it for the crit. Suck. I do not like making excuses; they're embarrassing. But more than anything else, I remembered, for the hundredth time, that deep flaw that has marred my racing career:

I hate racing.

I love winning, and good results buoy me almost long enough to overcome the bad ones. But now that my final collegiate weekend has started with such a downer, I know I can't pursue my secret summer plans. Because I just don't love it, or enjoy it, or want it enough.

That said, I'm still looking forward to the crit. Because crits are always fun.

Wish Granted

Well, Elk Killer has the camera with all the pictures and I don't feel like retrieving them now (later, I promise) but I got my wish: the course is beautiful.

The first quarter of the 15 mile course is mostly flat/downhill with alarmingly sandy corners and small branches littering the road. Ugh! The rest of the lap is up down up down up up up up through the lush green uber-pastoral landscape. It's not as dramatic as Fort Collins was but definitely breath-taking in its own right. The lap finishes on a long semi-steep hill, and the race finishes on an even longer, much steeper hill. Fun!

How am I feeling about this? It's just like last year: even if I get blown to bits (likely) I'll still enjoy the ride because of the lovely terrain. I feel even less prepared this year and the weather is probably going to be nasssty, but I refuse to talk myself out of this pleasant sense of anticipation. It's on!!

Madison, WI

After a relatively painless 14 hour drive full of XM comedy radio (ick), we're here. I just can't believe how much of the country is ugly and boring. It makes me want to go find beauty somewhere.

Pre-riding today...I'm afraid.

Wow

Seventeen years is such...a long...time. But now I'm one quiz, one exam, one thesis introduction, and one road trip away from being completely finished with school.

In retrospect, college was pretty sweet.

This was four years ago. Yeah. Seriously.

Freshman year. This is my favorite picture in existence.

Halloween of sophomore year. The ladies dressed as the five stages of Britney Spears.

Junior year. Ugly sweater party at the Cowie/Tellman household.

The Sycamore crew mobbed the seasonal trails at midnight, 10/15/08.

I spent a lot of time in this guy's company.

Senior year. Mountain bike season would not have been the same without them.