Title 167

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=90 BGCOLOR="#006699" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="02c285a1erlcgo.gif"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFCC66" FACE="Arial" ><B>REI Austin Cycling Team</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="REI Austin Cycling Team"><U><B>home</B></U></A></div> <div> back to  <A HREF="id164.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Race and Ride Reports"><U><B>Race and Ride Reports</B></U></A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#FFCC66" TEXT="#080000" background="02ad2c00dkelyh.gif"> <div> <A HREF="id164.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Race and Ride Reports"><U><IMG SRC="03b0e0e0.gif" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="up" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A>   <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="14" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="14">     <A HREF="id178.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Title 167"><U><IMG SRC="02f0e0e0.gif" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="previous" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A>  <A HREF="id167.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Title 167"><U><IMG SRC="0300e0e0.gif" border=0 width="14" height="14" ALT="next" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> <div> <B>Superweek #1</B></div> <div> <B>...David James</B></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=390 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> Superweek Update #1</div> <div> 7/19/2002</div> <div> Milwaukee, WI</div> <bR> <div> Hello everyone -- here is my first update from the cycling races here in</div> <div> Wisconsin!</div> <bR> <div> I rode up here with another cyclist from Austin, Eric, who currently rides</div> <div> for Northwest out of Houston. We arrived on Wed night after about 19 hours</div> <div> of driving. We're staying with a host family who are very nice to us. Even</div> <div> though they are from Wisconsin, their accent is not too funny and I can</div> <div> still understand them, eh?</div> <bR> <div> There are cyclists competing here at Superweek from all over -- East Coast,</div> <div> West Coast, Central U.S., Germany, etc! (ww.internationalcycling.com)</div> <div> Also, at least one offical -- Susan Bravenec -- is here from Texas. As we</div> <div> staged before the race, Susan asked her characteristic question, "How are</div> <div> you today?", to the crowd. I was the only one to reply loudly "Great!" The</div> <div> other racers hadn't been to one of Susan's races before and didn't know the</div> <div> drill.</div> <bR> <div> I've raced one event so far -- the Humbolt Park Crit and it it was fast and</div> <div> tough. A 35 mi crit over a 0.7 mi lap, with 20 feet of climbing per lap and</div> <div> a near 180 turn coming into the climb. That translates into 50 laps and</div> <div> about 1000 feet of climbing (in a crit!). The CAT 4/5 field started at 60</div> <div> or so riders. We started fast and I was working hard but was happy with my</div> <div> positioning and cornering. I averaged 24.2 mph and we blasted up the 300 m</div> <div> hill at a sprint almost every lap at about 22 mph.</div> <bR> <div> After about 50 minutes, we were down to about 25 riders because of the crazy</div> <div> pace. But it wasn't my lucky day. I came out safely of the 180 degree</div> <div> turn, but immediately afterwards I clipped a pedal due to the uneven road.</div> <div> I thought I was going to lose control and crash, but I saved myself but</div> <div> putting my foot down. However, I hyperextended my foot and pulled something</div> <div> on the inside of my ankle and it felt like it was on fire. I wanted to</div> <div> continue, because I would have had very good odds to hang for a top 15</div> <div> placing and prize money -- but I didn't want to further injure my ankle.</div> <bR> <div> I had it checked out briefly and met "Dr. George" -- one of the Superweek</div> <div> Safety Team. Dr. George takes time off from his family practice to help</div> <div> with injuries at Superweek. He's a big Wisconsin guy who talks way too</div> <div> fast. He checked my ankle and said my Archilles tendon is fine, but the</div> <div> ligaments above it and towards the inside are bruised. I've kept it</div> <div> elevated have iced it several times.</div> <bR> <div> As of today, my ankle is still sore and tight, but hopefully it will be fine</div> <div> for racing tomorrow! I'm planning on racing Saturday and Sunday. Then I'll</div> <div> see if I need a rest day on Monday because its a long week ahead with a</div> <div> races every day.</div> <bR> <div> David</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>