So, recently several nights a week have been taken up with bike racing at Portland International Raceway. I love racing here as I love the flat and the fast, but recently in the open women's division we've been plagued with an alarming amount of crashes. Two Mondays ago, June 1st, I was in the final sprint to the finish when out to my left, one girl lost control of her bike and crashed it into the back end of another rider... taking three women overall out of the race. Crashes happen in fast sprints like this, it comes with the territory; but in this case, it took this rider at least 15 minutes to regain conciseness. Normally the injuries are road rashes and cuts and scrapes and broken bikes, but Kmac from Team Ironclad went down and went down hard. The ambulance came, she came to, and ended up at the hospital with brain and collarbone injury and a tube down her throat. As we speak, she's making a really strong recovery and it's been great how people in the Portland bike racing community have pooled together so many well wishes and raised money for her.
Anyways, so if all of us women racers were not already shaken up about that event as it was (I know it kept replaying in many of our minds and caused us to question why it was we do what we do), everyone who braved their fears enough to make it out to PIR the following monday night, got to witness the joys of yet.... another crash in the women's field. This time, in the second lap three riders went down in a botched effort to move to one side of the track to let the mens pack through. In a classy move, the remainder of us all stopped, got off our bikes and assist in helping the girls off the track and regained ourselves. The remainder of us, that was, except for two women who after the crash happened - turned around, looked at everyone stopping, and kept on riding.... doing the remainder of the race by themselves. That's ten laps folks. That's winning all the prize laps and the top two spots. That's not cool in my book. It'd be one thing if they didn't notice we were not following them, but 12 other girls on your tail are kinda hard to miss. Also, what's the point of racing if you've got no one to race against?
Regardless, on both nights of racing at PIR I was pleased with my performance. True, some of the girls who were in crashes probably would have placed ahead of me, but an 8th place finish on 6.1 and then a 3rd in our final sprint this past week (which because of the two other riders finishing early meant I got 5th) I'm not too upset about AND, I can look at myself in the morning. I really want to finish out the month of June and have a strong standing in the series standings, but currently, I'm also facing some knee issues (see below) which may hinder that from happening.
Speaking of bikes, for the past several weeks, downtown Portland was awash in seediness as our annual Rose Festival took to the waterfront. I hate festivals like this with a fiery passion (I also hate parades, fireworks, amusement parks, you get the picture - I'm pretty much not an American) I will have to say that I am most pleased with how our Mayor, Sam Adams, chose to ride in our parade. Unlike other cities where the Mayors sit back all comfortable in a large convertible, this is Portland.... our Mayor rode his bike!
Also in bike friendly related news, today in Portland kicks off our two week celebration of bikes and bike related things... Pedalpalooza! With over 203 events with more being added to the master schedule everyday, there is bike related fun to be had all over town... and most of it free. The highlight of each years Pedalpalooza, in my own humble opinion, is Portland's time to shine with the epic World Naked Bike Ride! Last year I took place in this event and it was seriously some of the most fun I've had on or off a bike all year. Everywhere you looked, naked naked naked people! You couldn't help yourself but to laugh at the absurdity of it all. And, to give you an idea of how many naked people we're talking about here... think in the upwards of 2000 riding at midnight through the streets of downtown Portland! Thats more naked people riding a bike than you can shake a.... um..... stick at! So, if your a PDXer or in town for the weekend, the ride is SATURDAY night! And, if you have any questions you should check out this little link here.
Personally, I'd love to ride in this years ride... but I'll be off in Seattle treating myself to this show at the Triple Door. What? You've never heard of Brandi and the Silver Traveling Ghost Show? Hmm... well maybe you've seen them when they play under this more familiar name.... Which reminds me, I've got fifteen minutes to finish this up and run across the river to see her play at the Aladdin Theater tonight.
Also, for the past six weeks or so I've been suffering from a slight knee issue which I refer to in the technical medical term, as "squishy". Yes, my knee is squishy. It started out as a direct impact between my knee and the hard ground when I got taken out by two players in a soccer match. It hurt like a mo'fo then... I iced it, it wasn't 100%, but in true jennlevo fashion, I kept playing. Then a few weeks later I went and I climbed a mountain. Shortly afterwards I heard a pop and the next thing I know my knee is filling up with fluid, thereby making it squishy. I've been to my doctor whom has referred me to another ortho doctor, but at this present time other than my theory that I ruptured my bursa sack, I know nothing other than I can't feel a bone and it's squishy. In fact, because it's doesn't "hurt" persay... I've still been biking, climbing, lifting, playing soccer, and pretty much everything else I normally do on it. However, at last night's indoor soccer game, I learned this strategy probably wasn't the best idea as today I'm a hobbily ice pakin pain med takin mess. I know that by Monday's PIR races the knee won't be "better", but I just don't want it to hurt like it does now. I'm fine playing dumb, racing, and then icing... which is not a good idea, but I can also be stubborn like that. One thing jennlevo does not do well is "take it easy" or take time off. I'm hoping that a weekend away in Seattle doing nothing but hanging out may be the best medicine for me. Keep your fingers crossed.
Anyways, amuse yourself with this... I've been called squishy recently waaaay too many times.
Okay, off to see Brandi. Ya'll have a good one.
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