022 Lemons and Lyme's

The Mid Atlantic Super Series presented the Granogue Mountain Bike Race this weekend. Andrew Mein's Excellent Adventure held on the Dupont's estate just outside Wilmington Delaware. I came home with a nice plaque for 2nd U40 Sport Woman, a nice travel mug, and a tick attached to my belly. The little sucker was feeding on me just like a little vampire, that's disgusting. First misquitoes now ticks, who knew this blog would turn into my personal trials and tribulations with blood sucking critters. Yes it looked like a deer tick, no it didn't appear to have a full belly of my blood, yes unfortunatly I crushed the little sucker trying to remove it, yes part of it is still in me, yes that's disgusting.

I didn't notice it until Monday evening. Cross your fingers that it crawled on me Monday when I was sorting through the clothes I wore to the race on Sunday to wash and wasn't feeding on me since Sunday, yes that's disgusting.

Yesterday I developed a stiffness in my upper back and a small bulls eye around the bite. Doctor time. The prescription is for antibiotics now and a blood test after I'm done with the antibiotics. If I don't have the lyme antibodies then either I didn't have it or the antibiotics worked. Sounds better to me than waiting a couple weeks to see if my blood tests for lyme and then proceeding with antibiotics.

My goal for Granogue was small. Just finish.

The start was good. The first section of single track gave me some trouble and the second section some more. I continued on, tried to relax, and told myself yes this may start to suck a whole lot but do not stop pedaling.

Then I got in a good rhythm, started riding better and even letting it rip a little. In the end it was a ton of fun.

Unlike the Bakers Dozen I was nervous for this race. I have no idea why. You could say this race is my nemesis, I've never finished until this year. Yeah, goal accomplished and I managed to pull 2nd U40 sport woman.

I'm not letting this little blood sucker hold me back. French Creek is this weekend and I'm registered.
 

Last weeks royal wedding in England got me intrigued on the subject of royalty. I studied the family trees, followed the lineages and read the dramas. How strange to see your family tree mapped out for the entire world to see. As I read about the dramas and scandals of this prince or that queen I thought, they are so real. These things happen in every family not even with the exception of royalty.

I wish the best for the Duke and Dutchess of Cambridge. I think they may have got it right. I hope so anyway. They seem genuine, balanced and real. Sure there will probably be scandals, dramas, and lies that I may or may not read about. But for this moment on this day, I felt like I could connect with them.