The TT and the beginning of the Vacation

I was happy that morning. I was very happy that day. We got to go out on the later bus so we got to hear how everybody did. Matt had mechanical issues, David had to change his position so he didn't do that well, Oz won, and Pepe was third. Not a bad start to the morning. Mike had just finished his first lap when we had arrived and he was looking strong. We still had about two and half hours of waiting until we were going. I had a bit to eat and then started going. I had yet to ride the entrance to, on, and off the dam. I got all geared up and was off riding around 1:15, I started at 3:15. I wasn't able to get a great head of steam into the unknown territory but I at least got to ride the slip and slide. It was fun. I had some minor shifting problems but those were easily solved. I then hung out for a while while Ron and Anthony got ready to go. Ron was off at 2:25. I then got all ready and started warming up on the rollers. Craig took off with Anthony to follow him on the first lap. He was playing the very eager father roll making sure that all of children were ready for the race. I was as ready as was going to be. I was the second to last athlete to go for the single bikes. I new that I could catch the girls in front of me but I didn't know whether or not Natalie from Germany would catch me. I figured it would be towards the end of first lap. I got started and was pumped. I played it smart. Took the hill with a high cadence and pushed it up over each hill. I wish that I went faster in some sections but I still won the race. I knew I had done well at the end of the day when I could here the announcer saying that I was coming with a very fast time. I got to embrace a very upset Barb because she had forgotten about the factor and the announcer was telling everybody that I had won the race. i knew that I would end up second because of the factor but I knew that if we were at worlds I would be wearing gold. I had the race of my life. I can't ask for more.

I started celebrating right away. The next day I was off to the wall and got some more souvenir shopping done. The wall is amazing. The fact that somebody thousands of years ago wanted a large wall and it got built. It was amazing to see how it just zigzagged the landscape. I went Mary Riddel, former ski teammer. I thought some of my teammates on cycling team liked to talk but she is just as bad. It was fun though, we got to go in a BOCOG vehicle and not the public shuttle. We got there quick and painless. Later a group of us went to an Irish bar with a couple of the Irish cyclist. It was a ton of fun. I got drunk and ended up at another bar with "Gus", and didn't make it home until 3:30am. I slept all of the next day. We then went to an acrobatic show, which was amazing. Three subway trains later we were back at the Village. We then wrangled up Craig and made him keep a bet that he had made, 5 golds and we get to put USA into the back of his head. If we would have gotten 8 then it was a tattoo. Craig looked like a little boy going to the dentist for the first time. We have lots of photos.

It was a great ending to the games and I am having a good vacation.