Sometimes you just go home

Last weekend was lining up to be the driving weekend from hell. Saturday I had to be in Roanoke/Salem at 7 am for a dog show with Georgie, and Sunday I was to race and volunteer officiate at the Age Graded Road Race. Oh, and come home in between times... Somewhere in there I was supposed to sleep as well.

Saturday was ok. I got up at 3 am and was on the road shortly there after. We got down to the tiny civic center and found that most of the open space for dog crates was taken. I finally found a nice place and stacked all my stuff. An hour later I had a lovely confrontation with some Ridgeback people who announced that that was their space and I had to move.

I was about to call them out, and then looked at them, and then at Georgie, and decided to let them have the space. I was right, and would have won, but you never know what jerks will do to your dog when your back is turned. Fun experience number one.

George was at his dazzling best and won Best of Breed. I then hung around for 8 more hours only to overlooked in the group, and then had a 3.5 hour drive home...

Sunday I got up at 3 am to head up to the road race. It's a beautiful 2. 5 hour drive over the mountains with deer on every shoulder... I got in a little before 7 and checked in with the chief ref. My job, to ride in the wheel truck in case there was an emergency on the course. This was a blast. Ken drove me around all morning and gave me the local color, and I got to give him color commentary on what was happening. We both got to listen to the moto refs on the radios- my favorite phrase... the field is NOT animated. (Heck, I wouldn't have been much animated out there, either...) I gave a little Fat Frogs boy the only fluid I had in the truck- a diet coke to try to keep him hydrated when he ran out of water. (and I picked up his trash when he threw his bottle on the side of the road.)

All in all, that was fun!

What wasn't fun was the fact that my hip was completely tied up from all the truck riding for two days. By the time I did one race my hip was screaming at me. By the time to warm up came for me, I was done. I thought about it, even went to get changed, but the numbness down the leg wasn't going away, and the course wasn't getting any easier. So I loaded up and went home.

Yesterday I spent the day stretching, icing, taking motrin, and applying kitty-heat. Fuzz, my cat, practiced his brand of kitty magic, laying on my hip and calling the kitty- Gods to make my hip heal. (I think he was calling someone as he air kneaded in his happy state.) I'm back on the stability ball hoping that its a minor nerve irritation and will be better by this weekend.

Page Valley did a great job with this race. The course is tough, but fair. The locals were wonderful and supportive, and the scenery was to die for. Congrats to all who suffered on the road, especially my team mates!