Day 17

In the end, really no matter what happened (except for a podium, obviously), the national championship road race was bound to be anticlimactic. I finished a decent, if unnoticeable 15th place, fighting my way into the front group and then riding as hard as I could to the finish.

Tomorrow is a day off from racing (though, as anyone who follows bike racing will realize, a "day off" means at least 1.5 hours at a moderate tempo), and in general, the stress present in the bromobile in the time leading up to nationals seems to have dissipated. Though we are focused for races, as soon as they are over everything is back to fun and games. Stu, especially, is a child at heart: after purchasing a large bottle of sparkling water, he couldn't help but channel his inner Tour de France stage winner by showering us all with the closest to bubbly he's willing to drink. Of course, a prank can't pass without a retaliation: at the next available opportunity we assailed Stu with a barrage of flying brownies left over from the wonderful dinner Julia hosted for us (even after races we aren't willing to eat sweets).

Though he has not managed to make the blog yet, we have lately been blessed with the presence of the one, the only Tommy Lucas (or Big Money T as he prefers to be called). Tommy can have us all on the floor laughing with his various stories, especially surrounding his life on the internet. That's all I'll say here.